Goalkeeper: Gregor Kobel, Borussia Dortmund
From a small pool of goalkeepers, only Dortmund’s Kobel kept a clean sheet. And if he could thank the post and bar for that on a couple of occasions – a Kylian Mbappé special rattled the woodwork at one point – he gave a solid performance in the Westfalenstadion. PSG rained 14 shots on Kobel’s goal, but none squeezed past. Kobel is the first Swiss keeper to play at this stage of the competition, and also showed off his skills with the ball at his feet. His reputation as one of the continent’s best is growing.
Defender: Achraf Hakimi, PSG
Mbappé’s closest friend at PSG showed off his importance as an attacking player, and it was down the right flank, his side, that PSG conjured their most dangerous attacks. He even followed Mbappé by hitting the post when following in the rebound from the Frenchman’s initial shot. Against his former club, and the threat of Karim Adeyemi, Hakimi was, as is so often the case, one of his team’s top performers.
Defender: Eric Dier, Bayern Munich
The hype – in England at least – was of a duel between Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. But, barring the trash talk Bellingham aimed at Kane as his national captain took his penalty, the pair were rarely centre-stage. Instead, in a battle that resembled a Euro-Clasico, it was the less famous Englishman who shone. Vinícius Junior scored twice but Dier was not on the crime scene for either goal, and reminded us of his considerable experience and knowhow at the top level.
Defender: Antonio Rüdiger, Real Madrid
Back in Germany, and against a Munich attack that has rediscovered its shooting boots, Rüdiger showed the form and command that was so often on display when he led Chelsea to Champions League success in 2021. In a Madrid defence that has been depleted for much of the season, Rüdiger has been a leader. He managed to keep Kane quiet for most of the game, cutting the supply line to the forward, who had just 1.6% possession on the night – the lowest of any outfield player on the pitch.
Defender: Ian Maatsen, Borussia Dortmund
It may not lead the list of mistakes made by Chelsea this season, for they are legion, but the sight of Maatsen starring in a Champions League semi-final was jarring. On-loan from Chelsea, Maatsen went man-to-man with Ousmane Dembélé, who has been at his best this season on the big stage. Maatsen locked down Dortmund’s left side, and was also a considerable attacking threat moving forward. Maatsen has been among the top attacking fullbacks in Europe this season, but it was the man-marking job he performed on Dembélé that stood out on Wednesday. Dembélé was limited to one real chance, which he blazed over the bar in the second half. Maatsen spent the last two seasons on loan at Coventry and Burnley and was, somehow, considered surplus to requirements by his parent club this year. It doesn’t seem as if he will be returning any time soon, either. Good work, Todd.
Midfielder: Konrad Laimer, Bayern Munich
“Hunting like a dog” was how Thomas Müller described the performance of the Austrian in the first leg against Real. Bayern gained supremacy in midfield thanks to Laimer ratting out the second balls and screening the backline. With Laimer charging everywhere, Madrid were forced to play quicker than they are accustomed. Ralf Rangnick may no longer be on his way to replace Thomas Tuchel, but Laimer still looks guaranteed to be a mainstay for the next Bayern incarnation.
Midfielder: Toni Kroos, Real Madrid
The problem with facing Madrid is that they are perfectly happy to wait to seize the moment while their opponent is dominating proceedings. Much of that can be put down to the presence of Kroos, who against the club he left a decade ago, showed he remains supreme at picking out a key pass. Kroos, as he often does, dominated the ball, finishing the game with an eye-popping 7.8% of the overall possession, the highest figure for any player in the knockout rounds of this season’s tournament. “Toni always makes things easy,” said Vinícius, who received the ball after the German had spotted Kim Min-jae’s positional gaffe and scored the opener. Carlo Ancelotti was similarly glowing: “I have no words for Toni Kroos, he’s crucial for us.”
👀 @ToniKroos’ vision.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 2, 2024
🏃 @ViniJr’s speed.
🤯 The pass.
😍 The finish.#UCL pic.twitter.com/BGjvoRt5P0
Midfielder: Warren Zaïre-Emery, PSG
Zaïre-Emery became the second-youngest player to start a Champions League semi-final, at 18 years and 54 days – the youngest being former PSG player Julian Draxler when he was with Schalke. And, as for much of the season, Zaïre-Emery looked to the manner born. When PSG created chances, it was their teenage star at the fulcrum. All signs point to Zaïre-Emery being the club’s flagship star once Mbappé leaves.
Forward: Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund
A hat-trick for Premier League loanees. This Opta stat was telling of Sancho’s performance: “Sancho completed 12 dribbles tonight against Paris Saint-Germain, the most by a player in a Champions League semi-final since Lionel Messi in April 2008 against Man Utd (16) and the most on record in the competition by an Englishman (since 2003-04).” It keeps going: Sancho’s 12 completed take-ons was the highest figure from any player in any of Europe’s top five leagues or the Champions League this season. His passing was sharp, too, showing that Sancho is far more than a traditional winger. He is, when in a Dortmund shirt, a playmaker – and utterly unrecognisable to those who saw him for Manchester United.
Forward: Niclas Füllkrug, Borussia Dortmund
Even in a era where high technique and tactical savvy is the order of the day, there are times when there is no answer to an old-fashioned striker on form. Füllkrug took a wrecking ball to the PSG defence. He showed he possesses one or two decent touches, too, particularly when he took the ball down from Nico Schlotterbeck to slot home the goal of the week.
The touch, the finish from Niclas Füllkrug 🤌
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 1, 2024
(via @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/W6Bh5Hsv5M
There was one wild finish: he blazed over an easier chance after Sancho set him up. But, equally, he set up Marcel Sabitzer for a chance that was well saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. “This guy is on another level,” Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero said on the CBS broadcast. “He’s not that fast. He’s not that powerful. But he’s effective,”
Forward: Vinícius Junior, Real Madrid
When it comes to the Champions League, Vinícius almost guarantees great performances – and goals – on the grandest occasions. Playing as a striker, rather than from the wing, he produced an elite away performance. Vinícius was deadly on the counter, always alert to where Kroos wanted him to be. “He offered me the pass with his movement,” said Kroos. Vinícius’s late penalty, set up by his neat pass to Rodrygo, was slotted as coolly as would be expected from someone so comfortable in this competition.
