Champions League Team of the Week from Matchday 5
Matchday 5 of the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League gave us three hat-tricks, a new all-time goalscoring record and a dazzling selection of standout individual displays.
The following slideshow will reveal our best XI from Tuesday and Wednesday's matches, arranged in a 4-4-2 formation.
Selections have been made purely based on performance, regardless of result.
Let's get to it.
Statistics courtesy WhoScored.com.
Goalkeeper: Robin Olsen, Malmo
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Malmo didn't win on Wednesday, and with only a single match remaining in Group A they face a battle with Olympiakos for Champions League football.
But goalkeeper Robin Olsen gave the Swedish outfit a chance to get a result against Juventus, and if not for his eight saves—many of the spectacular variety—the Bianconeri would have surely won by more than two goals.
Olsen's best work came in the first half when he denied Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, and it wasn't until the 49th minute that Fernando Llorente finally broke through for the guests.
Shortly after the restart UEFA reporter Nicklas Vinde remarked via Twitter that the 24-year-old had made his third "super save" of the contest.
Right-Back: Dani Alves, Barcelona
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Dani Alves has come in for considerable criticism this season, but on Tuesday the Barcelona right-back shook off his erratic play and delivered one of his best performances of the season.
In the 58th minute he earned an assist on Lionel Messi's second goal of the night, and over the course of the Catalan giants' 4-0 trouncing of APOEL he touched the ball 152 times, completed 93 percent of his passes and contributed four tackles.
No doubt manager Luis Enrique will be hoping to see more of the same from the Brazilian this weekend against Valencia.
Central Defender: Mikel San Jose, Athletic Bilbao
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Athletic Bilbao cannot progress to the round of 16, but on Tuesday they took a major step towards Europa League qualification by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in Lviv.
Defender Mikel San Jose, who ended up being one of his side's better attacking players with five shots attempted, scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute when he directed Benat's free-kick into goal.
The tally may prove to be one of Athletic's most important of the season.
Central Defender: Chancel Mbemba, Anderlecht
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Not only did Chancel Mbemba help contain the Galatasaray attack on Wednesday, but he also scored both Anderlecht goals in an important 2-0 win at Constant Vanden Stock.
The first came courtesy of his head with just a minute to play in the first half; the second was a left-footed effort that beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera late in the second period.
Over the course of the 90 minutes Mbemba also completed 89 percent of his passes.
Left-Back: Cristian Ansaldi, Atletico Madrid
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Wednesday's most lopsided scoreline was produced in Madrid, where hosts Atletico shellacked Olympiakos 4-0.
Left-back Cristian Ansaldi marked Giannis Maniatis out of the match at Estadio Vicente Calderon, and in the 38th minute his cross found Mario Mandzukic, who proceeded to score the first of his three goals against the Greek outfit.
The 28-year-old also won all of his aerial duels in Atletico's penultimate Group A contest.
Right-Winger: Willian, Chelsea
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Chelsea embarrassed Schalke to the tune of 4-0 on Tuesday, and Blues winger Willian was generally his side's best player at Veltins-Arena.
Just before the half-hour mark the Brazil international put the guests up 2-0 when he picked out the bottom right-hand corner of the goal following a pass from Eden Hazard.
He then put Didier Drogba through to score just minutes after the Ivorian had replaced the injured Diego Costa.
Midfielder: Hector Herrera, Porto
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It took a while for Porto to grow into their Group H match away to BATE Borisov on Thursday, but after Hector Herrera opened the scoring in the 56th minute the Portuguese giants coasted to the three points.
Brazil international Casemiro did well to dispossess Aleksandr Karnitski in the buildup to the goal, but Herrera still had a lot to do from distance and at a rather awkward angle.
But he beat goalkeeper Sergei Chernik with a spectacular shot, and just nine minutes later he picked out Jackson Martinez for the guests' second of the night.
Then, with only a minute remaining in normal time, the Mexico midfielder earned his second assist after Yacine Brahimi rounded out the scoring in Belarus.
Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
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Cesc Fabregas missed the recent international break with a slight knock, but the Spain midfielder was back to his best for Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday.
After Diego Costa had forced a save out of Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann, Fabregas swung in a corner kick that teammate John Terry headed into the back of the net.
The 27-year-old then went on to touch the ball a match-high 113 while completing an impressive 91 percent of his passes.
Left-Winger: Nani, Sporting CP
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Nani scored his fourth goal of the group stage on Tuesday, and it proved to be the winner as Sporting CP beat Maribor 3-1 in Lisbon.
The on-loan Manchester United winger showed impressive footwork to recover a rebound, dance past a pair of defenders and get himself in shooting position in the 35th minute, after which he beat goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic with a fine finish.
The 28-year-old then picked up an assist after his headed pass to Islam Slimani was converted into goal by the Algeria striker.
Forward: Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
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Sergio Aguero picked up Manchester City and carried them on his back through what was a topsy-turvy 3-2 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
In the 20th minute the Argentina striker won a penalty off Mehdi Benatia, who was subsequently ejected, and proceeded to beat Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from the spot.
But Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski managed to overturn the scoreline with a pair of quick goals late in the first half, and through much of the second period it seemed as though City were headed to yet another Champions League defeat.
Aguero, however, was just getting started.
In the 85th minute he restored level terms after capitalising on Xabi's misplaced pass, and in the 90th he scored an unlikely winner after Jerome Boateng gave the ball away.
As the BBC's Ben Smith remarked on Twitter, Aguero threw City "on his shoulders" and "carried them over the line" at Etihad Stadium.
Forward: Lionel Messi, Barcelona
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It was only on Saturday that Lionel Messi broke Telmo Zarra's all-time goalscoring mark in La Liga, but on Tuesday he was still in the mood to set records.
Level with Raul on 71 Champions League goals ahead of Barcelona's match against APOEL, Messi tallied for an unprecedented 72nd time in European club football's most prestigious competition and then went on to score a 73rd and 74th before being halted by the final whistle.
Match of the Day pundit and former England international Gary Lineker remarked via Twitter that it was "extraordinary" that Messi had become the highest-ever goalscorer in both La Liga and the Champions League at just 27 years of age.
