UEFA Champions League 250: Ranking the Top 250 Footballers After Matchday 2

Daniel Tiluk@@danieltilukX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistOctober 17, 2016

UEFA Champions League 250: Ranking the Top 250 Footballers After Matchday 2

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    B/R

    As the UEFA Champions League group stage enters its third week, many of the world's best footballers—just returned from an intense international break—are awaiting Europe's pre-eminent competition to recommence.

    Before they take the pitch, however, one piece of business remains from Matchday 2: ranking the 250 best performers at their respective positions.

    Some major names were missing in action (such as Barcelona's Lionel Messi, for example), but their absences provided opportunities for others. Some players gave their clubs great back-to-back performances, while others failed to recapture their form from the first matchday.

    Now hitting its proverbial stride, Bleacher Report is attempting to determine the best Champions League footballer on a matchday-by-matchday basis.

    The usual suspects always lurk, but sometimes lesser known, or even unknown, footballers can shock our collective consciousness and arrive from nowhere. In that sense, Bleacher Report is taking a holistic approach: breaking down each position, finding the outstanding footballers therein and grading each according to his output.

    With 250 players to start—from the 32 qualified clubs in the group stage—competition for places is tough, but there's enough room for thorough investigation and critique. Each player is evaluated by your slightly biased but mostly fair author, who will bring you player grades based on the action after every round of matches.

    Before presenting the second set of grades for the 2016/17 Champions League, though, a reminder of the methodology is in order.

Methodology

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    Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

    Footballers are graded on a series of four key attributes in their respective positional roles. Using a grading scale, starting at zero and going up to anywhere from 10 to 25, the system is based on the most recently completed matchday—reaching a maximum of 100 points.

    The 250 players are divided into positions and ranked against/with their contemporaries:

    • 30 goalkeepers
    • 20 right-backs and right wing-backs
    • 20 left-backs and left wing-backs
    • 40 centre-backs
    • 60 defensive, central and attacking midfielders
    • 25 right midfielders, right-wingers and right-sided forwards
    • 25 left midfielders, left-wingers and left-sided forwards
    • 30 strikers and centre-forwards

    Obviously no system is perfect, and there are flaws with every conceivable methodology, but giving each group of players its own unique grading system—rather than throwing every footballer into the same equation—should offer a truer end result from matchday to matchday.

    One set of grades will have no connection with the next. Nor will one's domestic form bear any weight in Champions League proceedings. If a player is injured but is given time on the pitch, that is disregarded. If a player plays for under 45 minutes—no matter his effectiveness—he will be removed from the pool in order to offer a fair two-half representation.

    Grading is a subjective process. We all have things we notice and things we appreciate more than others; in that respect, no ranking is ever definitive. There's always the comments section for discussions, rebuttals and suggestions.

    Lastly, in the event of ties, we simply ask: "Who do we think had a better game?" The winner gets top billing.

Goalkeepers

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    Michael Regan/Getty Images

    Champions League defences were slightly more resolute during the second group-stage fixtures.

    Despite conceding one less clean sheet, there were 50 goals scored in the first group-stage matchday, compared to the 46 scored two weeks later.

    Sevilla's Sergio Rico was arguably the top performer of the second round. Hosting Olympique Lyonnais, the Spanish shot-stopper logged four saves and kept a clean sheet against the French contingent. On the other side was Lyon's Anthony Lopez, who gave a similarly great performance, with five saves, but a Wissam Ben Yedder goal in the 52nd minute gave Jorge Sampaoli's side the three points.

    Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur was close second to Rico, with 81 percent distribution. The Frenchman was instrumental to Spurs' efficient play from the back. Bouncing back from his performance against AS Monaco, Tottenham's captain finding his form against CSKA Moscow was key.

    Defending Premier League champions Leicester City have earned back-to-back clean sheets, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was vital to that effort against FC Porto, as the English titleholders moved top of Group G.

    David Ospina took charge of Arsenal's No. 1 duties once more, as Petr Cech was rested by manager Arsene Wenger. It seems the Gunners' back-up goalie has taken complete charge of the job in the Champions League—something he was not able to do in 2015/16.

    At the bottom of the rankings, both Celtic's Craig Gordon and Manchester City's Claudio Bravo suffered from being in an unexpected but thrilling 3-3 contest. Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Borussia Monchengladbach's Yann Sommer were not entirely convincing during their clash, and one of the latter's mistake allowed the Catalan giants to take the victory.

          

    Grading Scale

    Hand: Handling (graded out of 25)

    Pos: Positioning (graded out of 25)

    Kick: Kicking (graded out of 25)

    Saves: Saves (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

          

    Goalkeeper Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubHandPosKickSavesOvr
    1Sergio RicoSevilla23 22 21 23 89 
    2Hugo Lloris Tottenham Hotspur21 23 23 2188
    3Jan Oblak Atletico Madrid22 22 20 2387 
    4Anthony Lopez Olympique Lyonnais 23 21 22 21 87 
    5Kasper Schmeichel Leicester City22 22 21 21 86
    6David Ospina Arsenal 22 21 20 22 85 
    7Alphonse Areola Paris Saint-Germain21 20 22 21 84 
    8Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich20 22 21 20 83 
    9 Keylor Navas Real Madrid19 20 21 20 80 
    10 Rui PatricioSporting Lisbon20 19 21 20 79 
    11 Gianluigi Buffon Juventus19 20 20 19 78 
    12FabricioBesiktas18 19 19 19 75 
    13Tomas Vaclik FC Basel19 20 18 18 75 
    14Roman Burki Borussia Dortmund 18 19 18 19 74 
    15Arkadiusz MalarzLegia Warsaw17 18 20 1873 
    16Robin OlsenCopenhagen19 20 17 1773 
    17 Iker Casillas FC Porto17 1918 17 71 
    18Artur Rudko Dynamo Kiev18 17 17 18 70 
    19Danijel SubasicAS Monaco1916 18 17 70 
    20Ludovic ButelleClub Brugge1717 16 18 68 
    21Marc-Andre ter StegenBarcelona1618 16 17 67 
    22Vladislav StoyanovLudogorets17 17 16 18 67 
    23Pepe Reina  Napoli16 18 18 16 66 
    24 Yann Sommer Borussia Monchengladbach16 15 17 15 63 
    25 Soslan Dzhanaev FC Rostov15 16 17 15 63 
    26Craig GordonCeltic16 14 16 16 62 
    27Jeroen ZoetPSV Eindhoven1514 15 16 61 
    28Claudio BravoManchester City14 1617 14 61 
    29Bernd LenoBayer Leverkusen13 13 15 15 56 
    30Igor AkinfeevCSKA Moscow12 14 13 1352

           

    Notable Omissions

    • Petr Cech, Arsenal: rested/benched
    • Kevin Trapp, Paris Saint-Germain: rested/benched
    • Salvatore Sirigu, Sevilla: rested/benched

Right-Backs and Right Wing-Backs

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    STRINGER/Getty Images

    Finishing seventh after Matchday 1, Dani Alves gave Juventus a man-of-the-match performance and takes top spot after Matchday 2. Scoring and assisting against Dinamo Zagreb, the Brazil international contributed to 50 percent of the Old Lady's goals in their 4-0 drubbing the Croatian champions.

    Just behind the former Barcelona star is Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender. Not playing his club's first Champions League match at right-back, the Germany international made 12 tackles in 90 minutes. His defensive contribution was not enough to earn three points against AS Monaco but helped the German outfit remain unbeaten.

    Serge Aurier and Lukasz Piszczek, from Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund respectively, were two of the best defensive contributors on Matchday 1, but the right-backs failed to repeat their previous performances.

    Elsewhere, the north London-based duo of Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur) and Hector Bellerin (Arsenal) were solid, Spurs beating CSKA Moscow and the Gunners easily handling FC Basel. Premier League peer Luis Hernandez (Leicester City) was similarly strong for manager Claudio Ranieri in his side's victory over Porto.

    Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm missed the Bavarians' first Champions League fixture, but the venerable captain featured in a losing effort for head coach Carlo Ancelotti's men against Atletico Madrid. Juanfran, the German's opposite number, was his usual, reliable self—providing his stringent manager, Diego Simeone, with the requisite defensive solidarity to combat one of Europe's most potent offensive clubs.

         

    Grading Scale

    Tac: Tackling (graded out of 25)

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Dis: Discipline (graded out of 25)

    Off: Offence (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

         

    Right-Back and Right Wing-Back Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubTacPasDisOffOvr
    1Dani Alves Juventus 21 24 23 2593 
    2Lars BenderBayer Leverkusen 2522 23 20 91
    3Kieran Trippier Tottenham Hotspur 21 24 21 22 88 
    4Hector Bellerin Arsenal 2023 212387 
    5Juanfran Atletico Madrid 2320 23 18 84 
    6Daniel Schwaab  PSV Eindhoven 22 20 22 19 83 
    7 Sergi Roberto Barcelona 18 23 1922 82 
    8MarianoSevilla2220 19 19 80 
    9Dani Carvajal Real Madrid 19 21 1920 79 
    10Peter Ankersen Copenhagen20 19 19 18 76 
    11 Lukasz Piszczek Borussia Dortmund 19 20 19 17 75 
    12Luis Hernandez Leicester City 18 19 20 17 74 
    13 Philipp Lahm  Bayern Munich 18 18 19 17 72 
    14Serge Aurier Paris Saint-Germain 17 18 18 17 70 
    15Paulo Zabaleta Manchester City 16 18 16 18 68 
    16NelsinhoBenfica 17 16 18 15 66 
    17Mario Fernandes CSKA Moscow15 16 17 16 64 
    18Timofei KalachevFC Rostov1914 1614 63 
    19Andrea Raggi AS Monaco 15 15 17 13 60 
    20Miguel Layun FC Porto14 14 17 14 59 

    Notable Omissions

    • Rafinha, Bayern Munich: rested/benched
    • Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspur: rested/benched
    • Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus: not in Champions League squad

Left-Backs and Left Wing-Backs

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    David Ramos/Getty Images

    Filipe Luis has been world's football's most consistent left-back for the past four seasons. Despite an interesting but title-winning campaign with Chelsea in 2014/15, the Brazil international maintained his level, and since returning to Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid last summer, Luis has continued his stellar form.

    Tasked with slowing down the right side of Bayern Munich's opulent attacking talent, the 31-year-old defender was magnificent. Hardly found out of position—and always ready to get his team moving forward—the Brazilian is an invaluable member of Group D's early leaders.

    Luis' counterpart was someone many feel is the world's most talented left-back, David Alaba.

    Capable of playing multiple positions, the Austrian seems most comfortable at left-back, even though some might argue he is more effective in central midfield. Against Atletico Madrid, the young Munich star was one of Ancelotti's better performers, but his efforts were not enough.

    Keeping with the Madrid theme, veteran Real Madrid defender Marcelo was unavailable, so Danilo stepped in for manager Zinedine Zidane. A right-back by trade, Danilo was decent for the Spanish giants in an emergency left-back capacity. Playing Borussia Dortmund's bevy of attacking talent, however, "decent" was not enough to help Real secure three points.

    Arguably the surprise of this Champions League matchday was Ludwig Augustinsson. FC Copenhagen's young left-back found two assists against Club Brugge and helped keep his club's first clean sheet of the group stage. Should Augustinsson's performances continue, the Swede's employers could start receiving some fairly impressive offers for him.

          

    Grading Scale

    Tac: Tackling (graded out of 25)

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Dis: Discipline (graded out of 25)

    Off: Offence (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

          

    Left-Back and Left Wing-Back Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubTacPasDisOffOvr
    1 Filipe Luis Atletico Madrid24 24 25 23 96
    2Ludwig AugustinssonCopenhagen22 2522 25 94
    3David Alaba Bayern Munich 21 22 22 23 90 
    4Benjamin HenrichsBayer Leverkusen 24 21 23 21 89
    5Christian FuchsLeicester City23 21 22 21 87 
    6NatanaelLudogorets20 20 21 25 86 
    7Djibril SidibeAS Monaco2120 22 21 84 
    8Faouzi GhoulamNapoli19 22 20 2384 
    9Nacho MonrealArsenal2021 2020 81 
    10DaniloReal Madrid19 21 192180 
    11Patrice EvraJuventus20 19 2119 79 
    12Caner ErkinBesiktas19 18 211876 
    13Alex TellesFC Porto17 19 201773 
    14Sergio EscuderoSevilla16 17 1919 71 
    15 Jordi AlbaBarcelona 15 20 1817 70 
    16Ben DaviesTottenham Hotspur 16 17 1818 69 
    17Maciej Rybus Olympique Lyonnais 17 15 171867 
    18Georgi Shchennikov CSKA Moscow15 16 1815 64 
    19Adama TraoreFC Basel15 15 1417 61 
    20Jetro Willems PSV Eindhoven 14 15 1514 58 

          

    Notable Omissions

    • Marcelo, Real Madrid: injury

Centre-Backs

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    VI-Images/Getty Images

    As the least attacking outfield players, central defenders usually defend their own goal; the Champions League's second round of group-stage matches, though, found a handful centre-backs celebrating offensive exploits.

    Starting with the least of these, Mathias Jorgensen from FC Copenhagen scored against Club Brugge in the dying minutes as the Danish side slaughtered the Belgians 4-0 at home.

    AS Monaco's Kamil Glik also scored a goal at the death against Bayer Leverkusen—down a goal, his late strike was worth a point for the Ligue 1 leaders. The former Torino centre-back unleashed a great strike to level proceedings—any centre-forward would have been proud of the Poland international's stunning effort.

    Raphael Varane's goal against Borussia Dortmund put the Spanish giants ahead for 19 minutes in the second half, but Andre Schurrle's rocket leveled the fixture at 2-2. The 23-year-old Frenchman was not just a goalscorer, though. His ability to keep pace with lightning-quick centre-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was imperative to shackling head coach Thomas Tuchel's explosive attacking force.

    A centre-back goalscorer did capture three points for his side, however, Barcelona's Gerard Pique being the right man in the right place to beat Borussia Monchengladbach. Not having Messi available, the Catalan superclub was in desperate need of three points, and their long-serving defender popped up with a 74th-minute winner.

    Pique is frequently subjected to heavy criticism, but more times than not, the 29-year-old has been great for Barcelona—their last UCL match being no exception.

               

    Grading Scale

    Def: Defending (graded out of 25)

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Dis: Discipline (graded out of 25)

    Off: Offence (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

           

    Centre-Back Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubDefPasDisOffOvr
    1Giorgio ChielliniJuventus 25 23 2520 93
    2Kamil GilkAS Monaco 222222 25 91 
    3Raphael VaraneReal Madrid 23 22 22 25 91 
    4Shkodran MustafiArsenal 23 23 23 20 89 
    5Andrea BarzagliJuventus 24 21 23 20 88 
    6MarquinhosParis Saint-Germain 23 23 22 20 88 
    7Gerard PiqueBarcelona21 2220 25 88 
    8Toby AlderweireldTottenham Hotspur 23 21 22 20 86 
    9Laurent Koscielny Arsenal23 20 22 19 84 
    10Diego GodinAtletico Madrid24 2023 17 83 
    11Mathias JorgensenCopenhagen22 21 22 18 83 
    12Sebastian CoatesSporting Lisbon22 21 21 18 82 
    13Jeremy MorelOlympique Lyonnais21 20 22 17 80 
    14Leonardo BonucciJuventus20 21 19 20 80 
    15Jan VertonghenTottenham Hotspur21 202117 79 
    16Ruben SemedoSporting Lisbon22 19 19 17 77 
    17Stefan SavicAtletico Madrid22 1822 15 77 
    18Gabriel MercadoSevilla21 1920 16 76 
    19Javier MascheranoBarcelona21 18 18 17 74 
    20Nico ParejaSevilla20 1720 17 74 
    21Erik JohanssonCopenhagen21 1919 15 74 
    22Dusko TosicBesiktas21 1718 16 72 
    23Omer ToprakBayer Leverkusen19 18 18 16 71 
    24Robert HuthLeicester City20 15 20 15 70 
    25Thiago SilvaParis Saint-Germain19 1817 16 70 
    26JemersonAS Monaco20 1717 15 69 
    27Wes MorganLeicester City21 161614 67 
    28Matthias GinterBorussia Dortmund18 171516 66 
    29Eder BalantaFC Basel17 1717 14 65 
    30Yevhen KhacheridiDynamo Kiev17 1518 15 65 
    31Nicolas N'KoulouOlympique Lyonnais18 141616 64 
    32SokratisBorussia Dortmund17 1615 15 63 
    33Sergio RamosReal Madrid16 15 1715 63 
    34Javi MartinezBayern Munich17 15 1515 62 
    35Nicolas OtamendiManchester City16 1615 1461 
    36Jerome BoatengBayern Munich18 15 1414 61 
    37Jonathan TahBayern Leverkusen16 151613 60 
    38Andreas ChristensenBorussia Monchengladbach16 14 1514 59 
    39Mapou Yanga-MbiwaOlympique Lyonnais17 13 1513 58 
    40Kalidou KoulibalyNapoli17 14 141358 

    Notable Omissions

    • Mats Hummels, Bayern Munich: played 12 minutes
    • Pepe, Real Madrid: rested/benched
    • Samuel Umtiti, Barcelona: rested/benched

Defensive Midfielders, Central Midfielders and Central Attacking Midfielders

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    CARLO HERMANN/Getty Images

    Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti was unfortunate to be red-carded against Arsenal on the campaign's first matchday, and UEFA deemed that disciplinary action harsh. European football's governing body rescinded the suspension and allowed the Italy international to play against Ludogorets Razgrad; he took advantage by giving PSG a man-of-the-match performance.

    Flying around the pitch making challenges, winning possession and keeping his team on the proverbial front foot, Verratti—despite his diminutive, 5'5" stature—was head and shoulders above the rest and earned the top spot in Week 2's central-midfield rankings.

    A close runner-up was Napoli's Marek Hamsik.

    The Napoli captain was instrumental to his club's 4-2 victory over Benfica. Scoring once and passing at an 86 percent clip, the 29-year-old is the fulcrum of head coach Maurizio Sarri's Naples outfit. When he plays well, it normally translates to every sector on the pitch, and three points against the Portuguese champions seems evidence.

    Manchester City duo David Silva and Fernandinho have different roles in manager Pep Guardiola's midfield, but each provided the Sky Blues with much-needed offence during an entertaining 3-3 contest with Celtic at Celtic Park. The importance of the absent Kevin De Bruyne's creativity from all areas cannot be overstated for Guardiola's men.

    Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli did enough to help their team beat CSKA Moscow but were not breathtaking.

    Fellow Spurs midfielder Victor Wanyama, however, does seem to be finding his feet in north London. Bought from Southampton in the summer—reuniting with former boss Mauricio Pochettino—his UCL form will be crucial to Spurs having any measurable success moving forward.

          

    Grading Scale

    Tac: Tackling (graded out of 25)

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Cre: Creativity (graded out of 25)

    Pro: Production (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

          

    Defensive Midfielder, Central Midfielder and Central Attacking Midfielder Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubTacPasCreProOvr
    1Marco VerrattiParis Saint-Germain252523 24 97
    2Marek HamsikNapoli 2225 24 25 96 
    3Santi CazorlaArsenal21 24 25 24 94 
    4Miralem PjanicJuventus20 24 24 25 93 
    5David SilvaManchester City 1825 25 24 92 
    6FernandinhoManchester City24 23 19 25 91 
    7Thomas Delaney Copenhagen 2323 23 2291 
    8Toni KroosReal Madrid 2124 2423 91 
    9William CarvalhoSporting Lisbon 24211925 89
    10Steven N'ZonziSevilla232220 24 89
    11GabiAtletico Madrid 22 2222 22 88
    12Thiago AlcantaraBayern Munich19 23 2323 88
    13Anderson Talisca Besiktas20 23 22 22 87 
    14Gonzalo CastroBorussia Dortmund19 22 23 23 87 
    15Danilo PereiraFC Porto 24 20 19 24 87 
    16HernanesJuventus23 2119 2386 
    17Mario GotzeBorussia Dortmund18 24 23 2186 
    18Tiemoue BakayokoAS Monaco 22 20 21 2285 
    19Davy PropperPSV Eindhoven 20 2221 21 84 
    20Luka ModricReal Madrid 19 222221 84 
    21Adrien Silva Sporting Lisbon 22 21 20 20 83 
    22Mesut OzilArsenal 17 23 22 20 82 
    23Daniel AmarteyLeicester City 22 18 19 23 82 
    24Mahmoud DahoudBorussia Monchengladbach 20 20 19 22 81 
    25Nir BittonCeltic19 20 20 2281 
    26Andrea IniestaBarcelona17 22 21 2080 
    27Sami KhediraJuventus22 19 18 2180 
    28Ilkay GundoganManchester City19 23 18 20 80 
    29Atiba HutchinsonBesiktas2019192179 
    30Arturo VidalBayern Munich21 201820 79 
    31Ivan RakiticBarcelona20 19 17 22 78 
    32Granit Xhaka Arsenal20 20 17 21 78 
    33Luka ZuffiFC Basel19 19 18 22 78
    34Sergio BusquetsBarcelona20 18 17 2176 
    35Victor WanyamaTottenham Hotspur21 18 16 20 75 
    36Kevin KamplBayer Leverkusen19 18 172175 
    37Andre AlmeidaBenfica19 1716 2173 
    38Tolgay ArslanBesiktas19 18 17 1973
    39Benjamin VerbicCopenhagen17 17 17 2273 
    40Scott BrownCeltic20 1616 1971 
    41Hakan CalhanogluBayer Leverkusen15 17191970 
    42Danny DrinkwaterLeicester City171817 18 70 
    43JorginhoNapoli1817 15 19 69 
    44Corentin TolissoOlympique Lyonnais1716171767 
    45Christian EriksenTottenham Hotspur14 18 17 16 65 
    46Thiago MottaParis Saint-Germain17 161417 64 
    47Dele AlliTottenham Hotspur1517 16 15 63 
    48Maxime GonalonsOlympique Lyonnais14 16 16 16 62 
    49James RodriguezReal Madrid13 16 16 17 62 
    50Serhiy RybalkaDynamo Kiev15 15 15 16 61 
    51Andreas GuardadoPSV Eindhoven
    1516151460 
    52Julian WeiglBorussia Dortmund16 15 15 1359 
    53Charles AranguizBayer Leverkusen14 14 1416 58 
    54Pontus WernbloomCSKA Moscow15 13 16 14 58
    55Oliver TorresFC Porto1414 14 15 57 
    56MarcelinhoLudogorets1215 13 1555 
    57Christian NoboaFC Rostov1314 14 14 55 
    58Timofei KalachevFC Rostov
    121513 14 54 
    59Franco VazquezSevilla1412121553
    60AnicetLudogorets1214141353

    Notable Omissions

    • Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City: injured
    • Casemiro, Real Madrid: injured
    • Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich: played 21 minutes

Right Midfielders, Right-Wingers and Right-Sided Forwards

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    OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

    With Barcelona's Messi sidelined through injury, not having the world's (just about consensus) best footballer available left a vacancy atop the midfield's right side, both for his manager, Luis Enrique, and these Champions League rankings.

    The man filling Messi's boots from the first round—as the top right-sided player—is Arsenal's Theo Walcott. It might be an aberration, but the England international was splendid against FC Basel for the north Londoners.

    Manager Arsene Wenger for around the past half-decade had been trying to make Walcott a centre-forward, but with that mission now Alexis Sanchez's, maybe that pressure being lifted has unleashed the 27-year-old's clinical nature; playing without too many expectations might be just what the Gunners attacker needed.

    Trailing Walcott closely are three of his fellow Premier League stars. Raheem Sterling, Erik Lamela and Riyad Marhez gave great accounts of themselves for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City respectively.

    Among the other stars was Ricardo Quaresma. One of the more naturally talented and gifted footballers the game has, the Portuguese's only issue has been consistency—some might argue desire. Bouncing around the continent, Besiktas seems a great fit for the now-33-year-old. Maybe performances such as the one he put in against Dynamo Kiev have come around too late in his career, but it's better late than not at all. 

    Ousmane Dembele and Gareth Bale had relatively calm outings when Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid clashed at Westfalenstadion. The Welshman's inventive backheel—albeit deflected by BVB defenders—set up Madrid's opening goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, but the rest of Bale's night was rather benign.

    His young French counterpart was lightning in Dortmund's opening group-stage match, but while the intent to cause havoc was evident against Real Madrid, little Dembele did was penetrative; plenty of invention, though, resides in the 19-year-old's boots.

         

    Grading Scale

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Cre: Creativity (graded out of 25)

    Fin: Finishing (graded out of 25)

    Pro: Production (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

         

    Right Midfielder, Right-Winger and Right-Sided Forward Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubPasCreFinProOvr
    1Theo Walcott Arsenal 23 24 25 25 97 
    2 Raheem Sterling Manchester City 23 23 24 25 95 
    3Erik Lamela Tottenham Hotspur 24 24 23 23 94 
    4Ricardo Quaresma Besiktas22 23 24 24 93 
    5Riyad MahrezLeicester City23 23 23 22 91 
    6Lucas MouraParis Saint-Germain24 2321 23 91 
    7 Samir Nasri Sevilla 24 24 19 22 89 
    8Benjamin VerbicCopenhagen 2423 18 23 88 
    9Saul Niguez Atletico Madrid 23 23 18 22 86 
    10Jose CallejonNapoli22 22 17 22 83 
    11Thomas Muller Bayern Munich 22 22 19 20 83 
    12 Ousmane Dembele Borussia Dortmund 22 23 17 20 82 
    13Gareth BaleReal Madrid 21 23 18 20 82 
    14VitoloSevilla21 20 17 2078 
    15Julian BrandtBayer Leverkusen 20 20 18 19 77 
    16Andriy YarmolenkoDynamo Kiev19 21 17 18 75 
    17Gelson Martins Sporting Lisbon20 20 15 19 74 
    18Ibrahima TraoreBorussia Monchengladbach1918 17 18 72 
    19Thomas LemarAS Monaco 1818 16 18 70 
    20Andre AndreFC Porto1717 15 17 66 
    21James Forrest Celtic16 17 16 17 66 
    22Birkir BjarnasonFC Basel17 16 15 16 64 
    23Virgil MisidjanLudogorets16 16 14 17 63 
    24 Zoran Tosic CSKA Moscow18 15 131662 
    25Hans VanakenClub Brugge 151614 15 60 

            

    Notable Omissions

    • Lionel Messi, Barcelona: injured
    • Arjen Robben, Bayern Munich: played 31 minutes

Left Midfielders, Left-Wingers and Left-Sided Forwards

8 of 9

    Dan Mullan/Getty Images

    Some of the best positional grades for the second round of Champions League group-stage matches come from the left flank. A number of the world's best attacking players enjoy starting positions on the left, and they proved their worth in Europe's top club competition last time out.

    Napoli's Dries Mertens was the cream of that particular crop. The dynamic and direct winger was responsible for two of his club's goals during an open 4-2 contest against Benfica.

    One man who does not need encouragement from his team-mates, nor seems particularly interested in spurring them on (at least not in constructive ways), is Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Playing an open game opposed one of Europe's more progressive sides in Borussia Dortmund, the Portuguese superstar was in his element—using pace and acute anticipation to get in advantageous scoring positions. BVB's Andre Schurrle robbed Madrid of two points three minutes before the full-time whistle, but Ronaldo's 17th-minute strike was vital to Real getting an away point.

    Tottenham Hotspur might have thought their campaign would start stuttering without centre-forward Harry Kane. The opposite has occurred. That resurgence is due in large part to the emergence of Heung-Min Son. The 24-year-old scored the only goal in Spurs' clash with CSKA Moscow, taking three points to bounce back from their loss to AS Monaco in their group-stage opener.

    Lastly, Belgium have some exceptional talent. De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and the aforementioned Mertens are just some in a long list, but Atletico Madrid's Yannick Carrasco is steadily climbing the ranks. His winner against Bayern Munich sent a clear message that Simeone's side should not be taken lightly. And neither should he.

            

    Grading Scale

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Cre: Creativity (graded out of 25)

    Fin: Finishing (graded out of 25)

    Pro: Production (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

             

    Left Midfielder, Left-Winger and Left-Sided Forward Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubPasCreFinProOvr
    1Dries MertensNapoli 2424 25 25 98 
    2Cristiano RonaldoReal Madrid 23 24 25 25 97 
    3Heung-Min SonTottenham Hotspur22 24 25 25 96 
    4Yannick CarrascoAtletico Madrid23 24 24 25 96 
    5Angel Di MariaParis Saint-Germain2423 2123 91 
    6NolitoManchester City 21 22 23 23 89
    7NeymarBarcelona2222 20 23 87 
    8Viktor TsygankovDynamo Kiev
    20 20 23 23 86 
    9Blaise Matuidi Paris Saint-Germain20 19 2324 86 
    10KokeAtletico Madrid21 22 19 22 84 
    11Franck RiberyBayern Munich21 21 20 20 82 
    12VitoloSevilla22 19 19 20 80 
    13Scott SinclairCeltic20 21 18 2180 
    14OtavioFC Porto19 21 19 20 79 
    15Hakan CalhanogluBayer Leverkusen18 19 20 19 76 
    16Joao MoutinhoAS Monaco17 20 19 1975
    17Alex Iwobi Arsenal 19 20 16 2075
    18Rasmus FalkCopenhagen18 18 17 18 71 
    197Marc AlbrightonLeicester City19 18 16 1770 
    20Raphael GuerreiroBorussia Dortmund17 17 16 1868 
    21Bruno CesarSporting Lisbon18 16 16 1666 
    22Bernardo SilvaAS Monaco16 17 16 1564 
    23Jose IzquierdoClub Brugge15 16 15 16 62 
    24PizziBenfica15 14 14 16 59 
    25Georgi MilanovCSKA Moscow13 15 14 14 56 

            

    Notable Omissions

    • Douglas Costa, Bayern Munich: injured
    • Admir Mehmedi, Bayer Leverkusen: played 17 minutes

Strikers and Centre-Forwards

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    Michael Steele/Getty Images

    It was an interesting round for strikers and centre-forwards. Some of Europe's household names failed to get themselves on the scoresheet, but that allowed some lesser known players to climb the rankings.

    Brendan Rodgers' Celtic were dismantled at the Camp Nou in their first group-stage fixture, Barcelona beating them 7-0. When playing at home, however, the Scottish champions are a dangerous side. Manchester City found that out, drawing 3-3 at Celtic Park. The Bhoys' star man was summer acquisition Moussa Dembele. The 20-year-old Frenchman scored twice and kept his club within touching distance of the a qualification spot in Group C.

    Dembele's opposite number, Sergio Aguero, was one of several high-profile strikers who were just off the pace. The Manchester City talisman, Barcelona's Luis Suarez, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema were all below their usual standards.

    One player who turned things around was Edinson Cavani. The Paris Saint-Germain striker wasted chance after chance against Arsenal, but against Ludogorets, the 29-year-old was on song. Scoring twice, Cavani is the competition's joint-top goalscorer, with three goals.

    Juventus duo Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain were on target against Dinamo Zagreb. The Argentina internationals scored a goal each, with the former assisting once. Serie A rivals Napoli have similarly found an on-form centre-forward. Higuain's replacement in Naples, former Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik, scored three goals in the tournament and looked an impressive buy before injury robbed him of further participation.

    Arsenal continue to progress with Sanchez at centre-forward. Wenger initially received criticism for using the Chilean star in a foreign position but—as weeks turn to months—Sanchez is looking more comfortable in the role. What this development could mean for Olivier Giroud remains a mystery.

         

    Grading Scale

    Pas: Passing (graded out of 25)

    Cre: Creativity (graded out of 25)

    Fin: Finishing (graded out of 25)

    Pro: Production (graded out of 25)

    Ovr: Top possible score of 100

         

    Striker and Centre-Forward Rankings | Matchday 2
    RankPlayerClubPasCreFinProOvr
    1 Moussa Dembele Celtic24 24 25 25 98
    2Alexis SanchezArsenal25 25 22 25 97 
    3Paulo Dybala Juventus23 24 24 25 96
    4Edinson CavaniParis Saint-Germain 22 23 25 25 95 
    5Dmitry PolozFC Rostov21 24 252595 
    6Arkadiusz MilikNapoli23 23 23 25 94 
    7Thorgan HazardBorussia Monchengladbach
    22 23 23 24 92 
    8Pierre-Emerick AubameyangBorussia Dortmund
    21 22 24 24 91 
    9Javier HernandezBayer Leverkusen2022 24 24 90 
    10Luuk de JongPSV Eindhoven19 21 24 2589 
    11Gonzalo HiguainJuventus19 23 23 24 89 
    12Bas DostSporting Lisbon18 22 24 23 87 
    13Federico SantanderCopenhagen19 2123 24 87 
    14Wissam Ben YedderSevilla18 2124 23 86 
    15Bryan RuizSporting Lisbon18 2023 23 84 
    16Islam Slimani Leicester City17 1922 24 82 
    17Antoine GriezmannAtletico Madrid21 2119 19 80 
    18Sardar AzmounFC Rostov20 1919 20 78
    19Goncalo GuedesBenfica19 21 17 20 77 
    20Luciano ViettoSevilla20 20 18 19 77 
    21Luis SuarezBarcelona19 20 18 18 75 
    22Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich19 1918 19 75 
    23Vincent AboubakarBesiktas 19 18 18 18 73 
    24Sergio AgueroManchester City 18 19 17 19 73 
    25Andreas CorneliusCopenhagen 17 19 16 17 69 
    26Jonathan Cafu Ludogorets 18 18 16 16 68 
    27Fernando Torres Atletico Madrid 1618 15 16 65 
    28Maxwel Cornet Olympique Lyonnais 16 19 15 14 64 
    29Karim Benzema Real Madrid16 17 14 15 62 
    30Jamie VardyLeicester City15 17 15 15 62

               

    Notable Omissions

    • Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur: injured
    • Radamel Falcao, AS Monaco: injured

             

    Stats and transfer fees via WhoScored.comTransfermarkt and Soccerbase where not noted.

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