Ranking 5 worst finishers in Europe this season based on xG

#3 Lionel Messi

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain: Group A - UEFA Champions League

Lionel Messi may be playing for Paris Saint-Germain, but his heart still seems to be at Barcelona. For most of his career, the Argentine has defied stats, scored goals and provided assists for fun. However, the striker has failed to take advantage of the personnel around him this season.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel di Maria all surround Messi and he could be doing wonders by linking up with them in Ligue 1. His xG has been a very modest 6.6 and naturally the striker was expected to exceed it. Astonishingly, he has only been able to produce two goals in 16 French top-flight matches.

However, as far as playmaking is concerned, the former Barcelona ace is on course to surpass last season's tally. In the Spanish top-flight last year, Messi produced 11 assists, a tally he has already matched in Ligue 1.

At times, his link-ups with Mbappe have really rattled opposition teams. Paris Saint-Germain will hope that the Argentine can propel them towards Champions League glory.

While glimpses of his footballing genius are visible, the legendary player has failed to consistently spread his charm.

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#2 Terem Moffi

Moffi speaking to the press after a Ligue 1 match

Easily the lesser-heard name of those on the list, Terem Moffi is not as prolific as the others on the list. He has spent the least amount of time in Europe's top five leagues. He signed for Ligue 1 club FC Lorient in 2020 from Belgian club KV Kortrijk for €8 million.

The centre-forward impressed in his very first season as he notched up 14 goals in 32 appearances in the French top-flight. He was sixth in the rankings of the highest goalgetters in 2020-21 as Lorient finished in the 16th spot. Again, the club is lingering in the same position, and one reason is that Moffi has failed to score the expected number of goals.

He possesses an xG of 8.3, but has been way off the mark with his finishing, recording only three goals so far this season. Lorient are only two points safe from the relegation zone. If the Nigerian striker fails to turn up his finishing, they face the danger of dropping out of the league.

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#1 Burak Yilmaz

VfL Wolfsburg v Lille OSC: Group G - UEFA Champions League

It has been a very underwhelming season for Ligue 1 defending champions LOSC Lille. They have only managed to win 10 games from their 26 in the league. This has condemned them to 10th spot in the points table with both Monaco and Montpellier closely chasing.

Manager Christophe Galtier's departure has clearly been a big loss for the club who have struggled to assert their dominance. But their veteran striker Burak Yilmaz has not covered himself in glory either and is to blame for Lille's struggles. Last season, the 36-year-old led the French club's title charge as he found the back of the net 16 times and further provided five assists.

After a decent start to the campaign, scoring twice in his first five games, the player has regressed quite badly. He ranks sixth in Ligue 1 for expected goals with an xG figure of 9.3, but has only netted four goals in 22 appearances. Yilmaz was the focal point of the club's attack last season, unleashing himself on the counter-attack and arriving in the box to finish.

He knocked the ball around with intelligent passes to give the team the desired time to find an opening. The Turkish international has struggled to replicate the form he showed last season and continues to be a cause of worry for Lille.