Ranking the 20 Best Players in the 2015/16 Champions League so Far
We're two-thirds of the way through the 2015/16 Champions League group stage, with the best performers now firmly established and the disappointments left licking their wounds.
Several teams are either on the verge of qualification or have qualified already, but who have the best players been so far?
We've picked out the top 20, so let's get ranking.
20. Luisao (Benfica)
1 of 20
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Now in his 13th season with Benfica, it is clean sheets and victories on which veteran Brazilian centre-back Luisao is measured rather than goals and assists.
Having said that, the 34-year-old was able to manage both in his side's crucial 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in Lisbon on Matchday 4, with qualification for the knockout stages now coming into view for the perennial Portuguese challengers.
19. Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
2 of 20
Goals: 1
Universally and humorously known as "Mike" these days, Chris Smalling is nonetheless making his name as an impressive centre-back thanks to a series of impressive displays.
It's not too far-fetched to claim Manchester United would be heading out of the competition were it not for the improving England defender, who scored the winner against Wolfsburg and produced a fantastic goalline clearance in the home win over CSKA Moscow.
18. Axel Witsel (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
3 of 20
Goals: 1
An ever present for Zenit Saint Petersburg, who have a 100 per cent record in Group H, Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel has been the powerful presence behind much of their success.
He scored the winner in Matchday 1's impressive success at Valancia, which set Andre Villas-Boas' side up for their progression, and he'll be a crucial factor when they face some of Europe's superpowers in the knockout stages come the new year.
17. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
4 of 20
Goals: 0
He's played all but 45 minutes of Real Madrid's campaign in Group A, and classy centre-back Raphael Varane has been one of the key reasons why Rafael Benitez's side haven't conceded a goal.
The France international produced a stunning goalline clearance in the win over Paris Saint-Germain, and he's used this Champions League campaign to further his reputation as one of the best central defenders in the game right now.
16. Fernandinho (Manchester City)
5 of 20
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Manchester City's Champions League campaign got off to a false start when they lost at home to Juventus on Matchday 1, but they've been perfect ever since.
Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho has been key to that effort, and he registered a goal and an assist in the impressive 3-1 win at Sevilla on Matchday 4.
15. David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
6 of 20
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Almost redefining the role of the attacking full-back, David Alaba's displays are just one of the many things to enjoy about Bayern Munich's form in the Champions League this season.
The Austria international scored a fine goal and registered an assist in the 5-1 hammering of Arsenal on Matchday 4, and he continues to be a crucial performer in Pep Guardiola's system.
14. Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia)
7 of 20
Goals: 2
Scoring goals in the Champions League is all well and good, but scoring crucial goals is always going to be more important.
Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli managed to do that with the winner at Lyon and a vital strike at home to Gent, contributing to two wins that have placed the Spanish side second behind Zenit in Group H.
13. Vincent Aboubakar (Porto)
8 of 20
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Porto have once again made a group stage look fairly easy, and key to that has been the form of Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar.
The 23-year-old scored twice in Matchday 1's 2-2 draw and Dynamo Kiev and was a key performer in Porto's three subsequent matches, all wins, scoring and assisting a goal in the 2-0 home win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
12. Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen)
9 of 20
Goals: 4
Back in the Champions League after previous stints in the competition with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Javier Hernandez seems to be relishing his new-found responsibility at Bayer Leverkusen during his first season with the German outfit.
The Mexican has scored four goals in the group stage, including two strikes in the remarkable 4-4 draw with Roma on Matchday 3.
11. Willian (Chelsea)
10 of 20
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Chelsea continue to be in something of a mess both at home and abroad, but it's clear they would be in even more trouble if it wasn't for the performances of Brazilian midfielder Willian.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk man has been a shining light for Jose Mourinho's team, scoring three times in this year's Champions League, including a crucial and stunning late free-kick winner at home to Dynamo Kiev on Matchday 4.
10. Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich)
11 of 20
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Improving Bayern Munich almost seemed like an impossible task given how good they were already, but Douglas Costa is proving to be a clever addition during his first season at the club.
He scored in the 5-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb and shone in the hammering of Arsenal that put Pep Guardiola's side on the brink of qualification.
9. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
12 of 20
Goals: 4
He's making a strong case for being the very best striker in world football right now, and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski has been crucial to his side's campaign in Group F.
The Poland international scored a hat-trick as his side beat Dinamo Zagreb 5-0, and he added the first goal in the 5-1 hammering of Arsenal.
8. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
13 of 20
Goals: 4
Thomas Muller's goals in this season's Champions League have come in pairs, with the German notching doubles in Matchday's 1's win over Olympiakos and Matchday 4's success against Arsenal.
The World Cup winner's contributions to Pep Guardiola's side continue to be crucial, and he's a vital member of a squad that has as good a chance of winning the Champions League as any other.
7. Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)
14 of 20
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Benfica are on the cusp of qualifying from Group C, and key to that has been the excellent form of midfielder Nicolas Gaitan.
The Argentinian scored goals in each of his side's first three matches in the competition, although he'll miss the next one after picking up a red card against Galatasaray last time out.
6. Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
15 of 20
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
In the absence of the injured Lionel Messi, who has only played in Matchday 1's draw at Roma, Luis Suarez has come to the fore for Barcelona, scoring three times and registering an assist in four appearances.
The scorer of a crucial goal in Barca's victory over Juventus in the final in Berlin last season, the former Liverpool man is looking like he's going be vital again as the Catalans seek to defend their title.
5. Neymar (Barcelona)
16 of 20
Goals: 2
Assists: 3
Neymar either assisted or scored four of the five goals that Barcelona put past BATE Borisov over their meetings with the Belarusians, with those wins being the two results that have pushed the Catalans to the brink of winning Group E.
Like Suarez, the Brazilian needed to step up in the injury-enforced absence of Lionel Messi, and as the pair continue to dominate all of their side's scoresheets, that's what he's certainly done.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
17 of 20
Goals: 5
Assists: 0
It hasn't quite been achieved with the most free-flowing football, but Real Madrid are in the draw for the knockout stages following a four-match run that has seen them score seven times without conceding.
Cristiano Ronaldo managed five of those seven goals to establish himself as the competition's top scorer so far, and although his hat-trick (including two penalties) against Shakhtar and brace against Malmo didn't require the Portuguese ace to break much of a sweat, they have set him up nicely for the challenges ahead.
3. Artem Dzyuba (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
18 of 20
Goals: 4
Assists: 1
Taking his place in among the household names in the top three is Zenit forward Artem Dzyuba, who has managed four goals in the Champions League this season despite not yet playing a full 90 minutes.
Registering an assist in Zenit's opening 3-2 win over Valencia set the stage for their remarkable group-stage heroics. The Russia international followed that up with the opening goal in the win over Gent and three strikes across the two games against Lyon.
The 27-year-old certainly knows where the goal is, and if he keeps up this type of form, then a big move could be on the cards.
2. Keylor Navas (Real Madrid)
19 of 20
Clean sheets: 4
This is Keylor Navas' first full season at the Champions League level, and he's not just looking at home here—he's positively outshining his fellow goalkeepers.
Still yet to concede in the competition, the Costa Rican—who would have been lining up for Manchester United now were it not for an errant fax machine—was crucial as Real kept clean sheets both home and away to Paris Saint-Germain, qualifying ahead of the French champions pretty much as a result.
1. Hulk (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
20 of 20
Goals: 3
Assists: 4
That's right, Zenit's Hulk takes the top spot after spearheading his side's romp through Group H with three goals and four assists in his 360 minutes on the pitch.
Frequently a disappointment at the very top level, the Brazil international has been at his devastating best this term, making an impact in every single game he's played, most recently registering two assists in the 2-0 victory in Lyon that secured the Russian club's path to the knockout stages.
It might not last, but right now he's our No. 1.
