Benzema in, Mbappe out - Champions League Team of the Season
FT Desk
- 29 May 2022 17:42 BST
- 5 min read
The 2021/22 Champions League provided the thrills that fans have come to expect before concluding in Paris with Real Madrid overcoming Liverpool 1-0 thanks to a goal from Vinicius Junior.
Legends have been made over the course of the tournament’s 10 months – and not just amongst the winners.
Here is FootballTransfers’ pick of the outstanding players in tournament, with an emphasis placed on the knockout stages.
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Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid
Produced a wonder performance in the final, which will go down in Champions League history. His late save from Mohamed Salah was simply the highlight of a superb goalkeeping performance.
Had also shone in the group stages of the competition, when he conceded only three goals and produced the highest save percentage of any shot-stopper.
The Belgium international was at the peak of his powers.
Joao Cancelo – Manchester City
Joao Cancelo's sparkling form for Man City domestically translated into Europe.
Not simply a full-back anymore, Cancelo is one of Man City's greatest creative forces as highlighted by his tally of three assists and two goals in the group stage.
Although he did not add to those in the knockout rounds, defensively he was extremely sound. City kept three clean sheets in succession in matches he played before their late second-leg collapse against Real Madrid.
Pau Torres - Villarreal
No-one would have foreseen Villarreal’s run to the semi-finals of the competition, and had it not been for a couple of goalkeeping slips they might even have upset Liverpool at that stage.
Spain international Pau Torres was a fulcrum of that unlikely run, doing his hopes of finally making a big-money move no harm at all with a series of accomplished displays. Kept the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Robert Lewandowski quiet as Unai Emery’s side shocked first Juventus then Bayern Munich.
David Alaba – Real Madrid
Left Bayern Munich last summer to join Real Madrid, where he has won his second Champions League title at the first attempt.
He was Los Blancos’ outstanding defender and provided the type of experience that his side needed at key moments. He might not have been as mercurial as Sergio Ramos, but he led the team in a cool and collected manner. He was essential.
Reinildo – Lille & Atletico Madrid
One of the reasons that Lille surprisingly shrugged off their mediocre Ligue 1 form to progress was the strength of their defence, and no-one typified their scrappy spirit than Reinildo at left-back.
Although he can be prone to diving in at times and can be drawn into unnecessary shows of hot-headedness, he was a redoubtable figure for LOSC. They only conceded four goals in six games, two of which were penalties, and their left-back was their standout.
Moved to Atletico Madrid in January and was equally impressive for the Spanish side as they were only narrowly beaten by Manchester City.
Eduardo Camavinga – Real Madrid
Yes, it’s true that Eduardo Camavinga only started one Champions League match this season, but his influence off the bench was utterly profound.
First, he came on and changed the tie against PSG, swinging it improbably in Real Madrid’s favour, then he did the same in the quarter-final versus Chelsea. He also played an impressive cameo in the stunning comeback against Man City.
What he lacked in quantity of minutes, he more than made up for in quality. He was the most impressive clutch performer in the competition.
Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid
In a way it was fitting that Vini Jr got the winning goal given that he had quietly impressed throughout the knockout stages of the competition. While Karim Benzema was banging the ball into the net, the young Brazilian was busy supplying him and in the end accumulated an impressive seven assists.
To those he added four goals, including the predatory close-range strike at Stade de France that sealed a 14th Champions League for the Bernabeu side.
Sadio Mane – Liverpool
Not as influential as he was domestically for Liverpool, Mane nevertheless came through big for the Reds in the knockout stages of the competition, when Mohamed Salah started to go cold in front of goal.
Scored against Benfica then in both legs of the semi-final against Villarreal as his tendency to play the big games well continued until a quieter final.
Arnaut Danjuma - Villarreal
Signed from Bournemouth last summer, Danjuma has been a revelation for Villarreal and equipped himself impressive in the Champions League, finishing his debut campaign in the competition by scoring six goals.
Among his most important strikers were efforts against Juventus and Bayern Munich as the Spaniards made an improbable run to the last four.
This is all the more impressive given that he was often playing an unfavoured centre-forward role due to an injury to Gerard Moreno.
Sebastien Haller - Ajax
It wasn’t a vintage season for Ajax in the Champions League, despite the Eredivisie champions reaching the knockout stages of the competition, but for Haller it was an absolute triumph.
He scored in seven of the eight ties he played in, netting a total of 11 goals overall, starting with a fabulous four against Sporting CP.
Haller’s efforts have been enough to see him linked with a big-money summer transfer.
Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
What more can be said about Karim Benzema’s contribution for Real Madrid this season? He finished as the competition’s leading marksman, having scored consistently throughout the competition.
Netting back-to-back hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea were highlights, while a crucial Panenka penalty against Manchester City simply underlined the remarkable confidence he has at present.
