UEFA Best Player: who was the best player of the Champions League? Cannonballer Benzema ousted Liverpool playmaker Thiago

The world’s most exclusive club competition, the Champions League, has entered the semi-finals. The Ruik.cz portal, which represents the Czech Republic in the Best Player UEFA poll of the German magazine Kicker, was looking for the best player of this part as usual. French striker Karim Benzema in a Real Madrid jersey garnered the biggest ovation, yet Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool FC was the better performer for the jury.

It seemed clear-cut:: French cannonballer Karim Benzema in a Real Madrid jersey put two goals into the Manchester City net, the world revelled at the penalty converted by his maiden long-range strike, he surged to the top of the scorers’ table of the current season.

“Once again it looked like there would be nothing left but to pick Karim Benzema again,” sighed Karel Brettschneider, bookmaker at bookmaker Chance.

Milan Štěrba, chief commentator of the Nova Sport television station, which broadcasts the Champions League and devotes extensive space to the competition, agrees. “I’m still debating why I shouldn’t put Benzema in the first place, so that the choice is not so drab, but I can’t think of many arguments,” he muses.

Petr Rada, the former Czechoslovakian national team player who also sat on the bench of the (now Czech) national team, hasn’t overlooked Benzema either. “Without him, Real would not have had a chance against a rampant English team, his goals left the White Ballet with a chance of progression,” he recalls.

“Real can thank their captain for still being in the game,” adds Brettschneider. “It was a top top top top match, which was an advertisement for football,” says Erich Brabec, a permanent member of the jury.

“We saw some excellent individual performances, great again by Benzema,” he compliments the French striker. “He doesn’t give two penalties at the weekend, now he takes it again and works hard for the team,” he stresses.

However, all those addressed eventually found another ruler of the opening duels of the semi-finals. They preferred the result: whoever pulls the team to victory deserves the honours. “In the City team, Bernardo Silva and his huge action radius, spiced with a fantastic goal, deserve recognition,” Brabec elaborates. “Silva was a big personality,” agrees Rada. ” He was one of the ones I made decisions between,” admits Szczerba.

Yet one personality of the English champion made the match against the Spanish royal club even more successful. “For me, Kevin De Bruyne is the ruler of the match,” points to the Belgian midfielder Brabec.

“Incredible overview on the pitch, always 99 per cent correct in his choice of solutions and in the final stages he always comes up with a surprising idea that looks completely natural in his delivery,” he lists his strengths. “Plus a goal after a great run,” he points out the Belgian’s goal. “For me, the best man of the match,” says Rada.

However, the crown of the semi-final was put on a member of the Liverpool team, who beat Villarreal of Spain in a less attractive encounter. “Mohamed Salah,” says Rada. “Fast, technically admirable, hard to separate from the ball. And he creates space for others,” the former coach of Slavia, Sparta and more recently Jablonec backs his choice with arguments.

In fact, the same criteria put Salah’s teammates on the golden podium. “Although Liverpool are also adorned with a team concept, but in the end I decided to pick one personality. That is Thiago Alcantara, who directed the home team’s overwhelming pressure,” Brettschneider declassifies the king of the opening matches.

“He fits into the perfectly running machine as a key component of the midfield,” he found an apt comparison. “He practically didn’t fumble a pass the whole game. He can calm the game down when he needs to, but also send a surprise pass behind the defense. He’s playing in great form at the moment and is the brains of Klopp’s machine,” highlighting the contribution to the team.

The Spanish international of Brazilian origin, born in Italy, is also the chosen one for Szczerba. “All the action went through him, he is indispensable to Liverpool’s game,” he claims. “He opens up spaces for teammates who then penetrate a disjointed defence,” he adds another asset.

“And if he was just a bit lucky, he would have been one of the goalscorers,” recalls Szczerba’s first-half bomb that ended up at the junction of crossbar and bar.

Jury vote::

Erich Brabec:: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Karel Brettschneider:: Thiago Alcántara (Liverpool)

Petr Rada:: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Milan Sterba:: Thiago Alcántara (Liverpool)

Source: UEFA