Champions League Fantasy Football: Scout notes 19 September

Last season's UEFA Europa League runners-up Bayer Leverkusen are among the teams in action on Thursday, along with Arsenal and Barcelona.

From expected line-ups to advice on substitutions and captain changes, the scout notes offer a helping hand to managers of #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

Fantasy decisions

• The deadline for manual substitutions and captain changes is 18:45 CET on Thursday – the kick-off times of both Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen and Crvena Zvezda vs Benfica.

• Thursday's fixtures are the final opportunity to make manual changes to your Matchday 1 squads, whether that be substitutions or a captaincy switch.

• Florian Wirtz, Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka are three Fantasy options that managers may want to consider for captaincy should a change be needed.

FEYENOORD VS LEVERKUSEN (18:45 CET)

Key Fantasy players

Florian Wirtz (€7.5m) – Leverkusen
Has either scored or assisted in four of his five starts for club and country this season.

Alejandro Grimaldo (€5.5m) – Leverkusen
The attacking defensive asset already has a goal and two assists in domestic action for Leverkusen.

Predicted starting line-ups

Feyenoord: Wellenreuther; Lotomba, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Zechiel, Timber; Nieuwkoop, Nadje, Paixão; Giménez

Leverkusen: Kovář; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Tella, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface

CRVENA ZVEZDA VS BENFICA (18:45)

Key Fantasy players

Nicolás Otamendi (€5.0m) – Benfica
The experienced centre-back is often one of the leaders when it comes to ball recoveries on Fantasy.

Kerem Aktürkoğlu (€6.0m) – Benfica
Has four goals across his last two starts for club and country.

Predicted starting line-ups

Crvena Zvezda: Glazer; Mimović, Spajić, Djiga, Seol; Ivanić, Elšnik, Radonjić, Krunić, Olayinka; Duarte

Benfica: Trubin; Bah, Otamendi, António Silva, Carreras; Orkun Kökçü, Florentino, Rollheiser, Di María, Kerem Aktürkoğlu; Pavlidis

BREST VS STURM GRAZ (21:00)

Key Fantasy players

Romain Del Castillo (€5.5m) – Brest
Takes penalties and has contributed two goals and an assist in Brest's first four Ligue 1 games.

Mika Biereth (€5.5m) – Sturm Graz
The budget striker has found the net four times in his seven club appearances for the Austrian champions this season.

Predicted starting line-ups

Brest: Bizot; Lala, Le Cardinal, Chardonnet, Amavi; Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti; Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima

Sturm Graz: Scherpen; Gazibegović, Aiwu, Wüthrich, Lavalée; Horvat, Stanković, Kiteishvili; Zvonarek, Bøving; Biereth

MONACO VS BARCELONA (21:00)

Key Fantasy players

Lamine Yamal (€7.5m) – Barcelona
The highest-owned player on Fantasy has three goals and four assists across Barcelona's five Liga games in 2024/25.

Pau Cubarsí (€4.5m) – Barcelona
Has a higher ownership than any other defender at the same price and has started every league game this season.

Predicted starting line-ups

Monaco: Köhn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Ouattara; Zakaria, Magassa; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Ferran Torres; Lewandowski

ATLÉTICO DE MADRID VS LEIPZIG (21:00)

Key Fantasy players

Julián Álvarez (€8.0m) – Atlético de Madrid
Has three attacking returns in his last three appearances on domestic and international duty.

Xavi Simons (€7.5m) – Leipzig
Two goals and two assists for club and country after four attacking returns in five Champions League group stage starts last season.

Predicted starting line-ups

Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Le Normand, Giménez, Azpilicueta; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Griezmann, Álvarez

Leipzig: Gulácsi; Klostermann, Orbán, Lukeba; Henrichs, Haidara, Kampl, Raum; Šeško, Simons; Openda

ATALANTA VS ARSENAL (21:00)

Key Fantasy players

Bukayo Saka (€9.0m) – Arsenal
Has contributed either a goal or assist in all four of Arsenal's Premier League games in 2024/25.

Mateo Retegui (€5.5m) – Atalanta
The differential striker is the joint-top scorer in Serie A this season with four goals.

Predicted starting line-ups

Atalanta: Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Kolašinac; Bellanova, Pašalić, Ederson, Ruggeri; Lookman, De Ketelaere; Retegui

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Rice, Trossard; Saka, Martinelli, Havertz