Assist givers in the big four leagues in Europe

They are the ones that assist the strikers, and they chip in goals occasionally. Here are the top assist givers in the big four leagues in Europe in the current 2014/15 football season, writes Laolu Olugbenga

Barclays Premier League:

1. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea): Having signed from Barcelona in the summer, Cesc Fabregas leads the way with the most premier League assists, chipping in with 16 in 26 appearances. His assists have been vital for the Blues in their race for the title, as his combination with Diego Costa has been key to Jose Mourinho’s men picking up points. He has also chipped in with two goals, creating 76 chances as well as completing 1806 passes with a pass accuracy of 86%. A whopping 78% of those were forward passes.

2. Angel Di Maria (Man U): The Manchester United man is second on the list with 9 assists in 21 league appearances. He has not been in the form he would have wanted, but El Fideo has still been one of the League’s best midfielders. He came off the bench to assist Juan Mata’s winning goal against rivals Liverpool. He has also scored three goals, creating 46 chances and completing 588 passes with a 77% accuracy, of which a solid 76% were forward passes.

3. Leighton Baines (Everton): The Everton left-back continues to prove just why he is the League’s best left back. At 30 years old, Baines has featured 25 times this season, giving 8 assists. He has won 37 tackles of which 59% were successful. He has made 37 interceptions, 97 clearances and six blocks.

4. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea): The Swansea midfielder has continued to impress this season. The 25- year-old has made 25 appearances in the premier League. Sigurdsson has scored 5 goals this season, creating 58 chances and registering 8 assists. The Iceland midfielder has completed 744 passes with a pass accuracy of 85%, 64% being forward passes.

5. Santi Carzola (Arsenal): The Arsenal midfield dictator has been the drive behind the Arsenal team, assisting Arsenal’s second goal in the 2-1 win over Newcastle. Santi has found the back of the net 7 times this season, creating 63 chances and chipping in with 8 assists. The maestro has also completed a staggering 1,381 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 88%, highlighting his importance to the Gunners.72% of those passes have been forward passes.

Spanish La Liga:

1. Lionel Messi (Barca): The diminutive Argentine craftsman has been in fine form in 2015. Messi has played 28 games this season for Barca, registering 15 assists to go with being the League’s top scorer with 32 goals. He has created 72 chances for his teammates. He also boasts a 64% shooting accuracy and his passing accuracy is 82%.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): CR7 ranks second place on the Liga assists chart, putting in 11 assists in 25 games for Real Madrid. CR7 has also created 52 chances for his teammates and has a shot accuracy of 62%. His pass accuracy is 81% and he is second on the top scorers chart with 31 goals.

3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): The 27-year-old Frenchman is third on the list, appearing in 26 appearances for Real Madrid, and giving nine assists. Karim has also scored 13 goals, with a shot accuracy of 59%. He has created 40 chances this season and has a pass accuracy of 80%.

4. Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal): The Villarreal man has been key for the yellow submarines this season. Denis has racked in 9 assists, scoring four goals along the way. He has created 30 chances in his 24 appearances, with a pass accuracy of 69%. He also has a shot accuracy of 43%.

5. Isco (Real Madrid): The midfielder has made 26 appearances for Los Blancos this season. He has picked up 8 assists, scoring 3 goals all the way. Isco has created 39 chances and has an impressive pass accuracy of 88%. He also has a 65% shot accuracy.

German Bundesliga:

1. Kevin Bruyne (Chelsea): The Chelsea reject continues to prove his worth with Wolfsburg, leading the way with the most assists. Kevin has completed 873 passes all season, creating an impressive 81 chances and making 16 assists. He has a pass accuracy of 74% and has scored 9 goals.

2. Zlatko Junuzovic (Bremen): The Werder Bremen player has made 25 appearances in the Bundesliga, picking up 9 assists and scoring 5 goals. Zlatko has created 60 chances, has a 72% pass accuracy as well as a 60% shot accuracy.

3. Thomas Muller (Bayern): Muller has been one of Bayern’s main performers, making 25 appearances in the League. He has 9 assists to go with his 12 goals this season, with 35 chances created and a pass accuracy of 71%. He also has a shot accuracy of 63%.

4. Robert Firmino (Hoffenheim): A target for most clubs, Firmino has made 26 appearances for Hoffenheim, gathering 7 assists to add to his 6 goals. He has created 53 chances in the Bundesliga, and has a pass accuracy of 72%. He has a shot accuracy of 49%.

5. Arjen Robben (Bayern): The Dutch winger has made 21 appearances in the League for Bayern, scoring a whopping 17 goals and getting 7 assists. He has also created 50 chances for his teammates, picking up an 83% pass accuracy and a 60% shot accuracy.

                               Serie A:                                                                

1. Franco Vazquez (Palermo): The Palermo midfielder leads the way with 9 assists in 27 Serie A appearances this season. He has scored 7 goals, creating 46 chances with a pass accuracy of 79%. He also boasts a 42% shot accuracy.

2. Antonio Candreva (Lazio): The Lazio man comes in at second, with 7 assists in 24 Serie A games. He has also scored 6 goals, creating 38 chances with a pass accuracy of 82%. His shooting accuracy stands at 56%.

3. Carlos Tevez (Juventus): Carlitos has been arguably the best player in Serie A this season. The forward has made 26 appearances for Juventus all season, picking up 7 assists in addition to being the League’s top scorer with 16 goals. Tevez has created 51 chances with a pass accuracy of 84%. He also has a shot accuracy of 52%.

4. Paulo Dybala (Palermo): The young Argentine forward has been having a good season, making 27 appearances and registering 7 assists. He has also amassed 12 goals for Palermo, creating 42 chances in the process. His pass accuracy stands at 82% while his shot accuracy is 49%.

5. Marek Hamsik (Napoli): The Napoli midfielder has played in 26 games this season, bagging 7 assists. He has scored 5 goals, created 53 chances and has a pass accuracy of 82%. Hamsik’s shot accuracy stands at a decent 58%.