European Team of the Week: Sizzling Messi Supported by Pogba and Cazorla

Lionel Messi is WhoScored.com’s European player of the week. The Argentine opened the scoring after 10 minutes on Sunday evening and capped off a 10-out-of-10 performance with a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna. His three goals came from only four shots on target, while Messi completed an impressive five successful dribbles and was fouled three times in the victory, with the 27-year-old churning out a notable attacking display.

Santi Cazorla also gained a WhoScored.com rating of 10 at the weekend, doing so in Arsenal’s surprise 2-0 win over Manchester City. The Spaniard netted a first-half penalty for Arsenal, before providing the assist for Olivier Giroud’s header after the interval. Cazorla also completed 10 successful dribbles in the victory and attempted more passes than any other Arsenal player (59), maintaining a commendable pass success rate of 91.5 percent.

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Juventus star man Paul Pogba partners Cazorla in the middle of the park. The Frenchman opened the scoring for Juventus after just three minutes in the 4-0 thumping of Verona on Sunday evening, but it was his defensive performance that impressed. Pogba made more tackles (five) than any other player in the encounter and retained possession excellently, finding a team-mate with 91.8 percent of his 73 attempted passes.

Denis Cheryshev completes the midfield in WhoScored.com’s European team of the week. The Russian has been in excellent form for Villarreal this season, with his performance in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao earning the attacker his fifth WhoScored.com man-of-the-match award of the season; only Lionel Messi (12) and Cristiano Ronaldo (11) have earned more in La Liga this campaign.

The 24-year-old opened the scoring in the victory at the Madrigal on Saturday and could have added a second just after the interval having struck the woodwork. If his team-mates had had their shooting boots on, Cheryshev would have registered an assist having played four key passes in the victory, while the on-loan wideman completed two successful dribbles to earn a WhoScored.com rating of 9.70.

A Premier League strike duo features in the XI this week, with Diego Costa earning the highest rating of all frontmen in Europe’s top five leagues this week. The Spaniard bagged a first-half brace and registered the assist for Oscar’s second goal in the 5-0 drubbing of Swansea. Costa played three key passes and completed two successful dribbles at the Liberty Stadium in what was one of his best performances of the campaign.

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Crystal Palace’s Dwight Gayle partners Costa in attack. Gayle netted with each of his two shots on target, while his one assist came from his one key pass played in the Eagles’ 3-2 victory at Burnley. The 24-year-old also won three aerial duels, and exhibited the defensive side of his game, having made two interceptions and three clearances in an all-round efficient performance.

Nacho Monreal turned in an effective display at the back in Arsenal’s win at the Etihad on Sunday. The left-back won the penalty that resulted in Cazorla’s first-half goal, but it was his defensive performance that won him the plaudits. Monreal made six tackles, seven interceptions and nine clearances as the Gunners secured a morale-boosting win at the home of the defending Premier League champions.

Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic features on the opposite flank after his performance against Swansea. While only 22 percent of the Blues’ attacks came down the right side, Ivanovic was effective when he did push forward, playing two key passes, one of which led to the assist for Andre Schurrle’s late goal, and completing two successful dribbles.

Lindsay Rose made only his fourth league start of the season for Lyon in the away meeting with Lens and impressed in the 2-0 win. Rose played an essential role in the clean-sheet attaining victory, winning five aerial duels to limit Lens’ impact in the air. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old also made five clearances, two interceptions and six clearances to help him secure a WhoScored.com rating of 8.65.

Nenad Tomovic joins Rose at the heart of the defence this week after his man-of-the-match display in Fiorentina’s 2-1 win at Chievo. Tomovic provided the assist for Gonzalo Rodríguez’s first-half opener and made a last-man tackle, which ultimately helped the Viola come away with all three points. The 27-year-old’s last-man tackle was the only tackle he made in the win, while Tomovic also made two interceptions and 11 clearances as Fiorentina picked up an important victory in their quest to secure a European finish.

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Sergio Asenjo completes WhoScored.com’s European team of the week. The goalkeeper made five saves in Villarreal’s 2-0 win over Athletic to help keep his eighth clean sheet of the season. Asenjo also claimed two crosses, punched the ball away two times and won one aerial duel in the encounter.

All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find yet more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team rankings.

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