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Champions League stars

Ross DunbarSeptember 18, 2014

Three German clubs came out smelling like roses, while the other lost in Monaco. The midweek action had no shortage of star performers on the Champions League first matchday. DW's Ross Dunbar picks his fabulous five.

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Ciro Immobile
Image: Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach

German teams came out on top over their English counterparts on the first matchday of the UEFA Champions League. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund left with all three points, while Schalke earned a respectable draw against an otherwise free-scoring Chelsea team.

In all those matches, there were several players who impacted the outcome of the result - but here are five, in particular, who made it a positive midweek for the Bundesliga.

Ciro Immobile - Borussia Dortmund

After helping Dortmund to a win over Arsenal, the Italian was embraced by head coach Jürgen Klopp in the only way he knows how - a suffocating hug.

Days after concerns about Immobile's feelings towards being left out of the team were raised, the former Torino striker responded with his best performance to date since moving to Germany. The 24-year-old led the line against Arsenal with an unwavering desire to work for the team, while always threatening to carve out a scoring opportunity.

His lung-bursting run from defense to attack, his directness and his cheeky piece of footwork to fool the defenders were all part of the Immobile package. And he tucked the ball into the net with little hesitation, as the former top scorer in Serie A would.

Immobile said after the match that his first Dortmund goal will "only make him stronger" as he finds his way around the Bundesliga and the Champions League. If there are teething problems, then he didn't show them with Tuesday's performance at Signal Iduna Park.

Kevin Grosskreutz - Borussia Dortmund

As others around him - Immobile, Aubameyang, and Ramos - lifted their performances, Grosskreutz needed a big display to keep his name in the frame for selection. At times, there's a feeling that the Dortmund utility man has to be shoe-horned into certain positions while not really looking an ideal fit for the team.

Borussia Dortmund Kevin Grosskreutz
Grosskreutz had a hand in Dortmund's goals against ArsenalImage: picture-alliance/dpa

But, to his credit, Grosskreutz managed to unearth a timely reminder that he can hold his own against the top opposition in Europe. A willing runner, his selflessness in his application knows no bounds. From the left, he linked well with Immobile, interchanging with his team-mates and playing his part in a very well executed high-pressing strategy.

He even clipped through the pass for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's clinching goal. In the absence of Marcel Schmelzer, Erik Durm has had to hold the fort at left-back and he and Grosskreutz struggled to strike up a fruitful partnership.

The ideal balance, with Grosskreutz acting as a defensive-winger to complement Schmelzer's runs forward was rekindled in the 2-0 win over Arsenal. Klopp must be feeling like a child at Christmas with all of the high-quality options at his disposal.

Schalke 04 Julian Draxler Portrait
Julian Draxler - one for the big stageImage: Reuters

Julian Draxler - Schalke 04

Draxler is earning a reputation of thriving when the pressure is on. He turns 21 this week - but he continues to perform well above his tender years.

On top of an outstanding performance in the 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, the quick-thinking midfielder asserted himself on the game, sparking snappy transitions between deep defense and attack.

He recovered the ball 11 times in the middle-third of the pitch, launched four dribbles and took on opposition players directly five times. Draxler is a player who is mentally-programmed, and athletically-equipped, to be the definition of a modern attacking midfielder.

It's been an interesting rise to prominence for Draxler. While attracting headlines in his teenage years, the midfielder had frustrated in the Schalke side, especially when fielded in his natural No.10 slot.

If Draxler can keep delivering such performances and have an impact in big games, this might truly be his breakthrough year at the top level.

Ralf Fährmann - Schalke 04

The other Royal Blue hero was at the other end of the pitch - and he was peppered with shots from all angles at Stamford Bridge. A shot from Cesc Fabregas, another from Eden Hazard, then another goal-saving dive to deny the Belgian in the closing minutes.

Fußball Bundesliga 23. Spieltag FC Bayern München - FC Schalke 04
Ralf Fährmann expected to be busy in the Chelsea gameImage: picture-alliance/dpa

Injuries have decimated Jens Keller's defensive options: Höwedes, Matip, Kolasinac, Kirchhoff, and Santana are all on the treatment table. Fährmann had to be a reliable fall-back when neither rookie Kaan Ayhan or Roman Neustädter could thwart Jose Mourinho's powerful attacking team.

Like Draxler, the 25-year-old has a habit of performing when the chips are down. He has finally cemented his spot as Schalke's number one keeper.

In the final weeks of last season, Fährmann was beginning to nudge his way into contention for the German World Cup squad - but missed out because Joachim Löw was presented with several other top-class options. Fährmann is probably now right to feel that he could be included in that exclusive group.

Jerome Boateng - Bayern Munich

It wasn't Robert Lewandowski; neither was it Thomas Müller or Mario Götze. Instead, the match-winner against English champions Manchester City was Germany defender Jerome Boateng.

The 26-year-old has been one of Bayern's most consistent performers in the last two seasons, developing into one of the best central-defenders in the world. He was dismissed by Manchester City after leaving Hamburg in 2010, but the German World Cup winner has grown in self-assurance and game intelligence.

UEFA Champions League Bayern München vs. Manchester City
Jerome Boateng netted the winner for Bayern MunichImage: Reuters/Michaela Rehle

Boateng was instrumental as Bayern tossed the kitchen sink at City in the closing minutes of the tense game, winning a late corner in the lead-up to the stoppage-time winner. Boateng smashed home a well-taken volley to steal the three points for Bayern.

Do you agree with these five? Which players stood out for you in the Champions League? Leave us a comment on our DW_Sports Twitter feed.