Champions League Team of the Week: Jude Bellingham, Rasmus Hojlund & Phil Foden all included

Updated: 5 Oct 2023 14:37 BST
8 min read

Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid — © ProShots

Matchday Two of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season is done and dusted, with some eye-catching results that could play a key role in determining who advances into the knockout stages.

Newcastle United stunned Paris Saint-Germain with a 4-1 win against the French champions in front of a raucous St James’ Park crowd, while Manchester United and Arsenal were beaten by Galatasaray and Lens respectively.

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There were some standout individual performances in the second round of group stages matches, but who makes FootballTransfers’ Champions League Team of the Week?

FootballTransfers’ Champions League Team of the Week

© ProShots - FootballTransfers' UCL Team of the Week

GK - Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Barcelona were one of only five teams to keep a clean sheet in the Champions League this week, and of those five goalkeepers, nobody made more saves than Marc-Andre ter Stegen (5).

Despite Porto’s dominance, the German ‘keeper wasn’t forced into many exceptional saves, but he remained an unmovable presence in between the sticks.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the fact Porto could have been awarded two penalties during the game, as well as Mehdi Taremi’s disallowed goal, but Ter Stegen did what he needed to do - and Barcelona now have a maximum six points from two games.

CB - Fabian Schar (Newcastle)

With PSG lining up with a front four of Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos and Kylian Mbappe, it looked like Newcastle’s backline may be in for a tricky night at St James’ Park.

However, the Parisians may have dominated the ball, but they only mustered two shots on target as Eddie Howe’s side ran out 4-1 winners.

Fabian Schar epitomised the Magpies’ performance. The Swiss international usually plays as the right centre-back, but Sven Botman’s absence meant he played in a more unfamiliar role on the left.

Combined with the fact that Jamaal Lascelles was making just his 15th appearance since the start of the 2022-23 season, Schar's display looks even more impressive.

He scored a truly wonderful 94th minute goal that curled past the outstretched hand of Gianluigi Donnarumma, after making six clearances, two interceptions and two tackles in the match.

CB - Kim Min-jae (Bayern)

Kim Min-jae was one of the best defenders in Europe last season and he has continued that form at Bayern Munich this campaign.

© ProShots - Kim Min-jae left Napoli this summer

The 26-year-old was instrumental in their narrow 2-1 victory over Kobenhavn on Tuesday night. With Bayern not looking at their best, Kim was a stalwart in defence, making five clearances, four interceptions and one tackle.

That tackle was pivotal too as it prevented Elias Achouri from taking a free shot at goal from within the penalty area. Bayern weren’t great, but Kim was.

CB - Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray)

On his return to England following his summer move from Tottenham to Galatasaray, Davinson Sanchez was an unlikely creative machine as he notched two assists in a 3-2 win over Man Utd.

His actual defending awasn’t top notch - he was beaten to Marcus Rashford’s first-half cross by Rasmus Hojlund, who opened the scoring, before a poor pass from team-mate Kaan Ayhan led to Sanchez slipping and Hojlund doubling his account.

However, he was crucial in Galatasaray emerging as victors against Erik ten Hag’s side.

His first assist was a floated ball into the path of Wilfried Zaha, who held off Diogo Dalot to score on his return to Old Trafford, while Sanchez’s second assist came via a great defensive header, which put Mauro Icardi through on goal to score the winner.

RM - Osman Bukari (Crvena zvezda)

Osman Bukari made it back-to-back goals in the Champions League after he followed up his strike against Man City with a goal and an assist in Crvena zvezda’s 2-2 draw versus Young Boys in Group G.

His assist saw him square up the Young Boys defence before firing a wicket cross - which may have been a shot - across the face of goal for Cherif Ndiaye to finish.

Bukari then came to Red Star Belgrade’s rescue as he netted an 88th minute equaliser from an almost impossible angle - think Maicon at the 2010 World Cup - to seal a crucial point for the Serbian side.

CM - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

Jude Bellingham is inevitable. His last-minute winner against Union Berlin in the first group stage game came via a tap-in following a fairly timid performance from the Englishman.

Jude Bellingham can’t be stopped 😱pic.twitter.com/HQcZr9jn8x

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) October 3, 2023

This time around, however, he was simply unplayable. Deployed in a free role yet again, Bellingham ran the show against Napoli.

His match intelligence saw him intercept a loose Giovanni Di Lorenzo pass to set up Vinicius Junior to level the score, before he went on a mazy dribble from the halfway line to score his eighth goal in just nine Real Madrid appearances.

One goal, one assist, seven ground duels won, four key passes, four tackles, three successful dribbles, two big chances created, two interceptions - Bellingham was everywhere and he continues to show he is one of Europe’s best players.

CM - Arthur Vermeeren (Royal Antwerp)

Arthur Vermeeren was touted as one of FootballTransfers’ hidden gems to watch in this season’s Champions League and he didn’t disappoint in Royal Antwerp’s 3-2 defeat against Shakhtar.

The young Belgian was Antwerp’s standout man for the second UCL game running as he provided the assist for both of their goals. In the process, he became the first Belgian player to register two assists in one Champions League game since Kevin de Bruyne.

Vermeeren was also a strong defensive presence in midfield and interest from Barcelona will only rise after this display.

CM - Phil Foden (Man City)

Phil Foden has struggled to nail down a starting berth at Man City for the past five years, but one thing is certain - he is an outstanding footballer.

Rico Lewis ➡️ Phil Foden ⚽️

Manchester City's homegrown stars combine to give them a 1-0 lead at RB Leipzig 🤝#UCL pic.twitter.com/TGgj5hHDqw
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 4, 2023

The England international opened the scoring in City’s win over RB Leipzig and was involved in everything as Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from two successive defeats in the Carabao Cup and Premier League.

Rico Lewis is perhaps unlikely to miss out on this team, but Foden was majestic and is fully deserving of his place in our Team of the Week.

LM - Bruma (Braga)

Union Berlin versus Braga was perhaps not the standout game of Gameweek Two, but it was an absolute thriller.

The Portuguese side came back from 2-0 down - courtesy of a Sheraldo Becker brace - to claim a famous 3-2 win at the Olympiastadion.

Portuguese winger Bruma played a key role in the historic comeback as he scored a quite brilliant equaliser before providing the assist for Andre Castro’s 94th minute winner.

Bruma’s goal will likely be a contender for Champions League Goal of the Season too. Ricardo Horta laid the ball off to him around 25 yards out and he curled a fantastic strike right into the top corner, leaving Frederik Ronnow helpless.

ST - Elye Wahi (Lens)

Chelsea were very keen on signing Elye Wahi this summer and his performance against Arsenal showed just why.

The Lens forward produced an acrobatic assist for Adrien Thomasson’s equaliser before netting the winner in the second-half.

© ProShots - Elye Wahi joined Lens this summer

A brilliant one-two on the right wing sent Przemyslaw Frankowski scattering down the flank and he delivered a perfect cross for Wahi, who caressed the ball into the bottom corner with elite precision to net his first Champions League goal and condemn Arsenal to defeat in France.

ST - Rasmus Hojlund (Man Utd)

Rasmus Hojlund cannot be blamed at all for Man Utd’s loss against Galatasaray on Tuesday night.

The Danish forward netted two on the night; his first was a classic striker’s goal as he burst into the area to head home a Rashford cross, while his fantastic second saw him sprint from the halfway line before delicately dinking the ball over Fernando Muslera.

His performance reminded United legend Paul Scholes of his former team-mate Ruud Van Nistelrooy and praise doesn’t come much higher than that.