5 defenders with most assists in Europe's top 5 leagues this season (2021-22)
It's always a blessing for teams when their defenders can help out in the assists department by setting up chances for their teammates.
Full-backs are some of the most hard-working players in football. They are usually tasked with covering the length of their flanks for the entirety of the game. They shuttle up and down the wings as they try to help out their team both in attack and in defence.
While they are primarily defenders and need to maintain great positional discipline, they cannot afford to just sit back like the centre-backs. The full-backs provide the width for their side as they foray forward and they are given the responsibility of whipping in crosses into the box.
We have some high-quality full-backs in Europe right now. Thanks to the diverse systems that coaches use these days, some of these players are also the primary playmakers for their teams.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five defenders with the most assists in Europe's top five leagues so far this season.
#5 Christian Gunter (SC Freiburg) - 6 assists
SC Freiburg have been one of the more improved teams in the Bundesliga this term. They finished 10th in the league table in the 2020-21 season with 45 points from 34 games. They are currently sixth, with 30 points from 19 games and are only two points behind third-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
28 year old left-back Christian Gunter has been a standout performer for Freiburg this season. He possesses great pace and can whip in some delightful deliveries from the left flank. Gunter is the club captain and he has been leading them from the front this term.
The German international has registered six assists in 19 Bundesliga appearances this season.
@SCFreiburg through and through 
⚪ @SCFreiburg through and through 🔴
Christian Gunter has risen through the ranks. 💪
#Bundesliga https://t.co/JtnZfL4S18
#4 Caio Henrique (AS Monaco) - 6 assists
Caio Henrique joined Atletico Madrid in 2016 but only made one senior appearance for them over the next couple of years. He was subsequently loaned out to Parana, Fluminese and Gremio before signing for AS Monaco in August 2020.
Henrique had quite an impressive first season in France. He recorded five assists in 31 appearances for AS Monaco in the 2020-21 season. This resulted in him garnering attention from the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021.
The Brazilian has turned it up a notch this season and has been one of Monaco's best players so far this term. Henrique has scored a goal and provided six assists in 19 Ligue 1 appearances in the ongoing season.
He used to play as a midfielder in his younger days and is still occasionally deployed as a number 10 at Monaco.
bit.ly/100Caio
FEATURE | No Brazilian had more assists (13) in all competitions from clubs across Europe's top 5 leagues in 2021 than Ligue 1's best left-back, Caio Henrique. But things haven't always been so straightforward for the Monaco man.
➡️ bit.ly/100Caio https://t.co/JrXwgIEgbR