Champions League Team of the Week: Declan Rice's Free-Kick Brace, Cubarsí, Lewis-Skelly, Yamal, and Lewandowski Records

On April 8-9, the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals took place.

On the first matchday, Arsenal scored three goals against Real Madrid in just 20 minutes, while Inter defeated Bayern away.

On the second matchday, Barcelona thrashed Borussia, scoring four unanswered goals, and PSG came from behind to beat Aston Villa.

We present the symbolic lineup for the first legs of the Champions League quarterfinals for the 2024/2025 season.

• Goalkeeper: Yann Sommer (Inter)

Despite conceding a goal, the 36-year-old Swiss goalkeeper was one of the key figures in Inter’s victory at Allianz Arena. Sommer made six saves, four of them inside the penalty area, stopped three shots, made four ball recoveries, intercepted two crosses, and once successfully came off his line.

Moreover, it was Sommer who started the attack that ended with Frattesi's winning goal.

• Left-back: Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)

The 18-year-old Arsenal defender made history with his appearance against Real Madrid. He became the second-youngest English player to feature in a Champions League quarterfinal.

Additionally, it was after Lewis-Skelly's assist in the 75th minute that Mikel Merino sealed the score in Arsenal's favor. Lewis-Skelly completed 54 (95%) accurate passes, won 4 duels on the ground, made 2 tackles and one clearance, and also successfully blocked a shot and dribbled past an opponent.

• Center-back: Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)

In the 25th minute, after a shot from Raphinha, Cubarsi deflected the ball into the net, making him the youngest ever assist provider in the Champions League at just 18 years and 77 days. Cubarsi also made one tackle, one clearance, and blocked one shot.

He won 5 of 9 duels both on the ground and in the air, and completed 56 (96%) accurate passes, including 5 long ones.

• Right-back: Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich)

Despite the defeat, the 27-year-old Austrian was the best player for Bayern. It was from his pass that Thomas Müller equalized in the match. Konrad also created two other key chances.

He completed 55 (96%) accurate passes, including 6 sharp passes and 2 long balls, made 2 crosses, won 5 of 8 duels on the ground and in the air, and completed 2 successful dribbles. He also made 2 tackles and clearances.

• Left Midfielder: Declan Rice (Arsenal)

The 26-year-old Englishman was the star of the show for the Gunners. Before the match against Real Madrid, Declan had never scored from a free-kick in his career.

But at Emirates, he scored twice, becoming the first player to score two direct free-kick goals in a Champions League knockout match. Rice completed 90% of his passes, made one accurate cross, and successfully dribbled past an opponent once.

• Central Midfielder: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)

The 24-year-old Georgian scored a stunning goal early in the second half against Aston Villa, putting Paris Saint-Germain ahead.

Kvaratskhelia also made 4 successful dribbles, completed 66 (94%) accurate passes, including 5 key passes, 3 long balls, and 2 crosses. He won 8 of 14 duels for the ball and drew 3 fouls.

• Right Midfielder: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

The 17-year-old prodigy continues to break records. The match against Borussia marked his 20th appearance, the most by any player under 18 in Champions League history. Lamine celebrated the achievement with a goal scored in the 77th minute. He now has 4 goals in the current season of the tournament.

• Left Winger: Raphinha (Barcelona)

The 28-year-old Brazilian has now been directly involved in a goal for six consecutive Champions League matches. This time, Raphinha scored one goal (albeit after deflecting a shot already heading toward an open net) and provided 2 assists.

With 19 goal contributions (12 goals, 7 assists) in the Champions League, Raphinha has matched Lionel Messi's record from the 2011/2012 season.

• Right Winger: Désiré Dûé (PSG)

The 19-year-old Frenchman equalized for PSG against Aston Villa with a beautiful long-range shot into the top corner just before halftime. Dûé has scored 5 goals in his last 4 matches for PSG, and the Parisians have won all 17 matches in which he has contributed a goal or assist.

Against Villa, he also created several other chances, completed 40 (89%) of his passes, won 8 of 13 duels for the ball, made 4 tackles, and intercepted one ball.

• Striker: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)

In the match against Bayern Munich, the 27-year-old Argentine scored his 7th goal in the current Champions League campaign, making him Inter's top scorer in the competition with 19 goals.

Martínez also completed 17 (94%) accurate passes, including two long passes. Both of his dribbles were successful. He won 6 of 10 duels for the ball, earned 3 fouls, made 2 clearances and 2 interceptions, blocked one shot, and made one clearance.

• Striker: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

The 36-year-old Polish forward took 5 shots against his former club, two of which resulted in goals. Lewandowski now has 11 goals in the 2024/2025 Champions League season. He is second in the top scorer race, just behind his Barcelona teammate Raphinha.

Moreover, Lewandowski became the first player in the history of the tournament to score 10 goals for three different clubs.

• Manager: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

The Spanish manager prepared Arsenal to effectively control the match, blocking Real Madrid’s counterattacks. In the first half, his team displayed ultra-cautious and organized defending, which made life difficult for Real Madrid’s attacking efforts.

In the second half, the rotation of Lewis-Skelly and Rice created chaos in Madrid’s defensive lines, helping the Gunners intensify their pressure and create chances. Additionally, Arteta's side showcased high pressing, not allowing Real Madrid to regain the initiative.