The Europa League Team of the Week was selected based on Flashscore’s player rating system.
Goalkeeper
Noah Atubolu (Freiburg) 8.0
Goalless draws aren’t usually a fan favourite, but for a goalkeeper, a clean sheet is always a reason to be pleased.
In the Viktoria Plzen vs Freiburg match, both keepers were in top form, each preventing nearly 1.5 expected goals.
The 23-year-old German edged it, saving all seven shots on target and playing a big part in Freiburg’s build-up with an impressive 70 touches. He did make one significant error, but ultimately kept his goal intact.
Defenders
James Tavernier (Rangers) 8.4
Fans at Ibrox will remember him most for converting the penalty, but that wasn’t his only contribution to Rangers’ first point in this season’s Europa League.
No one saw more of the ball, was fouled as often, or completed as many dribbles or passes in the opposition third – without Tavernier, the draw with Braga simply wouldn’t have happened.
Murillo (Nottingham Forest) 8.1
A key figure in Forest's recent results, and again on Thursday night. The defensive organiser would have surpassed 100 touches if not for a late injury that forced him off.
Even so, he completed over 70 accurate passes at a success rate above 90%, and won every aerial duel and tackle he attempted.
Juan Miranda (Bologna) 8.5
The 25-year-old Spaniard produced a brilliant ball that allowed Thijs Dallinga to restore the lead just minutes into the second half.
That was the phase when Bologna settled the match, but Miranda’s work was far from done. While he wasn’t the most imposing defensively, he dominated the left flank from end to end.
Midfielders
Federico Bernardeschi (Bologna) 8.8
His header expertly met Nadir Zortea’s cross-field pass, making it 3-1 and putting the game beyond the opposition’s reach.
But Bernardeschi’s intelligence wasn’t limited to that moment – his vision was on display with five valuable cross-field balls, and he really should have come away with at least one assist.
Corentin Tolisso (Lyon) 9.5
The match against Maccabi was almost too easy for Lyon, and Tolisso’s hat-trick – the first of his career – looked like a training ground exercise.
Three close-range finishes weren’t all: the 31-year-old had five shots on target, and considering he played less than an hour, the feat was even more impressive.
Gabriel Veiga (Porto) 8.7
Veiga's runs into the box proved deadly for Nice and their manager, who resigned after the defeat to Porto.
His instinct set the tone after just 20 seconds, with him firing low from the edge of the area to open the scoring. Half an hour later, a rocket into the top corner left the keeper no chance, and he could – or perhaps should – have finished with an assist as well.
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) 8.9
Donyell Malen wouldn’t have had his brace without Rogers’ bold play before the break.
Although he only played an hour, he could have left the pitch with not just one but up to three assists – he was the home side’s biggest threat in the final third and was decisive in the win over Young Boys.
Forwards
Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart) 9.0
Just minutes before being substituted, the 21-year-old got on the scoresheet in a convincing win in Deventer, earning his place in his team’s triumph.
He tormented the Go Ahead Eagles' defence, won four duels, completed two successful dribbles, and his surges down the right repeatedly tore holes in the opposition’s shape.
Petar Stanic (Ludogorets) 8.5
You know the saying “a penalty isn’t a goal yet”? Petar clearly doesn’t, as he ruthlessly converted both his spot-kicks against Celta Vigo.
The brace from the spot wasn’t all – he also scored a spectacular long-range effort after a short corner, netting all three of Ludogorets’ goals against the Spanish visitors.
The only thing missing was taking a shot in one more promising situation.
Pavel Sulc (Lyon) 9.8
The Flashscore system awarded him the highest rating of any player in Thursday’s Europa League action. We didn’t make Sulc the main headline, but the score is fully justified: in less than an hour, he created three excellent chances, providing two assists.
When someone completes just a handful of accurate passes but is the key figure in attack, it’s hard to find fault with such a performance.