The Champions League Team of the Year (Part II)

It is hard to improve Barcelona’s forward line, however when putting together this All-Star team, we were able to accomplish that achievement.

After the defenders were named to the Champions League team of the year 2015, we discuss the attackers, creating an offensive section that might tear apart even the best backlines

• The best forwards in the world
• 137 goals by three players in a year
• Messi and Ronaldo still at their best

in the game easily. The five of them scored 38 Champions League goals this term, setting up another 13, so they are responsible for a major chunk of goals were scored in this campaign. Though the mobile betting audience would be right to argue that packing so many superstars together would be counterproductive, on paper there are no stronger attacking section on the planet currently.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

There would be hard to imagine any all-star eleven without Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the top two footballers in the world for years. After a huge campaign last year that ended in a Champions League victory and also brought a knee problem for the Portuguese, there were speculations about his career being in danger. However, he came back stronger not just maintaining the goal scoring consistency that characterize him but taking it one step further to complete his most productive season ever. He hit 10 goals in 12 games in the Champions League and bagged a ridiculous 48 in 35 matches in the Primera Division. He wants to do this until he is 40, well we will see it.

8. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

He was already a top talent before the season, but this year he emerged as one of the world’s best players according to pundits, fans and many of those who bet on sports in the EU. The Belgian attacking midfielder has a key role in Jose Mourinho’s system orchestrating the attacking play, creating chances for team members, scoring goals himself and performing his defensive tasks perfectly. While doing so, he was one of the best footballers in the Champions League this season, though his campaign was cut short by Paris Saint-Germain, eliminating Chelsea in the round of 16 only on away goals after extra time.

9. Luis Suarez (Barcelona)

After his controversial Liverpool career, his controversial transfer and his controversial World Cup campaign which ended after biting Giorgio Chiellini, the same player he will meet in the Champions League final, Suarez have found his place in the best forward line in the world. He started his Barcelona career a bit late after he had been suspended for tasting the Italian defender’s shoulder, but after he was included to the side, Barcelona soon started to click and initiated a run that could easily end up in a treble. The Uruguayan troublemaker with his charge on defenders in possession fits perfectly to the system Barca applies, and it’s no coincidence that Suarez, Messi and Neymar scored a frightening total of 137 goals between them in all competitions so far.

10. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

It was speculated before the season that one football pitch won’t be enough for the three South American world stars, and after a couple of months with Luis Enrique, in the centre of the discussions about Barca’s problems was Messi playing too far from the opponent’s goal and scoring less goals therefore. Yet, after the introduction of Suarez and switching to a more traditional front three, the Argentine racked up 56 goals in all competition so far which, apart from being terrific, also means that he already registered his third best campaign ever regarding goals. And he still has a shot at turning this into his best year ever considering trophies. He “only” has to win the finals of the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the Copa America in the summer to make this campaign a highlight of his career.

11. Neymar (Barcelona)

The last component of our terribly strong attacking section is the last component of Barca’s forward line. The Brazilian trickster, whose potential was doubted in Europe, convinced the majority of users playing at online sportsbooks in the EU that he is one of the finest forwards in the world indeed. His outstanding technical ability was paired up with an improved finishing for this year resulting nine goals in 11 matches in the Champions League and 37 in all competition. With his fellow South American magicians they create an All-Star forward line, which is probably the strongest attacking line we will actually see to compete in the near future.

Though no side have ever managed to do that, this team would at least have a shot at defending the Champions League trophy. You could argue that to reach that heights, a team would need a similarly strong bench and you are right, though a similarly strong set of players just don’t exist at the moment.