Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has provided the most assists in football. The Argentina captain has tallied 390 assists in his record-breaking career for club and country.

Messi ended his maiden league campaign with PSG with 15 assists in 26 Ligue 1 outings. This includes a hat-trick of assists for his new club against Clermont Foot in April 2022.

His hat-trick of assists for PSG was the sixth instance in his career where the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner provided three assists in a single game. Furthermore, Messi also became the first player to rack up a hat-trick of assists for two different clubs, having previously done it for FC Barcelona.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil tops the list for most hat-trick assists in football. Ozil has done it on eight occasions, and Messi's recent hat-trick of assists saw him join former team-mate Cesc Fabregas on six career assist hat-tricks.

Messi is also the top assist provider in the history of Spanish La Liga. The 35-year-old forward has tallied a whopping 193 assists in Spain’s top-tier football league; a number which is significantly higher than the second-placed Xavi (117) on the list.

Bayern Munich’s creative engine, Thomas Muller is second on the list with 296 career assists. Meanwhile, Messi’s former teammate and current Gremio frontman, Luis Suarez is third on the list of most assists in football. The Uruguayan has recorded a total of 285 assists to date. 

Juventus and Argentina winger Angel di Maria is fourth on the list with 277 assists. Following the former Paris Saint-Germain star is his former Real Madrid teammate and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has provided 268 assists in his career. 

Most assists in football

Featured photo: AFP / Ben Stansall

It is quite rare that a Germany national football team heads into a major international tournament like the Euro 2020 as an underdog. Even though Germany are the joint-most successful side in the UEFA European championships with three titles alongside Spain, not much is expected of them in the upcoming Euros. 

Since winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Germany have experienced a bit of a lull compared to their impeccably high standards. The Die Mannschaft were knocked out in the group stage at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

Germany were also thrashed 6-0 by Spain in the UEFA Nations League last year - their worst defeat since 1931. They also recently suffered a 2-1 loss to minnows North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifiers, indicating that the European heavyweights aren’t at their ruthless best at the moment.

These results, in fact, have forced Joachim Low to step down as Germany head coach with former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick set to take charge after the Euros.

Joachim Low and his men are placed in Group F, which is considered the group of death at Euro 2020. Germany’s group features world champions France, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Hungary.

Germany have announced an experienced squad for Euro 2020, recalling World Cup winners Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels after a two-year absence. Low has also added Monaco striker Kevin Volland, who has not played for Germany since 2016, as well as the Bayern Munich teenager Jamal Musiala.

Germany squad for Euro 2020 

Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno, Manuel Neuer, Kevin Trapp

Defenders: Matthias Ginter, Robin Gosens, Christian Gunter, Marcel Halstenberg, Mats Hummels, Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule

Midfielders: Emre Can, Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz, Jonas Hofmann, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Florian Neuhaus

Forwards: Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala, Timo Werner, Leroy Sane, Kevin Volland

SWOT Analysis of Germany Euro 2020 squad

Strength

Germany have several quality midfielders in their squad for the upcoming UEFA European championships. With the likes of Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz and Leon Goretzka, they have depth and a variety of options to choose from.

The team also possesses world class wingers who can change the complexion of the game with their speed and trickery in the wide areas. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller are all household names in world football and it’s safe to say that opposition defenders will be far from keen when it comes to facing them.

Weaknesses

However, the Die Mannschaft lacks a traditional No. 9 in the mould of Robert Lewandowski or Harry Kane. The form of Chelsea forward Timo Werner is also a concern for Joachim Low’s side. Werner has failed to live upto the expectations since his transfer to Chelsea at the start of last season. 

He’s lacked confidence in front of goal and was guilty of missing an easy opportunity during Germany’s recent loss against North Macedonia. The German defence has also been vulnerable in recent times having kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 outings.

Opportunity

Since people have unusually low expectations from the German side this time around, the players can take this opportunity to express themselves on the field as they look to rally around the coach to give him a perfect send off.

Furthermore, Germany will play all its group games and a potential quarterfinal at home in Munich. This will give them an added advantage.

Threat

Germany scored a whopping 30 goals in their eight UEFA European Championship qualifying matches. This figure has been bettered by just one team in the groups of teams who played only eight games and that was England. 

Captain Manuel Neuer will hope that his team can rediscover their Midas touch in front of goal at Euro 2020 as they bid to become the most successful team in the history of the competition. Germany will begin their Euro 2020 campaign against world champions France at the Allianz Arena on June 16.

Featured photo: THILO SCHMUELGEN / POOL / AFP

Bayern Munich were crowned German champions for the 30th time in the club's history on Tuesday as the Bavarian giants secured an eighth straight Bundesliga title.

Here, we look at three key players from Bayern's league-winning campaign:

Alphonso Davies

Davies has undoubtedly been Bayern's find of the season.

The 19-year-old, who was born in a Ghanaian refugee camp before his parents emigrated to Canada, joined Bayern in 2018 from Vancouver Whitecaps for an MLS record fee of $13 million (11.5 million euros).

He only made his first Bundesliga start last October, converting from a left-winger to a left-back, after Lucas Hernandez suffered an ankle injury.

Davies has made the position his own, with his lightning pace either covering holes in defence or launching counter-attacks.

"We can no longer imagine the team without him," admitted Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

He is exceptionally fast, prompting Thomas Mueller to nickname him "Bayern's Road Runner".

"You set a new record of 36.51km/h..."

"Really?!"

Look at @AlphonsoDavies' reaction when he's told the speed he clocked during the game

Not even he can believe that pic.twitter.com/aPj1PK47bD

�?Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) June 16, 2020

The Canadian clocked 36.51 km/h in the victory over Werder Bremen which secured the title. With Davies at left-back, David Alaba has moved across to forge a solid centre-back partnership with Jerome Boateng.

It left Hernandez, who cost a club-record 80 million euros from Atletico Madrid, as a very expensive substitute after recovering from injury.

Thomas Muller

Muller has been back to his very best since being reinstated into the regular starting XI by Hansi Flick following the sacking of Niko Kovac last year.

He was vocal in his criticism of being used mainly as a substitute under Kovac.

Bayern have barely looked back since he was given a run of starts under Flick.

Mueller has scored seven league goals, while many of his 20 assists this campaign -- one short of the league record -- were finished off by Lewandowski as the pair quickly re-established their prolific partnership.

Due to his constant chatter, Muller has the nickname "Radio Paehl" -- referring to the sleepy Bavarian town he hails from -- and he has been back to his jokey best in post-match interviews.

He described playing behind closed doors as like "old men's football, 7pm, under floodlights".

Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski is enjoying the best scoring season of his career with 31 league goals and 46 in 40 games in all competitions.

The 31-year-old has already equalled the Bundesliga record for a foreigner, set by Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2016/17 season for Borussia Dortmund.

Gerd Mueller's Bundesliga record of 40 goals from the 1971/72 season looked in danger when Lewandowski set a new record by scoring in the first 11 league games of the campaign.

Lewandowski is set to win the Golden Cannon as the Bundesliga's top scorer for the fifth time -- only Mueller has won more with seven.

But both Mueller and Lewandowski are approaching the twilight of their careers, and Bayern are looking for long-term replacements with Manchester City winger Leroy Sane and Bayer Leverkusen attacker Kai Havertz both reportedly in their sights.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Martin Meissner

There might be no fans in the stadiums but the Bundesliga knows the world is watching and on Tuesday Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller was part of its charm offensive.

Because of the global pandemic, the German top-flight is the only top-level game on the planet and football fans everywhere are watching. 

After scoring the only goal as Bayern won a crunch match in Dortmund, Joshua Kimmich displaced Donald Trump as the top-trending subject on Twitter in the US.

Cue Bayern veteran Mueller smiling and joking as he reached out to international viewers with a post-match interview in almost faultless English.

Muller is known in his own country as an interviewee with a sense of humour. 

After the victory, he beamed as he faced a microphone and happily showed off his German sense of humour as he talked about the length of Roman Buerki's arms and compared teenage team-mate Alphonso Davies to the Roadrunner, complete with sound effects.

Go to 1:10 of Thomas Muller's post-match interview for discourse on Alphonso "MEEP MEEP MEEP" Davies pic.twitter.com/oncokOKLW3

�?The18 (@the18com) May 26, 2020

Mueller described Kimmich's game-winning lob over home keeper Buerki as "having a long hang time" while miming watching the ball pass over his head.

"I had a good feeling," he said. 

"Roman Buerki is a great keeper but one of his strengths is that he is maybe one of two steps outside his goal because maybe he has not got the longest arms so with these one of two steps he tries to have a better angle and Joshua saw that."

The interviewer quickly asked about the impressive and pacy Canada wing-back Davies, who tracked back to tackle a counter-attacking Erling Braut Haaland in the first half.

"A player with a lot of heart and with extreme power," said Mueller, a 30-year-old Germany international. "Although sometimes he has not the best position." 

"When the opponent thinks 'Oh, I have time,' 'meep, meep, meep' the Roadrunner comes and steals the ball."

Mueller was pleased with his team's display in a game in which both teams showed occasional signs of rust.

"We did a great performance. With the ball perhaps not our best, but with our heart and that's the most important thing," said Mueller, tapping his chest.

"This game is maybe the decider and we won it. It's a great feeling"

"It looks better than before."

Feature image courtesy:  AFP / Federico Gambarini 

Thomas Mueller expects Bayern Munich's showdown behind closed doors at closest rivals Borussia Dortmund in a week's time to decide who wins the Bundesliga title.

Goals by Robert Lewandowski and Benjamin Pavard sealed a 2-0 win for Bayern at Union Berlin on Sunday as the German top-flight restarted behind closed doors.

The result in Berlin maintained Bayern's four-point lead at the top of the table after the league took a two-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second-placed Dortmund smashed Schalke 4-0 on Saturday with Erling Braut Haaland opening the scoring before Raphael Guerreiro netted either side of a Thorgan Hazard goal.

Dortmund host Bayern on May 26 and Mueller expects the potential top-of-the-table clash to be a key factor in determining whether Munich will go on to clinch an eighth straight league crown.

Read | Bundesliga without fans like 'old man's football', says Mueller

"The match in Dortmund will decide how exciting and close it will be in the next few weeks, that's for sure," said Mueller.

Former Dortmund striker Lewandowski netted a first-half penalty for Bayern on Sunday for his 26th league goal this season, taking him one closer to Gerd Mueller's record of 40 in the 1971-1972 season.

Aked if the Pole could overtake Mueller's 48-year-old record, Bayern coach Hansi Flick said: "It won't be easy, but he (Lewandowski) has the quality.

"If anyone can do it, he's the one."

In Dortmund, Haaland also continued his phenomenal scoring record with his 10th goal in nine Bundesliga games since arriving from Red Bull Salzburg in January.

In total, the lanky 19-year-old Norwegian has now scored 41 goals in 34 games in all competitions in 2019/20.
The drubbing of Schalke was the heaviest defeat dished out in the Ruhr derby since 1966.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said he received congratulatory text messages from football luminaries including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

"Perez even wrote that he was very happy" about the "exceptionally good performance by our team", Watzke told the Bild daily.

However, the Dortmund chief drew the line at suggestions the emphatic win was a direct challenge to Bayern.

"No. We played the first game after the coronavirus break under exceptional circumstances - that's all," said Watzke.
Last season, Dortmund threw away a nine-point lead when their form dipped in early 2019, allowing Bayern to win the title by two points.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christof Stache

Thomas Mueller joked that the Bundesliga without fans feels like "old man's football, 7pm, under floodlights" after Bayern Munich brushed aside Union Berlin 2-0 behind closed doors on Sunday.

A first-half Robert Lewandowski penalty and a late Benjamin Pavard header sealed Bayern's win in front of empty terraces in Berlin.

The result leaves defending champions Bayern four points clear as the German league restarted this weekend after a two-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 virus.

However, Mueller admitted it was strange to play Union behind closed doors at their compact Alten Foersterei stadium, which is usually packed with 22,000 passionate home fans.

"It felt a bit like the atmosphere you get for old man's football, 7 pm, under floodlights, but as soon as the ball started to roll, the game took our focus," said Mueller.

The Bundesliga became the first top European league to resume this weekend, using draconian hygiene guidelines, regular testing of players and insisting on games in near-empty stadiums.

Hugging, embracing and handshakes were also banned. 

"There were a few butterflies before the restart, wondering how it would go, like before the first game of the season in August," said Mueller.

"I wasn't worried about anything going wrong, everything was explained clearly to us.

"Union Berlin, just like us, were well prepared, no handshakes before kick-off etc."

Mueller said the defending champions were just happy to win their first game after the restart to keep them on course for an eighth consecutive league title.

"We came here with the goal of getting the three points," added Mueller.

"We had a bit more security after the second goal."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Hannibal Hanschke

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Mueller has emerged as an unexpected fan of India's bid for glory at the Cricket World Cup.

Mueller revealed India captain Virat Kohli had often supported the German national football team in the past, so he has returned the favour by backing the two-time World Cup winners.

The 29-year-old, himself a world champion with Germany in 2014, took to social media on Monday to declare his support for India, who start their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Southampton on Wednesday.

I wish all participants of the Cricket #WorldCup2019 good luck & thrilling matches. Especially I cross my fingers for @imVkohli, the captain of the Indian team. He`s a fan of @DFB_Team and supported it multiple times in the past �? #Cricket #GermanyCheersForIndia #esmuellert pic.twitter.com/hwS4apAlIE

�?Thomas Müller (@esmuellert_) June 3, 2019

Alongside a picture of him wearing an Indian cricket shirt and holding a bat in one hand, Mueller tweeted: "I wish all participants of the Cricket #WorldCup2019 good luck & thrilling matches. 

"Especially I cross my fingers for @imVkohli, the captain of the Indian team. He's a fan of @DFB_Team and supported it multiple times in the past #Cricket #GermanyCheersForIndia."

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / Christof Stache