UEFA have revealed their Team of the Week for the opening match day of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season.
The side that was chosen by the UEFA technical observer panel includes players from 11 different teams.
UEFA Team Of The Week For The Opening Match Day Of The 2024/25 Champions League Season
Arsenal’s David Raya was snubbed, with Thibaut Courtois being selected in goal following his stellar goalkeeping display for Real Madrid in their 3-1 win over VFB Stuttgart.
Courtois produced several saves to help Los Blancos come out victorious in the highly combative affair.
Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint Germain was chosen at left-back, due to his impressive showing against Girona.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s center-back Mykola Oleksandrovych Matviyenko, alongside Filip Panák of Sparta Prague, was placed in the heart of the defense, while Brest’s Kenny Lala was shunted to the right-back position.
All the defenders selected at the backline kept clean sheets, except Lala, who plays for French side Brest.
Tielemans, Wirtz, Gravenberch And Others Present In The Midfield Department
In a 4-man midfield, Yuri Tielemans of Aston Villa and Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch were the double pivot.
Tielemans penned his name on the score sheet in Villa’s 3-0 win over Young Boys, while Ryan Gravenberch was astounding for Arne Slot’s men against AC Milan.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Borussia Dortmund youngster Jamie Bynoe-Gittens also made an appearance in the UEFA Champions League team of the week, with the pair selected at the left and right side of the midfield respectively.
Certainly, Wirtz’s brace for Xabi Alonso’s side in their 4-0 win over Feyenoord is a major reason why he was picked.
Gittens also registered a brace for Borussia Dortmund in their 3-0 win over Club Brugge on matchday 1 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign.
Antoine Griezmann, who plies his trade with Atletico Madrid was also recognized by the technical observer panel of UEFA, with the Frenchman playing as a second-striker, behind Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, who netted 4 goals in the Bavarian giants 9-2 smashing of Dinamo Zagreb to begin their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League outing.
Kane became the first Englishman to score 4 goals in a single game in the history of the UEFA Champions League, while Bayern Munich became the first side to score 9 goals in a match in the competition’s history.
Harry Kane’s haul also took him past Wayne Rooney as the highest English scorer in the competition’s history with 33 goals.
Griezmann was helpful to Los Colchoneros in their 2-1 home win over RB Leipzig, with the Frenchman scoring a goal in the encounter.
2024/25 UEFA Champions League
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign commenced on September 17, 2024, and teams have started to put down the marker in their hunt for glory.
The UEFA Champions League final will be held on May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Real Madrid are currently the defending champions of the elite European club competition, having defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1, 2024, to claim the title for the 15th time in history.
UEFA Champions League Team Of The Week (4-4-1-1)
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Defenders: Kenny Lala, Filip Panák, Mykola Oleksandrovych Matviyenko and Nuno Mendes.
Midfielders: Yuri Tielemans, Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane
