The UEFA Champions League (UCL) continues with the quarter-final first-legs, which equate to Matchday 13 in UCL Fantasy.
In this article, @FPLReaction shares his views on the clashes, highlighting who he feels managers should be backing.
WHO HAS THE BEST FIXTURES?
Sporting CP have done exceptionally well to reach the quarter-finals, but their first-leg defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Round of 16 was definitely a concern. They do return home this week, where they’ve been very strong, but even so, backing Arsenal assets still feels like the smarter play.
The Gunners have been outstanding all season. Domestically, they sit nine points clear of Manchester City, and they completely dominated the Champions League League Phase – winning all eight matches, scoring 23 goals, and conceding just four.
Barcelona are the other side I’d be looking to invest in, even with a tough tie against fellow La Liga opposition in Atletico Madrid. Defensively, they haven’t always looked convincing, but they more than make up for it going forward. In fact, only Arsenal scored more goals than Hansi Flick’s side during the League Phase.
If that’s not enough to tempt you into the Barcelona attack, their recent result should do it. After drawing 1-1 with Newcastle United away, they returned to Camp Nou and absolutely tore them apart – putting seven past the Premier League side in a dominant 7-2 win.
WHO ELSE COULD WE CONSIDER?
That doesn’t mean we should be ruling out Atletico Madrid attackers, though. Barcelona don’t just concede the odd goal – they actually shipped more than most of the top 24 sides during the League Phase. With that in mind, and considering the recent form of Atleti’s forwards, leaving them out entirely could easily backfire.
PSG’s home clash with Liverpool is another fixture to prioritise. Recent away defeats to sides like Brighton and Galatasaray show how vulnerable the Reds can be on the road. Meanwhile, PSG recently dismantled Chelsea with an 8–2 aggregate scoreline. It’s also worth noting that Luis Enrique’s side averaged close to three goals per game at home during Matchdays 1-8.
The tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich is a bit trickier to call. Playing at the Bernabéu does give Real Madrid an edge, but Bayern’s consistency – both domestically and in Europe – is hard to ignore. They averaged over two goals scored per game during the league phase, so backing attackers from both sides could well be the smartest move.
