Champions League Awards: Remontada part two, Madrid magic | OneFootball

Our Champions League Awards honour the best – and worst – of matchday seven in this season’s competition.

Moment of the Week

What a game.

Barcelona are no strangers to a Remontada, both for and against. This week, the Catalans completed a comeback in their favour that will be long remembered.

Benfica blitzed their visitors in the opening exchanges at The Estádio da Luz, as Vangelis Pavlidis helped himself to a hat-trick for the hosts. The defending was catastrophic from the visitors, with Wojciech Szczęsny enduring a night he will want to forget. Szczesny’s brain-farts left Barcelona with a mountain to climb, while each response was answered by another Benfica goal.

The Portuguese side led 4-2 with just 12 minutes to go. Robert Lewandowski’s second penalty of the contest gave Barcelona a lifeline and Eric Garcia’s 86th-minute header levelled.

In a dramatic finish, Barca survived a penalty appeal from the home side before racing down the other end. Raphinha jinked inside his marker and blasted in a winner, as Barcelona snatched the points in a nine-goal thriller.

Player of the Week

Paris Saint-Germain triumphed in the clash of the underperforming giants on Wednesday night.

The French champions met Manchester City at the Parc des Princes with both teams in danger of early elimination. PSG were the better side but their night appeared to be unravelling when City took a two-goal lead early in the second half. Undeterred, Luis Enrique’s inexperienced side fought back to claim a priceless 4-2 win in Paris.

At the heart of it was Joao Neves, a summer signing set to form the bedrock of their rebuild. Forgotten are the superstar signings of the past regime, with Neves a player on the rise and brimming with potential.

Against City, he was everywhere, showcasing the type of midfield influence sorely lacking from the visitors. He led the contest for duels (11) and tackles (5) won, created two chances, and got himself on the scoresheet. The 20-year-old is a massive talent.

Manager of the Week

Feyenoord produced the result of the round after upsetting Bayern Munich in Rotterdam.

Santiago Gimenez’s brace and an inspired goalkeeping performance from Justin Bijlow helped the Dutch side to a 3-0 win at De Kuip.

Brian Priske has had a mixed start since replacing Arne Slot in the summer, with Feyenoord fourth in the Eredivisie and 10 points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven. In Europe, however, Feyenoord are closing in on a place in the knockout rounds for the first time in the Champions League era.

Priske’s side are 11th and outside the automatic last-16 berths only on goal difference.

Goal of the Week

Now this is the sort of football expected from Real Madrid’s new wave of Galacticos.

A brilliant interchange, Bellingham’s backheel and a rasping finish from Rodrygo.

Magic.

Save of the Week

Celtic guaranteed their position in the playoffs with a 1-0 win over Young Boys at Celtic Park.

On a nervy night for the Scottish champions, Celtic saw several goals disallowed before a late own goal from Loris Benito sealed the points. Brendan Rodgers was grateful to Kasper Schmeichel for ensuring his side did not slip-up at the back. A fantastic double stop from the veteran was the perfect celebration of his new deal with the club.

Stat of the Week

Raphinha scored one of the most bizarre goals of the week, as Anatoliy Trubin’s error gifted Barcelona a route back into the game against Benfica. Trubin thundered a poor pass in Raphinha’s direction, with the ball rocketing off the winger’s head and into the goal.

Incredibly, it was just the third header in Champions League history scored from outside the box and the first in 22 years.

Read – The greatest comebacks in Champions League history

See more – The highest scoring Champions League games of all time

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