All eyes are on Saturday’s final in Istanbul, Turkey, but statistics experts Sofascore have already rounded up the best eleven in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Manchester City and Inter Milan, who will contest Saturday night’s final, take five of the eleven places, but there are plenty of other interesting team selections.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who is the league’s second-top goalscorer this season, is a surprising absentee, but there are plenty who will feel passed over.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli will all have grievances when they see the complete ‘Best XI’ thrown up by Sofascore.
Here, Mail sports reveals the full breakdown of Sofascore’s top rated team of the tournament, in their 4-2-3-1 formation.
Erling Haaland (right) gets honors in Sofascore’s Champions League Team of the Tournament
GOALKEEPER: Andre Onana (Inter Milan) 7.45
No one has made more saves in this year’s tournament than Onana’s 45 – and it’s safe to assume he’ll be a busy man in the final too.
Onana’s 45 saves put him ahead of Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) and Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge) in the standings, and he has scored just 10 goals all tournament.
His eight clean sheets from 12 games is a tournament highlight.
BACK RIGHT: Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli) 7.41
Di Lorenzo was one of many bright spots in Napoli’s brilliant season as they progressed further than ever in the Champions League.
With a passing accuracy of 85.5 percent, he was effective in possession, plus two goals and two assists show productivity in the final third.
CENTER BACK: Ruben Dias (Man City) 7.41
Dias is a rock in this Manchester City side and may not get the credit he deserves with so much firepower around him.
His 59-ball recovery is second only to Rodri and it is he who has played a team-high 958 minutes in the tournament this season.
Mr. Reliable for Pep Guardiola.
Ruben Dias (left) has played a team-high minutes on his way to this year’s final in Istanbul
CENTER BACK: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) 7.33
Another central defender who still has a chance to win it all.
Only 24, Bastoni is one of Europe’s rising stars and was crucial in Inter’s rock solid defense on their way to Istanbul.
He can boast a 19-tackle squad and has been a go-to anchor alongside Francesco Acerbi at back for Simone Inzaghi.
BACK LEFT: Alex Grimaldo (Benfica) 7.33
No one in Benfica’s ranks has provided more assists this year than the four left-back Grimaldo.
Add to that his two goals and the 27-year-old has been a constant threat to opposition defenders.
Expect Benfica to fend off bids for Grimaldo this summer.
DEFENSIVE CENTER: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) 7.37
Toni Kroos has been a part of Real Madrid’s acclaimed midfield for the past decade and has once again proven his class this year – even as the Spanish giants were torn to pieces in the semi-finals.
Kroos is approaching the final years of his career, but his composure on the ball and his telepathy with Luka Modric remain immensely valuable.
Both Kevin De Bruyne (left) and Toni Kroos (right) have scored high enough to make the XI
DEFENSIVE MIDDLEFIELD: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) 7.77
There is a reason why Barcelona are so eager to sign Kimmich this summer.
No player was higher than Bayern Munich’s star in Sofascore’s team of the tournament.
A brilliant spoilsport, he is equally adept at leading a game and setting the pace in possession.
An experienced campaigner.
RIGHT ATTACKS MIDDLEFIELDER: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) 7.38
With the imminent arrival of Jude Bellingham, questions have been raised about Valverde’s role going forward.
He is extremely talented and talent always wins in the end.
Maybe lucky to be ahead of Salah, mind you.
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDDLEFIELD: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) 7.69
One of the best players in the world right now.
He is the tournament leader in assists this season with seven and is the metronome of Guardiola’s double-winning side.
An obvious – and necessary – inclusion.
Kylian Mbappé is one of the best in the world and beats Mohamed Salah in attack
LEFT ATTACKING MIDDLE FIELD: Kylian Mbappé (PSG) 7.53
Ranked third in the score charts, there are very few players in world football who can effectively go step by step with the PSG superstar.
Mbappe v Haaland feels like the age-old duel of this generation and the biggest problem facing the French is that PSG just can’t get over the hump in this competition.
But individually? He is not of this world.
STRIKER: Erling Haaland (Man City) 7.50
However, only one man could take the lead.
After a record-breaking season, it is Haaland who tops the table with a score of 7.50.
He is the top scorer of the competition and is in the final. As for individual campaigns, this is one for all ages.