Champions League Team of the Tournament - Top scorer Ronaldo leads the attack

Real Madrid successfully made it three successive Champions League trophies after seeing off Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday night, becoming the first side since Bayern Munich in the 1970s to complete a hat-trick of European cup triumphs.

Now that the season is finished, we can take stock and reflect on the best performers across the season in Europe’s elite club competition. Taking into account players that made at least eight appearances in the Champions League this season, here is the WhoScored Team of the Tournament:

Goalkeeper - Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)

Many believe Paris Saint-Germain need a new goalkeeper and that looks set to happen with the arrival of iconic Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, but Alphonse Areola has not been given the credit he deserves this season.

The France international will form part of Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad this summer and can be pleased with a quietly impressive season for the France giants, even if it did end in Champions League elimination at the quarter-finals.

In fact, of goalkeepers that made at least eight appearances in the Champions League this season, only Andriy Pyatov (4.1) and Alisson (3.8) made more saves per game than the PSG No.1 (3.6).

It’s telling that, of PSG players that featured in both legs of their last 16 elimination to Madrid, Areola was their second highest WhoScored rated player.

Right-Back - Dani Alves (Paris Saint-Germain)

Dani Alves’ season ended in despair as a serious knee injury has ruled the Paris Saint-Germain defender out of the 2018 World Cup.

His future at the Ligue 1 giants is also uncertain following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel, who reportedly wants to replace the Brazilian right-back this summer.

However, Alves will be pleased with his overall contribution to PSG’s season in the league and in Europe, particularly excelling in the Champions League.

In fact, Alves scored more goals in eight Champions League appearances (2) than he did in 25 league games this season (1).

Despite playing at right-back, only PSG team-mate Neymar (7) made more accurate through balls than Alves (4) in the Champions League this season, further illustrating his effectiveness going forward.

Centre-Back - Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich will be bitterly disappointed to have been eliminated from the last four of the Champions League and will rue Sven Ulreich’s mistake in the second leg against Madrid that gifted the Spanish side the tie.

However, Mats Hummels will be pleased with his individual performances, garnering a WhoScored rating of 7.18 to finish as the second highest rated centre-back in the competition this season.

Hummels started eight matches in the Champions League this season and only on two occasions did the Bayern centre-back finish with a rating below 7.00.

The Germany international even kickstarted Bayern’s group stage campaign with a goal against Celtic, his first in the Champions League February 2013 during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

Centre-Back - Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City)

Ridiculed during his first two years at Manchester City, Nicolas Otamendi has come on leaps and bounds under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage this season, finishing the campaign as arguably one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Despite the presence of John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany and Ayermic Laporte since January, the Argentina international has remained a mainstay in the City back four, illustrating his new-found importance to Guardiola this season.

Otamendi has improved massively in possession and it’s no surprise that, with City’s possession-based game, only one player averaged more passes per Champions league game (6+ apps) than the Argentine (99.8).

The 30-year-old finished the season as the highest WhoScored rated centre-back in the Champions League with a rating of 7.28.

Left-Back - Aleksandr Kolarov (Roma)

Since swapping Manchester City for Roma last summer, Aleksandar Kolarov has been a revelation for the Serie A giants. The Serbia international’s displays even forced Emerson to find pastures new in January, joining Chelsea.

Kolarov was one of Roma’s main sources of creativity in their remarkable Champions League run to the last four. In fact, the 32-year-old made more assists than any other Roma player (3), while only Radja Nainggolan (20) created more goalscoring opportunities than Kolarov (19) for the Giallorossi.

Known for his wand of a left-foot, Kolarov completed the most crosses in the Champions League this term (25). Finally, the veteran left-back featured in every minute of Roma’s Champions League campaign, as they secured their best ever finish in the competition.

Right Midfield - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah is the first of two Liverpool players in WhoScored’s Champions League Team of the Tournament after playing an integral role in their run to the final.

The Egypt international only lasted 30 minutes in Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday evening after suffering a shoulder injury that may rule him out of the 2018 World Cup.

Despite such a reduced role in Kiev, only James Milner and Marcelo (both three) created more goalscoring chances than Salah. His departure shifted the momentum into Madrid’s favour.

Overall, only Cristiano Ronaldo (15) scored more goals than the 25-year-old in Europe this season. Not only did the Liverpool star score for fun, only Eden Hazard (24) created more goalscoring opportunities than Salah (23) from open play in the Champions League this term.

Central Midfield - Ever Banega (Sevilla)

Despite setting up to prevent Ever Banega from playing, the Argentina international showcased his best qualities in both legs of Sevilla’s shock triumph over Manchester United in the last 16.

Banega only made nine appearances in the Champions League this season, but made the most final third entries in the competition (163). With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Banega made the most key passes (33), at least four more than any other player.

Of players that made more than six appearances in the Champions League this season, Banega averaged the most passes per game. (103.6). If you give Banega time and space, he will hurt you with the ball, as he showed United earlier this year.

Not only did Banega show his class in possession, the Sevilla midfielder proved key without it, too. In fact, Banega won possession in the middle third more times than any other player in the Champions League this season (56).

Central Midfield - Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Manchester City fell short in their attempts to win their first Champions League title, crashing out of the quarter-finals to finalists Liverpool.

However, Kevin De Bruyne was still in immense form for the Premier League champions throughout their European campaign, finishing with five goal involvements (one goal, four assists) in eight appearances in the competition.

This has been De Bruyne’s most productive Champions League campaign of his career, which bodes well for Guardiola’s side moving forward.

Left Midfield - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Sadio Mane finished Liverpool’s Champions League campaign with as many goals in 11 appearances as he managed in 29 Premier League games this season (10).

The 26-year-old brought up double figures for goals in Europe against Madrid, becoming the first African player since Didier Drogba in 2012 to score in a Champions League final.

Mane hasn’t always been at his best this season but has been a consistent performer in the Champions League and was rewarded with a final goal.

Of players that made at least eight appearances in the Champions League this season, Mane finished as the joint-highest WhoScored rated player, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (12).

Furthermore, only one player won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than the Senegal international in the Champions League this season (4). 

Striker - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

If you factor out Lionel Messi’s two substitute appearances, then the Barcelona star has a stunning WhoScored rating of 8.41 in the Champions League this season.

Messi scored six goals in 10 appearances in Europe, finishing the campaign with more WhoScored Man of the Match awards than any other player in the competition (6).

Of players that made at least eight appearances in the Champions League this season, only Cristiano Ronaldo (6.3) averaged more shots per 90 than Messi (5.1), while the Argentina international also averaged 4.3 dribbles per 90.

Striker - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

For Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s been another record breaking European campaign. The Real Madrid striker has now won as many European trophies as Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Barcelona (5). In fact, only Madrid legend Paco Gento has won more (6).

Not only that, but Ronaldo finished the campaign as top scorer in the Champions League for a record seventh time in his career, netting at least five more goals than any other player this term (15).

Ronaldo isn’t always involved in matches but he has transformed his game from a tricky winger to a killer in front of goal in recent years. It’s therefore no surprise that Ronaldo had more touches in the opposition penalty area than any other player in the competition this season (128).

The 33-year-old failed to score in his last three European outings, but did remarkably start the campaign by netting in 10 consecutive European games, scoring braces in knockout matches against Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldo finishes the campaign as the highest WhoScored rated player in the Champions League (8.12), edging Mane to the award due to the fact he played in 230 more minutes than the Liverpool forward.