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Football is a team sport. But in football, it is not very rare for teams to end up relying on the brilliance of a single individual. World-class players can help elevate average sides to realms of excellence by letting their quality shine through.
It's never a great look for any team to be recognized as being heavily dependent on one player. Managers would love to avoid their team relying on one particular individual to produce the goods on a regular basis.
The 2021-22 season has seen some of the best players in the game play out of their skins and help their sides move forward without many hitches. Without further ado, let's take a look at five teams that are heavily reliant on one star.
#5 Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Don't get us wrong, Liverpool are a well-coached side. They have excellent full-backs and a world-class centre-back. Their midfield is pretty decent and their attackers have plenty of potential. However, none of those players deliver as consistently as Mohamed Salah does.
Last season, when Liverpool were struggling with injuries and the awful form of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, it was Salah who schlepped them forward. He scored 31 goals and provided six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for the Merseysiders in the 2020-21 season.
Salah has been exceptional in the new season. He has been scoring for fun and already has 15 goals and six assists to his name in just 13 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool thus far. He is currently the most in-form player in the world right now.
It begs the question of whether Liverpool will remain as strong a side as they are billed to be in Salah's absence. His productivity is vital to them as he is the difference maker in most games for Jurgen Klopp's side.
#4 Bayern Munich - Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich went into the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League as the reigning champions of Europe. However, they crashed out of the competition in the quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Bavarians' prolific goalscorer Robert Lewandowski was sidelined for the game with ligament trouble. It was clear as daylight that Bayern Munich's goal threat was considerably reduced in the absence of the Polish international.
Lewandowski has been on a different level altogether when it comes to scoring goals. He is arguably the best striker in the world right tnow. In the 2020-21 season, he broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga season by netting 41 in 29 league appearances.
That's close to 1.5 goals per game. He has been tapping that same vein this term and has scored 22 goals in just 16 appearances across all competitions this season. The 33-year-old has scored at more than a goal per game in the last two seasons. Without his goals, Bayern Munich just cannot be this dominant.
That's why they have their work cut out for them when Lewandowski eventually decides to hang up his boots.
#3 Real Madrid - Karim Benzema
After their latest big-money signings proved to be disappointing, Real Madrid have decided to take a step back as far as investing heavily in the transfer market is concerned. It hasn't been smooth sailing for Los Blancos in recent times but they have been in good form this term.
Much of that is down to Karim Benzema's staggering form. A loyal servant, Benzema has outlasted almost all the superstars he played alongside at the club in the last decade. His technical brilliance has allowed him to adjust and mould his game to the demands of his side.
Now that he is one of the biggest stars at the club, he is truly establishing himself as one of the greatest to have worn their storied whites. Benzema has been in spectacular form this term. He has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 13 appearances across all competitions in the 2021-22 season.
He was also their standout performer in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists in 46 appearances. Real Madrid have a lot of talented young individuals on the come up. However, they wouldn't have been able to provide that platform for them without the services of Benzema.
#2 Borussia Dortmund - Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is a world-class striker and he is still just 21-years-old. He still has a long way to go and it's frightening just how good he might get over the next few years if he keeps developing at this pace.
This summer, Haaland was the most sought-after striker in the world. All the top European clubs have reportedly registered an interest in him and he is, by far, Borussia Dortmund's most prized asset.
Haaland scored 41 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season. He has been phenomenal this term as well, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists in just 10 appearances so far.
The Norwegian international's goals have been extremely important for Borussia Dortmund. It's clear that Haaland does a lot of the heavylifting for his side. They will need to find a replacement for him soon as he is likely to depart for greener pastures next summer.
#1 Manchester United - Cristiano Ronaldo
It's not fair to say that Cristiano Ronaldo is the problem at Manchester United anymore. He has bailed them out on far too many occasions this season for him to be called a problem anymore. It's true that the Red Devils have had to sacrifice some of their values and habits in order to accommodate Ronaldo.
But Manchester United's Champions League campaign is still on track only because of Ronaldo. He first scored a last-minute winner against Villarreal in a must-win game for Solskjaer's men. The Portuguese international then scored the winner to cap off a 3-2 comeback win over Atalanta a fortnight ago.
Ronaldo bagged a stunning brace to earn a valuable point against the same opponents away from home this week as well. He scored a goal and set up Edinson Cavani with a wonderful through ball as Manchester United eked out a desperately needed win over Tottenham Hotspur this past weekend.
Bruno Fernandes has also been a bright spot in an otherwise dull season for Manchester United. But without Cristiano Ronaldo and his ability to come up clutch in adverse scenarios, Solskjaer could even be out of a job right now.
