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Goals win you games. Goalscorers win awards. Goals make front page news. In big Continental Competitions like the UEFA Champions League, there is always a bigger emphasis on the value of the goals that are scored.
So the bigger the tournament the more the attention your striker gets across the media.
The actual best players on the pitch in an attacking sense are generally the creative players. The story behind the famous photo of a World Cup winning goal.
The measurement for these superstars and sometimes simply solid players is generally the key passes they make and the assists they provide.
This gives some tangible evidence when we decide who lit up the stadiums with their slick passing and unforgettable vision.
Back to the serious business- here we go. The five best Creative players in this season's Champions League.
Statistics alone tell only half the story and that's why the ranking in this article is not purely statistical.
The solution to using statistics effectively is simple. They are seen in the context of the impact and consistency through the tournament and performance in key moments making this a holistic look. Let the names roll!
#5 Kevin De Bruyne
The electric Manchester City playmaker has been tearing apart the Premier League whenever he plays with his quick feet and brilliant vision.
Always able to find space on the wings to cut inside, De Bruyne uses his dribbling to create enough time for his teammate to make space for themselves.
And then the killer ball or cross allows for them to pounce. If he doesn't create the chance, he drags defenders out of position to allow others to operate and uses space to increase his goal tally often running in behind the striker.
In this edition of the UEFA Champions League, De Bruyne managed to notch up healthy 1.8 key passes per 90 minutes in eight appearances but more importantly managed four assists.
This means that although he only successfully sent someone on to the goal about one to t times a match, he managed to create a goal in nearly half those attempts.
Impressive indeed!
#4 Ever Banega
The lynchpin of the Sevilla's attack, Argentinian Centre Midfielder Ever Banega was absolutely crucial in every game.
His contribution created numerous attacks through the pitch and his awareness on the ball means that he is reliable in possession.
Contributing with an average of 3.7 key passes per 90 minutes, Banega is essentially top of the charts.
His creativity has often won rave reviews and his proficiency in dead ball situations means that he pops up with the odd goal or so despite playing most of his games as a deep-lying Playmaker.
The only factor that lets Banega down is his assists record.
It is not completely fair on Banega because of the lack of an absolute world-class strike force to play off like De Bruyne but he failed to set the world alight in earlier parts of the tournament especially in the away win against Spartak despite the team doing well and the draw against Liverpool at Anfield.
He more than made up for it later with a stunning performance against Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
#3 James Milner
Sometimes, the end product of the chances becomes the most important factor in determining the best creators.
James Milner has so far managed eight Assists in the UEFA Champions League this season. Deployed often at left back and sometimes in a sort of Half Back role that had earlier belonged to Steven Gerrard.
His best game of the season was the home encounter against Spartak Moscow where he notched up three assists after coming on at halftime.
That clearly inflated his statistics but there has to be acknowledgment when someone leads the charts!
Averaging about 1.5 key passes throughout the tournament, Milner has been solid all season especially managing to get his other assists against Manchester City and Roma in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.
Milner has therefore been a creative force for Liverpool in key moments and that is the what matters above all.
#2 Roberto Firmino
The last couple of seasons have been absolutely phenomenal for the Brazillian Attacker. His pace and intelligence on the ball have shown and his adaptability in terms of increasing his strength and awareness off the ball has meant that he has morphed into the ideal 'False 9' in World Football.
He even operates as a genuine No.9 when required by his club. Firmino's job description only asks him to be involved in goal-scoring chances as frequently as possible.
With a scorching run of form that saw him come alive in the semi-final against Roma, Firminho has managed seven assists in Europe's top tournament so far.
With 1.9 key passes per game, Firminho does well on the creative front despite usually being Liverpool's most advanced player on the pitch.
His effectiveness is however in creating space for the likes of Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane to flourish from out wide.
His role is more off the ball as much as it requires passing ability and therefore his vision and positional awareness becomes crucial elements of play.
Therefore his average pass completion rate does not bar him from being one of the best creative players in Europe this year.
#1 Neymar
Consistency- Thy name is Neymar.
Joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a mind-boggling fee of € 222 Million. His domestic campaign has been overshadowed by controversy and constant rumours of a PSG exit on the horizon.
Despite a brilliant 19 goals in 20 appearances in Ligue 1 apart from 13 assists, the UEFA Champions League is where Neymar has really stood out.
Although PSG didn't last too long in the tournament Neymar proved why top teams have been after him all his career.
A very impressive 3.3 key passes a game playing on the wide left and three assists apart from the six goals all in seven appearances means Neymar was probably the most consistent player in the tournament.
He even played well when his side was not in the best shape managing a combined seven key passes in two away defeats to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
If the rest of his side can be half as consistent next year PSG will be runaway winners in the Champions League!
