European team of the week: Mbappe, Vinicius, Lindelof-Star
Every week we present you the best players from the five best leagues in Europe (English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLigaFrench Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A) using the unique WhoScored rating system.
Ratings are based on a comprehensive algorithm that uses Opta data with over 200 raw statistics in live games. This gives us an individual rating from 1 to 10 (1 being poor, 10 being excellent), weighted by a player’s influence within a game.
Learn more about how WhoScored ratings are calculated here. And these are the top players from the last round of action.
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Goalkeeper: Paulo Gazzaniga (Girona | LaLiga) – Rating 8.87
Surprise LaLiga leaders Girona claimed their fifth consecutive league win at the weekend when they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the Estadio de Vallecas. Gazzaniga had an outstanding performance between the posts, making eight saves.
Central defender: Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United | Premier League) – 8.21
Lindelöf, who replaced the injured Jonny Evans, proved to be a match-winner in Manchester United’s narrow win against newly promoted Luton. The Swedish international defender scored his only shot on goal after an hour and found a teammate on 94.7% of his 113 pass attempts to put United ahead.
Central defender: Marquinhos (PSG | Ligue 1) – 8.20
Marquinhos is the first of two PSG players in this team after Saturday’s 3-0 win at Reims. The Brazil international remained steadfast at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II, making 10 saves, four interceptions and one tackle to keep a clean sheet and ensure PSG head into the international break at the top of Ligue 1.
Central defender: Alberto Dossena (Cagliari | Serie A) – 8.43
Although the game against Juventus ended on the losing side, Cagliari’s Dossena completed the defense. The 25-year-old halved the deficit with 15 minutes to play and ensured a nervy finish at the Allianz Stadium, while eight clearances, five aerial duels won and four interceptions helped the Italian secure his place.
Right midfield: Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich | Bundesliga) – 9.91
Sané continued his blistering start to the season with another outstanding performance at the weekend as Bayern Munich defeated Heidenheim at the Allianz Arena. Sané was directly involved in two of Bayern’s four goals with nine key passes and provided the assists for two of Harry Kane’s goals. Another seven successful dribbles crowned a great afternoon for the German winger.
Central Midfield: John McGinn (Aston Villa | Premier League) – 8.93
Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a comfortable 3-1 win over Fulham, with McGinn shining against the Cottagers on Sunday. The Scotland international scored Villa’s second goal and put in an excellent performance both with and without the ball. In fact, McGinn completed seven dribbles and won 15 tackles on the floor, which contributed to his inclusion.
Central midfield: Tomás Soucek (West Ham | Premier League) – 8.51
West Ham’s match winner against Nottingham Forest on Sunday was Soucek as he scored his third league goal of the season in the 88th minute. He scored one in four shots on target at the London Stadium and also made six saves and two tackles, playing a key role for the Hammers.
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Left midfield: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal | Premier League) – 8.80
Leandro Trossard may have received plaudits for scoring Arsenal’s 1,000th goal at the Emirates in a 3-1 win over Burnley, but it was Zinchenko who picked up the man of the match award. The Ukraine international scored the Gunners’ third goal 15 minutes from time, with his work off the ball crucial as he won seven aerial duels and made five tackles in an outstanding performance.
Striker: Rodrygo (Real Madrid | La Liga) – 10.0
No Jew Bellingham, no problem. Real Madrid didn’t feel the absence of their €103 million summer signing as they secured a 5-1 win over Valencia on Saturday night, with Rodrygo directly contributing to four of them Los Blancos‘ five goals. The Brazilian international striker provided two assists on four key passes, had four successful dribbles and scored two goals with five shots.
Striker: Kylian Mbappé (PSG | Ligue 1) – 10.0
Mbappé scored the first hat-trick of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season in a 3-0 win in Reims. The 24-year-old France international scored three of his nine shots and completed three dribbles in an impressive performance.
Striker: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid | La Liga) – 10.0
Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior didn’t let his Brazilian teammate Rodrygo outdo him and scored his third and fourth goals of the season in a comfortable win over Valencia. The 23-year-old scored with two of his five shots and was a threat to the team Go Che He played defense the entire game and completed seven dribbles.
