2. LB Ferland Mendy
In terms of sheer consistency, Raphael Varane would be ranked higher, but Ferland Mendy deserves the second spot after his performance against Atalanta in the Champions League. It’s entirely possible that Los Merengues would have lost that match without the 25-year-old French left back’s contributions.
Mendy obviously scored the winning goal, hammering home an inch-perfect curler from long range in the waning minutes of a match that was plagued by Real’s frustrating attacking woes. In the end, it was Mendy and not Isco, Mariano, or Marco Asensio who came up with the finishing touch.
The 10-man advantage was also created by Mendy, who started the move out of the press and then finished it with his instinctive run that led to Remo Freuler’s desperate tackle.
Mendy scored twice in a memorable February, as he put one in the back of the net against Getafe earlier that month. He was also agonizingly close to scoring against Valencia, having finished brilliantly, but he was ruled a hair offside.
The attacking threat Mendy has provided is important, but his best work is often defensive. And he was great defensively against Getafe in a back three and great in the other game he scored in at Atalanta, completely shutting out an overmatched Joakim Mæhle.