UEFA Best Player: who was the best player of the 5th round of the Champions League? Edin Džeko was one of the top two goal scorers

The world’s most exclusive club competition, the Champions League, is reaching its climax in the group stage, with the penultimate round on the agenda. As usual, Ruik.cz, which represents the Czech Republic in the Best Player UEFA poll of the German magazine Kicker, was looking for the best player. Among the two-goal scorers was Bosnian Edin Džeko, who has experience in the Czech league.

Whoever scores goals is praised. And especially when he produces important results in a competition like the Champions League. So it’s no wonder the judges were looking for their king of goal scorers.

The 1980 Olympic champion from Moscow and famous toy player Ladislav Vízek put in a patriotic feeling. “Edin Džeko, we know him well, when he kicked for Teplice,” recalls the Bosnian marksman’s involvement in the Czech league, from where he departed for a great career. “His two goals against Shakhtar were terribly important, relegation goals,” highlights Džeko’s contribution.

Game and human. “His head was bandaged after a clash with an opponent, but he didn’t give up, he went all out. He was a brave guy,” Vízek finds other values. And he regrets that Džeko is no longer in Teplice. “They would have needed him very much in the fight for salvation. If he’s only on loan at Inter, let them take him off in the winter!” he recommends.

Sad news for the North Bohemian officials: he is not on loan. In 2007 Teplice sold the Bosnian legionary for 114 million crowns to German VFL Wolfsburg. Then he went to Manchester City, AS Rome, now he is a goal scorer for Inter Milan. And with two goals, he’s taken the Blue and Blacks into the spring rounds.

More than the individual performances, it was the team performances that impressed jury member Erich Brabec. “Chelsea, Leipzig, it was a spectacle,” he admires the most striking teams. But some players were also worth watching.

“Last time I praised the collective concept of Ajax Amsterdam, now I single out striker Sébastien Haller,” Brabec found his chosen one. “He came on in the second half and turned the game around with his goals. And he has already scored nine goals in the current season!” points out the former Czech international.

As a stopper, he was impressed by the saves of fellow Argentine Nicolás Otamendi in the Portuguese Benfica Lisbon jersey. “It was mainly thanks to him that Benfica didn’t lose to Barcelona, they didn’t score a goal,” Brabec emphasises. In his opinion, Bosnian striker Edin Džeko was not in vain either. “He confirmed his quality in finishing,” recalls his two goals in the net of Shakhtar Donetsk.

Karel Brettscheinder, bookmaker of the Chance bookmaker, also raised his hand for the two-goal scorer. His favourite is Pedro Gonçalves of Sporting Lisbon. “Especially considering the importance of the match, in which he secured promotion points for Sporting to the next stage of the Champions League,” he points out the value of the shots, the same as for Džeko.

“However, Dortmund’s leaky defence came through for him and he got two goals quite easily,” Brettscheinder says, noting that the German team’s defence was quite penetrable this time.

Scorers are always in the spotlight and the Champions League reveals quite a few of them in every round.

The jury’s vote

Erich Brabec:: Sébastien Haller (Ajax Amsterdam)

Karel Brettscheinder:: Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Lisbon)

Ladislav Vízek:: Edin Džeko (Inter Milan)

Source: UEFA