Matchday 12 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
From the sides playing on Tuesday, it is clear that Inter stand out for clean sheet potential. The Italians kept their eighth clean sheet of the UCL campaign in Matchday 11 and the reverse Feyenoord fixture could see them increase this.
With this in mind, Yann Sommer (€5.5m) could be a great option. And if we hear strong rumours that Sommer hasn’t yet fully recovered from injury, then back-up Josep Martinez (€5.0m) could be the best alternative.
Arsenal are another side worthy of defensive backing this week. The Gunners have better underlying defensive metrics than every other Premier League side and bringing in David Raya (€5.6m) versus PSV Eindhoven could prove beneficial.
Defenders
Inter have been relentless in their efforts to keep their net empty and conceding only once during this entire UCL campaign is astonishing. Because of this, investing in their backline is not just advised but essential.
To gain anything from an Inter clean sheet, managers will likely have to triple up on the defence. Taking into account these individuals’ multiple routes to points, both centre-back Alessandro Bastoni (€5.4m) and wing-back Denzel Dumfries (€5.5m) make their way into the squad.
Another team we should probably trust at the back is Arsenal. Four of their five Champions League clean sheets have come at home. Their standout defender is arguably centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes (€5.5m), who has racked up seven attacking returns in all competitions.
Regardless of their inconsistencies, back-to-back Dortmund clean sheets against Sporting CP in Matchdays 9 and 10 show just how good they can be at the back. A trip to Lille won’t be easy but the hosts are yet to convince. Therefore, grabbing both Nico Schlotterbeck (€5.0m) and Emre Can (€5.1m) can bring benefits. We could even see the latter resume penalty taking duties.
Midfielders
Before Barcelona won 1-0 away at Benfica, they had maintained a scoring average of 3.5 goals per UCL match. As the Portuguese side have been defensively poor at times, doubling up could bring huge rewards. Whilst Raphinha (€7.7m) is hard to resist based on his Champions League consistency and explosiveness, Lamine Yamal (€7.4m) can also be an excellent option on his day.
Meanwhile, Arsenal demolished PSV 7-1 last week, highlighting how poor the Dutch team’s defence is. Picking the right attacker could be tricky – and expect some managed minutes throughout given the magnitude of the first-leg lead – but Ethan Nwaneri (€4.7m) and Leandro Trossard (€7.0m) stand out. Both scored in the first leg and have big potential once again this time around.
Completing the midfield is Mohamed Salah (€10.1m). Liverpool were very poor in the first leg, backed up by the fact they produced just 0.27 expected goals (xG), they’ll be hoping to remind Paris Saint-Germain why they have been Europe’s best side this season. Penalty taker and talisman Salah has been a significant contributor to that form, already securing 45+ goal contributions across all competitions.
Forwards
Even with 10 men, Barcelona’s clinical attack found a way through the admittedly weak Benfica defence. Because of this, bringing in their best attacker and penalty taker Robert Lewandowski (€9.6m) should be a shoo-in. The 36-year-old has mustered up nine goals in just nine Champions League matches this season.
Another fantastic player of this UCL campaign is Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (€8.2m). Although inconsistent domestically, he’s accumulated 10 goals and three assists in these 11 outings, giving an air of inevitability in Europe.
Real Madrid have amassed at least two goals in their previous six Champions League matches, so go into the second leg against Atletico Madrid in great scoring form. Their most in-form attacker is Kylian Mbappe (€11.0m). The Frenchman has seven goals and one assist from his previous eight matches in all competitions.
Captaincy
There are several great Tuesday options. Arguably the standout – due to his advanced positioning in a lethal Barcelona frontline – is Robert Lewandowski. Then again, you can’t rule out team-mate, midfielder and set-piece taker Raphinha. The Brazilian has produced hauls of 21, 16, 14 points and 13 points so far, showing how explosive he can be.
For those not convinced with the Catalan side, there’s Liverpool penalty taker Mohamed Salah, hoping to continue his relentless form.
However, Wednesday could be a little more tricky when trying to pinpoint a standout. Among the viable options, Serhou Guirassy will be a popular. With 10+ attacking returns in Europe already, the Dortmund frontman has been one of the game’s most reliable assets and a trip to Lille brings a great opportunity for more.
You could also expect goals between the Madrid sides. The pick of the bunch could well be Kylian Mbappe. But opponent Julian Alvarez (€8.3m) is in fine form too, he heads into the clash having scored six goals and created three assists in his last 10 fixtures.
UCL MATCHDAY 12 SCOUT PICKS
4 days, 22 hours agoLewandowski (C) last week. Once bitten, twice shy. Raphinha is clearly a better pick & should be ahead.