Goalkeeper: David Bicík (Sparta Praha)
Called on for the first time inside 30 seconds, the Czech custodian denied Lazio on seven occasions as his side secured a startling victory at Lazio, despite playing with a dislocated finger sustained last weekend.
Defender: Costa (Sparta Praha)
Zdenek Šcasný’s Sparta never looked comfortable in defence, but when heroics were called for in Rome, Zimbabwean Costa was their go-to man, the 30-year-old proving to be a saving challenge specialist.
Defender: Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Bayer Leverkusen)
A commanding presence at the back, the Greece international displayed a never-say-die attitude in helping keep a clean sheet.
Defender: Adil Rami (Sevilla)
Underworked in defence against Basel, the centre-back scored his side’s opener with a flying header – his first at the right end for Sevilla in Europe.
Midfielder: Ladislav Krejcí (Sparta Praha)
A canny assist for Sparta’s first and an elegant finish for their second were the midfielder’s big moments, but his energy, determination and class typified his side’s buccaneering spirit.
Midfielder: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
A threat throughout the tie, his wonderful solo effort – before beating David de Gea with a lovely dinked finish – effectively booked Liverpool’s last-eight place.
Midfielder: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund)
The playmaker pulled the strings in midfield once again and helped his side double their lead as BVB reached the quarter-finals.
Midfielder: José Antonio Reyes (Sevilla)
The only man to have won the competition four times, Reyes moved a step closer to a fifth success; he set up Sevilla’s first from a corner and supplied the killer pass for their second too.
Forward: Rafa Silva (Braga)
Fired in the Arsenalistas fourth against Fenerbahçe to send the Portuguese outfit through to the last eight for the first time since they were losing finalists in 2011.
Forward: Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Club)
The top scorer in this season’s UEFA Europa League helped Athletic triumph over Valencia on away goals and increased his tally to eight this term in the process.
Forward: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)
Registered twice at White Hart Lane, including a spectacular opener, to take him to seven in eight European outings this term and to snuff out any faint hopes of a Spurs comeback.
