Tzolis to Sucic: Unknown players to watch in the Champions League | Champions League

Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge, 22)

Norwich had high hopes for the Greek striker in 2021, signed from Paok Salonika for £8.8m. Tzolis began his career at Carrow Road with two goals and a couple of assists in a 6-0 League Cup thrashing of Bournemouth, but rarely got going again. Released as a flop, he was loaned to Fortuna Düsseldorf last summer. The clever and quick left winger blossomed, finishing as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 22 goals and almost leading his club to promotion. Fortuna didn’t have the funds to keep Tzolis on a £3m option to buy, but it made sense to activate it in order to sell him on for a tidy profit. Club Brugge were delighted to sign him, and Tzolis started brightly in Belgium.

Vladan Kovačević (Sporting, 26)

Kovacevic was the best goalkeeper in the Polish Ekstraklasa for three years with Raków Częstochowa, helping the modest club to a historic title in 2023. Blessed with phenomenal instincts and incredibly calm under pressure, the Bosnian is capable of stunning and crucial saves – such as stopping a last-minute penalty against Rubin Kazan in the 2021 Conference League qualifiers. Raków played in the Europa League group stage last season, and Sporting were impressed by his performances in several matches against them, and signed him this summer as a replacement for veteran Antonio Adán.

Martin Vitik (Sparta Prague, 21)

The Czech centre-back, who played one game at Euro 2024, would like to play for Bologna in the Champions League this season, but Sparta’s sporting director Tomas Rosicky rejected the offer, saying his club needed to keep their best players. Tall, very physical but quite comfortable on the ball, Vitik has been considered one of the top prospects since breaking into Sparta’s senior team in 2020. As a Milan fan, he was delighted to play against And the Rossoneri then. Now he will face Inter at San Siro.

Enzo Millot (VfB Stuttgart, 22)

Millot grew up in Monaco’s academy but wasn’t given the chance to prove himself in Ligue 1. His move to Stuttgart in the summer of 2021 proved to be phenomenal. While many in France saw it as a step back, he overcame a serious injury last season to prove himself. Coach Sebastian Hoeness made him a starter, gave him the freedom to roam, and Millot developed into one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga. Likened by some to Dani Olmo, he can find spaces, is difficult to mark and is quite tenacious in defence.

Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz, 28)

Georgian football is all the rage after Euro 2024 and last Saturday’s crushing 4-1 defeat by the Czech Republic in the Nations League. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Georges Mikautadze have all grabbed the headlines, but Kiteishvili, a versatile midfielder, is playing in the Champions League. He was voted Austria’s player of the season last season when his team won the title, ending Red Bull Salzburg’s decade-long dominance. He is everywhere on the pitch, combining playmaking with tireless work without the ball. Sturm fans love him, and when Kiteishvili signed a new contract instead of opting for a huge salary in Qatar, there were celebrations.

Romain Del Castillo (Brest, 28)

Brest are arguably the most surprising side in the Champions League after finishing third in Ligue 1. Del Castillo has been their best player in a magical season, scoring eight goals and assisting eight and delighting fans with his incredibly inventive style. The Lyon academy graduate was considered injury-prone and inconsistent but has become a star. Blessed with great ball control in tight spaces, somewhat reminiscent of Jamal Musiala, he is a great dribbler but also selfless, always looking for the pass. Can he be the centre of attention against Real Madrid and Barcelona?

Adam Daghim (Red Bull Salzburg, 18)

Salzburg made headlines in the Champions League last season with a very young squad featuring Israeli playmaker Oscar Gloukh and Danish midfielder Maurits Kjærgaard. Now an even younger star is hoping to prove himself. Daghim, a Dane of Lebanese and Libyan descent, was signed from AGF Aarhus, where he became the club’s youngest ever player. After a season with their farm club Liefering in the second division, he was promoted to the first team and scored a wonderful Robben-esque goal against Dynamo Kyiv in the qualifiers. A powerfully built player, he is capable of playing as a centre-forward, but Salzburg use their speed and ball control mainly on the right wing.

Petar Sucic (Dinamo Zagreb, 20)

As for Salzburg, one of their brightest stars, Luka Sucic, was sold to Real Sociedad this summer and will miss out on the Champions League. But attention should be focused on his cousin Petar Sucic, who is making rapid progress at Dinamo. Sucic prefers to play deeper than Luka in midfield, making precise passes or charging in from the back. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic was delighted that Sucic had moved club after representing Bosnia and Herzegovina at youth level. After Sucic made his debut against Portugal in the Nations League last week, Dalic said: “I think he is the successor to Marcelo Brozovic.” It is a huge challenge, but one the youngster can rise to.