Champions League

UCL Fantasy 2025/26: Winner’s team reveal + chip tips

16 September 2025 209 comments
So VAR So Bad So VAR So Bad
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The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign begins on Tuesday – and so does the competition’s official Fantasy game.

We’re providing plenty of UCL Fantasy coverage in preparation for the big kick-off, plus regular articles throughout the season.

Here, last year’s overall winner, Joaquín Roth (aka So VAR So Bad), shares his thoughts on chip strategy and reveals his Matchday 1 team.

After winning the 2024/25 UCL Fantasy overall title, I’m excited to share my first official team reveal on FFScout.

I usually play with a fairly balanced style at the beginning, trying to be aggressive on fixture targeting with a bit of risk-taking when it feels right.

Below, I’ll walk through my current draft, main strategy, and some of the doubts I still have before the Matchday (MD1) deadline.

Overall Strategy & Chip Plan

UCL team reveal chip strategy

My general plan for the group stage is to keep things flexible but also take advantage of the early rounds when fixtures are clearer and most big teams field their strongest XIs.

At the moment, I’m still weighing up three possible chip strategies with the Wildcard (WC) and Limitless (LL):

1. WC4 + LL6/7

209 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. AAAFootball
    • 1 Year
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Thuram vs Martinez lads?

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    1. JT11fc
      • 7 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Thuram for the vibes.
      Can say Im that clued up, just chucked a bunch of fellas together

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      1. JT11fc
        • 7 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Cant*

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        1. AAAFootball
          • 1 Year
          10 months, 14 days ago

          Who are you on, out of curiosity?
          Im on thuram as well, just have a feeling his physicality might be too much for some of these small teams

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          1. JT11fc
            • 7 Years
            10 months, 14 days ago

            Kane Mbappe and some Olympiacos fella, after checking the fixtures tho Im having 2nd thoughts, is Martinez on pens?

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            1. AAAFootball
              • 1 Year
              10 months, 14 days ago

              Sometimes, with thuram and calhanogu also apparently in the mix. I think the turkish guy is main though, so wouldnt target him for that.

              What about the rest of your team?

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              1. JT11fc
                • 7 Years
                10 months, 14 days ago

                My 10minute team haha

                Courtios
                Gab Tah Retsos
                Raph Jude Olise Rios
                Kane Mbappe Taremi(c)

                Chevalier Chalobah 4.5 4.0

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                1. AAAFootball
                  • 1 Year
                  10 months, 14 days ago

                  pick good 4.5/4.0

                  i wrote some down in a comment on previous page, so manny good ones. (4.5 mid=lamine camara not the best, but great 4.o def)

                  Rest looks goo if a little template (retsos straight out of th eofficial scout squad lol)

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                  1. JT11fc
                    • 7 Years
                    10 months, 14 days ago

                    I just randomly chose Retsos haha, Ill have a looksee previous page cheers

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                2. The Mentaculus
                  • 5 Years
                  10 months, 14 days ago

                  Bellingham is just back in training apparently but I'd be very surprised if he starts v Marseille

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                  1. JT11fc
                    • 7 Years
                    10 months, 14 days ago

                    Crumbs, mudded already
                    Thanks

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                3. Captain Mal
                  • 1 Year
                  10 months, 14 days ago

                  Keep in mind El Kaabi is Olympiacos' main scorer, Taremi might not even start.

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                  1. JT11fc
                    • 7 Years
                    10 months, 14 days ago

                    Thanks haha, with all this info I might actually maintain interest longer then a week

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    2. The Son-dance Kid
      • 7 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Martinez for me. More proven in the champions league. Thuram could have his ucl breakthrough this year, but has failed me when owning him in the past. Martinez seems to be more consistent, plus seems more involved in play therefore more likely to pick up motm bonus

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  2. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Best forward option here under 7m?

    palmer semenyo gakpo reijnders anderson
    haaland pedro xxxx

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    1. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 9 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Evanilson if 7m is also okay. Otherwise Thiago, maybe Muniz if you believe he's going to start most games.

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  3. Sgt Frank Drebin
    • 9 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Fun fact: Man United is on the same xPts as Liverpool after 4 games.

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    1. JT11fc
      • 7 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Crazy, imagine if they were firing, they would be on even more xPts

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    2. AAAFootball
      • 1 Year
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Did you know i won the xPremier league?

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      1. Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 9 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Are you Arne Slot?

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        1. AAAFootball
          • 1 Year
          10 months, 14 days ago

          No he's tied with United haha

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          1. Sgt Frank Drebin
            • 9 Years
            10 months, 14 days ago

            It doesn't even make sense. He's tied this season after 4 games. Last season Liverpool was top.

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            1. AAAFootball
              • 1 Year
              10 months, 14 days ago

              It was the xfpl premier league that I won, in my own perfect universe

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    3. The Knights Template
      • 12 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Nup, this is a fun fact - lions don’t get scurvy! They can produce their own vitamin C!

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  4. MetallicaJack93
    • 2 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    On WC

    Pick 1

    A. Bruno
    B. Palmer

    Pick 2

    A. Grealish
    B. Gakpo
    C. Reijnders

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    1. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      1 B

      2 A/B-- but its not easy to know how it will play out for Gakpo when Isak starts playing regularly.

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  5. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Anyone else looking at a 4 or even 5 atb with just a few premiums in the side? Haaland perma cap from GW6? Feel like the def cons from cheap defenders make the cheap midfielders (like reijnders) very unattractive. Cheap and mid prices strikers as well seem poor value for the most part outside of Pedro who seems underpriced if nailed.

    So the best way to get value is to load the team with DefCon merchants, Haaland perma cap and then fill the rest with the highest scoring players you can - probably Isak when he starts getting regular starts.

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    1. MetallicaJack93
      • 2 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Who would you get in? I'm feeling 4/5 at the back too.

      Got VVD, Gab, VDV, Senesi, Rodon

      5 DefCon merchants seems boring but could be the way, I mean they practically get 3-4 points base which is huge

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      1. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Yea something like that. Semenyo, Palmer. Haaland Pedro. Last players optional.

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        1. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          10 months, 14 days ago

          That's a premium defence with premium attackers.

          So cheap in midfield then, other than Palmer?

          That will be tight £££.

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          1. Brosstan
            • 11 Years
            10 months, 14 days ago

            It really isnt tight at all if you are set on playing 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 5-3-2.

            Sanchez - Dub
            Gab - VVD - Senesi - VDV - Gudmundson
            Palmer - Semenyo - P.M Sarr - X - X
            Haaland - Pedro - X

            theres 21.9 left for the three open spots. If you are playing 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 You can spend ~10 - 11m on 2 fillers that will be benched every single week. That still leaves enough money to fit even Isak or any midfielder bar Salah into the team with wriggling room.

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    2. JT11fc
      • 7 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Considered it but I just cant get excited by 3 or 4 pointers from defenders, I prefer 2 pointers from my mids...
      4 atb with a rotation would be nice

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      1. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        3 points from a defender who concedes feels like a win. 3 points from a midfielder feels like a loss. The mids are more expensive than the defenders as well for the most part.

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        1. JT11fc
          • 7 Years
          10 months, 14 days ago

          Yeah its a mindset thing, I like the big dopamine hits from a haul haha

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          1. AAAFootball
            • 1 Year
            10 months, 14 days ago

            Haha I get you
            Plus does give more captaincy options

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        2. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          10 months, 14 days ago

          My midfield was Semenyo 13, Gakpo 3, Grealish 2, Kudus 3 and Reijnders 3

          Benched Porro and Reinildo who both got 6, so 7 points lost there.

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    3. Pompel
      • 12 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      That's were I'm trying to get to, and think it's going to be fairly template in a couple of GW's , so will hard to gain any ground for us who started poorly

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  6. Warby84
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    So play Tark for Defcon (5 at the back) or Grealish this week

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    1. AAAFootball
      • 1 Year
      10 months, 14 days ago

      tark imo as an efc fan.
      Still remembering that glorious moment last year...

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    2. SpaceCadet
      • 12 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Grealish

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    3. Feanor
      • 17 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      I have them both benched... maybe I should boost

      Dubravka (Vicario)
      Cucurella, Gabriel, Porro, Reinildo (Tarkowski)
      Gakpo, Semenyo (c), Kudus (Grealish, Reijnders)
      Haaland, Pedro, Wood

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    4. Stranger Mings
      • 5 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Grealish

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  7. the dom 1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    UCL - Got 6.5m to spend on a MID?

    a. Valverde

    b. Reijnders

    c. Kimmich

    Cheers

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    1. SpaceCadet
      • 12 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Guler?

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      1. the dom 1
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Think I might get more points out of the 3 mentioned, but Guler is a good option.

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    2. AAAFootball
      • 1 Year
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Gnabry, Goncalves both in my team

      Have so much money, 3 mil itb for no reason I just don't need it

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      1. the dom 1
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Might as well upgrade one of those players with the cash then mate.

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        1. AAAFootball
          • 1 Year
          10 months, 14 days ago

          Who and to who

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          1. AAAFootball
            • 1 Year
            10 months, 14 days ago

            I see a haul vs kairat, and Gnabry over Diaz because I wanted Bayern but mid not foward

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          2. the dom 1
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            10 months, 14 days ago

            Sorry AAA leave as is mate. Bank the money as you might need it next match day 2

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            1. the dom 1
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              10 months, 14 days ago

              I just put Gonclaves in my team lol

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              1. AAAFootball
                • 1 Year
                10 months, 14 days ago

                Haha I like his goals per minute and the fixture is beautiful

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            2. AAAFootball
              • 1 Year
              10 months, 14 days ago

              Yes will be selling quenda and rodibri GW2 likely after fixture swing, so will just keep it.
              Turam to Martinez an option but prefer Thuram

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    3. The Son-dance Kid
      • 7 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Have you considered Guler or Simons?
      Kimmich probably from those three

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      1. the dom 1
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 14 days ago

        Thanks Son

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  8. Prinzhorn
    • 5 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Caicedo, Enzo or Grealish as a Sarr replacement?

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    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      First 2 this GW as EVE play Pool

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    2. Feanor
      • 17 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Keep in mind Grealish can't play GW8 at City

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  9. theshazly
    • 3 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Does this team need a WC ?
    Shitty start for the season here

    Sels ( Dub )
    Guehi Porro Diouf (Guddmnssn / DeCuyper)
    Salah Wirtz KDH Reijnders Kudus
    JP Watkins Gyokeres

    1 FT / 2.1 ITB

    Was going to do Wirtz, Watkins >> King, Haaland with 2 FT before GW6

    Thoughts ?!

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    1. GreennRed
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      No WC. Go with WW to KH for a hit? I'm going Salah to Palmer. Palmer looks a bit sharper after his break and Salah's overpriced on current form.

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  10. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    Mbeumo or Xavi +1.1m?

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    1. King Sheep
      • 10 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Mbuemo, no Europe plus passes the eye test.

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  11. AD105
    • 9 Years
    10 months, 14 days ago

    1) Who would you play this week - Reijnders (ars) or VDV (bri)

    2) Would you BB this?

    Sanchez
    Munoz Porro Andersen VDV
    Salah Semenyo Bruno
    Watkins Wood Mateta

    Dubravka Reijnders Rutter Esteve

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    1. Stranger Mings
      • 5 Years
      10 months, 14 days ago

      Rejinders

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