Europe's top 50 - Part III: Dortmund, Juventus and Real Madrid stars feature from 36-40

Continuing our countdown, which started on Monday, of our top 50 players in Europe's top five leagues, a pair of electrifying wing-backs feature in spots 36-40. 

Elsewhere a Real Madrid goal machine, one of Juventus' star performers and Leicester ball winner make up the next five spots. 

The top performing U21 right-back in Europe's top five leagues this season takes up spot number 40 in this countdown. Achraf Hakimi has been a revelation for Borussia Dortmund this season as he tears up the right flank time and again. He is one of four players to register 10 or more assists from open play in Europe's top five leagues this season and his excellent form has attracted interest from across the continent. Without needing a second invitation to bombard forward, Hakimi's averages of 1.2 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game. 

His WhoScored rating has increased from 7.11 in the Bundesliga last season to 7.36, and seen him rise 101 places as a result.

Wilfred Ndidi's importance to Leicester has been magnified by his absence since the turn of the year, with the Foxes disappointing during his time on the sidelines. The Nigerian's 91 tackles is the second best return of all midfielders in Europe's top five leagues this season, while so too is 61 interceptions, with Ndidi proving the perfect shield to Leicester's defence. Brendan Rodgers' appointment at the King Power Stadium evidently had a positive effect on the 23-year-old, who is now widely considered one of the best in his position in football. 

A rating increase from 7.21 to 7.36 has also helped Ndidi rise to the 39th top-rated player in Europe's top five leagues, having finished 2018/19 in 79th. 

Switching back to Germany for the 38th best rated player in Europe's top five leagues this season, and to the opposite flank from Hakimi. Raphael Guerreiro forms the other half of Borussia Dortmund's dynamic wing-back duo, with the Portugal international flourishing in the free role afforded to him by Lucien Favre. Like Hakimi, Guerreiro also boasts a WhoScored rating of 7.36, with five goals and two assists bringing to light his fine attacking output from the left. 

Following a rating boost from his score of 7.02 in the Bundesliga last season, Guerreiro has surged up 181 spots from last season and sailed into the top 50. 

How different life could have been for both Tottenham and Paulo Dybala had Juventus ultimately sold the Argentine last summer. Instead, the forward is thriving in Italy this term. The 26-year-old recovered from a fairly sub-par domestic campaign for the Old Lady last time out and has seven goals and four assists to his name, those coming from respective returns of 4.4 shots and 2.8 key passes per 90 in Serie A this season. Having previously struggled to strike up a run of form with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain in the XI, Dybala has had a new lease of life under Maurizio Sarri. 

With a WhoScored rating of 7.37 an increase from 7.08 last season, Dybala leaps into 37th from way down in 164th from a frustrating last term. 

Rounding off this quintet in the WhoScored top 50, while Karim Benzema's form has dipped in 2020 he still has 14 league goals to his name this season. The Frenchman has done enough to warrant such a commendable WhoScored rating for Real Madrid this term having taken on more attacking responsibility than ever. 13 of those 14 goals have been deemed clear-cut chances, more than any other player in LaLiga, and an ability to be in the right place at the right time has earned Benzema a spot in the LaLiga team of the season so far. 

A WhoScored rating of 7.39 is a marginal increase from last season (7.38), but the 32-year-old still drops down the top 50 from 33rd to 36th following said drop off in productivity since the turn of the year.

Catch up on rankings: 46-50; 41-45