The first matches of the Champions League play-off round have ended - and as usual, before the brightest performances on the pitch have "cooled down", UEFA has announced the list of candidates for the best player of the week award. Interestingly, this time the four are from different leagues, different styles, but have one thing in common: they turned the fate of the game with their own hands.
The nominees are as follows:
— Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)
— Desiree Douet (Paris Saint-Germain)
— Patrick Schick (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
— Kasper Hoegh (Buddy-Glimt)
The most sensational statistic, of course, belongs to Gordon. He “torn” the goal four times in the match against Qarabag and was a decisive figure in his team’s big victory. This is not just a “good game” - it means already psychologically crushing the opponent in the playoffs.
In Paris, Douet once again proved that he is “ready for the big stage”. He scored a brace in Luis Enrique’s team and became one of the engines of PSG’s attack that night. That is, he did not just score goals - he also controlled the pace of the game.
On a cold night in Greece, Schick showed his “class”: two shots - two goals. He brought Bayer Leverkusen a very important victory at Olympiacos and created a very favorable situation for the German club before the second leg. In the playoffs, such a double is a valuable resource.
The “surprise of the week” from Norway was Høg: 1 goal and 2 assists. This means that he not only finished, but also managed to get his teammates to the right place at the right time. Such a player is considered “golden” in the playoffs, because he affects not with one episode, but with the whole game.
In short, it's not easy to choose between these four: some have scored goals, some have finished the job with a brace, some have opened the game with assists. Now it's up to the fans and UEFA to decide which star will be named the hero of the week, and the playoff spirit will only get hotter after these "prizes".
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