The 2022 (Site notre bureau spécialisé) year ended with a bang with the World Cup in Qatar. Before we finally look at the next exciting events in 2023, let’s take a final look at the past year.
Kylian Mbappé has made the most league friends in 2022 (32) and Lionel Messi (20) has provided the most assists. No big surprise at this point. But which players have won in the other categories? ‘Squawka’ provided a nice overview. These are the 2022 stats leaders from Europe’s top five leagues.
The Elf Slayers
Koan Neuer, not Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but Bochum’s Manuel Riemann was the biggest penalty killer along with six other goalkeepers. Seven goalkeepers were able to defuse three penalties.
Accidental deaths
Going through the names on this list, it borders on lèse-majesté to speak of accidental deaths. But the downside of Europe’s top scorers is that they sometimes miss a giant goal.
Robert Lewandowski has scored a total of 29 goals in the Bundesliga and La Liga, but he missed a total of 28 big chances in 2022. By the way, the runner-up is a certain Karim Benzema, a world (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er by training.
passport machines
At PSG, the emphasis in training is apparently on precision passing. Five of the ten most accurate passers earn their money with the French champions. Leandro Paredes, currently on loan at Juventus, has the highest passing accuracy per 90 minutes year-on-year.
The Ballermen
These gentlemen will shoot in threes at anything that is not in the tree, or rather looks like a box with a net. The happiest player was of course Kylian Mbappé. You don’t end up on the cover of FIFA multiple times in a row.
Ball magnets
Some players seem to be able to attract the ball magnetically or have something like psychic abilities. There is no other way to explain such an absurd number of balls won. West Ham’s Declan Rice has successfully lit his inside ball magnet over 300 times.
Passport machines 2.0
We were just in class, that is, the precision of the fit. It is now pure mass. Going forward, these players should consider paying for the passes they play and not a lump sum. Unsurprisingly, Rodri, a Guardiola protege, is at the top. Anyone who plays a long ball to Pep or dribble unnecessarily can run penalty loops around the pitch during the game.
Campers off the beaten track
We wanted a few different names and that’s why we omitted the top scorers in detail, among others. But Kylian Mbappé has found a way to be almost omnipresent here. The PSG star also ranks first when it comes to offside positions. Anthony Modeste and Georginio Rutter are waving the Bundesliga flag at this point. Coming from the margins, of course.
long range shooters
There are players who really want to get the ball into the goal. These ten kickers do not seem to belong to them. They also like to shoot outside the penalty area. And successfully. Leicester’s James Maddison surprisingly secured a World Cup ticket for England with his six long-range goals.
bullies
Thomas Müller once described Atlético players as « Europe’s greatest tyrants ». In 2022, the Rojiblancos underlined this reputation in the person of Stefan Savić.
The defender collected 13 bookings. Interestingly, along with Neymar, an attacking player also appears at the top of the list. How many of his eleven yellow cards were shown for a foul?