Team of the Week: Mbeumo and Piroe Impress with Perfect 10s, While Raphinha Comes to the Rescue Once More

The weekend has come to a close, and it’s time to unveil our latest Team of the Week. In this edition, we’ve awarded two players with a perfect 10 rating, along with standout performances from some familiar faces.

Goalkeeper

Keylor Navas (Newells Old Boys) 9.2

It’s wonderful to witness 38-year-old Keylor Navas continuing to perform at an elite level in the Argentine Primera División. In the latest round, he showcased his skills as Newells Old Boys managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Union de Santa Fe.

Navas delivered an outstanding performance, making 13 saves while only conceding once despite facing an expected goals on target (xGOT) of 2.9. He’s still got it!

Defence

Marash Kumbulla (Espanyol) 9.1

Espanyol, competing in LaLiga, clinched a crucial 1-0 victory against Getafe last Friday, moving them further away from the relegation zone.

Albanian centre-back Marash Kumbulla was the standout performer, scoring the only goal of the match. While goals are rare for him, he now has three in the league this season, with this being undoubtedly his most significant.

Ibanez (Al Ahli) 9.7

Former Roma defender Roger Ibanez earned an impressive rating of 9.7 in the Saudi Professional League after scoring two first-half goals in Al Ahli’s 5-0 thrashing of Al Fayha on Friday.

Ivan Toney, remember him? He also scored in that match, while Riyad Mahrez was instrumental, assisting three goals.

Adrien Truffert (Rennes) 9.2

By their standards, Rennes have struggled this Ligue 1 season, but a crucial derby victory against Nantes (2-1) has all but assured their safety.

Captain Adrien Truffert played a key role by scoring early and providing an assist for Rennes’ late winner, netted by teenager Mohamed Meite.

Midfield

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) 10

Brentford might not be making headlines in the Premier League, but Bryan Mbeumo is having a breakout season in West London.

The French-Cameroonian international netted a brace and assisted another as the Bees triumphed 4-2 over Brighton on Saturday. Mbeumo now has 18 league goals and six assists, making this his most prolific scoring season yet.

Evander (FC Cincinnati) 9.1

Brazilian midfielder Evander has made a seamless transition from Portland Timbers to FC Cincinnati, already hitting the ground running at his new club.

He scored twice as his side edged past Chicago Fire 3-2 in the latest MLS round. Evander’s tally stands at six goals in seven matches this season, proving to be a shrewd acquisition for Cincinnati.

Isco (Real Betis) 9.3

Real Betis moved closer to clinching European football with a commanding 3-1 victory at Girona, with Isco shining as the standout performer.

The Spanish veteran marked his 33rd birthday by providing the assist for the opener with a precise corner delivery before scoring the third goal with a deft header.

Assane Diao (Como) 9.1

Attacker Assane Diao has emerged as one of Serie A’s breakout stars this year, having netted eight goals for Como since joining from Real Betis during the winter transfer window.

This past weekend, Diao was again a key player, scoring two goals as Como thrashed Lecce 3-0.

Forwards

Raphinha (Barcelona) 9.4

Barcelona’s talisman Raphinha has been in sublime form this season, playing a pivotal role in their comeback victory over Celta Vigo, winning 4-3 after trailing 1-3.

He converted the penalty that clinched the win in the 98th minute and had also scored his side’s third goal in what was a thrilling encounter.

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP) 9.0

It comes as no surprise that Viktor Gyokeres keeps finding the net—he’s been making waves this season. The towering Swede netted a hat-trick for Sporting as they overcame Moreirense 3-1.

Sporting are currently level on points with local rivals Benfica at the top of Liga Portugal in what is shaping up to be an exhilarating title race. Gyokeres has an astonishing 34 league goals in 29 matches, with four more rounds to play.

Joel Piroe (Leeds) 10

Usually, we overlook second-tier competitions in our Team of the Week, but we’re making an exception here for a notable reason. Dutch striker Joel Piroe bagged four first-half goals, ensuring Leeds’ return to the Premier League as they hammered Stoke 6-0 on Monday.

While Leeds awaited Burnley’s result against Sheffield United to confirm both clubs’ promotion, it was indeed Burnley who clinched victory, securing Leeds’ spot in the top-flight for the next season.