By Jack Gallagher
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League semi-finals got underway this week, and it's fair to say that they lived up to the hype.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played out a stunning 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, and Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain followed that up on Wednesday with game that finished 1-0 in BVB's favour but, considering the volume of chances that went begging at the Signal Iduna Park, very easily could've ended up being a 5-5 draw.
And after all of that fun, here's 90min's pick for the team of the first legs.
GK: Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
As the only goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in the first legs, it's only right that Gregor Kobel gets the nod in this team.
While massively aided in keeping his clean sheet by a combination of Paris Saint-Germain's wayward finishing and the goal posts, Kobel did make one vital stop late in the game to deny Ousmane Dembele from point blank range.
RB: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund)
Going head-to-head with the left side of PSG's attack is never an easy task, but Julian Ryerson more than held his own up against Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola on Wednesday evening.
The right-back thoroughly impressed on the defensive side of the ball by winning seven duels and recovering possession for his team on six occasions.
CB: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Mats Hummels rolled back the years against Newcastle United in the group stages back in autumn, and he did it once again against PSG this past week.
The now 35-year-old remarkably kept Mbappe at bay throughout the 90 minutes at Signal Iduna Park, winning seven duels in the narrow 1-0 win.
CB: Eric Dier (Bayern Munich)
Eric Dier in a Champions League semi-finals team of the week?
Yeah, that must be quite jarring for any Tottenham Hotspur fans reading this article, but if you watched the game on Tuesday night you'll know he deserves his spot in this lineup.
While Kim Min-jae looked flustered in Bayern's backline, Dier looked calm and composed, providing his team with a base from which to build attacks from - completing an impressive 96% of his passes.
LB: Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund)
Chelsea fans watching Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over PSG on Wednesday were likely fuming that Ian Maatsen had been allowed to go out on loan in January.
The full-back was in stunning form for BVB, putting in the sort of all-action performance that's rarely been seen by Blues fans at Stamford Bridge these days.
DM: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
In typical Toni Kroos fashion, Toni Kroos completed 96% of his passes on Tuesday evening.
One of those passes was a defence-splitting ball which set up Vinicius Junior's opening goal - a pass so good, in fact, that the Brazilian admitted Kroos made it "easy" for him to score against the mighty Bayern Munich.
The German wasn't half bad out of possession either, winning five duels and winning the ball back for his team an impressive seven times too.
DM: Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich)
Konrad Laimer seemingly saw Kroos' 96% pass completion rate and raised it - completing a rather remarkable 97% of his passes.
The Austrian international was fantastic in the heart of Bayern's midfield, and was a key reason why his team won the possession battle at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening.
RM: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Jadon Sancho became the first player since Lionel Messi to complete 12 dribbles in a single Champions League semi-final game on Wednesday night.
The England international finally showed why Man Utd forked out a £73m for his services a few years ago - it's just a pity he didn't show why in a Man Utd jersey...
AM: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich were in dire need of an offensive spark after going in 1-0 down before half-time on Tuesday, and that's exactly what they got from Jamal Musiala.
After struggling to find space in the first half, Musiala turned on the style in the second to ensure that Bayern didn't lose on their home turf. His nifty footwork which won the Bavarians their penalty was truly a sight to behold.
LM: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
No player has tallied up more goal contributions than Vinicius Junior in the Champions League since 2021.
His 19th and 20th goals in the competition may have been two of his most important to date, with his brace ensuring that Madrid escaped Munich with a 2-2 draw despite being outplayed for large periods at the Allianz Arena.
ST: Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund)
In 2022, Niclas Fullkrug was playing 2. Bundesliga football at Werder Bremen.
In 2024, Niclas Fullkrug is scoring winning goals in Champions League semi-finals against PSG.
The striker has had a remarkable rise to the top of the game, and he's done so by scoring goals - lots of them. He was at his clinical best against PSG on Wednesday, controlling a lofted ball over the top well before smashing into the bottom corner to give BVB the lead heading into the second leg next week.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Champions League semi-finals 2023/24: Team of the first legs.
