da pixbet： Ahead of Saturday's final between Manchester City and Inter in Istanbul, GOAL picks the tournament's top performers
da fazobetai： The Champions League rarely disappoints, does it? This season's tournament obviously still has one very important game to go, but we can already say that we've been treated to another enthralling year of continental competition.
Napoli lit up the group stage with an exhilarating brand of football, while Benfica both eliminated Juventus and beat Paris Saint-Germain to top spot in their pool, which would have serious consequences for Kylian Mbappe & Co.
Truth be told, the knockout stage failed to match last season's fixtures for late drama, but Serie A's revival made for a compelling storyline, culminating in a Milan derby played out before a breath-taking background at San Siro.
Inter eased past their city rivals to set up an Istanbul showdown with Manchester City, who underlined their status as the tournament favourites by producing a performance for the ages in dismantling defending champions Real Madrid at the Etihad.
Unsurprisingly, both finalists are well represented in GOAL's 2022-23 Champions League Team of the Season, but who else makes the cut? Find out below…
GettyGK: Andre Onana (Inter)
The Cameroonian shot-stopper began the season as Inter's second-choice in Serie A behind Samir Handanovic, but quickly made the starting berth his own with a succession of excellent performances in the Champions League.
Onana has played every minute of his team's European run and no matter what happens in Istanbul, he will end the tournament with more clean sheets (he currently has eight) than any other goalkeeper. Hardly surprising, then, that the 27-year-old is attracting interest from England's richest clubs…
AdvertisementGettyRB: Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli)
A player who didn't make his Serie A debut until the age of 24 has just captained Napoli to a first Scudetto since 1990. Di Lorenzo also illuminated the Champions League as the Partenopei made history by reaching the quarter-finals.
The 29-year-old right-back boasts more chances created than any other defender in the competition (20), resulting in two assists, while he also scored a couple of goals himself. Now expected to be rightly rewarded with a bumper pay rise for a truly incredible campaign.
Getty ImagesCB: Ruben Dias (Man City)
The ideal centre-back for Pep Guardiola. Dias is ridiculously comfortable in possession, as underlined by the fact that, as it stands, only his Manchester City team-mate Rodri has completed more passes in this season's Champions League.
The Portuguese is also a brilliant defender, though – his tally of 16 successful tackles is just two off the tournament's overall leader, Marco Verratti.
GettyCB: Francesco Acerbi (Inter)
What. A. Story. Acerbi is a cancer survivor who also overcame an alcohol problem. Now, at the age of 35, he's a Champions League finalist finally being recognised as a great defender.
Few Inter fans wanted Acerbi at San Siro when the season began, but they love him now, with Simone Inzaghi's former Lazio charge having played a pivotal part in their European exploits. Indeed, no outfield player has been involved in more clean sheets (seven), while Acerbi ranks second for clearances made (41) and seventh for aerial duels won (26).
A truly inspirational story.