Champions League Team of the Week

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Champions League Team of the Week

Much was decided in the last round of Champions League fixtures, with as many as 13 of the 16 knockout round qualification places now filled.

The fact that one of them was not taken by Chelsea on Tuesday night following a defeat in Turin ultimately cost Roberto Di Matteo his job, despite the fact that the Blues look likely to end the group on 10 points. However, as the Italian looked set to become the first ever manager to exit the competition at the group stage having been victorious the previous season, Abramovich wielded the axe yet again.

While there was plenty to discuss off the pitch, a number of players were doing their talking on it and here we analyse the best statistical performances from Matchday Five of Europe's elite club competition.

Between the posts, PSG's Salvatore Sirigu had a busier night than many would have expected as the French league leaders faced somewhat of an onslaught from their Ukrainian hosts Dynamo Kiev. The Italian shot stopper has been in and out of form this season but produced five saves to ensure his side kept a clean sheet and picked up a somewhat fortunate 2-0 win, having mustered just six shots all game compared to the home side's 18.

While both played their part in keeping clean sheets for their respective sides, the best full-backs in this week's fixtures also earn a place in our statistical XI due to their attacking exploits. Barca's Dani Alves was able to thrash home a stunning opener on the half volley in Moscow, while also making three tackles and having 93 touches of the ball in a the convincing 3-0 win.

Meanwhile, youngster Lucas Digne's continued development has been a real highlight to an otherwise disappointing campaign both at home and abroad for Lille. The left-back's latest display helped his side to a first win in this season's Champions League. With four tackles and two interceptions to his name, the teenager crossed to set up the visitors' second goal of the game, which eventually proved enough to ensure victory over BATE Borisov.

Javier Mascherano made eight tackles, with no other player managing more in the Champions League this week, to ensure a statistical rating of 8.2 from WhoScored. Another centre-back to stand out once again was Dortmund's Mats Hummels, whose four tackles, five interceptions and 13 clearances were central to an imperious display that included an assist for Mario Götze's goal, as the German champions romped to victory over Ajax.

Meanwhile, it is fair to say that the midfielders had their time to shine in the previous round of matches, with Shakhtar's Willian again proving why he has so many top clubs drooling right now. Another brace, having bagged two in the Ukrainian champions' previous outing at Stamford Bridge, saw the Brazilian move up to third in the ratings in WhoScored's Champions League player statistics page. His second was a real beauty from the edge of the box and ensured the playmaker found the net with both of his shots on Tuesday, while he also registered an assist for what was a farcical opener from Denmark's most hated man, Luiz Adriano.

Another wide man to impress earlier in the week was Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli, who may have thought that his 77th minute goal would secure a memorable victory over last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich. Although that dream proved to be short lived, with the away side equalising just five minutes later, Feghouli was still the star man on the night, completing five successful dribbles and working hard the other way to win four tackles.

Statistically the best performer this week, perhaps putting in one of the top displays in the competition thus far, was Porto's Joao Moutinho. The diminutive Portuguese scored a superb free-kick and supplied two sublime assists in a comfortable 3-0 win over Dynamo Zagreb, but his outlay didn't end there. Only one player had more touches in the Champions League this week than Moutinho's 142, and with a 92% pass accuracy the midfielder created six chances for teammates - again the second most in the competition on Matchday Five.

Chilean Arturo Vidal again proved too hot to handle for Chelsea, netting Juve's second goal of the game and playing an exquisite through ball for Sebastian Giovinco's late prod past an onrushing Petr Cech. The South American had three shots in total, created four chances for team-mates and ended the game with a 94% pass accuracy to earn a man of the match rating of 9.3 from WhoScored.

In attack, playing in support of Rafael Bastos, CFR Cluj's Rui Pedro became the sixth player already to net a Champions League hat-trick this season in the 3-1 win over Braga, doing so in just 33 minutes. Only four players managed to net three goals in a group stage game last season, with Pedro's first half feat yet another display of expert finishing in the competition this year.

Completing our statistical XI is Lionel Messi, whose 79th goal of the calendar year was inevitably followed by an 80th. When netting in any competition this season, having done so in 12 matches for his club, Messi has gone on to score two or more goals in all but one game. You will struggle to find a worse strike of the ball from the Argentinian than his first against Spartak, though the second was trademark Messi, tip-toeing round the keeper to tap home into an empty net.

However, while Messi continues to strengthen his claim as the greatest player of all time, it was Moutinho whose stock may have raised the most after Matchday Five in the Champions League, which Spurs will note with regret after failing to sign him on deadline day.


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Champions League Team of the Week