WhoScored 2020 Rewind: Haaland already one of the best strikers in Europe
Rounding off our 2020 position rewind, we have finally reached the strikers. The final position to complete our Ultimate XI and there are four world class forwards on offer.
From the quartet of superstars with the highest rating in 2020, we will then leave it to our Twitter followers to determine who leads the attacks in the WhoScored Followers Team of 2020.
😱 For the final place in our ultimate XI, you must pick only one of these world-class strikers to lead the line!
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 7, 2021
⏱️ You have two hours to vote on the best striker in Europe from 2020! 👇
4) Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.58 rating
Scoring 23 league goals in 23 Bundesliga outings, a record of a goal per game is a return any frontman would be proud of. What's more, of the 134 players to have 50 or more shots in Europe's top five leagues in 2020, Erling Haaland had a better conversion rate (35.9%) than any other player. The Borussia Dortmund star ended the year strongly and he'll be expected to pick up where he left off in 2021.
3) Harry Kane (Tottenham) - 7.64 rating
Making the podium in this countdown, Harry Kane had a direct hand in 26 league goals in 2020, that enough to feature among the top 10 players in Europe's top five leagues. Of those, 10 were assists, which was a commendable feat for a frontman who has routinely been recognised for his goalscoring exploits rather than his ability to create for others. All in all, Kane did enough to secure a WhoScored rating of 7.64 last year.
2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan) - 7.74 rating
Like Kane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also had a direct had in 26 league goals in 2020, with his 20 goals the seventh best in Europe's top five leagues last year. The Swede proved age is but a number following his return to AC Milan 12 months ago and has played a pivotal role in the Rossoneri's surge up the Serie A table. Ibrahimovic had a commendable conversion rate of 19.8% in 2020, but it wasn't enough to secure first on this leaderboard.
1) Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 8.17 rating
A worthy winner of Fifa's The Best Men's Player gong, Robert Lewandowski takes top spot in the striker's standings after a superb 2020 that saw him secure Bundesliga and Champions League glory. Lewandowski ended the year with a conversion rate of 29.1%, the the third best in Europe's top five leagues, while only Cristiano Ronaldo (33) scored more goals than the prolific Bayern star (32), while of those 32 goals, 26 were deemed to be clear-cut chances; no player scored more. In all, Lewandowski did more than enough to warrant a fine WhoScored rating of 8.17 for his goalscoring exploits in 2020.
Players of 2020: GKs, RBs, LBs, CBs, CMs, AMs, RWs, LWs
