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These past two weeks produced some riveting footballing action, courtesy of the UEFA Champions League. With the future of many teams in the competition hanging by a thread, the second leg of the round of 16 matches produced some fine encounters and also some big upsets.
European top dogs such as PSG and Manchester United have fallen at the first knockout hurdle whereas the Spanish sides continue to dominate the European scene. We now have the eight best teams remaining in the competition out of which one will be crowned as the champions of Europe.
In all eight fixtures, some of the usual suspects shone, whereas the others failed on the biggest of stages. In this segment, let's take a look at the best XI of players that dominated the proceedings in the round of 16 (second leg) of the UEFA Champions League:
Goalkeeper
Iker Casillas (FC Porto)
After a 5-0 humbling in the first leg, Porto needed to make a strong statement in the return fixture. The Portuguese side impressed with their grit to hold out the in-form Liverpool side to a goalless draw and give some joy to their raucous travelling support.
Casillas impressed with his calm and composed nature at Anfield and was also given a warm reception by the Kop.
The veteran goalkeeper made five saves on the night which included one match-saving stop in the 88th minute when he parried away a Danny Ings header which was destined to hit the back of the net.
Defence
Right-back - Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Carvajal was at his influential best in both the sides of the field. Defensively, he never looked out of position and racked up some good numbers. He won 9 duels on the night, made 4 successful tackles and 6 interceptions.
At the other end of the field, Carvajal proved to be a constant attacking outlet on the right wing and worked brilliantly in tandem with Lucas Vazquez. His crosses tested the PSG defence and he also gave his counterpart Yuri Berchiche a hard time on the right flank.
Centre-back - Samuel Umtiti (FC Barcelona)
Though the damage was done by Lionel Messi at the other half, Barcelona needed a strong defence to bail them out on numerous occasions. Chelsea had a number of chances to score an away goal but were thwarted by some resolute defending from the Catalans and especially, Samuel Umtiti.
The Frenchman threw his body in challenges, never shied away from a physical duel and was also useful in possession. Umtiti succeeded in 100% of his tackles, made as many as 7 interceptions and 3 crucial clearances. Valverde's Barcelona's biggest strength can be claimed to be their defensive stability which is epitomized by Samuel Umtiti.
Centre-back - Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
The Italian warhorse had a nervy start to the game. He took some time to get used to the pace of playing against a tricky English opponent but in the second half, Chiellini came into his own.
He made as many as 13 clearances in the second leg and at times it really felt like it was the defender who was single-handedly dragging Juventus into the final eight. His last-ditch block to deny Harry Kane an open goal and the celebration afterwards was a sight to watch and was one of the moments of the season.
Left-back - Aleksandar Kolarov (AS Roma)
The capital side managed a clean sheet against the ultra-attacking Shakhtar Donetsk and one of the main reasons behind that was the left-back, Aleksandar Kolarov. The former Manchester City man as always provided a constant threat in attack, delivering three pinpoint crosses and two key passes.
He also won seven duels on the night and made one timely interception. Despite willing to commit forward, Kolarov was hardly found wanting when Shakhtar Donetsk was in possession which was his biggest personal victory. He and his adjoining centre-back, Fazio gave the opponents absolutely no chance to go past them.
Midfield
Defensive midfielder - Casemiro (Real Madrid)
The Brazilian has not been at his consistent best this season. But against Paris Saint-Germain, Casemiro delivered the performance of the season and completely bossed the midfield around in Paris. With Toni Kroos and Luka Modric on the bench, the onus was on Casemiro to step up and he did just that!
He completed 56 out of his 57 passes, won 15 duels and recovered the ball 11 times. The gulf in class between the midfield of these two sides was starkly displayed by the Brazilian. Casemiro then capped off his impressive outing by scoring a goal and putting the game to bed.
Defensive midfielder - Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla)
Up against Nemanja Matic and Marouane Fellaini, N'Zonzi not only provided a stern fight but won the midfield battle with a stunning display at Old Trafford. It was a man of the match display from the former Stoke City player as he made a stunning comeback to England.
N'Zonzi had 105 touches of the ball and made 94 passes in the game. That is more than the midfield duo of United managed combined. He also won 7 aerial duels against a physical opponent and provided a midfield masterclass.
Centra midfielder - Andres Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
Playing in an uncharacteristic position on the left, Andres Iniesta still managed to be a creative outlet for FC Barcelona against Chelsea. With the Blues defending in a compact manner, it provided Iniesta with time and space to pick his pass.
As a result, Iniesta completed 97% of his passes on the night. He won 5 duels, made 2 successful dribbles and also delivered one key pass. His most impactful contribution was a stunning backheel to set up Luis Suarez who unfortunately could not find the back of the net.
Attack
Left-wing - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Records seem to be following Cristiano Ronaldo every time he plays in Europe this season. In the second leg, Ronaldo scored one and assisted one. It was his 12th European goal in the campaign and became the second player ever to score in nine consecutive Champions League matches.
Against PSG, Ronaldo was looking unplayable at times. He looked more involved than usual and was getting involved in the build up more than usual. His goal was a brilliant one too, thumping a header past a hapless Alphonse Areola.
It was an all-round performance from the big man which apart from the goal included 4 key passes, 8 winning duels and 3 successful dribbles.
Striker - Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla)
Not many opposition strikers have silenced Old Trafford to such lengths like what Wissam Ben Yedder managed on Tuesday night. The super sub changed the game on its head after his arrival in the 72nd minute as he scored a brace to knock Manchester United out of Europe's top competition.
His first was a beautiful finish past De Gea while his second was a free header at the back post, courtesy of some shoddy Manchester United defending. Ben Yedder could have astonishingly hit a hattrick but his meek one-on-one shot was saved with minimum fuss by De Gea.
The striker that was once rejected by West Ham for his lack of height has now managed to dismantle the most successful club in England.
Right-wing - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
It was a vintage Lionel Messi performance against the Blues of London. The great man scored two, assisted one and kept the discussion about Messidependencia ongoing for another day. As Antonio Conte reflected later, his side lost to a man called Messi which was the correct assessment for both the legs.
For the first goal, Messi embarrassed Thibaut Courtois by scoring with a shot between his legs from the acutest of angles. He then attracted Chelsea's defenders towards him and fed Ousmane Dembele with a pinpoint assist.
His second goal on the night showed his insane speed with the ball and a stinging shot which again found space between the legs of Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian must have had nightmares about Messi in his sleep. With his brace, Messi has now netted 20 goals against English opposition and has truly conquered the teams from the so-called best league in the world.
Bench: Alisson Becker (AS Roma); Rafinha (Bayern Munich); Kostas Manolas (AS Roma); Sami Khedira (Juventus); Ousmane Dembele (FC Barcelona); Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich); Edin Dzeko (AS Roma)
