Who makes our expert's combined Champions League XI following the conclusion of the 2021/22 campaign? Scroll down to find out...
Real Madrid were crowned champions of Europe for a record 14th time on Saturday night as Carlo Ancelotti’s men edged past Liverpool in Paris.
Los Blancos came up trumps on the biggest stage once again to lift the Champions League trophy, with Vinicius Jr’s second half strike proving the difference.
While the Brazilian doesn’t make the cut for our Champions League season XI, three Real Madrid players do feature while four Liverpool players are in the team.
Without further ado, it’s time to get down to it. Who makes our Champions League XI for this season? There's only one place to start and that's with Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Thibaut Courtois
The Real Madrid goalkeeper was imperious in the Champions League final, making nine saves to keep Liverpool at bay for 95 minutes.
He has been a man mountain throughout the knockout stages, coming up with crucial stops against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.
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As well as being named Man of the Match in Saturday’s victory over Liverpool, Courtois kept five clean sheets in this year’s competition – with only two goalkeepers matching his tally.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
He switched off for Real’s goal on Saturday night but it would be unfair to put the blame on Trent Alexander-Arnold after a superb campaign, both defensively and going forward.
The Liverpool full-back has been key to their success in the Champions League this season, recording four assists en route to the final.
A leading figure for Jurgen Klopp’s side over the past few years, Alexander-Arnold is a shoo-in for our 2021/22 Champions League XI.
Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk makes the game look simple and his leadership qualities were central to Liverpool’s success throughout Champions League predictions this season.
In eight appearances, the Liverpool star recorded 62 ball recoveries, three clean sheets and an assist – making him one of the most effective defenders in the competition.
While he was unable to guide his team to victory, Van Dijk and co restricted Real Madrid to just three shots in Saturday’s final. Like Trent, his spot is guaranteed.
Ibrahima Konate
Arguably Liverpool’s best player in the Champions League final, Konate was a man mountain from start to finish against one of the hottest strikers in European football.
He quickly established himself as one of Klopp’s favourites, featuring in nine European games after missing the first four group stage fixtures.
While his unbeaten record in a Liverpool shirt is now over, Konate is influential at the heart of the Reds defence and deserves his place in this XI.
Joao Cancelo
While not quite an ever-present this season, Cancelo missed just three Champions League matches in 2021/22 and he was heavily involved at both ends of the pitch.
The Manchester City star registered three assists while scoring twice in a fantastic season for the full-back.
His impact and influence is perhaps best recognised by the fact that City won just one of the three games Cancelo missed. You won’t find many fans arguing with this pick.
Riyad Mahrez
So talented yet somehow criminally underrated, Mahrez is the second Manchester City player to make our Champions League XI for 2021/22.
The City winger notched seven goals in 12 appearances for the Blues this season, starting 11 of the club’s 12 matches in the competition.
Mahrez scored some crucial goals this campaign and was one of Pep Guardiola’s trusted figures in Europe. Without a doubt, his impressive statistics support his inclusion in this squad.
Toni Kroos
Kroos was instrumental for Real Madrid in Saturday’s final, controlling the tempo of the match from start to finish – he was a genuine Man of the Match contender.
He leads all players in pass attempts and ranks second for completed passes – recording a sensational 91.9% pass accuracy throughout 2021/22.
With that in mind, Kroos walks into our combined Champions League XI. He will be sorely missed when he decides to hang up his boots.
Rodri
Like Kroos, Rodri also ranks favourably in the distribution statistics – he is second to Kroos in attempted passes but tops the German for pass completions.
What makes Rodri’s achievements even greater is the fact that he made just 10 Champions League appearances – but he certainly made his presence felt throughout.
An exceptional talent and an important cog in Pep Guardiola’s winning machine, Rodri is an easy choice to partner Kroos in central midfield.
Mohamed Salah
Directly involved in 10 goals in 13 Champions League appearances this season, Salah was instrumental for Liverpool from the group stages to the final.
While you could make an argument for Sadio Mane, we’ve gone for his teammate here and Salah remains one of the best players in world football.
Even in the final, Salah had six shots on target but Courtois had the game of his life. It would be foolish to ignore Salah’s positive impact throughout the campaign.
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski is one of the most prolific strikers in the sport and the Bayern Munich forward finished the 2021/22 Champions League campaign with 13 goals in 10 games.
While he was unable to lead Bayern to the semi-finals, the Poland striker finished as the second highest goal scorer in this year’s competition.
While his future at Bayern Munich is up in the air, his future in our Champions League XI for this season is in no doubt whatsoever.
Karim Benzema
The first name in our XI. Benzema finished as this season’s top scorer in the competition with 15 goals and he was absolutely outstanding in the knockout stages.
Kept quiet by Van Dijk and Konate in the final, Benzema played a major role in Real’s triumph – scoring crucial goals at important moments over the past few months.
He has led by example, inspiring his fellow strikers to get into dangerous positions and the France international is a worthy figure to spearhead our attack.
