Top players to watch out for in UCL 2021-22

The UEFA Champions League season 2021-22 is now underway. As usual, 32 teams composed of the continent's top talent will compete for a spot in the showpiece final on May 28, 2022. The final will be held at the Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg.

Here are seven players to keep an eye on in the 2021/22 season. To give others a chance, we've left out the obvious selections of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. 

Meanwhile, you can check out top expert picks for the upcoming Champions League matches, including matches involving the players named below.

Robert Lewandowski

This season, the FIFA Men's Best Player award winner for 2019-20 will once again lead the Bavarian assault in the UEFA Champions League. Lewandowski has developed into one of this generation's greatest attackers. In just over 330 games for the record German champions, the Polish striker has scored over 300 goals.

Lewandowski had his finest season of his career in 2019-20, when he helped Bayern win the Champions League as part of their second triple. In all competitions, he scored 55 goals, including 15 in the Champions League. He set the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season (40) established by the late Gerd Muller last season. With 73 goals, he is the third-highest scorer in UCL history. His goal ratio of 0.76 goals per game is the same as Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer.

Erling Haaland

Despite the fact that he is still relatively young in his career, the Norwegian is one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the game. In just 16 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, Haaland has scored 20 goals.

In the previous season, he was named the UCL Forward of the Season. In addition, the kid was named to the tournament's Team of the Season. Despite the fact that he is only 21, Haaland has already scored 65 goals for Dortmund in as many appearances. In his professional career, he has 134 goals in just 176 appearances.

Ruben Dias

The UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season for 2020-21 will aim to go one better this time. In the back, Ruben Dias was an almost impenetrable presence for City. He was also an important part of their journey to the final.

City is in a difficult group alongside RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain, whom they defeated in the semifinals last season. The Portuguese will need to be on top of his game when he faces an even bigger challenge, this time in the shape of Leo Messi and co, who scored his first PSG goal against City last week.

Kylian Mbappe

This season, the Frenchman will be one of several stars on Paris Saint-Germain's books following failed attempts to sign for Real Madrid.

He is surrounded by world-class players like Neymar, Messi, Ramos, and Hakimi, and he is expected to lead the PSG attack in search for their maiden UCL trophy. If he does, then he could be persuaded to remain at the Parc Des Princes.

Virgil Van Dijk

The Dutchman is back in the heart of the Reds' defence after the ACL injury that kept him off most of the 2020/21 season and the Euros. He has had a strong start to the season and will be vital to the club's bid for a seventh continental crown. Van Dijk has previous experience guiding his team to the top, having won the title and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award in 2018-19. From 2017-19 to 2019-20, he was also named to the UCL Team of the Season three times in a row.

With the Dutchman back in action, Liverpool should be favourites to win their group, which includes Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and Porto. They lead the group on maximum points from two games.

Romelu Lukaku

Defending champions Chelsea will be led by the deadly Belgian. Lukaku has 11 goals in 31 UCL appearances so far. But, in his present form, he appears to be on track to add a lot more to that total. He also has a lot of good options around him to help him reach his goals.

Lukaku has scored three goals in as many games this season in the Premier League. The Blues lost to Juventus, but should have an easy time against Zenit and Malmo. Lukaku, on the other hand, will want to get off to a fast start if Chelsea is to challenge for the championship once more.

Federico Chiesa 

The Juventus midfielder had a terrific 2021 season and is coming off his most productive season of his career in 2020-21.

With 14 goals, Chiesa was the third-highest goal scorer in the Juventus team last season. In his debut season in Europe's premier club competition, he scored four goals in eight games. His four goals were the same as Cristiano Ronaldo's and he was second in the Juventus squad behind Alvaro Morata's (6).

Chiesa is now one of Juventus' most important players, thanks to his heroics at the Euros. His hard work ethic and talent may be the deciding factor in the Old Lady's ability to go far in the tournament.