The Champions League round of 16 second legs are done. Eight teams are through. And UEFA's official Team of the Week — selected on performance data across every match — reflects a round that produced heroics in goal, midfield dominance and two wingers who were simply unplayable.
Here is the full XI.
GK — Matvey Safonov (PSG)
The best goalkeeper performance of the round, and it wasn't particularly close. Safonov made nine saves and kept a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge as PSG won 3-0 to complete an 8-2 aggregate demolition of Chelsea. His Goal Prevented score of 2.32 was the highest of any goalkeeper in action this week. Chelsea had chances. Safonov made sure none of them counted.
RB — Josip Stanišić (Bayern Munich)
The standout right-back of the round. Stanišić made a notable attacking contribution with one assist and four key passes in Bayern's 4-1 win over Atalanta — a performance that demonstrated exactly why Kompany trusts him to bomb forward in big European nights. Clinical going forward, disciplined coming back.
CB — Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool)
Liverpool kept Galatasaray quiet across both legs and Konaté was central to why. He dominated defensively with a series of well-timed interventions and contributed to Liverpool's direct attacking play with his range of passing from deep. Van Dijk gets the headlines. Konaté does the work.
CB — Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting CP)
The man who started the greatest comeback of the round. Inácio had more touches than any other player in action this week, was commanding throughout Sporting's extraordinary 5-0 win over Bodø/Glimt, and scored the breakthrough goal that set the historic comeback in motion. A performance of total authority.
LB — Maximiliano Araújo (Sporting CP)
Two Sporting CP centre-backs in the same XI tells you everything about what happened at Alvalade on Tuesday night. Araújo went further — scoring the goal that put Sporting ahead on aggregate, contributing nine key passes in the attacking phase and helping secure a clean sheet on a famous night. One of the performances of the week.
CM — Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
The dominant midfielder of the entire round. Szoboszlai opened the scoring at Anfield with a superbly-executed set piece, was directly involved in all three other Liverpool goals, and finished the night with a combined total of 12 recoveries and tackles. Box to box, relentless, decisive. Liverpool's engine.
CM — Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Described by Mikel Arteta post-match as "everything we want from a midfielder," Rice was superb in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Leverkusen. Boundless energy, impressive game intelligence, three interceptions, barely a ball given away — and then he drove forward to score the second goal and seal Arsenal's passage to the quarter-finals. Arsenal's heartbeat when it matters most.
CM — Xavi Simons (Tottenham)
The most painful selection in this XI for English football. Simons struck twice in Tottenham's 3-2 second-leg win over Atlético Madrid, won nine duels and made nine ball recoveries. He was quick, skilful, lively and decisive — and Tottenham still went out 7-5 on aggregate. He was the best player on the losing side. That says something about both him and the team around him.
RW — Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP)
Three Sporting CP players in the official UEFA Team of the Week. Let that sink in. Trincão was the playmaker behind the comeback — vision, technical excellence, tireless pressing out of possession and the assist for the fifth and final goal against Bodø/Glimt. Sporting's quarter-final against Arsenal just got a lot more interesting.
LW — Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
A constant nightmare for Manchester City's defence across both legs. In the second leg at the Etihad, Vinicius won and converted the penalty for Madrid's opener after Bernardo Silva's red card, then hit the late winner to complete a 2-1 win on the night and 5-1 on aggregate. His runs in behind were unstoppable. City had no answer.
RW — Raphinha (Barcelona)
The co-star of the round alongside Safonov. Raphinha scored twice, set up two other goals, won a penalty and provided a constant threat from set pieces in Barcelona's 7-2 win over Newcastle. Constantly on the front foot, relentless in the press and devastating in the final third. The best outfield performance of the entire round of 16.
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**The formation**: 4-3-3
**The standout fact**: Three Sporting CP players — Inácio, Araújo and Trincão — in the official UEFA XI after overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit to win 5-0 against Bodø/Glimt. The comeback of the season, represented exactly as it deserves to be.
Source: UEFA Champions League official selection.
