Our in-house expert FPL Reactions (aka Louis) picks out the most appealing assets of Matchday 5 of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy.
It’s the Champions League version of our Scout Picks, done on a €100m budget.
But if you’re playing a chip this week, make sure to check out our best UCL Fantasy Wildcard + Limitless teams for Matchday 5. If you’re new to the game or need reminding of the rules, check out our ‘how to play’ guide below.
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UCL FANTASY MATCHDAY 5
GOALKEEPERS
Goalkeepers continue to disappoint this season so investing as little as possible between the sticks could be a wise move.
With that in mind, Dmytro Riznyk (€4.0m) could be a savvy pick, while not eating up much of your budget. Shakhtar Donetsk play in the early kick-off on Tuesday, which means we have the ability to both check the line-ups before the deadline and sub Riznyk out on Wednesday if he fails to deliver.
On Wednesday, Inter have a meeting with a Benfica side who have failed to find the net in three of their first four matches. Because of that and the fact he is very likely to avoid rotation, Yann Sommer (€4.5m) is the go-to goalkeeper.
Defenders
Lazio have a great home match against rock-bottom Celtic this week. The Italian side have kept three consecutive clean sheets at home so offer plenty of clean sheet potential. With Nicolo Casale (€4.4m) out due to injury, team-mate and fellow centre-back Patric (€4.0m) will replace him in the starting line-up and could be a shrewd inclusion.
Another route into an Inter side who have managed eight Serie A clean sheets this season is Matteo Darmian (€4.3m). With Denzel Dumfries (€5.5m) expected to be rotated, Darmian is very likely to fill in at wing-back.
Arsenal are a superior team when they play at home, which is where they face Lens this week. In fact, both of the Gunners’ clean sheets in the Champions League this season have come in north London. With that in mind, centre-back William Saliba (€5.5m) could be a great addition. The Frenchman is key to the Arsenal backline so rotation is very unlikely. Saliba also scored in a recent Premier League match, so he does have some offensive potential.
Barcelona have slipped a little in terms of defensive form but the team they face this week, Porto, are the team they kept a clean sheet against in Matchday 2. This time the Spanish side play at home, a venue they are considerably stronger at. Joao Cancelo (€6.0m) still remains a great option. The Portuguese full-back has already banked five goal contributions this season in all competitions, so he has plenty of attacking potential even if the shut-out doesn’t stick.
Real Sociedad have proved to be one of the best value-for-money teams in the whole competition so far this season. They have a match against a poor Salzburg next, so investing in their cheap backline could be a nice play. Aihen Munoz (€4.7m) is the standout Sociedad defender. Not only has Munoz produced 23 ball recoveries in the last three matches but he also goes into the new round off the back of three consecutive returns.
Midfielders
Feyenoord are another side who have a strong home record so far. Both of their wins have come in front of their own fans, racking up five goals in the process. One of the best routes into the frontline is Calvin Stengs (€6.2m) – and both of his returns have come at home, as well. Steng netted a hat-trick for the Netherlands in one of their most recent qualifiers.
Manchester United have conceded more goals than any other side in their group. The Reds next face a team who beat them 3-2 in the reverse fixture. On the scoresheet then was Wilfried Zaha (€7.5m), who is very familiar when it comes to scoring against English sides. In terms of recent form, he’s bagged four goals and one assist in his last four matches in all competitions.
Arsenal aren’t just defensively stronger at home but they have also netted six goals in just two matches. Their standout attacker is, of course, Bukayo Saka (€9.6m). Playing at home is a huge boost to Saka’s appeal this week as he’s managed two double-digit hauls at the Emirates in the Champions League so far. Saka also takes his side’s penalties, which makes him a solid captaincy option this week.
Georgiy Sudakov (€6.5m) is attracting the interest of some of the biggest clubs in Europe due to his performances this season. Not only has the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder solidified his position in his national side but he’s also picked up back-to-back returns in the Champions League. Sudokov comes up against an Antwerp side who have conceded a massive 16 goals so far – that is an average of four goals shipped per game.
The Real Sociedad attack could be one of the most profitable to invest in this week. One of the best enablers in the game this season is winger Ander Barrenetxia (€4.5m), who has started all of his side’s Champions League matches so far and also collected a return in both of his last two appearances in the competition.
Forwards
There is no escaping the potential of the premium strikers this week. One of those is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (€11.5m), who has racked up a massive 18 goals in both the Premier League and Champions League so far. Manchester City have scored three goals in all of their four UCL matches, so Haaland feels like an absolute must going into Matchday 5.
Kylian Mbappe (€11.5m) is another player who we should not ignore this week. PSG play at home this time out, and they perform much better on their own turf. They also face a Newcastle United side hampered by key player injuries. Both of Mbappe’s returns came at home in the Champions League and with 26 attacking returns already this season for club and country, he’s one of the most in-form attackers going into the new round.
Bayern have qualified through to the latter stages of the competition but rumours continue to circulate that main man Harry Kane (€10.0m) is nevertheless going to start the game against Copenhagen. Kane has settled into life in Germany like a duck to water, scoring a massive 18 Bundesliga goals already. It’s also worth highlighting that Kane has banked two returns in three of his four UCL matches.
Captaincy
The standout captaincy option for Tuesday is Erling Haaland. Manchester City face Leipzig, who are struggling to keep clean sheets this season. Another reason to back Haaland for the captaincy is his recent form: in his last six club matches, Haaland has amassed a whopping nine goals and two assists.
For those looking to go different then the obvious choice would be Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman has accumulated more goal contributions than most in Europe and he also takes penalties, which should be factored in.
Wednesday is also very clear in terms of captaincy. Harry Kane is without a doubt the best asset to take up the armband. Kane is in relentless form in both the Bundesliga and Champions League so backing against him could be a huge risk. For those who still want to look elsewhere, then Bukayo Saka could be a fantastic captaincy pick. His home form, and possible penalty-taking duties, mean he has huge potential going into a game against a Lens side who have been poor away from home recently.
