Best of 2024/25: Top Scorers, Playmakers, and Goalkeepers in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues

As the 2024/25 season draws to a close, it’s time to spotlight the best individual performers across Europe’s top 5 leagues. From ruthless goalscorers to magical assist kings and rock-solid goalkeepers, here are the standout players who defined this season.

Wild Mbappé, Ageless Salah & Overperforming Schick – The Top Scorers of 2024/25

Kylian Mbappé once again proved why he’s one of the deadliest finishers in the world. Despite an expected goals (xG) tally of 25.9, the Real Madrid star netted 31 goals, topping the Golden Boot race across Europe.

If goals matched expected value, the crown would have gone to Robert Lewandowski, who registered a staggering xG of 27.1 but scored 27. However, Mbappé’s overperformance put him firmly at the summit.

An even bigger xG miracle came from Patrik Schick, who scored 21 goals with an xG of just 12.7 – a difference of +8. His clinical finishing helped him sneak into the elite list.

There weren’t many surprises in the top ranks, but a few names stood out. Ante Budimir, Mason Greenwood, and Serhou Guirassy all hit 21 goals, with Guirassy making the top scorer list for the second consecutive season. Also worth highlighting is Mateo Retegui, the lone Serie A representative in the top 10.

Salah the King, Lukaku the Overperformer – 2024/25 Assist Leaders

Mohamed Salah wasn’t just about goals this season – he also ruled the assist charts with 18 assists and led in expected assists (xAG) with 14.2. It was a complete creative campaign from the Liverpool legend.

Hot on his heels were Michael Olise (15 assists) and Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation from Barcelona with 13 assists.

The biggest surprise of the season? Jacob Murphy. At 30, the Newcastle winger delivered a career-best performance, finishing fourth with 12 assists. Meanwhile, Antonee Robinson stood out as the only defender across all top leagues to provide 10+ assists.

Ligue 1 added some spice to the list with several unexpected names – two of them even made the top 7, including Bradley Barcola.

When it comes to assist overperformance, Romelu Lukaku leads the pack: he delivered 10 assists from just 4.0 xAG. Close behind are Robinson (+5.8), Anthony Elanga (+5.3), and Florian Wirtz (+5.0).

From Meret to Neuer – Clean Sheet Kings of the 2024/25 Season

Goalkeepers from Serie A dominated the clean sheet race, taking 5 of the top 11 spots. At the top of the list were Alex Meret (Napoli) and Mile Svilar (Roma) with 16 clean sheets each. However, Meret played four fewer games, making his 47.1% clean sheet rate even more impressive.

Speaking of efficiency, the best clean sheet percentage belongs to Manuel Neuer. At 39 years old, the Bayern legend kept 13 clean sheets in just 22 games, a 59.1% rate. Had he not missed time due to injury, he might have topped the list outright.

Notably absent from the ranking? Any goalkeeper from Ligue 1. Instead, the top keepers came from Serie A (5), La Liga (2), Premier League (2), and Bundesliga (2).

Key Takeaways

Mbappé outperformed everyone to claim the scoring title, while Schick was the overperformance king.
Salah led in both goals and assists, marking one of the most complete individual campaigns.
Serie A’s goalkeepers ruled defensively, but Neuer reminded everyone that age is just a number.

As Europe’s top players recharge ahead of the new season, these names have set the benchmark. Who will rise next year?

Published by Patrick Jane
04.06.2025