The past three days have seen some incredible individual displays around Europe’s biggest leagues, and with Monday now here, it is time to take a look at those who truly stood out in our latest Team of the Weekend.
As always, we have used our internal player ratings system to pick out the best of the best, drawing on key performance metrics and advanced stats. Check out our Team of the Weekend below:
Starting in goal, Bart Verbruggen made several key saves to keep Manchester City at bay and earn high-flying Brighton a brilliant 1-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.
PSG’s Achraf Hakimi headlines the defence after a stellar performance against Le Havre, with Ismael Baouf and Jan Paul van Hecke also making the cut after important goals for Cambuur and Tottenham, respectively.
Moving into midfield, Lamine Yamal continued his rich vein of form with two goals and an assist in Barcelona’s 6-1 dismantling of Getafe. Meanwhile, Sondre Orjasaeter registered five assists for Twente, Yannick Carrasco hit a hat-trick for Al Shabab, and Strasbourg’s Gessime Yassine and Genoa’s Junior Messias also starred.
Finally, in attack, Wout Weghorst bagged four goals in Twente’s 9-0 thrashing of Excelsior, while Lassine Sinayoko proved decisive once again for Paris FC, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Monaco.
Leading lights
Bart Verbruggen (Brighton) 9.0
Brighton continued their excellent start to the season with a historic 1-0 victory at Manchester City – their first-ever triumph at the Etihad. And the man they have to largely thank for that is goalkeeper Verbruggen.
Goalkeepers don’t often get praised in our ‘leading lights’ section, but the Dutchman deserves to get a mention today after his exploits in Manchester. Verbruggen just refused to be beaten by City’s superstar attackers, keeping a clean sheet against Enzo Maresca’s side.
He made seven saves in total, preventing a total of 1.07 goals. He also displayed his excellent ball-playing prowess on several occasions with some exquisite long passes, completing a game-high 15.
Brighton sit third in the table, five points off the summit. They have kept six clean sheets in nine games, more than anyone else, demonstrating what a supreme, well-oiled machine they have become under Fabian Hurzeler.
Achraf Hakimi (PSG) 10
PSG’s sensational right-back Hakimi produced a truly remarkable display, notching a perfect 10 rating in his side’s 5-1 win at Le Havre.
The all-action Moroccan scored the first hat-trick of his career, and also added two assists to his tally. One of his strikes included a fabulous free-kick, demonstrating skills that most attacking players would be proud of.
He was devastating throughout up and down the right flank, and his six shots showcased just how much freedom he is given and the confidence he has in the final third.
After a slow start to the season, PSG reclaimed top spot with their ninth straight victory in all competitions. Additionally, the three points saw Luis Enrique make history, becoming the manager with the most wins in the club’s history (127).
Wout Weghorst (Twente) 10
Experienced Dutch forward Weghorst had a Sunday to remember in the Eredivisie, as Twente put nine (!) past Excelsior in a rampant display, with the 34-year-old helping himself to four goals and a perfect 10 rating.
After Nesto Groen’s early dismissal for the hosts, Weghorst took centre stage with a first-half hat-trick for the Tukkers, including a terrific touch and finish to complete his treble.
The Dutchman added a fourth from the penalty spot in the second half, moving joint-top of the scoring charts in the Eredivisie with eight goals from his 11 matches.
In addition to his goalscoring exploits against Excelsior, Weghorst also completed 90% of his passes in the final third, while creating a further big chance for a teammate.