Champions League – Player List Analysis

With just over 24 hours Matchday 1, we cast an eye over the Player Price List in the official UEFA Fantasy Champions League game. While Bayern Munich brace themselves to defend the trophy, we’re more concerned with whipping our 15-man squads into shape and, having assessed the ruleset, we scour the market for premium prospects and cut-price bargains alike:

Goalkeepers

The ability to swap out our poorest Tuesday performers for the following evening’s fixtures is particularly handy for those on the lookout for cheap rotation stoppers.

Assessing the options from Group A-D first, then, there are a handful of options in the budget bracket worthy of our consideration.

Real Sociedad’s Claudio Bravo is the cheapest option in Group A and comes in at just 4.0 – with United and Shakhtar amongst his opponents, though, picking up a similarly priced partner from Group E-H is key.

While Real Madrid’s Diego Lopez is a mere 3.5 and has played all four league games thus far, his acquisition is likely to prove disappointing if, as expected, Iker Casillas gets the nod on the European stage under Carlo Ancelotti. In the same group, however, Copenhagen keeper Wiland is a snip at 3.5, while in Group C, Anderlecht’s Silvio Proto (4.0) is kind on the budget.

Viktoria Plzen keeper Matus Kozacik and CSKA Moscow’s Igor Akinfeev are both available at just 4.0 apiece but with Bayern and City their remaining Group D opponents, clean sheets may be hard to come by.

Moving to the second set of keepers, Basel’s Yann Sommer and Steaua Bucharest number one Ciprian Tatarusanu will both set you back 4.0 from Group E, while Schalke’s Timo Hildebrand, at 4.5, is also an option here. Marseille’s Steven Mandanda (4.0) is the only budget option from Group F but with Arsenal, Napoli and Dortmund his opponents, he is likely to rely on save points to boost his potential.

In Group G, there are a number of alternatives. Austria Vienna’s Heinz Lindner is the cheapest of the bunch at 4.0, but Helton (Porto), Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid) and Yuri Lodygin (Zenit) all come in at 4.5 apiece and have the potential to offer strong value. Celtic’s Fraser Forster (4.0) is the budget option from the final group and with Barcelona, Milan and Ajax his three opponents, he’ll guarantee saves points at least.

Defenders

Given that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will each set you back 13.0 and offer an armband option on alternating evenings, looking for budget options right across the classifications is more essential than ever if we are to fit both into our 15-man Champions League game squads. We look at each of the Groups to see what’s on offer at the back.

In Group A, Rio Ferdinand, at 5.5, is the cheapest of United’s regulars right now – Rafael is similarly priced but is, of course, still sidelined with a hamstring injury. Leverkusen’s Emir Spahic has started all five league games and is available for 4.0, cheaper than his keeper, though Sebastien Boenisch offers greater attacking potential at 4.5. Shakhtar’s Oleksandr Kucher is just 4.0 and has already scored in the league this term.

Galatasaray’ summer signing Aurélien Chedjou is just 4.0 and scored seven goals for Lille over the previous two seasons. Elsewhere in Group B, Rafael Varane (6.0) is a secure, if somewhat pricey, option at the back for Real Madrid, Pierre Bentsson (3.5) has already produced a goal and assist from left-back for FC Copenhagen, team-mate Lars Jacobsen offers plenty creativity and is available for 4.0, while Juventus’ Stephan Lichsteiner, at 5.5, is likely to afford us an out of position option on the right of a five-man midfield.

At 4.5, Maxi Pereira’s right-back raids could prove profitable for Benfica. Bram Nuytinck is one of a quartet of Anderlecht defenders at 4.0 and has notched once in the league so far, left-back Jose Holebas (4.0) offers potential going forward for Olympiacos and Maxwell, at 5.5, is the cheapest of the secure picks at the back for PSG, with Thiago Silva setting you back a hefty 7.0.

Vasili Berezutski is a cut-price option at CSKA Moscow – the centre-half comes in at just 4.0 – though left-back Georgi Schennikov is 0.5 more expensive and has already supplied a pair of assists this term. Jerome Boateng looks decent value for Bayern at 5.5, with Philipp Lahm offering a more explosive option at 7.0, while Pablo Zabaleta, at 6.0, looks the best on offer at City. Viktoria Plzen centre-back Václav Procházka is available for 4.0, has played every league game so far, and has chipped in with a goal and assist.

Schalke right-back Atsuto Uchida is available for 4.0 and looks nailed on for the German side. Iasmin Latovlevici (4.5) has supplied a goal and pair of assists so far this term but is costlier than Steaua Bucharest team-mate Florin Gardos (4.0). Basel’s Fabian Schar (4.5) has scored twice in seven games this term and has penalty duties, though Kay Voser is nailed-on and comes in at 4.0 for the Swiss outfit. Elsewhere in Group E, Chelsea’s main men are all around 6.0, with David Luiz perhaps edging it for goal threat.

In Group F, Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny offers the guarantee of starts at 5.0. Lucas Mendes (4.0) has notched twice in five games for Marseille, while Raul Albiol, at 5.5, is one of the most secure optiosn on offer under Rafa Benitez at Napoli. German league leaders Dortmund have the foraging left-back Marcel Schmelzer at 6.5, though Neven Subotic is a little more budget-friendly at 6.0.

Moving onto Group G and for Porto, left-back Alex Sandro (5.0) is a secure starter, while Manuel Ortlechtner (3.5) and Markus Suttner (4.0) have started every league match for Austria Vienna so far, with the latter a little more attacking at left-back. Zenit centre-back Neto has played more minutes than any defensive team-mat and is priced at just 4.0, while Juanfran (5.0) is the cheapest of Atletico Madrid’s defensive regulars.

For Group H, Philippe Mexes and Cristian Zapata (5.5) are the only two defenders to play all three games for Milan so far. Celtic’s Efe Ambrose is a mere 3.5, while an injury to Jordi Alba affords Fantasy managers a short-term punt on Adriano – the Barcelona left-back is available for 4.0, though Dani Alves, at 7.0, offers greater security and plenty offensive threat. Ajax’s Ricardo Van Rhijn is priced at 4.0 and has already notched in the Dutch league this term.

Midfielders

For some of the cut-price choices in defence, game time is a deciding factor whereas further up the field, form is key to our selections. We go through the groups and analyse those players who have been quick out the blocks so far this term.

Looking at the Group A options, United’s midfield have done little to merit a second thought thus far but Leverkusen’s Sidney Sam is certainly one to consider. Priced at just 5.0, the right winger has produced four goals and a pair of assists in five league appearances. Real Sociedad’s Xabi Prieto has notched a goal and assist so far and sets you back 6.0, while Shakhtar offer a trio of mid-price alternatives. Darijo Srna (6.0) has two goals and a pair of assists over eight league games, while Douglas Costa (6.0) and Fred (5.0) have each scored twice.

In Group B, Galatasaray will be relying on the talents of 8.5 priced Wesley Sneijder, while over at the Bernabeu, Isco looks a far greater value option than fellow Real Madrid new boy Gareth Bale, who will take up 12.0 of your budget. Juventus’ 8.5 priced Arturo Vidal has already notched three times in three games and with spot-kicks also part of his repertoire, looks a better option than the similarly-priced Andrea Pirlo for the Italians.

Anderlecht’s Guillaume Gillett has impressed with two goals and a couple of assists but, while his price (5.0) is more than kind, he has been fielded at right-back this season. Team-mate Sacha Kljestan, costing 5.5, has netted four times so far, though Massimo Bruno looks the best value here – at just 4.0, he has already produced five goals for the Belgian outfit. Olympiakos right winger David Fuster (4.5) has a goal and three assists to his name but has started only one of three league games thus far, while PSG big-money buys Javier Pastore (10.0) and Lucas (6.0) have failed to impress so far this season.

Both Bayern and City offer us several options in the midfield from Group D. For the defending champions, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have both notched twice – at 11.0 apiece they are far from cheap, though 7.0 priced Toni Kroos has earned more game time than any midfielder under Pep Guardiola thus far. With David Silva injured, Yaya Toure, at 9.5, will be hoping to continue his impressive domestic form, though 8.0 priced Jesus Navas may be an alternative.

Alan Dzagoev has been handed the most game time of any CSKA Moscow midfielder this term and is the obvious big name but with a single assist in eight matches, the 7.5 priced midfielder could be one to avoid. While Daniel Kolar (4.0) has been Viktoria Plzen’s highest scoring midfielder, his game time is far from guaranteed, leaving Tomas Horava as the better bet here. Similarly-priced, he is one of only two outfield players to manage every minute in the league so far.

Jose Mourinho’s rotation policy has already shown us it’s a high-risk policy to opt for any Chelsea attacking options and many managers will be happy to avoid the Blues, having already been stung domestically. Schalke’s Jefferson Farfan is a decent mid-price option amongst the Group E midfielders – costing 6.5, he’s produced a goal and pair of assists in four Bundesliga games so far, while 6.0 priced Mohamed Salah has played every league match for Basel and has registered a goal and a pair of assists in seven appearances.

Arsenal offer us some real in-form options in Aaron Ramsey, at 6.0, and Mesut Ozil at 9.5, while Jack Wilshere should retain his place on the left of the attacking midfield three due to Santi Cazorla’s injury and comes in at 7.0. For Marseille, Dmitri Payet has scored three times in five Ligue 1 fixtures and, at 5.5, is more budget-friendly than 7.0 priced team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, who has a couple of assists to date. Marek Hamsik has grabbed four goals for Napoli under Rafa Benitez and comes in at 8.5 for the Serie A leaders. Marco Reus (10.5) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (9.0) have both been key to Dortmund’s ascent to the top of the Bundesliga, with two and three goals respectively.

In Group G, Porto’s Josue looks a real cut-price option. At just 4.5, he’s produced two goals and a pair of assists already and offers a far cheaper route than the more obvious Lucho Gonzalez at 7.0. Spanish league leaders Atletico Madrid hand us a trio of mid-price options worth considering. Raul Garcia (7.0) and Koke (5.5) have two goals apiece, while Arda Turan (7.5) has managed a goal and pair of assists for Diego Simeone’s side. Zenit’s Roman Shirokov (6.5) has impressed with two goals and four assists and, while Austria Vienna’s Daniel Royer (4.0) has delivered two goals and three assists from seven matches, he’s less guaranteed to start than 5.0 priced Alexander Grunwald, who has also scored twice.

Onto the final group now and Kaka’s (8.0) return to Milan last less than 70 minutes before he sustained a thigh injury at the weekend. Andrea Poli has a goal and assist in Serie A so far and comes in at just 5.5, while Celtic’s spot-kick taker Kris Commons will set you back a similar amount and has notched twice this term. Ajax skipper Siem De Jong (5.5) looked the best option in light of Christian Eriksen’s departure but he’s been ruled out with pneumonia, leaving us with Barcelona’s premium priced trio Xavi (11.0), Andre Iniesta (10.0) and Cesc Fabregas (9.5) – the latter has produced four assists already this term.

Forwards

Back after a recent head injury, Wayne Rooney presents a definite alternative to Robin Van Persie up top for United. Priced at 10.5 and 12.5 respectively, the downside is, of course, how to free up budget if Messi and Ronaldo are also part of our three-man frontlines. Leverkusen’s Stefan Kießling was top scorer in the Bundesliga last term and has continued to impress, with four goals and three assists to his name so far – at 9.0, he’s a real in-form option. Ex-Arsenal man Carlos Vela (8.0) has already produced two goals and an assist for Real Sociedad, though Shakhtar’s Luiz Adriano, at just 7.0, has already racked up five goals and an assist this term.

Coming in at just 7.5, Didier Drogba is far kinder on the budget that Galatasaray team-mate Burak Yilmaz, who will set you back 10.5 by comparison. As mentioned earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo, at 13.0, is the joint most expensive player in the game, but he offers a far greater captaincy potential than Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema (11.5). Carlos Tevez has hit the ground running at Juventus and, with two goals in three appearances, has scored more than any other forward for the “Old Lady” – the former City striker comes in at 10.5 this time round.

Benfica’s Lima has a goal and assist to his name in three matches and, at 5.5, is far cheaper than team-mate Oscar Cardozo, though the latter has spot-kicks to fall back upon. Anderlecht’s Matias Suarez, at a mere 5.0, has been in superb form and registered six goals and six assists in just seven matches. Olympiakos pair Javier Saviola (6.5) and Konstantinos Mitroglou (6.0) have scored two and three times respectively this term but neither have started all three of their side’s league games. PSG have Zlatan Ibrahimovic,(12.5) Edinson Cavani (10.5) and Ezequiel Lavezzi (10.0) all vying for our attention, though the Swede has played a part in more goals so far, with a strike and three assists to his name.

From Group D, Mario Mandzukic looks a better option than fellow Bayern man Thomas Muller – the former is slightly more expensive at 11.5 to 11.0 but has notched three times already in the league, while Muller has produced a pair of assists by comparison. Sergio Aguero was rested to the bench at the weekend and looks set for a recall – at 12.0 he’s the priciest option for City and rotation hitting hard under Manuel Pellegrini, many may choose to steer clear. Plzen seem to have utilised plenty of frontmen in the league already but Tomas Wagner, at 4.0, has produced three league goals from seven appearances. Arguably the best value option from Group D is CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa – coming in at 5.5, he has notched five times in eight league matches, while team-mate Seydou Doumbia is a little dearer at 6.5; he also seems a good shout with four goals to his name but hasn’t been as reliable in terms of game time.

With little security offered by Chelsea and the likes of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar injured for Schalke, there’s little standout options amongst the Group E pool of forwards. Steaua Bucharest’s Adrian Popa is the only forward to start all five league games so far and has registered two goals and a pair of assists – at 5.5, he could be one to monitor. Basel’s Marco Streller comes in at the same price and has produced four goals and a couple of assists in five matches.

Gunners duo Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott both look decent value – providing the former can shake off the knee knock that forced him off towards the end of Saturday’s win at Sunderland, a price of 9.0 seems very kind, given his superb form. Walcott, at 8.5, has been unlucky not to find the net so far and offers a viable alternative to his free-scoring team-mate. At 7.0, Marseille’s Andre-Pierre Gignac has three goals in five league games so far and, while Gonzalo Higuain (10.5) is the obvious target up top for Napoli, Jose Maria Callejon is available for just 6.5 and has already scored three times in Serie A. Robert Lewandowski, at 12.0, has already racked up four goals and a pair of assists for last year’s runners-up Dortmund, though team-mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has produced five goals and two assists and is available for just 8.5.

Amongst the Group G options is Porto’s Jackson Martinez. At 8.0, he’s already produced three goals and an assist in the league, though team-mate Lica is every bit as nailed-on and has a goal and assist to date. La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid have David Villa and Diego Costa to thank for their lofty domestic position – at 9.0 apiece, the duo have netted two and four times respectively, though the latter is suspended for the first two matches. Russian outfit Zenit have a trio of frontline options – Hulk (9.0) and Aleksandr Kerzhakov (8.0) have been kept in the shade by the displays of Danny so far; the latter, at 7.5, has produced six goals and two assists in the league. Marko Stankovic is Austria Vienna’s top scorer with six goals and an assist in eight games and comes in at just 5.0.

Last but by no means least, Lionel Messi (13.0) has six goals accrued in four games for Barcelona already. Neymar, at 12.0, looks a little unfriendly on the budget by comparison, though Alexis Sanchez comes in at 9.5 and could appeal to those thinking of doubling pu on the Spanish outfit. Back in Serie A following a move from Man City, Mario Balotelli has registered two goals and an assist in three league matches and with penalty duties also on hand, his 10.0 price tag gives him the edge over Robinho (9.0). Ajax forward Kolbeinn Sigthorsson has grabbed three goals so far and at 7.0, looks a better bet for goals than former Barca star Bojan Krkic (7.5), who has a trio of assists by comparison. Celtic’s Anthony Stokes has already racked up four goals and an assist in four appearances and comes in at 5.5 if you fancy a real punt on Neil Lennon’s side.

Finally, for those playing the official game, just a heads-up that we’ve set up the official Fantasy Football Scout league – the code to join is 1209685-489925.