Continental football

Underrated players in each remaining teams in Champions league

With Champions league being fortnight away, excitement around footballs biggest cup competition is getting real. After a five months of Europe's premiere competition being on a hold, we will have a winner  of 65th champions by the end of August. It's already been a year since champions league started as the qualifying rounds began from 25th June 2019.  Already  four teams have qualified for quarter finals, holders Liverpool being knocked out by Atletico Madrid. RB Leipzig knocking Tottenham hotspur out, while PSG knocked out Håland and dortmund. Newcomer Atalanta knocked Valencia out. With both of the finalist being knocked out in round of 16, there are still big teams left in the competition. Real Madrid most successful club in the history of Champions league being at disadvantage against Manchester City. For whom winning a Champions league looks real possibility. Bayern have a 3 goal advantage against Chelsea, that tie looks almost over. Juventus are goal down against Lyon, Depay is available for Lyon who is undoubtedly raring to go after missing much of the campaign due to serious injury. Barcelona and Napoli have all too play for , as Barcelona has a slight  advantage over the side from Naples due to away goal rule.

Real Madrid

Raphaël Varane

He’s consistently putting in great performances, saves the team defensively a lot of the time and is one of the leaders in defense in the absence of Sergio Ramos.While Varane has been world-class this season, the reason he hasn’t got much appreciation for it simply comes down to one man. Sergio Ramos. With the captain legend at his side, Varane doesn’t get as much credit as he should simply because he gets overshadowed.This season Varane has been better than Ramos in most of the games they’ve played. He’s been more consistent than the Captain this season too but his performances have been completely slept upon. He’s been colossal defensively this season. He is Real Madrid’s best defender and one of the best in the world.

Barcelona

Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets, one of the most subtle and one of the smartest footballers to ever grace the game.The Octopus of Badia, as he is called, is one of the most important players in whichever team he plays. For Barcelona and for Spain, he has been a crucial part of these sides. He’s like a small cog in the system, hardly noticeable unless you actively watch him, but without him the entire team would fall apart.He dictates the tempo perfectly.Knowing when to pass laterally, when to break the lines and when to pass backwards is very difficult. You have to be aware of the layout and current positions of both teams to make this decision. The fact that Busquets has been doing this consistently for a decade is ridiculous. Because of him, his team can sustain attacking play with him ready to recycle possession in the final third.

Paris Saint-Germain

Idrissa Gueye

Whenever someone talks about PSG, most of the attention will always be on their enterprising attack.While Marco Verratti possesses world-class pedigree, the French outfit didn't seem to have a rigid defensive midfielder to shield the defense.During his time at Goodison Park, Gueye proved to be an immovable force in the middle.He compensates for his lack of involvement in the attack with sturdy and reliable defensive contributions. He handles the opposition's press with ease by holding the ball close to him.  Gueye's addition to the starting XI gives Verratti the license to push upfront regularly. Tuchel's side can now transition from defence to attack without worrying about leaving spaces at the back. Gueye's ball retention capability gives him more opportunities to win fouls when under pressure. 

Manchester City

Riyad Mahrez

The City attacker has reached a point whereby he's an incredibly dangerous threat from the perspective of opposing players. He dribbles, shoots and contributes creative passing to a degree that others struggle to match.Offensive players tend to contribute in one or two of those areas, but all three are rarely provided by one player. Mahrez's xA per 90 is bettered by only De Bruyne in the Premier League, and only Thomas Muller and Angel Di Maria in Europe's top five leagues.Ultimately, he may not yet be considered as a definite starter in the eyes of many but based on his performances and what he's adding on the pitch this season, he's one of the Manchester club's biggest threats. With 5 goals involvement in 6 appearances for Mahrez in just 538 minutes , with a average of 108 min per goal involvement. He definitely deserves a starting berth at Manchester city.

Atletico Madrid

Thomas Partey

With Diego Simeone's side being one the most defensive and well drilled side in  League as well as Champions league. It's no surprise that Partey has been one of the best player in the side, after loosing Rodri to Man city in the summer. Partey stood up to the challenge he averages 3.6 tackles per game and 1.5 interception per game. With a average passes of 62 per game with 85% completion rate. Partey also plays 1.6 key passes per game along with 5 long balls. His numbers are there up with the very best in his position.

RB Leipzig

Emil Forsberg

Forsberg is the hub of Leipzig's creativity. He is capable of making intricate interplay with the likes of Werner(Currently at Chelsea) and Yussuf Poulsen, and can split the defence with a well-timed through ball. He can also free the wingers by providing a long-ball over the mid or low block by switching play.He averaged a staggering 3.1 key passes per game.. Furthermore, with an aggregate of 2.8 dribbles and 1.6 shots per game, he proved to be a complete midfielder.

 Atalanta

Marten de Roon

His defensive prowess was essential for Gian Piero Gasperini's side to get an edge over the opposition. De Roon functions as the controller, meaning he is responsible for the transitions from defence to attack. He is capable of winning the ball back with ease, and also has an eye for the forward pass.He averaged 2.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.3 dribbles per game, making him an integral part of Atalanta's defensive unit.  

Olympique Lyon

Houssem Aouar

Despite having a relatively small frame, Aouar holds the ball exceptionally. He tracks back whenever he is dispossessed and can also tackle bravely. His defensive contributions require special appreciation, as in the modern football world, players as creative as Aouar tend to neglect their defensive duties and focus on advancing upfront.  He averaged 2.4 tackles, 2.6 dribbles, 1.4 key passes and 1.2 long balls per game. The Algeria-born French midfielder has exceptional dribbling expertise and has been fantastic in the number 8 role.

Juventus

 Rodrigo Bentancur

With Ronaldo, Dybala , Higuain  and Costa they have enough firepower to hurt any team on a given day, the problem lies in the midfield. With Pjanic and Matuidi not getting any younger and new signings Ramsey and Rabiot struggling. It's no doubt there is weakness in the middle of the park for the old lady. Despite little playing time Bentancur has same number of assists as Pjanic(7 assists). He is also key in build play as he has 6 key passes which is only bettered by Pjanic. He wins possession 3.9 times per game only topped by Cuadrado. 

Bayern Munich

Benjamin Pavard

Considering how good they have been it's genuinely hard to find underrated player. First season with the Bavarian giants he has been near flawless, with only Kimmich and Neuer  featuring more than Pavard. He is still yet to miss a minute of Champions league action, providing two assists from right back in Europe. He has directly contributed to 8 goals same amount as the electric Alphonso Davies. He's been solid defensively too, winning 76% of his tackles.

Chelsea

Mateo Kovačić

At the base of the Blues' midfield, Kovačić has been utterly superb all season. The Croatian has ran the show for Frank Lampard's side, keeping things ticking and driving Chelsea forward with terrifying ease.With a pass completion rate of close to 90%, Kovačić has been as reliable as they come, but his control and dribbling have set him apart from the rest. Trying to get the ball off him has proven to be impossible.Without his creativity and drive in midfield, Chelsea would have been far weaker. He has been so valuable to the Blues.

Napoli

Dries Mertens

The diminutive forward is excellent with the ball at his feet and possesses an impressive core strength, allowing him to fend off tackles from even the strongest defenders.The striker still possesses the flair and creativity of the winger he once was, and whilst some converted wide men only focus on the goalscoring aspect of their game, Mertens has embraced his unpredictable streak, producing some sublime and daring assists from outrageous positions for his grateful teammates. Whilst the rest of Europe was still sleeping, Italy was beginning to realise that Mertens was developing into one of the very best in the business. Perhaps the Napoli forward is overlooked because of his advancing years, it's not as trendy to wax lyrical about a man approaching the twilight of his career when you can overhype a youngster who has impressed in his first couple of months of professional football.