Champions League

UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy 2024/25: Best goalkeepers

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) begins next Tuesday – and so does the competition’s official Fantasy game.

We’ll have plenty of coverage on UCL Fantasy over the next few days in preparation for the big kick-off, as well as articles throughout the season.

If you’re new to the game or just need a reminder of the rules, check out our ‘how to play’ guide here.

For everything else, bookmark our UCL Fantasy 2024/25 comprehensive guide for content as it’s added.

Make sure you sign up for Premium Membership ahead of the big kick-off, too!

Our series of preview articles starts by looking at the best UCL Fantasy goalkeepers on offer.

READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 4 team news: Friday’s live injury updates


Michele Di Gregorio (€4.5m)

Given that Juventus are yet to concede a single goal in Serie A, Di Gregorio feels criminally underpriced. I predict him to be a very popular pick among UCL Fantasy managers.

Juventus’ fixtures are also pretty nice, with PSV Eindhoven, Lille and Stuttgart in the first four games.

RB Leipzig are the Old Lady’s away pot 1 opponent, which is about as favourable as you could wish for.

There’s more on Di Gregorio below in terms of a possible pairing with a premium goalkeeper.

Alisson Becker (€6.0m)

Speaking of teams who haven’t conceded yet, Liverpool have had a great start of the season under new manager Arne Slot.

It’s three clean sheets out of three for the Reds so far. It took them 10 league games to reach that tally last season.

The struggle for find an effective ‘number six’ was partly to blame in 2023/24 but Ryan Gravenberch has proven surprisingly effective in that role under Slot to date.

Their run of games consists mostly of offensive-minded teams like Leipzig and Leverkusen but Alisson’s Fantasy form is hard to ignore as things stand.

best Champions League goalkeepers

Above: Premier League teams sorted by expected goals conceded (xGC) in 2024/25

Gregor Kobel (€5.0m)

Borussia Dortmund are one of the teams with the best starting run of games.

Despite facing Real Madrid in a 2023/24 final rematch in Matchday 3, by the end of Matchday 5 they will have faced most of their pot 3 and pot 4 opponents.

Kobel is the cheapest goalkeeper from pot 1 teams alongside Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi, whose starting fixtures are way worse.

The Dortmund custodian boasted some excellent underlying numbers last season:

best Champions League goalkeepers

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (€6.0m)

Ter Stegen has got me thinking a lot. At first, he seems like a great premium pick, with Barcelona having one of the best initial runs from the pot 1 teams.

On the flip side, Barca defenders are available at cheaper prices.

But then I realised I had overlooked how well ter Stegen combines with another top pick like Di Gregorio.

I’ll explain myself: in the last few years, teams would play on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on their group, so managers already knew that if they wanted to make goalkeeper substitution, they needed a ‘keeper from both Groups A-D and E-H.

This year, the teams play across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in a non-fixed way. This means it is very hard to find viable goalkeeper pairs that do not overlap for more than three consecutive weeks.

Ter Stegen and Di Gregorio are an exception, avoiding playing on the same day until Matchday 6. If budget allows, this pairing are worth a look.

best Champions League goalkeepers

Above: Barcelona had one of the best xGC figures in the Champions League last season

Janis Blaswich (€4.5m)

RB Salzburg is the only team outside of the first two pots to have a goalkeeper on this list.

While they bowed out of this competition at the group stage last year, they did keep clean sheets in tough trips to Benfica and Real Sociedad.

It should be easier this year – at least initially. Blaswich is not only cheap but has a great first half of the group stage in terms of fixtures.

His Salzburg side face the likes of Stade Brestois, Dinamo Zagreb and Sparta Praha.

After Matchday 4, his fixtures drastically rise in difficulty but that can be dealt with in various means (ie transfers or a Wildcard).

Jan Oblak (€6.0m)

Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone are always a good and reliable defensive option.

While it can be argued that Oblak is a little bit overpriced, the nice run of fixtures across the board for the Spanish team more than makes up for it.

Atletico sailed through the group stage last season, keeping clean sheets in two of their three home fixtures.

Oblak was on the right side of the save percentage/goals prevented average line in the 2023/24 Champions League (see the graphic in Kobel’s section above).

Simon Mignolet (€4.5m)

Brugge’s run is very middle of the road.

Dortmund, Villa and Milan may be tricky but it could have been worse from pots one and two especially.

Strum Graz and Celtic are definitely at the more favourable end of the scale.

With Juventus and Manchester City stuck at the end of the group stage, I feel like a punt on Mignolet early on can provide good results if you want to go low-budget on goalkeepers.

While it’s a step up in class to the Champions League, the Belgian side embarked on a run to the semi-finals of the Conference League in 2023/24. That run featured six clean sheets in 12 matches.

Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m)

It would be foolish of me to ignore the defending champions.

Despite a mildly underwhelming start to the season with two wins and two draws in four matches, Real Madrid are dab hands at European club competition.

They also have a pretty OK draw with Borussia Dortmund as their home pot 1 opponents.

Stuttgart and Lille are up before that, giving Courtois a great chance to get off to a flying start.



178 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Boss Hogg
    • 15 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    GTG?
    Anything worth a hit with doubts over starts forJoao Pedro, Madueke and Haaland?
    Subs order correct?

    Henderson
    Trent, Porro, Robinson
    Salah (c), Jota, ESR, Madueke
    Haaland, Isak, Joao Pedro
    (Valdimarsson, Harwood-Bellis, Winks, Barco)

    ???

    0
    1. Tazah
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      i would swap verbruggen for henderson, get diaz instead of jota, madueke is too expensve for a rotation risk better to get eze so not good to go

      0
      1. Boss Hogg
        • 15 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        Well, yeah. But I'm not going to take 3 hits to do all that!
        This isn't a wildcard team.

        0
        1. Tazah
          • 7 Years
          6 months, 23 days ago

          you asked the question, i answered the question

          0
          1. Boss Hogg
            • 15 Years
            6 months, 23 days ago

            I would politely suggest that you answered disingenuously.
            I don't believe that you would take a 12 point hit make the changes that you suggest.

            +1
            1. Tazah
              • 7 Years
              6 months, 23 days ago

              yh 100% i wouldnt. you asked the question, i answered the question

              0
              1. Boss Hogg
                • 15 Years
                6 months, 23 days ago

                You literally started you answer with "I would..."
                So you answered the question... with a load of BS.

                0
                1. Tazah
                  • 7 Years
                  6 months, 23 days ago

                  there we go, you got there in the end, well done

                  0
                  1. Boss Hogg
                    • 15 Years
                    6 months, 23 days ago

                    Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

                    0
                    1. Merlin the Wraith
                      • 8 Years
                      6 months, 23 days ago

                      Not experience, just using the tactic of shouting louder. Unfortunately its the way of today's society not just here. & this place is rife with them.

                      +1
    2. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      I wouldn’t take a hit for anything there.

      +1
    3. Milk, 1 Šuker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      ROLL

      +1
  2. Deboer078
    • 1 Year
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Which one Jota or Diaz?

    0
    1. Tazah
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      jota

      0
      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        😆

        0
      2. Boss Hogg
        • 15 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        Wait, you just told me to sell Jota and get Diaz for a hit?!

        0
        1. x.jim.x
          • 10 Years
          6 months, 23 days ago

          That is jokes tbf hahaha

          0
          1. Boss Hogg
            • 15 Years
            6 months, 23 days ago

            I've obviously turned up late and missed something!

            0
          2. Tazah
            • 7 Years
            6 months, 23 days ago

            hahaha my guy

            0
    2. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      Diaz

      0
  3. Ask Yourself
    • 8 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Has anyone managed to actually make a wildcard team that doesn’t want to make them throw up with regret

    0
    1. GreennRed
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      The lads on FPL Psychics Mini League.

      0
    2. Tazah
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      i have, but im sure Jim, Bob and Steve will let me know otherwise

      Verbruggen, Ramsdale
      Robsinon, Konate, Lewis, mazraoui, Faes
      Salah, Palmer, Semenyo, Barnes, Winks
      Haaland, Jackson, Pedro

      0
      1. Maraudingmane
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        That WC team sucks

        0
        1. Maraudingmane
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          6 months, 23 days ago

          haha I'm joking, it's similar to mine - just laughing at the ridic replies you got further up. Go well my friend

          0
  4. FPL failure
    • 7 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Worth doing either of these to get Salah in (3FT)?
    A) Jota + Saka -> Salah + Winks
    Would also let me get rid of Quansah for free
    B) Jota + Gordon + Isak -> Salah + Winks + Joao Pedro

    0
  5. Dat Guy Welbz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Pep on Haaland: "We will see tomorrow if he is able mentally, physically to play"

    +1
    1. KEN YA DIG IT
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      He starts then

      0
    2. PogChamp
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      So he is a doubt then.

      0
  6. KEN YA DIG IT
    • 7 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    "We will assess if he is ready mentally or physically to play tomorrow" Pep on Erling Haaland

    0
  7. Luis Suarez Ate My Homework
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Worth a triple captain punt on Haaland this weekend?

    0
    1. KEN YA DIG IT
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      3rd time unlucky

      0
      1. Luis Suarez Ate My Homework
        • 13 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        Do you really think that though? 🙂

        0
        1. KEN YA DIG IT
          • 7 Years
          6 months, 23 days ago

          No way he scores a third consecutive hattrick, that would be mental

          0
          1. x.jim.x
            • 10 Years
            6 months, 23 days ago

            Classic gamblers fallacy this

            0
    2. Merlin the Wraith
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      Go for it, might be a great differential given the 'non-playing theories' 🙂

      0
  8. hussain_786zx
    • 2 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Konate Keane Winks Mitoma Isak/Watkins VS Collins Mykolenko Minteh Palmer Chiwome

    0
  9. Tazah
    • 7 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Now that we have all had 2 weeks to make well balanced decisions regarding our team - time for saka to get injured at 23 mins and Sterling to come on and score a brace for everyone to scramble and get him in their team.

    +1
    1. Tomerick
      • 10 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      This seems entirely plausible.

      0
  10. Dorse88
    • 14 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Isak & Barco out TAA & João Pedro in for -4?

    Could also be Hall or Martinez out but just want rid of Barco now.

    0
  11. Milk, 1 Šuker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Make sure you set your VC right this GW. Erling a doubt.

    0
    1. Tazah
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      why? havent read anything about him

      0
      1. Boz
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        See a few posts above

        0
      2. Milk, 1 Šuker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        See team news feed from Neale

        0
    2. Luis Suarez Ate My Homework
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      VC permanently fixed on Salah.

      0
    3. Boz
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      Eze VC punt for me but tempted by TAA (no salah)

      0
      1. Milk, 1 Šuker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 23 days ago

        Me too. Think Eze could do well this week. I don't have Salah either.

        0
        1. Merlin the Wraith
          • 8 Years
          6 months, 23 days ago

          No point worrying about it, we'll find out at 1.45 (or just before) tomorrow. Keeping my C on him with Eze V. Have Havertz 1st bench.

          0
  12. Boz
    • 12 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Need some positive Solanke news from Big Ange. Lovely differential now

    0
    1. KEN YA DIG IT
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      Its the hope that kills you

      0
  13. Devil's Own
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    My Wildcard team with playable bench. Give your suggestions please.

    Verbruggen Fabianski
    Lewis TAA Robinson Digne Davis
    Salah Palmer Eze Rogers Winks
    Halland Wissa Pedro

    Any obvious issues with this?

    0
  14. Charlie Price
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Manchrster United may not be in the Champions League but there is a league for fans of the club in UCL Fantasy as follows:

    MrpA9X

    0
    1. Charlie Price
      • 4 Years
      6 months, 23 days ago

      Manchester* of course. Sausage fingers strikes again!

      0
  15. Charlie Price
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Additionally within the UEFA gaming app there is a Manchester United fans league within the Europa League Predictor game.

    Code for joining is as follows:

    8T59HCTD3D

    0
  16. Bleh
    • 8 Years
    6 months, 23 days ago

    Bit worried about how many potential non-starters I have here. Thoughts on Konsa/VdV > Davis?

    Raya
    Lewis, Robinson, Konsa*
    Salah, Saka, Palmer*, ESR, Rogers
    Haaland*, Pedro

    (Fab, VdV*, Faes, Jebb**)

    0