Champions League superlatives: Jude Bellingham shines, Kylian Mbappe disappoints, Manchester United clownish

There may be one more game to go in this season’s UEFA Champions League, but before Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid kick off at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, there is plenty to celebrate after an entertaining campaign.

The finalists will naturally have memorable stories from this season’s action, but they are far from the only ones to provide unforgettable moments over the past few months. The 2023-24 campaign represented, in some ways, a changing of the guard, as younger players filled the gaps left by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after leaving Europe in search of opportunities abroad, while some clubs wrote new chapters as they fought among Europe’s best.

It wasn’t always good news: Manchester United and Barcelona will want to forget several moments from their Champions League journeys, while Kylian Mbappe could perform better in next season’s competition.

The end of the season deserves reflection, and you know what that means: a series of superlatives to celebrate the best and worst moments of the campaign.

Emerging star: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid

Let’s get one easy thing out of the way: Jude Bellingham has gone from a rising talent to one of the sport’s new stars this season, leaving everyone talking about his prospects heading into the final. The 20-year-old has also managed to demonstrate impressive range, starting his Real Madrid career with three goals and four assists, but delivering equally impactful performances as he transitions into a deeper role. He also scored in style, demonstrating potential to entertain for years to come.

Honorable mention: Warren Zaire-Emery, Paris Saint-Germain

Most disappointing season: Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain

With the lingering question of Mbappé’s future hanging over them, this has been a strange season for Paris Saint-Germain by all accounts. The French champions were admirably able to project optimism by promoting several young players and finding a way to play without Mbappe, which was increasingly important considering he has not played a major role in their success this season. He scored eight goals, three of which came on penalties, but was absent on several occasions, including during the epic quarter-final triumph over Barcelona. The good news for Mbappé is that he will have plenty of chances to redeem himself in the coming years, but he didn’t seize the chance to become the Messi or Ronaldo of his generation this season.

Dishonorable mention: Andre Onana, Manchester United

Cinderella Story: Borussia Dortmund

This is another easy answer, as Dortmund’s trip to Wembley was far from predictable. However, they quietly emerged as giant killers – topping a group with PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle and then beating PSG again in the semi-finals without conceding a single goal in that tie. This reflects their strong defensive efforts, as they have had the most clean sheets of any team in this season’s competition. Their attack also deserves praise: Marcel Sabitzer leads the Champions League with five assists this season, while Julian Brandt is in the competition’s top five for chances created with 24. The lesson for his run, win or lose on Saturday: underestimate them at your own risk.

Honorable mention: Copenhagen

Class clown: Manchester United

Few teams were as entertaining as Manchester United in the group stage, but for all the wrong reasons. Despite being placed in a favorable group that included Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Copenhagen, they achieved just one win in six and finished last. The chaos started early, with a 4-3 defeat to Bayern when Andre Onana blamed himself for errors in two goals, and things never improved. They scored 12 goals but conceded 15 along the way, and even received a red card when Marcus Rashford was sent off in the 4-3 defeat in Copenhagen. It was just the start of an extremely poor season that will likely end with Erik ten Hag being sacked.

Dishonorable mention: Seville

Best game: Real Madrid 3, Manchester City 3

The important quarter-final clash lived up to the first-leg draw between the two favorites to win the competition. Bernardo Silva scored just after two minutes, but Real Madrid were leading 2-1 after 14 minutes, thanks to an own goal from Ruben Dias and a shot from Rodrygo. The teams did not take their foot off the accelerator in the second half with three more goals, including Josko Gvardiol’s goal in the 71st minute, one of several goals that can be considered one of the best in this season’s competition.

Honorable mention: Borussia Dortmund 4, Atlético de Madrid 2

Best goal: Ivan Provedel, Lazio x Atlético de Madrid

This vote is, in part, an attempt to spread the wealth between this season’s participating teams, but Ivan Provedel’s goal on matchday one is worth it. He became only the second goalkeeper to score from open play in Champions League history, scoring with the last touch of the game to rescue a point for Lazio in their 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid. It was also a perfect set piece – Luis Alberto’s stellar cross allowed Provedel to lightly head the ball straight into the back of the net.

Honorable mention: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid x Napoli

Comeback story: Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund

After being chewed up and spat out by the Premier League, Jadon Sancho returned to Dortmund in a much-needed transfer that paid off. He started each of Dortmund’s six Champions League qualifying matches, scoring once and putting in some great performances, including completing 12 appearances in the 1-0 victory over PSG in the first leg of the semi-finals. Sancho was reminded why he was such a promising talent several years ago and may be able to put that chapter at United behind him.

Honorable mention: Joselu, Real Madrid

High hopes for next year: Arsenal

Between Arsenal’s recent attempts to win the Premier League title and their work in Europe, there are signs of promise at the Emirates Stadium. His new reputation as a defensive juggernaut was evident in Europe, recording the third best defensive record with 0.77 goals conceded per game and reaching the quarter-finals. However, there is still room for improvement: a group stage defeat to Lens proved they were not infallible and an elimination by Bayern’s weakest team in years demonstrated the progress they need to make. The optimism at the Emirates Stadium, however, probably means that big things are expected from Mikel Arteta and co next season. Anything less than that could put them in the next category, and speaking of which…

Honorable mention: Bayer Leverkusen

Low hopes for next season: Bayern Munich

The shine may have dimmed at Bayern, but few expected it to disappear completely after their first trophyless season in more than a decade. Their European campaign was at times a silver lining during an otherwise cloudy campaign, but they ran out of fuel in the semi-finals against Real Madrid and the team’s only redeeming quality was Harry Kane’s eight-goal Champions League season. There will be big challenges for Bayern next season under the leadership of Vincent Kompany, who many still have doubts about as a manager after guiding Burnley to 19th place in the Premier League. It’s difficult to guess where Bayern will end up in next season’s competition, so perhaps it’s time not to expect too much from them until further notice.

Dishonorable mention: Barcelona

Lifetime Achievement Award: Toni Kroos, Real Madrid

It’s not unheard of for a 34-year-old to retire, but Toni Kroos hasn’t missed a beat in his final season as a professional and looks far from a fading star. He played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s success this season, just as he has over the last decade, ranking in the top three for players who have played over 500 minutes with a passing accuracy of 95.1% and created 20 chances along the way. . He also provided the assist for Vinicius Junior’s goal in the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the first leg of the semi-finals, producing a near-perfect game in the process. Win or lose, he will be remembered as someone emblematic of Real Madrid’s recent success and many expect him to go out on a high.

Honorable mention: Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid