Introduction

In this week’s special edition of Arepa Football, readers will have the choice of picking who they think have been the best players in this first half of the European football season. Readers will choose between candidates for each position. For each player, we will have access to some their stats up until this point of the Champions league, and the players chosen in my own ideal line up. This special edition will help us know more about individual players, how important they are to their respective teams, and finally who is the team with the highest amount of players in the all star line up. All stats, and selections have been sourced from official competition websites.

The Champions League’s All star group stage line-up

GK (Goalkeeper) 

• Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) –

Matches Played  (4)  Saves  (13) Claims (13) Punches (2) Goals Conceded (2) Clean Sheets (3)

• Ederson (Manchester City) –

Matches Played (4) Saves (6) Claims (8) Punches (0)Goals Conceded (3) Clean Sheets (2)

• Roman Burki (Borussia Dortmund)

Matches Played (3) Saves (15) Claims (12) Punches (2)Goals Conceded (2)  Clean Sheets (3)

RB (Right-Back) 

• Kyle Walker (Manchester City)-

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (11) Tackles (1) Clearances (2) Blocks (0) Passing Accuracy (91%) Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

• Thomas Meunier (PSG) –

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (18) Tackles (2) Clearances (6) Blocks (1) Passing Accuracy (79%) Goals (1) Yellow Cards (1)        Red Cards (0)

• Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Matches Played (4) Balls Recover (19) Tackles (7) Clearances (14) Blocks (1) Passing Accuracy (88%) Yellow Cards (0) Red Cards (0)

CB (Center-Back)

• Gerard Pique (FC Barcelona)

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (22) Tackles (5) Clearances (8) Blocks (3) Passing Accuracy (90%) Yellow Cards (0) Red Cards (0)

• Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City) –

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (23) Tackles (3) Clearances (11) Blocks (3) Passing Accuracy (92%) Goals (1) Yellow Cards (0)         Red Cards (0)

• Matt Hummels (Bayern Munich)

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (29) Tackles (6) Clearances (14) Blocks (2) Passing accuracy (90%) Goals (1) Yellow card (0)           Red Card (0)

CB (Center-Back) 

• Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) –

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (21) Tackles (3) Clearances (6) Blocks (0) Passing Accuracy (84%) Yellow Card (0) Red Card (0)

• Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)-

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (23) Tackles (3) Clearances (6) Blocks (8)  Passing Accuracy (92%) Yellow Cards (0) Red Cards (0)

• Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (22) Tackles (0) Clearances (20) Blocks (2) Passing Accuracy (89%)  Yellow Card (0) Red Cards (0)

LB (Left-Back)

• Jordi Alba (FC Barcelona)

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (26) Tackles (3) Clearances (7) Blocks (1) Passing Accuracy (88%) Goals (1) Yellow Cards (0)        Red Cards (0)

• Alex Sandro (Juventus) –

Matches Played (4) Balls Recovered (14) Tackles (4) Clearances (6) Blocks (0) Passing Accuracy (87%) Yellow Card (2) Red Card (0)

RM (Right-Midfielder)

• Ivan Rakitic (FC Barcelona) –

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 333/364 (91%) Assists (2) Distance Covered (42 km) Tackles (2) Balls Recovered (25) Goals (1) Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

• Toni Kross (Real Madrid)

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 414/439 (94%)  Assists (1) Distance Covered (43.7 km) Tackles (0) Balls Recovered (20)      Goals (1) Yellow Card (1) Red Card (0)

CDM (Central Defensive Midfielder)

• Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona) 

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 336/349 (96%) Assists (0) Distance Covered (42 km) Tackles (7) Balls Recovered (26) Goals (0) Yellow Card (1) Red Cards (0)

• Axel Witsel (Borussia Dortmund)

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 296/314 (94%) Assists (0) Distance Covered (44 km) Tackles (1) Balls Recovered (19)          Goals (1) Yellow Card (0) Red Card (0)

LM (Left-Midfielder)

• David Silva (Manchester City) –

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 211/249 (84%) Assists (0) Distance Covered (43.5 km) Tackles (2) Balls Recovered (14)      Goals (3) Yellow Cards (0) Red Cards (0)

• Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)

Matches Played (4) Passing Accuracy 126/160 (76%) Assists (1) Distance Covered (44.8 km) Tackles (3) Balls Recovered (15)      Goals (1) Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

RW (Right-Winger)

• Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) –

Matches played (2) Attempts (12) Passing Accuracy 128/148 (86%) Assists (0) Top Speed (30 km/h) Goals (5) Yellow Cards (0)              Red Cards (0)

• Paulo Dybala (Juventus) –

Matches Played (3) Attempts (11) Passing Accuracy (88%) Assists (0) Goals (4) Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

• Kylian Mbappe (PSG)-

Matches Played (4) Attempts (12) Passing Accuracy (74%) Assists (2) Top Speed (32km/h) Goals (2)  Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

ST (Striker)

• Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Matches Played (4) Attempts (17) Passing Accuracy (79%) Assists (0) Matches Played (29 km/h) Goals (4) Yellow card (1) Red Cards (0)

• Edin Dzeko (ROMA)

Matches Played (4) Attempts (20) Passing Accuracy (71%) Assits (2) Top Speed (29 km/h) Goals (5) Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

• Antoinne Griezzman (Atletico Madrid)

Matches Played (4) Attempts (9) Passing Accuracy (76%) Assists (1) Top Speed (29 km/h) Goals (3) Yellow card (0) Red card (0)

LW (Left-Winger) 

• Neymar JR (PSG)

Matches Played (4) Attempts (15) Passing Accuracy (78%) Assists (0) Top Speed (31 km/h) Goals (3)  Yellow Cards (1) Red Cards (0)

• Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

Matches Played (4) Attempts (12) Passing Accuracy (79%) Assists (0) Top Speed (29 km/h) Goals (3) Yellow Cards (0) Red Cards (0)

• Philippe Coutinho (FC Barcelona) –

Matches Played (4) Attempts (17) Passing Accuracy (90%) Assists (2) Top Speed (29 km/h) Goals (1) Yellow Cards (0) Red Car (0)

My Team

Goalkeeper:

• Roman Burki (Borussia Dortmund)

Defense

RB: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

CB: Gerard Pique (FCBarcelona)

CB: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)

LB: Jordi Alba (FCBarcelona)

Midfield

RM: Toni Kross (Real Madrid)

CDM: Sergio Busquets (FCBarcelona)

LM: David Silva (Manchester City)

Forwards

RW: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

ST: Harry Kane (Tottenham)

LW: Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)