The young stars who have lit up Champions League so far

Several young players have caught the eye in the Champions League's new first phase.

With the last round of fixtures on Wednesday, before the knockout rounds begin, BBC Sport looks at some of the under 23s who have impressed in helping their clubs bid to progress.

Atalanta have been flying high in the Champions League so far, winning four of their seven games and on course to finish in the top eight - which would ensure a last-16 spot without the need for a play-off.

Key to their good form in Europe has been Belgium midfielder Charles de Ketelaere, who has scored four goals and provided five assists in just seven games.

The 23-year-old's assists tally is the highest in the competition so far and, with 10 goal involvements in 20 Serie A games this term, he is a crucial player for the Italians both domestically and in Europe.

It hasn't been a great start to 2025 for Borussia Dortmund, with boss Nuri Sahin paying the price for a poor run of form.

The German side followed up three straight losses in the Bundesliga with a surprise defeat by Bologna in their penultimate league phase game, leaving their chances of a top-eight finish in the balance.

One of their shining lights, however, has been Jamie Gittens.

The 20-year-old English winger has scored four goals in seven Champions League games and his performances have reportedly caught the eye, with Liverpool among the sides, external said to have sent scouts to watch him.

Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015 but there's a quiet confidence that their wait could end this year.

The evergreen Robert Lewandowski, 36, is top of the competition's scoring charts this season - but at the other end of the age scale, it is 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, a star for Spain at Euro 2024, who has been conjuring up memories of Lionel Messi with his performances.

"This guy, I would pay money to watch him," former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit told TNT Sports recently.

"He can play right-footed, left-footed, he can dribble with both feet, so it's impossible.

"On top of that, he's got the vision, the intelligence, the movement. He's got everything at 17 years old."

Jhon Duran has properly emerged at Aston Villa this season.

The 21-year-old has made a name for himself as a super sub, scoring the winner against Bayern Munich in October.

He has scored three goals in just 239 minutes of Champions League football this season, strengthening Villa's chances of progress in their first experience of Europe's top club competition since 1983.

Jude Bellingham has been breaking records in the Champions League pretty much since he first started playing in it.

After an explosive start to last season, he was a bit slower off the mark this term but is now up and running.

Against RB Salzburg last week, he provided two assists in Real Madrid's 5-1 win, meaning he equalled a Lionel Messi record for the most Champions League goal contributions from a player aged 21 or under.

He moved on to 24 contributions at the age of 21 years, six months and 24 days - with Messi having hit 17 goals and provided seven assists by the same age.

PSV are handily placed to secure at least a place in the knockout round play-offs after picking up 11 points from their seven games so far, and former Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman has played a big role.

The 22-year-old has created more chances than any other player in the Champions League so far this season with 21, and has two assists and three goals.

But he injured his ankle during PSV's Dutch Cup win against Excelsior on 14 January, and there are fears it could leave him sidelined for a long time.

Another talented graduate of La Masia, the 21-year-old defensive midfielder is doing an excellent job of replacing Sergio Busquets.

In the Champions League, he has been near faultless with his passing, with a 92% completion rate.

A key part of Hansi Flick's new-look Barcelona, Casado has also provided an excellent shield to the defence, winning more tackles (18) than any other player to help his team to six wins from seven games in the league phase so far.

Bayer Leverkusen have not matched last season's fairytale adventures but are still challenging in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League.

They are firmly in the hunt for a top-eight finish heading into the final round of league phase games, with 21-year-old Germany forward Wirtz a key player.

He has contributed to six goals in seven games for the reigning German champions, scoring five and assisting another.

Lighting things up for Monaco has been 22-year-old midfielder Akliouche.

He scored a spectacular overhead kick in a 3-2 win over Rennes in Ligue 1 last Saturday - but goals are not the reason he has developed into one of Monaco's main men this season.

Possessing a brilliant first touch and exceptional ball carrying skills, Akliouche is one of the first names on Adi Hutter's teamsheet - he has played every minute of Monaco's Champions League campaign so far.