One Real Madrid Player Makes the Champions League Standout XI, Vinícius Júnior Delivers in Lisbon

Standout XI of the Week

The official UEFA Champions League accounts on Thursday unveiled the standout XI for the week’s matches, covering the playoff legs that determined who advances to the round of 16.

The selection heavily features Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund, and Galatasaray, with two players from each club in the XI, while Real Madrid contribute only one, despite beating Benfica in Lisbon 1-0 thanks to a brilliant goal by Vinícius Júnior.

Here is the lineup as chosen by the competition's analysts:

Lineup Details

Goalkeeper: Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund).

Defence: Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) - Dan Burn (Newcastle United) - Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray) - Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfield: Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) - Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray) - Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid) - Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge).

Forward: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) - Kasper Högg (Bodø/Glimt).

Punchline 1: This XI is so sharp even a sniper would miss the target trying to score with it.

Punchline 2: If football lineups came with a warranty, this one would say, “defense optional, confidence guaranteed.”