90min's Definitive European Player Power Rankings: Week 23 - Another Round special
By Tom Gott
Isn't football fun when you're not spending every waking minute fearing that the game itself is on the brink of death?
With the Super League flailing around in the rear-view mirror, we at 90min have been able to enjoy life again, and there were plenty of players whose performances this week reminded us exactly why we love the beautiful game.
You know the drill. It's time to rank the best performers. This week, we're calling on Danish masterpiece Another Round.
10. Paul Onuachu (new entry)
"So, when you run around totally wasted, throwing up in bushes and alleys, don't feel alone, because you're in great company."
Paul Onuachu has been flirting with a spot in the power rankings for a while now, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself. He's one of Europe's top marksmen.
The towering Genk hitman led his side to cup glory this week, bagging the all-important assist in the final.
Onuachu has managed just three assists all year, but when you've scored 29 goals in 33 league appearances, does anybody really care?
9. Simy (new entry)
"Boom! Never saw it coming! Thank you."
28-year-old Simy has enjoyed one of the most average top-flight careers imaginable, but this year, he has decided to take it up to a whole new level.
The Nigerian is third in the Serie A scoring charts, having fired home 12 goals in his last nine games for the league's bottom side, Crotone.
Never saw it coming.
8. Gerard Moreno (down 4)
"Have I become boring?"
Gerard Moreno has hit a bit of a cold patch.
The Villarreal man has just one goal in his last four La Liga games, but he did bag a crucial assist in his side's 2-1 win over Arsenal. The mighty Rob Holding managed to stop him from scoring.
7. Robert Lewandowski (re-entry)
"I haven’t felt this good in ages."
After a month out through injury, Robert Lewandowski returned to the Bayern Munich starting lineup and picked up where he left off.
He scored his side's consolation strike in a surprise 2-1 loss to Mainz, so Lewandowski has now scored in his last seven Bundesliga appearances and has only drawn a blank in three matches in all competitions in 2021.
6. Karim Benzema (up 3)
"Well, I drink Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and a bit on Sunday. And Wednesday, if there’s a Champions League game on."
Real Madrid were out on their feet against Chelsea, but thanks to a moment of brilliance from Karim Benzema, they're still alive in the Champions League.
His acrobatic effort saw him move into fourth on the competition's all-time scoring charts, behind only Lewandowski and freaks-of-nature Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
5. Kylian Mbappe (down 3)
"You must accept yourself as fallible in order to love others and life."
He's been killing it in Ligue 1, but Kylian Mbappe disappeared when PSG needed him most this week.
Played out of the game by Ruben Dias and Friends, Mbappe watched on as his side fell 2-1 to Manchester City in their semi-final first leg. It's going to take something special for him to turn this one around - if he plays at all...
4. Andre Silva (up 1)
"Want us to carry some of your load?"
Daichi Kamada is Eintracht Frankfurt's second-highest scorer this season with five... just the 20 behind Andre Silva.
The Portugal forward added one more to his tally this week, and he's now just one goal away from tying the club record for most goals in a single season.
3. Kelechi Iheanacho (up 5)
"The world is never as you'd expect."
What is going on? Is Kelechi Iheanacho actually good now?
His goalscoring record suggests so. The Leicester man bagged one more and added an extra assist to drag his team to a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, continuing his ridiculous form in 2021.
2. Erling Haaland (up 1)
"And now for the magic touch. Hand me the orange."
Borussia Dortmund kept themselves alive in the Bundesliga's top-four race, and they have Erling Haaland and his double against Wolfsburg to thank for that.
Frankenstein's Monster bagged two clinical strikes to secure the 2-0 victory, moving fifth-placed Dortmund to within just two points of Wolfsburg in third.
1. Lionel Messi (-)
"Martin is a brave man who’s decided he wants to do something with his life!"
Has Messi finally decided what he wants to do with his life?
With contract talks moving in the right direction, Messi has been able to focus on his football for the last few weeks. He opened the scoring in Barcelona's 2-1 loss to Granada to extend his lead atop the La Liga scoring charts to five.
Not bad for a player who didn't even turn up until December.
