Kylian Mbappé dominates Manchester: UEFA Champions League team of the week

On February 18-19, the second-leg matches of the UEFA Champions League playoff preliminary round took place.

On the first matchday, Feyenoord and Milan played to a draw, securing a place in the Round of 16 for the Rotterdam club. Club Brugge surprisingly cruised past Atalanta on the road. Benfica and Monaco played out a high-scoring draw, which saw the Portuguese side advance. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich barely escaped elimination, scoring a late equalizer in stoppage time against Celtic to progress.

On the second matchday, Borussia Dortmund and Sporting failed to find the net, allowing the Black and Yellows to secure their place in the next round. PSG produced a historic performance, thrashing Brest with seven goals—marking the club's biggest-ever victory in European competition.

Manchester City suffered a shocking elimination at the hands of Real Madrid, marking the first time a Pep Guardiola-led team has failed to reach the Champions League Round of 16. Elsewhere, PSV edged Juventus in extra time.

Now, let’s take a look at the best XI from the second-leg matches of the Champions League playoff preliminary round.

Goalkeeper: Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge)

🧤 In the match against Atalanta, the 36-year-old veteran was a standout performer for Brugge. Despite conceding a goal, he made 8 crucial saves. The Belgian goalkeeper also denied Ademola Lookman’s penalty in the 61st minute, preventing the Italians from cutting the deficit.

Left-back: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

⚡ The Canadian was Bayern’s game-changer against Celtic. Substituted in the 64th minute, he made an immediate impact and scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, securing Bayern’s spot in the last 16.

In just 30 minutes on the field, Davies completed 20 accurate passes (87%), one successful dribble, and won a key ground duel.

Centre-back: Marquinhos (PSG)

🛡️ The Brazilian captain was a defensive rock, recording 3 clearances, 3 blocked shots, 1 interception, and a goal-line clearance.

He dominated in aerial duels, winning 6 out of 8 and was immaculate on the ground. Marquinhos also delivered 76 accurate passes (94%), including 6 long balls and 1 key pass.

Centre-back: Ryan Flamingo (PSV)

🔝 The Dutch defender put in a colossal performance against Juventus, making 12 clearances, 4 tackles, and 5 interceptions.

In addition, he completed 70 accurate passes (89%), including 7 long balls. Most importantly, Flamingo’s goal in the 98th minute sealed PSV’s place in the Round of 16. It was already his third goal in this Champions League campaign.

Right-back: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

🔥 The Uruguayan was a key figure in Real Madrid’s dominant display against Manchester City.

Valverde contributed 2 clearances, 2 tackles, and 1 blocked shot. In possession, he completed 55 accurate passes (93%), including 6 long balls and 4 key passes. His crucial assist to Mbappé in the 61st minute helped Real Madrid extend their lead.

Left midfielder: Fabián Ruiz (PSG)

🎯 The Spaniard was a creative force, providing 2 assists for PSG—marking his first double-assist game in over four years.

Ruiz completed 46 passes (87%), including 3 key passes and 2 long balls, and created two big chances, both converted into goals.

Right midfielder: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

💪 The German midfielder was the most active player on the pitch for Bayern. He completed 114 passes (96%), including 8 long balls and 6 key passes. He also delivered one accurate cross and created a big scoring chance.

Left winger: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)

⚡ The Georgian winger was a nightmare for Brest’s defense. He won 10 of 15 ground duels, completed 6 out of 8 dribbles, and made 41 accurate passes (82%), including 3 key passes and one cross.

Kvaratskhelia scored a goal and provided an assist—his first Champions League 1+1 performance since October 2022.

Right winger: Ismael Saibari (PSV)

⚽ The Moroccan delivered a clutch performance against Juventus, winning 8 out of 13 duels and completing 41 passes (80%), including 4 key passes.

Saibari created one big chance and scored the equalizer in the 74th minute, forcing extra time where PSV eventually triumphed.

Attacking midfielder: Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge)

🔥 The 19-year-old Belgian of Moroccan descent was the hero of Brugge’s victory over Atalanta, scoring two of his team’s three goals.

With this brace, Talbi became only the fourth player under 20 to score a Champions League knockout-stage double, joining Mbappé, Zaniolo, and Haaland.

Striker: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)

👑 The King of Manchester. Mbappé delivered a hat-trick against City, opening the scoring in the 4th minute, doubling Real’s lead in the 33rd, and completing his treble just after halftime.

Across the two legs, Mbappé scored four goals against Pep Guardiola’s side, propelling Madrid to the next round with a 6-3 aggregate score.

Coach: Nicky Hayen (Club Brugge)

📋 Brugge’s victory over Atalanta was one of the biggest upsets of the round. Despite being underdogs, Hayen’s tactical brilliance led his team to a 5-2 aggregate win.

His compact defensive setup neutralized Gasperini’s signature high press, while Brugge’s quick counterattacks exposed the Italian defense’s weaknesses. Unlike Atalanta’s volume-heavy approach (30 shots vs 7), Brugge capitalized on efficiency, scoring three goals from minimal chances.