Performance analysis of 2019 Ballon d’Or nominees for the period Jan to Oct' 19, Part 2: Midfielders

Modified Nov 01, 2019 14:22 GMT

Dusan Tadic is one of 9 midfielders nominated for the 2019 Ballon d'Or

#3 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, Portugal)

Bernardo Silva is a versatile player, most often playing as a midfielder but also adept in a second striker role. The Portuguese player scored two goals and provided four assists as Manchester City successfully defended their Premier League title. Silva also scored in his club's successful title run in the FA Cup.

In the 2019-20 season, Silva has scored four goals in nine Premier League games for his club and in the season-opening Community Shield against Liverpool. The 25-year-old has played in six Euro 2020 Qualifiers and two Nations League games for Portugal during the calendar year, scoring two goals and providing six assists.

During the period January to October 2019, Silva scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists in 47 games for club and country.

#2 Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, Algeria)

Riyad Mahrez scored five goals in 16 games for Manchester City in the first half of the year, winning the league title and the FA Cup.

Mahrez starred for Algeria in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals in six games as Algeria won their second title in the competition.

In the 2019-20 season, Mahrez has played 14 games in four different competitions for his club, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.

The Algerian winger mostly prefers playing on the left wing, looking to pick up teammates with defence-splitting passes or crosses. But his relative lack of versatility has proved a hindrance in him holding down a regular starting position at his new club.

#1 Dusan Tadic (Ajax, Serbia)

Dusan Tadic scored a joint league-high 28 goals (18 goals since the turn of the year) during his first Eredivisie season, as Ajax won their 34th Dutch top-flight title in 2018-19. The left-winger also scored a goal in the Dutch Cup which Ajax won, and scored in the Champions League knockout round where Ajax were eliminated in the semifinals by Tottenham Hotspur.

The Serbian international, who captains both club and country, has scored nine goals in 19 games in the 2019-20 season. He has also scored once in four Euro 2020 qualifying games for his country.

During the first 10 months of the calendar year, Tadic has scored 30 goals and provided 27 assists in 50 games across competitions for club and country.

Edited by Musab Abid