There were plenty of goals scored from across Europe on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League, where several hat-trick heroes took center stage. Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Sporting Lisbon’s Victor Gyoceres each scored three goals to lead the team to one-sided wins over respected Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Jules Kounde scored a sensational hat-trick with three assists in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Crvena Zvezda. Several other stars from other big wins, such as AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Real Madrid, also made the list for their heroics.
Introducing this week’s Team of the Week.
GK: Mike Maignan, AC Milan
Mike Maignan played a huge part in perhaps the biggest result of the fourth leg, helping AC Milan escape the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with three valuable points. He made nine saves against Real Madrid on Tuesday, tied for most goals by a goalkeeper in a Champions League match this week. It’s a particularly impressive feat considering Real Madrid had 23 shots on Milan’s goal and had 2.66 expected goals against, but the hosts’ only strike came from a penalty kick, which did little to drag down Maignan’s performance. This didn’t work.
RB: Jules Kounde (Barcelona)
There was competition for this slot, but in the end it was hard not to choose Jules Kounde after he recorded three assists for Barcelona. He was a standout performer in the team’s 5-2 win over Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday with a play-making performance, creating four chances in the process.
CB: Ryan Flamingo, PSV
Matchday 4 saw the one-sided wins come thick and fast, the list including PSV’s 4-0 thrashing of Girona. Ryan Flamingo had a great day in defense, with 94.1% passing accuracy, winning 83.3% of his duels, including 100% of his aerial duels, and making 4 recoveries during his shift. It also helps his case that he scored his first Champions League goal on Tuesday.
CB: Emre Can, Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund had 21 shots on Sturm Graz’s goal but only managed 7 shots, so Emre Can set the tone for the defense well. He completed 92.3% of his 104 passes and won 66.7% of his duels. He also achieved perfect scores for passing accuracy and tackle wins in the attacking third.
LB: Alphonso Davis, Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich’s chances of winning against Benfica may have been narrow, but it was not for lack of trying. This includes Alphonso Davies, who used his team’s dominance to his advantage. He attempted 128 touches and 108 passes, ranking in the top 10 in both categories on the fourth matchday, and boasting a 90.8% pass success rate. Davis also created two chances and handled his defensive responsibilities well, completing 100% of his tackles and 75% of his duels.
CM: Curtis Jones, Liverpool
Tuesday was a truly great day for several Liverpool players, including Curtis Jones, who had a banner evening as Liverpool scored four second-half goals against Bayer Leverkusen. The highlight of his performance was his assist for Luis Diaz’s first goal, but his 90% passing accuracy and three chances he created also added to a strong outing for the 23-year-old.
CM: Malik Tillman, PSV
While Christian Pulisic usually holds the virtual honor of being the most outstanding U.S. men’s national team player on matchday, this week’s honor goes to PSV’s Malik Tillman. He provided two assists against Girona and played a big part in the team’s attacking operation, creating six chances on Tuesday.
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CM: Arne Engels, Celtic
Celtic’s incredibly successful Champions League campaign continued with a 3-1 win over winless RB Leipzig on Tuesday, with Arne Engels’ midfield performance a key part of the performance. He got an assist for Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn’s equalizer and created five chances overall as the hosts thrived on their attack-first strategy.
FW: Luis Diaz, Liverpool
Scoring a hat trick could easily land you on the team of the week, so it’s not all that surprising to see Diaz top the list. He also generated 1.64 expected goals on his own, a big chunk of Liverpool’s overall expected goals of 3.49 on Tuesday, and did so on just four shots. He blended efficiency and style, blending impressive finishes into impressive finishing days.
FW: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
We can’t mention Diaz’s strong performance on Tuesday without recognizing Mohamed Salah, who played an equally important role in Liverpool’s victory. He finished the game with two assists for an impressive expected assists rating of 1.11, creating five chances and knocking down three shots in the process. Diaz and Salah have played a dual role of sorts, allowing United to continue their successful run under new manager Arne Slot.
FW: Victor Gyokeres, Sporting Lisbon
Speaking of hat-trick heroes, it feels almost natural for the most talented striker in Europe these days to feature on a list like this. He had all five shots on target and provided 2.41 expected goals, more than half of the 3.79 expected goals he shared in Sporting Lisbon’s 4-1 win over Manchester City. Many will point to this win as a sign that outgoing Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was a good choice for Manchester United, but it is also a sign that the team he built is in good enough shape to produce impressive results even without him. .
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