5 most attacking football teams right now
Beyond the tactics and analysis, beyond the mind games, beyond the intellect and passion, in short, beyond every known and unknown complexity of modern football, lie goals. Football is loved the world over as the beautiful game because of the thrill and adrenaline rush as well as aesthetic pleasure provided by the beautiful game.
That is why the mini-tournament that concluded the UEFA Champions League, in extraordinary circumstances, was such a success. The teams involved generally played breathtaking attacking football catalysed by the high-press, the signature style of the most successful teams in the continent right now. Bayern Munich's demolition of Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the event was the high-water mark of this style of football.
Elsewhere, Liverpool tore up defences around England with their attacking triumvirate and overlapping fullbacks drilled in Jurgen Klopp's gegenpressing strategy and Manchester City, despite coming second, continued scoring freely in the signature possesion-based style of Pep Guardiola.
Atalanta, meanwhile, were the surprise of Europe last season as they almost scored for fun in the Serie A, becoming the highest scorers in the league.
With an exciting new season on the horizon, we will take a look at the five best attacking football teams in the world right now.
5 most attacking football teams right now:
#5 Paris Saint-Germain
A football team that has Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Neymar as forwards are definitely going to play dazzling attacking football. Though Paris Saint-Germain and their star forwards were hounded out by an efficient Bayern team, especially in the second half of the UCL final, PSG had played some pleasing football to reach the stage.
Both Di Maria and Mbappe top the assists chart of this year's UCL and they scored 17 goals in the group stage to qualify first in their group to the knockouts where their scoring spree continued. PSG were only behind Bayern in terms of goals netted in the group stage.
Though their 75-goal return in Ligue 1 is much lower than the other teams on this list, PSG outscored second-placed Marseille by a whopping 34 goals. The front three pressed hard, passed sharply and seemed to gel well during the end of last season. PSG have great firepower in their ranks other than the three. The departure of storied striker Edison Cavani has not affected the team with Mauro Icardi being brought in promptly.
PSG also have a solid midfield with Leandro Paredes, Pablo Serabia, Marco Veratti, Ander Herrera and Julian Draxler all jostling for spots in the team. Coach Thomas Tuchel also has a capable, if inconsistent, Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting to call on as a backup forward.
With Neymar both assisting and scoring and looking settled at PSG (despite the tears after the final loss), Tuchel will hope to take the team to greater heights as an attacking unit this season.
#4 Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool finally reached the Promised Land last season. Klopp delivered The Reds' first league title in 30 years and their first ever Premier League title after forging a successful football team in his own, inimitable style.
Liverpool have become European and English champions in consecutive seasons and no one can say they did not deserve it. Liverpool have one of the best partnerships in the world up front with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah complementing each other perfectly, notching up assists and goals consistently.
They also have two of the best attacking fullbacks in the game in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson with both capable of devastating pace and accurate delivery in the attacking third.
Alexander-Arnold is also a brilliant dead-ball specialist. However, despite the great start they made to the league, Liverpool struggled a bit towards the end of the campaign except for a glorious attacking performance against Chelsea in their penultimate game. They were also knocked out early from the UCL. The forward three did not match last season's performance with Firmino struggling to score at home.
They also scored four less in the league than the 89 they grabbed last season. Liverpool still possess one of the best attacking arsenal in football right now with Takumi Minamino, Georginio Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Divock Origi and many more all part of a stellar supporting cast.