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Champions League Team of the Week: Our Best XI
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- Champions League Team of the Week: Our Best XI
Champions League Team of the Week: Our Best XI
The latest Champions League matchweek delivered plenty of drama, with stunning individual performances, remarkable comebacks and a few unexpected heroes.
Como's extraordinary 9-1 demolition of Lens produced a hat-trick hero, while Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all had players make their mark. Elsewhere, Manchester United enjoyed a much-needed comeback victory, Barcelona continued their impressive form and Fenerbahce brought Liverpool's unbeaten European run to an end.
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We've picked out the 11 players who stood above the rest to make our Champions League Team of the Week.
Champions League Team of the Week: Sommer, Bellingham and Raphinha star
Goalkeeper: Yann Sommer - Club Brugge
Yann Sommer might be creeping towards his 38th birthday, but the Swiss shot-stopper has lost little of his excellence. A club that has regularly sought the next best thing in recent years, opted for experience in the summer when signing the veteran on a free. It has been rewarded.
Sommer was superb in Brugge's win at PSV Eindhoven, making seven saves as the Dutch sided dominated the ball and chances. No goalkeeper has prevented more Expected Goals in the Champions League this season.
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Right-back: Konrad Laimer - Bayern Munich
A fine night for the Bayern Munich utility man, who was an outstanding outlet during his side's win at Atletico Madrid. Laimer twice created chances for Harry Kane, and popped up to score a crucial goal to seal the win. Involved in a lot of Bayern's good work.
Centre-back: Yan Bisseck - Inter Milan
There are not many centre-backs around who could score a goal quite like the one Bisseck did this week. A lovely turn and arcing finish into the far corner to set Inter on their way to an important win over Feyenoord.
Centre-back: Jan Bednarek - Porto
Porto's Polish pairing did the damage with Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior on target against Napoli. Bednarek headed Porto ahead in their 4-1 win to cap an impressive performance, that saw the centre-back make eight clearances, four tackles, and win 100% of his ground duels (3/3).
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Left-back: Archie Brown - Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce ended Liverpool's perfect record in the Champions League and had an Englishman at the heart of it. Archie Brown's unusual career path saw him leave Derby County for Europe, with spells in Switzerland and Belgium before a transfer to Turkey.
The left-back might have piqued Premier League interest after this performance, in which he scored the equaliser and set up Vedat Muriqi for Fenerbahce's winner.
Central midfield: Fabian Ruiz - Paris Saint-Germain
Fabian Ruiz might have cracked the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or vote, but there's still a sense the Spaniard remains underrated. Ruiz rarely has a bad game and, as he did this week, is often immaculate. He ran the show as PSG dismantled Villarreal, scoring twice, as the Spanish side struggled to live with him.
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Central midfield: Aleksey Batrakov - Galatasaray
Turkish teams have thrown fortunes at big names in recent transfer windows, but Galatasaray 's purchase of Aleksey Batrakov might be some of the smartest Süper Lig business.
The 21-year-old has scored four goals in four Champions League games and became the youngest-ever player to score a brace in the competition for Gala this week.
Central midfield: Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid
Just world-class. Bellingham's brilliant backheel got Real Madrid back on track at AEK Athens, as the midfielder dragged the out-of-sort Spaniards to three points.
He made 13 line-breaking passes and won 100% of his ground duels (6/6), while at 23 years and 128 days became the youngest to player score in seven consecutive UCL seasons.
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Right-wing: Raphinha - Barcelona
The Ballon d'Or favourite? The Brazilian's brace sunk a previously unbeaten Aston Villa and took him to 19 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions this season. He's been a revelation in a new central role.
Left-wing: Matheus Cunha - Manchester United
How Manchester United needed this. Michael Carrick's side trailed 2-0 at half-time, but a second-half comeback has eased the massive pressure on their struggling side.
Matheus Cunha was the spark, winning the penalty that kickstarted the fightback, before scoring twice in a matter of minutes to win it. United need more of this from the Brazilian.
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Centre-forward: Anastasios Douvikas - Como
A hat-trick in Como's big win means Douvikas is now the Champions League's leading scorer, with six goals in four games. The 27-year-old was clinical in France a Como hit nine on an unforgettable evening.
He'll hope to take his club form into the international break, with competition fierce for Greece at number nine.
