Champions League Fantasy Football: Players in form
Monday, February 5, 2024
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Kylian Mbappé is among five players in superlative domestic form ahead of the round of 16 first legs, with Kevin De Bruyne, Luuk de Jong, Evanilson and Igor Zubeldia also worthy of note.
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With the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League knockout rounds drawing nearer, UEFA.com singles out five players who have caught the eye domestically ahead of the return of #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.
KYLIAN MBAPPÉ (€11.5m) – PARIS
Despite playing every minute in the group stage, Mbappé's return of three goals is lower than might have been expected. However, since Paris were last in action in the Champions League, the forward has found the net 11 times in eight appearances in all competitions, making him worthy of strong consideration when the French champions take on Real Sociedad in the round of 16.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE (€10.5M) – MAN CITY
He may have only recently returned from almost five months out, but City's playmaker has already made a significant impact and will be a key player for Pep Guardiola's side as they continue the defence of their Champions League title. The fact that the Belgian missed the entire group stage means that his ownership stands at a lowly 3% at present, putting De Bruyne in the unusual position of being perhaps the most exciting differential option on Fantasy.
LUUK DE JONG (€8.5m) – PSV
Those looking for a mid-priced forward should seriously consider PSV's De Jong. The Dutchman has been in fine goalscoring form all season and has been particularly prolific of late, scoring nine goals in his seven outings since PSV's last Champions League fixture. De Jong faces Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16, hoping to add to his two goals from the group stage.
EVANILSON (€7.2M) – PORTO
Cheaper still is Porto foward Evanilson, who has seven goals in his last five domestic fixtures at the time of writing. The Brazilian has already made his mark in the Champions League this season, registering a second-half hat-trick on Matchday 3 against Antwerp, while his contributions in other Group H fixtures leaves him on five attacking returns from his five appearances to date.
IGOR ZUBELDIA (€4.8m) – REAL SOCIEDAD
Real Sociedad's incredible defensive resolve in recent months means their back line should be in demand for the round of 16. The Spanish side have kept ten clean sheets in 13 games across all competitions, while they also boasted the best defensive record in the group stage with just two goals conceded. Only three defenders have more Fantasy points than Zubeldia, who features in just 1% of teams.