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 six leagues. You can read this for all details on Talent Radar, who is eligible under it and what else we publish within this feature.
It is a good idea to use this feature as a way to keep on top of the up-and-coming players that will make big waves in the future seasons. If you bet on games through sites like https://ats.io, then your knowledge of the younger players can help you win more money as you’ll be able to make more informed decisions. This will help big time if you do spread betting where the more you’re right, the more you win! Check out this Pointsbet Promo Code if you’re interested in this. For now, though, take a look at our top picks:
[Eligibility: 21 years old and below on June 1st 2015 // 22 years old and below for goalkeepers]
Loris Karius // FSV Mainz // 22 // Goalkeeper: The young goalkeeper makes a return to the Team of the Week after being a regular last season. Karius kept a good clean sheet over the weekend as Mainz coasted to a 3-0 home win over Hannover. Karius is the defending Talent Radar Keeper of the Year, and more clean sheets like this will certainly go a long way in helping him retain that title.
Matthias Ginter // Borussia Dortmund // 21 // Right-Back: Versatile youngster Mathias Ginter has made quite the impact at Dortmund this season. While he couldn’t really establish himself last year, he’s made the problematic right back slot his own under Tuchel. A goal last week has been followed up by an assist this time. So far, he’s proving to be one of the key players in what looks like an exciting Dortmund side. Long may such form continue. Ginter also featured in Outside of the Boot’s 100 Best Young Players to Watch in 2015
Niklas Sule // Hoffenheim // 19 // Centre-Back: Although Hoffenheim would have walked away from the goalless draw with newly promoted Darmstadt in disappointment, they’d also walk away knowing it could have been a lot worse. Young Niklas Sule formed a formidable partnership with new signing Fabian Schar. The duo registered a combined figure of 18 clearances, and ensured the clean sheet was maintained in this tricky away fixture. Sule also completed the most interceptions among all the players on the pitch, putting in a shift worthy of a man determined to put his injury-ridden previous season behind him. Niklas Sule was in our 100 Young Players to Watch in 2015 feature, at #8 in the defenders’ category; you can also read a detailed Scout Report on him here.
Samuel Umtiti // Lyon // 21 // Centre-back: Arguably one of the best performing young centre-backs out there, Samuel Umtiti has managed to consistently catch the eye over the course of last few seasons. Umtiti has amassed over 100 league appearances for Lyon so far despite being only 21 years old and put in a solid performance at the back in Saturday’s game against Caen. As the final whistle blew, Umtiti had 8 clearances and blocked 2 shots on goal. While numbers tell only half the story, watching him in action will tell you so much more about his maturity, positional sense and composure on the ball.
Jordan Amavi // Aston Villa // 21 // Left-Back: The trend these days is for players who occupy one entire wing. It isn’t uncommon to see a player, nominally a full back, fulfil attacking and defensive duties, a trend tyoified by Jordan Amavi. A dominant performance saw him star in the 2-2 draw with Sunderland. 10 crosses attempted, 1 assist, 6 tackles, and 2 interceptions indicate that he had a busy day, and more than kept up with the load. Read a detailed scout report on Jordan Amavi here.
Raheem Sterling // Manchester City // 20 // Right Winger: Here’s a name we didn’t hear too often in the summer! Apologies for mentioning this dreaded number again, but a 49 million price tag brings certain pressures with it, and so far, Sterling has coped with them admirably. The winger has been a good addition to the creative force at City, and opened his account this weekend with an important goal just after half time. His pace, energy, and skillful dribbling were on show throughout, and City fans are hoping that he continues to grow in confidence. Read a detailed scout report on Raheem Sterling here.
James Ward-Prowse // Southampton // 20 // Central Midfielder: As the young Englishman’s reputation grows, the midfielder only continues to impress with his assured performances. Sitting next to Oriol Romeu in midfield as the Saints comfortably defeated Norwich 3-0, the youngster had a good game. Blessed with the brilliance of Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic on either side, the 20-year-old was tasked with controlling the central area and the left side of the pitch as the two burst forward. He was comfortable in breaking up play and acting as cover against a potential counter. Ward-Prowse was in our 100 Young Players to Watch in 2015 feature, at #5 in the midfielders’ category; you can also read a detailed Scout Report on him here.
Julian Weigl // Borussia Dortmund // 19 // Central Midfielder: Featuring in the Talent Radar Team of the Week for the second time in a row, Weigl put in a performance that has earned him this spot. Another excellent all round performance in midfield helped Dortmund continue their perfect start. 94 passes, 2 tackles, and 4 interceptions are pretty self explanatory. Weigl is a boy who is fast on his way to becoming the heart of Dortmund’s midfield. Read a performance analysis of Weigl against Gladbach here.
Corentin Tolisso // Lyon // 21 // Central Midfielder: Corentin Tolisso makes his first ever Talent Radar Team of the Week appearance after his good performance in Lyon’s comprehensive victory over Caen on Saturday. While Nabil Fekir may have stolen the limelight in terms of goals, both his first half goals were set up by none other than Tolisso. Having graduated from the B Team in 2013, Tolisso’s performances in Lyon colours have been promising but the 21 year-old will be looking to put in more such performances to earn and cement his place in the starting XI.
Anwar El Ghazi // Ajax // 20 // Left Winger: The Ajax forward had a field day against ADO Den Haag, scoring twice and setting a goal up as well. El Ghazi has made it onto an earlier edition of the Team of the Week for a similarly mind blowing performance, and he repeated the trick this weekend. El Ghazi demonstrated some incisive attacking play, with his dribbling, passing and interplay making for a fine spectacle and as any decent guide to online sports betting will tell you, he’s more likely to score than not. And it’s not just him who’s a favourite for these betting apps, there are plenty out there. And like with any Sports betting or gambling site, researching your options is always a key to success. Knowing your players and their strengths and weaknesses is quite obviously necessary, and there is plenty of online material to do this. Read a detailed scout report on El Ghazi here.
Nabil Fekir // Lyon // 22 // Striker: One of the best performing youngsters this past weekend was Lyon striker Nabil Fekir who had a near perfect game again Caen on Sunday. The Frenchman has been a regular in the Talent Radar Team of the Week feature last season and continued that trend. Fekir scored two goals before half time which put the game beyond the reach of Caen. He proceeded to bag a third right after the half time interval, sealing three points for his team. Having three goals on the score sheet wasn’t enough for him as he provided an assist for the fourth goal scored by Claudio Beauvue right before the final whistle. Read a detailed scout report on Nabil Fekir here.
Read all our Talent Radar Teams of the Week here.
