The top ten fastest players in the Champions League have been revealed ahead of the quarter-finals this week – with Marcus Rashford and Kylian Mbappe among the stars leading the charge.
We’re approaching the business end of Europe’s elite competition and while we’ve seen some incredible performances on the biggest stage so far, fans have also been treated to some breathtaking runs and players surging down the flanks.
Marca have revealed the quickest players in the competition so far, and it will be no surprise to see Mbappe and Rashford among the group of speedsters.
The former will hope to continue terrorising his opponents, starting with a huge test against Barcelona as PSG welcome the Spanish giants to Paris on Wednesday – while the latter is no longer in the Champions League after Manchester United were eliminated in the group stage.
No 10 on the list may raise some eyebrows, considering this player only featured in the Champions League for 162 minutes across three games this season.
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali – currently serving a ten-month ban over betting offences – registered a top speed of 35.5km/h after playing against AC Milan, PSG and Borussia Dortmund before sanctions were brought against him.
At No 9 is Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, who is a renowned speedster. He also clocked in at 35.5km/h – as did No 8 and No 7 on the list, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and RB Leipzig right-back Mohamed Simakan.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda takes the No 6 spot thanks to his speed of 35.6km/h – a speed also reached by PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi.
Rashford comes in at No 4 with a top speed 35.7km/h, with third-place Luis Openda of RB Leipzig also matching that pace.
The biggest question most fans would ask was whether renowned pace merchant Mbappe would top the standings – but the speed freak has indeed been beaten.
Mbappe’s incredible speed of 36.1km/h in the Champions League this season was surprisingly not enough to take the crown as fastest in the competition.
Instead, that honour belongs to Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi, who saw off the French superstar with a speed of 36.3km/h.
In addition to top speeds, Marca also outlined the players who had covered the most ground in the Champions League this term.
Hakimi, Atletico defender Mario Hermoso, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gabriel Jesus all made the top 10.
The top five featured Copenhagen’s Rasmus Falk, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, FC Porto’s Alan Varela, while Copenhagen’s Mohamed Elyounoussi was second with 97km covered.
The No 1 spot belongs to Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, who covered a total of 99.2km.
