Vinicius Jr, Jhon Duran, and Raphinha are leading the list of names included in the 2024 UEFA Champions League Team of the Week for Matchweek 3.
It was a rollercoaster of action for football clubs in Europe as action in the elite club competition entered matchday three.
As expected, some top footballers put up impressive performances and have earned their place in the list of top-performing footballers in the week. Below is a recap of players that have made it to the list.
Attackers
Real Madrid and Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr leads the three-man best strikers’ list. The prolific forward scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid demolished Borussia Dortmund 5-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran also makes the list following a standout performance for the Villains against Bologna. He scored one of the goals as the Unai Emery-led side edged out the Serie A side 2-0 at the Villa Park.
Brazilian forward Raphinha also stole headlines in the week, scoring a hat-trick as Barcelona romped to a 4-1 victory over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Best Midfielders in UEFA Champions League matchweek three
Japanese midfielder Takubo Minanimo is leading the three-man midfielders list that have made the UEFA Champions League team of the week for matchweek three. He bagged a brace as Monaco roasted Crvena Zvezda 5-1 in France.
Nico Barella has also made the list. The Italian midfielder played a crucial role as Inter Milan sailed past Young Boys with a narrow 1-0 away victory.
Dutch attacking midfielder Tijjani Reijnders completes the three-man list. Reijnders scored a brace as AC Milan saw off Club Brugge with a 3-1 victory.
Defenders
Manchester City defender John Stones leads the list of four best defenders that shone for their teams in the week. Stones played a crucial role, finding the back of the net, as City pummeled Sparta Prague 5-0 at Etihad.
Spanish defender Miguel Guttierez also makes the list after his goal saw Girona edge out Slovan Bratislava with a 2-0 victory.
Dinamo Zagreb and Macedonian defender Stefan Ristowski has also made the list. Ristowski played a key role as Dinamo Zagreb scored twice to defeat Red Bull Salzburg away from home.
25-year-old Swedish defender Isak Hien completes the four-man best defenders list. He played the full 90 minutes as Atalanta settled for a goalless draw against Celtic.
Goalkeeper: The final name completing the 11-man list is Italian goalkeeper Mattia Perin. Perin starred on goal for Juventus, producing incredible stops despite the team settling for a 1-0 loss to German side VfB Stuttgart.
Vinicius Jr wins UEFA Champions League Player of the Week
Apart from being named in the best forwards in the week alongside his Brazilian pal Raphinha and Colombian forward Jhon Duran, Vinicius Jr clinched the Player of the Week award.
The 25-year-old stole the show as Real Madrid came from two goals down to pummel Borussia Dortmund 5-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. He led the comeback, scoring Real Madrid’s, third and final goal as they sealed victory.
The hat-trick saw him open his goal account in the UEFA Champions League this season in style. It was his first in three matches. Meanwhile, he has also been instrumental to Real Madrid’s La Liga campaign, scoring 5 goals with 4 assists in 10 games.
