A regular feature on our website is the Talent Radar Team of the Week with the best young players compiled into an XI from across Europe’s top seven leagues. You can read this for all details on Talent Radar, who is eligible under it and what else we publish within this feature.
[Eligibility: As of 1st June 2016 – 21 years old and below for outfield players // 22 years old and below for goalkeepers]
Finally, the international break came to an end, and the hustle and bustle of club football returned to our grounds and televisions. All the leagues were in full swing, and some great action was to be found all the way from Friday to Monday, not to mention the Champions League tonight! All hail the Gods of football!
Defence: Yoan Cardinale opens this team as the keeper after a terrific performance in goal for the team that’s proving to be the biggest surprise package in European football at the moment. Nice managed a wonderful 2-0 upset victory over Lyon. Cardinale kept a clean sheet, and made 3 saves on the way to that win. What’s more impressive is that it came against a fairly strong attack as well.
At right back is the very solid Bernardo. He performed excellently in a now trademark counter attacking masterclass for RB Leipzig, making 5 tackles for his side. It was a solid performance from him, and important for him and his side to maintain a strong defence. Another Bundesliga man was in the middle. Andreas Christensen looks like a defender that Chelsea could use. Playing in the middle of a back 3, Christensen won 4 aerial duels and 3 tackles, and he helped his side keep a clean sheet. Accompanying him is the 19 year old Jeremiah St Juste. The youngster not only kept a clean sheet for Heerenveen, but also served up an assist in the 0-3 win. Rounding off the back 4 is Osasuna’s young starlet, Berenguer. He’s recently broken into the team, and such performances will keep him in the team. He was dominant down the left hand side, with 8 tackles, 4 interceptions, and an assist to go.
Midfield: The engine room of this 4 man midfield comes in the form of 2 very capable young players. Tottenham may have laboured to only a draw, but they will be very encouraged by the ever improving form of the ever improving Delle Alli. The youngster followed up his excellent work against City with a goal this weekend. Partnering him is Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Sassuolo star was involved across the pitch, with tackles, dribbles, and excellent passing. He picked up an assist, and even struck the woodwork.
The wide positions are occupied by two La Liga starlets. Angel Correa takes up the right side, after a good performance in the thrilling 7-1 win for Atletico Madrid. The Argentine picked up a goal and an assist in a performance that would’ve warmed the cockles of so many Rojiblancos supporters. On the other side is Inaki Williams. The Basque star played a starring role in his side’s 3-2 win over rivals Sociedad. This is a performance that will endear him to not just us, but also his fans, coming as it did in such a big game. His contribution was ultimately the match winning one, as he scored what proved to be the winner.
Forwards: Our strike partnership also has 2 contrasting talents. On the one hand, Ousman Manneh put in a very sturdy performance, making 5 tackles as Werder Bremen pulled off an excellent upset victory over Leverkusen. The home team mustered only 35% possession over the course of the game, but managed to score twice and get 3 points, with Manneh getting the crucial goal. On the othr hand, we have Enes Unal. The hot prospect has been in fine form this season, featuring as one of our leading young strikers. He had 7 shots, and was generally a threat to the opposition. He scored once, and hit the woodwork as well. Unal is quickly becoming a regular on this team, and he needs to keep up this rich vein of form for this team to try and rise up the table.
Talent Radar Team of the Week // Performance Rankings
