The
2019 Champions League is all but decided. Shock defeats for Barcelona and Ajax have delivered an
all-England final between Tottenham Hotspurs and Liverpool. Now that the dust has settled across most of Europe, it seems an appropriate time to take a look at a few players who’ve made an impression in this year’s competition.
Before we get down to the impact players it’s worth saluting men who have lived the UEFA dream. Footballers like Emmanuel Mbola, who became the first-ever player from Zambia to compete in the Champions League; David Weir, who at 40 years and 212 days is the oldest competitor to play League football and Raul Gonzalez, the third highest goal scorer in Champions League history!
These are players who, together with thousands of others, have helped engender the mystique that surrounds the greatest football tournament on the planet.
Now it’s on to the current batch of players who have left their mark on the 2019 showcase in Europe:
Dušan Tadić – Ajax
Dušan Tadić may not be playing in next month’s final but he’s the second highest goal scorer in the competition. The attacking midfielder has nine league goals to his name, three more than Cristiano Ronaldo and three adrift of table topper, Lionel Messi.
The burly 30-year-old has had a stellar Champions League as is evident from his perfect 10 out of 10 rating by L’Equipe. His performances on the field are backed by so-called ‘predatory instincts’ that enable him to attack on all fronts.
Tadić is the spearhead of the Ajax attack and his accurate passes and propensity to force his way into the box have paid dividends for the Dutch Eredivisie club.
The technically astute and highly skilled player will have to wait a little longer before tasting Champions League glory. If Dušan Tadić continues to perform at his peak, it really is only a matter of time before he adds European Cup honours to his achievements list.
Roberto Firmino – Liverpool
The goalscoring engine for Liverpool, Roberto Firmino has bounced back from injury and is expected to play his part in the final against Spurs. Although the Brazilian wasn’t really missed in the 3-0 drubbing of Barcelona, his creativity and brilliant link-up play is an added boon for The Reds as they pursue a sixth Champions League title.
He was a key figure in the 3-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain when he came off the bench in stoppage time to hoof in the winning points. To add to his reputation, Firmino enjoyed an extended purple patch in the English Premier League, becoming the highest scoring Brazilian ever.
Firmino’s pace, aggression, excellent positional play and extraordinary ability to make attacking runs off the ball has made him a central figure in the team. Let’s hope his enforced layoff hasn’t taken the shine off his dazzling form.
Heung-Min Son – Tottenham Hotspurs
Tottenham Hotspurs’ South Korean talisman, Heung-Min Son was named Premier League Player of the Year for good reason. The 26-year-old is a versatile addition to a squad that’s clearly on the ascendancy. Heung-Min’s astute positional sense and blistering pace are the keystones of his lethal counter attacks that have been known to leave opposing teams in tatters.
Son’s goalscoring prowess against Borussia Dortmund was more than impressive. His ability to dominate space may just pay off for the pretenders to the Champions League throne. If Heung-Min Son can carry his electrifying form over to next month’s battle in Madrid, there’s no reason at all why Tottenham Hotspurs won’t turn their first-ever European Cup final into a triumph.
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