After two nights of hugely entertaining UEFA Champions League action, it’s time for us to reveal our team of the week from matchday three. 

The competition for places was so fierce that there’s no representation from Chelsea despite their impressive 5-1 win over Ajax, but there is room for a clutch of Premier League stars in our lineup.

Champions League Team of the Week:

Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario – Spurs

There are no two ways about it; Spurs got absolutely battered by Monaco on Wednesday. Thomas Frank’s side gave up 23 shots, five of which were big chances. And yet they somehow got out of the principality with a scoreless draw.

Guglielmo Vicario was undoubtedly the player of the match, pulling off eight saves to keep an implausible clean sheet. The Italian has his flaws, but shot stopping is not one of them.

Honourable mention to Kairat’s Temirlan Anarbekov and Jakub Markovic of Slavia Prague, both of whom made five saves each to shut out the opposition this week.

Read – The best defensive records in Europe this season

Right-back: Denzel Dumfries – Inter Milan

Inter are quietly going about their business in the Champions League, racking up three wins without conceding a goal. Admittedly, last year’s runners-up are yet to face any of the contenders, but they have come through three banana skins without coming close to slipping.

Denzel Dumfries was yet again one of their key performers, scoring the opener while making four recoveries, three tackles, three clearances and an interception to help the Nerazzurri keep a clean sheet.

Centre-back: Gabriel Magalhaes – Arsenal

The prominent threat for arguably Europe’s best set-piece team. Gabriel opened the scoring against Atletico Madrid with a brilliant header, before making a crucial block at the other end. An assist for Viktor Gyokeres sealed a memorable evening.

The Brazilian was also once again central to yet another strong defensive performance from the Gunners in the Champions League. Indeed, since returning to the competition in 2023 they have not conceded a single goal at home in nine successive games, the first ever side to do so.

Read – Arsenal break Champions League record with Atletico win

Centre-back: Caio Henrique – AS Monaco

It’s an all-Brazilian central defence after Caio Henrique put in a huge performance against Tottenham. The defender made a massive seven recoveries and intercepted the ball three times to frustrate the opposition’s efforts in attack. But he also created six chances, more than any other player in the match, although it should be noted four of them were from corners.

Left-back: Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain

Nuno Mendes is peerless when it comes to left-backs right now. He assisted the opener at Leverkusen with a whipped delivery for Willian Pacho and got himself on the scoresheet after a trademark surge forward. His splitting pass helped create the sixth, in arguably his best action of the night. A defender who can, and does, do it all.

Midfield: Fermin Lopez – Barcelona

Barcelona snubbed summer interest in Fermin Lopez and are reaping the rewards. The midfielder hit a hat-trick against Olympiacos, firing in an opener through traffic before keeping his cool to score a second. A well-taken third earned the 22-year-old the match ball and extended his record to five goals in five starts this season. He deserves more minutes.

Midfield: Dominik Szoboszlai – Liverpool

Liverpool finally got back to winning ways, and in style too as they hammered Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 away. Dominik Szoboszlai created three big chances, including the assist for Ibrahima Konate’s goal from a corner. He then went on to score a beautiful daisy cutter from range.

Read – Liverpool forward Ekitike makes Frankfurt return with reputation rising

Midfield: Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain

Following a couple of underwhelming results in Ligue 1, PSG returned to Europe with a bang, putting seven past Bayer Leverkusen away from home.

Vitinha was yet again running the show from the middle of the park, completing the most passes (126) in the match and setting up two chances. The Portuguese drove through Leverkusen’s midfield before delivering a perfect pass for Nuno Mendes to score their fourth. He then put a bow on proceedings by blasting the ball past the goalkeeper from outside the box in the 90th minute.

Right-forward: Dennis Man – PSV Eindhoven

After losing their opening match of the Champions League campaign to Union Saint-Gilloise, PSV have bounced back with a draw against Bayer Leverkusen and now a huge win over Napoli.

Dennis Man was the star of a shock 6-2 victory at home over Antonio Conte’s ten men, grabbing a brace for his first goals in the competition. The Romanian made a clever run before putting the ball through the defender’s legs for PSV’s third of the evening. He went on to score their fifth with an unstoppable bullet from just outside the box.

The Dutch outfit travel to Liverpool at the end of next month. That could be a tasty encounter.

Centre-forward: Marcus Rashford – Barcelona

Marcus Rashford’s renaissance continues. Five goals and five assists in 12 games is a superb start to his time at Barcelona, with Rashford central to Tuesday’s 6-1 destruction of Olympiacos. He won a penalty for Lamine Yamal to convert and scored twice himself as the Spanish champions ran riot.

A place in England’s World Cup squad looks certain with Rashford in this form.

Left-forward: Anthony Gordon – Newcastle United

The Newcastle winger has been relatively quiet since returning from suspension in the Premier League, but he was immense in a dominant 3-0 over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Tuesday night.

Gordon opened the scoring in the first half with a tap-in at the back post, his fourth goal in his last three Champions League outings. He’s the first Magpies player to score in three successive games in the competition.

Late on, the England international was involved in some sumptuous link-up play with Nick Woltemade before setting up Harvey Barnes’ for his second goal of the night.

Read – Jose Mourinho hails ‘horsepower’ of Newcastle United

See Also – The ex-Premier League players dominating Sunday League Vets

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