Best XI: Who joins Bale in Champions League team of the week?
Gareth Bale ranks as WhoScored.com’s Champions League player of the week, with the Welshman setting the tone for an entertaining encounter between Legia Warszawa and Real Madrid very early on. He scored Real Madrid’s opening goal after just 57 seconds, the fastest Champions League goal in Real Madrid’s history - coming four seconds before Bayer Leverkusen’s win over Tottenham had even kicked off - as the Polish side and their Spanish counterparts played out an thrilling 3-3 draw at the Pepsi Arena.
The 27-year-old followed up his early goal with an assist for Karim Benzema with 10 minutes of the first half remaining as he played three key passes in total over the 90 minutes. Nine shots with four on target showed how frequently he tested Akradiusz Malarz in the Legia Warszawa net, while three dribbles and two interceptions contributed towards a WhoScored rating of 9.59.
Kevin de Bruyne features on the opposite flank having netted Manchester City’s winner in the 3-1 victory at Barcelona’s expense. De Bruyne bagged a free kick minutes after the interval and could have had a second midway through the second half having struck the woodwork before Ilkay Gundogan wrapped up a vital three points for Pep Guardiola’s side. While his attacking influence was actually limited, the Belgian was on hand to help his side defensively, making four tackles during his time on the pitch, a return bettered only by Sergio Busquets (5).
The duo are joined by Sevilla’s Steven N’Zonzi, who put in a man of the match display as the Spanish outfit romped to a 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. The Frenchman’s goal was the icing on the cake in what was a hugely impressive display from the former Stoke man, who had more touches (155) than any other player in the fixture. Three key passes, two successful dribbles, 60 successful final third passes - more than any other player in a Champions League match this season - and 142 attempted passes with a 92.3% success rate rounded off a superb night for N’Zonzi and Sevilla.
Porto’s Danilo Pereira completes the midfield with his display against Club Bruges helping the Portuguese side to a vital three points in their quest for progression to the knockout phase. Their Belgian counterparts adopted a direct approach in the European encounter, though that did not faze Pereira, who won nine aerial duels in the fixture. Two tackles, two interceptions and eight clearances also highlighted the 25-year-old’s defensive solidity, which contributed significantly to the win.
Group D duo Antoine Griezmann and Robert Lewandowski form the strike partnership in the XI, with the pair netting four goals between them as Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich secured 2-1 wins against FC Rostov and PSV Eindhoven respectively. Griezmann opened the scoring for the Spanish giants and bagged a late winner to confirm Atletico’s place in the next round of the Champions League. His two goals came from three shots on target, while had his teammates boasted their shooting boots, the Frenchman could have had an assist having played two key passes.
Lewandowski, like Griezmann, scored two goals from three shots on target, but on another day could have netted five having remarkably struck the woodwork three times in the Netherlands. Victory for Bayern also secured their place in the next round of the Champions League and now all that remains to be decided is who tops the group, with Atletico and Bayern still to play one another before the group stage comes to an end.
In the defence, it’s all about the Benjamins at full-back. Henrichs and Mendy were awarded the WhoScored man of the match awards as Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco secured victories over Tottenham and CSKA Moscow respectively. Teenage sensation Henrichs played a vital role in Bayer 04’s win as he limited Heung-Min Son’s influence from right-back, making eight tackles, four interceptions and four clearances.
Mendy, meanwhile, was an effective offensive outlet as Monaco all but guaranteed a place in the next round of the Champions League with a comprehensive 3-0 win, providing the assist for Falcao’s first and Monaco’s second in the victory. The left-back played four key passes over the 90 minutes and completed two dribbles, while he repelled the CSKA attacking threat with ease. The Russian outfit focused 39% of their attacks down their right flank, but Mendy was on hand to make two tackles, three interceptions and four clearances as the French side secured a clean sheet.
Like teammate Pereira, centre-back Felipe features in the team of the week after he played a vital role in Porto’s win over Club Bruges. Four tackles, three interceptions and nine clearances, coupled with two shots blocked, saw the Brazilian excel in the meeting. Zanka also thrived as FC Copenhagen played out a 0-0 draw with Leicester. No player has made more clearances in a Champions League match than the Danish defender against the Foxes (19) as Copenhagen improved their chances of finishing in the top two of Group G.
Experienced shotstopper Craig Gordon rounds off the XI, with the Scottish goalkeeper ensuring Celtic came away from Germany with a point in the 1-1 draw with Gladbach to keep their feint hopes of progression alive. The 33-year-old made five saves, claimed one cross and completed nine of his 15 attempted long balls in the stalemate.
Which Champions League players were you impressed by in gameweek 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
