With the season coming to an end, a Spanish club once again conquered Europe as Barcelona beat Juventus 1-3 to complete a fantastic treble under manager Luis Enrique. The presence of two of the most lethal attacking units in Europe- Real Madrida s a B-B-Ca and Barcelonaa s a M-S-Na , ensured that the La Liga remained a closely contested competition right till the very end. While other league champions like Chelsea (73), Juventus (72), PSG (83) and Bayern Munich (80) struggled to score with aplomb, both Real Madrid (118) and Barcelona (110) found the back of the net with relative ease and frequency.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
With Barcelona completing yet another historic season, the Catalan revival can be credited to the phenomenon that is Lionel Messi. On the brink of a collapse as reports surfaced stating a fall out between Luis Enrique and the Argentine maestro, Barcelona went on to script a brilliant season finale as Lionel Messi led the club to a Copa del Rey trophy, the Spanish La Liga title and the much coveted Champions League trophy.
Though Messi had been over-shadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo in the past season, the four time Ballon da Or winner took the second half of the season by the scruff of the neck as he scored a total of 58 goals in the season, 35 of which was scored post the Christmas break in 2015. The Argentine will probably be best remembered this season for his performance against Bayern Munich as he scored two brilliant goals to put Barcelona in the driving seat of the Champions League semi-finals. His individual goal against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey finals stands testimony to the fact that Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the best goal-scorers in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid’s Commander
Though the Portguese superstar had more goals to his name during the previous season, he comes a close second to Lionel Messi after scoring a total of 61 goals in all competitions. The Real Madrid superstar burst forth brilliantly into the new season after scoring 25 goals in 14 La Liga appearances. But Ronaldoa s form suffered a severe drop after he picked up his third Ballon da Or as he managed to score only 23 goals in the remaining 21 appearances.
However, the fact that Ronaldo is marked out for scoring 23 goals in 21 appearances stands to assert the high standard the goal-scorer has set for himself. The Portuguese will probably be best remembered for his contributions in the Champions League as he set up Chicharito for the winner against Atletico Madrid and scored both the goals against Juventus, an effort that eventually went in vain.
Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Luis Suarez – Signing Of The Season?
Probably one of the most effective signings of the season, Luis Suarez justified his move from Liverpool after clinching the treble with Barcelona. Ruled out due to his suspension following the a biting incidenta in the World Cup, the Uruguayan international made his debut for the Catalans against Real Madrid but failed to make an immediate impact. But the striker did eventually go on to script a highly successful season with the Catalans after managing to score the winning goal in the Champions League finals against Juventus. Suarez also scored the winner in the El Clasico, a match that went a long way into deciding the fate of the Spanish La Liga title.
Suarez will probably be best remembered for demolishing David Luiz in the Champions League tie against PSG as he nutmegged the Brazilian twice to give Barcelona a crucial 1-3 advantage going into the second leg of the tie. His partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar remains one of the most lethal attacking units in Europe and the trio look set to reap in the honours at Camp Nou in the years to come.
Special Mention
- Alexandre Lacazette (Olympique Lyon)The 24 year old French striker completed a stellar season after scoring a total of 27 goals in 33 league appearances. Alexandre Lacazette led Lyona s charge in the French league but had to contend with a second place finish. The striker will probably be fondly remembered for his hattrick against LOSC Lille and is being linked with a move away from Lyon as top European clubs show interest in the striker.
- Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)The 21 year English striker burst into the scene this season after scoring 21 goals in 34 league appearances. One of the top young talents in Europe, Kane is being touted as the next big thing in English football as clubs reportedly line up for his services for the coming season. Kane made headlines with his performance against Arsenal and Chelsea in the second half of the season, scoring two goals apiece as he led Tottenham Hotspur to a 5-3 win over Chelsea and a 2-1 win over Arsene Wengera s side. The Englishman is being linked with a move to Manchester United this summer as Ed Woodward reportedly opens negotiations for the Tottenham Hotspur striker.