Champions League Team of the Week: Courtois and Spanish Steel Shine
UEFA’s first Champions League team of the week for the 2026/27 season has landed, and it already tells a story. One round in, the competition has its early standard-bearers: a towering goalkeeper back to his best, Spanish defenders owning both boxes, and forwards announcing themselves with ruthless intent.
Courtois back on the big stage
At the heart of it stands Thibaut Courtois. The Real Madrid goalkeeper, so often decisive on Champions League nights, earns his place after a commanding display in the win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu. He faced eight shots, saved seven of them, and turned what could have been a complicated opener into a statement victory.
It was classic Courtois: strong hands, sharp positioning, and an authority that spread through the back line. On a week when several keepers impressed, he shut the door when it mattered.
A back line with Spanish steel
In front of him, the defensive line is an intriguing mix of profiles and leagues, but it leans heavily on Spanish composure and personality.
Sergiño Dest (PSV) and Archie Brown (Fenerbahçe) take the full-back spots, but the headlines belong to the central pairing: Marc Bartra of Betis and Pau Torres of Aston Villa.
Bartra, described in UEFA’s report as Betis’ “defensive leader,” produced the kind of all-round performance that defines European nights. He showed tactical maturity, dominated in the air, and, crucially, scored twice with his head. Two goals from a centre-back, away to Lille, to mark Betis’ return to the Champions League with a victory — that is how you grab attention in week one.
Pau Torres, meanwhile, turned Aston Villa’s opener against Club Brugge into a personal showcase at both ends of the pitch. At the back, he made eight clearances, the most in the match, constantly repelling danger in his own area. Higher up the field, he created four chances and delivered two assists, a remarkable attacking contribution for a central defender. Villa prevailed, and Torres left the pitch as one of the decisive figures of the entire matchday.
Odegaard pulls the strings, Baturina joins the stage
The midfield pairing speaks to the blend of established class and rising talent that defines this competition.
Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal’s conductor, slots naturally into the creative area. His inclusion underlines his growing status as one of Europe’s most reliable playmakers on big occasions, dictating rhythm and supplying the forwards with precision.
Alongside him, Martin Baturina of Como offers a different kind of intrigue. The young Croatian midfielder steps into the spotlight with this selection, his creativity and influence catching the eye of UEFA’s Technical Observers Group. For a club like Como, his presence in this XI is a powerful signal that they have a genuine talent on their hands.
Attackers make their mark
Up front, the front four is pure firepower and flair: Michael Olisé (Bayern), Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain), Raphinha (Barcelona) and Ermedin Demirovic (Stuttgart).
Raphinha, now Barcelona’s captain, delivered the kind of performance that defines a leader. Against Feyenoord in a 5-1 win, he drove the press with intensity, constantly harrying from the front. He darted in behind to stretch the defence, drifted between the lines to knit attacks together, and crowned it all with two “magnificent goals,” as UEFA’s report put it. This was not just a good outing; it was a captain’s display on a European night.
On the opposite flank of the narrative, Ferran Torres announced himself in Paris in emphatic style. The PSG forward scored his first hat-trick for the club against Slovan Bratislava. His finishing drew the headlines, but UEFA’s observers also highlighted his movement — always peeling into space, always arriving in the right area at the right moment. It was the performance of a forward who understands the geometry of the box and the timing of the Champions League stage.
Michael Olisé, now in Bayern colours, adds invention and unpredictability from wide areas, while Ermedin Demirovic’s presence up front for Stuttgart underlines his impact as a focal point and finisher. Their inclusion rounds out an attacking unit built to hurt opponents in multiple ways.
Spanish influence, continental spread
Three Spaniards — Bartra, Pau Torres and Ferran Torres — plus Raphinha of Barcelona and Courtois of Real Madrid give this first team of the week a strong Iberian flavour. Yet the XI stretches across Europe: Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern, Arsenal, Betis, Aston Villa, PSV, Fenerbahçe, Stuttgart and Como all represented.
One matchday into the 2026/27 Champions League, the message is already clear. Big names are delivering, new faces are breaking through, and Spain’s core of European specialists remains very much alive. The question now is who can stay in this company when the lights come back on for matchday two.
