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FASTEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYERS RANKED — SHOCKING NAMES MAKE THE LIST

Mohamed Salah is faster than Micky van de Ven this UCL season! New data reveals the top 15 fastest players, with Lois Openda leading and Salah outpacing the EPL's speed record holder.

Fastest Champions League Players Ranked — Shocking Names Make The List
Mohamed Salah, aged 33, is one of the fastest players in the Champions League this season

It is hard to believe, but Mohamed Salah is faster than the fastest Premier League player ever. Sort of. 

According to fresh Champions League data, the 33-year-old has outperformed Tottenham's incredibly athletic Micky van de Ven in terms of speed thus far this season.

Although Salah easily places among the top 15 fastest talents in the Champions League this season, a striker that Manchester United has previously tracked takes first place. 

GPS vests are used to monitor players' highest speeds, and UEFA shares the standings of the continent's fastest men. 

Tottenham and Liverpool both have two players in the top 15, and Chelsea supporters can rejoice because one of their summer acquisitions is ranked seventh. 

Lois Openda, who is on loan at Juventus from RB Leipzig, is the fastest runner in the Champions League this season, with a high speed of 36.2 km/h. 

One of the fastest players in the Champions League this season is 33-year-old Mohamed Salah. 

He has outpaced the fastest Premier League player ever, Micky van de Ven.

Lois Openda, a forward on loan from Juventus, is in first place with a lightning-fast 36.2 km/h.

According to reports, he has previously been considered by teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Aston Villa. He has not scored this season, though, after having a successful few seasons for Vitesse, Lens, and Leipzig. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is 36 years old and has a top speed of 35.8 km/h for Marseille, is in second position.  

With four goals in seven games, the former Arsenal player has jumped right in for Roberto De Zerbi's team. It should come as no surprise that he scored 30 goals for them in 2023–2024 before joining Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League and scoring 21 goals the previous season. 

For Liverpool supporters, Jeremie Frimpong's third-place finish and best speed of 35.6 km/h is fantastic news. 

After leaving Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5 million, the right-back has had a rocky start, but he apparently has rockets in his boots. 

Pedro Neto of Chelsea comes in seventh on the list with a top speed of 34.9 km/h. 

Neto, who cost £54 million to sign from Wolves, has already established himself as a regular on either the left or right wing of Enzo Maresca's starting lineup. He had a strong game over the weekend, scoring and providing an assist against Nottingham Forest to help dismiss Ange Postecoglou. 

Djed Spence, a recent England star, is in ninth place. The Spurs left-back is now the fastest player in his position in the continent's top competition, with a maximum speed of 34.5 km/h. 

The 36-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the competition's second-fastest player. 

In a boost for Liverpool, Jeremie Frimpong is the third-fastest player in the Champions League.

When not playing with cones, Pedro Neto of Chelsea is the seventh-quickest 

Tottenham's newly-capped England player Djed Spence starts in eighth on the left wing. 

Lower down, Mohamed Salah recorded a top speed of 34.3 km/h, earning him joint-10th place. 

The Egyptian has been accused of losing his legs, and his form has fallen off a cliff, but this statistic contradicts that claim and shows that he still has the afterburners to turn on when he needs them.

Van de Ven, who settles for joint-14th place with Nicolas Pepe of Villarreal on 34.2 km/h, is beaten by it.

When the Dutchman scorched past Brentford a few seasons back, he set a new Premier League speed record, clocking in at 37.38 km/h.

You might be shocked to learn how little players can truly sprint, but having that extra gear is crucial for avoiding the offside trap, making lung-busting runs from midfield, and catching a striker with a recovery run. 

Less than 1% of a football player's time is spent sprinting. 

For instance, by March 25 of last season, Anthony Gordon of Newcastle had spent more time sprinting than any other player in the Premier League, while only doing so 1.17 per cent of the time. This is not a statistic that is frequently discussed. 

The quickest players in the Champions League are:

1) Lois Openda from Juventus, clocking in at 36.2 km/h.

2) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Marseille, with a speed of 35.8 km/h.

3) Jeremie Frimpong from Liverpool, reaching 35.6 km/h.

4) Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi, at 35.4 km/h.

5) Raoul Bellanova of Atalanta, also at 35 km/h.

5) Bradley Barcola from PSG, matching the same speed of 35 km/h.

7) Pedro Neto of Chelsea, running at 34.9 km/h.

8) Djed Spence from Tottenham, with a speed of 34.5 km/h.

9) Nuno Mendes of PSG, clocking in at 34.4 km/h.

10) Timothy Weah from Marseille, reaching 34.3 km/h.

10) Lloyd Kelly from Juventus, also at 34.3 km/h.

10) Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, matching the speed of 34.3 km/h.

10) Mason Greenwood from Marseille, at 34.3 km/h.

14) Micky van de Ven of Tottenham, with a speed of 34.2 km/h.

14) Nicolas Pepe from Villarreal, also at 34.2 km/h.

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

top-news
Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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