European Golden Boys XI: Gabriel Jesus and Dembele Lead the Charge
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.
Goalkeeper: Alban Lafont, Toulouse
1 of 11WhoScored.com rating: 8.25
Alban Lafont collected his sixth Ligue 1 clean sheet of the season on Sunday as Toulouse battered Angers 4-0.
The game itself was reasonably even—the hosts only outshot the visitors 15-12, while Angers saw more of the ball, too—but key differences became apparent at both ends of the pitch. Toulouse were clinical in front of goal, while Lafont made sure the same could not be said of the opponent.
The France youth international dominated aerially, claiming multiple looping balls to relieve pressure, and added three saves—one of which came inside the opening 30 seconds.
Left-Back: Maximilian Mittelstadt, Hertha Berlin
2 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 7.87
Thrust into Hertha BSC's starting XI for only the second time of the season, with regular starter Marvin Plattenhardt out with the flu, 19-year-old Maximilian Mittelstadt looked like a veteran in the hosts' 1-0 victory over FC Ingolstadt.
Defending resolutely and mistake-free, the Germany youth international racked up a team-leading six tackles and won an impressive six aerial duels, while also leading Hertha in touches with 78.
Earning special praise from head coach Pal Dardai after the match, the Hungarian coach saying he would grade his performance with an A per local paper Berliner Morgenpost (link in German), Mittelstadt proved Hertha have excellent depth at a position where many teams struggle to find one solid solution.
Centre-Back: Jesus Vallejo, Eintracht Frankfurt
3 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 7.74
To be fair, Jesus Vallejo was hardly tested defensively in Eintracht Frankfurt's win in the Hessian over local rivals SV Darmstadt 98, who have scored a grand total of four goals on the road this season in the Bundesliga.
What little the Lilies put together in attack, Vallejo and his team-mate managed to deal with relative ease.
However, the flow of the game allowed the Real Madrid loanee to show his playmaking side, and the 20-year-old excelled.
Vallejo completed an astonishing 92.8 per cent of his 111 passes, showing the kind of confidence he has picked up in a superb rookie campaign in the German top flight. His impact did not stop there, as he also won the match-deciding penalty in the 73rd minute.
Centre-Back: Issa Diop, Toulouse
4 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 6.90
Toulouse's game plan against Angers was pretty clear: they moved the ball out of defence quickly, skipping the midfield section in an attempt to find playmakers Martin Braithwaite, Oscar Trejo and Corentin Jean early and often.
The man largely responsible for playing the ball forward and finding these players was centre-back Issa Diop, who jump-started TFC's attack with a high number of chipped or lofted passes out of defence. They weren't all accurate, but several found attackers in space.
He was also aggressive in the tackle, stepping up to dispossess and then launch counters. This move caught Angers out a number of times.
Right-Back: Kelvin Amian, Toulouse
5 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 7.57
A shortage of star young right-backs across the continent this week means Kelvin Amian takes up this full-back position in our XI. His performance against Angers wasn't poor, but it was hardly his finest 90 minutes in football either.
Defensively, he was caught out a few times, left high up the pitch as the visitors nipped in on the counter-attack.
He tried his best to foray forward where possible, but many of his runs ended in him turning around and going back the other way.
Midfield: Ousmane Dembele, Borussia Dortmund
6 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 8.00
It is no stretch to say Ousmane Dembele was the key to Borussia Dortmund's important 1-0 home victory over RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel tilted his side's play towards the Frenchman's right wing, with right-wing-back Erik Durm's pace stretching Leipzig's defence, thus freeing up space for the 19-year-old.
While not everything came off, Dembele made good use of his freedom and provided a magnificent assist for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's winner.
In that sequence, he showed all the qualities that make him a matchup nightmare for defenders: After a brilliant first touch with his left foot and a swift switch on his right side, he blazed past Marvin Compper, tormented Willi Orban with an elegant move and found Aubameyang with a pinpoint accurate cross.
Midfield: Jonathan Ikone, Montpellier
7 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 7.76
This half-season is a big one for Jonathan Ikone, who must take full advantage of his loan from Paris Saint-Germain to Montpellier.
He's started on the right foot, and this weekend represented a bundle of energy after entering the fray in the 61st minute.
He worked the space between the lines well, and that led to his side's winner, as he latched onto a ball and fed a superb reverse pass into the path of Steve Mounie to finish.
He then smacked the post after some opportunistic movement in the box and also hit one over from 40 yards. He's not hesitant to give it a go.
Midfield: Christian Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund
8 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 6.80
Coming on for Dembele at the hour-mark, his team-mate seemingly unable to continue due to cramps, Christian Pulisic got the nod over the more experienced Andre Schurrle—a vote of confidence by head coach Tuchel and a nod to the young American's rapid maturation over the last 12 months.
Much like Dembele, Leipzig never managed to get a hold of Pulisic, whose quickness and ingenuity could well have led to a goal with better finishing from Aubameyang or Marco Reus.
Not only was the 18-year-old positive on the ball, attempting more dribbles in 30 minutes than any of his team-mates managed over the course of the match, he also did his defensive work diligently and, perhaps most importantly, showed his cleverness in efficiently wasting time in the final minutes of the game.
Left Forward: Mikel Oyarzabal, Real Sociedad
9 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 8.04
Mikel Oyarzabal had a classic game of two halves: initially quiet, frustrated and with nothing coming off for him in the first half, he led the Real Sociedad comeback charge with a big second-half performance.
His driving runs down the left flank after the break repeatedly got La Real into good positions, either winning free-kicks or delivering a low ball into the box.
While he plays from the wing, Oyarzabal has instruction to position himself high and central at times as another centre-forward, and from there, he linked play to assist Carlos Vela’s goal for Sociedad to take the lead.
Still without a goal this season, but Oyarzabal showed in the second 45 minutes why he’s such a top prospect and is so important for Real Sociedad’s season.
Centre-Forward: Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City
10 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 8.31
Manchester City have a new superstar.
Gabriel Jesus took advantage of a second consecutive Premier League start to fire in his second and third goals for the Citizens, and his effervescent, fizzing style has lifted all of his team-mates' performance levels, too.
He never stops running, harasses defences into making mistakes and takes advantage of them in ruthless fashion.
You have to fear for Sergio Aguero; despite his pedigree, City look a different animal with Gabriel up top right now.
Right Forward: Allan Saint-Maximin, Bastia
11 of 11
WhoScored.com rating: 7.40
Opponents know what to expect from Allan Saint-Maximin now; he dribbles forcefully, squaring players up and tempting them into overcommitting.
His speed and strength make him a whirl of motion that's tough to stop. What Saint-Maximin needs to develop in order to progress is end product, and over the last few weeks, he's been showcasing that.
He's not the most efficient winger, but he creates a clear-cut chance in almost every game—the latest being a low cross against Montpellier that Gael Danic should have put away.
