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โญ๏ธ The Champions: Episode 2 โญ๏ธ
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Champions League Team of the Week: Arjen Robben, Koke, Toni Kroos

Allan JiangApr 9, 2014

Who stood out in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second legs? Here is the Champions League team of the week from the UCL quarter-final second-leg games.

  • Chelsea 2-0ย Paris Saint-Germain
  • Borussia Dortmund 2-0ย Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid 1-0ย Barcelonaย 
  • Bayern Munich 3-1ย Manchester United

Please comment below with your thoughts.

GK: Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund)

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Borussia Dortmund goalkeeperย Roman Weidenfeller was world-class in both legs against Real Madrid.ย 

Inย Dortmund's 2-0 win overย Real,ย Weidenfeller denied Real right forwardย Angel Di Maria from the penalty spot and made five saves.ย 

Did you see Cristianoย Ronaldo, who did not play the game, jumping up and down and acting as a quasi-manager on the sidelines? He knew his team was in a perilous situation.ย 

Weidenfeller kept the score down in the first leg and was excellent in the second leg whenย Dortmund mounted a valiant comeback.ย 

Unfortunatelyย for him, his performance is overshadowed by teammateย Henrikh Mkhitaryan choking right in front of goal, which enabled a Ronaldo-less Real to scrape through.ย 

RB: Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)

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Philipp Lahm, who has split his time between right-back and aย Xavi-like midfield role,ย resumed his right-back duties for Bayern Munich in a 3-1 win overย Manchester United.ย 

Lahmย still orchestrated play from the back.

He made three tackles and cut off two passes.ย 

CB: John Terry (Chelsea)

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Chelsea centre-backย John Terry found himself in a mismatch (on paper) againstย Paris Saint-Germain centre-forwardย Edinson Cavani.ย 

Cavani, who had complained about his right forward role, perย L'Equipe (h/t ESPN FC), had a chance to prove his point in his preferred No. 9 role withย Zlatan Ibrahimovic out.

Well,ย Cavani came up short.ย 

Why?

Terry organised the Chelsea back line and showed leadership on the field knowing one mistake would undo everything.ย 

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CB: Miranda (Atletico Madrid)

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Atletico Madrid centre-backย Miranda was solid in theย 1-0 win overย Barcelona.

Heย made nine effective clearances, which was the most in the game.ย 

Miranda shielded the right side of his central area and provided added reinforcement wheneverย Barca left forwardย Neymar bypassedย Atleti right-backย Juanfran.

LB: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

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On paper,ย Paris Saint-Germain had another mismatch:ย Lucas Moura vs.ย Cesar Azpilicueta.

Lucas was given the freedom to run at the Chelsea as PSG were front-runners with a 3-1 first-leg advantage.ย 

Did Lucas have some nice dribbles? Yep, you would expect that given his explosive first step.ย 

But who won out in the end?ย Azpilicueta, because he did his job in limitingย Lucas, who did not score or create a goal.ย 

CM: Koke (Atletico Madrid)

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By the time Atletico Madrid central midfielderย Koke finishes his career, he could be one of the greatest players of his generation.ย 

He is such a complete player: can score, create, tackle and has a great work ethic.

Attitudeย was what separatedย Kokeย from formerย FIFA Ballon d'Or winnerย Lionel Messi inย Atleti's 1-0 win overย Barcelona.

Messi sulked on the right wing (isย Barca managerย Tata Martino trying to get himself sacked?), while Koke was all over the field trying to make plays (offensively and defensively).

CM: David Luiz (Chelsea)

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Chelsea defensive midfielderย David Luiz played one of his best games ever as the Blues overcame a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain, winning 2-0 in the second leg and advancing on away goals.ย 

Luiz completed five tackles, intercepted two passes and made four effective clearances.

But do you know what the important statistic was?

No error leading to goal conceded.ย 

CM: Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich)

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There are pros and cons ofย Toni Kroos' performance in Bayern Munich's 3-1 win overย Manchester United.

  • Pros:ย Kroos helpedย Bayern overcome a stubbornย United team.
  • Cons:ย Ifย Kroosย ups the ante in negotiations over a new contract, could it damage his relationship with management?

"There is no player who you have to give everything to keep. Everyone is replaceable," former FIFA World Cup and European Cup winnerย Franz Beckenbauer said, per Sky Sports. "He [Kroos]ย shouldn't raise the stakes too high."

Good luck to Bayern inย finding another midfielder who can average 89.3 passes per UEFA Champions League game with a 94.5 pass completion percentage.ย 

RF: Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

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Wheneverย Manchester United left-wingerย Danny Welbeck did not tightly markย Bayern Munich right-wingerย Arjen Robben, the Dutchman was always odds on to get by United left-backย Patrice Evra.

Evra struggled to cope withย Robben's incisive passing, his direct dribbling and ability to make decisive plays.ย 

Robben's goal and assist forย Bayern deep-lying forwardย Thomas Mullerย safeguardedย Bayern from being sucker-punched Chelsea-style.ย 

CF: Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich)

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Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic is one of the hardest working centre-forwards in Europe's elite leagues.ย 

When he wasn't throwing his head at crosses, he was dropping deep and trying to win back possession.ย 

In hindsight,ย Mandzukic's goal was aย pivotalย moment, as itย stopped United from gaining any form of momentum after left-backย Patrice Evra had opened the scoring two minutes earlier.ย 

LF: Andre Schurrle (Chelsea)

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If not forย Eden Hazard's injury,ย Andre Schurrle would have spent the majority of the game on the bench.

Instead,ย Hazard strained his calf andย Schurrle was thrown on in the 18th minute.ย 

Schurrle should play like this every week because he was forceful, he was resolute in his decision-making and he scored.

He changed the game for Chelsea, which was a big factor in their 2-0 win overย Paris Saint-Germain.

Statistics viaย WhoScored.com.

โญ๏ธ The Champions: Episode 2 โญ๏ธ

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