From a hat-trick at the Camp Nou, to a goalkeeper dominating in the Bundesliga, it was another thrilling weekend in the world of football. Here, we put together the top XI from across the globe for those who really stood out from the rest.
Nikola Vasilj (St Pauli) – 9.2
St Pauli have been in a relegation battle all year in the Bundesliga, meaning any points come at a premium for the Millerntor side. At the weekend, they beat Champions League chasing Hoffenheim 1-0 to lift them out of the bottom three.
Under the pump for much of the game, the visitors have Bosnian stopper Vasilj to thank for the three points. He made 11 out of 11 saves in the game, preventing an xGOT of 3.59.
Shots rained down all game – 20 in total – but he stood tall and kept a clean sheet when his team needed it most.
Defence
Thilo Kehrer (Monaco) – 9.1
After a disappointing defeat to PSG in the Champions League midweek, Monaco bounced back with a comfortable 2-0 win over Angers, as Kehrer played his part at the back.
He may not have netted or assisted a goal, but the German completed an eyebrow-raising 94% of his passes to keep the ball moving, whilst being imperious without the ball.
He made all of his tackles, whilst winning 100% of his aerial duels and making two interceptions and two clearances.
Adrian de la Fuente (Levante) – 9.4
Another team struggling at the wrong end of the table is Levante. They headed into their game against Alaves on Friday night in poor form, having lost their last four LaLiga matches, but they turned it around, beating the Basque side 2-0.
Their backline, as well as Mat Ryan, were all firing in the victory, but it was Adrian de la Fuente who stood above the rest.
He had a high pass completion rate, was a threat in front of goal, whilst completing his defensive duties diligently. The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer, could this put him in the shop window?
Emmanuel Agbadou (Besiktas) – 8.9
Over to the Super Lig for the first time this week, where Agbadou scored the only goal of the game as his side saw off Kocaelispor by a single goal to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches.
From a corner, the former Wolves man outmuscled his marker to head accurately into the bottom corner and earn his side all three points.
At the other end, he made a game-high eight clearances to help his side claim a clean sheet.
Lucas Hernandez (PSG) – 8.5
It’s a rare week we do not have a PSG player making our Team of the Week, and it’s no different in this edition.
Hernandez, who was mostly used in attack rather than defence as the Parisians racked up 22 shots in their 1-0 win over Le Havre, was effective, creating one big chance with a 95% pass accuracy to boot.
Midfield
Mohammed Ihattaren (Fortuna Sittard) – 9.5
In a five-goal thriller won by Sittard over Nijmegen, it was Ihattaren who was the pick of the bunch. He was involved in all of his side’s goals, picking up one goal and two assists.
The set-piece taker whipped in a delicious ball to the back post for Sittard’s first goal. The next was a superb strike, after some great trickery, from distance into the corner, before he set up the eventual winner in the 65th minute.
The Moroccan has six goals and eight assists in the Eredivisie this season, as Sittard look to keep pace with those chasing Europe above them in the table.
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – 9.2
Manchester United are flying under Michael Carrick, and they continued their fine form with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, moving them up to third in the Premier League standings.
A man reborn under the new management is club captain Fernandes. The Portuguese talisman has moved forward to a number 10 role, and he was involved in both goals scored by the Red Devils, netting one from the spot before assisting Benjamin Sesko’s winner.
Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray) – 9.0
In a tight title race against your fiercest rivals, it’s always important to pick up wins, and Galatasaray did just that over the weekend in a 3-1 success against Alanyaspor in Istanbul.
Torreira, playing in a central midfield role, showed all of his battling skills to score his goal. Floating into the box, Victor Osimhen failed at an overhead kick, and the diminutive Uruguayan fought hard to get a shot away and find the back of the net. It was a vital strike, given his side were drawing 1-1, helping them to all three points and a five-point cushion at the top of the Super Lig.
