🏆 UCL Awards: Saka stars; Man Utd misery; Dortmund silence San Siro | OneFootball

The penultimate matchweek of this season’s Champions League group stage produced another thrilling round of action.

Now it is time to hand out our awards.

Player of the Week

After an inconsistent few weeks in which many wondered if he was playing too much football, Bukayo Saka responded on Wednesday with one of his best performances of the season.

The English youngster was sensational for Arsenal as the Gunners produced a stunning first 45 minutes against Lens.

The north London side put five past the Ligue 1 outfit before the break, with Saka at the heart of everything Mikel Arteta’s side did well.

Saka bagged one and set up another to send Arsenal top of the group and into the last 16.

Team of the Week

Goal of the Week

Xavi admitted before Barcelona’s game with Porto on Tuesday that his job was in trouble if the Blaugrana failed to beat the Portuguese side at the Estadi Olimpic.

Thankfully for him though, João Cancelo was on a one-man mission to see the Catalan club into the last 16.

The Manchester City loanee was sensational all evening long and rounded off his performance with a brilliant individual goal in the first half.

Cutting inside onto his right foot, the Portugal international skipped past his marker and then curled a glorious effort into the far corner.

Result of the Week

This was supposed to be the Champions League ‘Group of Death’ but Borussia Dortmund are swatting away the Grim Reaper’s scythe with ease.

The German giants went to Milan this week and stunned the home fans with a brilliantly incisive and mature performance.

Marco Reus opened the scoring from the penalty spot early in the first half with the Rossoneri then equalising just before the break through Samuel Chukwueze.

But after the break Dortmund clicked into gear as English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens showed his class with a neat finish before Karim Adeyemi completed the win late on.

The three points were secured a spot in the knockout stages was in the bag.

Surprise of the Week

Bayern Munich maintained their staggering, decade-long run of going unbeaten at home in the Champions League group stages this week.

But it was opponents Copenhagen who stole the limelight on Wednesday as the Danish side impressed at the Allianz Arena and held Bayern to a goalless draw.

Even with the likes of Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Müller in attack, Copenhagen stayed solid at the back and, with one game to go, sit in second place in Group A.

Get a result against Galatasaray, and the capital club will qualify for the knockout rounds for only the second time.

Stat of the Week

Manchester United ‘beat’ their own record this week of becoming the English side to have conceded the most goals after five Champions League group games.

The Red Devils endured a nightmare campaign back in 1994/95 as they crashed out of the competition at the first hurdle in a group with Barcelona, Gotëborg and Galatasaray.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side conceded 11 times in that campaign and already they’ve shipped in 14 with a game to go in 2023/24.

André Onana was the culprit this week as they let a two-goal lead slip against Gala to draw 3-3 in Istanbul.

United now host Bayern in their final game knowing that they must win against the Bundesliga holders and hope other results go their way.

Quote of the Week

Eddie Howe was in no mood to be charitable to the officials following Newcastle’s draw at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

The Magpies conceded an incredibly harsh penalty in the 98th minute as the VAR referee decided that Tino Livramento had handballed inside the area.

Howe though, was having none of it.

“It wasn’t the right decision in my opinion,” he said. “There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first.

“It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down looks completely different to the live event.

“The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, it is down by his side but he is in a running motion. I feel it is a poor decision and it’s hugely frustrating for us.”