Champions League Fantasy Football: Scout notes 19 September
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Article summary
Arsenal, Barcelona and German champions Bayer Leverkusen are among the 12 sides kicking off their league phase campaigns in the final set of Matchday 1 fixtures.
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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