UCL talking points: How good is Pulisic? Is Vinícius a Ballon d'Or lock?

Matchday 3 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League is in the books and the 36-team table is starting to take shape.

Aston Villa are Europe’s surprise leaders, but it’s the displays of players like Christian Pulisic and Vinícius Júnior that have really caught the eye. Meanwhile, the underperforming big guns of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich may just be beginning to sweat just a little.

ESPN writers Gab Marcotti, Mark Ogden and Julien Laurens reflect on some of the burning questions after three rounds.

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Is this the real Pulisic or are we just witnessing a hot streak?

Ogden: Pulisic is 26 now and entering the peak years of his career, and I think that is beginning to show. Chelsea was a tough move for him and it didn’t work out as he would have wanted, but his time in the Premier League made him a better player, even if it dented his confidence at times. AC Milan are now reaping the benefits of his experience at Stamford Bridge.

His goal against Liverpool on matchday 1 was outstanding and he topped it with his goal against Club Brugge this week. He’s become the main man at Milan and you can see that he is a different player purely because he looks settled, wanted and he knows he is a key part of the team. So yes, this is the real Pulisic — one that is realising his potential after being shaped by the difficult times he has had to endure.

Marcotti: He’s reached maturity and that’s important. He’s fit and that matters even more. But I’d also add that he has a bunch of intangible qualities that shine through at Milan make him so valuable. He’s cognizant of the fact that, unlike with the United States national team, he’s not orders of magnitude better than his teammates and he doesn’t need to be the main man. They have plenty of other gifted players, but what they do need from him because others (not pointing fingers but … Rafael Leão) don’t always provide it is work rate, reliability and a willingness to put the team first. I don’t think that’s going away even if he is on a hot streak (and I’m not sure he is: he’s pretty darn talented). So, I imagine he will continue to be important for Milan for a long, long time. Or, at least, until they start properly clicking. Even against Club Brugge, sure, they won, but the Rossoneri only really looked good in the last half hour.

Laurens: This is the real Pulisic and he is on a hot streak! Both are valid and true. Now he needs to be consistent and transform the hot streak into his norm. The harder thing will be to stay in this form and keep putting up performances like he did on Tuesday and like he has been for most of this season. He is more mature, staying fit. He clearly feels loved and valued by his club and his manager, on the back of a very good season last year too. I’m convinced he can become that guy — the guy at Milan — especially with Leao’s poor form at the moment.

Does Vinícius’ hat trick seal the Ballon d’Or?

Ogden: Even when Rodri was fit and playing at Manchester City, it seemed that Vinícius was the clear favourite to win the Ballon d’Or, but his hat trick against Borussia Dortmund sealed the deal. Rodri’s ACL injury pretty much paved the way for Vinícius to run away with the voting because he was the only real rival to the Madrid forward’s chances.

Jude Bellingham has been a virtual no-show for Los Blancos since his incredible start in the first half of last season, while Toni Kroos ruled himself out of the running by retiring in the summer. Would it be harsh to suggest that 2024 has not been a vintage year for Ballon d’Or contenders? There is no outstanding candidate, so in that context, Vinícius should now have it wrapped up.

Marcotti: I guess it’s an exclamation point, but nothing more. Most, if not all, the votes are in anyway. And there are plenty of whispers he had it in the bag. The Ballon d’Or voter is a strange animal: he or she rewards big performances from big teams in big games. And Vini certainly delivered that against Bayern Munich. But I imagine he already had it sewn up.

Laurens: Vini’s hat trick on Tuesday won’t impact who wins the Ballon d’Or — the votes have already been sent and counted. He had won it before his amazing second half against Borussia Dortmund. He is currently the best player in the world and no right-back can defend him. Personally, I like Rodri as a Ballon d’Or winner, but Vini is amazing and so unplayable that he wins games on his own like he did on Tuesday.

Which big team is in trouble?

Ogden: Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have both struggled to live up to expectations so far, but PSG can at least point to Luis Enrique’s team being in transition from the club’s old superstar era to one built around emerging young talent. They will have bumps along the road and maybe have to lower their sights this time around. But Bayern have no such mitigation and their defeat against Barcelona — after losing at Aston Villa on matchday 2 — exposed all of the problems that will stop them challenging for the Champions League this season.

Their centre-backs, Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae, are too slow and not good enough for a club of Bayern’s stature, while others such as Leroy Sané, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer are well past their best. Harry Kane will score goals and Michael Olise is a genuine talent, but Bayern have too many weaknesses. Their game against PSG next month will be intriguing for so many reasons.

Marcotti: I’m not sure any of the big teams are in actual “trouble” if by “trouble” you mean not finishing in the top eight and by-passing the playoff round. Sure, Bayern, Milan and Atletico Madrid are all on three points, but, equally, they’re just four points from eighth place, with five games to go. And if you mean “trouble” as in not qualifying for the playoff round, well, nobody is. Not yet anyway. I guess it’s the nature of this new format.

Laurens: I don’t think there is any trouble for any team just yet. We are three games in and there are five more to play so 15 points still available. So there is no need to panic for PSG, Bayern, Atletico or even RB Leipzig. Having said that, it’s quite fun to see the pressure mounting on these big teams, especially when you know that Paris, Munich and the Colchoneros will face each other in the next few weeks. There will be loads of drama then and that’s what we want and what this new Champions League format does for you.

With Frenkie De Jong, Dani Olmo and Gavi all fit, how does Hansi Flick decide his midfield? And who loses out for El Clasico on Saturday?

Ogden: I think the only real option to break into the starting team against Madrid is Olmo. Gavi has registered just 12 minutes all season, while De Jong has only managed 24 minutes in all competitions, so it would be a gamble — maybe even a reckless one — by Flick to put one or both into the team, especially after such a convincing win against Bayern. I just don’t how, or why, Flick could consider dropping Marc Casadó or Fermín López. Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha all have to play, so those are the two most likely to miss out. But they shouldn’t.

Marcotti: Wednesday’s demolition of Bayern was the first game back for Olmo and De Jong and, obviously, Gavi just has the two appearances. So maybe the Clasico is too soon, though were De Jong fully match-fit I’d definitely have him in there. Going forward, it’s hard to see how the pieces fit. You’d imagine De Jong would regain his place for Casado. Raphinha is in the best form of his career, obviously Yamal is what he is and then you have Gavi and Olmo.

I think we’ll end up seeing Gavi with Pedri and De Jong in the midfield three and Olmo sharing time on the wing with Raphinha and Yamal. They’ve both played a ton of football thus far and, lest we forget, Yamal is 17. I think Olmo might also be the choice when Robert Lewandowski needs a breather (and, at 36, he probably will), though Ferran Torres is probably a better fit in terms of his work off the ball. How Flick plays this going forward is going to be absolutely fascinating. There are no right answers. But I guess that’s why he gets paid the big bucks.

Laurens: For the short-term, and the Clasico this weekend, I would trust exactly the same team that battered Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Flick has no reason to change anything. I would keep Pedri and Casado in midfield. I would keep De Jong and Gavi on the bench. I would keep Fermin with a free role in midfield, both attacking and pressing while also dropping deeper out of possession to help the double pivot. The defensive high line will be risky against Real Madrid, but Barça also know they will have the ability to hurt the Merengues with the form that Raphinha, Lewandowski and Lamine are in right now.