Another UEFA Champions League Gameweek has flown by, leaving us with some unpredictable results and heroic performances.
On Tuesday (November 5), European champions Real Madrid fell to a shock 3-1 defeat to AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Manchester City also followed suit, losing 4-1 to Sporting CP in Ruben Amorim’s final home game before officially taking charge of Man Utd. On a night when two Goliaths fell, Liverpool extended its 100% run, claiming a thumping 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. PSV Eindhoven also booked a massive victory, securing a 4-0 victory over Spanish outfit Girona.
On Wednesday (November 6), Barcelona stole headlines by claiming a mega 5-2 win over Red Star Belgrade. Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid also pulled off impressive victories, beating Arsenal (1-0) and PSG (2-1), respectively.
With the Gameweek-defining results out of the way, we will now take a quick look at the top five players who wowed us with their performances. Let’s begin!
#5 Jules Kounde (Barcelona)
Versatile right-back Jules Kounde arguably played his best game in a Barcelona shirt on Wednesday, claiming three assists to help his team to a 5-2 victory over Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League.
Following a decent first half, the Frenchman truly came alive in the second 45. In the 53rd minute, Kounde dashed down the left flank and sent it into the six-yard box, allowing Robert Lewandowski to tap it home. Two minutes later, he pulled the ball back for Raphinha on the edge of the box. The Brazilian calmly steered the ball into the bottom-right corner to make it 4-1 for Barca. Kounde completed his assists spree in the 76th minute, once again cutting back into the area, this time allowing Fermin Lopez to convert.
Throughout the game, the 25-year-old also created four chances, made four recoveries, and played three passes into the final third.
#4 Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)
PSV Eindhoven ran circles around La Liga side Girona FC on Tuesday, bagging a 4-0 victory. Playmaker Malik Tillman was at the heart of it all, with him pulling the strings with his excellent movement and tempo-dictating passes.
Sixteen minutes in, Tillman showed superb awareness to send a long throw-in, allowing Ryan Flamingo to steer it past the goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, the United States Men’s National Team player added a goal to his name, finding the back of the net from a tight angle. Tillman claimed his second assist of the night in the 83rd minute, playing a short pass to Johan Bakayoko, who dribbled toward the edge of the penalty area before finding the back of the net with an excellent left-footed effort.
Tillman also created the most chances in the game (6), won the most duels (7), completed 46 passes with 84% accuracy, and made five recoveries.
#3 Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Serie A giants AC Milan piled on the pressure on Real Madrid on Tuesday night, beating them 3-1 in the Spanish capital. Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders scored for the visitors while Vinicius Jr. found the netting for the All-Whites. Although Real Madrid were nowhere near their best, they created plenty of goalscoring opportunities throughout the night. And had it not been for Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, the scoreline would have been a lot different.
The French goalkeeper made nine saves against Los Blancos, facing an xGOT of 1.87. His best save of the night came in the third minute of stoppage time, as he exhibited his cat-like reflexes to keep out Brahim Diaz’s header. Excellent saves aside, Maignan completed 22 passes, delivered six accurate long balls, and recorded 14 recoveries.
#2 Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
Premier League heavyweights Liverpool claimed a commanding 4-0 victory over German champions Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 4. Luis Diaz, who was operating in a more central position, emerged as the star performer, scoring a breathtaking hat-trick and deservedly taking the match ball home.
Diaz broke the goalless stalemate in the 61st minute, latching on to Curtis Jones’ world-class through ball and beating the on-rushing goalkeeper with a chip. Two minutes later, Cody Gakpo scored the insurance goal for the Reds, putting them firmly in the driving seat.
Liverpool and Diaz, however, were not quite done yet, with the Colombian scoring the third goal of the night in the 83rd minute. He received Mohamed Salah’s cross at the far post before calmly slotting it into the back of the net. The 27-year-old sealed his hat-trick in the second minute of injury time, turning in Darwin Nunez’s rebound.
The hat-trick aside, Diaz created a chance, delivered three accurate long balls, and played two passes into the final third.
#1 Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)
Sporting CP’s thumping 4-1 win over Manchester City was easily the most shocking result of Matchday 4 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season. It was a collective effort for sure, but hat-trick hero Viktor Gyokeres has earned the right to be singled out for praise.
Gyokeres scored his first goal in the 38th minute, canceling out Phil Foden’s fourth-minute strike. He expertly kept Manuel Akanji at bay before penetrating the area and applying a cheeky finish to beat Ederson. Gyokeres’ next two goals came from the penalty spot. In the 49th minute, he sent Ederson the wrong way before slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner. Finally, in the 80th minute, Gyokeres completed his hat-trick, beating Ederson for pace and sending the ball into the bottom-left corner.
The hat-trick took his goal tally to an astonishing 23 in just 17 games across competitions.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
