Matchday 5 of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy kicks off on Tuesday evening and, as usual, we’ve got our Scout Picks to bring you ahead of the deadline.
Remember, these selections are for the upcoming Matchday in isolation.
Goalkeepers
Due to the limited potential of any goalkeeper, in any given week, it could be wise to spend as little as possible between the sticks. With that in mind, we could look to Atalanta on Tuesday. The Italian side have kept a clean sheet in every single one of their European matches this season, and Marco Carnesecchi (€4.5m) has contributed significantly towards that.
If the Italian fails to pick up a decent amount of points then we could look to Walter Benitez (€4.4m) on Wednesday. Although inconsistent in the Champions League, PSV have held the likes of PSG and Sporting CP to a draw. They also go into their next match against a blunt Shakhtar frontline, off the back of keeping a clean sheet in Matchday 4.
Defenders
Celtic have a plum home fixture against an inconsistent Club Brugge next up. The Scottish Champions go into their next game high in confidence, after edging a strong Leipzig side in the previous round. As well as clean sheet potential, Celtic have full-back Alistair Johnston (€4.5m) at their disposal, who has racked up a huge seven goal contributions already this season domestically.
Also at the back, and facing the worst side in the Champions League thus far in Slovan Bratislava, is Milan’s Theo Hernandez (€5.5m). Hernandez is another defender who can offer multiple routes to points – having managed two goals and two assists already in Serie A this campaign.
The fixtures on Wednesday are very poor from an investment perspective, but having assets play on that day helps with team balance, which is important. For that reason, Stuttgart’s fixture against Crvena Zvezda could offer potential. Based on the fact that the Serbian side are second from bottom in the Champions League league phase, and that they have scored just four goals so far, Maximilian Mittelstädt (€5,0m) could be a great pick. Six assists in all competitions this season makes Mittelstädt one of the most effective full-backs in Europe when it comes to creativity.
Leverkusen have a wonderful home fixture against Salzburg this week, a side who have failed to score in a massive eight matches this campaign in all competitions. Their bluntness in front of goal, combined with the fact Leverkusen play as hosts this week, suggests the German side have good clean sheet potential. Their back-three system also allows both Alejandro Grimaldo (€5.6m) and Jeremie Frimpong (€5.7m) into some of the most advanced positions on the pitch. Last season, both players combined for a mammoth 39 goal contributions domestically, making them two of the most dangerous defenders in Europe.
If Frimpong is confirmed out then it could be worth replacing him with Dortmund’s Emre Can (€5.2m), who takes his side’s penalties.
Midfielders
Salzburg aren’t just poor offensively: the Austrian side have also shipped two or more goals in nine of their games this season. One player who can take advantage of their weaknesses at the back is talisman and penalty taker Florian Wirtz (€7.7m). As well as shining both domestically for club and internationally for country, Wirtz has also been excellent in the Champions League – producing three goals and three Player of the Match awards in his first four games.
Only one other side have conceded more goals in the Champions League so far than Slovan Bratislava. Milan head into their Matchday 5 fixture against them, having scored three goals in their last two European matches. Contributing to those goals, and another eight in Serie A already, is set piece and penalty taker Christian Pulisic (€7.5m), who could have huge potential this week.
No side has scored more goals than Atalanta in Serie A this season. In fact, Gian Gasperini’s men have averaged a whopping three goals scored per game so far. This week they clash with Young Boys, which is a good opportunity to continue that scoring form. One half of their deadly duo is Ademola Lookman (€6.7m). The Nigerian has been in scintillating form – racking up seven goals and four assists in just nine Serie A matches. J
Joining Lookman is a player many would deem as a shoo-in this week. Liverpool have won every single one of their Champions League matches, and sit top of the table because of that. Their talisman and penalty taker is of course Mohamed Salah (€10.1m), who is one of only a few players to accumulate 20+ attacking returns this season. He faces an out-of-sorts Real Madrid, who lost their most recent Champions League match 3-1, and go into the clash with key defensive injuries.
Completing the midfield, and playing for a side who have netted a huge 14 goals in their previous three Champions League games is Raphinha (€7.6m). The Brazilian has been performing at an elite level so far, and with three consecutive double-digit hauls in his last three European matches, Raphinha could be seen as essential in his home meeting with Brest this week.
Forwards
Spearheading the relentless Barcelona frontline is Robert Lewandowski (€9.5m). As well as bagging a massive 15 goals and two assists in just 14 La Liga matches, the 36-year-old has also produced five goals in just four Champions League matches. He has also mustered up at least two attacking returns in nine of his matches for club and country, which shows he can also be very explosive in regards to output.
Pep Guardiola’s men have lost their last five matches on the bounce, but it may be a matter of time before they revert back to their relentless winning and scoring ways. Facing a Feyenoord side who have shipped two goals in all but one of their Champions League games so far, Erling Haaland (€11.0m) has an opportunity to bounce back from his recent form and add to the 15 goals he has already scored this season.
Enabling a huge amount of funds elsewhere within the squad, and the other half of Atalanta’s deadly duo is Matteo Retegui (€5.3m). The Italian may be short of form in Europe, but he has collected 15 goal contributions in 15 Serie A games this season. What’s even more appealing for Retegui this week is that he faces a Young Boys side who have conceded 11 goals already in the Champions League.
MATCHDAY 5 SCOUT PICKS
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