The turn of the year is approaching, so what better time to take stock and reflect on how the European season is panning out so far? Obviously, in France, Paris Saint-Germain are once again running away with Ligue 1 despite their poor performances in the Champions League, while Bayern Munich are reasserting their superiority in Germany after being sensationally dethroned as Bundesliga champions by an unbeatable Bayer Leverkusen last season.
However, things are much tighter at the top in the other ‘Big Five’ leagues. Manchester City may have won the last four English titles but they’re playing catch-up in the Premier League after the worst run of Pep Guardiola’s career, with Liverpool leading the way from Chelsea. In Spain, Barcelona have suffered a dramatic dip in form after a blistering start to the season and slipped to third in La Liga, behind their two great rivals from Madrid: a resurgent Real and table-topping Atletico. Over in Italy, meanwhile, third-placed Inter have a real fight on their hands to retain their Serie A crown, as Napoli are flying again under Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta are on fire at the moment.
As for the Champions League, Liverpool top that too, but Barca, Arsenal, Leverkusen and Inter are all shaping up well ahead of the final two rounds of fixtures in the new league phase. But who have been the most consistent performers in Europe so far this season? GOAL reveals its stellar starting XI below, with our picks based on each player’s individual stats, as well as their overall impact on those around them…