The UEFA.com office sat down to discuss the year just gone and picked out a team of players who have broken through in the UEFA Champions League in 2016 – let us know who you think should have been included using #UCL on Twitter and Facebook.Goalkeeper: Alphonse Aréola (Paris Saint-Germain) Defender: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)Defender: Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)Defender: Victor Lindelöf (Benfica)Midfielder: Thomas Lemar (Monaco)Midfielder: Joshua Kim... UEFA.com - News
Football Update
Milan deny Juventus in Italian Super Cup
FRIDAY Juventus 1-1 AC Milan (Chiellini 18; Bonaventura 38)In their final fixture of 2016, Juventus lost to 4-3 AC Milan on penalties after extra-time in the Italian Super Cup game, staged this year in Doha, Qatar. Giorgio Chiellini finished from Miralem Pjanić's 18th-minute corner to put the Bianconeri in front, but Giacomo Bonaventura levelled with a glancing header. In the shoot-out, Gianluigi Buffon saved from Gianluca Lapadula, but Mario Mandžukić hit the bar, and Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Paulo Dybala to turn the tide.
High-scoring Napoli snatch a draw at Fiorentina
THURSDAY Fiorentina 3-3 Napoli (Bernardeschi 51 69, Zárate 82; Insigne 24, Mertens 68, Gabbiadini 90+4p)Lorenzo Insigne bent in a terrific opener from range, and Dries Mertens dispossesssed a dawdling defender for his eighth in three games, but Federico Bernardeschi twice struck back for the Viola, who led through Mauro Zárate only to concede a Manolo Gabbiadini penalty at the death. Napoli end their 2016 programme on a ten-game unbeaten run in all competitions(W5 D5).WEDNESDAYBayern München 3-0 RB Leipzig (Th... UEFA.com - News
Awesome Bayern beat Leipzig as Sevilla hit nine
WEDNESDAY Bayern München 3-0 RB Leipzig (Thiago 17, Alonso 25, Lewandowski 45p)Bayern produced an awesome first-half performance against their main title challengers to open up a three-point lead over Leipzig at the month-long winter break. Thiago Alcántara scored the first and made the second brilliantly before Leipzig had star man Emil Forsberg sent off on the half-hour for a foul on Philipp Lahm. Robert Lewandowski, who hit the woodwork to set up Thiago's opener, got the third from the penalty spot after Douglas Costa was brought down.
Dortmund draw again while Atlético cruise
MONDAY Porto 2-1 Chaves (Depoitre 72, Danilo 77; Rafael Lopes 12)The Dragons made it five wins from five and gained a measure of revenge for last month's Portuguese Cup defeat. Nuno Espírito Santo's side did not have it easy, though, and looked set for more disappointment when they went into the last 20 minutes still trailing to an early Rafael Lopes goal. Substitute Laurent Depoitre made it 1-1 before Danilo's first goal of the season sealed the points.TUESDAYBorussia Dortmund 1-1 Augsburg (Dembélé 47; Ji Dong-Won... UEFA.com -
What else is happening in European football?
Mertens motoring at NapoliChristmas seems to be coming at the wrong time for Dries Mertens, scorer of seven goals in Napoli's last two games, including four in Sunday's 5-3 defeat of Torino – the first three constituted Serie A's fifth fastest hat-trick. "I still have to understand what I did," said Mertens, who scored four and set up three in this autumn's UEFA Champions League group stage. His fourth against Torino, a wonderful lob, drew comparisons with a notable Napoli old boy. "Maradona?" said the 29-year-old. "I think I have a way to go yet ..."Marseille and the power of suggestionHypnosis apparently helped French striker André-P... UEFA.com - News
How brilliant is Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos?
Scorer supreme of last-minute headers, Sergio Ramos might be a defender by trade but he is also renowned for dramatic interventions at the other end for Real Madrid. He is one of the game's most garlanded players too, as winner of three Ligas, two UEFA Champions Leagues, UEFA EURO 2008 and 2012, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup among a medley of trophies. UEFA.com salutes Madrid's captain fantastic. What they say"Ramos doesn't surprise me. It's what he has – a big personality – and in games like this he's always there, always encouraging