Champions League 2023/24: Group Stage's Top Team

The Champions League this year bore witness to the final instance of the eight groups of four structure, with a brand new competition format set to roll out in the next season. The group stages saw a spectacular finale in this configuration.

An impressive 96 games were played, which saw a staggering 296 goals being scored. Manchester United conceded most of these goals, which was a feat both traumatic and entertaining for its fans. Such memorable moments were observed throughout the continent.

Post this exciting sequence of matches, here is 90min's pick of the best players from the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stages.

Inter made a smart move by selling Andre Onana, the poorest performing goalkeeper in the season's group stages, and replacing him with who turned out to be the best performing goalkeeper of the entire group stage. His spectacular performance was seen throughout Inter's Group D matches, especially during their win on the fourth match day against Red Bull Salzburg.

PSG managed to scrape through to the final 16, largely due to the outstanding performance of Achraf Hakimi, their star full-back. His game-winning performance against his former club, Borussia Dortmund, played a crucial role in getting the team through.

Despite his prime being almost a decade behind him, Hummels justified his inclusion in the team with a brilliant performance in Group F, reminiscent of his glory days. He was the best defender during the group stage, notably against AC Milan at San Siro, where his exceptional defensive skills saw him winning 16 duels.

Real Sociedad's defense got a notable mention, with Igor Zubeldia in particular standing out. He was the only centre-back to have participated in all group stage matches and helped his team concede just two goals in six games.

Raum made significant contributions in RB Leipzig's victories over Red Star and Young Boys, which helped them qualify for the knockouts, ensuring his consistent presence in the "Champions League team of the weeks".

Is he the best footballer in the world right now? With seven goal contributions in his inaugural Champions League campaign with Real Madrid and 14 contributions in 14 La Liga games, it's hard to argue otherwise.

Few would have predicted that Copenhagen would make it to the final 16. Thanks to surprise player Rasmus Falk, they did so at the expense of Manchester United and Galatasaray. Falk impressed with his performances in their victories over Galatasaray and Manchester United, and in the goalless draw against Bayern Munich.

Seventeen-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery emerged as one of the three best midfielders in the Champions League group stage phase. Despite possible jealousy, it is impossible to ignore his remarkable performances for PSG.

With three goals and four assists, Arsenal's 'Starboy' excelled during the club's Group B matches and significantly contributed to the Gunners topping their group.

For this group stage team, seven goal contributions warranted inclusion. Harry Kane joined English semi-finalists Bellingham and Saka to achieve this feat, scoring four goals and three assists.

Despite a slump in form at Barcelona, Antoine Griezmann has emerged as one of the world's top forwards after returning to Atletico Madrid. Griezmann has been in fine form in the Champions League this year, scoring five goals.