Our in-house expert FPL Reactions (aka Louis) picks out the most appealing assets of Matchday 6 of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy.
It’s the Champions League version of our Scout Picks, done on a €100m budget.
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 6
GOALKEEPERS
Inter go into their final group game needing a win to claim first place. This could muster enough motivation for manager Simone Inzaghi to return number one Yann Sommer (€4.5m) to the starting XI. With a match at home, Sommer’s odds of keeping a clean sheet only get better.
Backing Sommer up this week is Barcelona’s Inaki Pena (€4m). Pena will step into the number one role whilst Marc Ter Stegen recovers from his injury. At just €4m and playing against Antwerp it seems the game has provided us with one last goalkeeper gift before the round of 16.
DEFENDERS
There aren’t many full-backs/wing-backs in Europe as exciting as Federico Dimarco (€5.4m) this season. The Italian international has managed a huge eight attacking returns in 2023/24 already. Although frustrating through the groups due to rotation and injuries at the back, the importance of this game could mean a return for one of the most dangerous defenders in Europe.
Another Italian side that needs a result this week are Napoli. They have a meeting with Braga, one of the worst sides in the group. Napoli play at home so the opportunity to keep a clean sheet is there. However, Giovanni Di Lorenzo (€5.5m) offers much more than that. In fact, in all competitions this season, the Italian has registered eight goals/assists for club and country so far.
Another defender with plenty of attacking threat is Joao Cancelo (€6m). Cancelo seems to be settling in at Barcelona and we can see that with his recent performances. In his latest European match, Cancelo bagged a goal, an assist and a player of the match award to claim a huge 14 points. Cancelo has both clean sheet and attacking potential against a poor Antwerp side.
The lack of convincing options, mainly for teams who still have something to play for could lead us to take some risks. One of those risks is full-back David Raum (€4.8m). Although Leipzig may not have anything to play for neither do their opposition Crvena Zvezda. If the German starts he could have massive potential. Raum takes his sides corners which boosts his overall appeal but he has also collected three goals and five assists this campaign. What is interesting is that Raum banked a cool 13 points in the reverse fixture against Crvena Zvezda due to his goal scored and player of the match award.
Completing the defence is Rico Lewis (€4.8m). The youngster has been a key figure in the Champions Leagues so far for Manchester City and started all four of his side’s last UCL matches. Lewis loves to advance forward during games which boosts his overall haul potential for Young Boys.
MIDFIELDERS
Porto won their first meeting against Shakhtar Donetsk which means that a win or draw will be enough to secure qualification to the last-16. Shakhtar must win which could indicate plenty of space left in behind for a Porto attacker to exploit. The standout midfielder is Galeno (€6.8m) who claimed a mammoth 19 points in the reverse fixture.
Another frontline that could take advantage of a desperate side are Salzburg. Benfica lay ahead for the Austrian Champions and they need to win by two goals to progress. Benfica will have to go all out to win which could mean Salzburg utilise their counter-attacking capabilities to hurt the Portuguese side. One player who can do that is 19-year-old Oscar Gloukh (€5.1m) who seems to be catching the eye of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Gloukh plays just behind the striker, has scored two goals in four UCL matches and picked up two goals and an assist in his last three league matches.
Galatasaray have to beat Copenhagen to claim second place in the group. With doubt looming over some of their attackers in terms of game time this week it could mean Kerem Akturkoglu (€6m) takes the spotlight. Akturkoglu has managed four goals and five assists in just 15 league matches and two goals in his current Champions League campaign.
Whether you think Jude Bellingham (€7.9m) will be rested or not, going without the highest-owned player in the game is a massive risk. Bellingham has produced a whopping 12 goals and two assists from 14 La Liga matches so far and three double-digit hauls in just four UCL games. He also faces a very poor Union Berlin next.
Completing the midfield is Leandro Trossard (€7.6m). UCL Fantasy managers will have access to the Arsenal line-up before the deadline which will be huge for strategy. Trossard is very likely to start the game and he has already proven efficient in terms of output with the game time he has been given. In fact, Trossard scored in both Matchday 1 and Matchday 4 of the Champions League. This is a pointless game for both Arsenal and PSV but the Belgian will want to prove his worth as ever.
FORWARDS
The game between Bayern and Manchester United may seem like a pointless one for the German side but they were recently dismantled 5-1 by a lesser team in the Bundesliga. Bayern and manager Tuchel will be hoping to bounce back from their recent league embarrassment and we have already heard strong murmurs that Harry Kane (€10.1m) will start the game. Kane has managed six attacking returns in just five Champions League matches and two of them came against upcoming opponents Manchester United in Matchday 1.
PSG have to win in Germany to ensure they go through to the round of 16. Because of that relying on their standout attacker and one of the best players in the world could be hugely beneficial. Kylian Mbappe (€11.5m) could be a very easy inclusion with the recent injury picked up by Erling Haaland. The Frenchman had produced a huge 15 goals and two assists in just 14 league matches. Similar to all of our other striker picks Mbappe also takes his side’s penalties.
Our next pick has absolutely nothing to play for but Feyenoord v Celtic could be a fixture that is too hard to ignore. The Scottish Champions sit rock bottom of the group due to poor performances but they have also shipped a a massive 14 goals so far in the UCL which highlights them as a team to target. The focal point of the Feyenoord attack is 22-year-old Santiago Gimenez (€7.6m). Gimenez is becoming the real deal and one that won’t take long to join an even bigger European side. His fantastic output consists of a colossal 18 goals and three assists in just 15 League matches this season with an additional two Champions League goals in three matches played.
CAPTAINCY
For those looking to play conservatively, Harry Kane is the stand-out captaincy option for Tuesday. Kane has been one of the most consistent attackers in Europe this season and Manchester United have conceded more goals than other sides in their group so far.
For those chasing rank and competition then there are some great alternative options for the armband. One of those options is Jude Bellingham for Real Madrid who has also been extremely explosive in the Champions League so far. Other great captaincy options could include Galatasaray striker Mauro Icardi (€9m) who has banked 17 goal contributions in 15 league matches and takes penalties.
On Wednesday the options get a bit more limited for captaincy but Santiago Gimenez stands out along with Kylian Mbappe.
UCL FANTASY MATCHDAY 6 PICKS
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