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WhoScored continues our series of articles analysing the top five players per position across Europe’s top five leagues by turning our attentions to the wide men. Four of the five main leagues are represented here; two of our featured five are based in Spain, with Serie A the only one to miss out…
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid. WhoScored Rating 8.39
Top scorer in Europe’s main five leagues with 32 goals from 26 appearances, Cristiano Ronaldo is the runaway winner amongst wide men in the WhoScored ratings. Ronaldo has started all but one of Real’s games and, with 6.8 shots per game, has more attempts than any other player in Europe, with Lionel Messi (5.4) trailing in his wake. For Real, the contrast is far greater; Karim Benzema is next best, with an average 2.7 efforts per game highlighting just how much attacking threat Ronaldo brings to Jose Mourinho’s side.
In terms of possession, Ronaldo makes just 38.3 passes per game - the tenth highest for Mourinho’s side but the Portuguese star has played a significant part creatively, too; an average 1.6 key passes is fourth at the club, just behind Xabi Alonso’s 1.8. As a result, Ronaldo has provided 7 assists, a tally bettered only by Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil, with 13 apiece. He also plays 0.6 through balls per game, second only to Di Maria’s 0.9.
With Real attacking down the left flank 39% of the time, Ronaldo’s 1.4 successful dribbles is second only to left-back Marcelo’s 2.1; the pair are clearly afforded plenty of opportunities to take on opponents out wide. It’s perhaps no surprise to see Ronaldo the most-fouled of any player for the La Liga leaders, with 2.5 per game summing up his opponents’ desire to stop him at any cost.
Given his exceptional offensive stats, it’s perhaps little surprise to see Ronaldo’s defensive duties are almost non-existent. He makes a mere 0.6 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game, indicating he would rather preserve his energy for his side’s attacking thrusts. An average of 0.8 successful aerial duels sums up his ability in the air and, with 10 WhoScored man of the match awards, he is the top-rated player at Madrid by a considerable distance and second overall in the European rankings so far this season.
2. Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich. WhoScored Rating 7.87
From a total of 24 appearances, the Frenchman’s superb all-round attacking contribution has seen him chip in with 11 goals and 10 assists for Jupp Heynckes’ side so far. Averaging 2.3 shots per game, Ribery is third for goal threat at Bayern, with Mario Gomez (3.2) leading the way, while in terms of creating goalscoring opportunities, he is just edged to top spot by Arjen Robben, by 2.4 key passes to 2.3.
With Philipp Lahm bombing on behind him at full-back, Bayern attack down Ribery’s flank 40% of the time, and the winger’s trickery in possession is an essential element of their play. A brilliant 4.3 successful dribbles per game – far superior to Robben’s 2.9 – is the fourth overall in Europe’s top five leagues; it’s no surprise, then, to see him fouled 3 times per game, again the most of any Bayern player.
Ribery also sees more of the ball than Robben, averaging 50 passes to the Dutchman’s 36.8 and in possession, has proven to be more secure, with an 85.2% pass accuracy superior to his fellow-winger’s 78.4%. He is number one for successful crosses per game (1.2) at the club, further example of his contribution from out wide.
Ribery’s wide left role in a 4-2-3-1 sees him make a fairly minimal defensive output. An average of 1.3 tackles per game is more than double the likes of Ronaldo (above) and, at Bayern, is still more impressive than Robben’s 0.9 on the opposite flank. Ribery also averages 0.7 interceptions and, in total, has picked up the WhoScored man of the match award on 5 occasions - the most at the club. With a rating of 7.87, he is also top-rated player in Heynckes’ team, beating Bastian Schweinsteiger (7.75) into second place.
3. Nene, Paris Saint Germain. WhoScored Rating 7.84
While the Ligue 1 leaders splashed the cash in the summer and, indeed, in January’s transfer window in order to replenish their squad, it’s been the star of last season who has once again proven to be their most prized asset. With an average of 3.7 key passes over his 26 appearances, Nene creates more goalscoring opportunities per game than any player in Europe’s top five divisions.
Stationed on the left flank in Carlo Ancelotti’s 4-2-3-1, the Brazilian has, surprisingly, picked up just 5 assists for his creative endeavours, despite laying on a total of 96 chances - clearly, poor finishing from his teammates is preventing him from racking up plenty more. With PSG attacking down his wing 37% of the time, Nene makes 48.2 passes per game - more than any of the attacking midfield three. He’s top for successful crosses; an average of 2.4 is substantially better than Jeremy Menez’s paltry 0.1 on the opposite flank, while 0.5 through balls is only just edged by Javier Pastore’s 0.7.
Further analysis of Nene’s stats shows he is also the biggest goal threat for PSG. An average of 3.1 shots just beats Kevin Gameiro (3) into second and he’s also hit the net with most regularity, grabbing 13 goals thus far. Menez leads the way for successful dribbles (2.2) per game from the right wing but Nene is hard on his heels, with 1.6 bettering Pastore’s 1.3. His all-round threat also sees Nene the most-fouled player at PSG, on an average of 3.7 occasions per match.
Defensively, Nene also shows an impressive work-rate, with 1.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game. Compare that to Pastore’s 0.7 and 0.9 respectively, and his willingness to battle out wide is obvious. A match average of 7.84 is head and shoulders above any other player at the club, with Menez a distant second on 7.24 and Nene’s consistency is highlighted by the fact he has picked up 10 WhoScored man of the match awards - more than the rest of the squad combined.
4. Angel Di Maria, Real Madrid. WhoScored Rating 7.65
While Ronaldo’s goals have been crucial to Real’s title tilt, Di Maria’s creativity on the opposite flank has proved just as instrumental in their rise to the top of La Liga. Despite managing just 30.6 passes per game, the Argentine star has provided 13 assists so far this season; joint-top with teammate Mesut Ozil across Europe’s top five leagues.
Di Maria is second to Ozil in terms of key passes per game (2.1 to the German’s 2.6) but his eye for a pinpoint through ball has proved far superior; an average of 0.9 is almost double Ozil’s 0.5 and is the fourth most impressive average across Europe. Di Maria’s tendency to look for a teammate when out wide – compared to Ronaldo – is summed by their respective number of crosses; the latter produces almost double, with 0.9 to 0.5.
Over his 15 appearances, Di Maria has averaged 2.3 shots for Jose Mourinho’s side; the third best at the club, with Ronaldo and Benzema leading the way on 6.8 and 2.7 respectively. In terms of successful dribbles, the Argentine once again sits inside the top three, with an average of 1.3 just behind Ronaldo’s 1.4.
Di Maria’s work-rate on the Madrid right is substantially greater than Ronaldo’s on the opposite flank. He makes almost three times the number of tackles (1.7 to 0.6) and nearly double the amount of interceptions (1.1 to 0.6) than the Portuguese star, indicating it’s not just his creativity that is vital to La Liga leaders. To date, he’s picked up just 1 WhoScored man of the match award but an average of 7.65 is joint-second for Mourinho’s side along with Xabi Alonso, and fourth best for wide men in Europe’s top five leagues so far.
5. David Silva, Manchester City. WhoScored Rating 7.64
The man who makes the difference for Roberto Mancini’s title-chasers, Silva has picked up 12 assists to date this term, making him third overall in Europe and top in the Premier League. The former Valencia man has been utilised on both wings by Mancini over his 27 appearances, though with a tendency to drop deep and drift into central areas, he sees plenty of possession, making 58.1 passes per game, with a superb 88% accuracy.
It’s no surprise to see that Silva produces the most key passes (2.9) for City, just edging out Samir Nasri (2.6). His eye for a through ball also stands out, with 0.6 per game once again top amongst Mancini’s men, though the aforementioned inclination to play centrally means he has averaged just 0.7 crosses, half of Nasri’s 1.4.
In terms of goal threat, Silva’s license to roam means he makes 2.5 shots per game - fourth best at the club, with Mario Balotelli leading the way on 3.6; as a result, the little Spaniard has picked up 5 goals so far. Given his ability, Silva’s 1.1 successful dribbles - while nevertheless impressive - could be substantially more, highlighting the fact that he’s always looking to pick out a pass whenever possible, rather than taking on an opponent.
With City dominating games – averaging 57.6% possession - Silva’s defensive output is no more than average. Nevertheless, he averages 1.1 interceptions, while his 1.3 tackles per game is almost double Nasri’s 0.7. Joint-top with Sergio Aguero for WhoScored man of the match awards (4 each), Silva’s match average of 7.64 is top for Mancini’s side and third overall in the Premier League, behind only Robin Van Persie (7.9) and Wayne Rooney (7.87).
