Manchester United and Bayern Munich continued their goalscoring exploits in last week’s round of matches scoring an incredible twelve goals between them as they both sit atop their domestic leagues. Other highlights included a couple of the summer’s big-spenders; Man City stay neck and neck with United after another strong performance, while Malaga picked up their first win of the La Liga campaign as their new signings start to gel with devastating effect. Palermo’s defeat of Inter was perhaps the shock of the opening set of Serie A fixtures and it’s these teams that make up most of the WhoScored All Star XI for the gameweek gone by:
Eliseu, Malaga. WhoScored rating 8.95
The left-back played a key role both going forward and at the back. Defensively, Eliseu was sensational, making 9 tackles, the most of any player in the 4-0 win over Granada. Added to that were 6 interceptions and 5 clearances as he helped keep the visitors at bay.
Eliseu saw plenty of the ball as he bombed forward and aided his team’s attacks; he had 90 touches, the third-highest tally of the home side, making a total of 42 passes- his distribution was assured, too, with an 86% accuracy. The left-back also delivered 4 crosses and made 1 successful dribble from out wide, and also played 6 long balls, setting up quick attacks from deep.
Serdar Tasci, Stuttgart. WhoScored rating 8.84
The centre half was pivotal to the 3-0 win over Hannover that stopped a run of three winless games for Stuttgart. A total of 4 tackles –second behind central midfielder William Kvist (5)- as well as 3 interceptions and 2 clearances kept the visitors at bay, as did a 100% aerial duel success rate.
In terms of possession, he had 55 touches and made 40 passes, the third most of his side. Tasci had an 85% pass accuracy, playing 5 long balls and making 1 key pass over the ninety minutes. He only had 1 attempt on goal but found the net in the 86th minute to make it 3-0 and end any slim hopes of a Hannover comeback. A great all-round performance saw Tasci awarded man of the match by WhoScored.
Ryan Babel, Hoffenheim. WhoScored rating 10
The Dutchman may have been a flop at Liverpool, but Germany’s top-flight seems to suit him. Babel’s talents are allowed to flourish more in the Bundesliga and –playing wide left in a 4-2-3-1- he again impressed for Hoffenheim, making a fantastic 7 successful dribbles in his side’s 4-0 win at Mainz 05.
Babel was also Hoffenheim’s main goal threat; he had 4 of his side’s 8 shots, scoring 2 goals, with 1 of those coming from the penalty spot. Mainz 05 had much of the possession, 62%, meaning Babel had just 38 touches of the ball and made a mere 18 passes, the second-lowest of the visiting side. Defensively, he made 3 tackles in the smash-and-grab raid and picked up the man of the match award for his brilliant attacking performance.
Santiago Cazorla, Malaga. WhoScored rating 10
The big-money signing from Villarreal had a sensational home debut. Having netted on his first league start for Malaga last week, Cazorla continued his scoring streak in front of the home fans, scoring twice as his side flattened Granada 4-0; playing wide right in Malaga’s 4-2-3-1, he had a total of 3 shots, second only behind Joaquin (4).
Cazorla’s role in the Malaga side as chief creator is already looking promising; he had 100 touches, more than any player, and also made the most passes, with 71. His distribution was outstanding- Cazorla played 12 long balls, delivered 4 crosses and all with a 90% accuracy. His 6 key passes were easily the best on show, returning 1 assist in addition to his brace.
Defensively, too, he played a major part- 5 tackles was second only to Malaga left-back Eliseu (9) and he also made 1 interception and 2 clearances; there’s no surprise to see Cazorla walking away with the man of the match award.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United. WhoScored rating 10
Once again, Rooney was the star of the show for Man United. The United forward grabbed his second hat-trick in succession and is now joint-top scorer in Europe, tied with Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez on 8 goals, though Rooney has played a game less.
Rooney had 62 touches, 1 more than Michael Carrick in central midfield, an indication of his involvement in United’s play. He made 53 passes, the third-highest of United’s team, behind Anderson (78) and Rio Ferdinand (56) and, coming deep to gain possession, played 7 long balls, with a total pass accuracy of 74%.
He also won 3 aerial duels and made 1 clearance off the line, but it was all about his finishing. Rooney demonstrated just how clinical he’s become, with 3 goals from only 3 shots, a 100% conversion rate. No surprise, then, he walked away with the man of the match award from WhoScored.
