European Golden Boys XI: Soler, Pulisic and Chiesa Shine Brightly

Bleacher Report is embarking on unearthing the talents of the future, and we will showcase them each week in our Golden Boys XI.

In order to be eligible to feature in this side, the players must have been born in 1997 or later.

It's a narrow field, but there are plenty of young talents out there, and it's our pleasure to highlight them.

The team—in a 4-3-3 formation on this occasion—is selected in conjunction with WhoScored.com, from where all stats are referenced unless otherwise indicated.

Alban Lafont, Goalkeeper, Toulouse (WhoScored Rating: 8.39)

The first thing Alban Lafont did this weekend was concede a goal. With just 14 seconds on the clock, Bordeaux midfielder Valentin Vada fired an unstoppable finish into the top corner after a complete defensive mess-up from kick-off.

But rather than crumble, that early setback galvanised Lafont, who went on to make an astonishing nine saves—one of which was a penalty stop on Brazilian winger Malcom—and two successful aerial claims. Lafont sprung low to his left, got a paw to a good strike, then pounced on the rebound to quell any further danger.

Aaron Martin Caricol, Left-Back, Espanyol (WhoScored Rating: 7.77)

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Aaron Martin Caricol was one half of a fascinating battle of youngsters as Espanyol beat Granada 3-1 in La Liga on Saturday.

The 19-year-old left-back was consistently called upon to defend his flank and did so vigorously; per WhoScored he made a huge nine tackles in the game and three interceptions, as he more than made up for the fact he had the somewhat-not-so-hard-working Pablo Piatti playing ahead of him.

He was dependable with his passes in his own half of the pitch, playing easily infield, but often chose the wrong option or overhit the ball when looking to get involved or start attacks higher up the pitch.

Joris Gnagnon, Centre-Back, Rennes (WhoScored Rating: 7.8)

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Making his second consecutive Golden Boys XI appearance is Joris Gnagnon, who, it is only fair to say, had a mixed evening in his side's 1-1 draw with Guingamp on Saturday.

For the most part, he was superb, showing great covering depth to cut out through balls and dominating aerially, winning 100 percent of his duels (six out of six). Unfortunately, he lost track of his man Yoann Gourcuff in the 46th minute, leading to an equalising goal for the hosts.

It's arguable Gnagnon prevented twice as many goals as he had a hand in conceding, but it remains a blemish on his weekend's work.

Alessandro Bastoni, Centre-Back, Atalanta (WhoScored Rating: 7.83)

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The youth academy at Atalanta has a long tradition of producing talented players for the first team, and the current campaign has provided plenty of evidence that it shows no sign of drying up.

The Bergamo-based club sit in sixth place in the Serie A table, benefitting from excellent displays by the highly regarded Franck Kessie as well as Roberto Gagliardini and Mattia Caldara, who recently agreed big-money moves to Inter Milan and Juventus, respectively.

However, the production line continues apace. The 17-year-old Alessandro Bastoni was handed his debut this weekend, joining coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s defence and turning in a wonderful performance.

According to WhoScored, he registered two tackles, four interceptions and a game-high five clearances, helping Atalanta keep in-form Sampdoria duo Luis Muriel and Fabio Quagliarella at bay in a 1-0 victory.

Benjamin Henrichs, Right-Back, Bayer Leverkusen (WhoScored Rating: 7.58)

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This season has been a dream come true for versatile Bayer Leverkusen full-back Benjamin Henrichs, and going by Sunday's 3-1 win over Hertha BSC, the 19-year-old will not suffer a post-winter-break slump.

He was the driving force for most of Bayer's attacks, ending up with the second-most touches of all players on the pitch (82, two fewer than central midfielder Kevin Kampl, per WhoScored).

As so often, Henrichs was composed on the ball and determined without it, offering runs near the touchline as Leverkusen tilted their entire play towards his right flank.

A whopping 10 interceptions rounded off another hugely impressive match for Henrichs, whose strong performances have already earned him an international debut for Joachim Low's Germany in his first full season at the senior level.

Carlos Soler, Left Midfield, Valencia (WhoScored Rating: 8.92)

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Carlos Soler looks to be an early beneficiary of the latest upheaval at Valencia, with the young midfielder given a chance in the first team of late.

His performance against Villarreal showed why there is such faith in him; a striker-turned-midfielder, his attacking instincts were obvious and prevalent throughout, and he netted his first goal in La Liga thanks to an untracked run from deep through the centre and a first-time low finish.

Several aggressive dribbles in the final third almost led to further chances, and Soler did enough in just his third league start to suggest he’ll be in the team with more frequency this season.

Tom Davies, Central Midfield, Everton (WhoScored Rating: 7.46)

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Another matchday and another telling contribution from the Everton midfielder, who is beginning to look the breakthrough player of the season.

Davies displayed great awareness and vision as he set up an 87th-minute winner for Seamus Coleman at Crystal Palace.

He has now made three Premier League starts in this campaign, all of them in 2017, and has been involved in goals on each occasion.

There is no doubt he is already feeling comfortable on the big stage.

Christian Pulisic, Right Midfield, Borussia Dortmund (WhoScored Rating: 7.22)

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Borussia Dortmund kicked off 2017 with a tightly contested 2-1 win over Werder Bremen and once again relied heavily on their young players.

Christian Pulisic surprisingly got the nod over Mario Gotze on the right wing and played the full 90 minutes. That this does not qualify as a noteworthy item just 12 months after the United States international made his professional debut speaks volumes about his development in the past year.

Against Werder, it was the 18-year-old's work rate and defensive contribution that stood out, as he was active in the team's counterpressing endeavours. Pulisic will, however, be disappointed with a pass accuracy of only 53.6 per cent, per WhoScored.

The fact that head coach Thomas Tuchel trusted him as his side tried to hang on to a vital win to start the new year has to go down as a positive, though.

Pulisic has started in some of the most important matches in Dortmund's campaign to this point, including five of six in the Champions League group stage, indicating the high level of confidence Tuchel has in the academy product.

Amine Harit, Left Forward, Nantes (WhoScored Rating: 7.04)

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It was a surprise when FC Nantes' Amine Harit was substituted in the second half against Paris Saint-Germain, as he'd caused the reigning champions problems for 74 minutes.

It can sometimes be that young players put in good performances against the best sides, as there's no fear in their inexperienced eyes.

Harit had no hesitation in pushing forward with the ball at his feet, completing five dribbles, swapping flanks at will and giving Thomas Meunier a few things to think about.

PSG ultimately had too much for Nantes, but Harit did his reputation no harm.

Federico Chiesa, Centre-Forward, Fiorentina (WhoScored Rating: 8.57)

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Unfortunate not to be in this XI last week after a stellar showing against Juventus, Federico Chiesa shone once again as Fiorentina swept Chievo aside 3-0.

Playing on the right flank as coach Paulo Sousa once again opted for a three-man defence, the young Italian was full of running and attacking intent without neglecting his defensive duties.

Chiesa—son of former Parma striker Enrico—has formed a good understanding with Carlos Sanchez since the latter moved back into defence, effectively shutting down Alex Sandro last weekend and Chievo playmaker Valter Birsa on Saturday.

Figures from WhoScored show Chiesa registered one tackle, three interceptions and four clearances, while also causing panic in the opposition defence.

He was fouled a staggering five times, routinely hacked down as he poured forward and won a penalty for La Viola’s second before netting the last goal himself with a neat finish.

Aly Malle, Right Forward, Granada (WhoScored Rating: 7.74)

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Aly Malle was Aaron Martin’s direct opponent in the Espanyol vs. Granada fixture, and it was a big occasion for the wide forward: his full debut for the team and his debut in La Liga.

At just 18 years of age, he’s clearly one for the future, but Malle showed promise with his willingness to track back and make challenges, as well as an ability to take players on using timing and pace.

Comfortable crossing on both feet, Malle tried to get the ball in the box with regularity, though his impact on finding a route to goal was limited. An impressive debut showing, even without the end product.