Liverpool quartet make final Champions League group stage best XI

There’s no prize for guessing that Liverpool dominate our Champions League team of the week after the Reds demolished Spartak Moscow 7-0 on Wednesday night. The resounding win, their second 7-0 victory in the group stages, was made possible by the effective Philippe Coutinho, who earned a perfect WhoScored rating of 10 on Wednesday night, the seventh player to do so in the group stages. 

Coutinho bagged a hat-trick in the resounding victory to cap off another memorable night at Anfield as Liverpool rounded off their group stage campaign in style. The 25-year-old is one of four current Reds stars to make the XI this week, with Sadio Mane featuring on the opposite flank to Coutinho. The Senegal star bagged a brace, including a sumptuous volley, against Spartak Moscow, his two goals coming from five shots, while Mane also chipped in with two tackles, one interception, two key passes and two dribbles to return a WhoScored.com rating of 9.46. 

Future Liverpool teammate Naby Keita also made the cut in the middle of the park having netted in RB Leipzig’s 2-1 loss to Besiktas. While the young midfielder was on the losing side, it wasn’t for want of trying with the 22-year-old firing off six shots, making three key passes and completing nine dribbles. Ever Banega rounds off the midfield following a marshalling display for Sevilla despite a 1-1 draw with Maribor. The Argentine made more passes (154), more successful final third passes (54) and completed more dribbles (11) than any other player has managed in a Champions League match this season in the stalemate. 

Mohamed Salah has been in fine form of late and while he managed just one goal on Wednesday night, the Egyptian forward was a constant attacking threat over the 90 minutes, making two key passes and five successful dribbles to return a WhoScored.com rating of 9.77. Vincent Aboubakar partners the Liverpool star in attack after he scored two and assisted one in FC Porto’s 5-2 win over Monaco. 

Ragnar Klavan is the fourth and final Liverpool representative in this XI having earned a 7.94 against Spartak Moscow. The experienced defender limited the visitors’ attacking chances by making three clearances, one tackle and one interception and played the ball out from the back effectively, mustering a pass success rate of 88.1% in the win. Czech centre-back Marek Suchy joins Klavan at the heart of the defence. To go with the five aerial duels won, he also made nine clearances and four interceptions to limit Benfica’s attack and help Basel to a 2-0 win in Portugal. 

Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier makes the cut after providing the assist for Fernando Llorente’s opening goal in a 3-0 win over APOEL. Aurier fired off two shots in the comfortable win, but it was his defensive work that earned the plaudits, with the Ivorian making an impressive seven interceptions. Brazilian left-back Ismaily completes the defence after his man of the match display in Shakhtar’s 2-1 win over Manchester City. The 27-year-old scored the decisive goal in the victory and defended well having made one tackle and three interceptions in Ukraine. 

Besiktas’ reserve goalkeeper Tolga Zengin makes the XI having earned a WhoScored.com rating of 9.19 in their 2-1 win over RB Leizpig. The 34-year-old made 10 saves, more than any other goalkeeper has managed in a Champions League match this season, and two successful cross claims as the Black Eagles ended the group stages as one of four teams unbeaten.