It’s time to nail down our Matchday 2 Scout Picks for UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy.
Remember, these selections are for the upcoming Matchday in isolation. UCL Fantasy also allows manual substitutions from calendar day to calendar day, so it’s a strong squad of 15 we want and not a mere starting XI with unusable bench fodder.
For everything else UCL Fantasy-related, check out our complete Matchday 2 guide here.
UCL FANTASY: MATCHDAY 2 SCOUT PICKS
Goalkeepers
Limited potential between the sticks makes investing as little as possible, within reason, a viable tactic.
Atalanta’s home match against Club Brugge could offer up clean sheet potential for Marco Carnesecchi (€4.5m). The Italian saved a penalty in two of his previous three matches, so he has the form to shut out a confident Brugge attack.
If he fails to pick up a significant return on Tuesday, then we can look to fellow Italian side Juventus. In goal for them is Michele Di Gregorio (€4.5m), who could keep out a Villarreal side that failed to score in Matchday 1.
Defenders
Inter’s home fixture against Slavia Praha is difficult to ignore. The Italian side racked up a huge seven clean sheets in their eight Champions League league phase fixtures last time out, and appear to have continued that defensive form into the new season. Their wing-back system also allows Federico Dimarco (€5.5m) into attacking areas, from where he has managed a goal and an assist during his previous two matches.
Bayern are joint-top for clean sheet odds heading into Matchday 1. The Bavarians face off against Champions League newcomers Pafos, with Sacha Boey (€4.0m) one of the cheapest routes into the backline.
The same could be said for Real Madrid against Kairat. Although plagued with injuries at the back, Los Blancos have more than enough quality to stop the Kazakh side from scoring. Dean Huijsen (€4.5m) can benefit, and won’t set you back much cash.
There are plenty of great budget picks at the back to help save money in attack this week. Another of them is Riccardo Calafiori (€4.5m). Arsenal have shipped just three big chances in six Premier League matches, and they kept a clean sheet in Matchday 1 of the Champions League. With this in mind, and a home match against Olympiacos, backing the Arsenal defence should be beneficial.
Completing the backline, and continuing our theme of cheap defenders, is Waldemar Anton (€4.0m). Athletic Club appear blunt without key attackers, so a home match for Dortmund could be enough to see him among the points.
Midfielders
Whilst Mohamed Salah (€10.5m) could be a great pick this week, Bukayo Saka (€9.5m) is cheaper and has a better fixture on paper. Arsenal’s home match against Olympiacos could give Saka a perfect opportunity to hit his stride after returning from injury. Saka was a very effective asset when playing at home in the Champions League last season, so don’t be surprised to see him among the Arsenal goals this week.
Buying into the Bayern attack this week will likely be crucial. The Bavarians have managed at least three goals in most of their matches this season. With this in mind, and considering he has already produced three goals and two assists in just five Bundesliga matches this season, Michael Olise (€8.0m) should be a shoo-in.
A lot of that can be said for our next pick, Arda Guler (€6.0m). Real Madrid have a plum fixture against a Kairat side that conceded four goals in the first round. One of the cheapest routes into the Los Blancos attack is via youngster Guler.
Having some sort of balance between Tuesday and Wednesday players could be important. So, bringing in Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon (€7.0m) should help with that. Gordon showed his potential in Matchday 1, coming close to finding the net within minutes against Barcelona, and later making amends for that miss with a goal. He faces a USG side that, although impressive in the first round, continues to leak goals.
Juventus also play on Wednesday, which adds to their appeal. Whilst results haven’t exactly gone their way as of late, their 4-4 draw against Dortmund in Matchday 1 is just one example of how good they can be offensively. Their standout attacker is, of course, Türkiye star Kenan Yildiz (€6.5m). He bagged 12 points in the first round due to a goal and an assist.
Forwards
A premium frontline will be popular this week due to fixtures and captaincy.
Bayern’s away match against Pafos makes star man and penalty taker Harry Kane (€10.5m) borderline essential. No striker in Europe has managed more than his 16 goals and three assists this season. He goes into the upcoming match having amassed at least two attacking returns in every one of his previous seven games for his club.
Going without Kylian Mbappe (€10.5m) could also be extremely punishing. The Frenchman has been in scintillating form. Whilst not as prolific as Kane, the Los Blancos talisman has still amassed 12 goals and two assists this season.
The pool of Wednesday captaincy options is slim compared to Tuesday, so making sure you have a player like Erling Haaland (€10.5m) could be super helpful. Manchester City play against a ropey Monaco defence, one in which the Norwegian could punish.
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