Dortmund & Milan stars feature in Premier League-less teenage XI
There are no Premier League representatives in WhoScored’s best-rated teenage XI as Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan lead the way for the team.
It’s an effective attacking trio to the side, with Borussia Dortmund pair Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic flanking current man of the moment Kylian Mbappe. Dembele has thrived in his debut season with Dortmund, with his WhoScored rating (7.44) better than any other teenager in Europe’s top five leagues this season. After enjoying a fine breakthrough campaign with Rennes, the 19-year-old’s stock continues to soar in the Bundesliga, with only Emil Forsberg and Thomas Muller (both 10) registering more assists than Dembele (9) in Germany’s top tier this term.
On the opposite flank, Pulisic may have been forced to wait in the wings for regular game time, but he has impressed where required having scored three league goals and added a further five assists. The 18-year-old boasts a solitary WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’, which he utilises where possible, with the American youngster averaging 3.5 successful dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga. Mbappe features on account of his fine goalscoring form for Monaco. The 18-year-old striker has scored more goals (12) than any other teenager in Europe’s top five leagues this season, while a conversion rate of 32.4% is better than any of the 59 players to score 10 or more goals across the top five divisions of European football.
Supporting the attacking trio in this XI is Marseille youngster Maxime Lopez and AC Milan’s Manuel Locatelli. Like Pulisic, Lopez has five assists to his name, with the Marseille youngster also averaging 1.5 key passes, 1.1 dribbles and 1.6 tackles per game, which highlights how influential the Frenchman has been under Rudi Garcia this term. What’s more, only Amadou Diawara (79.8) is averaging more passes per 90 than Lopez (73.8) of teenagers in Europe’s top five leagues this term. Locatelli, meanwhile, made a name for himself across Europe with a fine strike in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Juventus earlier in the campaign.
Lucas Tousart features as the deep lying ball winning midfielder and for good measure, with he averaging 3 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per 90 in Ligue 1 this season as the teenage destroyer continues to excel for Lyon. A centre-back partnership of Malang Sarr and Jorge Mere protects the goalkeeper in the XI, with the former emphasising a strength of ‘passing’ having made the fourth most passes in his own half (1162) in Ligue 1 this term, while a 90% pass success rate ranks among the top 15 players in France’s top tier.
Mere, meanwhile, may be plying his trade for lowly Sporting Gijon, but the 19-year-old has impressed in his own regard, with he making 2.2 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in La Liga this season. Fellow La Liga defender Theo Hernandez also makes the cut having performed well for Alaves this term. The on-loan left-back provides the necessary attacking width from deep, with an average of 2.4 dribbles per game one of the best returns in Spain’s top tier this term and the joint-best of all defenders.
Saint Etienne right-back Ronael Pierre Gabriel rounds off the defence, with he performing above expectations when called upon. He may have made just 10 league appearances this term, but his good form at the back has returned a WhoScored rating of 7.28, with 3.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions contributing to that notable return.
There was only going to be one player to feature between the sticks in this XI, with Gianluigi Donnarumma earning widespread adulation for his superb form at the San Siro. Of goalkeepers to make more than 15 Serie A appearances this season, his save success rate (78.5%) is the best in Italy’s top tier, with 3.9 saves per game contributing to a commendable WhoScored rating of 7.17, with that the best of all goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
