Europa League Team of the Round: Ferencvaros players headline after defeating AC Milan

Check out our Team of the Round below:

Goalkeeper

Dominik Kotarski (Dinamo Zagreb) 8.9

Sunderland were clear favourites against the Croatian side, especially on home turf. The English team did everything they could and managed 17 shots in total, but Dominik Kotarski proved unbeatable.

The goalkeeper made seven saves, denied his opponents two clear-cut chances and remained involved in the build-up, recording 59 touches as Zagreb won 2-0.

Defenders

Javi Vazquez (Torreense) 8.7

The surprise Europa League participants, who normally play in Portugal’s second tier, continue to defy expectations. This time, the Portuguese Cup winners turned the game around dramatically in the closing stages against Ararat-Armenia, with Spanish defender Vazquez playing a major role. 

He first provided an assist before scoring in stoppage time in a 3-2 win. He also won all of his duels and completed 78% of his passes.

Bafode Diakite (Bournemouth) 8.4

The match in Prague against Sparta could hardly have started worse for the Cherries: a missed penalty was followed by a conceded goal. That was when they needed a defensive leader to rally the team and launch a fightback.

The French defender did exactly that, winning 90% of his duels, including every aerial challenge, and helping his side complete a 3-1 comeback win.

Ludwig Augustinsson (Anderlecht) 8.3

The Belgian side beat RB Salzburg 2-0, with Ludwig Augustinsson opening the scoring with a spectacular free-kick. The Swedish defender then worked tirelessly at both ends of the pitch, winning possession four times and completing 35 of 43 passes.

Anderlecht claimed their second win of the competition largely thanks to the defence he led.

Midfielders

Kristoffer Zachariassen (Ferencvaros) 9.2

The creative architect of a magical evening at AC Milan, he was the highest-rated player of the round.

The Dane assisted both of Joseph’s goals in a 2-0 victory, created plenty of danger in attack and tested the goalkeeper with two shots on target. He also won 71% of his duels, made four clearances and two interceptions, underlining how important he is to his team.

Svit Seslar (Celje) 9.1

The Slovenian attacking midfielder enjoyed a superb Thursday night as Celje won 3-2 at Sturm Graz. Seslar opened the scoring against Sturm Graz before giving his side breathing room by making it 3-1. As it turned out, that goal secured all three points, as the visitors pulled one back late on.

Seslar was involved throughout the build-up, while also contributing defensively, as shown by his three recoveries.

Georgiy Sudakov (Benfica) 8.6

The Ukrainian midfielder initially operated as a quiet hero, doing the work that allowed the Portuguese side’s other stars to shine in a 3-1 win over Lech Poznan. He then made his mark with a clever pass to Gianluca Prestianni that was turned into an assist, before capping a superb performance with a brilliant goal. 

Four key passes, a 100% duel success rate and 90% passing accuracy show that he is another high-quality player for the Eagles.

Clement Bischoff (NEC Nijmegen) 8.8

The match against Omonia Nicosia was not going the Dutch side’s way, but fortunately they had Clement Bischoff in their ranks. The Dane drove his team’s attacks and scored a hugely important goal 15 minutes before the end of normal time, turning the game around in a 3-1 win.

He completed 44 of 51 passes and made six progressive carries, while also winning the ball back for his team five times.

Forwards

Oumar Diakite (Sturm Graz) 8.9

Sturm Graz fought until the very end in an attempt to salvage at least a point against Celje, and while they couldn’t, their Ivorian striker shone.

Diakite attempted nine shots in total and scored twice. The quality of his finishing is reflected by his 2.32 expected goals on target (xGOT). He was just as accurate when linking up with his teammates, completing 100% of his passes.

Lenny Joseph (Ferencvaros) 9.0

Another of the heroes of the biggest upset of this Europa League matchday. Ferencvaros took all three points from San Siro, with the Haitian striker playing a key role.

Joseph first put the Hungarian side ahead, then capitalised on the hosts’ shock 15 minutes later to add another goal and seal the result. They were his first two goals of this edition of the competition.

Pablo Duran (Celta Vigo) 8.6

Celta Vigo may have suffered a 2-1 loss at Royale Union, leaving them outside the top 24, but striker Pablo Duran managed to get himself on the scoresheet and put in a strong all-round performance.

Duran was a handful all match, completing four dribbles and having five shots on goal. However, it wasn’t enough for a team struggling in Europe.