European Team of the Season (2019/20) according to ratings
What a season it has been! From the coronavirus enforced lockdown bringing football all across Europe to a halt to the subsequent resumption of live-action without fans in two action-packed months of June and July, we got more than we bargained for.
On 2nd August the last games of the Serie A 2019-20 campaign were concluded and thus this delayed season came to an end two months after everyone thought it would be over. Now only the UEFA Champions League and Europa League remain to be played out this month.
This year so far has been full of surprises but when it comes to top performers in the European leagues, the usual suspects have delivered yet again.
As expected Juventus, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City all find representation in the team while no player from Ligue 1 (season ended in March), finds a place here.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at this extremely attack statistical best XI from Europe's top five leagues according to Whoscored ratings. (All the ratings are out of 10)
Goalkeeper: Jesse Joronen (Brescia) - 7.01
A surprise entry in the team of the season, Brescia goalkeeper Jesse Joronen, was as solid as they come between the sticks for the Serie A side that was relegated this season.
The Finnish international was not helped by his defence throughout the season with Brescia shipping in 59 goals in his 29 appearances, in which he made a whopping 123 saves.
His return of 4.3 saves per 90 was the second-best in Europe's top five leagues. Though the club failed to retain their top-flight status, Joronen's performances
Defence
Right-Back: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) - 7.50
Ricardo Pereira is the first representative from the Premier League in our team and makes it into the best XI despite missing the final 10 games of the season due to injury.
He was on track for having one of the best seasons of his career with Leicester City this term and looked really confident down the right flank for The Foxes. His marauding runs deep into opposition territory and linkup play with Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez were key for creating goalscoring chances in the first half of the season.
He had three goals and two assists before his injury in March but he was also solid in defence, as he ended the season with the third-most tackles (119) in Europe's top five leagues. He surprisingly beat Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold to this spot.
Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 7.32
Only one player from Premier League's title-winning Liverpool squad makes it into this team and it is none other than their most important player on the pitch, Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch defender was an ever-present figure for The Reds during their stellar campaign playing every single minute and contributing at both ends of the pitch. Under his composed leadership, the Liverpool defence conceded just 33 goals this season, the best defensive record in the Premier League.
He showed off his distribution this season as he attempted more passes than anyone in the league (3259) and also completed more accurate passes (2903) than any other player in his position.
Centre-back: James Tarkowski (Burnley) - 7.19
Burnley defender James Tarkowski joins Van Dijk as the other centre-half in the defensive line dominated by Premier League players. His contributions helped his goalkeeper Nick Pope keep 15 clean sheets this season.
Like Van Dijk, the Englishman too started and finished every single game for his side and put in a tremendous shift at the heart of the defence as the Clarets finished 10th in the league.
Though not as prolific as the Liverpool defender in the final third, he was one of the busiest defenders across Europe's top five leagues as he made more clearances (200) than any other player and was a force in the air as he won crucial aerial duels (198) for his team.
Left-back: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) - 7.52
Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies completes the four-man defence in this team on the back of an amazing season. The teenager lit up the left-flank with his explosive pace and insane dribbling skills as he effectively replaced David Alaba as the team's first-choice left-back.
He regularly clocked speeds of 35 km/h in his sprints that allowed him to move into dangerous positions resulting in three goals and five assists for the defender. He also completed more dribbles (82) than any other defender in Europe's top five leagues.
The 19-year-old was on top of his game when the Bundesliga ended and the Bavarians would be hoping for similar exploits from him in the UEFA Champions League, as they chase a second treble this term.
Also See: 10 best defenders in European football this season