Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah headlines HITC Football’s Champions League Team of the Week. The Egyptian lit up their trip to Rangers with the competition’s fastest-ever hat-trick.
Rangers had started promisingly on Wednesday night and sent Ibrox wild after Scott Arfield broke the deadlock. But fans would later stream out of the stadium as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds put on a dominant display. The Anfield team turned on the style to control the second half.
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A Roberto Firmino double flipped the scoreline before the Brazilian turned provider to find Darwin Nunez. Salah then made his way onto the pitch on 68 minutes. Yet by the 81st, the forward had his treble. His 13-minute hat-trick is the fastest ever in the Champions League.
Salah was not the only headline performer in the Champions League this week after a few teams claimed a round of 16 place. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, Napoli, Manchester City and Real Madrid have booked their position in the knockout stages with two games to go.
Some teams like Rangers, Celtic and Viktoria Plzen have also now been knocked out of the Champions League. While the likes of Juventus, Sevilla and Ajax face a real challenge to get into the Round of 16. Barcelona, meanwhile, came within five minutes of being eliminated.
So, with Salah scoring the competition’s fastest hat-trick yet and some teams booking their place in the last 16, who else made HITC Football’s Champions League Team of the Week?
Simon Mignolet (GK): Atletico Madrid could not find a way to beat Club Brugge
Club Brugge held Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 draw at the Metropolitano on Wednesday night. But it was not through a lack of trying that the Colchoneros could not find a way to beat a lacklustre Blauw-Zwart. Diego Simeone’s side dominated the tie and even struck 21 shots.
Yet an inspired display from former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saw Club Brugge weather the Atletico Madrid storm. The Belgian took nine saves from nine shots on target, per WhoScored, to see Blauw-Zwart reach the knockout stages for the first time in history.
Daniel Sundgren (RB): Maccabi Haifa stunned Juventus to claim a historic win
Maccabi Haifa stunned Juventus to claim a historic win on Tuesday as the Israeli team took a 2-0 win over the Italian powerhouse. Omer Atzili scored twice at home to the Bianconeri during the first half, with efforts in the seventh and 42 minutes to leave Juventus shocked.
Daniel Sundgren also put in a stellar defensive display to help Maccabi Haifa shut Juventus out. The Swedish right-back recorded a perfect six out of six with his tackles and made six clearances, per WhoScored. He further provided two interceptions and 37 accurate passes.
Tanguy Nianzou (CB): Sevilla star helped his La Liga side draw at Borussia Dortmund
Sevilla star Tanguy Nianzou helped his La Liga side get a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The 20-year-old put Jorge Sampaoli’s squad ahead after 18 minutes after heading in Ivan Rakitic’s free-kick. It was his first Sevilla goal after leaving Bayern Munich in August.
Antonio Rudiger (CB): German saved Real Madrid from defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk
Antonio Rudiger saved Real Madrid from defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. His 95th-minute header from a Toni Kroos corner also booked the Galacticos’ place in the last 16. It further left the German ace covered in blood after he collided heavily with Anatoliy Trubin.
David Raum (LB): RB Leipzig’s newest left-back helped eliminate Celtic
David Raum features in HITC Football’s Champions League Team of the Week as he helped RB Leipzig eliminate Celtic. The left-back was a dominant force at Parkhead as he won all of his five aerial duels and four of five ground duels, per SofaScore, alongside three tackles.
Only Matt O’Riley (8) and Amadou Haidara (5) had a higher volume of successful tackles (3) than Die Roten Bullen’s €30m (£26m) summer arrival from Hoffenheim. Raum also had the second-most touches (88) and made the second-most chances (2) with 50 accurate passes.
Jude Bellingham (CM): Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s goal held Sevilla to a draw
Jude Bellingham held Sevilla to a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday after striking his fourth goal of the group stage yet 10 minutes before the break. The England midfielder volleyed in Thomas Meunier’s delivery during a complete performance by the 19-year-old.
Leon Goretzka (CM): Bayern Munich reached the last 16 by beating Viktoria Plzen
Bayern Munich booked their last 16 place by beating Viktoria Plzen 4-2 on Wednesday. Der FCB owed Leon Goretzka heavily for the result after the Germany midfielder assisted Sadio Mane to break the deadlock. He also scored twice in the first half to stretch the advantage.
Mohamed Salah (RM): Liverpool winger made Champions League history at Rangers
Salah made Champions League history with the Liverpool winger scoring the competition’s fastest hat-trick yet at Rangers. His impact from the bench was resounding as the 30-year-old toe-poked his first, showed his intelligence for a double and was composed for a third.
He may only have had 22 minutes on the pitch at Ibrox, yet no player who featured during the tie had a greater individual impact. Salah put a controlled Liverpool win into overdrive to destroy Rangers. It comes at the perfect time ahead of facing Manchester City on Sunday.
Roberto Firmino (CAM): The Brazilian was on course to be the MOTM at Ibrox
Firmino was on course to be the Man of the Match at Ibrox before Salah stunned Rangers to double Liverpool’s lead. The Brazilian drew the Anfield outfit level seven minutes after Arfield broke the deadlock. Rangers left him unmarked to head in Kostas Tsimikas’ corner.
The 31-year-old would silence a once raucous Ibrox crowd 10 minutes into the second half for a brace. Firmino got his double after firing Joe Gomez’s cross through Allan McGregor’s legs. He then turned provider by laying the ball off for Nunez to curl home the Reds’ third.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (LM): The Napoli winger split Ajax apart when on the run
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia split Ajax apart when the Dutch giants allowed the Napoli forward to run with the ball. De Godenzonen had no answer for the Georgian’s ability to progress play at speed. The 21-year-old would also assist Giacomo Raspadori and converted a penalty.
Robert Lewandowski (ST): Poland star saved Barcelona’s blushes vs Inter Milan
Robert Lewandowski saved Barcelona’s blushes with two late goals at home to Inter Milan. His brace kept the Blaugrana in the Champions League as a defeat would have sent Xavi’s side out. Their quest to claim a last 16 spot is still tough with Bayern Munich now through.
Inter Milan would have followed Lewandowski’s former club through if the £42.5m transfer had not scored in the 82nd and 91st minutes. Three times the Nerazzurri took a lead at the Camp Nou. But the San Siro side could only keep Lewandowski quiet for so long each time.
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