European team of the season | Messi, Neymar miss out; Navas edges out Oblak
Real Madrid's dramatic win in the Champions League final on Saturday pulled the curtains over a fantastic season of football in Europe. It was a season where Leicester did the impossible, Juventus and Bayern Munich did the usual, and Barcelona nearly let everything slip in their respective domestic leagues.
As the dust settles across Europe, we at SportsCafe have come up with the European team of the season, containing the best performers from the top-five leagues across Europe.
Goalkeeper
Keylor Navas (Real Madrid)
Appearances: 45; Saves: 118
Keylor Navas could so easily have been sulking somewhere in Manchester right now, had Real Madrid signed David de Gea. However, there he was last night, lifting the clubs' 11th Champions League trophy. He has recorded 13 clean sheets in La Liga, conceding just 0.82 goals per game and in Europe he has been even more influential—racking up nine shutouts in 10 matches. Even Iker Casillas has not had such a campaign statistically. His consistency, reliability, and leadership has been crucial for Zinedine Zidane's men and it will be foolish for Real Madrid to look for an immediate replacement for him this summer.
Defenders
Juanfran Torres (Atletico Madrid)
Appearances: 48; Tackles: 2.1 per game; Interceptions: 1.9 per game
The season did not end on a good note for Spaniard, having missed his penalty kick in the final of the Champions League against Real Madrid. However, the 31-year-old has been a vital cog in the well-oiled defensive unit that Diego Simeone has produced at Atletico. He is not the most quickest or adventurous fullbacks one would come across, and age has had its toll as well. But, defensively one would be hard pressed to find a more reliable right back in Europe this season.
Wes Morgan (Leicester City)
Appearances: 38; Tackles: 1.3 per game; Interceptions: 2.5 per game
A couple of days back, spirit brand Captain Morgan has launched a limited edition of its rum to honour Leicester City's 5000-1 Premier League win and none other than Wes Morgan featured on its cover. Need we give any more reason?
The 32-year-old has led his side with such gusto and sprightliness that it would reinvigorate even the most indolent of players around him. The fact that he has somehow been omitted from the England squad for the Euro 2016 says more about the selection process, if there is any, than the player himself.
Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
Appearances: 46; Tackles: 2.3 per game; Interceptions: 3.2 per game
The 30-year-old has been the cornerstone on which Atletico Madrid's defensive solidity has been built. He is a typical no-nonsense defender—be it while clearing a ball, or squashing doubts over his future at the club. There are some moments which define a footballer and the Uruguayan’s celebration of that Camp Nou goal epitomizes everything he stands for. The frantic pulling of the shirt as he screamed up to the heavens, overcome with joy was the reaction of a man who leaves everything out on the pitch. True leaders are a rare breed in football these days, and Godin is one of them. He has been the best center back in Europe this season. Period.
Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)
Appearances: 45; Tackles: 3.9 per game; Interceptions: 2.6 per game
The third Atletico Madrid defender in the lineup and considering their defensive record, it should not be a surprise. What a home coming it has been for the Brazilian left back, who could not get a game under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. The 30-year-old did not had the brightest start to the season, when he failed to link up with the attackers in the opponent's half, and did not deliver any quality service to the strikers. However, since the turn of the year, his form has seen an astronomical rise. Apart from being solid at the back, he was contributing more going forward and it is no surprise that three of his four assists have come since January.
Midfielders
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Appearances: 48; Goals: 51; Assists: 15
Ronaldo keeps tumbling the records and this season he became the first player in the history of the La Liga to score 30 goals in six consecutive seasons. His club might have missed out on the domestic honour, but Ronaldo scored the penalty in the shootout against Atletico Madrid to lift their 11th Champions League trophy. His performance against Wolfsburg in the quarter-final, when his team were trailing from the first leg, proved to be a turning point in their campaign in Europe.
N'Golo Kante (Leicester City)
Appearances: 40; Tackles: 4.7 per game; Interceptions: 4.2 per game
From playing in France's second division in 2013 to winning the English Premier League with Leicester City in 2016—Kante has been on a fairytale journey in the past three years. When Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez grabbed the headlines, Kante has gone about his job quietly in front of the back four. The 25-year-old has won more tackles and has made more interceptions than any other player in England's top flight this season. The Frenchman, who was signed for just £5.6m from Cean, has already been linked to a host of clubs in this summer, and Leicester will do well to retain him. Defensive midfielders do not have the most glamorous jobs in the game, but his performances this season showed just how important they still are in modern day football.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund)
Appearances: 48; Goals: 18; Assists: 20
Mkhitaryan had undoubtedly enjoyed his most successful season so far since joining Dortmund back in 2013. The 27-year-old has finally lived up to the big transfer fee the German club had paid for him. He has shown tremendous ball control, dribbling ability, creating openings with his vision and very underrated work rate—everything we knew he is capable of, but was not always delivered consistently enough before this season.
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
Appearances: 43; Goals: 18; Assists: 11
Another former Ligue 2 player makes it to the lineup. Before coming to the English Premier League, not many knew his name, and Mahrez did not knew about Leicester City as well—in fact the Algerian thought they were a rugby club. However, one Premier League title and a PFA Players' Player of the Year award later, he is now even linked with a move to FC Barcelona! Mahrez has been phenomenal for Leicester this season, and has produced the important goals at important moments for his club. He is proving to be one of the best bargain buys of this decade in England.
Strikers
Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli)
Appearances: 44; Goals: 38; Assists: 2
A spectacular overhead kick in the 71st minute against Frosinone shattered Gunnar Nordahl's 66-year-old record of scoring 35 league goals in Serie A. Gonzalo Higuain been the best player in Italy in this season, and that too by some margin. The only thing missing from El Pipita's season was the Scudetto, and Napoli will once again find it hard to hold onto him in this transfer window. Although, the astronomical release clause should deter most of his suitors.
Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona)
Appearances: 50; Goals: 58; Assists: 19
It is not easy to grab the limelight when you are in a team which consist of players like Lionel Messi and Neymar. However, the 29-year-old has arguably been the best player in Europe this season, and irrefutably the best striker in the world at the moment. The Uruguayan international has been prolific in not only scoring the goals, but also creating them for his teammates. Along with being the best goalscorer in the continent, Suarez is also the most clinical—boasting of the lowest shots per goal ratio among the top-10 goalscorer in Europe. He is also not someone who just racks up stats, and has always stood up in the big matches for his team, helping them to a domestic league and cup double.
Substitutes: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid); Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur); Angel Di Maria (PSG); Neymar (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
