Champions League awards: Raya’s reflexes, Zeno De-blast!

The Champions League returned in the first round of its new format this week and UEFA’s premier club competition rarely disappoints.

Our Champions League awards honour the best and worst of the midweek football.

Moment of the Week

Good goalkeepers are worth their weight in gold. David Raya might just be worth even more than that to Arsenal right now.

The Spanish shot-stopper has started the Premier League season in fine form with Save of the Season contenders against Wolves and Aston Villa before we’ve even reached October. Raya trumped both of those on the Champions League’s opening night with an extraordinary double stop from Mateo Retegui.

The first stop from the Atalanta striker’s penalty was impressive enough, the second from the rebound was out of this world.

Raya had just a 3% chance of saving the second effort according to xG metrics. We don’t need to award a Save of the Week, this one is already wrapped up.

Player of the Week

Antoine Griezmann remains ridiculously good.

The 33-year-old’s excellence for Atletico Madrid continues to be under-appreciated but Griezmann, without doubt, has been one of the best players of his generation. Still going strong into his thirties, he was the catalyst for Atletico’s comeback win against RB Leipzig.

A brilliant equaliser and late assist, each with his weaker foot, were the highlights of a performance that saw the Frenchman complete 100% of his long balls (3/3), win 6/7 duels in the ground and air, make eight ball recoveries and create three chances.

Goal of the Week

Brilliant goals were not in short supply on Matchday One but there’s only one winner for this accolade.

Zeno Debast was a surprise scorer for Sporting Lisbon in their 2-0 win over Lille, as the centre-back opened his account from the club in spectacular fashion.

Hits don’t come much sweeter than this one.

Assist of the Week

Had Zebast’s blast not taken the Goal of the Week award, this effort from Bayern Munich might just have earned it.

A wonderful team move saw Raphaël Guerreiro lash home a sweet effort, though the assist was every bit as special.

Jamal Musiala’s awareness and technique to cushion the ball into Guerreiro’s path was outstanding.

Stat of the Week

Has there ever been a more perfect stat?

Tweet of the Week

The Champions League is the pinnacle for footballers.

This week, some did not need reminding about how far they’ve come.

Donkey of the Week

Girona’s debut in the Champions League appeared to be going well as the Spanish side frustrated Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG had lost just one of their previous 36 group games at the Parc des Princes in this competition and a goalless draw looked like a fine result for the debutants. That was until Paulo Gazzaniga’s awful error handed the home side all three points. There appeared little danger when Nuno Mendes fired in a low cross towards the goalkeeper, but his howler diverted the ball into the net for a late PSG winner. Heartbreak for Girona.

Read – Four of the best Champions League four-goal hauls

See more – Every player to score four goals in a Champions League game

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