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Guest writer MDJ returns to look at the unlikely heroes who have scored highly in the Sorare Academy game.
Remember, there are now 15 chances to win a real Sorare card every week with this free-to-play game – don’t miss the 11am Friday deadline for your latest opportunity.
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4,950 of you entered the free-to-play Sorare Academy last weekend. Remember, it takes only a couple of minutes to enter and you can win a Sorare card, completely for free!
Last gameweek
Last weekend was closely fought. Emerging victorious, just a few points clear of the chasing pack, was manager freetipscout.com, with their team Underdog Utd.
This is probably the only time you’ll see a team called ‘Underdog Utd’ including players of such calibre as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who scored 97 and 100 respectively. Putting the captain’s armband on Haaland was a masterstroke and made the difference in the end.
The other players scored well too, particularly Nico Schlotterbeck, who featured in several of our winning teams this weekend.
Surprise heroes
As we head towards the end of the European season, I thought it might be good to take a look at some of the ‘surprise heroes’ of the year. These are the players that came out of the shadows this season to score higher than anyone might have predicted.
It makes sense to start with Nico Schlotterbeck, the SC Freiburg defender who formed part of this week’s winning team. His impressive form this season attracted the eye of Dortmund scouts so he’ll be lining up with Haaland next season – if the Norwegian doesn’t depart for pastures new, of course.
Schlotterbeck plays as a centre-back, usually on the outside of a back three. His high scores are largely due to his all-around play, particularly duels and accurate passes, although he occasionally chips in with a goal or an assist too.
Ex-Chelsea player Fikayo Tomori is another centre-back who has had a better-than-expected season, particularly in the later stages. His high scores come purely from his all-around play, particularly his duels and defensive actions. If he can add a few goals and assists next year, he could be a real gem. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
Christopher Nkunku has always shown the potential to hit high scores but this season has been his most consistent so far, making him close to a ‘must have’ for your Sorare team. He’s currently fifth in the race for the Bundesliga Golden Boot, with 18 goals and 13 assists so far – a huge improvement on last year.
Bear in mind that he can be a bit of an ‘all or nothing player’ and does need those decisive actions to hit the highest scores, as his all-around play isn’t generally so good. But when you’re scoring as consistently as he is, that’s less of an issue!
Benjamin Bourigeaud has always been a consistent scorer but this season he’s added explosive scores to his game, putting him firmly in the top tier of players you want in your Sorare line-up. His average score over the last 15 games is 65 points – one of the best in the game.
The key difference this year is his attacking output, which has doubled compared to last season, with nine goals and 11 assists so far. He’s also Rennes’ main free-kick taker, which is an extra bonus.
Sticking with Rennes, Martin Terrier is having the season of his life, with 21 goals so far in this campaign. As you’d expect, his high Sorare scores are mainly due to his goals but, when you dig into it a little, he’s actually consistently adding another 10-20 points per game from his all-around attacking play, giving him an average of 74 points over the last five games, and 68 over the last 15. If he can keep up this sort of form, he could become the complete forward, certainly in Sorare terms.
Favourable fixtures this weekend
As well as looking at past performances and current form, it’s important to consider fixtures when picking your team.
Some of the softer fixtures this weekend fall to the big teams in the game.
Inter are still in contention for the Scudetto and are at home to Empoli, who have little left to play for.
Lyon are battling for a European place and are away to Metz, who are all but relegated.
Closer to home, Manchester City and Liverpool have a lot to play for too, but rotation might be an issue after their European encounters midweek, so approach with caution.
Also be a little wary of Bayern Munich, up against relegation strugglers Stuttgart. On paper, this should be a walkover, but Bayern have wrapped up the title so are their players already on the beach?
There is plenty to think about as we head into the weekend. Don’t forget to enter your teams before the 11am Friday deadline!
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