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The 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stages are finally done and dusted, with 16 teams from eight groups sealing their qualification to the knockout stages. On Monday, 11 December, we will know which teams will face off in the Round of 16.
But before we calculate the permutations and combinations of which heavyweight teams could meet in the first round of the knockout stages, let's look back and recognise the best players of the competition over the past six matchdays.
Here is a Combined XI of the best players from the Champions League group stages.
Formation: 4-4-2
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper who made the most saves in the Champions League group stages was Qarabag FK' Ibrahim Sehic. The Bosnian shot stopper made a total of 34 saves in six games.
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Unfortunately, he also conceded 14 games. One can't blame him, the side from Azerbaijan were never favourites to qualify from a group consisting of AS Roma, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid.
Which is why the best goalkeeper in the group stages was Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German 'keeper conceded only one goal in 5 games.
Ter Stegen even managed to keep clean sheets in both fixtures against last year's finalists Juventus, making 2.6 saves per game.
Substitute: David De Gea (Manchester United)
Full-Backs
Although we were tempted to go with PSG's Layvin Kurzawa at Left-Back for his 3 goals, they all came against a very weak Anderlecht side. Which is why our choice for this XI is AS Roma's Aleksandar Kolarov.
The Serbian defender was instrumental in the Serie A side qualifying at the top of what was arguably the toughest group in the competition. The 32-year-old played in all six matches and finished with a goal and two assists.
His performance against Chelsea in the 3-3 draw was crucial to their topping the group as he came away from Stamford Bridge with a goal and assist. He also had an assist in the return leg against the Blues.
At Right-Back is a player who is perennially selected in such teams. He was a champion with Barcelona, Juventus made the mistake of letting him go, and he is now bringing his true worth to PSG.
Dani Alves also played all six games for PSG in the group stages, even getting on the score sheet twice - against Bayern Munich and Celtic.
The 34-year-old Brazilian completed 90 minutes in each game and even created 12 chances - the highest by any left-back in the competition.
He also made a total of 31 tackles and interceptions in the group stages.
Substitute: Layvin Kurzawa (PSG)
Centre-Backs
A number of sides kept many clean sheets over the six games in the group stages. And this season saw the youngsters play a starring role in the back-line.
Manchester City's John Stones was one of the best centre-backs over the course of the group stages with Pep Guardiola finally getting the best out of the English youngster.
What's more, the 23-year-old even managed to find the back of the net 3 times - against Feyenoord and Napoli. Among all players who scored more than once in the competition this season, Stones actually had the best conversion rate (75%).
At the back, he was rock-solid and was comfortable with the ball at his feet, boasting a pass percentage of 95%. He also made a total of 21 clearances.
His defensive partner is none other than Barcelona's rising star Samuel Umtiti. In five group games, he was part of a defence that conceded only one goal.
His discipline at the back was a star contrast to partner Gerard Pique who picked up yellow cards and even got sent off.
The French defender is sadly out for eight weeks and the Catalan club will hope he recovers from his hamstring injury before the knockout stages get underway.
Substitute: Pepe (Besiktas)
Midfield
Since we've gone with a 4-4-2, we picked one defensive midfielder and one attacking midfielder. And there was no better player to play in central midfield than Shakhtar Donetsk's Fred - a deep-lying playmaker.
The Ukrainian side was never expected to go through to the knockout stages with Manchester City and Napoli in their group but with 4 wins (including wins over City and Napoli), Donetsk are back in the Round of 16 for the first time since 2014/15.
Donestk always played a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation and the 24-year-old Brazilian partnered Taras Stepanenko who performed box-to-box duties. With 24 tackles and interceptions, Fred was also tasked with spreading play and even made 8 key passes in the group stages.
The 'no.10 role' was a fight between two great Premier League midfielders - Eden Hazard and Philippe Coutinho. This is the first time five English clubs have qualified for the knockout stages and these two play-makers played a huge role in the English Renaissance in Europe.
However, Chelsea's group was far tougher than Liverpool's and Hazard's brace against AS Roma in the 3-3 draw ensured the Blues came away with at least a point.
Substitute: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
Wingers
The Champions League group stages saw two summer signings in the wide-forward/winger positions that exceed expectations. The pair scored a combined 11 goals and lit up the competition with some standout performances that went a long way in justifying their price tags.
One one side was Neymar - PSG's record-breaking €222m signing who has already made mincemeat of France's Ligue 1, breaking records with every game he plays. Yes, PSG have a star-studded squad but it is the Brazilian who has been key to unlocking their potential.
The 25-year-old scored 6 goals and grabbed 3 assists as PSG topped their group ahead of Bayern Munich and helped break a club record as the team scored 25 goals in the group stages - their best ever return in a UCL campaign and they are yet to play the knockout matches.
On the other flank is Liverpool's Mohamed Salah who has announced himself not only in the Premier League but the Champions League as well. The Egyptian international scored 5 goals, netting against every opponent in the Reds' group.
“If he continued at this rate he would finish the season on something like 70 goals, which isn’t really likely.” - Jurgen Klopp
Salah has already scored 17 goals for the Anfield side in all competitions and even leads the Premier League Golden Boot race with 12 goals.
Substitute: Marlos (Skakhtar Donetsk)
Strikers
A number of strikers scored 6 goals in the group stages. But the best of the lot was undoubtedly Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane. With 2 assists to go with his 6 goals, Kane was Mauricio Pohettino's main man in what was a very tough group to progress from.
Pitted with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, the north London side surprised all by topping the group - even beating the defending champions at Wembley.
Kane kicked things off with a brace and assist against Dortmund before grabbing a hat-trick against APOEL and assisting in the win over Real in a superb counter-attack.
While many strikers scored six times, only one player scored more - Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese international scored 9 goals in the group stages and set a record by becoming the first player in Champions League history to score in every group stage game!
His struggles in La Liga this season have been well documented. However, the Champions League is where he truly came alive and he has now extended his goal tally in the competition to 114 goals.
The next best is Lionel Messi (97), who sadly has no place in this XI after scoring just 3 goals in six matches for Barcelona.
Substitute: Edinson Cavani
