LW Bernardo Silva (Man City) - City had no Kevin de Bruyne, no Phil Foden and no Jack Grealish. No matter, when Bernardo Silva raises his game like he did against PSG, full of energy, guile and the poise to deliver, on the volley, the cushioned pass to set up the winning goal. AFP
GK David De Gea (Manchester United) - Superb second-half save from Villarreal’s Manu Trigueros, one of three important interventions while the match was in the balance, set the base for United’s victory and their progress to the last 16. Getty
RB Reece James (Chelsea) - Chelsea’s right-back is now their leading goalscorer this season, and James added his fifth, across competitions, with a rocket of an angled finish in the destruction of Juventus. Tamed the Italian team’s threat on his flank, too. AP
CB Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica) - Rolled back the years with an aggressive, authoritative display in wet, treacherous conditions against a youthful, zippy Barcelona. Defensively rugged but also prepared to lead his team’s counter-attacks. AFP
CB Jose-Luis Palomino (Atalanta) - No centre-back looks back on a night where three goals were conceded fully satisfied, but Palomino was heroic at both ends of the see-saw 3-3 at Young Boys. He scored a spectacular volley from distance; he made a crucial late block to preserve Atalanta’s point. EPA
LB Theo Hernandez (AC Milan) - Combative, proactive and perhaps keen to show the club he grew up with, Atletico Madrid, what they let go, Theo galvanised Milan’s deserved 1-0 victory, a result that keeps them in with a marginal chance of staying in European competition after the new year. AFP
RM Nico Gonzalez (Barcelona) - The 19-year-old is enjoying his promotion to senior football, even if it is with a brittle, goal-shy Barcelona. A multi-tasking midfielder with strength and a head-raised eye for the right pass, he drove much of the positive build-up play against Benfica. EPA
CM Rodri (Man City) - A masterly example of control in the most glamorous match of the round, City’s comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain. Tough in the centre of midfield, but also delivered a delightfully delicate pass over the heads of his opponents to set up the first City goal. AFP
LM Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) - “When Toni Kroos is on form, the manager is far more relaxed,” said Real Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti after the Germany midfielder had pulled the strings through a potentially tricky night in Tiraspol. Thumped in the second goal of the 3-0 win at Sheriff. AFP
RW Pedro Goncalves (Sporting) - The hero of Sporting’s recovery from two defeats in their first two group matches to the club’s qualifying for a first knockout round place since 2009 is the livewire ‘Pote’ as he is nicknamed. His second, spectacular goal in the 3-1 win over Dortmund was his fourth in two games. EPA
CF Sebastien Haller (Ajax) - He only came on in the second half against Besiktas, but with Haller, in this, his first season of Champions League football, 45 minutes is plenty. His brace brought Ajax back from behind for a fifth win out of five. Haller has an astonishing nine goals in that time. EPA
LW Bernardo Silva (Man City) - City had no Kevin de Bruyne, no Phil Foden and no Jack Grealish. No matter, when Bernardo Silva raises his game like he did against PSG, full of energy, guile and the poise to deliver, on the volley, the cushioned pass to set up the winning goal. AFP
GK David De Gea (Manchester United) - Superb second-half save from Villarreal’s Manu Trigueros, one of three important interventions while the match was in the balance, set the base for United’s victory and their progress to the last 16. Getty
RB Reece James (Chelsea) - Chelsea’s right-back is now their leading goalscorer this season, and James added his fifth, across competitions, with a rocket of an angled finish in the destruction of Juventus. Tamed the Italian team’s threat on his flank, too. AP
CB Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica) - Rolled back the years with an aggressive, authoritative display in wet, treacherous conditions against a youthful, zippy Barcelona. Defensively rugged but also prepared to lead his team’s counter-attacks. AFP
CB Jose-Luis Palomino (Atalanta) - No centre-back looks back on a night where three goals were conceded fully satisfied, but Palomino was heroic at both ends of the see-saw 3-3 at Young Boys. He scored a spectacular volley from distance; he made a crucial late block to preserve Atalanta’s point. EPA
LB Theo Hernandez (AC Milan) - Combative, proactive and perhaps keen to show the club he grew up with, Atletico Madrid, what they let go, Theo galvanised Milan’s deserved 1-0 victory, a result that keeps them in with a marginal chance of staying in European competition after the new year. AFP
RM Nico Gonzalez (Barcelona) - The 19-year-old is enjoying his promotion to senior football, even if it is with a brittle, goal-shy Barcelona. A multi-tasking midfielder with strength and a head-raised eye for the right pass, he drove much of the positive build-up play against Benfica. EPA
CM Rodri (Man City) - A masterly example of control in the most glamorous match of the round, City’s comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain. Tough in the centre of midfield, but also delivered a delightfully delicate pass over the heads of his opponents to set up the first City goal. AFP
LM Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) - “When Toni Kroos is on form, the manager is far more relaxed,” said Real Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti after the Germany midfielder had pulled the strings through a potentially tricky night in Tiraspol. Thumped in the second goal of the 3-0 win at Sheriff. AFP
RW Pedro Goncalves (Sporting) - The hero of Sporting’s recovery from two defeats in their first two group matches to the club’s qualifying for a first knockout round place since 2009 is the livewire ‘Pote’ as he is nicknamed. His second, spectacular goal in the 3-1 win over Dortmund was his fourth in two games. EPA
CF Sebastien Haller (Ajax) - He only came on in the second half against Besiktas, but with Haller, in this, his first season of Champions League football, 45 minutes is plenty. His brace brought Ajax back from behind for a fifth win out of five. Haller has an astonishing nine goals in that time. EPA
LW Bernardo Silva (Man City) - City had no Kevin de Bruyne, no Phil Foden and no Jack Grealish. No matter, when Bernardo Silva raises his game like he did against PSG, full of energy, guile and the poise to deliver, on the volley, the cushioned pass to set up the winning goal. AFP
