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After another thrilling round of matches which featured plenty of goals, some outstanding, plenty of talking points (Balotelli penalty, Scott Brown red card) and some brilliant football in general (Bayern, take a bow!), I bring to you to the best XI of the match day 2 of the Champions League, but with a difference. This will consist of players which will not pop up in your conversations with your fellow football freaks. These are the underdogs, the unheralded footballers who massively contributed to their team’s fortunes this week. So here it goes:
Fraser Forster (Celtic)
No surprises for this one. He almost single-handedly kept out the likes of Neymar and Alexis, with even a stupendous double save at the end to keep his team in the reckoning against the mighty Blaugrana.
Giannis Maniatis (Olympiakos)
A regular at the international level for the Greeks, Maniatis put in a superb shift at right back, stifling the likes of Matias Suarez and Massimo Bruno. Expect his stock to rise if he puts in more performances like these.
Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Shakhtar Donetsk)
He did not allow the likes of van Persie to even have a sniff on goal. A rampaging forward run and cross lead to the goal. Expect a move soon for this young talent. He is already a regular for the national squad.
Manuel Ortlechner (Austria Wien)
Lead from the front against a strong Zenit attack lead by the likes of Kerzhakov, Danny and Hulk. Resolute display which included some crucial interceptions and blocks. A truly marvellous display by the veteran.
Filipe Luis (Atletico)
Brilliant against the dangerous Silvestre Varela on the left while also supporting the mercurial Arda Turan. Barcelona were interested in him at one point of time, and he showed us why.Most probable first choice for Brazil at the World Cup if performances continue as they are now.
Zoran Tosic (CSKA Moscow)
Easily the standout performer on the pitch against Plzen. Tormented the back line with his precise runs and brilliant ball control and poise. Scored and set up a goal. Showed why Fergie picked him up from Belgrade and took him to Old Trafford.
Lerin Duarte (Ajax)
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Brought in as a cover for the departing Christian Eriksen, Duarte has already endeared himself to the Aax fans with his tireless performances. Against Milan he was a delight to watch- spraying passes, incisive through balls, good set-piece deliveries. Was substituted when he picked up a knock. Naturally Ajax’s game dropped after that.
Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen)
Rolled back the years with an imperious performance against Real Sociedad. The ever present midfielder spread the play nicely and showed persistence to follow up his own attempt and score a goal. Brilliant display by the veteran midfielder.
Wanted to choose Pavel Horvath of Viktoria Plzen for this spot, but he kind of failed on the defensive front. His passing range against CSKA was brilliant though.
Bruma (Galatasaray)
Was a constant thorn in the side for the Juventus defense. His dribbling and ball control was excellent and certainly gave the likes of Chiellini and Bonucci a run for their money. Expect many more things from this pretender to the Ronaldo throne!
Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad)
His team might have lost, but Carlos Vela certainly won plaudits for his performance against Leverkusen. Could’ve scored more than just the one he did. He tormented Boenisch on several occasions and Mexico fans must be wondering why he still refuses to join up with the national team!
Konstantinos Mitroglou (Olympiakos)
First Greek player to ever score a hat-trick in the Champions League. Two unerring finishes and an unstoppable curler for the third. Genuine quality striker who is too good for the Greek league with three hat-tricks already this season. Keep a close eye on this one.
So here it was, my best XI of the week. Hopefully we will see some of these faces featuring in the knockout phases as well. Otherwise, I won’t have a similarly themed best XI to talk about!
