Champions League 2014/15 – Fantasy iTeam Matchday 9 Picks

We’re now just a few hours away from the start of this season’s Champions League quarter-finals. Once again, we assess the Fantasy iTeam (FiT) Player Price List and assess some of the form players on offer ahead of Matchday 9’s deadline.

A free Fantasy football app, FiT is available on a number of mobile devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android. Fantasy managers have until 10 minutes before the first kick-off in any given Matchday to make any final alterations to their starting XIs – this evening, then, that deadline is 7.35pm, ahead of Atletico and Real’s Madrid derby and Juventus’ home encounter with Arsenal’s conquerors, Monaco.

We’re supporting FiT throughout the competition and have an official Fantasy Football Scout League, with an iPad mini available to the winner. There’s also a VIP European Match Day Experience for two on offer for the overall winner of the Fantasy iTeam Champions League game.

Tuesday April 14

After scoring three goals in his last four outings, Antoine Griezmann now sits third top scorer in La Liga with 18 strikes to his name – only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have netted more. The Champions League has been a less fruitful endeavour for the France international – with two goals in seven encounters – yet his current form and Rojiblancos’ recent success against Real Madrid (a home win and away draw this term) render the 7.7-priced forward an enticing option for their quarter-final clash.

Beyond the obvious selection of Ronaldo (seven goals in last three starts), Karim Benzema (10.7) remains a strong route into Los Blancos’ frightening forward line for the Madrid derby. Among the players still left in the competition, only Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (eight each) have netted more than the Frenchman’s six. In his four most recent league starts, Benzema has notched two goals and assist and served as the perfect foil to his free-scoring Portuguese team-mate.

With four goals in his previous five starts in all competitions – including a brace against Borussia Dortmund in Juventus’ last Champions League outing – Carlos Tevez is the prime pick for The Old Lady’s head-to-head with Monaco. The Argentine leads the Serie A scoring charts (17 goals) and ranks third in the Champions League equivalent, yet can be snapped up for a relatively affordable 9.6. Locking horns with a Ligue 1 outfit that were comprehensively outclassed in their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the last round, Tevez is more than capable of troubling the scoresheet.

Priced at 4.5, Monaco’s Anthony Martial is a budget forward bursting with potential. The 19-year-old phenomenon has been unstoppable of late, registering six goals in five outings for the Ligue 1 club. Martial scored in every one of those fixtures and will be in jubilant spirits when he lines up on the left wing for Monaco’s trip to Turin. That being said, the fact that Juventus have recorded clean sheets in their last seven fixtures in all competitions makes him a left-field choice.

Wednesday April 15

Ricardo Quaresma (5.3) – who boasts three goals in his last two starts – is Porto’s form man ahead of their home leg against Bayern Munich. The Portuguese side face a tough task overhauling a Munich outfit that’s scored 15 and conceded two in their previous six matches in all competitions but Porto will be confident in scoring, having tallied eight in their last two matches. Quaresma played a bit-part role in their two-legged victory over Basel – clocking just 42 minutes of pitch time – but will surely be handed a start in light of his recent attacking returns.

Considering Munich have recorded clean sheets in all but one of their last six matches, their rearguard is certainly encouraging investment. Nonetheless, Robert Lewandowski’s five-goal haul in as many matches is too alluring to ignore. The Polish frontman will set you back a hefty 10.6 (0.8 more than Luis Suarez) but is undoubtedly in the midst of his best form since joining the Bundesliga champions, with nine strikes in their last eight league clashes.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, Edison Cavani (8.9) will shoulder the responsibility of breaching Barcelona’s formidable defence. The Uruguayan is more than up to the challenge, though, having bagged a brace last time out against Bastia and netted six goals in this Champions League so far this campaign. Cavani is priced well below the going rate of a top-tier forward in the FiT league, freeing up funds for managers to bolster other areas of their squads.

Luis Suarez still looks a steal at a price of 9.8. The ex-Liverpool forward scored both goals in Barcelona’s first leg against Manchester City and looks well placed to test Salvatore Sirigu at the Parc des Princes, having recorded three goals in his last four starts for the Catalan club. Further strengthening Suarez’s case for inclusion, PSG have only shut out their opposition in one of their previous seven encounters in all competitions, shipping 11 goals in the process.

FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT LEAGUE

We’ve already set up an official Fantasy Football Scout league for you to join, with an iPad mini on offer to the winner – the league name is Fantasy Football Scout and the pin is 11155.