Champions League Awards – Ruthless Raphinha, Sporting stun Bodo | OneFootball

The Champions League never disappoints, does it? Our Champions League Awards celebrate the best and worst of an epic week of European football.

Moment of the Week

Just four times previously had a team recovered from a three-goal defeat in the first leg of a Champions League tie, a scenario four different clubs found themselves in this week.

While Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur all failed to achieve a classic comeback, Sporting Lisbon led by example. The Portuguese champions reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1983, after recovering from a 3-0 first-leg defeat to beat Bodo/Glimt.

Three unanswered goals forced extra-time, before Sporting stunned the shellshocked visitors with a fourth early in the added period. A fifth added gloss to the scoreline and saw Sporting join a list of immortal comeback kicks. They might have played the part of party-poopers to eliminate everyone’s favourite underdogs, but Sporting won’t care one bit.

Player of the Week

What a week for Raphinha, who followed his weekend hat-trick in La Liga with a devastating performance to dismantle Newcastle.

The Brazilian had a role in Barcelona’s first five goals at the Camp Nou, as the Spanish side scored seven to thrash their Premier League visitors.

He opened the scoring with a composed first before delivering the dead-ball that led to the host’s second. His burst into the box then won the penalty for the decisive third goal, and his night continued to get better during a ruthless second half. Two assists and a second goal of the evening capped a dream night.

Goal of the Week

Touch. Swivel. Bang.

What a moment for Eberechi Eze to score his first Champions League goal. The Arsenal midfielder’s missile opened the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen to set the North Londoners on route to the last eight.

In a week filled with glorious goals, this was our personal favourite. What a hit, son.

Save of the Week

The narrative was all about the goalkeepers during Tottenham’s first-leg loss at Atletico. Guglielmo Vicario returned to the side for the return and produced a superb stop in North London.

The Italian’s had his fair share of critics, but this was Vicario at his best. An impressive late adjustment to keep out a deflected drive.

Stat of the Week

English coaches have not had much luck in Catalonia this century…

Eddie Howe became the first Englishman to manage against Barcelona at the Camp Nou since Gary Neville in 2016 this week. Neville’s nightmare in Spain memorably included a 7-0 defeat to the Catalans, a result that Howe came close to repeating.

Newcastle became only the second English team ever to concede 6+ goals in a Champions League game after a 7-2 mauling.

A week to forget for…

Weeks don’t get much worse than this for Mamadou Sarr.

A nightmare Champions League debut saw the Chelsea centre-back struggle, with a glaring error handing PSG an early opener at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea needed everything to go right to stand a chance of recovery, but Sarr’s slip-up inside six minutes was a nail in their coffin. After an uncomfortable half at full-back, he was hooked at half-time.

Add in that the defender had his AFCON medal with Senegal revoked, and it’s been a tough few days.

Read – Champions League quarter-final draw in full

See more – Sporting become fifth team in UCL history to overturn three-goal deficit

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