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It is the Champions League season once again. Europe's elite tournament returned yesterday, with the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea, Juventus, Sevilla and Bayern Munich all in action.
As always, all eyes will be on the big names to see how they fare in the competition this season. Will Lionel Messi inspire PSG to claim their first-ever Champions League crown? Can Cristiano Ronaldo help Manchester United return to the summit of European football? There will certainly be many topics to discuss.
While we passionately follow the top superstars in the tournament, we'll also be keeping a close eye on young talents. It goes without mentioning that Europe is blessed with many incredible youngsters who will be looking to leave their mark in the Champions League this season.
With their eye-catching performances, these players have what it takes to light up the tournament. This has inspired us to compile a list of five Under-23 youngsters who could steal the show in Europe's most prestigious competition this term. They are as follows:
#5 Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati became the youngest ever scorer in UEFA Champions League history when he found the back of the net for Barcelona against Inter Milan in December 2019. The forward has since made eight appearances in the tournament, scoring twice and setting up another three.
The 18-year-old bagged five goals and four assists for Barcelona in 10 games across all competitions last season before a terrible injury ended his campaign prematurely.
Having spent the last few months on the sidelines, Ansu Fati is now gearing up to return to the pitch. He is expected to feature in the Blaugrana's next Champions League game against Benfica on September 29.
#4 Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior is also one of the few U-23 stars Europe should pay close attention to. The 21-year-old has been in sensational form since the new campaign kicked off a couple of weeks ago.
Vinicius currently tops the goalscoring chart in La Liga, having bagged four goals and one assist in the Spanish top flight this season. With his pace, dribbling skills and recent progress in finishing off chances, the Brazilian will pose a huge threat to opposition defenses in the Champions League.
Real Madrid will kick-start their European campaign with a clash with Inter Milan this evening. They'll be counting on the attacker to step up and provide answers in front of goal once again.
#3 Pedri
Barcelona are well known for appreciating young talents. Pedri is another youngster running riot at Camp Nou at the moment who could impress in the Champions League as well.
In fact, considering what he's done in recent months, it wouldn't be far-fetched to name him the breakout talent of the year.
The midfielder made his Barca debut on September 27 last year, coming on as a substitute for Philippe Coutinho in a La Liga clash with Villareal. Pedri impressed in that match and earned himself more opportunities. A couple of eye-catching displays established him as an undisputed starter in Ronald Koeman's squad.
The Spaniard played a whopping 52 games for the Blaugrana during the term, recording four goals and six assists to his name. He was a standout player for Spain at the Euros this summer before playing an influential role as La Roja reached the final of the Tokyo Olympics.
#2 Kylian Mbappe
This player needs no introduction. Kylian Mbappe has been one of the finest attackers in the Champions League over the last couple of years. The Frenchman has proven to be a thorn in the side of many elite teams in the tournament.
Mbappe scored a remarkable hat-trick against Barcelona in the round of 16 last term, which simply sums up how much of a big-game player he is. Since making his Champions League debut with Monaco in 2016, the 22-year-old has moved forward to bag 27 goals and 15 assists in the tournament.
So far this season, the attacker has bagged four goals and two assists for Paris Saint-Germain in five Ligue 1 games. He will look to replicate that form when he represents the Parisians in their first Champions League game of the season against Club Brugge on Wednesday, September 15.
#1 Erling Haaland
Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland was the biggest revelation in the Champions League last season. The Norwegian finished as the top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals to his name in eight matches.
The 21-year-old has entered the current season on an impressive note, bagging eight goals and four assists for the BVB in six domestic games. He is gearing up to play his first Champions League game of the season, with the German giants scheduled to face Besiktas today.
Haaland is one of the most complete strikers on the continent right now. His pace, physicality, aerial strength and eye for goal render him a serious threat to opposition defenses. Obviously, Europe has to be wary of this man.
