Champions League Team of the Week: Matchday 3

The Team of the Week, presented by Crypto.com, is chosen by the UEFA Technical Observer Panel, which has an experienced observer watching each match and is supported in its selections by the UEFA analysis unit in Nyon, Switzerland.

Matchday 3 Team of the Week

Mattia Perin, Juventus

Despite succumbing to a 92nd-minute Stuttgart winner, the Italian goalkeeper was named Player of the Match for an outstanding performance, making ten stops – including from a penalty – and facing more than 20 shots.

Stefan Ristovski, GNK Dinamo

Praised by the technical observers for "leadership throughout the game", the full-back excelled in and out of possession to help secure a vital away win at Salzburg. Two assists, four key passes and three ball recoveries in the opposition half earned the North Macedonia defender Player of the Match.

John Stones, Man City

Scored and led from the back in possession – with 82 open-play passes and 12 deep progressions – during a comprehensive home victory against Sparta Praha. The England central defender also excelled in the press, recovering the ball ten times, including five in the opposition half.

Isak Hien, Atalanta

Achieved the most ball recoveries (17) of the defenders highlighted by the technical observers in securing a dominant clean sheet that restricted Celtic to just four goal attempts. Aggressive in the press and regained possession seven times in the opposition half.

Miguel Gutiérrez, Girona

Led Girona to a first Champions League victory with a goal and impressive statistics on deep progressions (13) and aggressive pressing actions (15), resulting in six ball recoveries in the opposition half. Clear Player of the Match on a history-making night for the La Liga club.

Takumi Minamino, Monaco

Two goals, an assist and the Player of the Match award in a 5-1 victory against Crvena Zvezda. "He also made lots of dangerous runs behind the opposition defence and created goalscoring opportunities for team-mates with clever passes," noted the technical observers.

Nicolò Barella, Inter

Huge captain's contribution with and without the ball to earn his side a 1-0 win away at Young Boys and a third consecutive clean sheet in the opening matches of the Champions League for the first time. Half of Barella's impressive 20 ball recoveries took place in the opposition half, where he excelled in counterpressing.

Tijjani Reijnders, Milan

Earned Player of the Match for two goals and a display of creative artistry at the heart of Milan's midfield in a 3-1 home victory against Club Brugge. The technical observers noted the Dutch international's "huge contribution" in possession, allied with defensive awareness.

Raphinha, Barcelona

A hat-trick as captain in his 100th game for Barcelona. Apart from what the technical observers called "clinical finishing", the Player of the Match produced two key passes and offered constant menace beyond Bayern München's high defensive line.

Jhon Durán, Aston Villa

"A constant threat with pace, movement, strength and his hold-up play giving Bologna's back line problems," according to the technical observers. Durán's aggression in the press also earned praise and his 64th-minute goal brought due reward for an excellent all-round Player of the Match performance.

Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid

Another hat-trick hero who inspired Real Madrid's stunning comeback from 2-0 down against Dortmund at half-time. "Vini led the attack in the second half by attacking 1v1 and contributing defensively in a much more aggressive Madrid display after the interval," noted the technical observers.