WUCL Fantasy returns today, as the 2026/27 campaign gets underway with Matchday 1.

Ahead of the opening fixtures, our WSL Fantasy writer Joe shares his first team of the season. He also talks through his chip strategy and plans for the campaign.

Here, we take a look at his Matchday 1 selections, captaincy options and when he plans to use his chips.

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The UEFA Women’s Champions League returns this week, which means WUCL Fantasy is back for its second season. After finishing 11th in the world last year, here’s how I’m currently lining up for Matchday 1 and the dilemmas I’m facing.

Matchday 1 already looks much more difficult than last season. Chelsea, Arsenal and OL Lyonnes all face Pot 3 opponents, while Barcelona host Paris FC. That makes all four teams appealing targets.

However, the favourable fixtures also increase the risk of rotation. That particularly applies to Chelsea and Arsenal, who face each other in the league on Sunday. For now, this is how my team is shaping up.

TEAM REVEAL

GOALKEEPERS

Ayaka Yamashita (€4.0m) is Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper, yet the game has priced her like their third choice. Bayern away presents a difficult opening fixture, but I can’t ignore that price.

We’ll also get Manchester City’s line-up before the deadline. That gives me the option to switch to someone like Misa Rodríguez (€4.0m) if Yamashita misses out.

Lowiese Seynhaeve (€4.5m) is currently my goalkeeper for Wednesday. Despite keeping just one clean sheet, the OH Leuven goalkeeper finished as the highest-scoring goalkeeper during last season’s league stage. UEFA statistics also show that she led the competition for saves.

The Belgian side will start as underdogs against Roma. However, Seynhaeve scored eight points in this exact fixture last season after making 11 saves and winning the Player of the Match award.

Christiane Endler (€4.5m) is my other option for the second goalkeeper spot. She rotates nicely with Yamashita, but the decision will depend on which OL Lyonnes outfield players I choose.

DEFENDERS

Smilla Holmberg (€4.5m) currently takes the Arsenal spot in my defence. As mentioned, predicting their line-up looks difficult this week. However, I’m hopeful Holmberg comes into the XI.

Since joining Arsenal in January, she has featured at both full-back and on the wing. Despite limited minutes, Holmberg has already provided plenty of attacking threat. She also scored a 95th-minute equaliser against Manchester United on Saturday.

Esmee Brugts (€5.5m) is one player I’m particularly excited about this season. She finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the game last season despite playing at left-back while Fantasy listed her as a midfielder.

Fantasy now classifies her as a defender, which significantly increases her potential. Brugts has also started the season brilliantly for Barcelona, scoring three goals in her first two starts. I could even consider her as a differential captain on Wednesday.

Ellie Carpenter and Naomi Girma (both €5.0m) are my two Chelsea defenders for now. Picking Chelsea players comes with plenty of risk due to possible rotation. We also won’t see their line-up before the substitution deadline.

Carpenter is all about upside. She has averaged 1.18 xG+xA across Chelsea’s opening three WSL matches. Girma, meanwhile, could come into the starting XI after failing to feature in the league so far.

Selma Bacha (€5.0m) takes my OL Lyonnes defensive spot, particularly with Wendie Renard looking unlikely to recover in time. Bacha recorded nine assists across the league and Champions League last season, highlighting her attacking potential.

MIDFIELDERS

Lisa Baum (€5.5m) has impressed for Arsenal so far, averaging 0.5 xG+xA per 90 across her first three starts. However, I’m far from settled on this pick.

A switch to Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord or Frida Maanum remains possible, especially with Arsenal likely to rotate.

With Aitana Bonmatí yet to feature for Barcelona this season, Caroline Graham Hansen (€9.5m) is my favourite option from their midfield. She has already produced three goals and five assists in four matches. Hopefully, she can continue that form in an excellent fixture against Paris FC.

Klara Bühl has enjoyed a similarly impressive start, scoring four goals and supplying five assists in her opening five matches. Manchester City provide a difficult test, but Bühl showed her quality against stronger opponents last season. She scored against Barcelona and registered three assists at home to Arsenal.

Linda Caicedo (€8.5m) finished as the third-highest scoring midfielder in WUCL Fantasy last season. With Caroline Weir gone, Caicedo should play an integral role in Real Madrid’s attacking build-up and could also take penalties.

However, I may need to sacrifice either Bühl or Caicedo if I want enough budget to upgrade Baum or bring in a Chelsea midfielder.

Jule Brand (€7.0m) completes my midfield. OL Lyonnes don’t play domestically this weekend, so I’m hoping they name a strong starting XI. They should have plenty of attacking potential against Servette, which makes Brand an appealing option.

FORWARDS

Alessia Russo (€10.5m) finished as the highest-scoring forward in WUCL Fantasy last season. She hasn’t scored yet this season, but her expected goals numbers remain encouraging. A meeting with HB Køge gives her an excellent opportunity to get going.

However, Renée Slegers hinted at rotation during Monday’s press conference. That risk could ultimately convince me to move away from Russo before the deadline.

Ewa Pajor (€10.5m) feels like a no-brainer. She won the Champions League Golden Boot last season and finished just five Fantasy points behind Russo despite playing over 200 fewer minutes. UEFA records confirm Pajor led the competition with 11 goals.

My final forward is Melchie Dumornay (€6.5m). That feels incredibly cheap for a player of her quality. Dumornay has already recorded six goals and two assists in just three matches this season.

With OL Lyonnes strong favourites against Servette, I’ll likely choose between Dumornay and Pajor for Wednesday’s captaincy.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (€9.5m) narrowly misses out. I plan to bring her in around Matchday 3 or 4 when I play my Wildcard. She could still make my Matchday 1 squad if I decide against risking Russo, while Selina Cerci (€5.0m) provides another alternative.

CHIP STRATEGY

I’m very likely to use my Limitless chip in Matchday 2. We’ll get the Barcelona and Arsenal line-ups before that deadline, which provides a major advantage. Using Limitless also allows me to avoid the OL Lyonnes v Chelsea fixture.

For my Wildcard, I’m currently debating between Matchdays 3 and 4. The decision will probably depend on how many rotation risks I select this week and their prospects of starting regularly afterwards.

The code to join my league is wqUhTt.

Best of luck for Matchday 1, everyone!