UCL 2022-23 Best Players 11 Post Group Stage Match Day 2

Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe to lead the attack as we look at the best players 11 of the tournament after match day 2 for UCL 2022-23.

We are already done with two group stage matches for this year’s Champions League. Our favorite football stars have welcomed the European nights with their sparkling skill set and flair on the field. Though we also have a few disappointments, where some of the bigger teams like Chelsea, Juventus, and Porto are yet to make their mark in the tournament.

We have seen some extremely brilliant displays of performances, not just from established and well-known players, but also from the stars in the making with a big future ahead. With four group stage games remaining, still there is a lot to play for. Having said that, let’s look at the best players 11 of the tournament after the end of the Group stage match day 2 of UCL 2022.

Stats Wizard Methodology:

To select the Best players 11 for UCL 2022, we have taken various skill sets into consideration. We have taken a position-wise selection for the team. Each skill set has been given a different weightage in our calculations. In case of a tie among players, the level of opposition has been taken into consideration.

Attack: We have analyzed the forward line performances basis the attack rating calculated from the overall aspect of the game such as goals scored, assists, shot accuracy, touches inside the box, successful dribbles, and offsides.

Midfield: Again, we have analyzed the midfield performances by looking at the various aspects like goals scored, assists, total passes, pass accuracy, touches, successful dribbles, duels, duels won, and interceptions.

Defense: Defensive skill sets which are included in our selection criteria are clean-sheets, tackles, tackles won, duels/duels won, aerial duels won, clearances, interceptions, block shots, crosses, assists and goals.

Alright then, let’s look at the best players 11 at the end of the Group stage Match Day 2 of UCL 2022. 

Goalkeeper:

#1: Manuel Nuer (Bayern Munich)

Matches: 2 // Cleansheets: 2 // Saves Made: 6

Two clean-sheets against two top-quality teams in form of Inter Milan and Barcelona makes him one of the easiest choices to pick in our lineup. Apart from the heart-in-mouth moment against Inter Milan’s Martinez, he has shown nerves of ice in most crucial situations. He will also wear the captain’s armband of our team.

Defense:

#2: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)

Matches: 2 // Cleansheets: 1 // Duels won 47%

Joao has arguably been the best left-back currently who is a constant attacking threat too. He already has 3 assists in two matches. He has the eye to create goal-scoring situations out of nothing. His cross against Dortmund in dying minutes which was well taken by Haaland and sealed the match for Cityzens will remain in the memory books of the fans for a long time.

#3: Alex Grimaldo (Benfica)

Matches: 2 // Cleansheets: 1// Duels won 44%

Benfica is the team which is showing lot of promise this season with two wins in that many matches. One of the rising star in this Benfica team is Alex Grimaldo who won the game single-handedly against Maccabi Haifa with one assist and thundering strike from 35 yards, curling an absolute beauty. Certainly, it is one of the top 3 goals of the season so far.

#4: Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich)

Matches: 2 // Cleansheets: 2// Duels won 69%

Lucas is an absolute class as a centre defender. His numbers are quite insane with 67% of tackles won, 69% of duels won, 2 clearances, 2 blocked shots, and 8 interceptions. The icing on the cake is that he has also scored the opening goal against Barcelona. He will be at the heart of our defense line, controlling the pace of the game from the back.

#5: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)

Matches: 2 // Cleansheets: 2// Duels won 69%

Dani Carvajal is another experienced campaigner who has a plethora of skills and game sense in his bag. His numbers are also very eye-catching with 50% tackles won, 69% duels won, 100% aerial duels won, 90% pass accuracy, 3 clearances, 1 blocked shot, and 2 interceptions. He also has one assist to his name. He is a great asset for any manager to have him in his team.

Midfielders:

#6 Mykhailo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Matches: 2 // Goals + Assist: 3 // Mins per Goal or Assist: 45

Shakhtar Donetsk are riding on the form of their omnipresent midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk. The 21-year-old has provided 2 assists and scored one goal in a 1-4 win against RB Leipzig. He also scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Celtic. With his crucial contributions and all-round skills, he has earned a place in our team.

#7 Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)

Matches: 2 // Goals + Assist: 3 // Mins per Goal or Assist: 58

Mohammed Kudus is one of the stars of the future. He scored a goal and provided an assist in the opening fixture win against Rangers. But his equalizer against Liverpool showed what he is capable of. His pace and calmness in the box which can also be seen by 100% shot accuracy inside the box make him a great prospect to have.

#8 Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)

Matches: 2 // Goals + Assist: 3 // Mins per Goal or Assist: 52

Piotr Zielinski is sharing the responsibility of Napoli’s midfield for quite a few years. He has great aerial skills and the ability to win the duals. He surprised the experienced Liverpool defense by scoring twice and provided an assist in the opening fixture, which also resulted in a shocking defeat for Liverpool.

Forwards:

#9: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Matches: 2 // Goals: 3 // Mins per Goal: 53

He is currently in the form of his life and can put no foot wrong. He now holds the record for most goals in 21 Champions League games, with 26 goals under his kitty. With two goals against formidable Sevilla and a late match-winning goal against Dortmund, he is a threat to any opposition throughout the course of the game.

#10: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Matches: 2 // Goals: 3 // Mins per Goal: 60

His first goal against Juventus was the 5^th time in this competition when he scored in the opening 5 minutes of the game. His teammate Lionel Messi (6) is the only player ahead of him currently. At the age of 23, he already has 35 Champions League goals and is sitting at 20^th place among the all-time scorers. Having scored in both the matches, he is our second attacker.

#11: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

Matches: 2 // Goals: 3 // Mins per Goal: 60

Lewandowski’s reunion with former team Bayern Munich was not at all per his liking, where he couldn’t do much. Many eyebrows were raised with his transfer to Barcelona, but his hat trick against Victoria Plzen showed what he can achieve with this Barcelona team. He has taken the final spot in our attacking set-up.

UCL 2022-23: Best Players 11 After Group Stage Match Day 2 

Manuel Nuer (C), Joao Cancelo, Alex Grimaldo, Lucas Hernandez, Dani Carvajal, Mykhailo Mudryk, Mohammed Kudus, Piotr Zielinski, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland

So, that completes the best team of the tournament so far. Apart from the ones mentioned above, the noticeable omissions are Leroy Sane, Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele, Joshua Kimmich, Kevin De Bruyne, Steven Berghuis, Vincent Junior, and Lionel Messi.

Thanks for reading! What’s your best players 11 so far for UCL 2022? Please email your thoughts to footbalyticsofficial@gmail.com

ALSO READ: Explained: Champions League 2022-23 All 8 Groups Complete Draw Details

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Akshay

Akshay is an author at Footbalytics. His love for football started way back in 1998 when Ronaldo (Not Cristiano) was his first football hero, and the list keeps getting longer ever since.
Though Akshay is a Teacher by profession, he firmly believes that there is no better classroom than the Sports field and no better Teacher than Sports.