Champions League April 14
Matchday 14 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.
How to play UCL Fantasy 2024/25
Barcelona have generally been ropey at the back, but they’ve also kept two clean sheets in their latest three matches, which needs acknowledging. Having at least some defensive coverage is advised, so that role can be Wojciech Szczesny (€4.0m).
On Wednesday, it’s Inter and the competition’s best defence. Backing them at home makes sense and one of their safest assets from rotation is Yann Sommer (€5.5m).
Paris Saint-Germain may not possess the most consistent defence around, but their backline assets offer multiple routes to points. Both Achraf Hakimi (€5.7m) and Nuno Mendes (€5.8m) could be brilliant inclusions. The former has accumulated 16 attacking returns across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, whilst the latter enters midweek on the back of a goal and an assist in his previous fixture.
Arsenal may be away at Real Madrid, but they dominate multiple underlying metrics in the Premier League. Even if they do concede, centre-back William Saliba (€5.5m) has both ball recovery potential and goal threat from set pieces.
While Bayern are up against Inter’s elite defence, their opponents have been hit and miss offensively. Even if Inter do find the net, centre-back Kim Min-jae (€5.2m) has proven to be more than capable of scooping up ball recovery points.
Playing in the same game, we could look to Benjamin Pavard (€5.0m) and an Inter double-up. He has become one of his side’s most reliable defenders in terms of minutes, and isn’t struggling with fitness like fellow centre-back Alessandro Bastoni (€5.4m) is.
After sweeping Aston Villa aside in their 3-1 first-leg victory, PSG have shown themselves to be serious contenders for the Champions League trophy. Constant rotation at the back seems to be unsettling Aston Villa, so grabbing both Ousmane Dembele (€8.5m) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (€7.5m) could be fruitful.
The Frenchman has produced a whopping 30+ goal contributions in this calendar year, whilst their January arrival scored and picked up last week’s Player of the Match award.
Another double-up to heavily consider is that of Raphinha (€7.8m) and Lamine Yamal (€7.3m). Barcelona have been in scintillating scoring form and face Dortmund again, after thrashing them 4-0. And if we do see some Barcelona rotation, making them Ferran Torres (€6.8m) and Fermin Lopez (€6.5m) could prove beneficial.
Real Madrid need to throw everything they have at Arsenal in order to overturn the three-goal deficit. This could therefore leave plenty of space for Bukayo Saka (€9.0m) to exploit. The penalty-taker should be fit and ready to go, after not starting the Gunners’ previous two league games.
Dortmund look set to exit the competition, but they won’t depart without a fight. Barcelona conceded three big chances in the first leg, which we regularly see from the Catalans. With that in mind, Serhou Guirassy (€8.2m) could be a great pick. He’s managed a huge 10 goals and four assists in this campaign’s 13 Champions League outings.
Real Madrid are the comeback kings of European football and have overturned multiple ties in their history. Taking that into account, Los Blancos’ best attacker in terms of output, Kylian Mbappe (€11.1m), should be a shoo-in this week.
Completing our frontline is some more Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski (€9.6m). After a quiet period of form, in which he blanked for three consecutive Champions League matches, the Pole reminded everyone what he is capable of by nabbing a brace against Dortmund last time.
Choosing a captain will be very tough on Tuesday. Do you back assets from a Barcelona side that could rotate, knowing they’re 4-0 up and locked in a domestic league title race? Or do you back PSG, who have little reason to rotate after already wrapping up Ligue 1?
The line-ups could help us answer that but, as it stands, it could be safer to back the French side. Their standout is Ousmane Dembele, so giving him the armband could be a good play. However, Barcelona talisman and set-piece specialist Raphinha is a fantastic option if he starts. You can’t rule out teammate and penalty taker Robert Lewandowski either.
Wednesday feels like it’s between two assets. Inter v Bayern could be cagey, based on Bayern’s ability to underperform on their expected goals (xG) and Inter’s formidable defensive record.
That turns attention to Real Madrid and Arsenal. Backing the home side with Kylian Mbappe makes sense, but Bukayo Saka could be an exciting, high-ceiling pick.
