Players to watch in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League

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SteemSports Presenter: @xxiiichronicles

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SteemSports Editor: @writingamigo

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The UEFA Champions League is upon us again. The tournament, one of the most exciting in the world, promises to be an epic one this season. Right from the group stage this season, there are some mouth-watering fixtures between Europe’s top teams. There are 32 teams competing, and with a lot of players playing, we bring you a list of the players we should keep an eye on.

We bring you a list of players who all have their reasons for wanting to make a big impression on the Champions league this season.

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Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspurs)

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There is no doubt that Dele Alli is one of the most exciting talents to emerge in England over the past two decades, a player blessed with terrific skill and a great sense of positioning, drawing comparisons with Steven Gerrard, but he has not had the best time in Europe.

Only one goal and a red card have made him struggle in Europe, but the challenge now is for Alli to show that he can be just as influential and successful as Gerrard was in the Champions League.

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Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund)

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Just three years after scoring the winning goal at the World Cup, Gotze was forced to take an indefinite break from the game to deal with a rare genetic disorder. Everyone thought his career was over but he is back on a football pitch.

He made his first appearance in seven months in BVB’s Bundesliga opener against Wolfsburg. A welcome return to the Champions League is now on the horizon.

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Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

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There may be doubts over his temperament but there are none over his talent. Napoli boss, Maurizio Sarri, says he’s the most gifted player in Italy. Insigne has been performing at a consistently excellent level for two seasons now, and if he can maintain his momentum, his dream of playing for Barca can become a reality.

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Naby Keita (RB Leipzig)

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According to RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Naby Keita has developed faster than the club. Just a year after joining the club for €15 million, Keita was the subject of a €75 million offer from Liverpool. Now that they have signed him, Liverpool and the rest of Europe will be watching him as he tackles the Champions League for the first time.

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Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)

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Champions League football has always been important for Lukaku. He left Everton to Manchester United solely to play Champions League football. After a fine start to his Old Trafford career in the English Premier League, Lukaku now has the Champions League stage to prove that he belongs among Europe’s elite strikers.

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Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

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Many pundits and supporters questioned the decision to pay Southampton £34 million for the winger last summer, but the Senegal international is probably already worth three times this figure. Mane now looks poised to light up the Champions League this season as he is now more important to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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Alvaro Morata (Chelsea)

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With Diego Costa still in exile, it is Morata who will spearhead Chelsea’s attack upon their return to the Champions League – and he will be expected to further enhance the already stellar reputation he gained with Real Madrid and Juventus as a man for the big occasion.

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Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)

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The weight of expectancy has never been an issue for Neymar. So it is hardly surprising that he has made such a sensational start to his PSG career, following his world-record transfer. However, the primary reason that PSG were willing to trigger his release clause is that they wanted a player capable of winning them the Champions League. So, now it’s over to Neymar.

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Gianlugi Buffon (Juventus)

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Buffon still insists that winning the Champions League has never been an obsession for him but there is no doubt that he would dearly love to end what very much looks like his final season in professional football by lifting the only major trophy that has eluded his illustrious career. Many would rejoice if the goalkeeping icon bowed out by leading Juventus to a first European Cup trophy since 1996.

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