Porto's Sanusi Joins Liverpool, Bayern, Barcelona Stars In UCL Breakthrough XI

Published: December 31, 2020

Porto's Nigeria international Zaidu Sanusi has been recognised for his outstanding performances in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, with the governing body of European football selecting him in a star-studded breakthrough XI of 2020.

Players on the books of ten different European clubs have been picked : Shakhtar, Atalanta, Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Salzburg, Liverpool, Porto and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Sanusi is part of a back four also featuring Sevilla's Jules Koundé and Atalanta's Cristian Romero as the two center backs and Bayern's Alphonso Davies at right-back; Shakhtar's Anatolii Trubin has been selected in goal.

In a 4-4-2 formation, the midfielders are Barcelona's Pedri, Dortmund duo Jude Bellingham and Giovanni Reyna, and Salzburg's Dominik Szoboszlai, who has agreed a move to RB Leipzig when the transfer window reopens next month.

Liverpool's Diogo Jota and Mönchengladbach's Marcus Thuram have been named in attack.

On Sanusi, UEFA's official website wrote : "Left-back has settled in superbly since arriving from Santa Clara, missing just 13 minutes of Porto's group stage campaign."

Sanusi's finest moment as a Porto player was unarguably his opening goal in a 2-0 win vs Marseille on matchday four of the Champions League.

To qualify to be selected in the UEFA Breakthrough XI, a player must be aged 24 or under and made his Champions League debut in 2020.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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