After raising the Fourteenth (0-1)… The individual prizes remained. Some awards given by the UEFA by vote of what they call themselves “panel of technical observers” and that does not respond to statistics, but to subjective judgments. With that criterion in hand, Madrid has left its -already- grand gala adorned. Ancelotti’s men have won the award for best player of the entire edition (Benzema), best young player (Vinicius) and also have four players in the ideal eleven: Courtois, Modric, Vinicius and Benzema. Although there is a fifth who looks sideways: Rudigerwhose signing will be official in the coming days.
Benzema: MVP
There was little doubt. But this award can serve as Ballon d’Or thermometer which will be delivered on October 17. Karim, in addition to being the flag of the comebacks (with the permission of a heroic, too, Rodrygo), he has been the top scorer of the entire edition, with 15 goals. That figure is, at the same time, the argument and the thorn in his side, since he has been two blows, only two, from equaling the record of 17 signed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite this, his numbers have amply credited him for taking the MVP.
🥇 UEFA’s Technical Observer panel have named Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema as the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League Player of the Season 👏👏👏@Benzema | #UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2022
Vinicius: best young
The author of the goal in Paris. Your contribution as escudero It has been outstanding and the data proves it. Since the catastrophic defeat in Paris (1-0), he always intervened in at least one goal until the final, either giving it or scoring it. In the lap he assisted Benzema; in the tie against Chelsea, one against the Frenchman in each game (in the first leg, for him to head and in the second leg, to make it 2-3 in extra time). And against City, at the Etihad, he broke Fernandinho down the left flank to score a great goal with almost no angle. He only ‘was absent’ on the return leg. And it was to reappear in the finalnothing more and nothing less, than through the front door. He has scored four goals and given seven assists, in total.
🥇 UEFA’s Technical Observer panel have named Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior as the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season 👏👏👏@vinijr | #UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2022
Ideal eleven: four… and a half
As the canons command, the MVP and the best young they also have to be on the course team. Otherwise, it would not be understood. But Madrid has two more players in the best team in this Champions League: Courtois y Modric. The Belgian has been the goalkeeper who has saved the most in the entire edition (59) and the one who has made the most saves in the entire history of a Champions League final (nine miracles in Paris). The Croatian, for his part, gave almost 1,000 touches to the ball, had a 91% efficiency in his passes and, as a curiosity, 62% were in the opposite field. One has just lifted his first Champions League and the other, his fifth.
UEFA’s ideal eleven also has a future Madrid player: Rudiger. The center-back, whose transfer is already closed and will be official in the coming days, accompanies a defense full redcon Alexander-Arnold on the right side (despite his mistake in Paris), Van Dijk in the center and Robertson, in the left lane. In the center of the field, together with Modric, they have been awarded Fabinho and De Bruyne. And above… The trident that could have been: Mbappenext to Benzema and Vinicius.