Bayern Munich dominate player form rankings as Messi loses top spot

Losing his place at the top of this week’s form rankings for the first time in a matter of months, Lionel Messi’s absence - along with most of Barcelona’s usual starting XI - at the weekend against Huesca means he doesn’t qualify this time out.

That has opened the door for a new leader in the top 20, and wholesale changes in general, starting with those to have moved up the table.

RISES

Now in top spot having been second to Messi last time out, Robert Lewandowski’s weighted rating actually dropped this weekend as his five game scoring streak in the Bundesliga came to an end. The Pole still played his part in another convincing win for the Bavarians, however, and eight goals in his last six outings means he leads the way.

Up to places into second - leapfrogging non-mover Eden Hazard (third) - Karim Benzema’s purple patch continued as he found the net for the fourth game running. It was another disappointing defeat for Madrid but their striker has now had a direct hand in ten goals (seven goals, three assists) in his last six outings.

Lille’s wanted winger Nicolas Pepe jumps a whopping 14 places into fourth after Ligue 1’s second placed side ran riot against leaders PSG. The Ivorian scored once and assisted two other goals in a 5-1 win, earning a WhoScored.com man of the match rating (9.18) for the fourth time in his last five matches.

Elsewhere Thiago Alcantara completes the top five after another dominant display in midfield and teammate Serge Gnabry is just behind having scored once and registered an assist in back-to-back matches.

Kevin De Bruyne leaps onto the leaderboard (seventh) after two assists, six key passes and five tackles at Palace, while Inaki Williams - 14th after five goals in as many games - Joshua Kimmich (16th) and Andrej Kramaric (20th) all climb into the top 20.

FALLS

Kramaric’s Hoffenheim teammate Ishak Belfodil is down from sixth to ninth after firing a blank in victory over Hertha Berlin, while Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic falls further - from fifth to 11th - following a shock defeat to Augsburg.

Elsewhere Nimes midfielder Teji Savanier drops out of the top ten (12th) from seventh despite scoring from the spot at Marseille, while Josip Ilicic falls two places after a remarkable goalless draw against Empoli in which the Slovenian created nine chances but failed to score with eight of his own.

NEW QUALIFIERS*

James Rodriguez is the highest new qualifier slotting straight in at ten despite being restricted to a substitute appearance at the weekend, while teammate Thomas Muller (15th) joins the Colombian having now had a hand in a goal in five of his last six league outings (three goals, two assists).

Elsewhere Leipzig goalscorer Kevin Kampl (17th), Atalanta’s frustrated forward Duvan Zapata (18th) and Sevilla star Pablo Sarabia (19th) help complete the leaderboard, with the latter taking his goal and assist tallies to 11 apiece with one of each in the derby against Real Betis.

*QUALIFYING RULES
 AND WEIGHTED RATINGS

Only ratings taken from each player’s last six league matches are considered, weighted chronologically, with the most recent match carrying greater importance and so on. To qualify each player must have featured in their side’s last league game and started at least six of the last eight available.