Hard as it was to ignore Fulham-Blackburn, here’s where we choose from the best that Europe had to offer this week.
Hard as it was to ignore Fulham-Blackburn, here’s where we choose from the best that Europe had to offer this week.
Once again there will be a quartet of English teams dominating the Champions League quarter finals…but did they take centre stage in the last 16, second leg ties?
Our reporters have been staying up late to dish out ratings to every player involved in this week’s games. Using the said ratings, we’ve comprised a best XI.
What have we missed? Who have we been overly generous to? Don’t be shy in putting us in our place by using the form at the foot of the page.
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas – Real Madrid
Unlikes his team-mates, somebody obviously bothered to tell Casillas that he was playing in the Champions League last 16 at Anfield. While Raul ran around like an old man and Fabio Cannavaro was made to look like a mug by Fernando Torres, the Spain keeper single-handedly attempted to keep a rampant Liverpool at bay. His first-half quickfire stop from Torres and then Javier Mascherano was nothing short of world class.
Defender: Marco Motta – Roma
The fact that Samir Nasri ended up with a measly rating of five from our reporter tells the story. Motta was Steady Eddie at the back, not to mention a real menace going forward. Will no doubt be considering himself unfortunate for not winning his side a penalty when he was hauled down by Gael Clichy. Minimal contact there might have been, but it was contact nonetheless.
Defender: Jamie Carragher – Liverpool
This was like a walk in the park for Carragher. For a man who year in year out shackles stellar strikers from across Europe , keeping tabs on a bumbling Raul and some Argentine upstart was a piece of cake.
Defender: Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United
It really is impossible to underestimate just how good Vidic has become. However good you think he is, double it. How often do you spot him out of position? How often does he miss a tackle or lose a header? To dub him as the brawn to Rio Ferdinand’s brains would be unfair but there is little doubt that they form a nigh-on perfect partnership. The Serbian even found time to get forward and set the ball rolling with the first goal against Inter.
Defender: Christian Lell – Bayern Munich
The Germany Under-21 international was as solid at the back as he was progressive going forward against Sporting. Should have got his own name on the scoresheet after fine work from Bastian Schweinsteiger but was more than instrumental in helping his team-mates run riot.
Midfielder: Steven Gerrard – Liverpool
If, as we are all led to believe, the test of how great a player is just how well he performs on the biggest of stages, Gerrard’s right up there. One hundred times he’s turned out for The Reds in European competition and how he rises to the occasion. Full of dynamism, vision, and courage, we had to check whether Madrid’s midfield had actually bothered to turn up. Lassana Diarra was apparently designated to man-mark the England man early on but didn’t get even vaguely close until the two teams exchanged shirts upon the final whistle.
Midfiedler: Xavi – Barcelona
One of our reporters, mid drool, sagely suggested just how fun it would be to see this man in The Premier League. Go on, imagine it. Imagine him feeding Fernando Torres, pulling strings behind Berbatov or embarrassing West Brom. He was, predictably, at the heart of all things good for Barca and oozed so much class that it was almost unfair to expect Lyon to compete.
Midfielder: Bastian Schweinsteiger – Bayern Munich
Every time a major tournament rolls around we get treated not only to Bastian’s delightful girlfriend (look her up if you don’t believe quite how delightful she is) but also to this guy’s touch of class. Led to believe that he’s some sort of inverse version of John Barnes – spectacular on the international stage but not so much for his club – this looked to be nothing more than an urban myth this week. He was pivotal to all things good in Bayern’s rout of Sporting.
Forward: Fernando Torres – Liverpool
Injured my ****. Torres looked as fit as a whole orchestra of fiddles throughout Liverpool’s cruise past Real - even when he fell over he was still faster than Fabio Cannavaro. We’ve come to expect goals from him but what all too often goes unnoticed is just how much he hassles and harries defenders. So bold is he that time and time again he took on Gabriel Heinze in the tackle…perhaps Rafa Benitez had pinned a certain article on Torres’ locker to get him fired up.
Forward: Didier Drogba – Chelsea
He’s a brute and he’s back. Gone is the Drogba who sulks on the floor, gone is the Drogba whose shoulders are slumped and gone is the Drogba who can no longer lead a line. This was yet another showing of an old school centre forward terrorising a defence with a goal to boot.
Forward: Thierry Henry – Barcelona
Have you heard the one about Henry being past it? Hands up who’s got a mate who’s told them they’ve been following Spanish football and Henry just isn’t the player he used to be when he was at Arsenal. The first thing those of you with raised hands must do is put them down, the second is find yourself a new mate. Henry’s double against Lyon exuded all the awareness, calm and quality that we in England were treated to for so long.