UEFA’S Champions League best XI for the 2021-22 campaign has been leaked a day early – and it contains some big surprises.
The Champions League draw is due to be held on Thursday – with the occasion usually used to announce the team of the tournament for the previous season.
But this year a technical report released by Uefa on Wednesday has leaked the full line-up.
Finalists Real Madrid and Liverpool both have four players in the squad – although Real summer signing Antonio Rudiger played for Chelsea in last year’s competition.
His team-mate Thibaut Courtois was selected as goalkeeper after arguably being the star performer of the tournament – the Belgian made nine saves in the final win over Liverpool.
The rest of the defence is made up of Reds however, with Virgil van Dijk flanked by Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, surprisingly there are no Liverpool forwards in the squad after Mo Salah scored just one goal in the knock-out phase.
Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz faired better with three and two goals respectively in the second half of the competition.
But neither compared to Real’s deadly duo of Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema, who finished top scorer on 15.
Vinicius contributed four goals and seven assists and also grabbed the winner in the final.
Most read in Champions League
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Luka Modric and Fabinho are the other two players representing Real and Liverpool and they are joined by Kevin De Bruyne in midfield.
The Belgian had another brilliant tournament and only missed out on a final place by the smallest of margins after Real’s remarkable semi-final comeback against Manchester City.
The final player in the team is Kylian Mbappe despite Paris Saint-Germain’s second-round exit.
The Frenchman tore Real Madrid apart on several occasions in that tie, scoring twice over the two legs before the Spanish giants mounted another incredible comeback.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
