Champions League team of the week: Matchday 1

The Champions League group stage is up and running. Once again,the action didn’t disappoint.

We had European giants going head to head at the Allianz Arena, players coming back to haunt their former clubs at the Parc des Princes, and a goalkeeper scoring a goal at the Stadio Olimpico.

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Yes, matchday one really had it all and, after all of that, we at 90min have built a team out of the best performers from the opening round of games.

GK: Ivan Provedel (Lazio)

Ivan Provedel of SS Lazio celebrates at the end of the the...

Goalscorer / Insidefoto/GettyImages

In the 94th minute of Lazio’s opening group game against the mighty Atletico Madrid, Provedel became fourth goalkeeper in history to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League.

If that doesn’t get you into a team of the gameweek then we don’t know what will.

RB: Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

Achraf Hakimi

Hakimi starred against his former club / Christian Liewig – Corbis/GettyImages

Achraf Hakimi seems to have taken his exclusion from 90min’s 2023 Welcome to World Class XI quite personally, putting in a barn-storming performance against Borussia Dortmund to prove why he should’ve been ahead of Kyle Walker in our rankings.

His goal and the three chances he created for his teammates earned him a player of the match gong against his former club.

CB: Milan Skriniar (PSG)

Milan Skriniar

A solid outing for the new signing / Catherine Steenkeste/GettyImages

In his first continental game for PSG, Milan Skriniar proved why the French giants wanted him at the club so badly.

The defender completed 97% of his passes, won five duals and won the ball back for his team an impressive seven times. In short, he put on a clinic.

CB: Fikayo Tomori (Milan)

Fikayo Tomori

Clean sheet / Alessandro Sabattini/GettyImages

Without Fikayo Tomori in the lineup, AC Milan conceded five goal a thumping defeat at the hands of Inter at the weekend.

With Tomori in the lineup, Milan kept a clean sheet in their opening Champions League game against Newcastle United.

That alone tells you how good Tomori is.

LB: David Raum (RB Leipzig)

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One of Leipzig’s star performers / RONNY HARTMANN/GettyImages

A consistent performer in Bundesliga for the last few seasons, and he brought that form into the Champions League on Tuesday.

The full-back was one of three RB Leipzig defenders to bag a goal contribution in the win over Young Boys – creating one of Leipzig’s three goals.

CM: Vitinha (PSG)

Vítor Ferreira

Another PSG player / Lionel Hahn/GettyImages

The 23-year-old has taken the reins of the PSG midfield since Marco Verratti’s departure, and has taken to the leadership role like a duck to water.

He dictated the tempo of the game against BVB, even getting himself an assist for his troubles.

CM: Rodri (Man City)

Rodri, Jean-Philippe Krasso

The best midfielder in the world / Alex Livesey – Danehouse/GettyImages

The best midfielder in the world.

It’s not even up for debate at this point.

The dynamic defensive midfielder was at his brilliant best in midweek, scoring a goal and totally dominating the middle of the park in the way only he can.

AM: Julian Alvarez (Man City)

Julian Alvarez

In-form / Alex Livesey – Danehouse/GettyImages

Julian Alvarez is bang in-form right now, bagging five goal contributions in his last five games.

His latest two were goals in the win over Crvena Zvezda at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Alvarez is very, very, very big time.

RW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal and Saka impressed / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Arsenal were seriously good against PSV Eindhoven in their first game back in the Champions League, and that was in large part thanks to the brilliance of Bukayo Saka.

The ‘starboy’ got a goal and an assist and utterly terrorised Sergino Dest throughout his 70 minutes on the pitch.

ST: Joao Felix (Barcelona)

Joao Felix

New signing / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

Joao Felix is certainly making the most of his “dream” move to Barcelona, isn’t he?

The loanee was in irrepressible form in the thumping win over Royal Antwerp, scoring two goals and creating another in a 5-0 win.

LW: Galeno (Porto)

Galeno

Porto’s star man / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages

Like Joao Felix, Galeno also scored a brace and got an assist in his team’s win in midweek.

The Brazilian helped Porto to a 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Volksparkstadion – Donetsk’s adopted home for the UEFA Champions League this season.

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Source of the article

Author: XenBet