As our All Star Team of the Week indicates, there have been some outstanding performances throughout the top five divisions in Europe over the last few days. Mario Gomez was the top-rated forward for a lethal display in Bayern Munich’s 8-1 away demolition of St Pauli, while Saint Etienne winger Dimitri Payet picked up the same score for an eye-catching contribution in a 1-0 win at Arles-Avignon.
At the back, Sochaux’s Damien Perquis picked up the highest rating for a defender, with the centre-half outstanding in a 4-0 triumph at Bordeaux that led to the subsequent resignation of Jean Tigana. Here’s a look at some of the stand-out displays from this week’s Best XI:
Best Defender- Damien Perquis Rating 8.77
A 4-0 away win suggests total domination but a look at the stats for the Bordeaux-Sochaux game indicates a clinical display of counter-attacking football from the visitors. Bordeaux had 55% possession, managed 13 Shots to Sochaux’s 7, won 88% of Aerial duels and made more Tackles (13 to 9), yet failed to break the visitors down.
Pivotal to this defiance was Damien Perquis; the centre-half’s reading of the game was i
mmense; with 12 Clearances and 3 Interceptions, he only had to make 1 Tackle, as well as 2 Blocked Shots keeping the home side at bay.
His distribution from the back was key to Sochaux’s win; a brilliant 12 Long Balls (10 Accurate) launching the team’s attacks on the break time and again. He also made 41 Passes- third highest for the visitors- with an 85% Accuracy.
To top it all off, Perquis grabbed a goal, netting his side’s second goal in the 11th minute to put Sochaux well on the road to victory.
Best Midfielder- Dimitri Payet Rating 10
The 1-0 result is in no way indicative of the one-sided nature of Saint-Etienne’s victory at Arles-Avignon; the visiting side had 61% Possession and hade 15 Shots to their hosts’ 2.
Playing left attacking midfield in a 4-2-3-1, Payet created chance after chance for his team
mates in a superb creative display and could have racked up plenty of assists if it wasn’t for some inept finishing.
In a superb performance, he made 10 Key Passes, fired in 9 Crosses, 8 Long Balls (6 Accurate) and 9 Through Balls as the winger tore the home defence to pieces. Payet had 3 Shots on goal, 2 Accurate, and had 4 Successful Dribbles in the game. He also won the penalty that gave the visitors their single goal victory.
Best Forward- Mario Gomez Rating 10
While Muller, Robben and Ribery provide the creative spark in Bayern‘s 4-2-3-1, it’s the job of Mario Gomez to put the ball in the net and this season, he’s been exceptional. Top scorer in the Bundesliga with 27 Goals (40 in all competitions), Gomez grabbed a hat-trick in the 8-1 rout of St Pauli to make it 8 Goals in his last 4 games.
Bayern had 15 Shots at goal with 10 On Target, though Gomez’s accuracy was exemplary; all 4 of his Shots were on target, 3 of them finding the net. An indication of his clinical finishing is that Gomez had only 24 Touches all game, making just 11 Passes, yet still walked away with a hat-trick; the true mark of a penalty box predator at the top of his game.
