Dazzling Dortmund dominate Champions League team of the week
Beforehand, nobody could have predicted that Borussia Dortmund’s welcome of Legia Warszawa would make history. The pair played out a thrilling encounter at the Westfalenstadion that saw Dortmund earn an astonishing 8-4 win. The match itself is now the highest scoring game in Champions League history and it’s little wonder then that the front six in WhoScored.com’s team of the week in Europe’s elite club competition is made up of players from both sides.
Dortmund have four representatives to Legia’s two, with Marco Reus stealing the show this week. The Germany international made a stunning return to first team action for Thomas Tuchel’s side with two goals and as assist to contribute to a perfect 10. Reus was yet to feature for his club this season due to injury, so the welcome of Legia was the opportune time to build up his match fitness as he hit the back of the net with his two shots on target and defended effectively from the front, making two tackles and one interception.
Teammate Ousmane Dembele came close to matching Reus’ perfect 10 rating, with three assists from four key passes more than enough to earn a WhoScored rating of 9.97 on Tuesday night. The talented Frenchman netted with his one shot on goal and was on hand to complete five dribbles as the Legia backline struggled to contain the teenage star.
As the old saying goes, 'went it rains; it pours'. Shinji Kagawa had only managed one goal once in his previous six European campaigns, only to score twice in the space of two minutes against Legia on Tuesday night. With both assists courtesy of Dembele, the Frenchman to Kagawa is now the joint second best assist to goalscorer return in the Champions League this term. The Japan star also registered an assist and found a teammate with all six attempted long balls.
Nuri Sahin makes up the Dortmund contingent in the team as the Turkey international impressed on his first Champions League start of the season. Like Reus, Sahin capped off the game with a goal in the victory and was as effective off the ball as he was on it. Only Gonzalo Castro (123) had more touches than Sahin (104) and boasted a 92% pass success rate. The 28-year-old also made six tackles and four interceptions in what was a notable display from the midfielder.
Legia’s Aleksandar Prijovic comes in alongside Reus in attack this week having netted twice against Dortmund and was unlucky not to have bagged himself a hat-trick after hitting the woodwork on the half hour mark. He regularly looked to pressure the Dortmund defence having won three aerial duels. Teammate Miroslav Radovic also features, which his three key passes yielding two assists, while the experienced wideman completed five dribbles to contribute to a WhoScored rating of 8.24.
There’s a Ligue 1 feel to the full-backs this week as Benjamin Mendy and Rafael both feature following impressive displays for Monaco and Lyon, respectively. Mendy played a starring role as Monaco secured a 2-1 win over Tottenham on Tuesday night, with the left-back providing the assist for Djibril Sidibe’s opener just after half time. The 22-year-old drove forward with aplomb to complete six dribbles as Monaco stretched the Spurs defence with ease.
On the opposite flank, Rafael excelled as Lyon earned a 1-0 win in Zagreb on Tuesday night. The former Manchester United man provided the crucial assist for Alexandre Lacazette’s goal. Like Mendy, Rafael played a key role in Lyon’s attack, proving to be an effective offensive outlet from deep as he completed five dribbles and retained possession well, mustering a 87.9% pass success rate.
Dynamo Kyiv may already be out of the Champions League, but that didn’t stop the Ukrainian side from denying Napoli their place in the next round of the competition with a game to spare, with Yevhen Khacheridi performing admirably to frustrate the Italian side. The centre-back made 12 clearances, seven interceptions and one tackle, not to mention a 93.3% pass success rate, as the experienced defender played a key role for Kyiv at the San Paolo.
He’s partnered at the heart of the defence by Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, whose late goal guaranteed all three points for the Serie A leaders in a feisty 3-1 win at Sevilla. The centre-back played eight accurate long balls and made five clearances in Seville to help ease pressure on Gianluigi Buffon’s goal and give Juventus the best chance of securing top spot in Group H.
Hugo Lloris rounds off the XI following his starring show in Monaco. While Spurs succumbed to defeat, the scoreline could have been far worse for the Premier League side had Lloris not been at his best, with the Frenchman making nine saves - no goalkeeper has made more in a Champions League match this season - including a penalty stop from Falcao and an excellent reaction save to deny Kamil Glik in the second half.
