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UEFA Champions League football is the pinnacle for every player who wants to prove his mantle to the entire world. It is that one competition where your goals and skills never go unnoticed.
This season’s Champions League has reached the knockout rounds and we have some amazing ties to look forward to. When the best teams in Europe go head to head, there are small battles within the war which needs to be won.
After the matches are announced, players from either side like to look at the opposition team and see who they are up against. Invariably, it is those key player battles between the best players of both teams which decide the outcome of such massive games.
For a long time, El Clasico (Barcelona vs Real Madrid) was often seen as Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo and whoever outplayed the other usually saw his team win the game too on the occassion.
On that note, we have picked out 3 player battles from this year’s Champions League Round of 16 knockout stage which will have everyone’s attention.
#3 Harry Kane vs Timo Werner
When Tottenham Hotspur take on RB Leipzig in the first knockout round of this season’s Champions League, all eyes will be on Harry Kane and Timo Werner to continue their goal-scoring prowess.
Both Kane and Werner have been in superb form this season and it seems certain that both players will score in this tie. Kane has 6 Champions League goals this season while Werner has netted 18 times in 17 Bundesliga games.
Werner is perhaps the most in-form striker in European Football at the moment as he is not only about goals but the way he links the play for RB Leipzig is worth applauding. Werner has pace to burn, he is a lethal finisher who also loves to press defenders and force them in making mistakes.
As for Kane, he is any manager’s dream centre forward. The Englishman's hold-up play is top class and he has an even better pass in him to switch the attack from one side to the other. These things aside, his ability to score from anywhere on the pitch is outstanding and a constant danger for his oppositions.
Harry Kane vs Timo Werner will be a classic striker’s battle which will eventually decide the outcome of the tie between Spurs and Leipzig.
First Leg: Feb 20, Second Leg: March 11
Also check out: Champions League Schedule Champions League table Champions league top scorers
#2 Sergio Aguero vs Karim Benzema
From one striker battle to the other, Sergio Aguero and Karim Benzema face off in an attempt to take their teams to the quarter-final of this year’s Champions League.
The fascinating part about the Aguero vs Benzema battle is how these two strikers have been around for almost a decade and yet there are question marks over their ability to play week-in-week-out.
Both Benzema and Aguero have slipped to be the second choice for their managers but they have always managed to prove their doubters wrong and continue to be the main goal-scorers for their teams.
Aguero, 31 is facing an injury laden season but even then has managed to score 11 goals in 11 appearances. Two of those goals have come in the Champions League. Aguero is expected to be fit by the time Manchester City take on Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 clash in February.
Benzema, 32, on the other end was thought as a back-up option after Luka Jovic was signed for £53.2million from Frankfurt last summer. However, Jovic has struggled for game time and Benzema has continued as Zinedine Zidane’s key striker.
The Frenchman has scored 12 La Liga goals and netted 4 times in Champions League this season. Benzema’s movement in the box is subtle and a nightmare for the oppositions. With Manchester City struggling to field first choice defenders these days, Benzema could turn out to be a handful for Pep Guardiola’s team.
Aguero vs Benzema will set the tone of Manchester City vs Real Madrid tie and it would not come as a surprise if either of these two prolific strikers end up scoring the deciding goal.
First Leg: Feb 27, Second Leg: March 18
#1 Kylian Mbappe vs Jadon Sancho
The moment the Paris Saint-Germain vs Borussia Dortmund tie was announced, every football fan was excited to see the battle between Kylian Mbappe and Jadon Sancho. These two players belong to that rare group of footballers who like to entertain the fans with their skills and abilities while also pushing their team's to greater heights
Watching Mbappe and Sancho play is almost like tuning into a game of Street Football where one does not know what one might see next. The nutmegs, the dribbles, unreal passes, and to back it all up loads of goals and assists.
Jadon Sancho was the first European player this season to have 10 goals and 10 assists to this name. 9 goals and 9 assists in Bundesliga followed by 2 goals and 2 assists in Champions League.
Despite going through some disciplinary issues this season, Sancho continues to be the heartbeat of Dortmund’s attacking play. He will have to be at his best for Borussia Dortmund to stand any chance of upstaging the French Champions.
Kylian Mbappe on the other hand is fresh from winning French Player of the Year for 2019. That goes to show the kind of form he is in. Mbappe has 11 goals, 4 assists in Ligue 1 while 5 goals and 3 assists in just 3 Champions League starts this season.
Both Mbappe and Sancho have a similar playing style with loads of ability to turn the game in their team’s favour. Their skills coupled with goal-returns make them the standout players in the modern game.
If both players stay fit for both the legs we may witness one of the best Champions League knockout ties in recent times. Let’s hope the battle between these two flair players lives up to all the hype and buzz it has been creating thus far.
First Leg: Feb 19, Second Leg: March 12
