The Champions League has its winner, Real Madrid lifted the handle pot for the 14th time last Saturday. It is therefore not surprising that four royals figure in the top XI of the season.
Thibaut Courtois (30) is in goal. The two-meter-long Belgian bewitched the Madrilenians in the final once morest Liverpool to the title and brought the Reds storm around Salah and Mané to the brink of despair.
The top scorer in the Champions League, Karim Benzema (34), should not be missing. The real captain has an incredible 15 goals in twelve games. Vinicius Junior (21), the only final goalscorer, and Luka Modric (36) are also in the top team.
Surprise in central defence
Four kickers from final opponent Liverpool also made it into the selection. Trent Alexander-Arnold (23), Virgil van Dijk (30) and Andrew Robertson (28) make up three quarters of the defense of the season’s best eleven. Fabinho (28) was also chosen in midfield.
So eight of the eleven places are taken, who are the missing three? There’s Kylian Mbappé (23), who scored six goals in eight games. He is in a three-man storm alongside Vinicius and Benzema. Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (30) was voted one of the top three midfielders. The biggest surprise of the team is probably in central defense next to Van Dijk: Antonio Rüdiger.
The 28-year-old Chelsea player impressed with his defensive stability and his goal threat on offense. The German was eliminated with the Londoners in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Real Madrid, but put in solid performances across the board. His only goal of this year’s campaign came in the second leg once morest the Madrilenians – his potential future employer. (che)
More regarding the Champions League
