The UEFA Champions League is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious competitions in world football, where the top teams and players across Europe aspire to showcase their skills. While it attracts the very best from Europe, underdog stories have long been ingrained in the Champions League folklore.
These unexpected tales of triumph and resilience add to the tournament’s allure. The beauty of the Champions League lies not only in the fierce battles between Europe’s elite clubs but also in the thrilling moments when lesser-known teams defy the odds, challenging Europe’s elite and giving them a run for their money.
Let’s take a look at some of the players from these teams that have performed beyond expectations in this season’s UCL so far.
Vangelis Pavlidis | SL Benfica
Benfica’s Greek forward has been in sensational form in the Champions League this season. In the nine games he has played so far, he has scored six goals and provided two assists. Out of his six goals, only one goal is scored from the penalty spot.
Since his summer move from AZ Alkmaar to Benfica in 2024, the Greece international has been Benfica’s most reliable goalscorer. He has a total of 15 goals and eight assists in 36 games in all competitions.
Pavlidis is a big-match player, which he proved by scoring a hattrick against Barcelona in arguably the most thrilling game of the UCL this season. He has continued his hot streak of form and also scored a vital away goal in the first leg of Benfica’s UCL playoff tie against Lille, taking his team one step closer to the UCL Round of 16.
Pavlidis is a strong and versatile player with great ball retention, link-up play, and progressive carrying. Though he can improve on his shot conversion, his chance creation is excellent. In addition, he is adept defensively and can track back and recover balls from deeper areas.
Igor Paixão | Feyenoord Rotterdam
The Brazilian winger has been crucial to Feyenoord’s progression in the Champions League this season. He has provided four assists in nine games played for the Dutch club. As for his performances this season, he has a total of six goals and eight assists in 22 games for Feyenoord.
In the recently-played UCL playoffs first leg against AC Milan, he was highly influential and was the scorer of the winner, taking his side closer to the Round of 16.
Paixão is an absolute menace on the left wing, with great dribbling, pace, and eye for goal. He is also capable of creating goals for his teammates and can occasionally score goals from outside the box. If Feyenoord are to go deep in the tournament, Paixão’s form will be crucial.
Isak Hien | Atalanta BC
Isak Hien has been a rock in defence for Atalanta in the Champions League this season. Hien has been one of the reasons Atalanta have qualified for the UCL playoffs.
The Sweden international has registered 73 ball recoveries, six tackles, and 16 attempted clearances in the eight UCL games he has played. Atalanta have conceded only eight goals in eight UCL games. Even though he conceded a penalty in the playoff first leg, it seemed to be a controversial decision to award the penalty to Club Brugge.
Hien is a modern-day ball-playing centre-back who is also exceptional in aerial and ground duels. He possesses great game awareness and can put in vital interceptions and tackles whenever required.
Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa FC
Since joining Aston Villa from EFL Championship side Middlesborough in February last year, English midfielder Morgan Rogers has been quite a revelation and has been influential for the Villans in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old has scored three goals and assisted once in the Champions League so far. In total, he has 11 goals and six assists to his name in 34 games this season. He scored a hattrick in the CL against Celtic, for which he was awarded the Player of the Match award.
Rogers is an attack-minded midfielder, who is strong and has great dribbling skills, link-up play, and ball-carrying abilities. He often gets into good positions in the box and is a lethal finisher. Aston Villa have definitely hit the jackpot with this signing.
Maghnes Akliouche | AS Monaco
The 22-year-old French central midfielder, who can also play as a winger, is one of the players to watch in this attack-minded Monaco side.
Akliouche has seriously impressed one and all with strong performances in the French Ligue 1 and the Champions League. In the UCL this season, he has scored two goals and provided one assist while, in Ligue 1 he has turned up with three goals and five assists in 20 games.
The young midfielder is one of the first names on the Monaco team sheet, and even though he hasn’t scored as many goals, his other qualities make up for the lack of goals. Akliouche is a skilful player with strong dribbling and passing skills. He can play in tight spaces and beat defenders with his exceptional dribbling skills. In addition, his ability to create chances and find his teammates with pinpoint crosses is another key asset in his armoury. If he continues to shine in his role, the young Frenchman will find suitors in Europe sooner rather than later.
Ismael Saibari | PSV Eindhoven
The Morocco international is another player who has impressed in the Champions League this season. Saibari is a versatile operator who can play both as a central attacking midfielder and a right-winger.
In the eight CL games he has played, the midfielder has accumulated two goals and an assist. He has performed fairly well for PSV this season, scoring a total of nine goals and bagging an impressive 11 assists so far.
The 24-year-old is a strong dribbler with pace and technique. He prefers to keep close control and play short passes. Saibari has a knack for influencing big games, making him a vital asset for PSV, one they would like to hold on to amid growing interest from many European clubs.
Anatoliy Trubin | SL Benfica
Anatoliy Trubin has been a massive presence between the sticks for Benfica this season. The young Ukrainian goalkeeper has impressed many with his superb saves, helping his team to qualify for the playoffs in this year’s Champions League.
Trubin has made a total of 31 saves in nine CL games so far, also managing to keep four clean sheets. Barring that frantic and crazy game against Barcelona, where he conceded six goals in one game, the 23-year-old has conceded six goals in the other eight games. In the recent first leg of the playoff game against Lille, Trubin made crucial saves. In total, he has kept an astounding 16 clean sheets in 34 games this season.
Trubin is a goalkeeper with strong reflexes, shot-stopping, and penalty saving skills. The 6’6″ goalkeeper is a huge presence in the Benfica goal, and if he continues to perform for them the way he has been of late, scoring against the Águias is going to get easier anytime soon.
Daizen Maeda | Celtic FC
The Japanese winger has been a clutch presence for Celtic in the Champions league this season. Whenever his team has needed to score, Maeda has popped up with important contributions.
In eight games that he has played for the Bhoys in the CL this term, he has scored four goals. Even in the recently-concluded playoff game against Bayern Munich, the 27-year-old scored a goal to cut down Bayern’s deficit to one, giving his side some hope of overturning the lead and qualify to the next round.
Even in the Scottish Premiership, Maeda is having a fabulous season with eight goals and seven assists in 23 games.
Maeda has great pace and an eye for goal. He is a strong, versatile player who can play anywhere across the forward line. He has impressed one and all with his performances, and it remains to be seen if he can guide his side further in the tournament.
Leave a Reply