Champions League: Two Barça stars shine in the ideal XI of the first leg in the round of 16

The first leg of the Champions League 2024-25 round of 16 has come to an end, leaving what were undoubtedly 16 thrilling matches, filled with goals and stellar performances. It is for this reason that UEFA, as is tradition after each round of this tournament, has created the "Team of the Week," which gathers the 11 best players of the matchday, organized according to their positions on the field.

On this occasion, UEFA has decided to set up a 1-4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker from Liverpool as the goalkeeper, who had a 'top' performance against Paris Saint-Germain, managing to keep his goal intact with a total of nine saves, in a match where the Parisians shot on target 27 times.

Moreover, the goalkeeper was the only one chosen as the 'MVP' of the matchday. His selection is indisputable, although Szczesny could certainly have been considered.

Two FC Barcelona players made it into the Team of the Week in the UEFA Champions League (first leg - round of 16)

Following that, the Team of the Week in the Champions League features a defensive line with four players, including Maxim De Cuyper from Club Brugge on the left back, Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund) and Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan) as center-backs, and Jurriën Timber from Arsenal on the right back.

Then, in the midfield, we find three players: Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and Martin Ødegaard from Arsenal (MVPs of their respective matches) as more advanced midfielders, and Pedri González, one of the two FC Barcelona players on this list, as the central midfielder. The player from Tegueste, by the way, was also named MVP of his match, demonstrating his control of the azulgrana 'engine room', managing the pace of the game and excelling in defensive duties, contesting every ball and recovering possessions with great efficiency.

Introducing your Team of the Week! 👇@cryptocom | #UCLTOTW pic.twitter.com/UiZzOYnxeM

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 6, 2025

To conclude, the lineup is completed with a front three consisting of Raphinha on the left, the hero of FC Barcelona's victory in Lisbon (0-1); Harry Kane, who with his double (was MVP of the match) led the victory of Bayern Munich over Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena (3-0); and Rodrygo (who was also MVP of his match) from Real Madrid on the right, who opened the scoring in the victory of the merengues against Atlético de Madrid (2-1).