Euro 2024

Euro 2024 Fantasy: Guehi ban + the Spain minutes issue

England and Spain became the next two nations to make it through to the European Championship quarter-finals with wins on Sunday.

We’ve got the key Euro 2024 Fantasy notes from both of the day’s last-16 ties here.

GUEHI SHINES AGAIN – BUT WILL MISS THE QUARTERS

Marc Guehi (€4.6m) is now the leading points scorer among defenders in Euro Fantasy.

We’re accustomed to his ball recoveries (he banked another three points from those on Sunday) but his flick-on for Jude Bellingham‘s (€9.5m) dramatic late leveller also gained him an assist, maintaining his average of 7.0 points per match at this summer’s tournament.

However, he’s now banned for Matchday 5.

An early yellow card against Slovakia, his second of the tournament, rules him out for the Switzerland game.

He’ll be back for the semis, should England progress that far, so some of his owners may opt to ‘bench’ – rather than sell – him should they be able to field a strong enough XI in the quarter-finals.

Having a non-playing member of a 15-man squad in Euro Fantasy is far less optimal than in FPL, of course, given the allowance of manual substitutes.

England might have a second defender unavailable, too, after Kieran Trippier (€6.0m) hobbled off. Further word is awaited on him.

That might pave the way for a Luke Shaw (€5.0m) start, provided he can prove his fitness over the next week.

“Yeah, I think that’s got a chance [to face Switzerland]. I mean, we could have put him on, but he has done so little full team training that would been a huge risk.

“A bit more training and a little bit more evidence for us of the level he is at would be helpful.” – Gareth Southgate on Luke Shaw

ENGLAND DIRE AGAIN

England’s extra-time win couldn’t mask another awful showing from the Three Lions.

Looking vulnerable to breaks at the back and, more frustratingly, utterly devoid of any attacking inspiration, it was only a moment of magic from Bellingham that spared the blushes.

He and match-winner Harry Kane (€11.0m) were among those serving up poor individual displays. Both were too static for the most part.

One major advantage they have as Fantasy picks is Southgate’s faith. Were they Spain attackers (more of which below), they may have been hauled off on the hour mark.

But the England boss has been reluctant to take them off early, let alone bench them. Only once, when Kane was subbed off against Denmark, has either player lasted less than 86 minutes in a match.

Here they both got 105 minutes, that manager’s trust allowing them to salvage late returns from dire displays. There’s a lot to be said for ‘xMins’ in Fantasy.

For all the impact of Ivan Toney (€6.5m), Eberechi Eze (€5.4m) and Cole Palmer (€7.4m) as substitutes on Sunday, you can bet your bottom dollar that Bellingham and Kane will be in the starting XI – and getting lots of minutes – next weekend.

The prevailing feeling after this match was not over which England players to bring in for Matchday 5, however. The Three Lions, without a single shot on target until Bellingham scored, look there for the taking by any above-average side. Switzerland, on this evidence, seem like the team to back in Euro Fantasy.

THE SPAIN GAME-TIME CONUNDRUM

In the blurb for this week’s Scout Picks, we wrote of our Spanish midfield double-up:

“The minutes are a slight concern… but the hope here is that plenty of damage has been done by the midway point of the second half.”

The risk paid off with Neco Williams (€7.0m) but emphatically did not with Pedri (€7.0m).

Unlike Southgate, Luis de la Fuente is very happy to call upon his squad during matches. It’s not just players being subbed off when the game is done and dusted but also alterations being made when the result is still in the balance.

Pedri, for instance, was removed when Spain had only just moved into a 2-1 lead against Georgia. Alvaro Morata (€8.5m) got the chop with the scoreline the same. The electric wingers, Lamine Yamal (€6.5m) and Williams, unexpectedly got the full 90 minutes against Georgia, having been subbed off in both previous starts.

Here is a game-time breakdown of the first-choice front six in the tournament so far, with Pedri and Morata the biggest losers:

StartsSubbed offAvg mins per start
Rodri3188.7
Ruiz3286.7
Pedri3360.7
Williams3278.3
Yamal3282.3
Morata3370.3

The minutes risk is offset by the devasting nature of the Spain attack. You really want to be part of it, as a Fantasy manager, especially when opposition like Georgia come calling.

Fabian Ruiz (€6.5m) and Yamal both had seven shots on Sunday, the former bundling in from the latter’s cross to put Spain in front for the first time. That was one of six chances that Yamal alone created.

Even Pedri, in his limited minutes, had two shots in the box and created four opportunities for others.

Rodri (€6.5m), a curious choice for Player of the Match, had struck La Roja’s leveller. Williams and sub Dani Olmo (€7.5m) added deserved gloss to the scoreline as Georgia wilted.

Germany won’t be quite so porous as the Georgians. But Denmark posed the hosts plenty of problems in the last 16, while let’s not forget that Spain utterly dominated Italy – racking up 20 shots – earlier in the tournament.

UNLUCKY CLEAN SHEET BUST

Spain have yet to concede a goal to an opposition player at this summer’s Euros.

The underdogs took the lead on Sunday night but it instead came courtesy of a Robin Le Normand (€4.5m) own-goal.

While Georgia were game on the counter-attack, they had as many shots from inside their own half (two) as they did Spain’s.

Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte (€5.0m) and Marc Cucurella (€4.5m) at least compensated with a combined seven ball recovery points.



64 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Scratch
    • 15 Years
    4 months, 15 days ago

    Today's captaincy options: Mbappe, Ronaldo, KDB, Cancelo

    Leaning towards Cancelo for a "safe" 7 / 8 pointer
    Only have Sabitzer and VVD tomorrow

    1. GreennRed
      • 13 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Mbappe. Though I have Costa and hope you get Cancelo CS!

    2. Mother Farke
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Did Spain and England's "banker" clean sheets going yesterday not teach you anything? Mbappe or Ronaldo out of those options imo.

        1. GreennRed
          • 13 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Ronaldo hasn't done a pile yet but he's quite good at football.

      • DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
        • 8 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Ronaldo

      • ryacoo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Ronaldo

    3. melvinmbabazi
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Switch cap from Kane(6) to Mbappe yes or no??

      1. GreennRed
        • 13 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Yes.

      2. Not again Shirley
        • 8 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        No

        1. melvinmbabazi
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          to late 🙁

    4. GreennRed
      • 13 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Other than minutes, but not unrelated, is Spain's spread of attacking options. A bit like Man City you could pick one or two Spaniards in hope of attacking returns and two or three more could do the business, one of them getting MOTM. Unpredictable. Kane, Gakpo, Mbappe a bit more reliable if boring picks.

    5. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Captain:

      a) Mbappe
      b) Bruno
      c) Cancelo

      Switching it from Kane

      1. RedGunPowder
        • 13 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Karničnik

        1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          I wish I had your powers of seeing things that are apparently not visible.

      2. melvinmbabazi
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        a

      3. Flekken' Hell
        • 8 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Mbappe surely.

    6. boc610
      • 12 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Jude really lacking a bit of humility and seems to conflate criticism of men not doing football things very well with 'personal attacks'. 'Jude looks tired' isnt personal. (the beer being chucked at players and usual social media idiots notwithstanding. thats unacceptable always) .But I do hope its not the sign of things to come from him in the future when things arent going well. its not a 'pile on' .this England team has been woeful to watch. turgid, lacking in imagination , players not on the same wave length, incapable of basic things like putting the right weight on a pass. its been astonishing seeing just how bad the standards have dropped. whats most alarming is they really dont seem like a team at all. Before that worldy goal all jude did was throw his arms up in the air for 95 mins. There has been maybe 30 mins in 4 games of football where they looked decent. he cant expect people like to sit back and accept that in a major international tournament.

      1. PartyTime
        • 3 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Yes, he was rubbish before the goal. The team in general has been shite for the past 10 years or so. Football won’t come home if the media don’t stop overrating these boys but also the presence of togetherness, passion, hardwork & humility.

        They won’t win the euro 24, had they lost to Slovakia then all hell will break loose so they kinda saved themselves.

        1. boc610
          • 12 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          jude is a fantastic player and maybe already one of the best in the world but my impression is he will come out of a game thinking he gave an 8 or 9 when it was more like a 5 or 6. thats probably down to achieving so much in football very early but it could backfire if he lets it go to his head and already believes he is the finished article which he is nowhere near yet. that goal he scored was one in a million. a long throw a flick on and yes and incredible finish but to say that is some kind of response to the fans justifiably on their backs in that gme is ridiculous. it was an embarrassing performance saved by a few seconds of brilliance.

          1. x.jim.x
            • 10 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            The best players are arrogant - he just scored a worldy to keep England alive, of course he's going to think he had a good game.

          2. Tazah
            • 6 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            "he will come out of a game thinking he gave an 8 or 9 when it was more like a 5 or 6"
            its not his first football he's played, he definitely knows he didnt play well, but you cant show people and especially your opponents that youre weak, its called competition, thats why he is where he is and not sitting on a forum complaining.

        2. SM001
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          You talk some absolute tripe you know that. A WC semi final and Euro's final in recent years is shite? The media have been far less expectant in recent years then they have the last 30 years or so. And England teams under Southgate have had far more "togetherness, passion, hardwork & humility" then any other England team I can remember.

          1. PartyTime
            • 3 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Euro final at home, losing after being ahead! Or do you have a short memory?
            Bonucci & Chiellini made the english football team look mediocre.

            England has been rubbish in football over the years & they sure won’t win this euros. The truth is bitter, the media haven’t been as you described. Go home screaming it’s coming home when it isn’t.

            You sit down laughing at Scottish fans, the difference is that they went home early saving themselves further embarrassment.

            1. SM001
              • 8 Years
              4 months, 15 days ago

              I'm not British but ok.

              1. PartyTime
                • 3 Years
                4 months, 15 days ago

                wouldn’t have expected low level accomplishment to excite a Brit

          2. PartyTime
            • 3 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Ohh. They went ahead under 6 minutes in the WC semi final too, however, they still got knocked out by Croatia & you must be excited with that accomplishment, so nearly did it come home!

      2. Tazah
        • 6 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        so the guy has made it all the way to Real Madrid and possibly might win the Ballon D'or at 21....
        and youre annoyed about one of his interviews during a tournament everyone has been puttin him down in.
        Very fickle

    7. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 15 days ago

      Very approximate and non-exhaustive manual vibes-based projections of my captain options' points today. Bruno captain it is!

      Ronaldo:
      Appearance = 1.9
      Ball recoveries = 0.0
      Goal = 4.0
      Assist = 0.3
      TOTAL = 6.2

      Fernandes:
      Appearance = 2.0
      Ball recoveries = 1.2
      Clean sheet = 0.5
      Goal = 3.0
      Assist = 2.4
      TOTAL = 9.1

      Cancelo:
      Appearance = 1.9
      Ball recoveries = 1.6
      Clean sheet = 1.9
      Goal = 1.8
      Assist = 0.2
      Conceded = -0.1
      TOTAL = 7.0

      Fill it out yourself with your own projections if you wish 🙂

      1. GreennRed
        • 13 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Is 0.2 of a ball recovery a fifth hearted tackle and 0.5 a half hearted tackle? 😉

        1. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          I don't believe tackles count towards ball recoveries

          1. Mother Farke
              4 months, 15 days ago

              Keep a check on your tackles and balls.

              1. Deulofail
                • 8 Years
                4 months, 15 days ago

                Projected number of balls when I die = 1.9

      2. SpaceCadet
        • 10 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Cap?

        A. Ronaldo
        B. Mbappe
        C. Bruno
        D. Cancelo

        1. GreennRed
          • 13 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          B

        2. ryacoo
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          A

        3. F4L
          • 9 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          B

      3. leo_messi
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 months, 15 days ago

        Hi, I have only 4 Portuguese players on my bench, can I wait with the changes till the next game or I have to do it before France - Belgium kick off?? Thank you

        1. Dynamic Duos
          • 11 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          France

        2. ryacoo
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Have to do it now

        3. koppite83
          • 12 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          to quote the great Arnold, "DO IT, DO IT NOW!"

          1. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            GET DOWN!

        4. Flekken' Hell
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Gotta do it now, mate.

      4. Mother Farke
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Openda starting alongside Lukaku.

        • F4L
          • 9 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          why has kdb been moved to a deeper role, feel like Belgium going to be even more exposed than usual defensively now. lots of goals in this game then for mbappe captainers

          1. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Sticking with Kane

        • Silva Bilva Tilva Pilva
          • 6 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Mbappe or Bruno for captain?
          I keep missing every choice for captain that I do _facepalm_

          1. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Mbappe

        • Dynamic Duos
          • 11 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          9 pts is pretty difficult to beat isn't it?

          1. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Yeah 9pts is a definite stick

          2. Freshy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Got to stick on that

        • Flekken' Hell
          • 8 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          I have 3 Austrian players on my bench and I'm fully hoping for some jammy points tomorrow.

          I just wanted to move a little away from the draft which back fired already. Didn't go with Jude and Kane. Sigh.

        • Freshy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Does the Port match feel like a big score match for Ronny to anyone else, or is it just me?
          Im twisting off Harry and have Ronny, Mbappe, KDB, Bruno and Cancelo.

          1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
            • 10 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Hope so but hope the returns will come from my Bilva punt 🙂

        • The Reptile
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Stick on Musiala 9 points or twist to Mbappe/Bruno/CR9?

          1. Freshy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Your golden

          2. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Stick

        • Dynamic Duos
          • 11 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          So who is sticking and who is twisting? From who to who?

          1. Bobby Digital
            • 7 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Sticking with Kane.

            1. Dynamic Duos
              • 11 Years
              4 months, 15 days ago

              Sticking with 6?

              1. Bobby Digital
                • 7 Years
                4 months, 15 days ago

                Yeah, don't want to be in the position tomorrow that I have to captain one of Gakpo and Sabitzer.

          2. The Mentaculus
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 3 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Made a (probably foolish) twist from Musiala to Morata so here we go again. Mbappe today

        • Bobby Digital
          • 7 Years
          4 months, 15 days ago

          Can you roll transfers in Euro Fantasy?

          1. The Mentaculus
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 3 Years
            4 months, 15 days ago

            Not the KO stages

            1. Bobby Digital
              • 7 Years
              4 months, 15 days ago

              Ok cheers