'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With the major European leagues heading for the Christmas break, and the UEFA Champions League group stages nearing its end, many players have had stellar seasons so far, albeit with lesser plaudits than the expectations.
While top clubs like Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus have been in fine form in both league and the European tournament, other's success has not been so rich. Clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan are playing the Europa league, and many more under-performers seem likely to join them.
While it was heartening to see the re-emergence of teams like Ajax and Inter Milan in the Champions League, much has been desired from the below-par performances of Monaco, Valencia and PSV Eindhoven.
So as we speak about all the starry names of every team quite often, here are five footballers who are not getting much recognition for their talent and their display on the pitch. The list contains one player each from Bundesliga, LaLiga, Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 who deserve more credit for their achievements than what they have received this season:
1. Axel Witsel (Bundesliga)
While most of the attention was towards the possible transfer of Luka Modric and the likes of Chelsea signing Jorginho, Borussia Dortmund pulled off a low key coup of sorts by signing the Belgian international midfielder from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.
The Belgian headed into the Bundesliga high on confidence after a podium finish at the World Cup and has not disappointed since. He has been a regular in Lucien Favre's XI and has been key in the middle of the park.
His inclusion has allowed the likes of Christian Pulisic, Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho, Maximilian Philipp and Mario Gotze to play with more freedom up front, thus making Dortmund's attack a force to be reckoned with.
Witsel has formed a stable partnership with Thomas Delaney in the midfield and has also helped in involving fullbacks Raphael Guerreiro, Achraf Hakimi and Łukasz Piszczek on offence. All in all, he is a complete package who has delivered the goods for the Bundesliga's leaders this season and certainly deserves more praise.
2. Malcom (LaLiga)
While Iniesta left Barcelona at the end of last season, putting an end to a glorious era, a lot was said about the future of Lionel Messi, the club and last season's poor Champions League performance, where they failed to go past the last eight.
The team lacked dynamism, was overdependent on Messi and Suarez for goals and was still reeling from the loss of Neymar. At this time, the club took a bold gamble to bring in youngsters like Malcom and Arthur Melo, and the move paid off.
Malcom plays on the wings with loads of freedom, and more often than not uses his flair and speed to beat the full-backs. He is equally comfortable on both the left and right side of the pitch.
While he has not yet been a definite starter, the former Bordeaux man has certainly shown what he is capable of, even though he has received limited chances. He looks like the perfect heir to Messi in the long run, and deserves more chances, especially after his important equaliser against Inter.
He suits the Barcelona way of football, and could link up very well with Ousmane Dembele, Ivan Rakitic and Arthur Melo in the near future. He deserves way more opportunities (at least off the bench) than what he presently is getting, thus making him an underrated star.
3. Sadio Mane (Premier League)
The Senegalese attacker has had a brilliant past season with Liverpool. His side finished in the top four of the Premier League after a long time, they reached the Champions League final, and have been in top form this season as well. His national team also played in the World Cup, where he was vital for his team, who missed out on qualification narrowly due to fair play.
His style of play is fast-paced, strong and skilful, and he also has the goals to show for. He makes fast runs from the wings into the box, is quick on the counter, and is a physical player, which suits the Premier League. He is quick on the turn and has the ability to hold the ball off defenders in the opposition box. His deft touches in the box, which many times lead to goals, have been of key importance as well.
Mane has been one of the players who engineered Liverpool's success in recent times, and although most of the credits have gone to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Mane does deserve more applause for his silent but effective role.
4. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Serie A)
Although the glory days of AC Milan may have well been forgotten in recent times, one of the few bright spots in their current line-up is 19-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italian custodian made his debut as a 16-year old in the Serie A and is widely regarded as the successor to the legendary Gianluigi Buffon. He is a key part of the rebuilding of the Azzurri squad, after the Italian team failed to qualify for the World cup, to the shock of many.
He is amazing at the one-on-one situations, and also possesses good reflexes. Standing at 6 ft 5", he has a great aerial reach and is calm and composed, even in tense moments.
Although the Italian goalkeeper is highly rated in his country, he seldom makes it to the list of top goalkeepers in Europe which includes Thibaut Courtois, David de Gea and Manuel Neuer. He is a part of a new generation of keepers which include Alisson Becker, Kepa and Ederson, thus making him an upcoming world-beater and underrated star. He is an integral part of the AC Milan setup and is one of the key players Milan need if the glory days are to be revived.
5. Marco Verratti (Ligue 1)
A year ago, when Paris St.Germain went on a spending spree and managed to rope in the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the current players in the squad like Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler and Javier Pastore were relegated to the bench and got limited opportunities.
But others like Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti were very much in the scheme of things. Since joining the Parisian club from Italian club Pescara, his playmaking skill and holding ability drew instant comparisons to the legend Andrea Pirlo. He instantly earned an Italian team call-up and was deployed in an attacking midfield role.
While he currently plays in the middle of the park for PSG, his role on and outside the pitch is of huge importance to the club. He is the player that keeps the squad glued together, as his role in the centre helps link up play between the immensely talented star wingers in Mbappe and Neymar.
Verratti's passing ability and vision are supreme, and so are his defensive abilities, thus making him the ideal midfielder to help build attacks from the back. He links up play with the full-backs in Thomas Meunier, Dani Alves and Juan Bernat, thus being integral in making PSG dominate any game.
His role is often undermined by the media due to the presence of stars like Neymar, Cavani, Buffon and Mbappe, thus making him an underrated but vital cog in PSG's road to European dominance.
