Dylan Bettencourt
The UEFA Champions League has produced several players who stood out and many stars exceeded expectations.
Below is Scrolla.Africa’s Champions League team of the group stages.
Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy
The Chelsea shot-stopper has cemented his place as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Senegalese footballer, with four clean sheets in five matches, had the most clean sheets in the group stage.
Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Despite only playing three matches the English defender managed to get three assists, only one assist behind the second-placed tally. With his Liverpool team in fine form, expect to see plenty more exceptional balls into the box from the young right-back.
Centre-back: Tiago Djalo
The 21-year-old defender has shown maturity way beyond his years in Lille’s table topping group stage run, conceding only three goals in the five matches he played. The Portuguese defender has been an integral part of the French side’s run thus far.
Centre-back: Marquinhos
The Brazilian defender has been the glue that holds the shaky PSG defence together, playing every minute of this season’s campaign thus far and captaining his side to a second-place finish behind Manchester City.
Left-back: Joao Cancelo
The Portuguese left-back is in the form of his life and has established himself as one of the best players in the world. The Manchester City defender scored two goals and assisted three to have a hand in 30% of his side’s goals during the group stage.
Midfielder: Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku has displayed scintillating form throughout the season, scoring seven goals and three assists in just six games. The Frenchman was perhaps the player of the group stage, but his RB Leipzig side finished the group in third place which sent them to the UEFA Europa League.
Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has not been in the best form in the Premier League, but his Champions League form has been impressive, assisting six goals in just five appearances. This puts him at the top of the assists table. The midfielder has been pulling the strings for Manchester United who finished top of their group.
Right-wing: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Champions League icon came to Manchester United’s rescue on several occasions with his six goals in just five appearances. He scored late winners or equalisers in four of the English side’s clashes during the group stage.
Left-wing: Leroy Sane
The German international has been unplayable during the group stages, scoring five and assisting five goals during Bayern Munich’s whitewash of Group E. Sane contributed 50% of the side’s goals in the opening six games.
Striker: Sebastian Haller
Without a doubt the player of the Champions League group stage, Haller scored a whopping ten goals and managed two assists for a brilliant Ajax team. Haller became only the fourth player to score 10 goals in the group stages and only the second to score in every group stage game.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski
The Polish striker is doing what he does best, which is to score goals. He scored nine of them and recorded four assists. Lewandowski played a part in 60% of Bayern Munich’s goals as the 33-year-old shows why he is one of the best footballers in the world.
