Champions League Fantasy Football: The Scout squad for Matchday 3

With the UEFA Champions League group stage well under way, the Scout's squad on Matchday 3 is a blend of players such as Jude Bellingham, Galeno, João Cancelo and others, who have already scored heavily this season, while Santiago Giménez is backed to deliver on his competition debut.

Goalkeepers

The Scout's goalkeeping selection is relatively straightforward with the two most popular players among Fantasy managers both included. Inter's Yann Sommer (€4.5m), who has a home game against Salzburg, is in 28% of squads and has ten points to his name in this season's competition – seven of them courtesy of the game against Benfica at San Siro on Matchday 2. That was one of seven clean sheets the Swiss international has managed in his first 11 matches for the Nerazzurri.

The only goalkeeper on the game with a higher ownership percentage than Sommer is Barcelona's Marc-André ter Stegen (€5.5m), who is in 34% of squads. The German has kept two clean sheets in this season's Champions League, worth 13 Fantasy points, and has managed a further five in La Liga ahead of his home game against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Defenders

Barcelona are also represented in defence, João Cancelo (€6.0m) looking to add to the 15 points he has picked up already, his total based around two clean sheets and 12 ball recoveries. Newcastle's impressive dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain last time out makes Kieran Trippier (€6.0m) a strong candidate for Borussia Dortmund's trip to Tyneside, the right-back having collected six points on Matchday 2 and 14 overall – and produced six assists in his last four Premier League outings.

Cancelo is the most selected Fantasy defender on 42%, his former team-mate Rúben Dias (€5.5m) joint third on 22% for Manchester City's trip to Swiss champions Young Boys. Also flying high in the ownership charts at 17% is Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo (€5.5m), whose attacking capabilities were illustrated by a goal on Matchday 1. The back line is completed by Dávid Hancko (€4.6m), the first of three Feyenoord players included and who has two goals, including one on Matchday 2, and three clean sheets in his last five games for club and country.

Midfielders

The only place to start in midfield is with the most popular player on the game, Jude Bellingham (€7.6m) currently installed in 78% of teams and having scored in both matches so far. The England international has picked up 25 points to date, the second highest total in his position. The only midfielder to have outscored Bellingham is Galeno (€6.6m), whose Porto side visit an Antwerp side that have lost both matches so far.

Marcus Thuram (€6.5m) is also in form with three goals and five assists so far in Serie A this season, in addition to his Matchday 2 strike as Inter prepare to face Salzburg. Calvin Stengs (€6.1m) picked up 12 points in Feyenoord's previous home match, with the free-scoring Dutch champions now taking on Lazio in Rotterdam, while Jérémy Doku (€7.0m) registered his first Premier League assist at the weekend, following up his goal and assist for Manchester City on Matchday 2.

Forwards

Although Erling Haaland and Harry Kane both, as ever, present a strong case for inclusion, Kylian Mbappé (€11.5m) is the premium pick among the forwards. The Paris Saint-Germain striker has eight goals in as many Ligue 1 games this season, scored four in his two France appearances during the international break and found the net in his first home Champions League game this season. AC Milan are the Matchday 3 visitors at the Parc des Princes.

Also in fine scoring form is Lautaro Martínez (€9.0m), whose Inter side have a second successive home match when Salzburg visit Milan. The Argentinian, who scored on Matchday 1, has already hit double figures in Serie A this season and has six goals in his last three league appearances, plus three in his last six Champions League outings.

The forward line is completed by Santiago Giménez (€7.5m), the Feyenoord forward who is set for his competition debut having been suspended for the first two matches. The Dutch champions have scored two or more goals in their last ten games in all competitions – hitting a total of 36 goals – and their firepower will be bolstered by the Mexican, who has 13 goals in nine Eredivisie matches in 2023/24 and has found the net in eight of his last eight Feyenoord appearances.