Portugal become the first side to pick up a clean sheet against defending champions Spain but the inability of Paulo Bento’s side to find the net ultimately proves costly. The goalless draw is kind to Fantasy managers who invested heavily in either side’s backline but Cristiano Ronaldo’s owners are left frustrated after a two point return sees his tournament end in a whimper:
Spain 0 Portugal 0
Vicente Del Bosque made just one change to Spain’s lineup for last night’s match, with Alvaro Negredo replacing Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the front three. Del Bosque’s side may have failed to find the net but their defence, once again, smiled kindly on Fantasy managers by returning a fourth clean sheet in succession.
Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique and Alvaro Arbeloa all earned an extra point for recovered balls but the latter’s yellow card meant the former two were the top points scorers for Del Bosque’s side with a seven point haul apiece. Indeed, the Spain back-four and keeper are the top scoring players in the McDonald’s game, with Alba leading the way on 32 points; keeping faith in their backline looks a strong tactic ahead of Sunday’s final, then, with their ability to pick up points showing no sign of abating.
While the option to select up to 12 players from a single team is available for the final, Spain’s attacking assets looks far less tempting. The Spaniards managed a mere four shots on target over the entire 120 minutes, with no player managing more than one. In terms of creativity, Xavi was the stand out performer, providing three goalscoring opportunities, but the 9.5 priced midfielder has returned just 15 points over his five games, with no attacking returns to his name to date.
Andres Iniesta was the chief goal threat with four attempts but he has bettered Xavi’s score by just two points so far, with neither of the Barcelona pair looking particularly enticing. Although there’s uncertainty surrounding the central forward role, Sunday’s 7.30pm deadline means Fantasy managers will be afforded the chance to view Del Bosque’s XI for the showdown with either Germany or Italy, handing us time to tinker with our squads before the final gets under way.
Portugal’s one alteration was enforced, with Paulo Bento handing Hugo Almeida a start as the lone forward due to Helder Postiga’s hamstring injury. While their previous three games had helped rack up six goals, it’s telling that their first and last games – against Germany and Spain – proved a step too far in terms of breaking down their opponents’ rearguard. Cristiano Ronaldo had plenty opportunities, though; the forward managed seven shots but failed to hit the target with any of his efforts – indeed, every one of Portugal’s eleven shots were wayward.
A clean sheet and an extra point for recovered balls helped Pepe end the tournament as his nation’s top scorer in the McDonald’s game on 27 points, with Ronaldo next best on 22. Bearing in mind the latter was the most popular player in the game with over 40% ownership, plenty of Fantasy managers will have budget to splash elsewhere now, given his 11.0 price tag.
11 years, 10 months ago.