Matchday 11 of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy kicks off on Tuesday evening and, as usual, we’ve got our Scout Picks to bring you ahead of the deadline.
Remember, these selections are for the upcoming Matchday in isolation.
Goalkeepers
Back-to-back Champions League clean sheets make Dortmund an appealing side when it comes to defensive investment. One route into their backline is Gregor Kobel (€5.0m), who is about to have a home meeting against inconsistent Lille.
Inter conceded just one goal throughout their first eight continental outings, meaning a huge seven clean sheets have been collected. Covering for the injured Yann Sommer is Josep Martinez (€5.0m), part of two shut-outs in the three matches recently played.
Defenders
Being at home to Lille, combined with their recent defensive form, indicates that a Dortmund double-up could bring rewards. Their standout option at the back is arguably Nico Schlotterbeck (€5.0m). This centre-back produced at least seven ball recoveries in each of his previous five UCL matches, giving him an additional route to points.
PSV Eindhoven have impressed in attack but, when taking Arsenal’s domestic underlying data into account, the Gunners could be hard to resist. One to aim for is Gabriel Magalhaes (€5.5m) due to his goal threat potential from set-plays.
Inter’s incredible defensive form makes their backline the most appealing. They face a Feyenoord side that has failed to score in two of their previous four, one that recently sold their biggest goal threat. So a triple-up could be an interesting way to shoot up the ranks.
Fortunately, even if they fail to keep a clean sheet, both centre-back Alessandro Bastoni (€5.4m) and wing-back Denzel Dumfries (€5.5m) offer various routes to points, via ball recoveries and goal contributions respectively.
But one tough fixture to call is the one between Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. Offensively, the Bavarians have become slightly lacklustre, showcased in their recent league meeting by racking up just 0.05 expected goals (xG). If we see a repeat of that, wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo (€5.8m) could benefit – one of Europe’s most attack-minded defenders.
Midfielders
Back to PSV: in all competitions, they’ve shipped at least two goals in seven of their last 10 matches. That’s why it’s wise to enter Arsenal’s attack through Leandro Trossard (€7.0m). The Belgian may be slightly consistent but he heads into this meeting fresh from securing back-to-back returns in his previous Champions League games.
Eight goals scored during their last two matches make Dortmund’s attack exciting. Karim Adeyemi (€7.3m) is one of several routes UCL Fantasy managers can take into it. He bagged a return in each of his last three European matches and we should also remember the whopping 23-point haul versus Celtic in Matchday 2.
Paris Saint-Germain are in fantastic offensive form, netting an eye-watering 40 goals in their previous 10 in all competitions. With that in mind, picking one of their attackers – even against Liverpool – feels sensible. Their standout option is, of course, Ousmane Dembele (€8.5m), someone who has racked up 14 goals and one assist in his last 10 appearances.
However, their League Phase-topping opponents are averaging over two goals scored. A large proportion comes from penalty taker Mohamed Salah (€10.1m). He is arguably the most effective attacker in Europe right now, having already amassed 40+ goal involvements in all competitions.
Yet no side has scored more goals than Barcelona in the Champions League thus far. One of their best options is set-piece taker Raphinha (€7.7m). The former Leeds United man has been excellent this season, having already collected eight goals and four assists in just eight UCL matches.
Forwards
Spearheading the Dortmund frontline and taking their penalties is Serhou Guirassy (€8.2m). Bar his missed penalty causing a blank in Matchday 10, Guirassy returned in every single one of his first eight Champions League matches.
With a scoring average of 3.5 goals per match during the League Phase, Barcelona have a very effective frontline. They face a Benfica defence that shipped five goals in their January meeting. Among those goals both then and in general is Robert Lewandowski (€9.6m). The Polish international has already accumulated nine goals in his eight Champions League matches.
But the Spanish giants also found a way to concede more goals than 19 of the top 24 League Phase teams. Their defence is ropey at best, shown again in their recent 4-4 draw against Atletico Madrid. Taking that into account, UCL Fantasy managers could easily opt for Benfica penalty taker Vangelis Pavlidis (€6.7m). About to play at home, he’s one of the most in-form strikers in Europe and bagged a hat-trick in January’s clash with Barcelona.
Captaincy
There are several excellent options for Tuesday captaincy. His form, home match and fixture difficulty may give Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy the edge.
However, Real Madrid have netted at least three goals in their previous five Champions League matches, so enter proceedings high on confidence. A game against local rivals Atletico could be a perfect opportunity for the likes of Kylian Mbappe (€10.9m) – scorer of a hat-trick in Matchday 10 – and Vinicius Junior (€11.2m), who has arguably been more consistent in the Champions League.
Wednesday could offer more armband confusion. Barcelona’s scoring record and opposition could make Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha brilliant options. But a fantastic alternative could be Mohamed Salah, someone relentlessly maintaining high output in all competitions.
UCL MATCHDAY 11 SCOUT PICKS
