Champions League workforce of the week: Arsenal's David Raya, Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz impress on Matchday 1

Effectively, what per week that was. Three days, 18 video games, a boatload of high-grade performers: there actually hasn’t been a shortfall of choices for our first Champions League workforce of the week.

We’ll be taking part in 4-4-2 this time, partly as a result of it is the formation that permits you to get the broadest sweep of choices into your XI however principally as a result of I watched “Mike Bassett: England Supervisor” final week.

GK: David Raya, Arsenal

A query of quantity by Thibaut Courtois in opposition to a second of magnificence from David Raya? It is the Arsenal man who simply shades it, his double save from Mateo Retegui’s penalty was that good. Admittedly the header on the rebound by the Atalanta striker was as tame as you will notice within the Champions League this season however Raya nonetheless needed to scramble midway throughout the aim after what was an excellent preliminary save. 

The previous Brentford man has already had moments of excellence on this competitors however this season evidently scarcely per week goes by with out Raya delivering one thing fairly spectacular, often after half a sport the place he has been watching William Saliba and Gabriel in cruise management. His identify hasn’t actually been talked about among the many greatest goalkeepers within the sport however for the reason that flip of the 12 months, he has conceded simply 12 targets in 26 video games and made a string of wonderful saves. Contemplating all he presents to his aspect on the ball too, possibly he does have a case to rank among the many greatest in his place.

RB: Angelo Preciado, Sparta Prague

You will not discover many full/wingbacks who find yourself finishing fewer passes than they provide away however whereas Angelo Preciado was hardly essentially the most steadying affect in build-up, he made loads extra direct contributions. Six ball recoveries led his aspect, as did eight progressive carries and two probabilities created. 

CB: Zeno Debast, Sporting

One of many guidelines we’re fairly specific about within the CBS Sports activities’ Champions League workforce of the week is do not choose heart backs predominantly for the targets they rating. We intend to stay to that. Nonetheless…

What would you might have me do?

CB: Liam Scales, Celtic

Few if any gamers had been as efficient at progressing the ball upfield this week as Liam Scales, who added to his 21 progressive passes and 14 passes into the attacking third with a formidable 22 progressive carries. Then there was that fairly ferocious header on the close to submit to spark what was a delirious evening at Celtic Park. 

The pure inclination is to decry any opponent who may lose 5-1 to Celtic, perennially on the receiving finish of that form of scoreline, in a European sport. Slovan Bratislava in all probability aren’t going to drag up any timber of their subsequent seven Champions League video games, it’s truthful to say, however that doesn’t imply that Celtic didn’t impress exactly due to the character of their opposition. With trickier video games to come back and a path to the playoffs probably on the horizon, Brendan Rodgers’ aspect needed to be assertive. Scales set the tone for that form of efficiency from the bottom of the workforce.

LB: Josko Gvardiol, Manchester Metropolis

Inter’s defensive work on the Etihad Stadium might need earned reward, a few of it deserved provided that they saved Erling Haaland quiet for the majority of the evening and had the remainder of the Manchester Metropolis aspect quelled till Ilkay Gundogan’s late probabilities. On the different finish, nevertheless, the hosts’ protection needed to be no much less spectacular given how Inter ripped by means of their excessive press. Essential to Metropolis holding agency was Gvardiol, most notable in a single essential flicked header to security when a harmful cross got here in his route. The hosts typically discovered themselves defending man in opposition to man when Inter pushed our bodies upfield, in such circumstances Gvardiol’s means to dominate his duels and decelerate Marcus Thuram had been important.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be simple,” mentioned the Croatia worldwide. “We knew how good they’re and we did a fantastic job. We secured a clear sheet, we may have scored targets however it simply wasn’t our day.”

RM: Jamie Gittens, Borussia Dortmund

Throughout the seven workforce of the weeks to come back we’ll do nicely to discover a participant extra deserving of a spot in restricted sport time than Jamie Gittens. When he entered the sector on the Jan Breydel Stadium, Borussia Dortmund had been on the ropes. Membership Brugge had had extra probabilities and higher ones too. Twenty-two minutes later the Bundesliga aspect had been cruising to a 3-0 victory, one earned for them by their younger winger.

First got here excellent work to create space within the penalty space to get a shot away, the kind that earns a fortunate deflection to depart the goalkeeper stranded. He did not want any favors the second time round, dashing up and slowing down earlier than discovering his well past two defenders and putting into the far nook.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool

As Arne Slot famous, the San Siro has seen loads of nice Dutch midfielders come by means of their gates and boss the largest events. Effectively, none of Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids or Ruud Gullit would have sniffed at a efficiency like Ryan Gravenberch’s. The 22-year-old has been the breakout star of Arne Slot’s early weeks in cost and on Wednesday evening he was composure personified as Liverpool overcame a sluggish begin to ease to a 3-1 victory over AC Milan.

His passing was correct sufficient from the bottom of midfield however what Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szboszlai really want round them is somebody who can get the ball again. Gravenberch did precisely that with seven interceptions in whole.

CM: Teun Koopmeiners, Juventus

Nonetheless working his strategy to full health, you would not have recognized it in what was an impressively artistic efficiency from Teun Koopmeiners, whose passes within the 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven led to 6 probabilities for his Juventus teammates, 0.64 anticipated assists a formidable efficiency in any sport. Particularly, his work within the left channel, near Kenan Yildiz, requested deeply uncomfortable questions for the opponents on what was a formidable evening for La Vecchia Signora.

LM: Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen

I am dishonest a smidge to get the most effective gamers within the sport into this workforce somewhat out of place. Sue me. And if that appears a little bit of an overstatement, nicely, you have not been watching Florian Wirtz’s begin to the brand new season very rigorously. Within the Bundesliga, he has been averaging 1.06 non-penalty anticipated targets + anticipated assists per 90 minutes, three targets and an help in his first three video games.

Tonight was an indication that Wirtz is not a kind of whose figures must be topic to a heavy Bundesliga tax. On his Champions League debut, he regarded like he was taking part in his one centesimal sport, putting early and excellently to start a match the place he saved discovering house. When Jeremie Frimpong picked him out as exactly as he did, there was solely going to be one end result.

ST: Harry Kane, Bayern Munich

Whereas it could be unwise to over-index a house sport in opposition to one of many also-rans within the 36, all Harry Kane and Bayern Munich can do in a sport like that is run up the rating in drama-free style. The temporary flurry of targets for Dinamo Zagreb within the second half was a reminder of the sloppiness that saved this workforce from actually competing at dwelling and in Europe final season and the sheer work Kane needed to do overlaying it up.

Wanting ahead, nevertheless, England’s document Champions League scorer can hope for large issues. There are a good few difficult video games within the rapid future for Bayern — journeys to Aston Villa and Barcelona subsequent up — however even in these video games, probabilities will come to the Bavarians. If Kane converts them with the precision he confirmed this week then do not rule out the prospect of him getting near Cristiano Ronaldo’s single-season scoring document … as long as his teammates will help hold him within the competitors.   

ST: Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid

Morgan Rogers, this sport was yours till the final minute of the final spherical of video games. There may be, nevertheless, no denying Antoine Griezmann, nonetheless taking part in in addition to he has ever performed a number of months after he was purported to have packed within the European sport to make it large in LA. Thank goodness for Atletico Madrid that he’s nonetheless there as a result of they wanted him to bail them out of some terrible defending early on.

Griezmann did so in fashion. His equalizing volley might need are available all types of house however it was hit fairly completely by the Frenchman, fizzing into the deck to depart Peter Gulacsi with no hope. The Leipzig goalkeeper could not do a lot within the final minute both when Griezmann made house to ship a cross, and completely stood as much as the again submit in order that Jose Gimenez may meet it on the run and win the sport for Atletico. At 33 years of age and along with his top-tier profession supposedly approaching its finish, Griezmann stays a ahead who actually can do all of it.