The Top Flight
Fansided

Champions League: The Top 10 All-Around Attacking Players

By Keith Lisenbee

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 26: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at Bernabeu on February 26, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 26: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at Bernabeu on February 26, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool FC looks on during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on March 3, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool FC looks on during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on March 3, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mentions:

15. Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund (3.36)

14. Sadio Mane, Liverpool (3.36)

13. Timo Werner, RB Leipzig (3.40)

12. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool (3.53)

11. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (3.56)

Jadon Sancho is first in assists and third in goals in the Bundesliga. However, the English transfer target had lower than expected scores in npxG+xA (0.8), xGChain90 (1.11), and xGBuildup90 (0.45), which ranks him fifth, fifth, and fourth in the German top flight respectively.

The offensive trio of Mane, Firmino, and Salah at Liverpool are all clustered together in this group. They all had similar scores in the three areas except for Mane, who had a lower xGBuildup90 score than his two teammates.

Now, on to the top 10:

10. Kylian Mbappe, Paris St Germain (3.58)

The 21-year-old French superstar currently leads Ligue One in goals with eighteen. He also has five assists in league competition. Mbappe also has five goals and four assists in the Champions League so far with a npxG+xA/90 of 1.60, per FBref.com, which is one of the best in the competition.

His lofty league numbers are not reinforced by the strength of competition bonus points, which leaves him further down the ranking then maybe is expected. What is hopeful are is his excellent results in the UCL so far. The question this summer is: Can Mbappe put up great numbers in a tougher league at a more high profile club?

9. Philippe Coutinho, Bayern Munich (3.69)

The 27-year-old attacking mid-fielder on loan from Barcelona has eight goals and six assists in the Bundesliga in a crowded lineup of offensive spark plugs at Bayern. His npxG+xA/90 of 0.79 and xGChain90 of 1.22 are quite strong numbers ranking him close to the top of the league in each category. In five Champions League starts, he has not been put up consistent performances.

His value, per Transfermarkt has dropped from $99 million to $77 million as a result of his one season run at the Camp Nou which was as jagged as a windshield after a bowling ball is thrown through it – from atop a 9-story building.

8. Josip Ilicic, Atalanta (3.72)

Atalanta is the highest-scoring club in Serie A and Ilicic is their top goalscorer with 15. He is having his most productive season in his third year at the club and tenth in Serie A. The 32-year-old from Bosnia leads the league in npxG+xA/90, xGChain90, and xGBuildup90. He is the key component in all aspects of the most dynamic offense in Italy.

Atalanta is an atypical Italian team that has been a joy to watch throughout the Champions League. They will likely be a difficult club to match-up in the quarter-finals.

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