Champions League 2014/15: Best XI of Tournament

Who were the best players in the UEFA Champions League this season? Who impressed the most in 2014-15?

We've carved up each position and formed a deadly 4-3-3 formation, funneling the creme de la creme of this year's competition into a workable XI. Players who progressed further in the tournament have been favoured as a reward for their impressive efforts, meaning no player who exited at the group stage finds a place here.

Some big names miss out, and there are one or two surprise selections. What are you waiting for? See who joins Neymar in the best XI!

GK: Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus

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Gianluigi Buffon was the most impressive goalkeeper in this year's UEFA Champions League, and his performance in the final cemented his spot in our XI.

He made sprawling save after sprawling save to keep Juventus in the tie, with the Italian stretched to his limit to keep the deficit at just one over the course of the first 60 minutes against Barcelona.

Juventus have a good, solid defence, which helps, but Buffon rolled back the years in 2014/15 to provide some prime performances, despite the 3-1 loss to Barcelona.

RB: Juanfran, Atletico Madrid

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Juanfran (right)

Choosing between three standout performers here—Juanfran, Danilo and Dani Alves—was difficult, but we've plumped for the former because of his remarkable consistency across all matches.

Atletico Madrid were predictably infuriating to play against this season, and it was Juanfran who was clearly the club's best defender in the competition. While Miranda and Jose Maria Gimenez swapped, Diego Godin faltered ever so slightly and the left-back position became something of a revolving door, this Spaniard shut down whoever lined up against him in 10 straight appearances.

In addition, credit Juanfran for his magnificent job of shutting down Cristiano Ronaldo's influence across 180 minutes against Atletico.

CB: Aymen Abdennour, Monaco

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Aymen Abdennour's excellent performances for an understated Monaco side will have turned a few heads this season. The Tunisia international headed, cleared and speared everything within five feet of him at all times.

Les Monegasque's preferred method of victory was suffocation of their opponents, and Abdennour was key to implementing Leonardo Jardim's "tough to beat" credo on the pitch. He dominated aerially and smashed through tackles with precision.

CB: Leonardo Bonucci, Juventus

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Leonardo Bonucci played in all 13 of Juventus' UEFA Champions League games this season and was a beacon of consistency.

The Bianconeri kept an impressive six clean sheets, using different formations to vary their approach. And Bonucci played in all three possible central-defensive spots: left, right and centre.

He moved to the left for the final in place of the injured Giorgio Chiellini and performed very well. It's arguable Bonucci is now a better overall performer than his more famous partner—he's definitely a more well-rounded player on the ball.

LB: Jordi Alba, Barcelona

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Competition for the left-back slot in this year's XI was sparse, with Jordi Alba far and away the most consistent and impressive of the lot.

Barcelona have just extended the full-back's contract to 2020, per their official website, and it's easy to see why: As a player, he's maintained his deadly effectiveness while also refining his defensive output.

Alba's ridiculous pace allows him to play risky and make the recovery challenge—a ploy he uses to great effect. It often leaves right-wingers feeling helpless and stuck, unable to shake free of him or make an impact.

He also picked up a pair of assists this year.

DM: Casemiro, FC Porto

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Casemiro had an excellent season in all competitions, prompting Real Madrid to exercise a buy-back clause on him despite only loaning him to FC Porto—yes, it's weird.

The anchor midfielder is exactly the type of player a team such as Los Blancos (and Brazil) needs to stabilise the side, and his combative work in the centre for Julen Lopetegui's outfit verged on dominant at times this campaign.

In particular, his performance at the Dragao against Bayern Munich and his showings against FC Basel were superb.

CM: Blaise Matuidi, Paris Saint-Germain

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There were times when Paris Saint-Germain were very good and times when they were very bad. Through it all, no matter the opposition or performance, Blaise Matuidi was excellent in midfield.

His powerful running and direct style give PSG that extra edge, and his incredible motor and tactical discipline allow Laurent Blanc to play a lop-sided formation and place Matuidi in the void to close the gaps.

He's a manager's dream.

CM: Claudio Marchisio, Juventus

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Claudio Marchisio (right)

Juventus' midfield diamond was superb this season. It stands as one of the key factors in their rediscovering that elite plateau and establishing themselves as a force once again.

But Massimiliano Allegri has had his hands full balancing injuries and loss of form in the middle, with Arturo Vidal starting slowly, Andrea Pirlo declining badly and Paul Pogba hurting his hamstring.

Claudio Marchisio, though, did whatever was asked of him without a single complaint, and he's fulfilled every role in the midfield to a high standard.

He stepped in for Pirlo against Dortmund, played sporadically as a No. 10 to link play and filled the outside central-midfield roles, covering, tracking and dribbling, on both sides superbly.

RW: Lionel Messi, Barcelona

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Had you been told before the UEFA Champions League final that Barcelona would score three but none would be via the hand—or foot or head—of Lionel Messi, you'd likely have sneered in disbelief.

But his failure to find the net won't be a blemish on what was a commanding performance to cap a truly brilliant season; it was his dribbling and switch passes that freed up space for colleagues to utilise and score from.

Messi netted 10 goals in 13 appearances, adding five assists. Dominant performances against Manchester City, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax mean he was, in all likelihood, the best player in the competition this season.

LW: Neymar, Barcelona

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Neymar's inclusion means Cristiano Ronaldo is absent from this season's edition of our UEFA Champions League best XI. They play in the same position; only one can be chosen, and the Brazilian edges the Portuguese.

Barcelona's front three have been sublime throughout the tournament and have essentially wrecked every defence with which they've come into contact. Neymar's stoppage-time goal in the final took his tally for the season to 10, drawing him level with Messrs Messi and Ronaldo.

He scored in each of the final five fixtures, adopting the habit of tallying clinching goals of huge significance. Conversely, Atletico Madrid stymied Ronaldo in the quarter-finals, and he stood powerless as Juventus bested his side in the semis.

ST: Luis Suarez, Barcelona

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Three brilliant players contested the striker's spot in this squad: Jackson Martinez, Carlos Tevez and Luis Suarez. They were the best three central strikers in this tournament.

They all scored seven goals, per WhoScored.com, and they all served to piece together their teams' attacks in the final third. Martinez was a man mountain, Tevez a sleek linker of play and Suarez a big-game finisher.

It's the latter who gets the spot, largely because of his tendency to deliver when it truly mattered. He put Manchester City to the sword and put Barcelona back into the lead in the final following Alvaro Morata's equaliser.

All statistics via WhoScored.com.