Champions League team of the week: Kimmich breaks record … and Arsenal

If Tuesday night’s Champions League first legs went one way and then the other with attacking flair, then Wednesday was a night when grit could win the day – and English football was the loser. It also brought a restoration of the old order, with Bayern and Real Madrid meeting in the semi-finals.

Goalkeeper: Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid

Lunin made two saves to deny Manchester City, even though one was essentially passed to him by Bernardo Silva. He is now 180 minutes away from taking on the role of goalkeeper in Real’s 15th Champions League win. Mateo Kovacic’s save, low to himself, was also solid, but it certainly wasn’t Lunin’s full workload for the evening. He made eight further saves in the match, including six from the Real box, to deny the defending champions and continue to cause further turmoil, carrying the flag for Ukraine to the semi-finals in his breakthrough season.

Defender: Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich

A player who was once supposed to be the standard-bearer of club and country has lost his way – and his popularity – lately. But against Arsenal he turned back the years. “Every Dick and Harry has been talking about me this season,” Kimmich said after the game. Tom was right to keep his mouth shut. Kimmich returned at right-back and continued his excellent recent form, bringing out the disappointing Gabriel Martinelli and later Leandro Trossard as Arsenal’s attacks repeatedly failed. Of course, his performance will be remembered for his match-winning header from Raphaël Guerreiro’s cross that decided the tie, regaining the confidence of a player at his best. Kimmich’s goal was the 31st of this year’s quarter-finals, breaking the record for goals at this stage of the competition. Maybe scrapping the away goals rule wasn’t such a bad idea after all?

Defender: Nacho, Real Madrid

Nacho won the duel with Erling Haaland that was always going to be the key to the second leg at the Etihad. He also scored a shootout penalty in the style expected of a Real Madrid captain, Fernando Hierro or Sergio Ramos. Now the one-club man who may have previously been the most famous being type one diabetic, imitates the club’s greats. Haaland’s movement in the box was limited and he was never quite able to dominate the air. Nacho was most responsible for that.

Defender: Noussair Mazraoui, Bayern Munich

A few tired moments from Bukayo Saka emerged in the aftermath of Arsenal’s loss at the Allianz Arena. Saka, like his fellow Arsenal forwards, had stalled, such was the expertise of Bayern’s defense. Thomas Tuchel will leave with his reputation for knockout planning intact. Mazraoui, the Moroccan replacing Alphonso Davies, cut off Saka’s supply lines and added to the frustrations of the fallen “Star Boy”. With Guerreiro making an effort to help Mazraoui, Saka had nowhere to go.

Midfielder: Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich

As the rumors are true and Julian Nagelsmann returns to Munich this summer and then to Goretzka previously disturbed relationships, will probably leave. If so, his performances against Arsenal have shown why he will be in high demand elsewhere, with a dominant midfield showing that £100m player Declan Rice was overshadowed. Like Kimmich, a player who seemed to have lost his way in Bavaria may end up at the right time. Goretzka also hit the woodwork and, together with Konrad Laimer, kept Martin Odegaard as quiet as possible.

Midfielder: Marcel Sabitzer, Borussia Dortmund

Perhaps this was the week that fallen Bayern stars began to shine again. The Austrian was the force behind Dortmund and overwhelmed – of all teams – Atlético. From midfield, Sabitzer scored the final goal of Tuesday’s defeat, coming home and celebrating in a style that epitomized his action-packed performance. It was the kind of spectacle that Manchester United fans never really saw during last season’s loan spell but would love now. The fact that Jadon Sancho also played well for Dortmund can only double Old Trafford’s regret.

Midfielder: Vitinha, PSG

A returner from last week’s squad and a player whose reputation is growing as PSG progress in the competition. After scoring and playing in the first leg, he scored a great, crucial goal in Barcelona’s defenestration that took place after Ronald Araújo was sacked. From a short corner, Vitinha took aim and shot, firing past Marc-André ter Stegen to put the tie in Parisian control. And when PSG walked away with the draw, it was his death that cut Barça to shreds.

Forward: Ousmane Dembele, PSG

Dembélé was the match winner at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, a classic case of a former player chasing his former club. Although Kylian Mbappe scored two late goals, he was let down for once. Dembele’s spell in Catalonia was that of someone whose injuries and form were desperately frustrating in light of his immense talent and price tag. On Tuesday he showed Barça what could have been. He crashed home Bradley Barcola’s cross to level the score, then caused merry inferno down the right flank. He scored two goals in six months, both against Barcelona, ​​and left the pitch with a big smile even as the home fans jeered him.

Forward: Julian Brandt, Borussia Dortmund

With the disappearance of Marco Reus and the ritual departure of talent sold to richer clubs, Brandt has become a leader for the club he joined in 2019. In England he is perhaps best known for being the player Jürgen Klopp preferred to sign Mohamed. Salah in 2017. Maybe not so now. Brandt played as a deeper-lying forward, alongside Niclas Füllkrug, and was the architect of Atlético’s demise. He scored the opener, bringing the ball down with delicacy and smashing it in from a tight angle. Throughout the match he dictated the flow and pace (finishing with a greater share of the ball than all but Dortmund’s centre-back), keeping things moving and dragging Atlético’s carefully choreographed defensive line out of position.

Forward: Rodrygo, Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s coup at the Etihad came courtesy of a grueling second leg that ended in penalties, but still wouldn’t have happened without the skill and precision of Real’s Brazilians. Vinicius Junior, after a delicate touch from Jude Bellingham, who played a sacrificial role himself, laid on Rodrygo to score at the second attempt. Rodrygo, a player who will soon have to compete with Mbappé and Endrick within Real’s selection, remains the match winner. His tremendous work rate on the front line was another key element in disrupting City’s flow.