Champions League Team of the Season: Vinicius Junior and Mbappe star as Real Madrid triumph again

Robin Bairner

Updated: 1 Jun 2024 22:12 BST
5 min read

Kylian Mbappe, VInicius Junior, Champions League, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Another thrilling season of Champions League football has come to an end, with Real Madrid claiming a record-extending 15th European Cup with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

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It was a tournament that was not lacking in quality or surprises, as every Premier League team was eliminated by the time the semi-finals came around.

As such, our Champions League Team of the Season is dominated by those who made it to the cutting edge of the competition, with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund unsurprisingly providing the bulk of the team.

So without further ado, here’s the team:

GK: Gregor Kobel – Borussia Dortmund

In goal is the Dortmund keeper. BVB rode their luck at times to reach the final as they often came off second best in their matches, but they were able to get a string of unexpected victories in part because of their shot-stopper. Incredibly, stats show that he prevented more than 7xG prior to the final, which is almost as many as he conceded. He was also excellent at Wembley.

RB: Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich

It was a complicated season for Kimmich, but it is a measure of his quality that he still enjoyed a brilliant campaign in the Champions League. A versatile player, he featured most prominently on the right of Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich defence, from where he produced two assists and one goal. Indeed, his strike against Arsenal at the Allianz Arena was the one that settled the tie.

CB: Mats Hummels – Borussia Dortmund

Hummels is the only member of the Borussia Dortmund squad to have played every minute of their Champions League campaign, anchoring Edin Terzic’s side expertly even while harbouring major concerns over the coach. Came up with a clutch moment to get a crucial goal against PSG as BVB progressed to the final.

CB: Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid

It’s been another colossal campaign from Rudiger, who came up with one of the defining moments of Real Madrid’s charge to the final when he showed composure in the box to set up Joselu to score against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. Although Real Madrid’s defensive record hasn’t been great, the performances of the former Chelsea man are deserving of acclaim.

STATS

Antonio Rüdiger

D (CL)

Real Madrid

Antonio Rüdiger

D (CL)

Real Madrid

47

Games
2

Goals
2

Assists

LB: Ferland Mendy - Real Madrd

Ferland Mendy was supposed to be on his way out of Real Madrid this summer, but the Frenchman has come good under this pressure. He did not even start the season as first choice in his position but was a key component of the team in the knockout stages as Los Blancos picked up another title. This position could easily have gone to Ian Maatsen for his contribution for Dortmund until he made a grave error in the final.

CM: Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid

Continues to quietly churn out performances of elite quality on an annual basis, even for a team that generates less media attention than many. Ahead of the final, Griezmann had more non-penalty goals than anyone else in the competition and no one had delivered as many key passes. On top of this, he also showed versatility both tactically and in terms of his role as Diego Simeone moved him around the field.

CM: Marcel Sabitzer – Borussia Dortmund

Who would have thought that Sabitzer would play in a Champions League final after he was dumped by Manchester United last summer after a disappointing loan period? Sabitzer has not only been a regular for BVB, he has positively shone, delivering five assists, scoring one goal and providing a consistent offensive threat for his side. Was key in the quarter-finals as Dortmund won an extraordinary match against Atletico Madrid 4-2 at home.

CM: Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

Although Bellingham has faded in the second half of the season, his contribution as Real Madrid progressed through the group stages was huge. He scored four goals and created another three. This level tailed off the knockout rounds, and though he was quiet in the final, he managed to assist Vinicius Junior's match-sealing goal. It is largely for his contribution in the group stages that the former Dortmund man is in.

ATT: Kylian Mbappe – PSG

It was not to be the dream end that Kylian Mbappe might have wished for at PSG, but on a personal level this was still another impressive Champions League campaign. The France star racked up another eight goals across 12 appearances and was notably decisive in away fixtures against Real Sociedad and Barcelona. This success in Spain bodes well for his time at Real Madrid.

ATT: Harry Kane – Bayern Munich

STATS

Harry Kane

F (CRL)

Bayern

Harry Kane

F (CRL)

Bayern

12

Games
8

Goals
4

Assists

Like Mbappe, there was to be no first Champions League title for Kane this season, but he still managed to score an impressive eight goals for FCB as they made a run to the last four. A penalty against Arsenal in the quarter-finals will have been a particularly sweet moment for the former Tottenham star, but his braces against Lazio and Galatasaray were equally as important for his team. Had a goal or assist in four of six knockout games.

ATT: Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid

In a Real Madrid team packed with stars, Vini Jr is perhaps the brightest of them all. The 23-year-old was instrumental in Los Blancos’ progress to the final, despite featuring only three times in the group stages. Delivered two assists against Manchester City in the quarters and then netted twice against Bayern in the first leg of the semis. Sealed the title with the second against Dortmund. The Brazilian would be a worthy Ballon d’Or winner.