The Football Faithful
·7 November 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·7 November 2024
Champions League Team of the Week for matchday four, celebrating the finest performers from the midweek action.
Atletico Madrid earned a smash-and-grab win at Paris Saint-Germain as the Spaniards stunned the dominant hosts in Paris. Clement Lenglet’s error saw PSG take an early lead and Oblak was called into action repeatedly to keep the score at 1-0. He made crucial saves from Bradley Barcola, Marquinhos and Achraf Hakimi, keeping Atletico in the game.
His quick-thinking led to Atletico’s late winner, with a long throw to launch a counter-attack.
Jules Kounde helped himself to a hat-trick of assists as Barcelona eased past Red Star Belgrade. The Catalans are beginning to look more and more like contenders under Hansi Flick and Kounde’s marauding from right-back helped undo the Serbian side.
A wonderful cross set up Robert Lewandowski before the Frenchman’s cut-back was converted by Raphinha moments later. He completed his assist hat-trick by setting up Fermin Lopez.
Some questioned the £6m fee Celtic shelled out on Auston Trusty in the summer but the American is growing in stature in Scotland. Up against the threat of Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko, he recovered from an early knock to dominate.
Trusty did not commit a single foul and led the contest for successful passes (9), tackles (3), and duels won (6), as Celtic claimed a big win over RB Leipzig.
Inter Milan might just have a gem on their hands in Yan Bisseck. Snapped up from Danish football in 2023, the 23-year-old produced a performance full of maturity against Arsenal this week.
Bisseck made 10 clearances, won 100% of his aerial duels (4/4) and made an important block to deny Kai Havertz an equaliser. The German is coming of age in an Inter shirt.
Borussia Dortmund bounced back from their collapse at Real Madrid last time out to edge Sturm Graz 1-0 and climb into the Champions League’s top eight. Ramy Bensebaini continued his overlooked start to the season with an impressive performance, as the Algerian won 8/11 defensive duels, made four tackles, and recorded three interceptions to help Dortmund to a clean sheet.
AC Milan upset the holders to record an impressive 3-1 win at Real Madrid.
Tijjani Reijnders continued his red-hot form with another goal, scoring for the fourth time in three games. Excellent in possession and box-to-box with his running at the Bernabeu, he’s evolving into a complete midfield article for the Rossoneri.
An all-action performance from Malik Tillman helped PSV Eindhoven to a 4-0 win over Girona. The USA international was at the heart of everything good for the Dutch champions, as he won seven duels, created six chances, scored, and added two assists.
He’s just the fourth American to score and assist in a Champions League game and the first to record three goal involvements. The future’s bright for the 22-year-old.
Nicolas Kuhn tormented his former team as Celtic came from behind to beat Leipzig. The winger outlined his threat with some good early deliveries before finding an equaliser with a curling strike into the top corner. He scored a second from close range with a well-taken finish and offered an outstanding outlet all game—a top-drawer performance from the 24-year-old.
Luis Diaz led Liverpool to a thumping 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield, as the Reds inflicted just the third defeat on the German champions since the start of last season.
The Colombian claimed the first hat-trick of his Liverpool career as Arne Slot’s side scored four times after the break in a ruthless second-half performance. Tireless in his effort and threatening whenever around the box, this was a devastating display from Diaz.
Is Karim Konate the next Red Bull Salzburg product to earn a big move? The 20-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions last season to finish eighth in the Kopa Trophy vote and celebrated his first Champions League goals this week.
Konate scored twice as Salzburg won at Feyenoord to earn their first European win of the campaign. He’ll be kicking himself for spurning a spot-kick, however, after missing the chance to become just the third Ivorian to score a Champions League hat-trick.
Viktor Gyokeres inspired Sporting to a 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City, as the Swedish striker scored a hat-trick in Lisbon. Much of the pre-game narrative surrounded Gyokeres and Erling Haaland, a matchup between the Scandinavian sharpshooters.
It was the Sporting striker who came firmly out on top as he bounced back from an early miss to claim the match ball. A wonderful dinked finish and two emphatic penalties sealed his hat-trick and took Gyokeres to 23 goals for the season already. Expect someone to break the bank for him in the near future.
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