This season’s Champions League is turning out to be one of the best ever. Unfancied teams are beating or holding the big guns, a number of past winners are struggling and some new names have cropped up to give the tournament a much needed breath of fresh air.
So, as the competition starts to hot up, we’re giving you the chance to pick the best XI from all of the current squads.
Based on Matchday Four, Footy Boots editor Andy Kay has complied our fantasy side and to say it’s controversial is putting it mildly.
Players from Rubin Kazan and CSKA are in while plenty of big names such as Lampard, Essien, Rooney, Benzema, Pato, Hulk and Ronaldinho are not.
Do you agree with his selections or has he got it wildly wrong? And if so, what would be your best XI? Let us know by commenting below.
Goalkeeper
Victor Valdes – Barcelona
It can’t have been easy for the Spanish stopper, standing around watching his team mates in temperatures of around -7c. But the mark of a good goalkeeper is being able to pull out all the stops after long periods of inactivity. Valdes more than did this with a number of crucial saves which allowed his side to take a vital point from the game.
Victor Valdes wears Nike Tiempo Air Legend II football boots.
Defenders
Cesar Navas – Rubin Kazam
Like Valdes, Navas was another Spaniard to shine on a freezing cold night in Russia. The Rubin Kazam defender had to be on his game throughout as Barcelona mounted attack after attack. It’s been a good competition so far for Navas who, but for a foot injury, could have been playing with English Championship side Ipswich Town this season! Who said metatarsal injuries were always a bad thing?
Cesar Navas wears adidas adiPure II football boots.
Hilton – Marseille
The Brazilian didn’t have too much to do at the back as FC Zurich were a bit powder-puff but a central defender who scores goals is worth his weight in gold. Hilton did just that as the French team moved to within a point behind AC Milan and Real Madrid.
Hilton wears adidas Predator X football boots.
Ashley Cole – Chelsea
It wasn’t an entirely comfortable night for the Londoners in Spain but Cole put in another solid display at left back. He was blameless for the host’s two goals and did little to damage his reputation as one of the best left backs in the world. The simple fact is that Cole is capable of performing live week in, week out. Unlike his Mrs!
Ashley Cole wears Nike CTR360 football boots.
Dario Dainelli – Fiorentina
The Fiorentina captain was relatively solid at the back but gets the nod (excuse the upcoming pun) because of his incredibly brave header which gave the Viola a 2 – 1 lead which they eventually turned in to a 5 – 2 win. Despite getting a face full of the Debrecen goalkeeper’s fist, Dainelli still managed to guide his header in to the net as the home team went second in Group E, a point behind Lyon but more importantly, 5 in front of third placed Liverpool.
Dario Dainelli wears Bikkembergs Tirosegno football boots.
Midfield
Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal
Is there nothing this man can’t do at the moment? Fabregas is in the form of his life and he prompted his Arsenal side to a convincing 4 – 1 win over AZ Alkmaar at the Emirates Stadium which puts the English team on the brink of qualification. Not only that but he’s scoring goals for fun lately and added a couple more in this game. Just brilliant.
Cesc Fabregas wears Nike CTR360 football boots.
Kaka – Real Madrid
Kaka pulled all the strings as he return to his former club, a sure sign of his commanding display was how quickly his warm reception turned to jeers as Madrid dominated the early proceedings. And it was from Kaka’s shot that Madrid were to take the lead as Benzema knocked in the parry from Dida. Just the kind of performance required by the Spaniards on what could have been a difficult night at the San Siro.
Kaka wears adidas adiPure II football boots.
Milos Krasic – CSKA Moscow
He may also be in the running for worst haircut of the week, but the Serbian international more than showed off his footballing credentials against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Any thoughts that Krasic and his CSKA team mates were going to be overawed were laid to rest as they raced in to a 3 – 1 lead, Krasic scoring one of the goals. Although United pegged them back to 3 – 3, Krasic will have enjoyed his 25th birthday.
Milos Krasic wears PUMA v1.06 football boots.
Yoann Gourcuff – Bordeaux
As boos rang around the Allianz Arena, Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and his team mates walked off the pitch safe in the knowledge that they had booked a place in the last 16 whilst also leaving Bayern Munich four points off send place in Group A. Gourcuff scored his side’s opening goal, could have had another and ran a tight ship in midfield when the German’s looked to get forward. Another good night’s work by the current French player of the year.
Yoann Gourcuff wears adidas adiPure II football boots.
Forwards
Sergio Aguero – Atletico Madrid
You won’t see two better strikes from one player in a game for a long time. The second half substitute rammed home a superb volley to give Atletico Madrid the lead against Chelsea then stepped up to plant a late free kick past the despairing Petr Cech to earn the home team a 2 – 2 draw. That’s what you call making an impact from the bench and the volley was worth the entrance money alone.
Sergio Aguero wears Nike CTR360 football boots.
Didier Drogba – Chelsea
Mind you, Aguero didn’t have it all his own way at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. Didier Drogba marked his return to European action with two goals of his own. The first, a pretty routine header and the second, a fantastic solo effort that perfectly demonstrated his pace and power. Will need to keep it up if Chelsea are to go all the way this year. Much more helpful to his team when standing up as opposed to writhing around on the deck for no apparent reason.
Didier Drogba wears Nike Vapor Superfly football boots.
Good spot on Navas. He normally wears the Pred PS but changed in to the Pure’s for this week.
X Factor reference to Mrs Cole – quality LOL
whats everybody on about wheres arshavin he was imense last night fabregas was good but arshavin was pulling all the strings
Even though Liverpool are playing bad, how could anyone leave Torres out? Also what about John Terry or Vidic?
DaveM – Torres didn’t score, it was Terry’s misdirected header that Aguero volleyed in and Vidic didn’t even play. Pretty good reasons as far as I’m concerend.
Just because someone doesn’t score doesn’t mean that they are no good. Torres and Gerard are the heart of Liverpool and Torres deserve a spot in my mind. John Terry is one of the best players in the world and although he may have made one mistake shouldn’t deny him a spot. Vidic didnt play because he was not allowed because of a red card in a previous game, that doesn’t mean he isn’t an amazing defender….
Fhorve – so according to you, a striker who doesn’t score, a defender who makes a mistake and a man who doesn’t even play deserve a place in a ‘team of the week’ above strikers who did score, defenders who didn’t make any mistakes and players who did actually get a game!
Go figure!!
Imo Lyon’s Cris did a great job against Liverpool, it wasn’t just one or two times that he stopped Torres on the ground and in the air he was unbeatable. He was in there fighting for the ball that Lisandro ended up putting in the back of the net. Hugo Lloris was great too, Kuyt, Lucas and Voronin all had great goal scoring chances but they all got equally denied by the Frenchman. Babel’s screamer, well there was not a lot to do, a beautiful finishing, there isn’t a goalkeeper in the world that would had saved that.
I’m not sure about Kaka on that list. Sure, he set up the goal of Benzema, but there were lots of times where he just felt too comfortable with the ball and ended up losing it. Ambrosini made him look silly a couple times by robbing the ball from his feet.
Lyons Goalkeeper wasnt Cris that night.He was Hugo Lloris.I would have put him in my top 11 but I was too lazy to find out his name 🙂
I frankly think you got it all wrong.Chelsea is in The Champions Leagueand they have 11 great players :).But Nevertheless I think the Dream Team Should Be:
Didier Drogba
Nemandja Vidic
John Terry
Victor Valdes( should be David James)
Ashley Cole
Fabregas
Lampard
Essien
Henry
Messi
Parice Evra
Geez, people really ought to read articles first before they comment.
The Footy Boots team was drawn from players who appeared in matchday 4…..Vidic didn’t so can we all stop inluding him!!!!!
Where is wesley sneijder?. He played a very good match for Inter and he made the winning goal. It wasn’t a beautiful goal but a very important goal and that put inter to 6points.
gonna be honest, the x factor joke was pretty rubbish cos cheryl cole performed amazingly!!!!!!!
WHERES ARSHAVIN?
DEF ARSHAVIN, FABREGAS, KRASIC, DROGBA, AGUERO, LORRIS, GOURCUFF, CRIS, A. COLE AND BABEL (wat a strike son)
Hugh – suggest you get a dictionary and look up the word irony – Mrs C is a judge on a show where contestants are forced to sing live yet when she gets to perform she uses a backing track for all but the first verse.
What’s so ‘amazing’ about that??
what abiut rooney????????,berbatov, and anderson
People please read the column befor writing. You just sound ignorant. The list is composed of the best players in round 4..=o
What the world is coming too…
FFS, people this is team of the “WEEK”, not team of the “TOURNAMENT”!
God, makes me wonder at times if a few people who comment here actually watch football.
wesley sneijder and arshavin??? they both have been tearin it up for their respective teams in the champions league.
how good are glasgow rangers doing with all the trouble going around and playing with half a squad and they are 10points clear and they are 32million in the red if walter smith wins all 3cups this season it will be the best year in living memory i take my hat of 2the lads and smith what a year for a team thats skint.