Ranking the 5 best players in the UEFA Champions League this season (2022-23)
The UEFA Champions League, often referred to as the pinnacle of club football, is a prestigious tournament that brings together the best teams from Europe. It showcases the highest level of competition and demands exceptional skills, talent and consistency from players.
Performing well in the Champions League serves as a significant yardstick for assessing a player's quality. The tournament attracts global attention, offering players a platform to demonstrate their abilities on the grandest stage against elite opponents.
Excelling in the Champions League requires not only technical proficiency but also mental strength, adaptability and the ability to deliver under immense pressure.
Manchester City won the Champions League for the first time in their history after beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final last night. Now that Europe's elite tournament has drawn to a close, let's take a look at the five best players from this edition.
#5 Rodri (Manchester City)
Rodri has been excellent for Manchester City in the Champions League this season. He has been a key part of the team's midfield, providing stability and control in the middle of the park. He has also chipped in with two very important goals in the competition, including the winner in the final.
Rodri's calm and composed presence in midfield has been critical to City's triumphant Champions League campaign. The Spaniard has managed to hold the fort down in admirable fashion.
Not only has he been excellent at breaking up play but he has also been positive in possession and extremely precise with his passing. The 26-year-old boasts a pass completion rate of 92.2% in the Champions League this season.
Manchester City's unlikely goalscoring hero: Rodri ♨️ https://t.co/VPBNBIKAKY
#4 Andre Onana (Inter Milan)
Andre Onana is a commanding presence in goal and he is very good at coming out to claim crosses and command his area. He is also extremely reliable with the ball at his feet and has definitely helped Inter Milan become one of the best sides when it comes to playing out from the back.
The former Ajax goalkeeper is capable of spraying passes with his left foot as well as his right. He is always calm in possession and is adept at playing accurate line-breaking passes to his midfielders and forwards and helps Inter bypass the opposition's press very effectively.
Onana has a pass completion rate of 74.9% in the Champions League this term and that's pretty impressive for a goalkeeper. He also made a total of 48 saves in 13 appearances and kept eight clean sheets.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
As usual, Kevin De Bruyne was one of Manchester City's most influential players in the Champions League. He was their creator-in-chief and provided as many as six assists in 10 appearances in the competition this term.
De Bruyne turned in excellent performances against the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. He was in imperious form, especially in the second leg of City's semi-final tie against Los Blancos.
Unfortunately, De Bruyne had to be taken off in the first half of the final against Inter Milan. But he was definitely a huge difference-maker for City in the Champions League this season.
#2 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Kyle Walker's greatest contribution to Manchester City's wonderful 2022-23 season was perhaps keeping Vinicius Junior rather quiet over the course of the two legs of their semi-final tie against Real Madrid.
Vinicius had been wreaking havoc for Real Madrid down the left wing but his threat was neutralized by Walker's pace and excellent anticipation. But up until the semi-finals, Vinicius was in a class of his own. He terrorized defences with his pace, agility, directness and exquisite dribbling skills.
Not only did he score plenty of goals but he also created plenty of opportunities for his teammates. In 12 appearances in the Champions League in the 2022-23 season, the Brazil international scored seven goals and provided five assists.
#1 Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Well, it has been Erling Haaland's season. He scored a total of 12 goals and provided one assist in 11 appearances in the Champions League this season.
Even when he wasn't scoring, Haaland was hardly ever a non-factor as teams had to commit their centre-backs to containing him at the cost of giving other City players more freedom.
Haaland scored two goals and provided one assist across the two legs of the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich and was City's best player in that tie. He also scored five goals in a single game against RB Leipzig and was simply in phenomenal form this season.
Premier League winner
🧘🏼♂️
🏆 Premier League winner
🏆 Premier League Golden Boot winner
🏆 Premier League Player of the Season
🏆 FA Cup winner
🏆 Champions League winner
Erling Haaland’s first season at Man City was… not bad. 😮💨🧘🏼♂️ https://t.co/dEQ3ofuNH9