Real Madrid will take an advantage into the second leg of their Champions League knockout round playoff with Manchester City next week, having recorded a 3-2 victory in their opening match in Manchester on Tuesday night.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, beat Brest 3-0 on Tuesday night, while Borussia Dortmund also have one foot in the knockout round, having beaten Sporting Lisbon 3-0 in their first leg in Portugal.
Juventus were 2-1 winners over PSV Eindhoven, while Club Brugge recorded a shock 2-1 victory over Atalanta BC to put themselves in a solid position ahead of the return fixture in Italy.
AC Milan were shocked, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord, while Benfica beat Monaco 1-0 ahead of the second leg in Portugal.
Bayern Munich also have an advantage, recording a 2-1 victory over Celtic in Scotland on Tuesday night, but it it is still all to play for ahead of what is shaping up to be a fascinating clash in Munich next week.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Champions League Team of the Week from the first legs of the knockout round playoffs in the competition, and there were a number of outstanding performers.
DEFENCE
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The spot between the sticks is awarded to Timon Wellenreuther, who was outstanding for Feyenoord in their 1-0 success over Milan; the 29-year-old made six saves in total, and he was also dominant in the air, with the goalkeeper taking the pressure off his defenders throughout the match.
There are two players from PSG in the defensive set-up, with Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos fully deserving of spots in the XI.
Hakimi provided the assist for Ousmane Dembele to make it 2-0 late in the first period, while he was defensively brilliant and excellent in possession of the ball, finishing with a pass success rate of 85%.
Marquinhos also heavily contributed to the three-goal success, winning four aerial duels and making two tackles, while he completed 56 of his 58 passes during a performance which would have made the rest of Europe take notice.
There is also a spot at the back for Ryerson, with the 27-year-old in excellent form for Dortmund against Sporting; he completed 51 of his 52 passes, in addition to managing three successful dribbles and making two tackles.
MIDFIELD
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Jude Bellingham scored a last-gasp winner for Real Madrid against Man City at the Etihad on Tuesday night, and his impressive performance also earns him a spot in the side. The England international made three tackles and completed three successful dribbles, while he finished with a pass success rate of 90% on another excellent night's work from the ex-Birmingham City youngster.
Two Dortmund players complete the midfield lineup, with Julian Brandt and Pascal Gross both exceptional against Sporting in Lisbon.
Brandt provided two assists, setting up Serhou Guirassy for 1-0 before turning provider for Karim Adeyemi in the latter stages, while Gross got his name on the scoresheet, but it was the 33-year-old's overall contribution that earns him a spot in the XI.
ATTACK
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Micheal Olise was on the scoresheet in Bayern's 2-1 success over Celtic on Wednesday night, with the 23-year-old again starring in a wide position; Olise also made three tackles during an energetic performance, as he helped his German side out at both ends of the field.
There is also a spot in the XI for Igor Paixao, with the 24-year-old proving to be Feyenoord's standout player in their one-goal success over Milan; the forward made the breakthrough early on, and he was a constant threat to the Italian giants before being withdrawn in the latter stages.
The lineup is completed by Ousmane Dembele, with the Frenchman currently in wonderful form; the 27-year-old hit an excellent brace against Brest, and he could have had more, managing seven shots in a dominant performance.
Dembele has now scored 23 goals in 28 appearances for PSG driving the 2024-25 campaign, including six in his last three Champions League matches.
SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (4-3-3): Wellenreuther (Feyenoord); Hakimi (PSG), Otamendi (Benfica), Marquinhos (PSG), Ryerson (Dortmund); Brandt (Dortmund), Gross (Dortmund), Bellingham (Real Madrid); Olise (Bayern), Dembele (PSG), Paixao (Feyenoord)
Matt Law
