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The UEFA Champions League is officially back with four stellar clashes between some of Europe's best sides on the horizon.
Spanish champions Real Madrid are set to kick off proceedings in what is arguably the most highly-anticipated fixture of the quarter-finals as they host Liverpool on Tuesday evening. They have a combined 19 UEFA Champions League titles between them, which makes this the biggest European clash in three years, when the same sides faced off in the 2018 final in Kyiv.
Over in England, league leaders Manchester City will simultaneously face-off with Borussia Dortmund, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and a host of other superstars set to compete in the first-leg fixture.
Last year's finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are set to lock horns once again in another mouth-watering showdown on Wednesday. The Bavarian giants won their fifth UEFA Champions League crown with a 1-0 win over Les Parisiens in last year's final in Lisbon.
Chelsea's match-up against FC Porto is definitely the most intriguing fixture of the four and rounds off the four first-leg ties of this round. The Portuguese side, fresh off their heroics against Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus, could cause another major upset in the competition.
As we brace ourselves for an exciting round of UEFA Champions League action, here, we take a look at some of the best players in the competition so far.
Honourable mentions for best players in the UEFA Champions League so far
Lionel Messi | Barcelona
Barcelona might not be a part of the last eight of this year's UEFA Champions League, but this wasn't due to a lack of effort on Lionel Messi's part. The majestic Argentine's five goals (four from the spot) and two assists vastly understated his contribution to the Blaugrana's European campaign.
Messi bowed out of the UCL with the highest expected goals (xG) for any player with 6.3 and the second-highest expected assists (xA) with 2.7. His strike of dreams against PSG in Paris was one of the best goals scored in the tournament so far.
Mohamed Salah | Liverpool
Irrespective of Liverpool's barrage of injuries and other concerns, Mo Salah has continued to deliver for his side time and time again.
The Egyptian superstar's seven starts in the competition so far have yielded five goals and an assist and he scored across both legs of their round of 16 fixture against RB Leipzig. Regardless of changing personnel in attack and behind him in midfield, the winger's performances have been brilliant and kept Liverpool going in the hunt for their seventh European title. Salah could still have a monumental role to play as the Reds take on Real Madrid in Spain.
Olivier Giroud | Chelsea
Chelsea's veteran striker ranks joint-second on the list of top scorers in this year's edition of the UEFA Champions League. However, what makes this a superb achievement is that he needed just two starts to get to that figure. The French star has averaged 2.34 goals and assists — the highest in the competition — in just 231 minutes of action.
Giroud's stunning four-goal tally against Sevilla and a breathtaking overhead kick over Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 warrant his spot as an honourable mention.
Angelino | RB Leipzig
Spanish full-back/wing-back Angelino has, by some distance, been the defender with the highest number of goal contributions this season in the UEFA Champions League. His three goals and as many assists have been crucial to Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig. The ex-Manchester City man stepped up when it mattered most to his side, dramatically knocking out Manchester United in the final game of the group stage with a goal and an assist.
Leipzig were ultimately eliminated from the competition by Liverpool, but Angelino was one of the most impressive wide defenders up until the quarter-final stage.
Alassane Plea | Borussia Monchengladbach
French striker Alassane Plea was one of the breakthrough stars in this year's UEFA Champions League. Spearheading Marco Rose's impressive Borussia Monchengladbach side, Plea ran riot against the likes of Real Madrid and Internazionale in the league stage of the competition despite being pitted in one of the hardest groups.
The Gladbach man scored a brace against Inter, racked up two assists in a four-goal thriller against the Blancos, and scored a superb hat-trick against Shakthar Donetsk along with an assist. Plea bowed out of the UEFA Champions League with five goals and four assists to his name.
Also read: 5 Greatest players to never win the Premier League title
Best players in the UEFA Champions League so far
#5 Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain
Brazilian superstar Neymar was 90 minutes away from inspiring PSG to a first-ever UEFA Champions League title last season but his side ultimately lost the final against Bayern Munich. One of the best players in the competition in 2019/20, Neymar has, so far, played like a man who has a point to prove as his displays in the group stage were phenomenal.
Neymar has started just five UCL games this year, the least of any player on this list, and yet he boasts of the third-highest goals and assist per 90 in the competition so far. Neymar was simply unplayable, registering a goal against Leipzig and a stunning hat-trick against Istanbul Basaksehir with an assist.
With his side facing a potential elimination in the penultimate group stage fixture against Manchester United, Neymar took matters into his own hands and delivered a brace to fire PSG through to the next round. The world's most expensive player's next mission is to help the French champions seek revenge against the German opponents who denied them European glory in 2019/20.
#4 Karim Benzema | Real Madrid
Real Madrid's injury crises this season, coupled with their failure to replace the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, has led to Karim Benzema being a one-man attack for Zinedine Zidane's side — and he has still managed to deliver. The Blancos legend has been in red-hot form since the start of last year and much of the same can be said about 2020/21 as well. He's spared Zidane's blushes on several occasions in the UEFA Champions League.
An 87th-minute comeback goal at Borussia Park, the opener against Internazionale in Madrid, a first-half brace in a do-or-die game against Gladbach, and the opener against Atalanta in the Round of 16 second-leg — Benzema has not only scored goals, but he's scored season-defining ones for Real Madrid. The 33-year-old has the third-highest expected goals and assists per 90 among players remaining in the competition with 1.08.
Benzema will undoubtedly be Real Madrid's most important attacker heading into their clash against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. With Reds stars Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out of contention for the game, the Frenchman could potentially continue his rich vein of form.
Also read: Real Madrid vs Liverpool — Combined XI | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Best players in the UEFA Champions League so far
#3 Ruben Dias | Manchester City
It would be unfair to have a list of the best players in the UEFA Champions League so far without one member from the best defensive unit in the competition. Manchester City have let in just ONE goal in their eight UCL fixtures so far, which was a 14th-minute strike from FC Potro's Luis Diaz. In fact, Ederson Moraes has had only ten shots to save across these games.
Much of this frankly ridiculous defensive record has had to do with City's new colossus at the back, Ruben Dias. Since his move from SL Benfica, the 23-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League with City.
He is a monster in the air with a brilliant sense of positioning, helping him deal with some of the quickest forwards around. Dias' leadership and bravery have also been at the forefront as he's put his body on the line to protect his side on many occasions. Dias' arrival has terraformed the Cityzens' defensive landscape, making them the most difficult team to score against in all of Europe.
Apart from his excellent reading of the game and defensive acumen, the Portuguese's ability on the ball has shone through for Pep Guardiola's side. The centre-back has attempted the fifth-most number of passes and boasts the best completion percentage in the competition among remaining players. He has undoubtedly been one of the standout players in this season's UEFA Champions League.
#2 Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe is on the other end of the spectrum in comparison to his teammate, Neymar. While the Brazilian had a superb group stage campaign, he missed the two crucial games against Barcelona in the round of 16 via injury. On the other hand, Mbappe was relatively quiet in the first stage with two goals and three assists, both coming against Basaksehir.
However, in Neymar's absence, it was Mbappe who stood up and delivered for PSG as he ran Barcelona ragged on their own turf. The French superstar put up one of the most memorable knockout stage performances by any player in recent memory as he ripped a hapless Barcelona to shreds at the Nou Camp with a stunning hat-trick.
The third goal he scored on the night was one of the best goals of the tournament this season, pulling the trigger from the edge of the penalty area past an outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen. After an unimpressive group stage, Mbappe's electric display was a timely reminder of his undeniable quality.
Mbappe also scored in the reverse fixture in Paris as he coolly converted a first-half spot-kick to confirm Barcelona's elimination from the competition in the round of 16. The World Cup winner will be crucial to PSG's chances of replicating their heroics from last season and potentially going on to win the UEFA Champions League.
#1 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund's record-breaking striker Erling Haaland takes the top spot on the list as the most impressive player in the UEFA Champions League this season. The Norwegian superstar has established himself as the most in-demand player in the world right now after his goalscoring heroics for the Bundesliga club, with 49 goals in 49 game
Haaland has scored in every UEFA Champions League game he's played this season, including a staggering four (!) braces in his six appearances. Two of them came against reigning Europa League champions Sevilla in the knockout stage against the likes of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos. The 20-year-old scored four of Dortmund's five goals in an entertaining nine-goal round of 16 tie.
Haaland has been simply unstoppable in the competition so far and has scored a total of 24 goals in his first 20 UEFA Champions League games. For context, Kylian Mbappe scored 12 goals, Lionel Messi had eight, Robert Lewandowski had six, and Cristiano Ronaldo had just one goal to show for at this stage of their careers. Even the likes of Ferenc Puskas (19) and Alfredo Di Stefano (21) do not compare to Haaland in this particular regard.
As he gears up to face his father Alf-Inge Håland's old club, Manchester City, it is safe to say that Haaland has been the best player in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League season so far. The 20-year-old could go on to break even more records if they manage to cause a shock upset against Pep Guardiola's men.
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