BEST PLAYER FROM EVERY TEAM IN THE UCL ROUND OF 16
By Aaron Aguiar
El Rodeo Staff Writer
El Rodeo Staff Writer
In wake of the Champions League returning, I decided to choose the best player from every team still in the competition. My logic in choosing each player is based upon a player’s talent, the statistics they put up, and if they have received any individual accolades to vindicate my decision in choosing them.
(Photo by ANP Sport via Getty Images)
Team: FC Barcelona Player: Lionel Messi
This selection is quite self-explanatory. Lionel Messi is a footballing icon and he transcends the sport. Messi has scored over 600 goals in his career and has a record 6 Balon d’Or (Transfermarkt).
He is also having another extraordinary season with 20 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances and at times has looked super-human. Some have considered him to be the G.O.A.T and it is very difficult to refute that claim.
((Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Team: Paris Saint-Germain Player: Kylian Mbappe
What hasn’t been said about Kylian Mbappe? At only 22, he is one of the world’s best players and is already estimated to be the most valuable player in the sport-being valued at around $198 million dollars (Transfermarkt).
His Parisian Teammate Neymar might feel a little hard done by my selection, but the stats don’t lie. Neymar this season has 13 goals and 6 assists while Mbappe has a staggering 21 goals and 9 assists. Furthermore, Neymar hasn’t been reliable thus far in his PSG career with his constant injury woes.
Mbappe has putten up better numbers than Neymar over the last couple of seasons, and his stunning 3 goal performance against Barcelona in which he outshined the phenomenal Lionel Messi is just indicative of how special Mbappe already is. Can Mbappe be the best player in the world in a couple of years?
(Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Team: Liverpool FC Player: Virgil Van Dijk
Arguably the best center-back in the world, when he is fit, Virgil Van Dijk has been a big player for a Liverpool side that has won the UCL and the Premier League. Liverpool’s recent struggles can be boiled down to the fact that the big Dutch international has been out for the season with an ACL injury.
Van Dijk won Uefa men’s player of the year in 2019 and was a runner-up to Lionel Messi in 2019 for the Balon d’Or (Goal.com). Liverp
(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Team: RB Leipzig Player: Dayot Upamecano
Another talented player out of the fabled Red Bull production line, Upamecano can already be considered a world-class center-back. He has all the physical attributes that a top-class center-half needs to have. He is quick, strong, and excellent in the air.
His pre-contractual agreement with the reigning UCL champions Bayern Munich will be a huge test for him, but I believe it will be a test he will pass with flying colors. He is tailor-made for Bayern’s defense and with his new team, he will improve and soon be given the moniker “best center-backs in the world.”
(Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Team: Sevilla FC Player: Jules Kounde
Jules Kounde has been highly coveted among Europe’s premier clubs and quite rightly so. He has played a big part in Sevilla’s success over the past months being a defensive stalwart for Los Nervionenses.
Kounde is the prototypical modern-day center back-being comfortable with the ball and at a minute 5’10, he is surprisingly good in the air. He has been a part of La Liga’s second-best defense and he has kept a staggering 17 clean sheets in 31 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt). At 22 years of age, he still has time to improve and become a top-class center-back.
(Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: Borussia Dortmund Player: Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is only 20 years of age, but he plays as if he were a seasoned veteran. Nicknamed “the cyborg” for his supernatural instincts in front of goal, Haaland broke onto the scene last season and scored a ridiculous 44 goals (ESPN). He is continuing to prove the doubters wrong this season with his goal tally already chalking up to 23. He and Mbappe can be the next great footballing rivalry once Messi and Ronaldo retire.
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Team: Juventus FC Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
5-time winner of the Balon d’Or, 4-time winner of the European Golden Shoe, and the UCL’s all-time leading goalscorer-Cristiano Ronaldo has one of the most impressive resumes of all time (michelacosta.com). Ronaldo has collected countless individual and team accolades and at the age of 36, he is still at the pinnacle of world football.
In the 2019/20 season, Cristiano scored 37 goals in 46 appearances (Transfermarkt). He is continuing to be as deadly in front of goal topping the Serie A goalscoring charts with an absurd 16 goals in 18 games. With consistency like that, he has to be up there with the likes of Pele and Maradona as one of the greatest players of all time.
(Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Team: FC Porto Player: Jesus Corona
Probably the least known player on this list, Jesus Corona certainly has the talent that can one day make him a household name. Corona won the LPFP Primeira Liga player of the year for the 2019/20 campaign and in that same year provided 21 assists in 51 appearances (Transfermarkt).
Jesus Corona is a player who is just a joy to watch. He is the living embodiment of “ginga football”-he is able to breeze past opponents with skill and finesse and the ball always seems to be glued to his magical feet. Whenever he is on a football pitch, expect fireworks.
(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Team: Atletico Madrid Player: Jan Oblak
The most valuable goalkeeper in the world $99 million dollars, Jan Oblak is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world (Transfermarkt). This season, in particular, he has been a vital part of La Liga’s best defense-keeping 11 clean sheets and only conceding 13 goals in total in 21 games of football.
His presence alone sends chills down the spine of any attacker he is up against in a 1-on-1 situation.
(Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Team: Chelsea FC Player: Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva ages like a fine wine. At 36, most players would already be retired or be on the verge of retirement, but Thiago Silva is still playing at the highest level. Thiago is what we call a “Rolls Royce center-back” because of his elegance on the ball and his tactical awareness.
Chelsea has vastly improved under the stewardship of Tomas Tuchel and Thiago Silva has been a cornerstone of that success with his experience and leadership from the back.
(Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: FC Bayern Munich Player: Robert Lewandowski
Uefa men’s player of the year, German footballer of the year, and current holder of the Fifa’s the best award-Robert Lewandowski won every individual accolade available in 2020. He is undoubtedly the best player in the world right now and he has the goals to show for it.
According to Transfermarkt, he scored a quite ridiculous 55 goals last season and he has already scored 30 goals this season! He is absolutely lethal in front of goal and he is the reason why Bayern Munich won the quadruple last season. He is irrefutably one of the best players of his generation.
(Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Team: SS Lazio Player: Ciro Immobile
After failed stints at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, Ciro Immobile has really found a home at SS Lazio. He has transformed into one of the most clinical strikers in all of Europe-topping the Serie A scoring charts for the 2019/20 season with 36 goals and winning the coveted European golden shoe in the process over the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo (Football London).
Ciro is Lazio’s most important player and without his goals, it would be hard to imagine the Biancocelesti being where they are now without his major goal contributions.
(Photo by Javier Soriano/AFP Photo)
Team: Real Madrid CF Player: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is absolutely critical to Los Merengues. His leadership and passion are what spurs the team forward and without him-they are a completely different team. It is no coincidence that Ramos’s recent spell on the sidelines has coincided with Real Madrid’s bad run of form-most notably losing to third-division side Alcoyano.
Ramos has been a staple of Real Madrid’s recent domination of European competitions, winning 4 Champions Leagues and being the talisman in each of his side’s cup-winning campaigns. The Madridistas will forever remember Sergio as “the gladiator of Madrid.”
(Photo by Marco Canoniero / LightRocket/ Getty Images)
Team: Atalanta B.C. Player: Josip Illcic
Josip Illcic is the most important player in Gasperini’s system in Atalanta. Josip is a complete second-striker being able to link up the attack and also being able to finish off chances like a true number 9.
Last season he quietly had a superb season scoring 21 goals and assisting another 9 (Transfermarkt). However, no matter how good the stats look on the paper-his contribution to this Atalanta team runs far deeper and there is no stat that can measure his true value.
(Photo by Javier Soriano/AFP Photo)
Team: Manchester City FC Player: Kevin De Bruyne
PFA’s player of the season for the 2019/20 season, Kevin De Bruyne is arguably thee best player in the Premier League today. Last season, he matched Theirry Henry’s Premier League assists record of 20, and this season he 3 goals and 15 assists in 23 appearances (Goal.com).
Kevin De Bruyne’s eye for a pass is unrivaled in world football and when he is on his game-he is essentially unplayable.
(Photo by Cristof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: Borussia Monchengladbach Player: Denis Zakaria
One of the most underrated players in all of Europe, Denis Zakaria has all the tools to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He has the two qualities that a world-class defensive midfielder needs-he is strong and good in the tackle and he is good with the ball at his feet. According to Tranfermarkt, he is Borussia Monchengladbach’s most valuable player at the price of $44 million dollars. His recent links with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are indicative of how good he already is and he is destined to go right to the very top.
(Photo by ANP Sport via Getty Images)
Team: FC Barcelona Player: Lionel Messi
This selection is quite self-explanatory. Lionel Messi is a footballing icon and he transcends the sport. Messi has scored over 600 goals in his career and has a record 6 Balon d’Or (Transfermarkt).
He is also having another extraordinary season with 20 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances and at times has looked super-human. Some have considered him to be the G.O.A.T and it is very difficult to refute that claim.
((Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Team: Paris Saint-Germain Player: Kylian Mbappe
What hasn’t been said about Kylian Mbappe? At only 22, he is one of the world’s best players and is already estimated to be the most valuable player in the sport-being valued at around $198 million dollars (Transfermarkt).
His Parisian Teammate Neymar might feel a little hard done by my selection, but the stats don’t lie. Neymar this season has 13 goals and 6 assists while Mbappe has a staggering 21 goals and 9 assists. Furthermore, Neymar hasn’t been reliable thus far in his PSG career with his constant injury woes.
Mbappe has putten up better numbers than Neymar over the last couple of seasons, and his stunning 3 goal performance against Barcelona in which he outshined the phenomenal Lionel Messi is just indicative of how special Mbappe already is. Can Mbappe be the best player in the world in a couple of years?
(Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Team: Liverpool FC Player: Virgil Van Dijk
Arguably the best center-back in the world, when he is fit, Virgil Van Dijk has been a big player for a Liverpool side that has won the UCL and the Premier League. Liverpool’s recent struggles can be boiled down to the fact that the big Dutch international has been out for the season with an ACL injury.
Van Dijk won Uefa men’s player of the year in 2019 and was a runner-up to Lionel Messi in 2019 for the Balon d’Or (Goal.com). Liverp
(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Team: RB Leipzig Player: Dayot Upamecano
Another talented player out of the fabled Red Bull production line, Upamecano can already be considered a world-class center-back. He has all the physical attributes that a top-class center-half needs to have. He is quick, strong, and excellent in the air.
His pre-contractual agreement with the reigning UCL champions Bayern Munich will be a huge test for him, but I believe it will be a test he will pass with flying colors. He is tailor-made for Bayern’s defense and with his new team, he will improve and soon be given the moniker “best center-backs in the world.”
(Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Team: Sevilla FC Player: Jules Kounde
Jules Kounde has been highly coveted among Europe’s premier clubs and quite rightly so. He has played a big part in Sevilla’s success over the past months being a defensive stalwart for Los Nervionenses.
Kounde is the prototypical modern-day center back-being comfortable with the ball and at a minute 5’10, he is surprisingly good in the air. He has been a part of La Liga’s second-best defense and he has kept a staggering 17 clean sheets in 31 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt). At 22 years of age, he still has time to improve and become a top-class center-back.
(Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: Borussia Dortmund Player: Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is only 20 years of age, but he plays as if he were a seasoned veteran. Nicknamed “the cyborg” for his supernatural instincts in front of goal, Haaland broke onto the scene last season and scored a ridiculous 44 goals (ESPN). He is continuing to prove the doubters wrong this season with his goal tally already chalking up to 23. He and Mbappe can be the next great footballing rivalry once Messi and Ronaldo retire.
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Team: Juventus FC Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
5-time winner of the Balon d’Or, 4-time winner of the European Golden Shoe, and the UCL’s all-time leading goalscorer-Cristiano Ronaldo has one of the most impressive resumes of all time (michelacosta.com). Ronaldo has collected countless individual and team accolades and at the age of 36, he is still at the pinnacle of world football.
In the 2019/20 season, Cristiano scored 37 goals in 46 appearances (Transfermarkt). He is continuing to be as deadly in front of goal topping the Serie A goalscoring charts with an absurd 16 goals in 18 games. With consistency like that, he has to be up there with the likes of Pele and Maradona as one of the greatest players of all time.
(Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Team: FC Porto Player: Jesus Corona
Probably the least known player on this list, Jesus Corona certainly has the talent that can one day make him a household name. Corona won the LPFP Primeira Liga player of the year for the 2019/20 campaign and in that same year provided 21 assists in 51 appearances (Transfermarkt).
Jesus Corona is a player who is just a joy to watch. He is the living embodiment of “ginga football”-he is able to breeze past opponents with skill and finesse and the ball always seems to be glued to his magical feet. Whenever he is on a football pitch, expect fireworks.
(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Team: Atletico Madrid Player: Jan Oblak
The most valuable goalkeeper in the world $99 million dollars, Jan Oblak is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world (Transfermarkt). This season, in particular, he has been a vital part of La Liga’s best defense-keeping 11 clean sheets and only conceding 13 goals in total in 21 games of football.
His presence alone sends chills down the spine of any attacker he is up against in a 1-on-1 situation.
(Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Team: Chelsea FC Player: Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva ages like a fine wine. At 36, most players would already be retired or be on the verge of retirement, but Thiago Silva is still playing at the highest level. Thiago is what we call a “Rolls Royce center-back” because of his elegance on the ball and his tactical awareness.
Chelsea has vastly improved under the stewardship of Tomas Tuchel and Thiago Silva has been a cornerstone of that success with his experience and leadership from the back.
(Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: FC Bayern Munich Player: Robert Lewandowski
Uefa men’s player of the year, German footballer of the year, and current holder of the Fifa’s the best award-Robert Lewandowski won every individual accolade available in 2020. He is undoubtedly the best player in the world right now and he has the goals to show for it.
According to Transfermarkt, he scored a quite ridiculous 55 goals last season and he has already scored 30 goals this season! He is absolutely lethal in front of goal and he is the reason why Bayern Munich won the quadruple last season. He is irrefutably one of the best players of his generation.
(Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Team: SS Lazio Player: Ciro Immobile
After failed stints at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, Ciro Immobile has really found a home at SS Lazio. He has transformed into one of the most clinical strikers in all of Europe-topping the Serie A scoring charts for the 2019/20 season with 36 goals and winning the coveted European golden shoe in the process over the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo (Football London).
Ciro is Lazio’s most important player and without his goals, it would be hard to imagine the Biancocelesti being where they are now without his major goal contributions.
(Photo by Javier Soriano/AFP Photo)
Team: Real Madrid CF Player: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is absolutely critical to Los Merengues. His leadership and passion are what spurs the team forward and without him-they are a completely different team. It is no coincidence that Ramos’s recent spell on the sidelines has coincided with Real Madrid’s bad run of form-most notably losing to third-division side Alcoyano.
Ramos has been a staple of Real Madrid’s recent domination of European competitions, winning 4 Champions Leagues and being the talisman in each of his side’s cup-winning campaigns. The Madridistas will forever remember Sergio as “the gladiator of Madrid.”
(Photo by Marco Canoniero / LightRocket/ Getty Images)
Team: Atalanta B.C. Player: Josip Illcic
Josip Illcic is the most important player in Gasperini’s system in Atalanta. Josip is a complete second-striker being able to link up the attack and also being able to finish off chances like a true number 9.
Last season he quietly had a superb season scoring 21 goals and assisting another 9 (Transfermarkt). However, no matter how good the stats look on the paper-his contribution to this Atalanta team runs far deeper and there is no stat that can measure his true value.
(Photo by Javier Soriano/AFP Photo)
Team: Manchester City FC Player: Kevin De Bruyne
PFA’s player of the season for the 2019/20 season, Kevin De Bruyne is arguably thee best player in the Premier League today. Last season, he matched Theirry Henry’s Premier League assists record of 20, and this season he 3 goals and 15 assists in 23 appearances (Goal.com).
Kevin De Bruyne’s eye for a pass is unrivaled in world football and when he is on his game-he is essentially unplayable.
(Photo by Cristof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Team: Borussia Monchengladbach Player: Denis Zakaria
One of the most underrated players in all of Europe, Denis Zakaria has all the tools to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He has the two qualities that a world-class defensive midfielder needs-he is strong and good in the tackle and he is good with the ball at his feet. According to Tranfermarkt, he is Borussia Monchengladbach’s most valuable player at the price of $44 million dollars. His recent links with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are indicative of how good he already is and he is destined to go right to the very top.