Van Dijk named Champions League’s fastest player
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/09/van-dijk-named-champions-leagues.html
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has been named the fastest player in last season’s Champions League.
The Dutch defender outpaced the likes of
Gareth Bale, Kyle Walker and Leroy Sane to record the fastest sprint in
the competition as he drove the Reds to ultimate success in the final
against Tottenham.
Van Dijk, who was recently named UEFA
Men’s Player of the Year, recorded a 34.5 km/h sprint speed in
Liverpool’s first-leg semi-final defeat to Barcelona, according to UEFA
’s technical report.
The Netherlands international also
helped his country to the final of the Nations League, only for a
Ronaldo-inspired Portugal to lift the inaugural title.
Van Dijk, Lionel Messi, Cristiano
Ronaldo are the three finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The winner will be announced on September 23.
Barcelona were leading 3-0 in the
first-leg match of the semi-finals against Liverpool, when Messi began
to move forward with the ball. His Barcelona team-mates Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez were on his either side as the passing options.
That was when Van Dijk made the sprint
to get back in defence. In doing so, he also prevented Messi from having
a chance to pass the ball to Alba.
Van Dijk’s burst of speed saw him
narrowly edge out Manchester City star Sane, who recorded a 34.4 km/h
speed against Hoffenheim.
Behind Sane and Van Dijk was Walker,
clocking in 34.2 km/h in City’s game against Tottenham Hotspur in the
quarter-finals, while Real Madrid star Bale came fourth with a 33.8 km/h
sprint against Roma