The top 10 most creative players in the Champions League

A look at the 10 players to have created the most chances from open play in the Champions League so far this season.

The Champions League returns next week as the Round of 16 gets underway - and we've dived into the numbers to find out who the most creative players have been so far.

Holders Chelsea are among the teams to have progressed from the group stage, but Thomas Tuchel's side do not have a player to feature on this list. Three teams have two players among the top 10, however, while two of the players' teams no longer remain in the tournament.

Here are the top 10 players with the most shot-creating actions this season.

10. Daniel Parejo

Villarreal’s Daniel Parejo kicks off the list with 24 shot-creating actions in the Champions League this season. The Spanish holding midfielder also picked up two assists in the group stages as Villarreal qualified in second place, behind Manchester United.

9. Memphis Depay

Despite Barcelona finishing third in their group and slipping into the Europa League, Memphis Depay still makes his way into the top 10 most creative players. The 27-year-old produced 26 shot-creating actions throughout the group stages, despite Barcelona only managing to score two goals.

8. Claudinho

Zenit might not have qualified from their group, but they were still a lot of fun with the goals they scored. The Brazilian playmaker had 26 shot-creating actions, as well as chipping in with two goals.

In Zenit’s 3-3 draw with Chelsea, Claudinho scored Zenit’s opening goal and produced five key passes in a standout performance.

7. Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish’s £100million move hasn’t quite materialised like many would have hoped so far, but his creative numbers in the Champions League rank among the best in Europe. Grealish has two goal contributions in Europe this season while producing 26 shot-creating actions.

6. Kingsley Coman

Bayern Munich cruised to the top of their group with maximum points and Kingsley Coman managed to produce the most shot-creating actions in their side, with 26. The French winger has three goal contributions in Europe this season from just 296 minutes of football.

Bayern Munich are one of the favourites for this year’s competition and will face RB Salzburg in the round of 16.

5. Riyad Mahrez

Manchester City’s second player on the list, Riyad Mahrez has also produced 26 shot-creating actions in the Champions League. The Algerian winger finished the group as City’s top scorer with five goals as they edged past PSG to top the group.

4. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is arguably the most complete striker currently in world football. Not only does he rank among the best strikers for his goal output, but his creative stats are also fantastic. Benzema finished the group as Madrid’s top scorer with five goals and also came up with 28 shot-creating actions.

In La Liga this season, Benzema has an impressive 24 goal involvements from just 21 matches and is currently the league's top scorer.

3. Steven Berghuis

Ajax swept their way through Group C, winning all six of their matches in convincing fashion. Steven Berghuis produced 29 shot-creating actions for the Dutch side, while also coming up with four goal contributions.

The 29-year-old has been a key creative component for Ajax and has linked up well with Sebastien Haller, who is currently the competition's top scorer with 10 goals.

2. Dusan Tadic

Next up on the list is Berghuis' Ajax team-mate Dusan Tadic. The Serbian playmaker has 34 shot-creating actions in this year's competition, which ranks him as the second most creative player so far.

Tadic is having a wonderful season with Ajax in the Eredivisie where he has scored seven goals and got 15 assists in 21 appearances. Ajax face Benfica in the round of 16 and they currently sit top of the Eredivisie.

1. Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior currently tops the list for the most shot-creating actions in the Champions League with 35 this season. The Brazilian winger also ranks second for successful dribbles with 22 and produced five goal contributions throughout the group stages.

The expectations on Vinicius Junior have always been high, but this season he has properly established himself as a first-team regular. In La Liga, he has 12 goals and five assists in 21 appearances. Real Madrid face a mouth-watering round of 16 tie against PSG, where some of the best-attacking quality in Europe will be on display.