Champions League Team of the Week: Matchday 2
By Tom Gott
This whole 'weekly Champions League' thing is pretty fun.
We're already two matchdays into the competition, and this second gameweek certainly did not disappoint. We saw a boatload of goals, some great comebacks and a delightful dash of controversy that makes everything that little bit more exciting.
Here's 90min's Team of the Week from matchday 2.
1. Goalkeepers & Defenders
Édouard Mendy (GK) - The Chelsea goalkeeper grabbed his fourth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions in a 4-0 win over Krasnodar, pulling off a handful of good saves and commanding his box well.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB) - Liverpool often struggled against a stubborn Midtjylland, but right-back Alexander-Arnold was a constant source of positivity. His movement and passing were on another level and he was unfortunate to walk away without an assist.
Manuel Akanji (CB) - With the third-most touches in the competition this week, Akanji brought an air of calmness to Borussia Dortmund's defence. A 2-0 win over Zenit was richly deserved.
Stefan de Vrij (CB) - We've already seen what Shakhtar Donetsk's attack can do, but thanks to Stefan de Vrij, Inter didn't meet the same fate as Real Madrid. The 0-0 draw was frustrating but the clean sheet was a fair reward for the Dutch defender.
Marcos Acuña (LB) - Replacing Sergio Reguilón was never going to be easy, but Acuña has done a great job filling in on the left side of Sevilla's defence. His cross for Luuk de Jong's goal against Rennes was outstanding.
2. Midfielders
Fred (CM) - If there was a stat for assisting assists, Fred would be laughing. The Brazilian was quietly involved in everything that went right for Manchester United in their 5-0 win over RB Leipzig.
Kevin De Bruyne (CM) - Another day, another two assists for De Bruyne, who completely tore Marseille apart in Manchester City's 3-0 win.
Marcus Rashford (RM) - Rashford played just 27 minutes of the win over Leipzig, but still managed to bag a hat-trick in an outstanding display.
João Félix (AM) - Atlético Madrid weren't good against Salzburg, but Félix put the team on his back and dragged them to a 3-2 win, in what was one of his best displays since joining the club.
Marcus Thuram (LM) - Two goals against Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid is no mean feat. Thuram was a constant thorn in Real's side and was unfortunate to see his goals cancelled out late on.
3. Forward
Kylian Mbappé (ST) - PSG team-mate Moise Kean deserves a shout for scoring twice in the 2-0 win over İstanbul Başakşehir, but neither goal would have been possible without Mbappé, whose movement and creativity was almost perfect.