Champions League Fantasy Football: Who's in form?

Ahead of the first legs of the knockout phase play-offs in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, UEFA.com picks out five in-form players who could prove valuable to managers on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

Bradley Barcola (€7.0m) – Paris Saint-Germain

While there is bound to be plenty of attention on the in-form Ousmane Dembélé among Fantasy managers preparing their Matchday 9 squads, his Paris club-mate Barcola also warrants consideration given his recent returns. The Frenchman has five goals in his last seven games in all competitions, also supplying five assists. With double-figure scores in his last two Champions League outings – a goal and assist in each – Barcola looks a tempting Fantasy acquisition ahead of the trip to Brest.

Rodrygo (€8.7m) – Real Madrid

Team-mates Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior tend to be the more popular choices among Fantasy managers but Rodrygo has accumulated the most points in the Real Madrid front line over the last two matchdays. With two goals against both Salzburg and Brest, the Brazilian returned ten points in each fixture and is enjoying a sustained run of form which has brought ten goals and five assists in his last 12 starts in all competitions. Rodrygo has also scored four goals against Matchday 9 opponents Manchester City, including in both meetings last season.

Johan Bakayoko (€7.0m) – PSV Eindhoven

Fantasy managers in the market for a differential midfielder should consider Bakayoko, who is in 1% of teams but has found his scoring touch of late. With goals in his last three appearances, and four of his last six, in all competitions, he has the potential to be an excellent under-the-radar option when PSV travel to Juventus. Bakayoko was on target in PSV's most recent European outing against league phase table-toppers Liverpool, and their next opponents have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight home Champions League games.

Vangelis Pavlidis (€6.5m) – Benfica

Pavlidis is the highest Fantasy points scorer in the Benfica squad with 44 but his ownership remains low heading into the knockout phase play-offs. The Greek international has scored five goals in his last three starts in all competitions, including a hat-trick in the dramatic 4-5 defeat by Barcelona on Matchday 7 and a goal, an assist and the Player of the Match award against Juventus on Matchday 8. Pavlidis has also already scored against knockout phase opponents Monaco this season, in Benfica's 3-2 Matchday 5 success in France.

Serhou Guirassy (€8.0m) – Borussia Dortmund

Guirassy's relentless form in front of goal makes him difficult to ignore ahead of Dortmund's trip to Sporting CP. The Guinean international has scored 24 goals for club and country in 2024/25, including five in his last four competitive appearances, and his output has extended to the Champions League, where he was the only player in any team to either score or lay on an assist in all eight matchdays in the league phase.