Champions League Fantasy: Captain Marvel
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
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As the UEFA Champions League resumes this week, UEFA.com runs down the captaincy options for #UCLfantasy managers.
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We may be halfway through Matchday 8 but #UCLfantasy managers who have yet to nail their captain still have an opportunity to do so in the remaining four fixtures.
FRIDAY 7 AUGUST
Cristiano Ronaldo (€11.5m) vs Lyon (H)
The UEFA Champions League's all-time top scorer was in fine form for Juventus upon the resumption of Serie A with ten goals in his 11 league appearances to help the Italian giants to another league title. They are looking to overturn a first-leg deficit against Lyon, who have played just one competitive fixture since early March, and in Ronaldo they have a player who has scored 65 goals in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League – more than any other player. On the equivalent matchday last season, Ronaldo hit a hat-trick to put Juventus through to the quarter-finals following a first-leg defeat. All of this suggests another memorable night for the Portuguese star.
Kevin De Bruyne (€10.3m) vs Real Madrid (H)
Manchester City's midfield maestro has had an outstanding season and comes into this second leg having recently equalled Thierry Henry's record of 20 assists in a single Premier League season. The Belgian is not just a creator however, having scored 15 goals in all competitions for Josep Guardiola's side this season and, as shown by his goal in the first leg against Real Madrid, he now appears to have assumed spot-kick duties. That is yet another string to his bow when it comes to his Fantasy potential, and he is difficult to overlook for the armband if you have him in your team.
SATURDAY 8 AUGUST
Robert Lewandowski (€10.8m) vs Chelsea (H)
There have been few – if any – better #UCLfantasy options than Lewandowski this season, with the Bayern forward currently leading the UEFA Champions League scoring charts on 11 goals. His contribution in the 3-0 first-leg win at Chelsea – a goal and two assists – has put Bayern in a fantastic position to qualify for the quarter-finals but the German champions will not be resting on their laurels and Lewandowski in particular will be hungry to add to his tally. The Pole has scored in every UEFA Champions League game he has featured in this season – and has an incredible 51 goals to his name in all competitions in 2019/20 – so he represents an excellent captaincy option.
Lionel Messi (€11.5m) vs Napoli (H)
Of course, you could always pin your hopes on a certain Argentinian who, like De Bruyne, has also enjoyed a record-breaking season in terms of assists. With Barcelona’s tie with Napoli finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg, a quarter-final place is still very much up for grabs but the Catalan side’s home record in the competition is simply sensational. In the last 57 UEFA Champions League matches contested at the Camp Nou, Barcelona have lost just once – a run which stretches all the way back to 2009. More often than not, Messi was a key figure in those matches and he will be relied upon once again to produce the goods.