Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Champions League Team of the Week - Jamal Musiala, Jadon Sancho, Vinicius Junior

sportsmole.co.uk, 2 May 2024, 08:57
Both Champions League semi-finals are delicately poised ahead of the second legs next week.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played out a 2-2 draw at Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their last-four clash, with Vinicius Junior netting a brace for the La Liga giants.

Borussia Dortmund then recorded a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their semi-final in Germany, so the Bundesliga outfit will head to Paris next week with a narrow advantage.

Here, Sports Mole selects its standout XI from the first legs of the 2023-24 Champions League semi-finals, with a number of players putting in excellent performances.

DEFENCE

There were only four goalkeepers to choose from, and neither Manuel Neuer nor Andriy Lunin particuarly stood out for Bayern or Real Madrid, while Gianluigi Donnarumma was not overly busy for PSG.

Gregor Kobel is the player to get the nod between the sticks, with the 26-year-old playing an important role in Dortmund's 1-0 success over PSG, making three saves in total, while he was also commanding from high balls into his penalty box and is the only goalkeeper to have kept a clean sheet in this season's semi-finals.

There are also two Dortmund defenders in the XI, with Nico Schlotterbeck and Ian Maatsen both in strong form on Tuesday night. The former actually provided the assist for Dortmund's winning goal, while he made three tackles and boasted a pass success rate of 87% during a strong performance. Maatsen was also impressive, contributing both offensively and defensively to what was a solid display from BVB.

PSG's Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos complete the defensive lineup, with the duo two of the French club's strongest performers in the narrow loss in Germany. Hakimi hit the post in the second half of the contest and for the most part defended impressively, while Marquinhos was excellent in the middle of the back four and produced a standout block in the second period to deny Julian Brandt what looked to be a certain goal.

MIDFIELD

Emre Can is also included for his performance in the Dortmund midfield against PSG, with the 30-year-old getting through a huge amount of work, and his constant running and protection of his back four were key contributors for the Bundesliga giants on Tuesday night.

Toni Kroos also had to make it, with the experienced midfielder in excellent form against Bayern. The 34-year-old provided a sensational assist for Vinicius to make the breakthrough at Allianz Arena, while he boasted a pass success rate of 96% during a stunning midfield performance against Thomas Tuchel's side.

The final midfield spot is awarded to Jamal Musiala, who was excellent for Bayern on Tuesday night. The Germany international caused Real Madrid's stand-in right-back Lucas Vazquez all sorts of issues, and he won the penalty for Bayern to score their second at Allianz Arena. The 21-year-old also completed 31 of his 35 passes during a mature performance for the Munich giants.

ATTACK

Vinicius Junior sails into the side, with the Brazilian coming up with a brace against Bayern on Tuesday night. The forward's first was a cool finish past Neuer, and he then held his nerve to score from the penalty spot. Vinicius is undoubtedly now one of the best players in world football, and he again showed his class in this match.

The final two spots in the attack are taken up by Dortmund players, with Leroy Sane incredibly unfortunate to miss out after a strong performance for Bayern.

Niclas Fullkrug could have had a hat-trick against PSG, with the forward missing a couple of excellent chances, but he did find the back of the net in the first half with an excellent finish. It was a true centre-forward's performance from the 31-year-old, who occupied PSG's centre-backs and also brought his teammates into the match.

Jadon Sancho simply had to be included, meanwhile, due to his standout performance against PSG. The on-loan Manchester United attacker had 12 successful dribbles, while he completed 51 of his 58 passes and should have had a couple of assists. The 24-year-old has had a tricky couple of years, but he was back to his best in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with Nuno Mendes struggling to contain him.

SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK

Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (4-4-2): Kobel; Hakimi, Schlotterbeck, Marquinhos, Maatsen; Can, Kroos, Musiala; Sancho, Fullkrug, Vinicius

Top News

25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur defender Sergio Reguilon is allegedly hoping to agree to the mutual termination of his contract. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim will look to claim his first win as Manchester United head coach when his side welcome Bodo/Glimt to Old Traffordfor Thursday's Europa League contest. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been accused of 'thinking about himself' by fellow club legend Jamie Carragher. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On matchday five of the Champions League, Dinamo Zagreb will welcome inconsistent Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Jamie Carragher has revealed he's been left 'very disappointed' by Mohamed Salah after he delivered a huge Liverpool contract update. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has revealed he played over an hour with a broken ankle against Manchester City. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Austrian champions Sturm Graz are set to welcome Spanish side Girona to Worthersee Stadion on Wednesday in their fifth Champions League fixture of the season. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Curtis Jones currently tops an important midfield metric thanks to an impressive season with Liverpool thus far. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Millwall will look to extend their eight-game unbeaten run when they travel to Fratton Park for Wednesday's Championship clash with Portsmouth. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No doubt one of the most eagerly-awaited battles of the 2024-25 Champions League, six-time winners Liverpool and 15-time champions Real Madrid collide in Wednesday's mouthwatering Anfield showdown. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways when they host Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk At risk of a scarcely believable sixth straight loss in all competitions, a wounded Manchester City take on Feyenoord in the Champions League league phase on Tuesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh from a first Premier League victory in weeks, Arsenal's next Champions League quest on Tuesday night sees them visit a Sporting Lisbon side who have won a staggering 14 home games on the spin. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Philips Stadion on matchday five of the Champions League this wednesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Strong starters Monaco welcome an in-form Benfica side to the Stade Louis II on matchday five of the Champions League on Wednesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly included defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night's Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Luka Modric has named a star-studded six-a-side team of footballing legends but there's no room for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City's Champions League encounter with Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday is "a must-win for many reasons", Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have received a double injury boost ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Feyenoord at the Etihad. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Resuming their debut Champions League campaign, Aston Villa will tackle Serie A giants Juventus on Wednesday evening, when Unai Emery must make a couple of big selection calls. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Istanbul Basaksehir and Petrocub Hincesti are winless in this season's Conference League heading into Wednesday's matchday four encounter at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 talksport.com A non-league side have been able to see the funny side after their pitch was left underwater by Storm Bert. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly prepared to reject any offers for William Saliba, who is attracting interest from Real Madrid. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Premier League clubs are not renowned for their patience when firing managers, and we've just had our second sacking of 2024/25. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Liverpool have the chance to go 11 points clear of Premier League champions Manchester City when the two sides meet this weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly involved in the race for the services of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with Chelsea keen on the player. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkish giants Besiktas are reportedly interested in signing Fulham winger Adama Traore in the January transfer window.