The UEFA Champions League came to an epic conclusion on Saturday night with Real Madrid becoming the first team in Champions League history to retain the prestigious title. Zinedine Zidane’s side outplayed Juventus on the night, which resulted in a 4-1 drubbing of the Turin giants.
Cristiano Ronaldo was, once again, the star of the show, as he scored twice, first to break the deadlock before Mario Mandzukic equalised with a goal for the ages. The Santiago Bernabeu outfit responded with Casemiro – whose strike from 35 yards took a wicked deflection to creep into the near post of Gianluigi Buffon. Ronaldo and Marco Asensio then added to the tally as the hearts of the Italians were broken, once again.
The win meant that Real Madrid now have 12 European titles under their belt, 5 more than any other team. We let the dust to settle on the victory so our team of the season is not guided by emotions but by reason and after some reflection have settled on these XI footballers.
So without further ado, here is the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season (Formation – 4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon
Yes, he conceded 4 goals in the final. Yes, he couldn’t prove to be the hero on the night but the fact that Juventus were in the final was partly down to his heroics in the knockouts. Prior to the final, the legendary Italian had conceded only 3 goals in 11 appearances for the Old Lady in the Champions League – keeping 8 clean sheets in the process.
To add to that, he kept the fabled front-three of Barcelona at bay for 180 minutes. Who can claim that? To have stopped Messi, Suarez and Neymar, or for that matter any Barcelona player to score over 180 minutes of football? None that I can remember of, this season at least.
Buffon kept more clean sheets in the tournament that the number of goals that he conceded, if that didn’t merit an inclusion, then I don’t know what does. He did fail at the final hurdle for the third time but if he does end his career without a Champions League, you would have to wonder whose loss is it? Buffon’s or the prestigious competition’s?
Right-Back: Dani Alves
Another one like Buffon, who seems to be getting better with age. The former Barcelona man is on the quest to become the most decorated club footballer of all-time, he is currently with 33 trophies and the leader is on 37. Alves was sensational for the Old Lady in the quarter-finals against Barcelona as he helped negate the threat of Neymar down the left wing, while in the semi-finals he was, without a shadow of doubt, Juventus’ best player as he was involved in every goal that Massimiliano Allegri’s side scored.
He was a bit subdued in the final, where he was played on the right wing, and although he did manage to keep Marcelo at bay in the first half, the plan didn’t work out in the second. The Brazilian finished the tournament with 3 goals and 4 assists, incredible for any full-back, and it is for this reason that he is selected above Dani Carvajal and other suitable options.
Left-Back: Marcelo
Marcelo is arguably the best left-back in the world right now. The Brazilian plays much more of a role in Zinedine Zidane’s side than an archetypal left-back, he orchestrates their game from the left-wing and the biggest evidence was this was available in Real Madrid’s semi-final triumph over Bayern Munich.
It was Cristiano Ronaldo that stole the headlines for his 5-goals across the two legs but it was Marcelo that stole the show in both of these two games. Not only has the Brazilian improved tremendously as a defender, but it is his offensive instincts and contributions that help him stand out from the rest.
Apart from being one of the fastest players in the game, Marcelo is also adept with crosses and possess threat when allowed space to maraud forward or when allowed to shoot. His run for the final goal against Bayern Munich, when he evaded numerous challenges to reach Manuel Neuer before squaring it for Ronaldo to bury into an empty net was the biggest testament to his abilities.
Centre-Back: Sergio Ramos
The Real Madrid captain was instrumental in his side’s last two triumphs in the UEFA Champions League, leading from the front – especially in the final. While he didn’t have to bail out his side once again this time around, he was a rock at the back. His antics to get Juan Cuadrado sent off didn’t go down well with many but after Los Blancos lifted the trophy, it has since not been discussed much.
Due to the various injuries suffered by Real Madrid’s central defenders, Zidane had to chop and change his back four but Ramos remained constant along with Marcelo. And the duo provided the basis for a title-winning campaign.
Centre-Back: Leonardo Bonucci
Bonucci has established himself as one of the best central defenders in the world in recent years and has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world. The Italian international was imperious at the back for the Old Lady throughout the tournament and was one of the main reasons why Allegri’s side were successfully able to halt the Barcelona juggernaut.
With his huge range of passing and ball distribution, not only is Bonucci a rock at the back but also acts as the creator of many attacks, with his long accurate over the top balls to Paulo Dybala and company. The 30-year-old also played a key role in successfully stopping free-scoring AS Monaco in the semi-final of the competition and in restricting Kylian Mbappe.
Defensive Midfielder: Casemiro
Real Madrid have made a name for themselves as being a star-studded team. However, the most underrated and underappreciated member of this team of Galacticos is undoubtedly Casemiro. The Brazilian midfielder does all the dirty work for his team, allowing the more creative players to bomb up the pitch and wreck havoc.
In the final against Juventus, he even beat Buffon with a long-range strike which took a wicked deflection before nestling into the bottom corner. The tenacious midfielder is excellent with his tackling and does not shy away from a challenge – be it aerial or on the ground. Probably the most underrated virtue of his game is to commit fouls at regular intervals to stop the opposition from settling into their rhythm and that too without incensing the referee, or going into his books.
Central Midfielder: Thiago Alcantara
Bayern Munich may have been knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals after losing to Real Madrid in a game marred with poor decision making from the referees, so much so that you can also call it scandalous. However, that isn’t intended to take anything away from Los Blancos, who were just the better team on the night.
However, one bright spark in what was a dismal campaign for the Bavarians was the emergence of Thiago Alcantara. Now, I am not saying Alcantara has just emerged as a midfielder, or he was a name unheard of, just that the former Barcelona man has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the game presently. Blessed with an eye for goal and a knack for picking out his teammates with pinpoint through balls, the 26-year-old is the quintessential midfielder.
Not only is he good in attack, he is equally adept at holding the ball, recycling possession and above all, defending. The Spaniard had the most interceptions per game in all of Europe, a staggering 4.6 per game. Thiago was excellent for Bayern Munich and although he failed this time, it wouldn’t be long before he guides them to European success.
Central Midfielder: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has been one of the best midfielders in football for a while now. It is his well-rounded game that makes the German a threat both in attack and defence. Blessed with an eye for goal and a nose to sniff out opportunities, the 27-year-old orchestrates play from the middle of the park and does so with aplomb, as is proven by his stats this season, which read – 17 assists and 4 goals across all competitions.
However, it is his defensive discipline and the high level of concentration that he displays which make him stand out on the pitch. The German is the one that keeps Los Blancos ticking while ensuring that the overly enthusiastic defence is not exposed ever so often.
Kroos combined with Luka Modric excellently to overrun the midfield of Juventus in the final and it was one of the main reasons why the Old Lady lost the plot in the second half of the game, which ended up costing them the elusive title. The former Bayern Munich man is only going to improve and will continue to be a match-winner for Zidane’s side in the years to come.
Right-Wing: Lionel Messi
Let’s be honest, Lionel Messi had a horrendous knockout stage of the Champions League. After being played out of the park by PSG in the first leg of their round of 16 tie, Barcelona completed one of the greatest comebacks of all-time as they overturned a 4-0 deficit to win the tie 6-5.
However, it was not because of the magic of Messi but in fact the genius of his partner in crime Neymar. The Brazilian scored the free-kick which turned the tide in Luis Enrique’s side in the last 7 minutes of the game.
After that, Messi and company had a night to forget against Juventus in Turin as Paulo Dybala stole the show with two sublime goals. Barcelona tried to mount another improbable comeback against the Old Lady but were let down by the poor finishing of their front three – Messi, Suarez and Neymar – as they crashed out of the tournament.
Despite all of his struggles in the knockouts, the Argentine was head and shoulders above everyone else in the group stages having scored 10 goals in 5 games, and you cannot simply ignore any footballer with those statistics from the team of the season.
Yes, Neymar was arguably better than him in the memorable comeback against PSG but Messi also played a part, and before that he almost single-handedly carried the team through the group stage. The Brazilian didn’t merit a place based on just 7 minutes of a game – which were spell-binding, to be honest.
Will next year see the Brazilian take over from the Argentine as the Alpha Male at Camp Nou, your guess is as good as mine, and it would be best to wait and watch before making any assumptions.
Left-Wing: Kylian Mbappe
Featuring in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season is no mean feat for any footballer but doing so at the age of 18 is simply incredible. AS Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe announced himself to the world and did that in some style as he helped his team reach the semi-final of the tournament.
The Frenchman scored 6 goals for the Stade Louis II outfit in the Champions League itself, which has seen his stock skyrocket, so much so that Real Madrid and Arsenal are said to be willing to break the transfer record for the teenager.
Mbappe is surely a once in a generation player and we have seen ample evidence of his abilities in the limited time that he has spent in top-flight football. Not only that, the 18-year-old has done something so early in his career that even Lionel Messi has failed to do – score past Gianluigi Buffon. In the semi-final defeat to Juventus, Mbappe scored his side’s only goal, a goal that gave them a glimmer of hope of an improbable comeback but one which was soon extinguished.
At 18, Mbappe has the world at his feet and going by the exploits in his first season, he surely will feature numerous times in the future on this list, or similar of this type.
Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo
What do you say about this man? The more he is criticized, the better he performs fuelled by the desire to prove his doubters wrong.
After a slow start to the season and a lean patch during the middle, Cristiano Ronaldo finished the season as strongly as he has ever done. Having scored just 2 goals until the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Portuguese ended the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 goals under his belt. He scored 5 against the mighty Bayern Munich in the quarters, 3 against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in the semis and 2 against Buffon and Juventus in the final.
Such was his impact on the final that some have termed the 4-1 drubbing of the Old Lady as the ‘Ronaldo Final’. The 32-year-old was simply outstanding and his finishing has been as good as it has ever been, probably the best that we have seen from the 4-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Not only did he propel his side to back-to-back Champions League titles, he also helped them win La Liga after a gap of 5 years and is favourites to win the Ballon d’Or this year. If he does win the prestigious award, he will catch Lionel Messi, who is also on 5 as the two footballers with the most Ballon d’Ors in history. At 32, Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he wins Madrid another Champions League. Maybe even next year? Who knows.
The Second String XI
It wouldn’t be fair to the countless other players who put stellar displays for their clubs if we restrict this just to a starting XI and hence, we went ahead and drafted a second string XI too.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid)
Right-Back: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Left-Back: Benjamin Mendy (AS Monaco)
Central Defenders: Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) and Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
Central Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid) and Tiemoue Bakayoko (AS Monaco)
Right-Wing: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Left-Wing: Neymar (Barcelona)
Second Striker: Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Striker: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
