We’re through the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. It was a period of mixed fortunes for clubs in the Premier League – Arsenal were able to overcome Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade, but Liverpool were outclassed by PSG in a 2-0 defeat.
That aside, who were the best individual performers from the first leg of the quarter-finals? Here is our bext XI from the most recent set of European fixtures.
GK: David Raya
A debate has begun to circulate in football – is David Raya the best goalkeeper in the world? If you only take the current season into account, then the answer is a wholehearted ‘yes’.
Raya made some spectacular saves to maintain Arsenal’s clean sheet against Sporting CP, denying them on five seperate occasions over the course of 90 minutes.
RB: Achraf Hakimi
Liverpool had some impressive attacking talent on their left side against PSG, but none of them were able to give Achraf Hakimi much to think about.
The Moroccan international controlled his flank, making some key tackles and offering a useful option out wide in an attacking sense.
CB: William Saliba
William Saliba continues to make his case for being the best centre-back in the world – he put forth a largely flawless display against Sporting CP on Tuesday evening.
He didn’t have too much work to do, as Arsenal’s midfield press largely kept the Portuguese giants at bay. Nevertheless, Saliba dealt with everything that came his way with his trademark consummate ease.
CB: Robin Le Normand
Robin Le Normand had to make several adjustments through Atletico Madrid’s win over Barcelona, but was able to adapt to every situation.
His centre-back partner, David Hancko, suffered an injury in the first-half and Diego Simeone was forced into a change. Then, Barcelona had a man sent off, meaning Le Normand saw much more of the ball than he would have anticipated. Nevertheless, the Spanish international held his nerve and kept a clean sheet.