Squawka’s advent calendar continues to progress as we build towards Christmas.
Festive football is always fun, and we’ve definitely entered that time of year now. So as we build towards the big day, we thought why not celebrate the wonderful world of football we watch every week? And why not do it in a specifically Christmas-y way?
So we’re comparing players based on their current club shirt number and coming up with a top three for each number. So far we’ve done number one, number two and number three. Now we’re up to four, and remember the criteria for deciding who gets in is determined by how well they have performed across 2018.
There’s been lots of talent to choose from, but here are Squawka’s three best no. 4’s in the world:
3. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid/Spain)
What makes him special? Well it’s not his defending which is erratic and prone to error. Ramos’ personality and propensity to show up in big games is almost unparalleled, however. His La Liga and World Cup struggles were contrasted spectacularly by his magnificent displays as Real Madrid edged their way to a third consecutive Champions League – his third as captain.
Key stat: No player has received more red cards in Real Madrid history than Sergio Ramos (24).
2. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona/Croatia)
What makes him special? Ivan Rakitic was phenomenal for the vast majority of 2018. First he was a crucial cog as Barcelona were two games shy of a fully unbeaten domestic season (they still won La Liga and the Copa del Rey anyway) and then he gave a masterclass in supporting football as he helped Croatia make it all the way to the World Cup final. There he was, the best midfielder on the park as the tiny nation fought valiantly to try and win their first ever trophy only to be bested by fate and fortune.
Key stat: Ivan Rakitic scored more winning penalties in shootouts (2) at the 2018 World Cup than any other player in tournament history.
1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands)
What makes him special? Van Dijk began 2018 by becoming the world’s most expensive defender and somehow only got better from there. The Dutchman has transformed Liverpool since joining them and has even, as captain, helped bring the Netherlands back to prominence. Under Van Dijk’s leadership the Dutch are in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals having overcome World Champions France and (thanks to two Van Dijk goals) previous World Champions Germany.
Key stat: Of all players to contest more than 150 aerial duels in the Premier League in 2018, only one player has a better success rate than Virgil van Dijk’s 71% (135/189).
The post Squawka’s Xmas advent squad: who’s the best No.4 in Europe? appeared first on Squawka News.
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