Europe's Top 5 Leagues 2018-19: The best players in each league so far 

#1 Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, LaLiga) - 8.62

The diminutive Argentine leads the way in Europe's Top 5 Leagues in terms of average match rating. He is also the top scorer and top creator at this moment.

The magical, the mercurial, Lionel Andres Messi. The only player besides Eden Hazard to have reached double digits in scoring as well as assisting. Lionel Messi has scored 17 goals and registered 10 assists in 17 appearances for Barcelona. He leads the way in terms of both scoring and assisting, not only in the LaLiga but in the whole of Europe.

Lionel Messi's astounding average match rating of 8.62 is due to the accumulation of each small factor such as passing, dribbling, assisting and scoring. Messi dishes 3.2 key passes per game and also completes 4.2 dribbles per game. He also registers at least three through-balls per game on an average. Messi leads the way in threading through passes in Europe's Top 5 leagues, with 17.

Stats aside, Messi has given us some jaw-dropping performances and moments in the first half of the season. Especially in the Champions League, the Argentine has been on top of his game, winning the player of the week award each week he started for Barcelona. In the league, there is no shortage of his magic.

He performed extremely well in games against Espanyol, Levante and Athletic Bilbao to name a few. The others, he was just about excellent.

There would be no arguments as to why he leads the way in terms of average match rating in Europe. Lionel Messi should continue in the same way if Barcelona has to stand any chance of winning a treble yet again.