Champions League Awards: Sporting stun City, Diaz delightful | OneFootball

Our Champions League Awards honour the best – and worst – of the European action from matchday four.

Champions League Awards: Sporting stun City, Diaz delightful

Moment of the Week

There will be plenty of Manchester United fans who had not seen Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon live in action before this week. It’s likely there was more interest on Tuesday night, following the announcement that Amorim will take over at Old Trafford next week.

The Portuguese champions produced a stunning performance to thrash Manchester City 4-1, inflicting the heaviest defeat on Pep Guardiola’s team since September 2020. Viktor Gyokeres’ reputation continues to soar and the Swedish striker helped himself to a hat-trick, as Amorim bowed out of the Estádio José Alvalade with arguably his greatest result.

Amorim has been keen to stress the differences between Sporting and the side he will inherit, but this performance no doubt offers encouragement for a Manchester United fanbase at a low ebb.

Player of the Week

Arne Slot sprung a surprise with Luis Diaz unleashed through the middle and was rewarded as the Colombian tormented Bayer Leverkusen. The visitors had lost just two games since the start of last season but were unable to live with Liverpool and Diaz after the break.

A ruthless second-half performance saw Diaz help himself to a hat-trick, opening the scoring with a wonderful dinked finish before claiming the match ball at Anfield. There was even time for a cheeky no-look finish a certain Roberto Firmino would have been proud of.

Diaz has taken his game to a new level this season, for a Liverpool side in red-hot form under Slot.

Goal of the Week

Nicolas Kuhn’s brilliant start to the season continued as Celtic upset RB Leipzig at Parkhead.

The Scottish champions came from behind to beat Leipzig 3-1 in Glasgow, with Kuhn on target twice to lead the Celtic comeback. Kuhn’s equaliser was a thing of beauty, as the 24-year-old drifted inside before arcing an unstoppable finish into the far corner. Having spent time with Leipzig as a youth player, it was a sweet moment for the winger.

Save of the Week

Lucas Chevalier has prevented 3.42 goals for Lille in the Champions League this season – more than any other goalkeeper.

When you see stops like this from the 23-year-old, it’s easy to see why. One of the best up-and-coming goalkeepers in European football.

Stat of the Week

Girona just can’t stop scoring. Unfortunately, four of the eight goals they’ve ‘scored’ in the Champions League this season have come at the wrong end.

An unwanted Champions League record.

Donkey of the Week

Tyrone Mings, just what were you thinking!?

Aston Villa’s perfect record in the Champions League came to an end in comical fashion, after conceding this penalty at Club Brugge. Seemingly not realising the ball was live, Mings picked the ball up inside his own area. It’s the sort of incident you’d expect to see on pub pitches – not UEFA’s elite level.

For Mings, recently returned from 445 days sidelined with an ACL injury, it was a Champions League debut to forget.

Read – Iconic Performances: Thierry Henry’s irresistible display at Inter

See more – Wing Wizards: Luis Figo – Brilliance and betrayal

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