Champions League Fantasy Football: Popular Picks and Potential Differentials

With one game to go in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League, Manchester City and Inter meet in Istanbul in the final. UEFA.com casts a close eye over those assets attracting the most interest in the countdown to Matchday 13 and assesses players who could prove differential diamonds on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

Popular Pick

Ederson (€6.0m)
Despite not scoring as highly as his opposite number this season, Ederson enters the final as the highest-owned goalkeeper among Fantasy managers. The Brazilian kept his sixth clean sheet of the competition in the semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, an impressive record considering he sat out two group fixtures. Ederson has an average Fantasy score of just under five points per appearance since Matchday 8.
Owned by 20%

Potential Differential

André Onana (€5.0m)
Although Onana has a lower ownership than Ederson, he does have more Fantasy points. Inter's first-choice goalkeeper has racked up five clean sheets in six knockout games, gaining 33 Fantasy points, and his overall score of 61 is 14 points higher than Ederson. Onana has not only kept two more clean sheets but has also recorded 24 more saves. While the gap in ownership between the two stoppers is not high, opting for Onana does give Fantasy managers a point of difference.
Owned by 17%

DEFENDERS

Popular Pick

Rúben Dias (€5.7m)
One defender stands out significantly when it comes to his Fantasy popularity, with Dias the only player in his position to be owned by over a quarter of managers. Since Matchday 8, the Portuguese centre-back has scored 30 Fantasy points, including a minimum of four on every matchday. His 54 ball recoveries this season is bettered only by team-mate Rodri across all positions. With six clean sheets and a goal to his name, Dias's 64 points is the joint third highest score of all remaining players.
Owned by 27%

Potential Differential

Francesco Acerbi (€4.6m)
Acerbi's modest ownership, combined with his recent returns, makes the experienced defender an excellent differential choice for Matchday 13. Set to start in a back three that has shone throughout the knockout stage, Acerbi has three eight-point scores across the last four matchdays. The Italian is also one of three remaining players to have reached 50 ball recoveries with only Dias and Rodri managing more. Further enhancing his differential appeal is his low price tag.
Owned by 4%

MIDFIELDERS

Popular Pick

Kevin De Bruyne (€10.6m)
The creative attacking hub of City's midfield, the Belgian has played a starring role in the run to the final. Four of the Premier League champions' knockout goals have been assisted by De Bruyne, who has also scored twice himself. De Bruyne has twice been named Player of the Match and twice gained double-figure Fantasy hauls in City's five Champions League fixtures , accumulating 42 points in that run.
Owned by 31%

Potential Differential

İlkay Gündoğan (€8.0m)
A regular City starter in this season's Champions League, Gündoğan recent attacking exploits makes him a differential pick worth exploring. The German has just three attacking returns in Europe this season but all have come during the knockout stage. Gündoğan is the only player set to feature in Istanbul who has scored in a Champions League final having found the net for Dortmund in 2012/13.
Owned by 6%

FORWARDS

Popular Pick

Erling Haaland (€11.2m)
It is no surprise that Haaland is the most highly-owned Fantasy forward, with the Norwegian clear at the top of the 2022/23 Champions League scoring charts on 12 goals. The City striker is one of only two players with a Fantasy score over 70 points and with 52 goals in 52 club games this season, Haaland will no doubt be desperate to end the campaign with that goal-per-game ratio intact.
Owned by 65%

Potential Differential

Romelu Lukaku (€9.0m)
Despite not starting a Champions League match this season, Lukaku still has merit as a Fantasy asset, especially for those looking for a low-owned forward who can help them get the better of their mini-league rivals. The Belgian will surely play some part in the final, either from the start or off the bench, and has form on his side having scored four goals and provided two assists in his last six games for Inter in all competitions. He may also be on penalty duty.
Owned by 3%