The UEFA Champions League is back on screens this week.
How we’ve missed that awe-inspiring, harmonious and breathtaking Handel-inspired Champions League anthem on our speakers, but we’re so glad its back as we look forward to another year of juicy European ties.
It might have taken two attempts to complete the draw in December but the round of 16 has certainly pulled out some exciting fixtures, with some of Europe’s heavyweights and a few of the most decorated up and coming clubs on the continent go head-to-head.
Other than the usual suspects like Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, who are some of under-the-radar players to look out for?
#AnthonyScouts picks out nine exciting footballers enjoying stellar campaigns, who could make their name on the grandest European stage…
Karim Adeyemi, Red Bull Salzburg
This will be RB Salzburg’s first-ever Champions League knockout tie after negotiating a tricky and exciting group containing Wolfsburg, Sevilla, and Lille.
The Austrians possess a decorated history in bringing through bright, young talent, including Takumi Minamino, Patson Daka, Dominik Szoboszlai, Naby Keita, Sadio Mane and Erling Haaland in recent years.
Though, the current jewel in their crown and arguably Europe’s most exciting young striker is 20-year-old Karim Adeyemi, who has lit up the Austrian Bundesliga so far this season and looks well equipped to become one of Europe’s biggest stars.
Adeyemi is reportedly on the radar of a number of clubs on the continent including Barcelona, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, and he could well be on his way the latter with the German giants reportedly close to securing Adeyemi’s signature for next season.
The Germany international has consummately sharpened his attacking output with an incredible 14 league goals in 18 games for RB Salzburg in 2021-22, eclipsing his return of eight goals and seven assists in his first full season last year. In eight UEFA Champions League games this season, including the early qualifying rounds, Adeyemi has notched 4 goals.
Besides possessing a unique eye for goal, Adeyemi is a stunning player to watch, a flawless young forward, blessed with such searing pace and acceleration, incredible close control and amazing trickery making him an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders. He regularly looks to pull wide and attack the penalty area with his low centre of gravity to make space for a shot.
Two of his three goals in the Champions League have come from the penalty spot and Adeyemi will be eager to add to his tally in Europe. Salzburg have been handed a very tough draw against Bayern Munich but Adeyemi’s incentive to impress on the grandest stage will be heightened by the fact he was released from Bayern’s academy at the age of 10. They are also one of the clubs that have been most heavily linked with a move for him in the summer.
This could well set up to be one of the most captivating headlines of the campaign.
Pedro Gonçalves, Sporting Lisbon
One of Portugal’s hottest prospects and a player certainly on a mission to force his name in the European headlines is Sporting Lisbon’s incredibly gifted forward, Pedro Gonçalves.
The former heir to Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes’ throne at the José Alvalade Stadium, has, incredibly, proven even more prolific for the Portuguese champions than the Manchester United ace.
Gonçalves was an integral figure in helping Sporting win their first Primeira Liga title for 19 years last season, finishing as the league’s top goalscorer with 23 goals from a scarcely believable xG total of 11.6.
Fernandes had a stupendous season in 2018-19 for Sporting, scoring 20 league goals, but Pedro Goncalves outdid him last season.
In doing so, he became the Primeira Liga’s first Portuguese top scorer since Domingos back in 1996.
This goalscoring feat is made all the more impressive given the 23-year-old’s position. Sporting operate in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Goncalves as a hybrid attacking midfielder/forward between the lines — often drifting to the right-hand side. His ability to locate spaces in between the lines and in the half-space is incredible and highlights his wealth of tactical knowledge and super versatility.
His finishing isn’t too bad either, as his phenomenal stats show.
Naturally right-footed, Gonçalves is capable of clinical strikes with his left foot as well, and his great form has continued into this season.
Pedro Gonçalves, nicknamed “Pote” has netted six times in the league so far and added two braces versus Besiktas and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League as Sporting survived defeats in their opening fixtures to qualify for the last 16. He’s also recorded five assists in the league highlighting his wonderful gifts in not only scoring goals, but creating them too.
Gonçalves was previously on the books at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his impressive performances in the Champions League will no doubt have caught the eye of more Premier League sides with a view to bringing him back to England in the very near future.
It could be the perfect audition, given that Sporting play Manchester City in what could potentially be a tasty tie in the round of 16. Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to be strong favourites, but Pote could make life difficult — and maybe make Pep take notice too.
Arnaut Danjuma, Villarreal
When Arnaut Danjuma joined Villarreal from AFC Bournemouth last summer for €25m, little did we know he’d make such a telling impact in Unai Emery’s progressive side so soon.
A few months into his Spanish top-flight career and the recently-made Netherlands international has become one of La Liga’s blossoming individuals so far this season.
After hitting 17 goals and 7 assists in the Sky Bet Championship last season, the former Club Brugge forward was always destined for bigger and better things but many thought he’d make that step up in the Barclays Premier League rather than beyond borders.
With several clubs interested in his services last summer, it was Villarreal who took a punt on his flawless abilities, and its safe to say the 24-year-old hasn’t looked back.
20 appearances, 9 goals (5 in La Liga, 4 in the Champions League), and 3 assists, Danjuma has certainly showed he is good enough and ready to cut it amongst the most elite footballers in Europe. The slippery Dutchman has gone from the Championship to the Champions League without batting an eyelid at the transition.
Danjuma’s trajectory over the past year has been nothing short of sensational, and already he is showing his talents on the most prestigious of footballing stages in the UEFA Champions League.
If you need any pieces of evidence as to how good he is, not only that, but how invaluable he’s become to Unai Emery’s side in short space of time, check out his performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the group stages.
It was simply jaw-dropping, giving full-back Diogo Dalot a torrid evening.
Danjuma may have been one of La Liga’s most expensive transfers this summer, but is currently proving he’s worth every penny spent. The Europa League winners were looking for a player who could help them jump forward to the next level tactically and in attack and Danjuma is keeping his part of the bargain.
Unai Emery’s men are clearly more efficient, potent and exciting on the attack and much of that is down to Danjuma’s unpredictable nature on the left-flank.
Villarreal have a tough fixture against Juventus in the knockout stages, and they will need Danjuma firing on all cylinders after his return from injury to have any chance of causing yet another Emery-European-upset.
Jonathan David, LOSC Lille
Since his move to Lille from Belgium outfit Gent in the summer of 2020, Canadian Jonathan David has come on leaps and bounds, although he did endure a difficult start – going on a run of seven games without a goal.
However, in the second half of last season, his form picked up.
Eleven of his 13 league goals in 2020-21 came after the turn of the year, as Lille done the unthinkable, finishing the campaign as French Ligue 1 champions.
This season, Lille have struggled to maintain their form as they currently sit in mid-table in Ligue 1. However, Jonathan David has continued his tremendous development. He is Ligue 1’s second top scorer with 12 goals from 19 appearances, just two goals behind AS Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder.
In a league including Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, that is a superb feat.
An extraordinary unique forward, blessed with great pace, skill, tenaciousness, trickery and acceleration. The Canadian is tremendously versatile too, capable of playing anywhere in attack; as a no.9, right-winger, left-winger, and a no.10. If fast and speedy players are your type, then Jonathan David is your man.
A player whose game is based on an exciting blend of technique, mental sharpness and tremendous physical attributes.
The Canadian has excelled in his work-rate and off-the-ball attributes. So far this campaign, he is recording 5.39 successful pressures per 90minutes. He is in the top 10 percent of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to pressures off the ball owing to his tremendous energy, enthusiasm and work rate. David has traded off some of that defensive work, and remodeled himself as a poacher in front of goal. A record of 0.48 non-penalty goals per 90 is brilliant and is simply going to get better.
David’s scoring form in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons, and for Canada where he’s been the top CONCACAF scorer in World Cup Qualifying, suggests he could score more goals for any of Europe’s top clubs, and with his name reportedly in the headlines for a number of top European outfits this summer, he could well be on the move.
First he’d have to help Lille navigate through a tough fixture against last season’s European champions Chelsea, and there is no doubt that the young Canadian forward will be central to any potential upset.
Jurrien Timber, Ajax
Ajax’s youth academy has been providing Europe’s biggest clubs with elite talent for decades now and with the likes of Jurrien Timber emerging the trend is not slowing.
There’s been no change in the Ajax philosophy ever since: they invest tremendously in youth, making sure that the players receive the best physical and mental development, and even more importantly, that they are granted the earliest possible trust at the highest level.
Timber is the latest of those entrusted with significant responsibility in the first team, and is thriving as a result.
The youngster earned Erik ten Hag’s trust with his composure and vision as he reads the game well and fits Ajax’s strategy perfectly. His displays granted him a regular starting spot which he hasn’t taken for granted and has used to prove his qualities while becoming one of the team’s key players.
While they have always been successful in attack, this term their defensive performance has been exceptional. At the time of writing, Ajax have only conceded FIVE league goals in 22 games, which is a remarkable record and underlines the importance of their defensive players.
Ten Hag’s side also made history in the Champions League by winning all their games in the group stage, outplaying Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund and Beşiktas.
Ajax are currently the best performing team in Eredivisie, displaying high awareness, composure and consistency. The team’s well-measured actions and anticipation skills result in a high success rate in almost every aspect.
The Ajax players are proficient in winning their challenges clearly, despite actually having the highest challenge intensity (duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession) in the league. They are first in the league in terms of successful actions with 66.9% of won defensive duels on average.
Despite the lack of experience, Jurrien Timber has successfully contributed to Ajax’s unbreachable defence possessing impressive composure in defence which puts him ahead despite his lack of physicality and height. His technique and confidence on the ball allow him to dive into challenges and escape pressure through dribbling which helps the team in retaining possession.
His composure results in winning 76.2% of his defensive duels, which is a better percentile compared to his centre-back partner, Lisandro Martínez (73.5%).
What makes him successful defensively, though, is his positional sense. Timber’s ability to read the game helps him in anticipating the oppositions’ movement and move into spaces so he can pressurise his opponents and block their attacking efforts. He contributes with 13.35 recoveries per game and roughly four of them are in the opposition half.
This underlines his strong positioning and anticipation skills, although it also indicates the whole team strategy, which has the defensive line positioned high in possession.
The key qualities that have led to his valuable contribution are his concentration and work ethic. The 20-year-old is constantly aware of his surroundings and it is difficult to catch him out of position and unprepared. If their opponents Benfica are to triumph in this tie, they will have to do incredibly well to bypass Jurrien Timber and his resilient defensive counterparts.
Ridle Baku, Wolfsburg
Ridle Baku has enjoyed a seismic rise over the past 18 months, swapping relegation-threatened Mainz 05 for Champions League football at the Volkswagen Arena.
At an age where many of his peers are just beginning to take their first steps in the Bundesliga, Baku has already started over 100 topflight Bundesliga matches, won a U21 European Championship, and narrowly missed out on Germany’s Euro 2020 squad.
With summer interest from PSG & Bayern, and Tottenham Hotspur it won’t be long before Baku is tearing up the pitch for Hansi Flick’s national team and competing for silverware at one of Europe’s elite outfits.
The right-sided midfielder, come right-back is an incredibly astute, tactically aware and all-round footballer.
The young right-back was an influential piece in the Germany U21 side that won the European Championship in June and as a result, is already attracting significant interest from clubs around Europe. Baku was named Player of the Match in the U21 final against Portugal and even concluded the tournament with the highest assists (3).
In the 38 appearances Baku made for German side Wolfsburg last term, he recorded an impressive 16 goal involvements, recording 6 goals and 6 assists in the German Bundesliga.
This season, he has continued his fine contribution to Wolfsburg’s goal threat, with two goals and two assist whilst also scoring in the Champions League group stages against RB Salzburg in November.
The 1.76m-tall defender, who can even be deployed as a midfielder, lead the ranking for the Bundesliga with 1,061 sprints last season. This season’s tally may have decreased, but he’s still within the top 10 sprinters in the division with 598 sprints. Few players covered a greater distance last season than him. He was the 10th-best runner with 351 km run on the field.
The 23-year old is always more than willing to make lung-busting runs forward as well as make the hard yards back to rescue a situation defensively.
Baku is highly versatile too having already played in all possible positions on the right-flank for the team. He’d prove a valuable asset for any top outfit in Europe owing to his incredible versatility but also providing his side with the opportunity to be tactically flexible. Wherever he is deployed, Ridle Baku will give his utmost.
With quick changes of direction, a glue-like control, and fluid movement, Ridle Baku is able to wriggle free from any lunging challenges and create the attacking impulses which have made him such a resounding success at the Volkswagen Arena.
The 23-year-old has brought lofty comparisons to Germany and Bayern Munich icon Philipp Lahm, showing what a generational talent Wolfsburg have on their books.
Though Ridle Baku has a long way to go before winning 113 national team caps, and 17 major titles, the intelligence in his positional play is right in line with FC Bayern’s former captain. Whereas Lahm made the switch from rightback to defensive midfield in the latter stages of his career, Baku has undergone the opposite transition, playing primarily as a midfielder for Mainz before operating almost exclusively on the right flank at Wolfsburg.
Just as Lahm was adept at moving inside from right-back or dropping into the wide channels from a midfield role, Baku’s ability to drift into the half-spaces have made him an absolute nightmare for opposition fullbacks. The Under-21 European Championship were perhaps the best example of this. Baku, operating primarily at right midfield in a classic 4-2-3-1, was electric from start to finish, ending the competition with the most goal contributions as Germany lifted the title with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
Baku completed the 5th most crosses of any Bundesliga fullback last season, routinely searching for the head of new Burnley striker Wout Weghorst or providing a driven ball into the run of an advancing midfielder. Whilst he may not be as prolific as either Borna Sosa of Stuttgart or Filip Kostić of Frankfurt, the variety of ways Baku can hurt an opposition defense makes up for his somewhat inconsistent crossing.
Ridle Baku may have only registered 2 assists from the wide right channel this season, but when afforded time and space he is more than capable of finding his target.
Nuno Mendes, Paris Saint-Germain
Nuno Mendes has been getting rave reviews since making the move from Lisbon to Paris last summer as PSG’s new left-back.
At just 19 years old, Mendes has adapted well from a wing-back role in a 4-3-2-1 at Sporting Lisbon to a full-back role within PSG’s 4-3-3, but his skill set remains unchanged.
The Portugal international has made 15 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in Ligue 1 this season, alongside his six appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Touted as one of the finest talents of his position on the continent, Nuno Mendes is certainly on his way to world-wide stardom.
Last season at Sporting, Mendes cemented his status as the finest left-back in Portugal thanks to a deadly combination of speed, explosive movement, and close control which allows him to create danger either from a standing start or whilst on the counter-attack.
Apart from his dribbling, Mendes boasts an excellent crossing ability whether tightly marked or open in space, and his physical prowess allows him to beat out opponents to the ball either with his speed or strength.
Despite boasting such incredible speed and strength through his lambasting runs, he’s only successfully completed 0.88 dribbles per90 so far this season, but that will only increase with more playing time and development. However, he is relatively still creative with his contributions in attack, averaging 0.98 key passes, and 3.43 final third passes per90 whilst also possessing 2.64 shot-creating actions per90. He’s al an adept defender, boasting a SmarterScout defending intensity rating of 95 out of 99.
Given his speed and imposing size, he is able to recover well whenever he might be slightly out of position, frequently nicking the ball away from the opponent and often blocking crosses into the box. He averages a very good 4.12 tackles + interceptions reading per 90 minutes. For ball recoveries and interceptions, he is rated by SmarterScout 97 out of 99.
His 3.3 dribbles attempted per 90 put him in the top 10 per cent for full-backs in Ligue 1 this season, and he can be crucial in opening up space for his team-mates to exploit.
Mendes is still in the category of a raw and unpolished talent but he has all the materials and skills required to be one of the leading left-backs in world football. The pace of Mendes and Kylian Mbappe down PSG’s left-hand side is enough to give any opponent nightmares, even their knockout opponents Real Madrid. Be prepared for an enthralling tie.
Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid
It’s completely safe to say, Vinicius Jr is enjoying his best season in a Real Madrid shirt.
His 12 league goals are bettered only by team-mate Karim Benzema, with the pair contributing to a high proportion of his team’s attacking output this season as Los Blancos lead the way in La Liga, by four points.
Vinicius’ turnaround and maturity in his decision-making and all-round game over the past year or so has been nothing short of phenomenal. In 2020/21, he underperformed xG by a remarkable 3.82. For context, that’s twice as bad as anyone else in the Real Madrid squad. In 2021/22, he’s overperforming by 3.1 xG, a figure more than twice as good as anyone else, excluding Karim Benzema.
Benzema-dependencia, as the Spanish media like to call Real Madrid’s reliance on Karim Benzema for goals, well that phrase has been thrown out the window as a result of Vinicius Jr’s sudden purple patch. Now, Karim Benzema who didn’t approve of the Brazilian over a year ago, simply cannot perform without him.
While its a testament and credit to the 21-year-old, the credit must also be given to Carlo Ancelotti who has totally unleashed the Brazilian with undying belief and faith in his abilities.
He is a double threat from the left wing, scoring goals as well as creating them (8 assists so far this campaign) — largely owing to his direct play when the ball is at his feet. No player in La Liga can top his rate of 7.3 attempted dribbles per 90 this season, and goes to show how often he looks to commit defenders which can open up space for others, such as Benzema.
In this season’s Champions League, Vinicius’s 18 chances created in open play is more than any other player in the competition, as he frequently drives into dangerous areas to pull a pass back for an oncoming team-mate.
Vinicius is no longer that naïve, overconfident and inexperienced raw talent that arrived through the Real Madrid doors in 2018. He’s now more an assured, mature and decorated performer, still possessing bags of potential to become even greater and that spells such great news for Real Madrid, a healthy return on their risky investment.
Vinicius has shown this season whatever the situation, he can and will create – whether it be scoring or assisting, he is quickly becoming a central protagonist within Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Real Madrid’s upcoming blockbuster clash with PSG is arguably the pick of the last-16 matches. Having won the competition in three successive seasons from 2016-2018, Real have gone out of the Champions League at this stage twice in the last three seasons.
If they are to correct that slide, they will need Vinicius Jr at his flawless best as he’ll be coming up against the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria and Messi. Pick your poison.
Antony, Ajax
Already an Olympic gold medalist, Antony has enjoyed a spectacularly successful rookie season at Ajax. The Brazilian right-winger is known for his rapid dribbling, amazing ball-trickery as well as his unique eye for goal.
The fact that Ajax have two talents on this list once again highlights their incredibly bright youthful roster, and a potential prediction that they could yet again take the UEFA Champions League by storm like they did in the 2018/19 campaign.
Whilst Sebastien Haller has been the pick of a talented bunch, Brazilian wing-wizard has arguably stolen the spotlight through his showstopping performances for Ajax in this year’s Champions League.
The 21-year-old has recorded 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 games, possessing a phenomenal xA average of 2.0 placing him the top 6 of players throughout the competition. The Brazilian also ranks first in the Champions League for goal-creating actions (9) and goal-creating actions per90 (2.06). He also ranks sixth for progressive carries (52).
The Brazilian is an inventive and intelligent player. With nine goals and eight assists in his first 1,200 Eredivisie minutes, there is unlikely to be a better rookie in the Dutch top-flight this season. Antony has taken to life excellently at Ajax, and has his gifted and mastery left foot to thank.
Much of the time, Antony enjoys hanging wide on the right so he can gain momentum after picking up the ball by driving inwards. His acceleration from a standing start is explosive; his elite balance and lower body strength allows him to remain on his feet even under heavy pressure – he is a worker with great endeavour, the type of player to clean up his own mess.
In Brazil, Antony relied more on ingenuity to create his moments, and there is still an element of that to his game. Now though, after just a matter of nearly a couple years in Europe, he plays with a calculating maturity and sensibility, while retaining that endearing unpredictable streak.
As with most Ajax players under the age of 25, the Johan Cruijff Arena will not be the last stop on the Antony Express. Slotting into elite European competition without skipping a beat is a sure-fire way of alerting Europe’s financially well-endowed sporting directors.
Who knows, some more scintilating performances in the knockout rounds will certainly push him closer to one of Europe’s elite clubs, probably this coming summer. The continent is certainly Antony’s oyster.
Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan
Italy is without doubt the home of defending. The list of renowned defenders from Bel Paese is endless. Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Gaetano Scirea, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta are just some of the legendary names that have represented Gli Azzurri.
As a new generation approaches for Italian football, their next great defender seems to already be turning heads across the continent.
Alessandro Bastoni was born in the small town of Casalmaggiore, Lombardy. At the age of seven, he joined Atalanta’s renowned youth sides. The young defender made waves at the Bergamo club, eventually earning himself a €31million move to one of Italy’s biggest clubs; Inter Milan.
After spending spells on loan to both Atalanta & Parma, Bastoni has now finally secured his place in the starting XI for the Nerazzurri. Currently touted as one of best defensive talents of this generation, Bastoni has immersed himself as one of Inter Milan’s most prominent figures for Antonio Conte in the title winning side last season, and for current manager Simone Inzaghi.
Bastoni’s defensive statistics aren’t spectacular, but they are exactly what you’d expect and want from a CB at a top club. He ranked 6th overall amongst Serie A defenders when defending vs. the dribble.
This season, he continues to impress within a well-rounded, cohesive and organised system in Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 shape, a continuation of Conte’s title-winning formula last season. Batoni averages 3.10 tackles + interceptions per90, an improvement from last season (2.49), 2.93 clearances per90, 1.30 blocks per90 and wins an outstanding 67.8% of his aerial duels owing to relatively tall, lean and imposing frame.
Alessandro Bastoni’s defensive ability is incredible for his age. Inter Milan have kept the 2nd most clean sheets (10) and have conceded the second least goals (20) in Serie A this season. Bastoni has been a key part of that defence, playing in 21 of their 25 of league games.
One of the areas that the Italian thrives is on the ball. Bastoni has long been regarded as one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the division. He completes 4.62 passes into the final third per 90 – amongst the best for defenders in the league. He is not only progressive on the ball, he’s very secure with it too. He has completed 93.6% of passes this season so far. Bastoni is not someone who shies away from the ball either, averaging the third most touches of Inter’s starting XI per 90 (79.7).
The Italian is clearly an incredible young defender, anybody who has watched Inter Milan this season will know this. With a tough fixture against Liverpool to come, Inter will need their stunning young centre-back in his best form if they are to stop the likes of Diogo Jota, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane from wrecking havoc.
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