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Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid
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He might have his haters, but Cristiano Ronaldo has performed sensationally in the Champions League once more. A return of 10 goals from 12 matches saw the 30-year-old hit double figures in the competition for a fourth straight season. Meanwhile, his individual brilliance unlocked the door in a tight quarter-final against city rivals Atletico as Ronaldo bamboozled the Rojiblancos defence before teeing up Javier Hernandez to fire Real to victory.
Ronaldo then scored a goal in each leg of that dramatic semi-final against Juventus. Sadly for the Portugal captain, it wasn’t enough to save an otherwise disappointing Blancos. Nevertheless, the record breaker easily deserves his place in our Team of the Year.
Forward: Lionel Messi – Barcelona
If any one player has outshone Ronaldo in this year’s Champions League, then it has to be his fiercest rival. Barcelona have been phenomenal in 2015 and Lionel Messi has re-established himself as the world’s greatest talent.
Make no mistake; the growing confidence of Neymar, and the relentless work ethic of Luis Suarez have played a telling role. But it is the Argentina superstar who has spearheaded Barca’s route to a potential treble. Like Ronaldo, Messi boasts 10 goals in this year’s competition and will be determined to get on the scoresheet in Berlin.
When you also consider he additionally sits joint top of the assists chart with five, it would be physically impossible to leave the magician out of this XI.
Striker: Carlos Tevez – Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri has really improved the Old Lady during his first season, leading them to within 90 minutes of a history making treble. Arguably his biggest success, though, has been to unleash the full potential of star striker Carlos Tevez.
The Argentine forward had been very good throughout his time in Italy, but this season has seen him reach new heights in Turin. His Champions League displays have been nothing short of exceptional. Tevez has netted seven of Juve’s 16 goals this term, which has been a massive factor in their phenomenal run to the final.
Furthermore, his infectious style of play has certainly rubbed off on his teammates this season. There were a number of other candidates for this role in the team, including Barca pair Suarez and Neymar, but Tevez has to get the nod.
Substitutes
Danijel Subasic (AS Monaco), Rafael Varane (Real Madrid), Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Nemanja Matic (Chelsea), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Neymar (Barcelona), Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk).
Manager: Luis Enrique – Barcelona
Our choice of formation has made a big impact on our managerial appointment too. It was always going to be one of the treble-chasing head coaches, who have both worked wonders in their first year’s at their respective clubs. It’s hard to dismiss Allegri’s achievements after Juve’s long absence from the latter stages, but Enrique‘s accomplishments are made even more impressive by the way he dealt with early criticisms.
The 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 formation has been the most commonly seen setup in this year’s Champions League and it’s also our choice as it enables us to get the best out of Ronaldo and Messi, whilst also adding the extra defensive stability of Casemiro in the middle.
He has already perfected a philosophy to get the best out of an incredible attacking trio and we’re trusting him to do the same again here. The Barcelona coach just gets the nod.
