Champions League positional awards: why they were nominated

There are three players vying for each of the four positional awards for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League season – UEFA.com pores over the stats that sealed their places on the shortlists.

Goalkeepers

Keylor Navas (Paris-Saint Germain)
Appearances: 9
Minutes: 799
Clean sheets: 5
Goals conceded: 6

The Costa Rican did not take long to settle after his summer move from Real Madrid, giving security between the posts as Paris made it to their first final.

Manuel Neuer (Bayern)
Appearances: 11
Minutes: 990
Clean sheets: 6
Goals conceded: 8

The sweeper-keeper captained Bayern as they completed a treble in Lisbon, and for all their firepower going forward, Neuer’s saves were still crucial in the later stages.

Jan Oblak (Atlético de Madrid)
Appearances: 9
Minutes: 840
Clean sheets: 4
Goals conceded: 9

The Slovenian kept his 100th Liga clean sheet in 2019/20, and showed class in Europe; he was Man of the Match in the Anfield win that eliminated holders Liverpool.

Defenders

David Alaba (Bayern)
Appearances: 8
Minutes: 675
Clean sheets: 4
Goals conceded: 6
Goals: 0
Assists: 0

A new role in the centre of the Bayern defence did not daunt the Austrian international; a clean sheet in the final against Paris earned him his second Bayern treble.

Alphonso Davies (Bayern)
Appearances: 8
Minutes: 713
Clean sheets: 5
Goals conceded: 4
Goals: 0
Assists: 4

In an extraordinary first full season in Germany, the pacy left-back was the Bundesliga’s top rookie and Canada’s first UEFA Champions League winner, at the age of 19.

Joshua Kimmich (Bayern)
Appearances: 11
Minutes: 903
Clean sheets: 5
Goals conceded: 8
Goals: 2
Assists: 3

Long praised for his versatility, Bayern’s right-back showed attacking and defending prowess in 2019/20 – and also set up Kingsley Coman’s winner in the final.

Midfielders

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Appearances: 7
Minutes: 574
Goals: 2
Assists: 2

Premier League Player of the Season after he laid on a record 20 assists in the English top flight, the Belgian’s playmaking prowess took City to the quarter-finals.

Thomas Müller (Bayern)
Appearances: 10
Minutes: 709
Goals: 4
Assists: 3

A key provider for Bayern, Müller laid on a Bundesliga-record 21 assists, and kept scoring in the UEFA Champions League – notably two in the 8-2 mauling of Barcelona.

Thiago Alcántara (Bayern)
Appearances: 10
Minutes: 824
Goals: 0
Assists: 2

The ex-Barcelona man featured as Bayern crushed his old side in the quarter-finals, with his creativity deep in midfield underpinning the club’s awesome campaign.

Forwards

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
Appearances: 10
Minutes: 887
Goals: 15
Assists: 6

Top scorer in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in his career, ‘Lewangoalski’ enjoyed his most prolific season yet: 55 goals in all competitions for Bayern.

Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain)
Appearances: 10
Minutes: 652
Goals: 5
Assists: 5

Leading marksman in Ligue 1 for the second season in a row, Mbappé recovered from injury in time to steer Paris through to the UEFA Champions League final.

Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
Appearances: 7
Minutes: 585
Goals: 3
Assists: 4

After an unsettled start to the campaign, the Brazilian’s class showed through again; he secured a French treble, and made key assists to ease Paris’ route to the Champions League final.

Stats are for 2019/20 UEFA Champions League campaign only

Last season's winners

Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

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