RANKED! The top 10 attacking trios in Europe this season
We've crunched the numbers to find each side's most potent three players in Europe's top five leagues
Three, famously, is the magic number. Whether it's the Godfather trilogy or the Sugababes, good things have historically come in threes - and attackers are no different.
But the front three has taken on a mythology in recent seasons. Having a triad of forwards is more than just having a skeleton key to unlock defences: a front three can actually define the very brand of your club.
With so many stunning attackers in Europe, who makes it into the defining attacking trios on offer this season? Some of these players don't even play in a front three together - but we've ranked them on the goals scored between them.
10. Atalanta
Combined goals: 49
Trio: Luis Muriel (22 goals), Duvan Zapata (17 goals) and Robin Gosens (10 goals)
If Atalanta are known for one thing, it's that they're free-scoring. The Bergamo minnows have been impossible to defend against under Gian Piero Gasparini and their overloads have seen them net more than any other Serie A side this season.
The most prolific three players are Luis Muriel, Duvan Zapata and Robin Gosens. Though Gosens plays at wing-back, behind the likes of Mario Pasalic and Matteo Pessina, he's weighed in with a score of strikes this season to provide La Dea with a triad of very different attacking threats.
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9. Inter Milan
Combined goals: 50
Trio: Romelu Lukaku (27 goals), Lautaro Martinez (17 goals) and Achraf Hakimi (six goals)
Antonio Conte has favoured a 3-5-2 at Inter Milan, as i Nerazzurri waltz towards a first Scudetto in over a decade. When you have Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku in your arsenal, you only really need two players up front.
The pair work in perfect balance; one offers quicksilver pace and movement while the other bullies and batters. Perhaps surprisingly, new signing Achraf Hakimi has chipped in with the third-most goals, offering another goal threat from out wide.
8. Borussia Dortmund
Combined goals: 51
Trio: Erling Haaland (33 goals), Jadon Sancho (12 goals) and Marco Reus (six goals)
Erling Haaland is carrying Borussia Dortmund's goal supply. The lanky Norwegian has scored 33 times this season - more than any two of his teammates combined.
Still, the front three of Haaland flanked by Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho has become a familiar sight to Dortmund fans. It's one of the most recognisable attacks in Europe right now but the goals are certainly weighted towards one of the three more than the others.
7. Manchester United
Combined goals: 52
Trio: Bruno Fernandes (24 goals), Marcus Rashford (20 goals) and Edinson Cavani (eight goals)
Manchester United's search for the perfect attack has been on quite the unexpected journey this season. We've seen Marcus Rashford start in all three positions up front, Anthony Martial flicker on the left and up front, while Mason Greenwood has struggled to replicate last season's hot streak. Even Paul Pogba has played out left.
By the goals only though, the best triad of attackers still revolves around 24-goal Bruno Fernandes, with Rashford and Edinson Cavani in support. United will likely be looking for a striker to replace Cavani this summer and a right-winger - which makes sense, according to this metric, at least.
6. Liverpool
Combined goals: 52
Trio: Mohamed Salah (28 goals), Sadio Mané (12 goals) and Diogo Jota (12 goals)
It's official: Roberto Firmino has been ousted from Liverpool's best front three. Well, according to goals at the very least.
The Brazilian has always been about far more than just his potency in the penalty box, however, making Liverpool's top three attackers less of a surprise than first thought. Mohamed Salah scoring over double what Sadio Mané could put up, though? That maybe wouldn't have been something Reds fans thought they'd see this season.
5. Barcelona
Combined goals: 53
Trio: Lionel Messi (29 goals), Antoine Griezmann (14 goals) and Ousmane Dembele (10 goals)
Barcelona's struggles since MSN disbanded have been well-documented. With Lionel Messi the last man standing of that iconic attack, MDG - which doesn't have quite the same ring to it - is Barca's current front three of choice.
Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann have 28 goals between them in all competitions, one short of the otherworldly Messi's own total of 29. It's not the only reason for the club's decline but Barcelona's attack is one of the best in Europe once again, at least according to pure numbers.
4. Tottenham Hotspur
Combined goals: 54
Trio: Harry Kane (29 goals), Son Heung-min (19 goals) and Gareth Bale (10 goals)
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are quite possibly the best attacking duo that the Premier League has ever seen. Add Gareth Bale and you have the fourth-most prolific trio in Europe.
Bale struggled early in the season but his post-Christmas pomp has delivered 10 goals, at least. The three of them may have had even more goals, too, had it not been for somewhat defensive tactics from the dugout...
3. Juventus
Combined goals: 61
Trio: Cristiano Ronaldo (32 goals), Alvaro Morata (17 goals) and Federico Chiesa (12 goals)
With Juventus swivelling to centre their entire team around the talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, we've seen a big shift in how the Old Lady get their goals. It used to be Gonzalo Higuain, Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala firing Juve to titles - the introduction of a Galactico changed all that.
Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa have supplemented Ronaldo's 32 in all competitions, which of course includes penalties.
2. Paris Saint-Germain
Combined goals: 62
Trio: Kylian Mbappé (33 goals), Moise Kean (16 goals) and Neymar (13 goals)
Moise Kean was playing second-fiddle to Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Everton - not that there's anything wrong with that - but less than a year later, he's in a front three with the two most expensive players of all time.
Paris Saint-Germain revolves around Kylian Mbappé and Neymar - that's what happens when you sign two players for over £350m - but Kean has broken into Mauricio Pochettino's plans this season and proven himself to be a worthy third wheel. With these three, PSG have power, movement, creativity and the instinct for goal in abundance.
1. Bayern Munich
Combined goals: 64
Trio: Robert Lewandowski (40 goals), Thomas Muller (14 goals) and Serge Gnabry (10 goals)
Consider, too, that Bayern Munich have Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala as options in their frontline, too.
It's perhaps no surprise that Thomas Muller's renaissance and Serge Gnabry's continued excellence have meant that Bayern have the best attack on the continent this season. Factor in 40 goals thus far from Robert Lewandowski and you realise how they swept all before them last season. Just an unstoppable force.
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.