Champions League Matchday 5 Best XI: Messi, Ronaldo, Sanchez Star
Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League has come and gone. But before returning our attention to domestic leagues, we here at Bleacher Report have selected the best starting XI of this week's games.
As always, competition for places was fierce. To select our team, we considered individual brilliance and the player's contribution to the team as a whole. Many players fared especially well this week, and many of them played the same positions. In the end, we had to make a few tough choices.
Disagree with any of them? Be sure to add your voice to the comments.
Goalkeeper
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The attackers draw the praise, and that's to be expected. But Marc-Andre ter Stegen also starred for Barcelona in the impressive 6-1 defeat of Roma.
The German stopped a penalty and made a pair of one-on-one saves to deny to Italian side. Although he will be upset to have conceded a goal with the last kick of the game, Ter Stegen will be proud of his overall performance after a few difficult displays this season.
Defenders
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Gary Cahill scored the opening goal as Chelsea won, 4-0, at Maccabi Tel Aviv, and helped the Blues limit their opponents to just two shots on target.
Alongside Cahill in central defense is PSG's Marquinhos, who blocked an impressive five shots in his side's 5-0 victory at Malmo. The Brazilian also made four clearances and two interceptions, per WhoScored.com.
PSG's Gregory van der Wiel slots in at right-back after a solid game against Malmo that included an assist on Adrien Rabiot's opener. Opposite him, Jordi Alba is our selection at left-back following a tireless display against Roma.
Midfielders
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With so many strong attacking displays to choose from, we were left with only three midfield spots.
In central midfield, we've opted for Koke, who guided Atletico Madrid to an easy win over Galatasaray in Group C. At ESPN FC, Joseph Walker wrote of a nearly flawless performance:
"(Koke) built on his match-winning display against Betis at the weekend in style. Dominated the game from the middle of the park -- admittedly he was aided and abetted by Galatasaray's disinterest -- and can count himself unlucky not to have scored on a number of occasions. This was the Koke who has shot to prominence over the last 18 months.
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On the left, Alexis Sanchez earns a spot after scoring twice and assisting another in Arsenal's comfortable 3-0 victory against Dinamo Zagreb in Group F. The Gunners' slim hopes remain alive, thanks in large part to the Chilean's efforts.
On the right, our choice is Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman. The youngster scored a goal and assisted another as Bayern romped to yet another win in Group F, 4-0 at home to Olympiakos. Still just 19, Coman is certainly one to watch for the future.
Forwards
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Lionel Messi scored twice and added an assist on his return to Barcelona's starting lineup as the Catalans swept aside Roma, 6-1, on Tuesday. Messi had missed two months through injury, returning as a substitute in Barca's 4-0 win over rivals Real Madrid at the weekend.
The little Argentine showed no rust in finishing off a brilliant team move for his side's second goal, flicking over Wojciech Szczesny after every Barca player had taken at least one touch.
If anything, though, teammate Luis Suarez was even more impressive. The Uruguayan also scored twice, including a sumptuous volley for Barca's third. Like Messi, he also added an assist to round out a memorable night.
"When you see your players having fun out on the pitch, you're happy," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique told UEFA.com. "Of course we can still improve a lot of things. In a sport as complex as football, there's always room for improvement. We're in a good moment and we have to take full advantage."
There was plenty of competition for the final starting berth in our three-man attack, but it had to go to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. After the painful loss to Barcelona on Saturday, Ronaldo picked his team up with two goals and two assists against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Real nearly blew a four-goal lead, but they held on for a 4-3 victory.
Full Team and Your Say
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Here is a look at our full XI: Ter Stegen; Cahill, Marquinhos, Alba, Van der Wiel; Koke, Sanchez, Coman; Ronaldo, Suarez, Messi.
Who would make your team of the week? Let us know in the comments.
