Champions League: Players that impressed this week

• Following the latest round of UEFA Champions League action, we’ve picked out stars who impressed this week.

Following the latest round of UEFA Champions League action, we’ve picked out stars who impressed this week.

Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

Bukayo Saka. Photo/Goal

Bukayo Saka was destined for a prominent role. The Arsenal winger advanced the north London team to the knockout stages against Sevilla, and he is undoubtedly loving his first Champions League experience.

Saka sprinted off to set up Leandro Trossard for the first goal at the Emirates, then changed roles to score the second. The England winger was freed by Gabriel Martinelli from behind, and he checked inside before finishing with confidence in the far corner.

Mikel Merino – Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad defeated Benfica to guarantee their spot in the last 16, and they proceeded smoothly into the knockout stages. The Reale Arena practically bounced after Mikel Merino’s header to seal the first goal giving the Spaniards a fantastic performance.

Having experienced disappointing times at Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle, Merino had settled down at Sociedad and was included in the La Liga Team of the Season for 2022–2023. In addition to winning 12 duels and making 12 ball recoveries, the 27-year-old put on an incredible midfield display against Benfica, capping it with an assist.

Alvaro Morata – Atletico Madrid

Alvaro Morata. Photo/Goal

Morata has been considered one of the nearly awful players in the sport, even though he has four league titles, two Champions League medals, and is ranked seventh among Spain’s all-time record scorers.

The Spanish forward has never stayed in one spot for very long, accruing massive transfer fees and playing for some of Europe’s best teams, but he has never quite lived up to elite levels. However, there is a debate this season over Morata’s status as one of the continent’s top all-around strikers.

After a brace against Celtic, the 31-year-old became joint-top scorer in the Champions League with 12 goals in 14 games across all competitions. He scored a second goal past Joe Hart after putting in a fierce close-range opening goal as Atletico Madrid easily defeated them at the Metropolitano Stadium.

A player who has frequently been criticized for not having the killing instinct is currently outperforming expectations in terms of goals scored. His xG figure of just 0.77 was the source of his brace against Celtic.

Giorgi Gocholeishvili – Shakhtar Donetsk

The upset of the round came from Shakhtar Donetsk, a 1-0 victory against Barcelona. With three points more than Porto and Barcelona in the qualifying spots, Marino Pušić’s team moved forward to the last-16, keeping Shakhtar’s dreams alive. The result denied the Spanish team a spot in the knockout rounds.

With three tackles, two clearances, and six defensive duels won, right-back Giorgi Gocholeishvili showed promise on both ends of the field. In addition, the 22-year-old provided the cross that Danylo Sikan headed home to seal the victory.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – AC Milan

Ruben Loftus Cheek against PSG. Photo/Milan Reports

Loftus-Cheek’s brilliant performance in a match that Milan had to win was the major factor in the Rossoneri’s 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. The midfielder lost Milan Skriniar inside the area due to a mistake that led to PSG’s first goal, but he recovered with an outstanding solo display of ball-carrying brilliance.

In terms of distance traveled, fouls committed, duels won, and completed dribbles, Loftus-Cheek led his colleagues. The 27-year-old and Rafael Leao created a great deal of havoc with their drive in possession. If this quality is performed again on this stage, Loftus-Cheek may once again come into Gareth Southgate’s mind.

Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid

After humiliating Celtic 6-0 this week, Atletico Madrid soared to the top of Group E. The Spaniards took advantage of Daizen Maeda’s early red card to humiliate Brendan Rodgers’ team.

For Atleti, Antoine Griezmann scored twice as he maintained the excellent form he has displayed since arriving back in the Spanish capital from Barcelona. Griezmann, who was arguably the best player in La Liga the previous season, has continued his success this year, scoring 11 goals in 15 starts in the league and Champions League.

Despite playing a more subdued role versus Celtic, the 32-year-old was nonetheless rather productive. Before Atletico ran wild after the interval, he acrobatically scored a stunning second goal to open the score within six minutes from the edge of the box.