Champions League team of the week: Rasmus Hojlund, Jude Bellingham, Dan Burn lead selection on Matchday 2

Two games down in the Champions League group stage and a thrilling week that brought shock defeats for Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Manchester United. Here is our pick of the best players of the last two days with our Champions League Matchday 2 team of the week. 

GK: Brice Samba, Lens

It was to the credit of those in front of Samba that Arsenal, so territorially dominant even in their 2-1 defeat, only managed to test the goalkeeper on five occasions. When called upon, though, Samba delivered with the sort of performance that goes along way to explaining why he was among the 10 nominees for the Yashin Trophy awarded to the best shot stopper in the world. His deflection of Takehiro Tomiyasu’s low shot will live particularly long in the memory; it reflected a player who had the fundamentals down to a tee. On every occasion, he got his full body weight (or as much as possible) behind the ball, making saves of authority rather than nervy pushes and punches. Not for nothing did Declan Rice describe Samba’s performance as “stunning.” It is the perfect adjective.

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RB: Jordan Teze, PSV Eindhoven

His last gasp equalizer might have won the headlines at the Phillips Stadion but Teze typified the fearlessness with which PSV have approached this competition, ending the game with more touches in the Sevilla box than in his own. His four chances created were as many as any player made on Tuesday night, the bombing on of the right back opening lanes for Johan Bakayoko to display his questionable but thrilling decision making.

Like many in the PSV rearguard, there were occasions when Teze could be dribbled by a little too easily. His manager, however, would note that his system asks a lot of the defense. 

“Sevilla are a very good and clever team yet we prevented them from creating many chances,” said Peter Bosz. “We have an attacking playing style of play, which is tough for our rearguard. I think they’ve done a good job.”

CB: Jules Kounde, Barcelona

If you’re more of a fan of crunching tackles and backs to the wall defending then your moment of Matchday 2 might well have come in the Estadio Dragao, where a simply sensational tackle by Kounde denied Pepe what seemed certain to be Porto’s equalizer. It was one of those sliding interventions that you convince yourself must surely be a foul, a penalty and probably a red card to boot, there was no way the Frenchman could have got the ball, right? Instead Kounde helped Barcelona on their way to a first major away win in this competition for three years, one that means they are surely bound for the last 16. That he also made 10 clearances only bolstered his case.

CB: Alessandro Bastoni, Inter

Bastoni started strong in the San Siro on Tuesday night, recovering smartly when Angel Di Maria looked to have turned him on his way into the penalty area, and the youngster only grew in authority from then on as Inter held Benfica at arm’s length. The 24-year-old does not just excel at snuffing out danger outside his box, what put him ahead of the similarly impressive Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi was the work he did in the opposition half.

Bastoni’s pass map in Inter’s Champions League win over Benfica. TruMedia

It was often the center back who was picking up Benfica’s attempted clearances, carrying the ball forward and playing a neat pass into a teammate. When the occasion called for it he could even go all the way into the penalty area, his smart cross in the 53rd minute demanding more than Denzel Dumfries delivered.

LB: Dan Burn, Newcastle

As was the case with Teze above, I find myself desperately trying to convince you all that I haven’t just picked the full back who scored. Towering as the former Yeovil man’s leap over Milan Skriniar was it was the way in which Burn imposed himself on Ousmane Dembele. Through 45 minutes, one of European football’s take-on kings did not once manage to beat his imposing opponent, who defended with the energy and passion of a boyhood fan rising to one of the greatest moments of his career … so far at least.

CM: Kaan Ayhan, Galatasaray

A battling display by the 28-year-old typified Galatasaray’s first win over Manchester United, one where they refused to be set back by the goals they conceded and where Kaan Ayhan in particular made it his business to get to every loose ball or misplaced pass before anyone in red. Simply put, there is no way midfielders as experienced as Casemiro and Mason Mount should be beaten to Christian Eriksen’s bouncing ball into a safe but uninspiring spot.

Ayhan beats Casemiro and Mount to Eriksen’s pass. Wyscout/UEFA

Ayhan ended the game with nine of 11 duels won including all three of his aerials, four interceptions, as many clearances and 10 ball recoveries. In a match where too many opponents seemed to lack that bit of oomph, the Turkey international showed them up.

CM: Ramiz Zerrouki, Feyenoord

Even in defeat, Feyenoord looked every inch a serious European outfit, one where you might look up in the spring and discover that the Dutch champions have crashed the quarterfinal party. Certainly players with the elegance of Zerrouki would grace that stage, his glorious feints and nutmeg leaving Samuel Lino looking foolish indeed.

RW: Brais Mendez, Real Sociedad

You could make a case for any of the front four in their 2-0 win over Salzburg on Tuesday night, an impressive result on a trip that has proven altogether trickier over recent years than you might expect. The way in which Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo roamed across the field, drifting to the right to exploit the space behind Aleksa Terzic, spoke to impressive tactical acumen in Imanol Alguacil’s side.

Ultimately it’s Mendez, provider of the first and scorer of the second, who gets the nod. That is is no small part down to how intelligently he led the counter from which he struck, continually shaping to pass to Kubo and drawing the defense towards the Japanese forward until he was in position to pull the trigger.

CAM: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid

There’s not much point beating around the bush anymore: is Bellingham already one of the very best players in the world? To prove that he would have to be able to say he took a top level game by the scruff of his neck, delivering when his side needed him most, showing a wide array of skills and the ruthless will to win. 

In other words, when Napoli were 1-0 up at a bouncing Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, he’d have to show nerves of steel to play the right pass at the right moment for Vinicius Junior to draw Madrid level. Then he would have to drive away from five defenders before drilling the ball into the net. Of course, after that you would want to see a player who could dictate tempo, knowing when to spring his forwards out on the counter.

That is rather par for the course for Bellingham in Real Madrid colors. If he isn’t already one of the best players in the world, it is a matter of when rather than if.

LW: Bruma, Braga

You will have to watch an awful lot of Champions League football to find a better goal than Bruma’s equalizer in Braga’s thrilling comeback from two goals down to break Union Berlin hearts. It is one of those rare strikes that is almost enhanced by spoilers; knowing that something spectacular is about to happen makes you think that the corner from the left to edge of the box is about to be thundered home on the volley. Ricardo Horta shapes to do exactly that but as a defender charges towards him, he instead taps it off to Bruma, who has the time to set himself and take his swing in stride, holding his pose like Rory McIlroy booming a driver down the fairway at Marco Simone. Aesthetic perfection.

ST: Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United

Amid the Old Trafford gloom, Hojlund shines all the brighter. His performance in defeat to Galatasaray was that of a complete striker: he can chase the ball into the channels, assert himself on defenders with his strength or apply the afterburners and leave them in his dust. Those were already apparent when he left Atalanta but perhaps underappreciated was the composure he would bring to Manchester United, exemplified when he sent Sacha Boey to the Etihad with a quick feint followed by a pile driving finish.

Hojlund is always gambling, sprinting in the direction of any ball that might drop in the box. Just look at the burst he shows to get ahead of Davinson Sanchez and meet Rashford’s cross. If others in the United side showed similar ferocity, Erik ten Hag might not be in the hole he finds himself in.