Matchday 15 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
Arsenal face a formidable Paris Saint-Germain side this week, but being at home gives them an advantage. The Gunners still dominate when it comes to big chances and goals conceded in the Premier League, which shows the strength of their backline.
With that in mind, David Raya (€5.6m) is a viable entry point for UCL Fantasy managers. And, if Raya fails to bank a significant return on Tuesday, we can call upon Inter’s Yann Sommer (€5.5m) on Wednesday. Even if they don’t keep their ninth clean sheet of this European campaign, Sommer is likely to accumulate save points against Barcelona.
Defenders
High ownership means that having one Arsenal defender won’t be enough for a green arrow, should they keep a clean sheet. That’s why it’d also be good to have William Saliba (€5.5m). The French centre-back may not excel in terms of attacking ability but he is the Gunners’ leading defender for ball recoveries this season, and he’ll no doubt be kept busy against the free-flowing Ligue I side.
Another double-up we should probably consider is an Inter pair. With Sommer already in place, let’s call upon centre-back Alessandro Bastoni (€5.4m). With key injuries in their defence, he will be absolutely vital for them and should make many ball recoveries against an active and relentless Barcelona frontline.
PSG have been extremely leaky at the back all season. Why pick someone from a defence that’s kept just seven Ligue 1 clean sheets? Well, both Achraf Hakimi (€5.7m) and Nuno Mendes (€5.7m) offer considerable attacking threat. They netted in the Villa Park second leg.
Barcelona aren’t defensively convincing either. However, they will be hosting an out-of-sorts Inter that is winless in four matches, in all competitions. Their best name at the back could be Jules Kounde (€5.6m), scorer in the latest fixture against Real Madrid. Like Saliba, he’s the leading defender from his side for ball recoveries in 2024/25.
Midfielders
A home match for Arsenal gives their frontline some appeal and their most convincing option for both gametime and potential is Bukayo Saka (€9.0m). He’s played just seven Champions League matches due to injury but it’s been a period of five goals and two assists. PSG’s ropey backline hands Saka a great opportunity for more success this week.
Not that managers should avoid the French away team’s attack. Doing so could be damaging to both rank and mini-league position. PSG average over two goals per game in Europe, and contributing heavily to this is Ousmane Dembele (€8.6m). He’s bagged seven goals and three assists in this Champions League campaign.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of high-potential midfield picks from Barcelona. Picking between them will be tricky for UCL Fantasy managers, so selecting three of them could prove wise, with the Catalans facing an Inter that has kept just one clean sheet in 10 matches.
This may be the best time to play them, bringing success for Raphinha (€7.9m), Lamine Yamal (€7.4m) and Ferran Torres (€6.8m). The Brazilian’s form feels almost essential to own, whilst Yamal keeps proving himself as a big-game player for both club and country. On the other hand, Torres is likely going to replace the injured Robert Lewandowski (€9.7m) up front, thus putting him in a more advanced position than them. He scored from here during the recent cup win over Real Madrid.
Forwards
Between Lewandowski’s injury, Arsenal’s forwards being sidelined and PSG’s failing to regularly start theirs, we have to look to Inter when filling up this week’s frontline. Not many would argue against the inclusion of Lautaro Martinez (€9.4m) anyway, due to his recent form. He’s bagged at least one return in each of his last five Champions League matches.
The injury to teammate Marcus Thuram (€7.6m) means we should see Champions League veteran Mehdi Taremi (€7.3m) join Martinez up front. The Iranian international has shown previously that he can be an effective backup striker, returning against Feyenoord in the round of 16 and bagging a massive 16-pointer in the League Phase.
Slot number three is certainly up for grabs, with both PSG’s Desire Doue (€4.9m) and Inter’s Marko Arnautovic (€4.9m) likely to feature off the bench. If we find out pre-deadline that Doue makes the starting line-up, he’ll be a shoo-in. If not, it’s a choice between two players who could play 30+ minutes.
Captaincy
Assigning the armband feels quite straightforward this week. Tuesday provides a perfect opportunity for Bukayo Saka to once again show his class. Backing the home side in this competition has seen regular success for assets, and even more so in tightly contested matches.
For those brave enough to avoid Saka with captaincy, PSG players could be a good differential. Looking at Ousmane Dembele may seem like the next best pick, but both Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi are high-ceiling options. They offer a considerable attacking threat, plus clean sheet potential.
On Wednesday, Barcelona have multiple candidates but no one has proved more consistent and explosive than set-piece taker Raphinha. He’s having an excellent season and could even take over penalty duty in the absence of Lewandowski. If looking elsewhere, then Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo (€7.7m) have huge potential against this recently ropey Inter defence.
UCL MATCHDAY 15 SCOUT PICKS
