Champions League Team of the Playoffs XI

The Champions League playoffs are over – as such, the knockout rounds are now locked in. But who were the top individual performers over the course of the second leg ties?

In this piece, we will only be looking at games that took place in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs – first leg ties won’t be considered.

We’ll be looking at players from Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in this XI – who made it into your team?

GK: Nikita Haikin

Nikita Haikin was ready for the deluge of attacks that Inter Milan were poised to throw at him – he couldn’t keep a clean sheet, but he played a vital role in Bodo/Glimt’s historic victory.

Haiken made six saves to secure Bodo’s victory at the San Siro, winning by a score of 2-1 on the night and 5-2 overall.

RB: Davide Zappacosta

Former Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta was on fire during Atalanta’s unlikely comeback win over Borussia Dortmund, taking complete control of his right flank.

He scored a goal on the stroke of half time, then put forth a tireless display to ensure that Dortmund couldn’t mount a fightback.

CB: Federico Gatti

Federico Gatti also couldn’t help his team to maintain their clean sheet – additionally, he was also on the losing end on aggregate. However, we would be remiss to overlook his herculean efforts on Wednesday evening.

Gatti was determined to drag Juventus into the knockout rounds. To this end, he never shied away from the ball and scored their second goal of the game – sadly, two late goals from Galatasaray ultimately sank the Old Lady.

CB: Jarell Quansah

Jarell Quansah didn’t set the world on fire at Liverpool – thankfully, he has found a home for himself in the form of Bayer Leverkusen.

Olympiacos simply couldn’t get past him as they sought to find a way back into the tie. Quansah performed his defensive duties diligently, shutting the Greek champions out.

LB: Alejandro Grimaldo

Alejandro Grimaldo, like Quansah, was on hand to put in an excellent defensive shift for Bayer Leverkusen to secure their spot in the knockout rounds.

Grimaldo is often characterised as an attacking wing-back who struggles defensively, but this was not the case on Tuesday evening – he made more tackles than anyone else on his team.

DM: Aurelien Tchouameni

On a night where emotions were high, Aurelien Tchouameni was able to keep his head and delievered an excellent performance from the heart of midfield.

Tchouameni gave Real Madrid a lifeline early on, as he scored immediately after Los Blancos had conceded – his overall character was a godsend to the Spanish giants on the night.

CM: Federico Valverde

Alongside Tchouameni was Federico Valverde – while the French international did a lot of the dirty defensive work, Valverde’s passing was a joy to behold.

He notched up a pair of assists against Benfica in a 2-1 win, sparing Madrid from a shock defeat in the playoffs.

CM: Mario Pasalic

Atalanta’s unlikely comeback in the playoffs against Dortmund will be talked about for years – without Mario Pasalic, it wouldn’t have been possible.

He scored the third goal of the game – a perfect reward for his industrious midfield performance. Following Inter and Juventus’ respective defeats, Atalanta are the only Serie A team left in the Champions League.

RW: Jens Petter Hauge

Jens Petter Hauge is the talk of the town right now. He was the star of the show during Bodo/Glimt’s exhilirating victory over Inter, scoring a goal and registering an assist.

Bodo have never reached the last 16 of the Champions League – thanks to Hauge, the Norweigian outfit have made history.

LW: Baris Alper Yilmaz

Galatasaray were on the brink of humiliation, when ten-man Juventus came from behind to level the scores at 5-5 on aggregate – the Turkish giants will be eternally thankful that Baris Alper Yilmaz was on hand to come to their rescue.

Scoring a goal and notching up a brace in extra time, Yilmaz ensured that his team would reach the last 16 of the competition.

ST: Alexander Sorloth

Alexander Sorloth’s inclusion is a real no-brainer. After a closely fought first leg tie against Club Brugge, Atletico Madrid demolished the Belgians in the second leg.

Sorloth was the star of the show, scoring a hattrick against Brugge to thrust Diego Simeone’s men into the next round.