Best XI: Arsenal dominate Champions League team of the week

Arsenal dominate WhoScored.com’s Champions League team of the week, with no fewer than six Gunners players included. Teammates Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both secured perfect 10s as Arsene Wenger’s side romped to a 6-0 win over Ludogorets on Wednesday night, with former scoring his first hat trick of his senior career in the victory and registered his first assist in the Champions League since a 4-1 win over Galatasaray in October 2014. 

The Gunners are now unbeaten in their last 11 competitive outings, with Ozil playing a starring role in Wenger’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation in midweek. Not only was he effective in the final third, but the 28-year-old did not shirk his defensive responsibilities, making three tackles in the 90 minutes. Oxlade-Chamberlain also churned out a performance that many Arsenal fans feel has been a long time coming. 

The England international’s career has stalled, but his role on Wednesday night was effective, playing more key passes (4) and completing more dribbles (5) than any other player in Arsenal’s victory over their Bulgarian counterparts. In terms of defensive solidity, Francis Coquelin once again proved why he has been a first team regular under Wenger. Only Lars Benders (16 vs Monaco) has made more tackles and interceptions combined than Coquelin (15 vs Ludogorets) in a Champions League match this season. 

However, even had the Frenchman not been on top form, the Ludogorets attack struggled against the centre-back partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi. Koscielny made five tackles, four interceptions and four clearances, while Mustafi was on hand to make one tackle, three interceptions, four clearances and block one shot. With the duo on top form once more, Ludogorets mustered only two shots on target, despite surprisingly enjoying a larger share of possession (56% to Arsenal’s 44%). 

In attack, Alexis Sanchez features, having also scored a sumptuous goal in the victory. The Chilean is one of four South American representatives in WhoScored’s Champions League team of the week, with three shots, two key passes and three successful dribbles contributing to a rating of 9.04. He’s partnered in attack by Edinson Cavani, with the PSG man providing the assist for Angel Di Maria’s opener before getting on the scoresheet himself late on to help secure a 3-0 win over FC Basel. 

Cavani was a threat throughout the victory as he continues to establish himself in the French capital, mustering three shots, while a 92.1% pass success rate highlights how effectively he linked up with his teammates. Of course, this week’s Champions League team of the week wouldn’t be complete without Lionel Messi, who bagged himself a hat trick in Barcelona’s 4-0 thumping of Manchester City. 

The Argentine star has now scored more goals (6) than any other player in the Champions League this season and more than 24 of the 32 teams involved in the competition. Messi also provided an assist with one of his four key passes in the victory at Camp Nou and with five successful dribbles, three fouls won and two tackles, the mercurial 29-year-old is WhoScored’s player of the week in Europe’s elite competition. 

Marcelo rounds off the South American contingent following a solid performance in Real Madrid’s 5-1 win over Legia Warszawa, with a WhoScored rating of 8.19 better than any other left-back in gameweek three of the group stages. He allowed little past him having made eight tackles in the victory, while two interceptions was also a respectable return. Marcelo also provided an effective attacking outlet for Los Blancos, with the Brazilian making two key passes and three successful dribbles. 

On the opposite flank, Miguel Layun stars having bagged the crucial equaliser in FC Porto’s 2-1 win against Club Bruges. The Mexican broke forward from right-back effectively, having more shots (4) than any other teammate in the victory over the Belgian side. Given a majority of Club Bruges’ attacks came down the left flank (50%), Layun impressed defensively, having made two tackles, three interceptions and five clearances in the Champions League encounter. 

Goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon rounds off the XI following his man of the match display against Lyon. On a night where Kasper Schmeichel and Hugo Lloris both also pulled off wonderful stops, Buffon was in stunning form as Juventus secured a 1-0 win in France. The 38-year-old denied Alexandre Lacazette from the spot in the first half, which was one of four saves, including a superb reaction stop to deny Nabil Fekir.

Who would make your Champions League team of the week? Let us know in the comments below