Top 5 most lethal attacking forces in European football right now

There remains a troubling uncertainty across the globe as the unforgiving coronavirus pandemic has impacted the entire system on which the world works, not excluding organised competitive professional football.

Before the crisis, European football was heading into the business end of the campaign and a few leagues were even looking at incontestable winners. While Liverpool looked set to lift the Premier League title as they sit a massive 25 points clear at the summit, Paris Saint-Germain appeared to be getting ready for yet another Ligue 1 title at the end of the season as they sit 12 points clear of second-placed rivals Marseille.

Meanwhile, the other three elite European leagues - LaLiga, Bundesliga, and Serie A - saw intense battles for the respective titles, with a series of clubs separated only by a few points.

The season, or what we have witnessed of it so far, has also facilitated the emergence of lethal attacking tridents - some newly-formed and others refined over time - that have hogged the limelight as their clubs continue to strive for domestic and European success.

As football authorities continue to steer their focus towards finishing the season once precautionary measures against the pandemic are relaxed, we take a look at five of the most lethal attacking lines in Europe at the moment in no particular order.

#5 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund witnessed a revival in their attacking set-up with the signing of Erling Braut Haaland in the January transfer window. This is not to say that the Bundesliga giants suffered from a lack of excellent attackers before the transfer, with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Paco Alcacer and Marco Reus previously benefitting from a telepathic connection on the pitch.

However, Alcacer has since moved to Villarreal on a five-and-a-half-year deal in the winter transfer window while Reus has been sidelined after suffering a muscular injury against Werder Bremen in February. He was initially expected to return in March but the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has stalled his return for the time being. Before his injury, the 30-year-old was enjoying a spectacular run of form and fitness, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in all competitions for the club.

Meanwhile, Sancho made his way to the top of BVB's goal-scoring charts this season, registering 17 goals and 19 assists in 35 total appearances, making him one of the most prolific wingers in Europe and an even more attractive prospect for admirers across its top five leagues.

Haaland may have started the season at Signal Iduna Park a little later than his peers but he has made an immediate impact upon his arrival, netting 12 goals in 11 games for the Black and Yellows. Like Sancho, he remains one of the most sought-after young attackers in football at the moment with a host of clubs still looking to acquire his services.

#4 Manchester City

Manchester City are one of the few teams in Europe who possess a lot of options when it comes to players who can efficiently find the back of the net. The contributions made by players like Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling to the team's scoresheet are simply too immense to ignore.

Aguero and Sterling scored 57 goals between them last season and carried their blistering form into the new campaign. The Cityzens’ record goalscorer, Aguero has netted 23 goals and provided three assists in all competitions for the Manchester giants this term while Sterling has registered 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The reigning Premier League champions further boast of impeccable creators with players like Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne serving as the playmakers of a spectacular attacking set-up, which also possesses increasing depth courtesy of stars like Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, David Silva, Leroy Sane, and Ilkay Gundogan.

#3 Liverpool

Liverpool's much-loved attacking trio - Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino - inspired the club to the Champions League title last season and have maintained their form to put the Merseysiders in prime position to lift their first Premier League title in three decades at the end of the present campaign.

The three players have become poster boys of Jurgen Klopp's famed Gegenpressing, with their blistering pace and technique serving as the ideal tools to deploy the German manager's tactics.

Mane, who is a strong contender for the PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year award this season, has scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions for the Reds this term while Salah has been typically brilliant as well, scoring 20 goals and nine assists so far.

Meanwhile, Firmino's importance to the current Liverpool squad transcends numbers despite his goal contributions being relatively decent. The Brazilian has 11 goals and 12 assists to his name in all competitions this season and his versatility and willingness to improve have been one of the main factors behind the club's success in recent times.

#2 Barcelona

Barcelona bolstered an attacking line-up that already consisted of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Ousmane Dembele when they signed Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid for a staggering £107 million fee last year.

There isn't much of an argument when it comes to Messi's status as one of the most dangerous attackers in the world. The diminutive Argentine has already registered 24 goals and 16 assists for the Catalan giants this season and the numbers would have been much higher had all footballing activity not been postponed.

Griezmann, on the other hand, was initially criticised for not having made an immediate impact upon his arrival at the Nou Camp, but he has since managed to score 14 goals and provide four assists for the club this term. Meanwhile, Suarez has tallied 14 goals and 10 assists this season despite many pundits and fans suggesting that his best years may be behind him.

#1 Paris Saint-Germain

The arrival of Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan has further cemented Paris Saint-Germain's status as a team with one of the best attacking line-ups in European football. The presence of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani adds further firepower and strength to Thomas Tuchel's squad, who are mounting a genuine challenge for the Champions League title this season.

Neymar, who decided to stay at the Parc des Princes amid heavy links to Barcelona, has tallied 18 goals and 10 assists for the club this season while Mbappe has registered an incredible 30 goals and 17 assists in all competitions this term.

Meanwhile, Icardi, who joined the Ligue 1 champions on loan from the Nerazzurri, has adapted quite well in the French capital and boasts of 20 goals and four assists this season. The Argentine has even given Cavani a run for his money, with the Uruguayan now keen on a move away from PSG after losing his place in the squad. The 33-year-old has netted seven goals and provided three assists in all competitions for the Parisians this term.