'%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)
What does Bojan Krkic, Javier Mascherano and Sergi Busquets have in common? They have all won the Barcelona Player of the year award. Besides these three, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Ivan Rakitic and Carlos Puyol have also won the award that was introduced in 2010. The awards are decided by votes from the players and the final winner is selected by a jury.
This season, the Catalans have been in spectacular form once again. Barcelona are 11 points clear at the top of the table with 7 games to go. They are in the final of the Copa del Rey and are in the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. They have already won the Supercopa de Espana at the start of the season.
Ernesto Valverde has been able to get his team to fire on all cylinders, but he has been helped by some brilliant performances on the field. Today we bring forward the 5 players who have been phenomenal this season and are the top contenders for the Barcelona player of the year award.
#5 Ivan Rakitic
The reigning Barcelona player of the year stole the show in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was instrumental as his country reached the finals. Even though Rakitic ended on the losing side, he gave a fine account of himself. The Croatian carried that good form into the new season and has been stellar for his club so far.
Rakitic has 46 appearances for Barcelona this season; only seven of those have been from the bench. On the field, the Croatian is a mixture of poise and steel. He can defend, track back and win the ball. Even though he is basically a central midfielder, Rakitic is equally comfortable on a defensive role.
On the other hand, the Croatian also plays a vital role going forward. Rakitic is a technically gifted footballer and one of the best passers of the ball in the world. The Croatian also makes late runs into the box and is nifty in front of goal too. Who can forget his goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu?
This season, Rakitic has already scored five goals from midfield and has also registered six assists. He is one of the most valuable hands of Ernesto Valverde and is definitely a contender for the Barcelona player of the year.
Also see : Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips, EPL Transfer News
#4 Jordi Alba
The Spaniard is one of the best left backs in the world right now and is integral to the way Barcelona plays. Alba has been a permanent fixture on the left side of this Barcelona team and his understanding with Lionel Messi has been highly fruitful for the Catalans.
On the field, Alba is a fast, energetic full-back, who has a fine left foot and a sensible head. Alba does not dive into tackles, instead, he prefers using his speed and positioning to win back the ball. He is very good at intercepting the opposition play and is a handy defender. However, it is when Alba drives forward that his strengths come to the fore.
The Spaniard is a very good passer of the ball, and he has also improved his crossing abilities of late. Alba likes to build up play using short passes and makes intelligent runs which split open the opposition defence.
This season, Alba has 43 appearances for Barcelona and 40 of them have been starts! He has registered 11 assists altogether and has also scored two goals. The Spaniard is another strong contender for the Barcelona Player of the Year award.
#3 Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan has slowly established himself as one of the key players in this Barcelona squad. Despite an inconsistent start to the season, Suarez has still managed to be an integral part of Valverde's plans. In fact, his performance in the El Clasico, when Barcelona were missing Messi due to an injury, showed his pedigree. The Uruguayan scored a fantastic hat-trick and helped his team register a 5-1 demolition of their arch-rivals at home.
Suarez is a wily customer on the pitch, who likes to improvise to make the most out of any situation. The Uruguayan likes to dribble, is quite strong with his back to the goal and does not get dispossessed easily. Despite developing a tendency to miss chances this season, Suarez still is a fantastic finisher. He also likes setting his teammates up and enjoys a brilliant understanding with Messi on the field.
This season, the Uruguayan has been in the starting eleven for 38 of his 42 appearances for Barcelona. He has 23 goals and nine assists so far, but is yet to score in the Champions League. Regardless, Suarez is still one of the contenders for the Barcelona player of the year award.
#2 Gerard Pique
The Spaniard's importance to Barcelona can be ascertained from the fact that he has started in all but 1 games in both the Champions League and the La Liga. Pique had a tougher season than expected, because his regular partner in the heart of the defense, Samuel Umtiti has missed the majority of the season due to a knee injury.
Pique did not let that affect him or his team. Instead, the Spaniard took Clement Lenglet under his wings and helped the Frenchman settle down, forming a new partnership at the heart of the defense.
This season once more, the Spaniard has provided the defensive backbone for the Catalans. His composed stature and assuring presence at the back has helped Barcelona play their normal attacking game. But the Spaniard has not just held the fort at the back, he has gone forward on every occasion and has been a threat from set pieces too.
Pique has already scored seven goals and has registered two assists so far this season. He has been one of the best defenders in the world so far and is also a contender for the Barcelona player of the year award.
#1 Lionel Messi
This season, more than ever, it is hard to think of anyone other than Lionel Messi winning the Barcelona player of the year award. The Argentinean has been leading by example and has got his team out of a tricky situation on more than one occasion, sometimes even from the bench.
Lionel Messi was appointed the new captain of Barcelona at the start of the season and he has been in magnificent form since then. Under his leadership, the Catalans are still competing on three fronts and are well on course to win another treble this season.
The Argentinean has scored 43 goals and registered 15 assists from 40 games in all competitions this season. He is the top scorer in La Liga, with 33 goals from 29 appearances. He is the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with eight goals from six appearances and he has also scored two goals from four appearances in the Copa del Rey.
On current form, there is no better player in the whole world right now. Lionel Messi is, once again, the top contender for the Barcelona Player of the Year and few people would bet against the Argentinean this season.
