Di Maria, Not Messi, Has Created the Most Opportunities in Europe This Season

Angel Di Maria was substituted off early due to injury during Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 win over Dijon FCO last Saturday but his impact this season cannot be denied.

The 32-year-old has scored 12 goals and recorded 20 assists in all competitions this season but there’s another stat that better encapsulates how vital Di Maria has been for PSG.

According to the CIES Football Observatory (via L’Equipe), over the past year, Di Maria has created 32 goal-scoring opportunities, which comes out to be one ever 82 minutes. That’s the most of any player in Europe’s top five leagues, including FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Di Maria’s compatriot does get the best of him when the data point is expanded to the past five years. In that time frame, Messi created 158 opportunities (one every 90 minutes) while Di Maria is second with 109 opportunities (one ever 100 minutes).

Hopefully, Di Maria can recover from his thigh injury against Dijon and will be able to feature against Borussia Dortmund on March 11 in a pivotal UEFA Champions League match. His decisiveness and playmaking ability will be useful as PSG attempts to come back from a 2-1 loss to the Germans.

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Tags Angel Di Maria Barcelona Dijon FCO Lionel Messi
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