Havertz keeps out Sancho in U21 XI in battle of Bundesliga wonderkids
Here we run through the best WhoScored rated XI from the weekend’s action in Europe’s top five leagues, comprised of players aged 21 and under, with additional information about their Football INDEX share prices.
Goalkeeper: Alban Lafont (Fiorentina) - 6.58 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.29
This past weekend was not a particularly great gameweek for young goalkeepers. Fiorentina youngster Alban Lafont makes the best rated XI despite a poor WhoScored rating, as the Viola slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo. The 20-year-old made two saves, so the manner of defeat could have been worse had it not been for him.
Left-back: Borna Sosa (Stuttgart) - 7.61 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.20
Stuttgart defender Borna Sosa makes the best U21 XI for the first time this season after helping his side to an important 1-0 win at home to Gladbach on Saturday. The 21-year-old left-back was making just his fifth league start of the season but could get more game time in their last few matches after an impressive display at the weekend. Sosa won two aerial duels, made four tackles and interceptions combined and nine clearances.
Centre-back: Gabriel - 8.32 rating
Football INDEX share price - N/A
Lille racked up a 5-0 victory over Nimes on Sunday, with 10 of the 13 outfielders used playing a direct hand in each goal. Gabriel was one of just three outfielders that neither scored nor assisted but the 21-year-old turned in a commanding performance at the back nonetheless. Gabriel won five aerial duels; completed six tackles and interceptions combined and made six clearances to help Lille to a second successive clean sheet.
Centre-back: William Saliba (Saint-Etienne) - 8.06 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.88
Saliba is the youngest player in the best rated U21 XI from the weekend’s action at just 18-years-old. The Saint-Etienne defender picked up his second highest WhoScored rating of the season on his 10th start in a 2-0 win at home to Toulouse on Sunday. The teenager completed 92% of his passes, won two aerial duels and made seven tackles and interceptions combined. Not only that, but Saliba blocked one shot, made four clearances and even won two free-kicks.
Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace) - 8.38 rating
Football INDEX share price - £2.00
Crystal Palace held Everton to a 0-0 draw on Saturday and Aaron Wan-Bissaka was, once more, the pick of the bunch. The sought after 21-year-old picked up the WhoScored Man of the Match award after completing more dribbles than any other Premier League player in gameweek 36 (seven). The 21-year-old also weighed in with five tackles and interceptions combined to help Roy Hodgson’s side keep their third clean sheet in six matches.
Central midfield: Youri Tielemans (Leicester) - 8.13 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.95
Youri Tielemans kickstarted Leicester’s rout of Arsenal with a fine header just before the hour mark on Sunday. The Belgium international has now scored or assisted in seven of his last 10 appearances for club and country and Leicester are unsurprisingly desperate to secure his services on a permanent basis this summer. Against Arsenal, the 21-year-old had five shots in total, won two aerial duels and registered two key passes, in addition to his third Premier League goal of the season.
Central midfield: Jessy Deminguet (Caen) - 7.66 rating
Football INDEX share price - N/A
Jessy Deminguet is the second debutant in our best rated U21 XI. The 21-year-old has endured a difficult campaign for French side Caen but turned in his first WhoScored rating of the campaign above a 7.00 in their 1-0 win at home to Dijon on Sunday. Deminguet, who has now made 16 league appearances this season, played an important role shielding Caen’s defence, making five tackles and two interceptions. He also completed three dribbles, a personal best in a Ligue 1 match this season.
Central midfield: Boubakary Soumare (Lille) - 7.71 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.73
Boubakary Soumare is the second of three Lille players in the best rated U21 XI following their emphatic victory over Nimes. The 20-year-old midfielder registered his first assist of the campaign on just his second league start. Soumare didn’t particularly excel in any one statistic but did a lot of things, attempting one shot, registering one key pass, completing one dribble and winning one free-kick. Without the ball it was the same, the youngster made one tackle and won one aerial duel.
Left wing: Nicolas Gonzalez (Stuttgart) - 8.17 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.28
Stuttgart picked up a hugely important three points at the weekend in their battle to beat the drop, though are still six points off safety after Schalke beat rivals Borussia Dortmund. Nicolas Gonzalez picked a good moment to turn in his best performance of the season, as Stuttgart beat Gladbach 1-0. Gonzalez won the WhoScored Man of the Match award on Saturday after remarkably winning 14 aerial duels on the left flank. In fact, on only one previous occasion has a player won more in a Bundesliga match this season. Gonzalez also completed five dribbles - another personal best in a league match this season.
Striker: Jonathan Ikone (Lille) - 8.27 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.73
Jonathan Ikone completes a hat-trick of Lille players in the XI after their big win over Nimes. The 20-year-old made only his second start of the season as a striker and he responded by completing six dribbles against Nimes, a personal record in a Ligue 1 match this season. The youngster was also fouled three times, another personal record in a Ligue 1 match this season. Ikone also completed three tackles and interceptions combined.
Right wing: Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) - 8.23 rating
Football INDEX share price - £2.85
Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz completes the XI after scoring his 14th league goal of the campaign in a 4-1 victory away to Augsburg. The 19-year-old will likely not score a more audacious goal than he did at the weekend and his stock will have only risen as a result. Havertz had four shots in total, won two aerial duels and impressively completed 92.8% of his passes. The Germany international also completed two dribbles and made one tackle.
