UEFA.com's team of the week
Friday, September 19, 2014
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UEFA.com reporters around Europe choose their team of the week from matchday one, with FC Porto's hat-trick hero and a number of debutants making the cut.
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UEFA.com had reporters at every game on UEFA Champions League matchday one and they have all put their heads together to pick their team of the week in the first instalment of a new feature that will be running throughout the season.
GK: Davy Roef (RSC Anderlecht)
The 20-year-old marked his debut in the competition with a fine display at Galatasaray AŞ, denying Goran Pandev and Bruma although he was finally beaten by Aurélien Chedjou in added time.
DF: Jérôme Boateng (FC Bayern München)
Not known for his goalscoring, the defender picked the perfect time to open his UEFA Champions League account – in the 90th minute against former club Manchester City FC with the score locked at 0-0, his deflected volley finally beating Joe Hart.
DF: Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
Another goalscoring defender, the Barça centre-back nodded the only goal of an unexpectedly tight game against APOEL FC from Lionel Messi's free-kick in the 28th minute.
DF: Alberto Moreno (Liverpool FC)
Liverpool's new left-back has already made an impression as an attacking force in the Premier League and repeated the trick on his competition debut, supplying the cross from which Mario Balotelli scored the opening goal.
DF: Carlão (APOEL FC)
His team may have been beaten at the Camp Nou, but the APOEL central defender was the orchestrator of a disciplined effort that largely held Barcelona in check and might even have earned a point.
MF: Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund)
His probing passing and boundless energy has long been a key asset for Dortmund and the midfielder was at it again against Arsenal FC, supplying the pass for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's clinching second goal.
MF: Yacine Brahimi (FC Porto)
A summer signing from Granada CF, the midfielder became the seventh player to mark his UEFA Champions League debut with a hat-trick as his new club overran FC BATE Borisov. "I'm very happy to have scored the three goals as it's the first hat-trick of my career," the Algerian international said.
MF: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid CF)
The Welshman scored in last year's final and started this season in a similar vein with Madrid's second goal in a 5-1 win against FC Basel 1893. He also set up Cristiano Ronaldo's strike 60 seconds later.
FW: Gervinho (AS Roma)
His team are in the group stage for the first time since 2010/11 and the Ivorian forward made it look as if they had never been away with two goals and an assist against PFC CSKA Moskva. "I don't think anyone could object to Gervinho being man of the match," said Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.
FW: Alejandro Domínguez (Olympiacos FC)
The 33-year-old midfielder played a role in the first two goals as the Greek champions toppled last year's runners-up Club Atlético de Madrid, providing the corner that led to Arthur Masuaku's first goal and sparking Ibrahim Afellay's second with a lung-busting run and cross.
FW: Carlos Tévez (Juventus)
The Argentinian ended a five-year scoring drought in the UEFA Champions League with both goals against Malmö FF, the first an accurate low shot after a brilliant one-two with Kwadwo Asamoah and the second a superlative free-kick.