An underrated XI of footballers

The new season has begun and there have been a bucketload of upsets in each of the top 5 leagues. AS Monaco are stuck at 18th place in the Ligue 1 whereas, Bayern Munich are at 6th position. Manchester United are at 8th place and AC Milan is at 10th place in the Serie A. Sevilla has been superb and are topping the LaLiga and have teams like Barcelona and both the Madrid teams behind them.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have a lot of fame but not all players earn the same amount of recognition.

There are some players who go under the radar and do all the dirty work for the development of a successful team. Such players are often underrated and not valued by fans. The defenders and the goalkeepers are often underrated and many people are of the opinion that, the midfielders and forwards are highly rated and earn recognition with ease. But, it isn't the case.

Many midfielders and forwards are underrated as they don't come up with as many goals as some of the other stars. And, in this article, we shall have a look at a playing XI, filled with underrated players.

Note: Only active players have been considered.

Note: All stats via Transfermarkt

Goalkeeper- Samir Handanovic

The Slovenian international plies his trade for Italian giants, Internazionale. The former Lazio goalie has earned 81 caps for his country, before retiring. He managed to keep 16 clean sheets for his country and conceded only 58 times.

He is known for his acrobatic saves and is excellent when it comes to saving penalties. However, his name is hardly brought up when there is a discussion about the best goalies. He has played 10 games this season and has kept 3 clean sheets. He has been impressive for Inter in their Champions League encounters. He is one of the main reasons for their early success, so far.

He might be one of the most underrated goalkeepers on the planet but that definitely doesn't prevent him from being hailed as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Defenders- Sime Vrsaljko, Nicolas Otamendi and Aleksandar Kolarov

The second Inter Milan player on the list, Vrsaljko is a solid defender and was instrumental in Croatia's run to the Final in the World Cup earlier this year. Currently, he is on loan from Atletico Madrid at Inter. He is one of the best right backs in the world but doesn't have a lot of fame. His career has been plagued by quite a few injuries and without them, he might have been the best right back in the world.

The Manchester City defender was perhaps one of the best defenders in the Premier League, last season. The Argentine is pretty good at the back but has played only 3 games in the Premier League this season. He was a regular for them last season and was a pretty good performer for them. Everybody remembers the way Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne performed but not many remember Otamendi's performances.

The left-back has played for top clubs like Lazio, Manchester City and Roma. The Serbian is a major threat with his runs and is a good striker of the ball. The Roma star has scored 2 goals and assisted once this season. He is an experienced player and is always an asset for a team. He is one of the best left-backs in the world but isn't given the same credit as a Marcelo or Jordi Alba.

Midfielders- Ivan Rakitic, Jorginho, Eric Dier and Thiago Alcantara

The Croat international is a world-class midfielder and one of the best but his efforts aren't recognised. He is always involved in goals and is good at defending, as well. He was a key figure for Croatia at the World Cup. The Barcelona player has played 11 games this season and scored twice. He has also assisted twice and deserves the recognition that the likes of Pogba and Modric have.

The former Napoli midfielder is an excellent passer and completed 181 passes in a recently concluded Premier League game. He set the Premier League record and is one of the best passers in the game. He is a defensive workhorse and always helps out the defenders. The Chelsea man has played 10 games and scored once. The Italian might not score many goals or be a playmaker but he is very important for a team as he helps the defence in difficult situations and covers for a few of their mistakes.

The defensive midfielder is a key player for Tottenham Hotspur and has been a part of their team since 2014. A regular for the club, he isn't given the credit he deserves. A versatile player, he can also play as a centre back or a centre midfielder. He hasn't played 9 games this season and scored once. The only goal he has scored was the solitary goal in the match. Thus, allowing his team to win. He has captained England on a few occasions and was apart of their World Cup squad.

The Spaniard's inclusion in the list is a peculiar one. He is regarded as one of the better midfielders but he isn't given a lot of credit for Bayern's victories. The former Barcelona midfielder has played 10 games this season and has scored once. He has also assisted once and is a vital cog in their midfield.

Forwards- Dries Mertens, Roberto Firmino and Angel di Maria

Mertens is a lethal striker and can be hailed as one of the best in Europe. The Belgian plies his trade for Napoli and is a match winner for them. He is a phenomenal goal scorer but not rated as highly as some of the other forwards. The former PSV player has made 10 appearances this season and scored twice. He has also assisted once and he deserves a lot more credit than what he gets.

Firmino is the perfect example of a team man and he is someone who puts in a lot of effort. He is a part of the deadly forward trio that Liverpool possess and hence, it is difficult to understand as to why is he underrated. Most of the credit goes to Mo Salah and the other part of it goes to Sadio Mane but the one who lets them score and get the credit is Firmino, which is why he doesn't get a lot of credit. The Brazilian has made 11 appearances and scored thrice, to go with a couple of assists.

The Argentine plays for PSG and that makes it pretty obvious as to why he is underrated. PSG consists of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Not only are these players highly rated but they score the majority of the goals and thus, di Maria is underrated. The former Real Madrid star is a brilliant player but unfortunately, not spoken about highly. He has played 12 times this season and scored 6 goals. He has also assisted 3 goals in the process.

Let's hope that all the players present in the article are given more credit for their efforts and not underrated when compared with other players.

Edited by Amar Anand