Matchday 5 arrives next week, which means UCL Fantasy managers are already turning their attention to the upcoming deadline.
With several teams hitting strong form and a few standout fixtures on the horizon, this is a good moment to assess which sides offer the best potential heading into the new Matchday.
To do this, we take a look at the new UCL Fantasy Fixture Ticker.
BEST FIXTURES: MATCHDAY 5 IN ISOLATION
WHO HAS THE BEST FIXTURES?
A look at the upper end of the fixture ticker highlights that 11 teams are handed favourable matchups in Matchday 5. Among them, Real Madrid immediately stand out. Los Blancos travel to Greece to face an Olympiakos side that failed to win any of their opening four Champions League fixtures, making this an appealing opportunity for UCL Fantasy managers.
Galatasaray also present potential. The Turkish champions head into a home meeting with Union Saint-Gilloise after recording three consecutive wins in the competition – overcoming Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt and Ajax. However, injury concerns linger following Victor Osimhen’s (€7.7m) withdrawal during Nigeria’s World Cup Qualifier against DR Congo, which may influence fantasy decisions.
Serie A champions Napoli host Qarabag in what appears, at first glance, a strong fixture. Yet the Azerbaijani side have proven resilient, losing only one of their first four matches and earning widespread credit after securing a 2–2 draw with world champions Chelsea.
Juventus will be aiming to raise their level in Matchday 5 after failing to win a single match so far. They welcome 29th-placed Bodø/Glimt – a team recently beaten in their last two European outings – offering a potential platform for improvement.
Elsewhere, Copenhagen, Monaco, Kairat, Union SG, Benfica, Athletic Club and Sporting CP also feature prominently. Each side offers varying degrees of potential based on their fixtures, giving managers plenty to assess ahead of the upcoming deadline.
WHO HAS THE WORST FIXTURES?
Our fixture ticker suggests that up to 15 teams could struggle in Matchday 5. One of the biggest games of the round sees 11th-placed Barcelona travel to 12th-placed Chelsea. Only goal difference separates the two sides after four matches, so this could be a tight contest.
Another difficult fixture comes between 1st-placed Bayern and 2nd-placed Arsenal. Goal difference is all that splits them, which makes this matchup hard to judge for UCL Fantasy managers. Arsenal may also be without Gabriel (€5.6m), which is a major concern for a defence that has not conceded in the Champions League this season.
The tough fixtures continue as PSG, the current Champions League holders, host Thomas Frank’s Spurs. Both teams have shown mixed form but have lost only one match combined since the start of the campaign.
Other sides who could face problems this week include Slavia Praha, Bodø/Glimt, Frankfurt, Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Atlético Madrid, PSV and Olympiakos. These fixtures may limit returns for many popular assets.
