Leon Bailey sparkles in U21 Team of the Week across Europe’s top five leagues
Here we run through the best rated U21 XI from the weekend’s action across Europe’s top five leagues, with additional information about their Football INDEX share prices.
Goalkeeper – Ionut Radu (Genoa) – 6.49 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.79
Despite making the XI with a spectacularly low WhoScored rating, it just proves how effective Genoa were against Juventus at the weekend. Genoa inflicted Juventus with their first league defeat of the campaign, running out 2-0 winners at home. Radu kept a clean sheet against the Old Lady but didn’t even have to make a save. Juventus failed to have a shot on target in a Serie A match for the first time since May last year.
Left-back: Theo Hernandez (Real Sociedad) – 7.92 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.29
On-loan Real Madrid defender Theo Hernandez helped Real Sociedad get a point at home to Levante on Friday, supplying the assist for Adnan Januzaj to net his first league goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw. Hernandez was the WhoScored Man of the Match from their encounter with Levante, making four tackles and interceptions combined, as well as three key passes in total.
Centre-back: Ibrahima Konate (RB Leipzig) – 7.96 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.68
RB Leipzig earned a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Schalke on Saturday, with Ibrahima Konate impressing in defence for the Bundesliga side. Konate won six aerial duels, four tackles and interceptions combined and completed eight clearances to help Leipzig keep a clean sheet on the road. The 19-year-old even had one shot.
Centre-back: Kevin Danso (Augsburg) – 8.44 rating
Football INDEX share price - £0.72
Staying in Germany, Kevin Danso earns another spot in the best rated XI after another impressive performance for Augsburg. Danso has now turned in season-best displays in successive matches, following up a 7.64 rating against Leipzig with an 8.44 rating at home to Hannover. The 20-year-old won eight aerial duels against Hannover, while also making seven tackles and interceptions combined and five clearances. He was also directly involved in a goal for the first time this season, assisting Augsburg’s final goal.
Right-back: William Saliba (Saint-Etienne) – 7.56 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.42
17-year-old William Saliba is the youngest player to make the XI after helping Saint-Etienne to an emphatic 5-0 win away to Caen at the weekend. Saliba made four tackles and interceptions combined, won three aerial duels, registered one shot and completed one dribble. His Football INDEX share price is on the climb and worth keeping an eye on for the remainder of the season.
Central midfield: Juninho Bacuna (Huddersfield) – 7.98 rating
Football INDEX share price – N/A
Huddersfield were mightily close to a shock 3-2 win away to West Ham on Saturday only to concede twice in the dying embers. Juninho Bacuna levelled for Huddersfield midway through the second half – his first of the season – and had three more shots during the game. The 21-year-old also completed five tackles and interceptions combined and completed two dribbles.
Central midfield: Ibrahim Sangare (Toulouse) – 8.29 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.73
Ibrahim Sangare turned in a WhoScored Man of the Match display in Toulouse’s 1-1 draw away to Nice on Friday night. The 21-year-old set a personal best for most shots in a league match this season (5), but really excelled with his defensive work. Sangare incredibly won 11 tackles, second only to Ghislain Konan of Caen (12) in a Ligue 1 match this season.
Central midfield: Manuel Morlanes (Villarreal) – 8.10 rating
Football INDEX share price - £1.08
Villarreal have now won four matches in a row in all competitions, as many as their previous 20 games combined. 20-year-old Manuel Morlanes has burst onto the scene in that time and is starting to make a name for himself after another eye-catching display at the weekend. The Villarreal midfielder registered an assist in a 3-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, while also completing five tackles and completing 91.5% of his passes.
Forward: Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen) – 9.08 rating
Football INDEX share price - £3.90
Bayer Leverkusen youngster Leon Bailey is the highest WhoScored rated U21 from Europe’s top five leagues this weekend. Bailey scored in a surprise 3-1 home defeat to Werder Bremen, netting once from six shots. The former Premier League target also completed 10 dribbles, no player has managed more in a Bundesliga player this season. He registered three key passes but his team-mates failed to take advantage.
Forward: Karlan Grant (Huddersfield) – 8.09 rating
Football INDEX share price – N/A
Karlan Grant now has three goals in six Premier League appearances for Huddersfield since joining from Charlton in January. The 21-year-old scored as many goals against West Ham on Saturday (2) as other Huddersfield strikers Steve Mounie and Laurent Depoitre have all season combined. Grant netted with both of his attempts on goal against West Ham and also registered a key pass.
Forward: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) – 8.53 rating
Football INDEX share price - £14.81
Jadon Sancho registered two assists in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 win away to Hertha Berlin on Saturday to ensure Dortmund kept pace with Bayern Munich at the top of the league. The 18-year-old’s goal contribution this season has remarkably been worth 18 points. Without those points, Dortmund would be down in sixth.
