Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Messi outshines Ronaldo, Hazard, Van Dijk, Mbappe in European stats Team of the Season
LIONEL MESSI has been ranked as the best performing player across Europe this season, based on statistics.
Lionel Messi trains at Anfield with Barcelona squad
The Barcelona talisman has been in unstoppable form once again this campaign, scoring an outrageous 48 goals across all competitions for the Catalan Giants.
Messi has banged in 34 of those goals in just 33 La Liga appearances, while also providing 13 assists for Barca in the Spanish top flight.
Ernesto Valverde’s side were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in the semi-finals but wrapped up a second consecutive title last month and can complete the double with victory over Valencia in the Copa Del Rey final.
And Messi’s domestic performances have been so impressive that the Argentine has achieved the highest average match rating across the top five European leagues, according to WhoScored.com rankings.
The 31-year-old has averaged an 8.5 rating this season, based on a complex collection of detailed statistics.
This eclipses the 7.7 mark Cristiano Ronaldo achieved in his first Serie A campaign, although the Portuguese star has still done enough to make the Team of the Season.
Ronaldo is partnered by Paris Saint-Germain youngster Kylian Mbappe (8.0) in attack while Chelsea winger Eden Hazard makes the cut after his stellar season at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard is joined by Premier League Player of the Season Virgil van Dijk in the XI, but who else has impressed around Europe?
European Team of the Season based on WhoScored.com statistics
GK: Walter Benitez (Nice) – 7.1
RB: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – 7.5
CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 7.4
CB: Willie Orban (RB Leipzig) – 7.4
LB: Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) – 7.6
RM: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 8.5
CM: Alejandro Gomez (Atalanta) – 7.6
CM: Teji Savanier (Nimes) – 7.9
LM: Eden Hazard (Chelsea) – 7.8
Man Utd: Solskjaer says Messi is one of the ‘best in the world’
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) – 7.7
ST: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – 8.0