Champions League Team of the Week: Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah star; USMNT’s Malik Tillman makes cut

Goals came in big numbers across Europe on Matchday 4 for the UEFA Champions League when a few hat trick heroes took center stage. Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres each scored three goals as they led their teams to lopsided wins over well-respected opponents Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City, respectively. Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, meanwhile, notched an unconventional hat trick of his own on Wednesday with three assists in a 5-2 win over Crvena zvezda. A few other stars of other big wins, like AC Milan’s 3-1 upset of Real Madrid, also earn a spot on the list for their heroics.

Here’s this week’s team of the week.

GK: Mike Maignan, AC Milan

Mike Maignan played a huge role in arguably the biggest result of Matchday 4, helping to ensure that AC Milan would escape Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with three valuable points. He made nine saves against Real Madrid on Tuesday, tied for most of any goalkeeper in Champions League play this week. It’s a particularly impressive feat since Real Madrid took 23 shots at Milan’s goal and generated 2.66 expected goals, though the hosts’ only strike does little to drag down Maignan’s showing since it came off a penalty.

RB: Jules Kounde, Barcelona

There was some competition for this slot but in the end, it was hard not to select Jules Kounde after a three-assist performance for Barcelona. He was arguably the standout in his side’s 5-2 win at Crvena zvezda on Wednesday through his play-making performance, also creating four chances along the way.

CB: Ryan Flamingo, PSV

Lopsided victories came thick and fast on Matchday 4, and the list includes PSV’s 4-0 dismantling of Girona. Ryan Flamingo had an excellent day in defense, boasting a 94.1% passing accuracy and winning 83.3% of duels, including 100% of his aerial duels, also making four recoveries during his shift. It helps his case that he scored his first Champions League goal on Tuesday, too.

CB: Emre Can, Borussia Dortmund

Emre Can did well to set the tone in the back as Borussia Dortmund took 21 shots at Sturm Graz’s goal and faced only seven in return. He completed 92.3% of his 104 passes while winning 66.7% of his duels. He also posted perfect marks on his passing accuracy in the attacking third, as well as for winning his tackles.

LB: Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich

The margin of victory over Benfica may have been narrow for Bayern Munich, but it was not for a lack of effort. That includes Alphonso Davies, who used his team’s dominance to his advantage. He took 128 touches and attempted 108 passes, ranking within the top 10 on both categories for players on Matchday 4, and also boasted a passing accuracy of 90.8%. Davies also created two chances and then handled his defensive responsibilities well, completing 100% of his tackles and 75% of his duels.

CM: Curtis Jones, Liverpool

Tuesday was a terrific day for several Liverpool players and that includes Curtis Jones, who had a banner evening as the Reds scored four second half goals against Bayer Leverkusen. The highlight of his performance was an assist on Luis Diaz’s first goal, though his 90% passing accuracy and his three chances created also add to a strong outing for the 23-year-old.

CM: Malik Tillman, PSV

While Christian Pulisic usually lands the made-up honor of the matchday’s most outstanding U.S. men’s national team player, the distinction this week goes to PSV’s Malik Tillman. He notched two assists in his side’s win over Girona and played a big part in their well-functioning attacking operation by creating six chances on Tuesday.

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CM: Arne Engels, Celtic

Celtic’s surprisingly successful Champions League campaign continued on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over winless RB Leipzig, with Arne Engels’ work in midfield serving as a crucial part of performance. He got the assist on Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn’s equalizer and overall created five chances as the hosts found success with an attack-first strategy.

FW: Luis Diaz, Liverpool

Scoring a hat trick makes it pretty easy to land into the team of the week, so it comes as little surprise that Diaz cracks the list. He also generated 1.64 expected goals on his own, a big chunk of Liverpool’s collective 3.49 expected goals tally on Tuesday, doing so with just four shots. He mixed in efficiency with style, mixing in some impressive finishes on an impressive finishing day.

FW: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

One cannot mention Diaz’s strong outing on Tuesday without recognizing Mohamed Salah, who was equally as important in Liverpool’s win. He ended the game with two assists from an impressive 1.11 expected assists tally and also created five chances and took three shots along the way. Diaz and Salah were a double-act of sorts, allowing the Reds to continue a successful transition to life under new manager Arne Slot.

FW: Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting Lisbon

Speaking of hat trick heroes, it almost feels like a given these days that Europe’s most in-form striker would find himself on a list like this. He put all five of his shots on target and provided 2.41 expected goals, more than half of the 3.79 expected goals Sporting Lisbon posted collectively in their 4-1 win over Manchester City. While many will point to the win as a sign that outgoing Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was a good selection by Manchester United, it’s also a signal that the team Amorim built is in good shape to put together impressive results without him.

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