Solari's Real Madrid benchwarmer still the top No.22 in 2018

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Do you feel that? Christmas is coming up fast so we feel it’s time for another instalment of our official Squawka Xmas advent squad.

Our squad already has such depth but we continue with adding to the 25-man squad with our 22nd occupant.

As we list our top 3 choices to take the number 22 shirt, here is the squad we have assembled so far.

Remember, while overall quality was obviously considered when ranking our top three players of the year, the deciding factors were how well they performed during the last 12 months, with notable weighting being given to the World Cup.

No. 1: Marc-André Ter Stegen
No. 2: Kyle Walker
No. 3: Giorgio Chiellini
No. 4: Virgil Van Dijk
No. 5: Raphael Varane
No. 6: Paul Pogba
No. 7: Kylian Mbappé
No. 8: Saúl Ñíguez
No. 9: Luis Suárez
No. 10: Lionel Messi
No. 11: Mohamed Salah
No. 12: Marcelo
No. 13: Alisson
No. 14: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
No. 15: Andrea Barzagli
No. 16: Manuel Akanji
No. 17: Kevin de Bruyne
No. 18: Jordi Alba
No. 19: Leroy Sane
No. 20: Bernardo Silva
No. 21: David Silva

Here are Squawka’s top three number 22’s for 2018.

3. Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich/Germany)

What makes him special?: The former Arsenal youngster has emerged as one of the most exciting forwards in the Bundesliga right now, with many not expecting him to make the big step up to Bayern following his exit from north London.

The 23-year-old spent the first six months of 2018 on-loan at fellow Bundesliga outfit 1899 Hoffenheim, where his ability to run at the opposition saw him develop into a real attacking threat, helping to inspire his loan side to a club-record third-place finish at the end of the 17/18 campaign.

Since returning to his parent club, Gnabry has perhaps started the season better than the club overall, who are six points behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund.

The winger has been directly involved in seven goals across all club competitions this season, whilst also forming part of Germany’s new-look front line as they look to rebuild after a disastrous World Cup.

Key stat: Gnabry scored 13 goals for club & country in 2018; including one against his current club.

2. Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City/France)

What makes him special?: If this man had stayed fit for the duration of 2018, he may well have taken first-place. The very fact that he is second on this list despite struggling with injuries across the last 12 months says a lot about how much talent the left-back has.

Mendy has only made 15 league appearances for Manchester City since signing for Pep Guardiola’s side at the beginning of last season. However, he has shown in that time the fantastic ability he has to switch between defence and offence, offering fantastic balance to an already talented squad.

Acquiring enough appearances to bag himself a Premier League medal in his opening season in England, the Frenchman was also part of Didier Deschamps World Cup-winning squad this summer in Russia, meaning the 24-year-old won two major honours both domestically and on the international stage.

This season, Mendy racked up nine appearances in the league for City, providing an impressive five assists in this time. Another injury setback will see him return in the new year but it is still quite possible that he will finish his opening two seasons with the club with the same amount of league titles.

Key stat: Mendy has provided more Premier League assists (5) than any other defender this season.

1. Isco (Real Madrid/Spain)

What makes him special?: 2018 looked like the year Isco would become the Galactico his talent suggests he can be.

Mixed with some of the most notable names in world football, the Madrid playmaker showcased his abilities for both club and country in the first half of the year, making himself a star in his own right.

Last season, Isco made 30 La Liga appearances for Los Blancos, but it was his form in the Champions League that was most impressive. Starting 10 games en route to winning his third consecutive Champions League title with the club, the Spaniard stamped his authority on some of the biggest games along the way.

On the international stage, Isco became the fulcrum of Julen Lopetegui’s unbeaten Spain side, scoring his first senior hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Argentina prior to the World Cup.

 

Despite the fact Lopetegui was sacked on the eve of the tournament, Isco remained the heartbeat of the 2010 champions but could not carry them through.

Lopetegui and Isco were once against split up following Real Madrid’s poor start to 2018/19 and he now finds himself a near-permanent member of Santiago Solari’s bench.

Despite all this, however, the relative lack of superstar No.22s combined with genuine glimpses of world-class ability, his place in our Advent Squad is difficult to dispute.

Key stat: Isco completed more take-ons (23) and created more chances (9) than any other Spain player at the 2018 World Cup.

Notable mentions: Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/USA), Martín Cáceres (Lazio/Uruguay), Arturo Vidal (Barcelona/Chile) and Willian (Chelsea/Brazil).

The post Squawka’s Xmas advent squad: which No.22 had the best 2018? appeared first on Squawka News.



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