The Champions League will get severe this week because the spherical of 16 begins.
To get up to now, 160 video games have been accomplished — now there are simply 29 left to play. However these 29 are essentially the most consequential matches of the competitors, the moments when every crew’s key gamers should step up and carry out.
However who ought to we be keeping track of? The superstars, certain, however you’ll be able to’t land the European Cup with stellar names alone. Who’re the important thing figures who’ve been glorious within the 2024-25 season with out producing as many headlines as they need to have? (And sure, let’s acknowledge that should you play in most likely essentially the most prestigious membership soccer competitors on this planet, you might be hardly obscure.)
Eight of The Athletic’s consultants have made their selection right here — who would you choose?
Need Doue — Paris Saint-Germain
When your identify means “Desired Gifted” and you might be bought for a €50million (£40m; $53m) switch charge at age 19, you entice a sure highlight. Fortunately for Paris Saint-Germain, Doue appears to thrive below it.
To see an adolescent play with such pleasure and freedom on the Champions League stage calls to thoughts one thing Julien Stephan, his coach at Rennes, mentioned halfway by way of final season. Some younger gamers breaking into the primary crew are advised to evolve to a extra inflexible, much less spontaneous means of enjoying, however Stephan mentioned the important thing for Doue was to play with extra “insouciance”, not much less.
Initially, it was unclear the place Doue would slot in at PSG after his summer time switch; by mid-December, he had began simply 4 video games in all competitions and had proven solely glimpses of his dribbling and artistic spark. However after coming off the bench to attain his first purpose for the membership in an important Champions League win away at Pink Bull Salzburg, he went into the winter break in excessive spirits and hasn’t appeared again.
(Franck Fife/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
He excelled on the fitting of the entrance three in PSG’s 4-2 victory over Manchester Metropolis in January, tormenting Josko Gvardiol, however his future seems to lie in a barely deeper function, the place his means to hold the ball from midfield has introduced one other dimension to Luis Enrique’s crew.
Oliver Kay
Igor Paixao — Feyenoord
Some wingers are schemers, masters of subtlety who worm their means into your coronary heart slowly, one delicate little flick at a time. Paixao will not be a kind of wingers. He’s the embodiment of a unique archetype: the wideman as shaken-up soda can, all massive gestures and larger grins, fizzing away with power he can’t probably suppress.
Living proof: his efficiency within the first leg of Feyenoord’s Champions League knockout play-off towards Milan. The Brazilian ran at Kyle Walker with such relentless ferocity that you just felt like calling a helpline. His profitable purpose might have owed extra to poor goalkeeping than anything, however he additionally hit the bar and went shut from the midway line. “Paixao makes enjoyable of Milan” ran one Dutch headline the morning after.
It was no one-off. The 24-year-old was influential within the staggering comeback towards Manchester Metropolis, brilliantly establishing David Hancko’s late equaliser. That was considered one of 4 assists within the competitors. Take the Eredivisie under consideration and he has 19 purpose involvements in 34 matches this season.
That return, coupled together with his direct operating and velocity, ought to earn him an enormous transfer in the summertime, with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma being credited with curiosity. Within the extra speedy future, he appears to be like like Feyenoord’s key man towards Inter.
Jack Lang
Benjamin Pavard — Inter
The factor about Inter is that just about all their gamers have performed an element within the crew’s ascendence to being among the best sides in Europe. Subsequently, selecting any participant from Simone Inzaghi’s facet should not have any place in an ‘under-the-radar’ choose, so so as to add to that, my selection is a former World Cup and Champions League winner.
Pavard doesn’t usually get the headlines, however his strong and constant performances in Inter’s again three have been a cornerstone of the facet’s defence since he arrived in the summertime of 2023.
(Marco Luzzani/Getty Photos)
Along with his well-timed tackles and sensible positioning, Pavard has tailored effectively to the function of the vast centre-back in Inzaghi’s facet. He’s now comfy shifting ahead and enjoying as a pseudo midfielder, a task that enables Hakan Calhanoglu or Nicolo Barella to drop into the again line and assist the build-up part. Pavard’s underlapping runs are additionally an necessary attacking answer towards deep defences as the fitting centre-back, as illustrated in Inter’s 1-0 victory towards Juventus final season.
Regardless of being a part of profitable Bayern Munich, Inter and France groups, Pavard doesn’t get the credit score he deserves.
Ahmed Walid
Vangelis Pavlidis — Benfica
“Whenever you‘re enjoying as a 15-year-old, you dream of enjoying in entrance of 65,000 individuals on a Champions League night time,” Pavlidis advised Benfica’s official membership web site just lately.
Now’s his time to shine. The Greek striker has been on the periphery of Europe’s massive time for just a few seasons — he scored commonly within the Europa League and Convention League with AZ and completed joint-top goalscorer within the Eredivisie final season. After a gradual begin to life with Benfica — solely 4 league objectives earlier than the flip of the 12 months — he has exploded in latest weeks.
He’s scored 10 objectives in his final 9 matches, usually close-range finishes together with his proper foot. He kicked off that run with a hat-trick within the loopy 5-4 defeat towards Barcelona, an honest omen contemplating Benfica face the identical opposition within the spherical of 16 — though it’s going to presumably be a tighter, tenser encounter this time. Pavlidis isn’t all about velocity, however he does linger on the shoulder of the final defender and go in behind, which needs to be a risk towards Barcelona’s defensive position, absolutely essentially the most aggressive in Europe.
(Gualter Fatia/Getty Photos)
Solely 4 gamers have scored extra objectives than Pavlidis (seven objectives) within the Champions League this season. Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (10) remains to be within the competitors however Manchester Metropolis’s Erling Haaland (eight) has already been eradicated. Robert Lewandowski (9) and Raphinha (eight) will probably be enjoying for the opposition. One other three objectives on this tie and Pavlidis will possible discover himself prime of the charts.
Michael Cox
Jamie Gittens — Borussia Dortmund
With Dortmund floundering in tenth within the Bundesliga, the Champions League gives a useful distraction to an in any other case depressing season for Nico Kovac’s facet.
If they’re to face any probability of progressing towards Lille, then the tempo and trickery of star winger Gittens will definitely be required. The 20-year-old has bagged 4 objectives to assist Dortmund progress to the knockout part, however his dribbling means is undoubtedly his strongest attribute.
Slicing inside from the left wing onto his stronger proper foot, Gittens has an insatiable tendency to shift his physique, drop a shoulder, and speed up past his reverse quantity with ease. For context, solely Jamal Musiala (57), Vinicius Junior (57), Bradley Barcola (60) and Rafeal Leao (77) have tried greater than Gittens’ 56 take-ons within the Champions League this season — fairly the corporate.
He’s on the radar of many elite sides however there’s little doubt that that is his breakout season, with seven objectives and three assists within the Bundesliga already being greater than his earlier two campaigns mixed.
Dortmund have nurtured younger English expertise in recent times and it appears Gittens is the subsequent participant on the manufacturing line. If you happen to don’t already learn about his attacking qualities, you’ll quickly.
Mark Carey
Raphael Onyedika — Membership Brugge
There are occasions when it’s attainable to imagine that Pep Guardiola will not be being totally honest when he lavishes reward on considered one of Manchester Metropolis’s opponents. It might really feel as if he is perhaps exaggerating for impact. There’s, although, no cause to doubt that his admiration for Raphael Onyedika was something apart from honest.
The day earlier than Metropolis’s decisive encounter with Membership Brugge in January, Guardiola managed to single out the 23-year-old with out truly naming him. “The defensive patterns are actually good, particularly with the holding midfielder,” he mentioned. The time period is becoming. When watching Brugge, you don’t want to be Guardiola to identify that Onyedika is the participant who binds all the pieces collectively.
(Carl Recine/Getty Photos)
The Nigeria worldwide has all of the attributes elite groups cherish in a defensive midfielder. He’s dynamic, industrious, combative nearly to a fault: his purple card within the group stage defeat by Milan was his second in 4 European appearances. His biggest advantage, although, is rather less tangible. Onyedika is simply all the time in the fitting place on the proper time.
Brugge aren’t essentially the most glamorous crew left within the competitors, however that’s not to say they’re in need of expertise. Joaquin Seys and Chemsdine Talbi, the hero of the win towards Atalanta, are 19; vibrant futures absolutely lie forward. Maxime De Cuyper and Ardon Jashari are unlikely to stay in Belgium’s Jupiler Professional League for for much longer both.
It’s Onyedika, although, who is nearly sure to characteristic within the Champions League subsequent season, whether or not Brugge qualify or not. Aston Villa, their opponents within the final 16, have watched him beforehand. So have Milan, and PSG and Bayern Munich. Everybody, Guardiola included, will know his identify quickly sufficient.
Rory Smith
Lucas Chevalier — Lille
By Ligue 1 requirements, Lille shouldn’t have essentially the most respected academy, however Chevalier has been a cornerstone up to now three seasons. The 23-year-old is a graduate of their academy and was third selection of their 2020-21 Ligue 1-winning season. The next marketing campaign, when Lille had been final this deep within the Champions League, Chevalier was chopping his enamel on mortgage at Valenciennes in Ligue 2.
Bruno Genesio, who succeeded Paulo Fonseca as head coach in the summertime, caught with Chevalier as first selection and has been duly rewarded. Lille solely have one clear sheet in eight European video games this season, however Chevalier’s shot-stopping has been glorious. Primarily based on post-shot anticipated objectives (PSxG) knowledge, his saves have prevented almost three objectives greater than a statistically common goalkeeper.
He’s the youngest goalkeeper to be that includes commonly within the competitors and performed each recreation final season when Lille made the Convention League quarter-finals. Whereas he’s not notably dominant in his field nor as a sweeper-keeper, he distributes each bit like a contemporary goalkeeper: quick passes in build-up, loads of launched purpose kicks.
He made 5 saves in an iconic 1-0 win over Actual Madrid within the league part this time period, together with one-v-one towards Endrick, and reacted well to a late Arda Guler free header from solely eight yards out.
After being chipped early on one-v-one by Mohammed Salah, Chevalier confirmed good aggression and decision-making in Lille’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield, one other recreation the place he made 5 saves. If Lille are to succeed in the quarter-finals for the primary time of their historical past, Chevalier should carry out.
Liam Tharme
Johan Bakayoko — PSV
To followers of Dutch soccer, Bakayoko is a flashing purple dot on the radar. The fitting-sided winger was a standout performer within the Eredivisie final season, contributing 12 objectives and 9 assists to assist PSV clinch the title.
For these much less acquainted, anticipate an electrical, prolific dribbler able to giving Arsenal’s again line a troublesome time on Tuesday night time. No participant has accomplished greater than his 93 progressive carries — outlined as a dribble that strikes the ball at the very least 5 yards and 15 per cent of the remaining distance in the direction of purpose — on this season’s Champions League.
In terms of creating possibilities from vast areas, Bakayoko usually likes to drive in the direction of the byline earlier than delivering a cross — solely three gamers have delivered greater than his 32 on this season’s competitors. But he’s simply as harmful when chopping inside, as evidenced by his sensible solo purpose towards Girona within the group stage. Receiving the ball in the fitting nook, he weaved inside previous two defenders, drove to the sting of the field, and unleashed a low strike previous Paulo Gazzaniga.
Bakayoko has already confirmed his means towards English opposition this season, enjoying a key function in PSV’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool within the last spherical of group matches. Receiving the ball within the field, he formed to shoot earlier than shifting onto his proper foot as an alternative, deceiving Andy Robertson and Jarell Quansah, earlier than coolly putting his effort into the left nook. Arsenal will hope to keep away from an identical destiny.
Conor O’Neill
(Prime pictures: Getty Photos; design: Will Tullos)