Forward: Federico Chiesa (Juventus) - Chiesa threw three lifelines to Juve through their epic contest with Porto, his away goal in the first leg and his two sharp finishes on Tuesday to come back from 1-0 down. It wasn’t enough, but the fault is not the excellent Chiesa’s. AFP
Goalkeeper: Agustin Marchesin (Porto) - Some splendid reaction saves, and a brave, forthright tackle, advancing from his line to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo epitomised the confidence Porto have generated as a defensive unit. Reuters
Defender: Nat Phillips (Liverpool) - It is a thankless task being thrust into Liverpool’s injury-hit defence. Phillips, not even registered in the Champions League squad in September, showed against RB Leipzig that the young stand-ins can step up. Reuters
Defender: Pepe (Porto) - His bloodied eyebrow under plaster, his muscles aching, the 38-year-old Porto skipper kept winning the headers, kept blocking the shots and kept smiling as he marshalled a great underdog triumph over Juventus. AFP
Defender: Marquinhos (PSG) - Paris Saint-Germain met an ambush for the opening half of Barcelona’s visit, so emphatic there were genuine fears for the safety of their vast first-leg lead over Barca. Marquinhos tamed the threat. Reuters
Right midfielder: Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) - Is there a more precise crosser anywhere right now? After his sixth assist of the Champions League season against Porto, he can only wish some illustrious teammates could have matched his standards. AFP
Centre midfield: Sergio Oliveira (Porto) - Two goals for the busy, inventive midfielder, the second of them the cunning free-kick in extra-time that effectively put Porto through a gripping tie against Juventus. A figurehead for the surprise qualifiers. AFP
Centre midfield: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) - It has been a while since Busquets reminded why he was once the most admired holding midfielder in the game. Mobile, commanding and even close to scoring a rare goal against PSG, he rolled back the years. AFP
Left midfield: Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla) - Full of energy and desire, despite struggling for fitness, the Argentine’s initiatives against Dortmund gave Sevilla their belief that the tie might just be turned around. They fell short but not by much in the end. AFP
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - A bittersweet night at PSG, more so if it turns out that it was Messi’s last in the Champions League in Barcelona colours. He scored a sensational goal, had a penalty saved, but thrived as the centrepiece of some flowing football. Reuters
Centre-forward: Erling Haaland (Dortmund) - And so the legend grows. Two goals against Sevilla, four in the tie overall, and some raw aggression on display alongside the strength and the skill. That’s 20 goals already for the 20-year-old in just 14 Champions League games. EPA
Forward: Federico Chiesa (Juventus) - Chiesa threw three lifelines to Juve through their epic contest with Porto, his away goal in the first leg and his two sharp finishes on Tuesday to come back from 1-0 down. It wasn’t enough, but the fault is not the excellent Chiesa’s. AFP
Goalkeeper: Agustin Marchesin (Porto) - Some splendid reaction saves, and a brave, forthright tackle, advancing from his line to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo epitomised the confidence Porto have generated as a defensive unit. Reuters
Defender: Nat Phillips (Liverpool) - It is a thankless task being thrust into Liverpool’s injury-hit defence. Phillips, not even registered in the Champions League squad in September, showed against RB Leipzig that the young stand-ins can step up. Reuters
Defender: Pepe (Porto) - His bloodied eyebrow under plaster, his muscles aching, the 38-year-old Porto skipper kept winning the headers, kept blocking the shots and kept smiling as he marshalled a great underdog triumph over Juventus. AFP
Defender: Marquinhos (PSG) - Paris Saint-Germain met an ambush for the opening half of Barcelona’s visit, so emphatic there were genuine fears for the safety of their vast first-leg lead over Barca. Marquinhos tamed the threat. Reuters
Right midfielder: Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) - Is there a more precise crosser anywhere right now? After his sixth assist of the Champions League season against Porto, he can only wish some illustrious teammates could have matched his standards. AFP
Centre midfield: Sergio Oliveira (Porto) - Two goals for the busy, inventive midfielder, the second of them the cunning free-kick in extra-time that effectively put Porto through a gripping tie against Juventus. A figurehead for the surprise qualifiers. AFP
Centre midfield: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) - It has been a while since Busquets reminded why he was once the most admired holding midfielder in the game. Mobile, commanding and even close to scoring a rare goal against PSG, he rolled back the years. AFP
Left midfield: Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla) - Full of energy and desire, despite struggling for fitness, the Argentine’s initiatives against Dortmund gave Sevilla their belief that the tie might just be turned around. They fell short but not by much in the end. AFP
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - A bittersweet night at PSG, more so if it turns out that it was Messi’s last in the Champions League in Barcelona colours. He scored a sensational goal, had a penalty saved, but thrived as the centrepiece of some flowing football. Reuters
Centre-forward: Erling Haaland (Dortmund) - And so the legend grows. Two goals against Sevilla, four in the tie overall, and some raw aggression on display alongside the strength and the skill. That’s 20 goals already for the 20-year-old in just 14 Champions League games. EPA
Forward: Federico Chiesa (Juventus) - Chiesa threw three lifelines to Juve through their epic contest with Porto, his away goal in the first leg and his two sharp finishes on Tuesday to come back from 1-0 down. It wasn’t enough, but the fault is not the excellent Chiesa’s. AFP
