The best player of this stage of the tournament was Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, who received a rating of 8,7. The symbolic team included four players from Italian club Napoli, who qualified for the round of XNUMX by beating German club Eintracht Frankfurt.
The full symbolic Champions League round of 8.15 squad, according to WhoScored, is as follows: Andre Onana (Inter, 8.12) – Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli, 8.04), Kim Min-jae (Napoli, 7.69), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, 7.84), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich, 8.03) – Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, 7.83), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, 8.22), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli, 8.7) – Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, 8.62), Goncalo Ramos (Benfica, 8.53), Victor Osimhen (Napoli, XNUMX).
It is worth noting that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who scored a hat-trick in the return leg against RB Leipzig, is not part of the symbolic team.
The Champions League round of 16 was a thrilling stage of the tournament, with several high-profile clashes and unexpected results. The symbolic team reflects the outstanding performances of the various encounters, with players from big powers like Bayern Munich and Napoli featured.
Vinicius Junior's inclusion as the best player of the round is testament to his impressive form this season. The Brazilian winger has been a key player for Real Madrid, and his ability to create chances, score goals and terrorise defences has been crucial to the Spanish giants' success.
The presence of four Napoli players in the symbolic squad is a recognition of the Italian club's impressive run in the competition. Napoli managed to get through a difficult group stage and then beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16, demonstrating their depth and tactical flexibility.
While Erling Haaland's exclusion from the token squad may raise eyebrows, it reflects the high standards set by the other players in the round. The Norwegian forward's performance against RB Leipzig was undoubtedly dominant, but the overall contributions of the selected players were deemed more important by WhoScored's analysts.
As the Champions League enters the quarter-final stage, fans and pundits alike will be eager to see if the players who shone in the round of 16 can maintain their form and lead their teams to further success in the competition. The token team provides a glimpse of the top performers at this stage and serves as a starting point for discussions and debates about the tournament's best performers.
