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The UEFA Champions League 2017/18 group stage is finally done and dusted, and some of the giants of European football like Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, and Monaco have been eliminated very early in the competition. On the other hand, Premier League clubs have created Champion League history, with all 5 qualifying for the last 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo was at his usual best, and become the first ever player to score in all six Champions League group game. Lionel Messi had a quiet outing, while Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino, Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Phillipe Coutinho, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe were excellent throughout the group stage.
On that note, let's see the list of big names who flopped in the group stage:
#5 Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund failed to register a single win in the UEFA Champions League this season and will find themselves playing in the UEFA Europa League, come February. They finished the competition with only 2 points, level on points with the minnows from Cyprus, APOEL Nicosia.
After losing Osumane Dembele to Barcelona, Christian Pulisic was given an extended run by Dortmund coach Peter Bosz. The 19-year-old struggled for consistency and failed to produce the kind of form he showed in the past few months.
In 374 minutes of Champions League football, the United States striker could not register a single goal or assist. He failed to create an impact from the wide areas as Dortmund struggled to break opponent defences.
#4 Thomas Lemar (Monaco)
The French Champions finished fourth in Group G, behind Besiktas, Porto and RasenBallsport Leipzig after a disappointing UEFA Champions League campaign. They could not register a single win and finished with just 2 points from the group stage.
The man who was a subject of £92million bid from Arsenal last summer turned in some awful performances for Monaco during the 2017/18 Champions League. Thomas Lemar started 3 games and could not muster a single goal or assist.
He was injured early in the game against Besiktas on matchday 4 and could not play a part in the last 2 league games. His season tally stands at a goal and 3 assists from 12 starts, showing the kind of poor form he is in.
Lemar's poor UCL 2017/18 stats:
Starts - 3
Key Passes (per game) - 1
Total Shots (per game) - 0.7
Crosses (per game) - 1.7
#3 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
After two finals, a semi-final, and a quarter-final in the past four seasons in the UEFA Champions League, Atletico Madrid failed to qualify for the last 16 this season. Their only win of the campaign came against Roma at the Wanda Metropolitana as Deigo Simeone's side finished behind Chelsea and Roma in the group stage.
Antoine Griezmann's poor form has mirrored Atletico Madrid's disappointing Champions League campaign. He was a subject of constant speculation throughout the summer transfer window and his performances never hit the peak this season.
In six appearances, the Frenchman has scored only twice and created 2 more for his teammates. The 26-year-old missed too many chances in front of goal and was never able to provide a creative spark for his side.
#2 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Paulo Dybala is, indeed, having a poor Champions League campaign. The Argentine was simply a shadow of himself, with a string of disappointing performances for Juventus in the Champions League.
In 6 starts, the 24-year-old failed to produce a single memorable performance as Juventus were made to fight hard for points. Dybala could not grab a single goal or assist in 505 minutes of Champions League football.
Dybala has attempted 25 shots this campaign and failed to find the back of the next on a single occasion.
His execution was poor and he wasted too many clear-cut chances from inside the box. Further, his set-pieces lacked precision as he failed to influence the game like he usually does.
#1 Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Barcelona finished on top of Group D, thanks to some superb defensive display and brilliant Messi. However, they are struggling for goals as Barcelona's front line, except Messi, are misfiring.
Luis Suarez is off to a poor start this season. He has struggled for consistency and has only scored 6 times in 17 starts, which is way below his usual standards.
The 30-year-old made six appearances in the Champions League this season, and could not register a single goal. His creativity too vanished as he created just a single opportunity for his teammates.
Suarez attempted 19 shots in six games and failed to find the back of the next on a single occasion. Even Paco Alcacer is having a better season than the Uruguayan striker.
