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The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League group stage concluded last week. Atletico Madrid went from being Group B wooden spoon holders to finishing second and qualifying for the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, five-time Champions League winners Barcelona could not book their place in the Round of 16.
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Household names like Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski made headlines in the Champions League group stage. However, some lesser-known players also shone brightly. Sebastian Haller, Christopher Nkunku, Tiago Djalo and Odysseas Vlachodimos are among a host of players who have had memorable Champions League campaigns.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been prolific for their new clubs in the Champions League so far. Will that be enough to earn them a place in our hypothetical team of the group stage? Let’s find out.
Note: 4-4-2 formation has been considered to accommodate the most number of attacking players.
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois has gone slightly under the radar since his lacklustre first season at Real Madrid. Since then, he has firmly established himself as one of the finest shot-stoppers in European football.
Courtois has kept four clean sheets in six Champions League games this season, a joint-highest. While Manuel Neuer and Edouard Mendy also kept four clean sheets, Courtois made far more saves (22) than the pair.
Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos has identical stats with Courtois in the Champions League in terms of clean sheets and saves made. However, the Real Madrid goalkeeper conceded just three goals compared to Vlachodimos’ nine.
Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold (2019 Champions League winner)
Much has been made of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role in Gareth Southgate’s England side. Arguably the best right-back in the world since 2018, Alexander-Arnold is an absolute weapon for Liverpool in the Champions League.
Despite featuring in just three Champions League group games this season, the 23-year-old racked up three assists. No defender made more assists than him in this season’s competition.
Liverpool rank second in terms of average possession (59.5%), and Trent Alexander-Arnold is a major reason for that. The Liverpool academy graduate completed over 70 passes per game.
Centre-back: Andreas Christensen (2021 Champions League winner)
Andreas Christensen is far from Chelsea’s first-choice centre-back in the Premier League. However, he was a rock at the back for the Londoners in the Champions League group stage.
In five games, the Danish defender helped keep three clean sheets. He led the way for balls recovered (33) and tackles won (5) for Chelsea in the continental competition.
Andreas Christensen also scored a sublime volley against Malmo, timing his run to perfection. Before their 3-3 draw against Zenit, Chelsea had conceded just once in the group stage, thanks to Christensen.
Centre-back: Marquinhos
Marquinhos had a great Champions League group stage campaign. Although PSG conceded eight goals, Marquinhos went about his business as usual.
The PSG captain made 30 ball recoveries, won all attempted tackles, and cleared the ball a whopping 32 times. His passing was also top-notch. The 27-year-old completed 387 passes with a 92% success rate. He also bagged an assist.
Marquinhos is a big-game player; he’s only the third player ever to score in the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final in consecutive seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann are the other two.
Marquinhos was not only PSG’s best defender, but also ranked highly in each metric when compared to other centre-backs. His defensive ability, combined with his passing and leadership, helped him make this hypothetical XI.
Left-back: Joao Cancelo
Joao Cancelo is traditionally a right-back, but he is versatile enough to operate at left-back. Due to Manchester City’s left-back woes and Kyle Walker’s success on the opposite flank, Cancelo has tied down his place on the left side of City’s defence.
Having conceded ten goals in the Champions League group stage, Manchester City weren’t among the best defensive teams in the competition. Like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cancelo’s attacking prowess earns him a place in this hypothetical team, though.
The Portuguese defender registered three assists, the same as Alexander-Arnold, albeit in two more appearances. Cancelo made 34 ball recoveries in the 2021-22 Champions League, more than any of his Manchester City teammates.
Right Midfielder: Mohamed Salah (2019 Champions League winner)
Mohamed Salah’s exploits this season have earned him plaudits from fans and critics alike.
Considered one of the best players in the world, Salah has scored seven goals in the Champions League this season. In the process, he became the first Liverpool player to do so.
The Egyptian winger ranks joint-third for goals this Champions League campaign. He has made 23 dribblers, 17 more than the next-best Liverpool player. The Liverpool No.11 has made the seventh most dribbles as well.
In this hypothetical team, the Liverpool forward slots in on the right side of midfield. He has a history of tracking back to help out Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he would have to do just that in this setup.
Central Midfielder: Toni Kroos (four-time Champions League winner)
Toni Kroos could stake a firm claim for a place in the Champions League team of the 2010s. A four-time Champions League winner, Toni Kroos seems to be back to his best this season.
With a passing percentage of 92.2 in the Champions League this season, Kroos has run the midfield with stupendous efficiency. For a midfielder with close to 400 attempted passes, having a successful passing rate in excess of 90 is hugely commendable.
The German technician has scored a couple of goals this season, one with each foot. Real Madrid have been impressive in 2020-21, leading La Liga and winning their Champions League group.
Central Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes would partner Toni Kroos in a very attack-minded midfield in this hypothetical Champions League team of the group stage. By this point, it should be clear that selection is solely based on individual performances.
The Manchester United attacking midfielder has made the most assists in the Champions League this season, setting up six goals. Although he makes many optimistic passes, he still has a success rate of 79%.
He is yet to open his account in the Champions League this season. However, he has formed a lethal pairing with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored six goals this term. The duo will be crucial to Manchester United’s Champions League Round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid.
Left Midfielder: Leroy Sane
Leroy Sane seems to have finally found his mojo at Bayern Munich. The former Manchester City winger has registered five goals and four assists in the Champions League this season.
He narrowly edges fellow Bundesliga midfielder Cristopher Nkunku for a spot in this hypothetical lineup.
Sane is the second-highest goalscorer for Bayern Munich, only behind Robert Lewandowski, this season. Three of his five strikers came from outside the 18-yard area. He also made four assists, more than Lewandowski and Muller combined.
The 25-year-old was also quite successful in going past opposition defenders, registering 16 dribbles in the Champions League group stage. He wreaked havoc against Benfica with a couple of goals and an assist.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski (2020 Champions League winner)
Robert Lewandowski has been the talk of the town for the last couple of seasons. The Polish poacher has scored nine goals in the Champions League this campaign. He was the second-highest scorer in the group stage.
Bayern Munich made a mockery of Champions League Group E, winning all games in a group that included Barcelona and Benfica. Lewandowski scored in all but one of those six games.
The 2019-20 Champions League top scorer (15 goals) is well on course to top his tally, having netted nine times already. Lewandowski is likely to add to that tally in the Round of 16 clash against RB Salzburg. He also has a couple of assists under his belt this season.
Striker: Sebastian Haller
Sebastian Haller’s presence in the Champions League team of the group stage is non-negotiable. The group-stage top scorer (ten goals) has simply been sensational in his debut campaign in the competition.
Alongside Liverpool and Bayern Munich, Haller’s Ajax endured a perfect group stage campaign, winning all six games. The Ivory Coast international had a fair spread of goals, scoring off either foot or head.
The former West Ham striker scored in all six group games this campaign. His most memorable performance was his four-goal rout of Sporting. Haller’s pass percentage (81.3%) this season is also spectacular for a target man.
