The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round-robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format and a single-leg final. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The UEFA champions league is the pinnacle of European club football. Every club in the European continent dreams of playing in the competition and some have the ambition of winning it. Real Madrid is the current European champions, having beaten Liverpool 1–0 in the 2022 final. Also, they are the most successful club in the tournament's history having won the title 14 times. The whole edition was full of sensational individual performances from the best players across Europe. These individuals made key contributions to their respective clubs, helping them in their hopes of winning the tournament.
Despite only one winning team, in the end, there were several players from the rest of the participating clubs that caught the attention. Let's see the champions league team of the season.
GK – Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois is the goalkeeper of Real Madrid. There was never any doubt that he would be the goalkeeper in the team of the tournament because of his exceptional performances with the gloves for the Los Blancos. He made a total of 9 saves in the UCL final 2022 and was responsible for helping Real Madrid keep Liverpool forwards silent at the Parc des Princes. The Belgian international made countless breathtaking saves to record an iconic performance in the final. He also kept five clean sheets overall, the most in the competition.
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RB - Dani Carvajal
Real Madrid had to rely on their experienced players to keep out the aggressive Liverpool forwards in the final. Dani Carvajal was a consistent performer but saved his best performance for the final. On the right flank, the Spaniard had to contend with Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson’s pacy combination. He came away on top to win his fifth UCL trophy with the club.
CB - Eder Militao
Eder Militao had a very impressive campaign for Real Madrid. He was a consistent performer across all the competitions, especially in the champions league. He made 25 tackles, 26 interceptions and 31 clearances on his way to helping the club win the tournament. This was his first UCL title with the club.
CB – Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Djik is the main player for Liverpool FC. His performances have a huge impact on Liverpool FC's fortunes in every competition. The centre-back was very influential in helping Liverpool FC reach the final of the tournament. He won 80% of his duels and despite the shaky performance in the final, was solid throughout the season for LFC.
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LB – Andrew Robertson
He played for Liverpool FC in the 2021- 22 edition. The Scottish International was crucial for the Reds during the 2021- 22 Champions league campaign. He made a total of 25 key passes and also made three assists during the campaign that almost had a good ending.
CM – Luka Modric
Luka Modric secured his fifth UEFA Champions League winner’s medal with Real Madrid. From 13 appearances, the Croatian international made four assists. In one of his key contributions, Modric made an assist each in both legs against Chelsea to help the club reach the semi-final.
CM – Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne had a strong campaign for Manchester City across all competitions. The Belgian international could not guide the club to its first-ever UCL triumph, but he did deliver some sensational performances. He scored once and provided an assist in a 4-3 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final too. The midfielder finished with two goals and three assists.
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DM – Fabinho
The Liverpool player is an essential part of the reds. The midfielder provides cover to the defence and also has a knack for scoring the odd goal. Fabinho also scored against Villarreal in the second leg to ensure the Reds reached the final in Paris. His contribution was the key to helping the club reach the final of the UCL.
LW – Vinicius Junior
The 2021-22 campaign was one where Vinicius Jr finally silenced his critics. He scored the crucial goal in the final against Liverpool which ensured a 14th UCL triumph for Real Madrid. Overall, the Brazilian international had four goals and six assists in 13 matches. Vinicius Jr scored the winner for the Los Blancos and he was one of the best performers during the campaign.
RW – Mohamed Salah
Despite lofty ambitions and the skill to back it up, Mohamed Salah ended up on the losing side for the second time in a UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid. He could not find the back of the net in the final with Courtois shutting down everything the Egyptian international threw at him. He scored eight goals and made two assists in the campaign.
