Champions League GW8 Team of the Week: Lamine Yamal, Virgil van Dijk, Malik Tillman

A pulsating Champions League league stage has come to a close, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City finishing in the top eight to secure a spot in the round of 16.

Real Madrid just missed out, finishing ninth, while the reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain were 11th and must also navigate their way through a two-legged knockout round playoff.

Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are also among those in the playoffs, while Marseille and Napoli are the standout names to be eliminated from the tournament.

Here, Sports Mole selects its Champions League Team of the Week for the eighth gameweek of the 2025-26 season, with the focus now switching to the knockout round playoff ties.

Goalkeeper: Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica)

THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE ?

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scores a 98th minute goal to keep Jose Mourinho's Benfica in the competition ?

? @tntsports & @discoveryplus pic.twitter.com/Vqtndh565T
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

Any goalkeeper that scores in the Champions League has to make this team; Trubin came up with one of the most spectacular moments in the history of the competition when he headed a late fourth for Benfica against Real Madrid to secure a playoff spot for the Portuguese club.

Right-back: Felipe (Pafos FC)

Pafos have just missed out on the playoffs, but the Cypriot outfit ended their league stage with a stunning 4-1 win over Slavia Prague; Felipe was in brilliant form, scoring in an excellent overall performance, and there had to be a spot in the XI for the defender.

Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk is the first centre-back in Champions League history to provide a hat-trick of assists in a single match ? pic.twitter.com/NGV4Nyj95u
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

Van Dijk came up with a trio of assists as Liverpool beat Qarabag FK 6-0 at Anfield. It would be fair to say that the centre-back has been short of his best this season, but he was in excellent form as Liverpool produced an excellent performance in the competition.

Centre-back: Denis Zakaria (Monaco)

Zakaria was brilliant as a centre-back in Monaco's goalless draw with Juventus, making four tackles, while he finished with a pass success rate of 96% during an excellent performance.

Left-back: Maxi Araujo (Sporting Lisbon)

Araujo was another standout performer, with the defender helping Sporting to record a 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao; the defender provided an assist, while he made six tackles and finished with a pass success rate of 92% to help his side finish seventh in the table.

Central midfield: Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica)

Schjelderup put in a seriously eye-catching performance to help Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2, with the attacker scoring twice, and he could have had a couple more, with Los Blancos finding it difficult to deal with the 21-year-old.

Central midfield: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

Mac Allister has found it difficult to show his best form for Liverpool this season, but the Argentina international was excellent in his side's win over Qarabag, scoring twice from midfield, while he finished with a pass success rate of 91%.

Central midfield: Aleksandar Stankovic (Club Brugge)

Club Brugge have finished 19th to claim a playoff spot, and Stankovic was excellent in his side's 3-0 win over Marseille, scoring once and providing two assists during a dominant performance.

⭐️ STAR PERFORMER OF THE WEEK ⭐️

Right wing: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Lamine Yamal turns it around for Barcelona ?

? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/KmHxVy2hnQ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 28, 2026

Yamal was at it again for Barcelona on Wednesday night, inspiring his side to a comeback win over Copenhagen; the Spain international scored once and provided one assist, while he completed six dribbles and had seven shots in total during a sensational performance.

Centre-forward: Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica)

Pavlidis was another key contributor for Benfica on Wednesday night, with the striker scoring once and providing two assists in his side's 4-2 success over Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappe also scored twice for the Spanish giants, but the France international misses out to an opponent here.

Left wing: Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)

Tillman was at his best in Leverkusen's 3-0 win over Villarreal, coming up with a brace for the German outfit, who have finished 16th to make the playoffs; the 23-year-old was so dangerous in the final third, while he used the ball impressively, finishing with a pass success rate of 87%.

SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK

Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (4-3-3): Trubin; Felipe, Van Dijk, Zakaria, Araujo; Schjelderup, Stankovic, Mac Allister; Yamal, Pavlidis, Tillman