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After giving their all in their respective domestic leagues, the top teams in Europe return to the UEFA Champions League this week. A fortnight ago, on matchday three of the premier European competition, a few top stars found their footing while others came up a little short.
On matchday four, the teams and their stars will have another crack at making headlines and amending their misses in the last gameweek.
With so many world-class stars in action, it is difficult to keep a handful ahead of others. However, if you look close and judge them by their form, fitness, and potential, there are surely some standouts who deserve the special treatment.
Here are the five players to check out in GW4 of the UEFA Champions League:
#5 Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund
After suffering a crushing 0-4 defeat at the hands of Ajax on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League, Borussia Dortmund are desperate for redemption.
Unfortunately, their standout performer, Erling Haaland, has been ruled out for the game and is unlikely to return to action in 2021. Dortmund are in dire need of a savior, and an 18-year-old seems to be their best bet.
Jude Bellingham is one of Europe’s most promising young prospects. The English midfielder is excellent with the ball at his feet, can pass with impressive accuracy, and always has his shooting boots on.
Bellingham scored a world-class solo goal against Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga last month, leaving multiple defenders for dead and giving us a glimpse of his sky-high potential. Dortmund will be out for blood against Ajax on Wednesday and Bellingham, who is always in the thick of things, might be the perfect outlet.
Borussia Dortmund have a knack for turning youngsters with potential into world-beaters, and Bellingham seems to be the perfect candidate for their guidance.
#4 Lionel Messi - Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi is yet to open his account in Ligue 1, but he has been quite impressive in the UEFA Champions League this season. The Argentine drew a blank in the opening-day fixture against Club Brugge but was on song in the next two matches.
He scored his first Paris Saint-Germain goal against Manchester City, helping them cruise to a 2-0 win at home.
In the next game against RB Leipzig, Messi proved to be the match-winning factor for PSG. The former Barcelona man scored two goals in the second half to take the French giants to a nail-biting 3-2 win.
Messi once again drew a blank in Ligue 1 last weekend, which could make him hungrier to prove his mettle in the UEFA Champions League this week.
#3 Vinicius Jr - Real Madrid
13-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid spent big to bring Eden Hazard to Real Madrid in 2019. The former Chelsea star was meant to be Ronaldo’s worthy successor. But Hazard has turned into one of the club's biggest liabilities.
While the Belgian has slipped, Brazilian sensation Vinicius Jr. has only grown from strength to strength. He may not be the club’s best player yet - that crown goes to Karim Benzema - but he’s arguably the most exciting to watch.
Vinicius has an enviable bag of tricks, blistering pace, and has massively improved his shooting ability. In the previous matchday, he scored an excellent brace against Shakhtar Donetsk. We expect him to fare well again on Wednesday.
Vincius Jr. has scored nine goals and provided five assists in 14 appearances in all competitions this season, with two goals and as many assists coming in the UEFA Champions League.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid will look to put on a show for their fans. Vinicius Jr, whose double ended Shakhtar’s ambitions in gameweek 3, is the best entertainer Los Blancos have.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United have not had the best of campaigns. The 36-year-old has not looked at his best in all games, which has made life a little more difficult for Manchester United.
Thankfully, Ronaldo is still quite devastating in the UEFA Champions League and has the potential to be one of the standout performers on matchday four.
In the UEFA Champions League gameweek 3, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner against Atalanta. However, the goal was not the only thing the Portuguese star brought to the table that night. With United 2-0 down, Ronaldo inspired his teammates to push a little harder to chase after every ball.
The Portugal captain led by example, and soon enough, everyone followed. Ronaldo’s leadership caught everyone’s attention that night, and United will count on the UEFA Champions League's leading scorer once again this Wednesday.
#1 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is arguably the best player in the world right now. The 2018-19 Champions League winner is in the form of his life and there is hardly an adjective to define his performances for the Reds.
Salah has ten goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, with three of those goals coming against Manchester United on October 24th.
He has also been prolific in the UEFA Champions League, scoring five goals in three appearances. Salah’s match-winning performance against Atletico Madrid in the third round made plenty of headlines, and we are expecting something similar this week as well.
At Anfield, expect Salah to show no mercy; expect him to disrupt Atletico Madrid’s backline every opportunity he gets.
