The Matchday 10 deadline for UEFA Women’s Champions League Fantasy season is almost here.
In this article, our expert @Schurrle_FWSL reveals his team selection.
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An 84-point return made Matchday 9 the most successful for my team since the first Matchday. With many of the highly-owned players scoring big, it wasn’t quite enough for a green arrow, but I did get the rare achievement of a grey arrow, staying at 13th place.
With a tight turnaround to the second legs on Wednesday and Thursday, here’s how I’m currently lined up and the moves I’m considering.
TEAM REVEAL
GOALKEEPERS
There are no changes in goal for me this week. Both Ena Mahmutovic and Christiane Endler have home fixtures with strong clean sheet odds, so I’m very happy with this rotation. Even though Lyon are currently 1-0 down to Wolfsburg, I’m confident both sides still have a good chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
DEFENDERS
I’m unlikely to make any changes in defence either. A favourable fixture on Wednesday makes Emily Fox an easy hold, and I’m backing both Lyon and Barcelona defences at home.
While Lyon were disappointing in the first leg, they now face a Wolfsburg side more likely to protect their lead than chase the game. That should suit Lyon, especially given the attacking threat that both Wendie Renard and Selma Bacha bring.
The standout from last week was Irene Paredes, who returned 10 points despite conceding twice, thanks to nine ball recoveries and a goal. There is some concern around minutes for both Ona Batlle and Paredes, with Barcelona already four goals ahead and both playing the full league match on Sunday. That said, with 45,000 tickets already sold for the Camp Nou on Thursday and an international break coming up, I’m hoping Barcelona go strong rather than rotate heavily.
We’ll get their lineup ahead of the Thursday substitution deadline, so there’s always the option to bench them if needed.
MIDFIELDERS
A place in my midfield will likely remain with Mariona Caldentey this week. Arsenal’s clash with Chelsea is tough to call and should be tight as they look to protect their lead, but she offers multiple routes to points, including penalties. With her game on Wednesday, there’s also flexibility to sub her off if needed.
Things are less certain when it comes to Olivia Smith. With this tie arguably the tightest of the four, doubling up heavily on Arsenal feels slightly risky. Her minutes also look less secure following Caitlin Foord’s return from the Asia Cup, and she was only used as a substitute in the first leg.
Another likely departure is Lindsey Heaps, who came in as a late replacement for Jule Brand last matchday. As much as going into the second leg with five Lyon players is tempting, her route to returns feels limited, with very little attacking threat shown in their Champions League run so far. Moving to a midfielder playing on Wednesday gives far more flexibility.
At the moment, I’m leaning towards picking two from Momoko Tanikawa (6.0m), Franziska Kett (6.0m), Linda Dallmann (6.5m) and Arianna Caruso (5.5m), all from Bayern Munich. They head into their home leg against Manchester United as favourites, with a one-goal cushion. With lineups available before the Wednesday deadline, I’ll make the final call then.
There’s also a strong case for Lauren James (8.0m), who looks a great option in that price bracket.
After double-digit returns in Matchday 9, both Alexia Putellas and Vicky López are easy holds going into the second legs.
FORWARDS
Despite scoring and picking up Player of the Match in the first leg, Alessia Russo is one I’m considering selling this week. Her potential replacement, Pernille Harder (6.9m), is in excellent form, with a brace in each of her last three starts, and looks like a strong captaincy option for Wednesday.
There is a route where I move Melchie Dumornay instead, but with Lyon such heavy favourites against Wolfsburg, it’s difficult to justify.
Barcelona’s attack continues to deliver, and Ewa Pajor was among those with another double-digit haul last week. With just 20 minutes played on Sunday, she should be fresh enough to start, making her an easy hold.
As for Melchie Dumornay, she’s likely to stay in the side. While Lyon being a goal down adds some risk to owning four or five of their players – especially with only five transfers before the semi-finals – it also increases their need to attack, which only boosts her appeal.
Best of luck for Matchday 10, everyone!
