Real Madrid starlet finally delivers to make Champions League Team of the Week

 

With the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals done and dusted, now is the ideal moment to reflect on the state of play.

 

Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid and Liverpool kicked off proceedings on Tuesday night, with City battling to a 2-1 victory over Dortmund and Madrid running riot against Liverpool with a 3-1 win.

 

Attentions then turned to FC Porto against Chelsea and a repeat of last season's final with Bayern Munich hosting Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea are all but through to the next round after a 2-0 away win, while it's advantage PSG after their shock 3-2 win in Germany.

 

Here we will run through the best WhoScored rated XI from the midweek action, starting things off in goal.

 

Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) - 8.25 rating

 

Keylor Navas made 10 saves in goal for PSG in their win over Bayern Munich but it is Edouard Mendy who claims a spot in our XI. Mendy kept his seventh clean sheet in eight Champions League games, making five saves against FC Porto to help put Chelsea in complete control of their tie. The 29-year-old also helped lift the pressure on his defenders with two cross claims.

 

Right-back: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich) - 7.56 rating

 

Benjamin Pavard endured a challenging night defensively against the speed of Kylian Mbappe and trickery of Neymar but, like many of the Bayern players, was influential going forward. Pavard's cross was converted by Eric Maxm Choupo-Moting to half PSG's lead in the first half and the France international even rattled off three attempts of his own. Moreover, Pavard won all four of the aerial duels he contested.

 

Centre-back: Eder Militao (Real Madrid) - 7.38 rating

 

Real Madrid supporters would have feared the worst once Raphael Varane joined Sergio Ramos as unavailable prior to Tuesday's match with Liverpool, with Zinedine Zidane instead forced to deploy an erratic Eder Militao at the back with Nacho in a game of such high importance. However, Militao flourished for the Spanish giants and turned in one of his best displays for the club. The 23-year-old helped keep things tight at the back with four aerial duels won and made as many tackles and interceptions combined.

 

Centre-back: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) - 8.07 rating

 

Marquinhos was only on the pitch 30 minutes but he still played a key role for PSG in their massive win away to Bayern. Marquinhos put PSG two goals ahead with a super composed finish before being forced off injury. The French side really felt his absence at the back. Marquinhos is so important for PSG defensively and it showed as Bayern really ramped up the pressure after he departed the pitch. Marquinhos made seven clearances in just 30 minutes.

 

Left-back: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) - 8.34 rating

 

Ben Chilwell has endured a mixed first season at Chelsea and has seen his status as England's best left-back chipped away at by Manchester United's Luke Shaw but he looked every bit a £50m player against Porto on Tuesday. Chilwell made five tackles and interceptions combined and four clearances to help Chelsea keep a vital clean sheet, while all but putting his side through to the next round with a superbly taken goal on his weaker right foot.

 

Right wing: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) - 7.98 rating

 

After struggling for game time in the big matches early on in his Manchester City career, Riyad Mahrez is finally being trusted by Pep Guardiola this season. Mahrez showed great composure to not only keep Phil Foden's over hit cross in play but then pick out Kevin De Bruyne for City's first against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. It was one of four key passes registered by the 30-year-old.

 

Real Madrid starlet finally delivers to make Champions League Team of the Week

 

Central midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.77 rating

Kevin De Bruyne played an instrumental role in City's 2-1 win over Dortmund on Tuesday, scoring the first and playing a defence-unlocking pass in the build up to their second late on. De Bruyne finished the game with two shots, two key passes and as many successful dribbles. De Bruyne registered a brace of assists in each of his first two appearances in the Champions League this season and has followed that up with goals in successive outings.

 

Central midfield: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) - 8.46 rating

 

A booking for dissent has ruled Joshua Kimmich out of next week's return leg against PSG and Bayern Munich will sorely miss the German's creativity from set-pieces. Kimmich finished Wednesday's match with 10 key passes to his name. In fact, only on two occasions in the last 11 years of Champions League knockout football has someone managed more (excluding extra-time). Kimmich also completed three dribbles and had two attempts on goal of his own.

 

Left wing: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) - 8.80 rating

 

Signed by Real Madrid with a view of being the next Neymar, Vinicius Junior finally demonstrated why in their impressive 3-1 win over Liverpool. End product has previously let the Brazilian down, to the extent where Karim Benzema even told a team-mate to stop giving him the ball. However, Junior certainly had end product against Liverpool. He scored twice, the first being the pick of the bunch, to claim the WhoScored player of the week award. In fact, more than 14% of his career goals for Madrid were scored on Tuesday night. Trent Alexander-Arnold certainly won't look forward to marking him again next week.

 

Striker: Kylian Mbappe (PSG) - 8.33 rating

 

Kylian Mbappe continued his remarkable goalscoring form in the Champions League with a brace away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, to add to his hat-trick away to Barcelona the round before. Pure power was enough to beat Manuel Neuer for his first before the 22-year-old fooled the Bayern veteran for his second, showing a great ruthless nature to score from his only shots of the game.

 

Striker: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich) - 7.70 rating

 

The absence of Robert Lewandowski was always going to be felt by Bayern Munich and they likely would have won against PSG had he been available, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at least performed above expectations on Wednesday night. The former PSG striker was always in the right positions and scored a Lewandowski-like header to get his side back in the game. Choupo-Moting had five attempts on goal in total and is now Bayern's second-joint top scorer in the Champions League this season despite only starting three times (3).

Real Madrid starlet finally delivers to make Champions League Team of the Week