Champions League team of the week: Jadon Sancho is back to his best

Goalkeeper: Gregor Kobel, Borussia Dortmund

From a small group of goalkeepers, only Dortmund’s Kobel kept a clean sheet. And if he could thank the post and the bar for that a few times – a Kylian Mbappé special rattled the woodwork at one point – he put in a solid performance in the Westfalenstadion. PSG rained fourteen shots on Kobel’s goal, but none went past. Kobel is the first Swiss goalkeeper to play in this stage of the competition and also showed his skills with the ball at his feet. Its reputation as one of the best on the continent is growing.

Defender: Achraf Hakimi, PSG

Mbappé’s best friend at PSG showed his importance as an attacking player, and it was along the right flank, his side, that PSG conjured up their most dangerous attacks. He even followed Mbappé by hitting the post as he followed the rebound to the Frenchman’s first shot. Against his former club and the threat of Karim Adeyemi, Hakimi was, as is so often the case, one of his team’s top players.

Defender: Eric Dier, Bayern Munich

The hype – at least in England – was that of a match between Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. But, barring the trash talk Bellingham took aim at Kane as his national captain took his penalty, the pair rarely taking center stage. Instead, in a battle that resembled a Euro-Clasico, it was the lesser-known Englishman who shone. Vinícius Junior scored twice, but Dier was not at the scene for either goal, reminding us of his considerable experience and know-how at top level.

Defender: Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid

Back in Germany, and against a Munich attack that has rediscovered its shooting boots, Rudiger showed the form and command that was so often on display as he led Chelsea to Champions League success in 2021. In a Madrid defense that has been depleted for much of the season, Rudiger was a leader. He managed to keep Kane quiet for most of the match, cutting the supply line to the striker, who had just 1.6% possession on the night – the lowest of any outfield player on the pitch.

Defender: Ian Maatsen, Borussia Dortmund

It may not top the list of mistakes Chelsea have made this season, as they are countless, but the sight of Maatsen in the Champions League semi-final was shocking. Maatsen, on loan from Chelsea, went man-to-man with Ousmane Dembélé, who is at his best on the big stage this season. Maatsen closed down Dortmund’s left side and also posed a significant attacking threat in the run forward. Maatsen was one of the top attacking full-backs in Europe this season, but it was the man-marking he performed with Dembélé that stood out on Wednesday. Dembélé was limited to one real chance, which he shot over the bar in the second half. Maatsen has spent the past two seasons on loan at Coventry and Burnley and was somehow deemed surplus to requirements by his parent club this year. It doesn’t seem like he’s coming back soon too. Good job, Todd.

Midfielder: Konrad Laimer, Bayern Munich

“Hunting like a dog” is how Thomas Müller described the Austrian’s performance in the first leg against Real. Bayern gained supremacy in midfield thanks to Laimer who cleared the second balls and shielded the back line. With Laimer attacking everywhere, Madrid had to play faster than they are used to. Ralf Rangnick is no longer allowed is set to replace Thomas Tuchel, but Laimer still seems guaranteed to be a mainstay for the next Bayern incarnation.

Midfielder: Toni Kroos, Real Madrid

The problem with facing Madrid is that they are keen to wait to seize the moment while their opponent dominates the match. Much of that can be attributed to the presence of Kroos, who showed against the club he left a decade ago that he is still supreme at picking out a key pass. Kroos, as he often does, dominated the ball and finished the match with an eye-watering 7.8% of total possession, the highest figure for any player in the knockout rounds of this season’s tournament. “Toni always makes it easy,” said Vinícius, who received the ball after the German spotted Kim Min-jae’s positional blunder and scored the opener. Carlo Ancelotti also beamed: “I have no words for Toni Kroos, he is crucial for us.”

Midfielder: Warren Zaire-Emery, PSG

Zaire-Emery became the second-youngest player to start the Champions League semi-final at 18 years and 54 days. The youngest was former PSG player Julian Draxler when he was at Schalke. And as for much of the season, Zaire-Emery looked at the way he was born. When PSG created chances, it was their teenage star on the fulcrum. All signs point to Zaire-Emery being the club’s flagship star once Mbappe leaves.

Forward: Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund

A hat-trick for Premier League tenants. This Opta statistic was telling of Sancho’s performance: “Sancho completed twelve dribbles against Paris Saint-Germain tonight, the most by a player in the Champions League semi-final since Lionel Messi in April 2008 against Man Utd (16) and the most ever measured. in the league by an Englishman (since 2003-04).” It goes on and on: Sancho’s 12 completed take-ons were the highest mark each player in one of Europe’s top five leagues or the Champions League this season. His passing was also sharp, showing that Sancho is much more than a traditional winger. In a Dortmund shirt he is a playmaker, and completely unrecognizable to those who have seen him for Manchester United.

Forward: Niclas Füllkrug, Borussia Dortmund

Even in an era where high technology and tactical insight are the order of the day, there are times when there is no answer to an old-fashioned, in-form striker. Füllkrug took a wrecking ball to the PSG defense. He showed that he also has one or two good touches, especially when he took the ball from Nico Schlotterbeck to score the goal of the week.

There was one wild finish: he shot over an easier chance after Sancho had set it up. But he also set up Marcel Sabitzer for a chance that was cleverly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. “This man is on another level,” says Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero said on the CBS broadcast. ‘He’s not that fast. He’s not that powerful. But it is effective.”

Forward: Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid

When it comes to the Champions League, Vinícius almost guarantees great performances – and goals – on the biggest occasions. He played as a striker, rather than from the wing, and produced an elite away performance. Vinícius was deadly on the counter, always alert to where Kroos wanted him. “He offered me the pass with his movement,” said Kroos. Vinicius’ late penalty, set up by his neat pass to Rodrygo, was scored as coolly as would be expected from someone so comfortable in this competition.