Champions League 5-a-Side: Who Do the Top Clubs Pick?
If every club in Europe was entered into a five-a-side Champions League, which players would they choose, and who would come out on top?
We've attempted to answer those questions by crafting each club's perfect five-a-side team and comparing them against one another, forming a ranking of the best.
There is no strict formula to how we chose the sides, but balance was strived for in the form of at least one defensively conscious player—be it in the form of a do-it-all, technical centre-back (Sergio Ramos) or a midfielder capable of bridging two roles (Sergio Busquets)—to accompany three attack-minded ones and, of course, a goalkeeper.
16-20
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20. Milan
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leonardo Bonucci, Giacomo Bonaventura, Suso, Andre Silva
19. RB Leipzig
Peter Gulacsi, Bernardo, Naby Keita, Emil Forsberg, Timo Werner
18. Ajax
Andre Onana, Frenkie de Jong, Hakim Ziyech, Justin Kluivert, Kasper Dolberg
17. Monaco
Danijel Subasic, Fabinho, Rony Lopes, Thomas Lemar, Radamel Falcao
16. Borussia Dortmind
Roman Burki, Julian Weigl, Mario Gotze, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
11-15
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15. Lazio
Thomas Strakosha, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Felipe Anderson, Luis Alberto, Ciro Immobile
14. Inter Milan
Samir Handanovic, Roberto Gagliardini, Borja Valero, Ivan Perisic, Mauro Icardi
13. Atletico Madrid
Jan Oblak, Koke, Saul Niguez, Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa
12. Arsenal
Petr Cech, Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexandre Lacazette
11. Liverpool
Loris Karius, Virgil van Dijk, Adam Lallana, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino
10. Tottenham Hotspur
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Hugo Lloris, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Harry Kane
Dele Alli's technical ability is rivalled by few. While he has his shortcomings on a full-sized pitch, he'd excel in five-a-side due to being able to use flicks and feints far more often.
Add him to the incredible Christian Eriksen, and allow Mousa Dembele to rumble forward from the back, and you just need a finisher to complete a penetrative, deadly side. Enter Harry Kane, master finisher and clever link player.
9. Napoli
4 of 12
Pepe Reina, Jorginho, Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens
Napoli's quick combination play flummoxes defenders on a weekly basis, and you get the impression they'd have no trouble transferring it to a smaller pitch.
Back the agility and finishing talents of Insigne and Mertens up with midfield masterminds Hamsik and Jorginho—one to strike from range, the other to control, dictate and spread—and you've got yourself a serious five-a-side team.
8. Juventus
5 of 12
Gianluigi Buffon, Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic, Douglas Costa, Paulo Dybala
No Gonzalo Higuain might surprise some, but we're willing to trade in the Argentinian's poaching ability for other strengths Juventus can offer.
Douglas Costa's flair and quick feet would be difficult for any player to stop. The bulk of the goalscoring task is left to Dybala—or perhaps Pjanic from slightly further out.
The Bianconeri have a slew of players who could sweep up at the back, but Matuidi's ability to do a bit of everything earns him the nod.
7. Manchester United
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David De Gea, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez
New acquisition Alexis Sanchez walks straight into Manchester United's best five-a-side team. His close control, ability to get away from tight marking and powerful shooting will come in handy.
Those are traits shared by two of his team-mates here, Martial and Pogba, with both seeming perfectly suited to a smaller pitch that pits you one-on-one with markers.
We've plumped for Matic in the holding role, but if you were feeling particularly bold, you could use Pogba there (if he agrees to it!) and pop Zlatan Ibrahimovic up top. Juan Mata would be very tidy, too.
6. Chelsea
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Thibaut Courtois, N'Golo Kante, Willian, Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata
Imagine trying to keep up with Kante in five-a-side. He's quicker than you, stronger than you and he'll never, ever stop running.
The problem for opponents is he's just one part of the nightmare. Eden Hazard's trickery, agility and ruthless finishing, Alvaro Morata's clever link play and movement and Willian's twists have to be added on top.
5. Bayern Munich
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Manuel Neuer, Arturo Vidal, Thiago Alcantara, James Rodriguez, Robert Lewandowski
Choosing Bayern's five caused plenty of headaches. With such excellent ball-playing defenders and talented forwards, narrowing the selection down was hard.
In the end, we chose the irrepressible Vidal to man the engine room, allowing James Rodriguez and Thiago Alcantara to dance around slightly further ahead.
Robert Lewandowski's finishing skills are a must up top, though that does leave chief space-interpreter Thomas Muller on the sidelines, which could come back to haunt us.
4. Paris Saint-Germain
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Alphonse Areola, Marco Verratti, Julian Draxler, Neymar, Edinson Cavani
Any five-a-side team with Neymar in it is going to succeed. His quick feet, penchant for flair, ridiculous dribbling and strong finishing feel like they're made for small-sided affairs.
Also guaranteed to shine in this scenario is Verratti, who is essentially impossible to dispossess and near-immaculate under pressure—even if he's on the edge of his own box.
We've opted for Cavani's movement over Kylian Mbappe's speed (where's the space?), while Draxler possesses the best combination of technical and finishing skills of the rest.
3. Manchester City
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Ederson Moraes, Fernandinho, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero
Playing five-a-side with Silva should be a life goal.
The Spanish wizard would control the tempo of games with ease, excelling in those tight spaces. Partnered with De Bruyne, they would run games. Fernandinho can sweep and distribute, Aguero can finish.
The only concern for any City player in this scenario is the fact Ederson isn't allowed outside his box; that's where he does some of his best work!
2. Real Madrid
11 of 12
Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid's task is simple in this tournament: Give the ball to Modric and Isco to let them do their thing. Of all the players in this piece, they're among the most suited to five-a-side.
That leaves Cristiano Ronaldo to mop up chances, and that he will. Five-a-side success is at least partially down to volume of shots, and he's hardly shy in this area. Sergio Ramos will clear up at the other end; we chose him over Toni Kroos for his mobility and all-round game.
1. Barcelona
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Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Sergio Busquets, Philippe Coutinho, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez
There were some tough decisions to make within Barcelona's squad, with some incredible players left out. What wasn't tough was making them No. 1.
Messi is near-impossible to play against in 11-a-side, so imagine how hard it is when the pitch is condensed and you can't just lump him into the stands. Add the agile Coutinho and the lethal Suarez to the picture, and defences will begin to quiver. Busquets is the perfect player to mop up and redistribute at the back.
If we allowed benches, Barca's would be the strongest—due to the level of quality here, Andres Iniesta and Ousmane Dembele haven't even made the team!
