Spanish Stars Shine in UEFA Team of the Week
UEFA’s first “Team of the Week” of the 2026/27 Champions League season has dropped, and it carries a distinctly Spanish accent.
Three Spaniards make the XI, all off the back of commanding opening-night displays: Marc Bartra for Betis, Pau Torres for Aston Villa and Ferran Torres for Paris Saint-Germain. They are joined by Barcelona’s captain Raphinha and Real Madrid’s returning giant in goal, Thibaut Courtois, to give La Liga and Spanish football a powerful early footprint in the competition.
Courtois back under the lights
At the back, UEFA’s Technical Observers Group could hardly overlook Courtois. The Real Madrid goalkeeper produced seven saves from eight shots in the win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu, a performance that felt like a familiar script. Inter probed, found gaps, thought they had their moment. Courtois closed the door.
His selection anchors a back line that mixes old know-how and new faces: Sergiño Dest (PSV), Bartra (Betis), Pau Torres (Aston Villa) and Archie Brown (Fenerbahçe). On this first European midweek of the season, it was the two Spanish centre-backs who stole the defensive headlines.
Bartra, described in UEFA’s report as Betis’ “defensive leader”, dominated Lille in both boxes. He showed “tactical maturity and dominance in the air”, capping his night with two headed goals to mark Betis’ return to the Champions League with a statement victory in France. A veteran of these nights, he played like one.
On the other side of Europe, Pau Torres turned Aston Villa’s opener against Club Brugge into his own showcase. UEFA highlighted that he “had a significant impact at both ends of the pitch”, racking up eight clearances — the most in the match — in his own area. Then he flipped the script, stepping into creator mode with four chances fashioned and two assists delivered to drive Villa to a winning start.
Odegaard pulls strings, new names emerge
In midfield, the creative axis belongs to Martin Ødegaard of Arsenal and Martin Baturina of Como. Ødegaard’s presence in a Champions League team of the week already feels routine; Baturina’s inclusion signals a new name to track as the group stage unfolds. Between them, they provide the platform for a front line loaded with pace, movement and ruthless finishing.
Michael Olisé (Bayern), Ferran Torres (PSG), Raphinha (Barcelona) and Ermedin Demirovic (Stuttgart) form an attacking quartet that shredded defences across the continent on matchday one.
Raphinha leads by example
At Montjuïc, Raphinha wore the armband and played like a captain who understood the weight of the night. Against Feyenoord, in a 5-1 win, he “led the press with impressive intensity”, repeatedly driving Barcelona up the pitch with his work off the ball. He darted in behind, drifted between the lines, and then applied the finish: two “magnificent goals” to complete a complete performance, in UEFA’s words.
Barcelona needed a leader for the new campaign. Raphinha delivered one, in boots and in attitude.
Ferran’s perfect start in Paris
While Raphinha lit up Barcelona’s evening, Ferran Torres set his new club alight. Wearing PSG colours in the Champions League for the first time, he produced his first hat-trick for the French champions against Slovan Bratislava.
UEFA’s report underlined more than just the goals. Ferran “scored his first hat-trick with his new club, PSG, against Slovan Bratislava, drawing attention not only for his reactions in front of goal, but also for his excellent movement, which allowed him to be in the right place at the right time.” It was the kind of performance that changes how a fanbase sees a forward: not just a finisher, but a constant, intelligent threat.
From Courtois’ wall-like return to Bartra’s aerial dominance, from Pau Torres’ two-way masterclass to Raphinha and Ferran’s cutting edge, Spain’s leading lights have stamped their authority on the opening week.
If this is how they begin the 2026/27 Champions League, the real question is how far these performances can carry their clubs when the pressure really bites in spring.
