Our Champions League Team of the Week from Matchday Eight features names from Bayrn Munich, Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
Goalkeeper: Jonas Urbig – Bayern Munich
No Neuer, no problem! Jonas Urbig stepped in for the German great and produced a performance at PSV Eindhoven that the number one would have been proud of.
He made six saves in the first half alone as Bayern weathered a storm, including some outrageous stops. The perfect response to a tricky time against Augsburg at the weekend.
Right-back: Fredrik Sjovold – Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt’s maiden Champions League campaign appeared to be over after matchday six. The debutants had failed to win and faced Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in a tough conclusion to the league phase. Back-to-back wins, helped by Sjorvold’s crucial goal in Madrid, have sent Bodo into the play-offs.
Centre-back: Cristian Romero – Tottenham
Another captain’s performance from Romero, as Spurs continued to shine in Europe despite domestic struggles. The Argentine assisted the opener at Eintracht Frankfurt for Randal Kolo Muani and led his side to a clean sheet in Germany. The last 16 awaits.
Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
This wasn’t the toughest of nights for Van Dijk as Liverpool cruised to a 6-0 win over Qarabag, but the Dutch defender made his own personal history.
How often does a centre-back assist three goals in the same game?
3 – Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is the first central defender ever to assist three goals in a single UEFA Champions League game. Source. pic.twitter.com/RoZ6DJmrfM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 28, 2026
Left-back: Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen
There’s an argument that Alejandro Grimaldo has the best left foot in football.
The Spaniard struck a perfect first-time finish against Villarreal to make it 11 for the season in all competitions. That’s more than Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko, and Viktor Gyokeres, strikers who were all signed for more than £50m last summer.
He’s a wing-back.
Midfield: Aleksandar Stankovic – Club Brugge
Aleksandar Stankovic led Club Brugge past Marseille in a performance reminiscent of his father, Dejan. Stankovic set up the first two goals and scored the third himself, to continue his excellent recent form. Top teams will be watching the 20-year-old closely.
You could say this man single-handedly sent Olympique Marseille out of the Champions League.
Two assists, then the decisive goal to finish the job.
Aleksandar Stankovic.
What a performance.
What a player. pic.twitter.com/VH9Hwb4VY1— Emir – Scouting (@EKscouting) January 28, 2026
Midfield: Malick Tillman – Bayer Leverkusen
A top performance from the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder. He forced the opening goal against Villarreal with tigerish pressing and added the second with a thumping effort. The US international also won 7 out of 10 duels in an all-action display.
Right-wing: Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
Just two teenagers have ever scored and assisted in three Champions League games.
Kylian Mbappe had been alone on that list until now. Yamal’s influence was stamped all over Barcelona’s win over Copenhagen in the latest standout showing from the teenager.
Left-wing: Andreas Schjelderup – Benfica
Benfica beat Real Madrid in arguably the game of the night in Lisbon, with a last-gasp goalkeeper goal sending the Portuguese side through.
Andreas Schjelderup had put the Primeira Liga side in a position to qualify, ignoring recent transfer speculation, to score twice. Still just 21, he’s got more levels to go.
A statement performance from Schjelderup 🚨
After recent transfer reports, Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup bagged a brace against Real Madrid to see the Portuguese side advance through to the knockout stage of the #UCL on goal difference 🙌😮💨 pic.twitter.com/wlsFsc0KTJ
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) January 28, 2026
Forward: Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
Celebrated his club-record 80th Champions League appearance for Liverpool in style. Salah created seven chances as Liverpool ran riot against Qarabag and slammed home the third goal from a free-kick.
The Egyptian looked more like his old self here.
Forward: Joao Pedro – Chelsea
A fantastic centre-forward performance from Pedro, who scored two terrific goals in Chelsea’s comeback at Napoli.
His first was something special, blasted in from distance to equalise, before keeping his cool to fire home a leveller. Chelsea are in the hat for the last 16, in large part thanks to Pedro’s performance in Naples.
Match-winner. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/Lbffm8fnDz
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 29, 2026
Read – Champions League Awards: Goalie goals and Cursed Conte
See more – Remembering every goalkeeper to score in the Champions League
