5 stars who flopped in the UEFA Champions League group stage
The UEFA Champions League 2017/18 group stage is finally done and dusted, and some of the giants of European football like Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, and Monaco have been eliminated very early in the competition. On the other hand, Premier League clubs have created Champion League history, with all 5 qualifying for the last 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo was at his usual best, and become the first ever player to score in all six Champions League group game. Lionel Messi had a quiet outing, while Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino, Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Phillipe Coutinho, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe were excellent throughout the group stage.
On that note, let's see the list of big names who flopped in the group stage:
#5 Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund failed to register a single win in the UEFA Champions League this season and will find themselves playing in the UEFA Europa League, come February. They finished the competition with only 2 points, level on points with the minnows from Cyprus, APOEL Nicosia.
After losing Osumane Dembele to Barcelona, Christian Pulisic was given an extended run by Dortmund coach Peter Bosz. The 19-year-old struggled for consistency and failed to produce the kind of form he showed in the past few months.
In 374 minutes of Champions League football, the United States striker could not register a single goal or assist. He failed to create an impact from the wide areas as Dortmund struggled to break opponent defences.