The second in this list is Kyiv Dynamo midfielder Olexander Aliyev, with only Venezuelan striker Juan Arango of Borussia Monchengladbach in front.
The overused phrase “the Beast from the East” often refers to a glacial weather front, a heavy metal album or a Russian boxer. However, it could just as easily be used to describe the cannonball shooting of the Ukraine attacking midfielder Oleksandr Aliyev.
For all the weaknesses that his critics constantly accuse him of – hot-headedness and inconsistency among them – the one charge they cannot lay at his door is powder-puff free-kicks. Vapour trails come as standard with his right-footed rockets.
He also has the ability to administer alternative punishments, such as the deceptive, floating cross-shot or the delicate clip over the wall.
In 2010, when he was playing in Russia, fans of Lokomotiv Moscow were invited to a special screening of his act, where they were able to marvel at countless reruns of his guile and execution.
Behind Aliyev are: Francesco Lodi (Catania, Italy), Michel Bastos (Lyon, France), Benat (Real Betis, Spain), Matias Fernandez (Fiorentina, Italy).
