While goalscorers get a whole other pedestal for themselves, assists are just as important, if not more, than knocking the ball into the back of the net. So, in this post, we’ll be taking a look at the top ten players in Europe with the most assists in 2020.
10. Dries Mertens (Napoli) – 12 assists
Despite missing out on Europe by two points and finishing seventh in Serie A in the 19/20 season, the Belgian has managed to rack up the most number of assists from the squad. And the Italian club now find themselves in contention among the top teams in the league. With 4 goals and 6 assists this season, Mertens is the joint highest assist provider.
9. Andrew Robertson (Liverpool) – 12 assists
For all the praise and the hype that Trent Alexander-Arnold receives for his work on the right flank, Robertson is criminally underrated. The Scotland captain has slowly managed to cement his place as the single most consistent and important player in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool this season, assisting 5 in the current Premier League campaign so far.
8. Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan) – 12 assists
Alexis Sanchez has been a player reborn since joining Inter Milan from Manchester United, and the player now finds himself among the highest assist providers in Europe. This season, Sanchez has managed to provide two each of goals and assists for Antonio Conte’s team.
7. Christopher Trimmel (Union Berlin) – 12 assists
Union Berlin joined Bundesliga for the first time in the 19/20 season, and have been in tremendous form this campaign. Christopher Trimmel has managed to provide 6 assists for the team this season, and at 33, is gaining a lot of reputation late in his career.
6. Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain) – 13 assists
The Argentinian enjoyed a fruitful 2020, winning the domestic treble with PSG and progressing to the finals of the Champions League, only to be defeated by Bayern Munich. He has managed to rack up one of the highest number of assists in the calendar year gone by, and is still vital to the team.
5. Hakan Calhanoglu (AC Milan) – 15 assists
The Turkish midfielder is one of the most productive players in the AC Milan squad, with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming close in terms of the impact on games. The Turkish midfielder has provided 6 assists this season, and has been crucial in the Rossoneri’s ascension to the top of the Serie A table once again.
4. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – 15 assists
The Portuguese playmaker has been single-handedly responsible for saving Manchester United’s 2020, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team looked very vulnerable towards the end of 2019. The midfielder has established himself as the best player in the squad and will be extremely vital to United’s current campaign.Â
3. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 15 assists
The PFA Player of the Year for 2020, Kevin de Bruyne has had an unbelievable year which saw him deliver the best individual performance in the Premier League. The Belgian’s presence in the heart of the park is almost essential to City’s success now and with very good reason.Â
2. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) – 17 assists
Once goalscorer, and now provider-supreme, Thomas Muller managed to have an almost unbeaten 2020 with Bayern Munich that saw him emerge as an extraordinary threat in Bayern Munich’s lineup. Playing behind Robert Lewandowski and setting up one of the highest number of goals in Europe, Muller has managed to reinvent himself at the age of 31.
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 20 assists
While Barcelona might not have had the best year, Lionel Messi managed to have a world-class individual year, which sees him sign off as the highest assist provider in Europe with a staggering 20 assists for the Blaugrana.Â