Julian Alvarez snubbed for UEFA player of the week
By Hidayah Ali
With Matchday one of the UEFA Champions League completed, the nominees for Player of the Week have been announced, and despite his game-changing performance on Tuesday night, Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez has not been selected for the award.
Manchester City had a difficult first half against Red Star Belgrade, who went into the break with a 1-0 lead, but it was Julian Alvarez who put City into the lead after scoring two goals in less than 15 minutes. Then Rodri finalized the win for his team, scoring City’s third and final goal of the game.
Alvarez had a total of eight shots throughout the 90 minutes, and as we know, two of those were the goals that changed City’s fortune. Not to mention the second goal that came from a direct free-kick taken by the Argentine.
Certain fans were disappointed not to see Alvarez’s name on the chosen list, which included:
- Joao Felix ( Barcelona )
- Jude Bellingham ( Real Madrid )
- Galeno ( Porto )
- Odegaard ( Arsenal )
And while many believe Alvarez deserved a place on this list, it’s also to be noted that Rodri, player of the match, has also not been selected for any of the credentials for this week.
But maybe Rodri is happy enough with the high praises from his manager Pep, who said, ” He is the best ( Rodri ). He is an extraordinary holding midfielder.”
No doubts about that, I’m sure, as many would definitely agree that Rodri is one of the best in his position right now.
As things stand, it looks as Barcelona’s Joao Felix will win this sward for MD1, after his performance against Royal Antwerp on Tuesday, with Jude Bellingham being the closest other choice.
Manchester City ended Matchday One of the UCL with three points on second spot, with RB Leipzig on first. They will both meet each other on the 4th, October.
Next for Man City, Rodri, and Julian Alvarez is Nottingham Forest this coming Saturday.