Hello and welcome back to another edition of the UCL series of articles I will be writing this season and hopefully every season to help you navigate a successful rank and to also give you the edge against your mini-league rivals. In this UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 article, you’ll find some of the best and cheapest assets in the game. Based on a combination of form, stats, and fixtures I’ll try and supply you with some of the best picks not just for the matchday ahead but for the entire group stages.
Some of the players in here may be obvious and some you have never heard of. The only thing that matters is building an effective team and that’s what we’ll do here.
In these articles, i will also be revealing the journey I also take through this UCL campaign. You’ll see both my matchday review including rank and my team I plan to have to go into the new matchday.
Note: This article was written between Tuesday 5th of October to Tuesday the 12th of October stats will have fluctuated. Link to all our Champions League Fantasy blogs.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 2/Rank Review
So another solid matchday in terms of points and rank.
I used the limitless chip as I said I would in my previous article and you can see below how my team did.
I captained Benzema on Tuesday which didn’t go to plan and then as expected shifted to Lewandowski where he scored a brace but failed to get player of the match.
My Atalanta pair let me down with Gosens going off injured and Malinovskyi disappointing. Meunier proving again a loyal servant with an 8 point return. Salah and Sane returning both goals and player of the match awards to rack up those points.
All in all, 90 points, which again I felt was a solid team total but nothing special.
Rank wise that gave me a rise from 80k to 6k in the world. A very good start to the campaign.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Wildcard/Top Picks
You’ll see that I’m activating wildcard this week. I’m now in a position where I can build a team for the remainder of the group stages with good back to back fixtures for many teams, having found those cheap budget enablers and knowing the premiums in form , it feels like the right time.
Be aware these options below are not just for people wildcarding but are top picks for the matchday ahead that can be brought in using both transfers and the limitless chip if you still have it and plan on using it.
You will find options that you may deem obvious but also some that I have done in-depth research to find. Hidden gems many would call them.
So let’s take a look.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Best Goalkeepers
NOTE: Remember to pick a goalkeeper on both Tuesday and Wednesday to give you the flexibility to swap if your Tuesday keeper does not perform.
Antonio Adan (Sporting)
Cost: 4.5 million
What many look for in a goalkeeper like me is a cheap budget option. Adan is that. For only 4.5 million the Sporting goalkeeper allows for your money to be used to bolster the rest of the team. Already a great reason to buy-in.
The 34-year-old Spanish goalkeeper continues to nail down that first-team spot having played the last 10 matches in a row. So in terms of minutes, he’s nailed.
Sporting have had a poor start to their UCL campaign having lost their first two matches against Ajax and Dortmund. What I did find impressive though is that they kept a potent Dortmund attack to only one goal, which feels like defensive progress since their 5-1 loss against Ajax in matchday 1.
In the 8 domestic league matches played by Adan this season he has kept 4 clean sheets with a 50% record so far. Sofa score have also highlighted one of his strengths as reflexes. With that being said he has shown that by making an average of 2.3 saves per match (82% rate) which is really good and shows potential for save points.
Adan also plays on the first day of the matchday on the Tuesday of matchday 3. This allows for you to switch him out for Wednesday if he doesn’t perform.
Finally, the biggest factor for me was the next two matches he plays in. In both matchday 3 and 4 Sporting come up against Besiktas. Another team who have started off really poorly in that they have lost both their first two matches also.
At that low price tag playing for a team with great fixtures, Adan becomes a great option. His average save rate combined with the fixtures ahead look hopeful in finding that goalkeeper haul. A great option for matchday 3 and onwards for me.
Samir Handanovic (Inter)
Cost: 5.5 million
If you are looking for a goalkeeper that will give you consistent returns I think Samir could be your man.
This pick is for the players that don’t mind spending money in this position to give them a bit more reliability. He is also a good pick for those who are using limitless this week.
Inter are having it tough domestically in terms of defensively. Only 1 clean sheet in the last 7 played for Handanovic but looking great in the UCL so far.
With a clean sheet in his UCL campaign already banked it could well easily have been two in two for Handanovic if it wasn’t for a clinching winner from Real Madrid to make it 1-0.
The fixtures stand out massively. With a back to back matchday 3 and 4 against Sheriff, Inter could well keep 2 clean sheets. They then play Shakhtar on matchday 5.
Handanovic although expensive plays in a very good team who are one of the favourites to get out of the group. He plays on Tuesday which means you can sub him out on Wednesday if he doesn’t return. With great fixtures to back that up, Samir becomes a solid option for those with the cash to do it.
Philipp Kohn (Salzburg)
Cost: 4.5 million
With a win and a draw already in the UCL campaign, Salzburg are slowly becoming the surprise package in this group.
With a 4.5 million price tag, the 23-year-old Swiss goalkeeper offers great value.
Playing on the Wednesday of matchday 3 Kohn could become that second goalkeeper lifeline if your Tuesday goalkeeper doesn’t perform.
In their last 20 matches, Salzburg have only lost one of those, showing fantastic form in both the UCL and their domestic league.
Playing 9 matches this season so far Kohn has kept a clean sheet in 5 of those matches showing the Salzburg backline can be trusted to be strong when needed.
Salzburg play against Wolfsburg back to back in matchdays 3 and 4. With only 4 wins in their last 10 matches, 4 draws and 2 losses it’s safe to say Wolfsburg are struggling to find consistency.
Philipp Kohn at 4.5 million could be a great option. With arguably a good group, good fixtures, against an inconsistent opponent and playing for a team looking to impress on the European stage, he shows great potential for both a short term and long term hold.
Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal)
Cost: 4.5 million
With 5 stars in his last 6 matches for Villarreal including 2 out of 2 starts in the UCL Rulli appears nailed to that first team position.
Costing just 4.5 million Rulli has a great price tag especially based on his form and fixtures ahead.
With an average sofa score rating of 7.4 Including a 7.6 rating against Real Madrid where he also kept a clean sheet and made 2 saves Rulli is clearly finding from and confidence.
Domestically, Geronimo has played 6 matches and kept a really impressive 5 clean sheets in that time. Making an average of 2 saves per game with a rate of 86%. This to me screams potential looking ahead.
Playing Young boys next and again in Matchday 4 Rulli has the fixture potential to return some good value points. After failing to score in their last match against a statistically defensively poor Atalanta domestically Young boys seem to lack bite. This could be great for Rulli in terms of save points and the clean sheet.
With great fixtures and fantastic domestic form Rulli also shows great value for money with his cheap price tag. A great option.
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
Cost: 6 million
A huge price tag for a goalkeeper but a very reliable one at that.
This is for those again willing to spend big at the back for a consistent return of points from their goalkeeper.
Chelsea being one of the best defensive units in Europe is already a good enough justification to bring in Mendy.
With only conceding one goal from open play both domestically and in the UCL campaign so far it reflects just how good the Chelsea defence can be.
6 matches played so far for Mendy in the PL and 3 clean sheets feels slightly underperforming but with a save rate on average of 3.2% per match, higher than many I’ve seen shows just how good Mendy is as a shot-stopper. Showing potential for both clean sheets and save points.
Next up Chelsea play Malmö and then again in matchday 4. Chelsea will be looking to come back even stronger both defensively and offensively after losing their last match out against Juventus although hugely dominant.
Although good domestically it appears the champions league could be too much for Malmö after failing to score in both matches against Juventus and Zenit. This bodes well for the Chelsea defence and Mendy.
Mendy shows great fixtures long term. Although pricey you’re sure to get both clean sheets and some save points with Mendy’ high save rate. The 6 million price point is perfect for those that are using the limitless chip or for players that just want reliability at the back.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Best Defenders
Joao Cancelo
Cost: 6.1 million
Man City have always been a nightmare in terms of rotation and a lot of the time managers would usually just avoid their assets. However, Cancelo is one I think we would do well to consider. In fact, Cancelo hasn’t been rotated out of any champions league games or premier league games yet, starting all 9 in both competitions combined. This suggests he’s more nailed than many think.
In terms of Premier League Fantasy Cancelo actually leads the way in points returned with a huge 44 points returned in the 7 matches he’s started with two 12 point hauls amongst defenders.
Man City is defensively one of the best in Europe with 5 clean sheets from their last 7 matches with matches against Chelsea Leicester, Arsenal and Liverpool all included in the fixtures they’ve already played. Reflecting a very good defence.
To further the appeal to the Man City defence they are top for goals conceded in the league so far with just 3, the best with shots conceded, the best for shots on target conceded, the best for headed attempts conceded, the best for attempts from set plays conceded and the best for big chances conceded. An elite defence overall.
In terms of Cancelo offensively we’ll also see even more of an appeal. Being the highest scoring points player in premier league fantasy for Man City is big enough but when we look into his stats a little more it gets better.
Firstly let’s take a look at his heat map:
You’ll see that the majority of his play is not just in the opponents half but the final third along with a lot of movement in the opponent’s box. A great start.
Amongst defenders Cancelo is 1st for passes in the opponents half with 70 more than second place. He’s 1st for passes in the final third, joint 2nd for assists with 2, joint 4th for touches in the opponent’s box and joint 3rd for goal attempts. Showing great potential in both creating and scoring goals.
Cancelo has either an attacking return or a clean sheet in 7 out of his last 9 matches played.
It’s also worth noting that not only is Cancelo great for clean sheets and attacking returns but averages one of the highest ball recovery rates in Europe. In his first match, he claimed 10 ball recoveries and 3 points.
Next up for Man City and Cancelo, they play Club Brugge and then again in matchday 4. Two great fixtures on paper for Cancelo to thrive in.
Not only does Cancelo appear nailed in that Man City backline, one of the best in Europe, but he’s also offensively brilliant both in creativity and in goal threat. Although the price is high it is justified. A great option for any team.
Pedro Porro (Sporting)
Cost: 4.5 million
Could well be a hidden gem in this UCL campaign ahead and you’ll see why.
Firstly one of the few key decisions in including the young Spanish talent was the fact that he has recently took 2 penalties, the last 2 penalties in fact, due to his teammate missing. 2 deciding penalties both scored to win both matches against Maritimo and Estoril in the domestic league. This could well change in the UCL but there is a big case to make that until the defender misses one he could well stay on them. This is huge when looking for any assets across any fantasy platform.
We have already briefly discussed the Sporting defence with his teammate Adan the goalkeeper. To reiterate the Sporting defence have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 10 matches played. This is not fantastic but it still shows there is a good defence in there and Porro could well come away from any given game with a clean sheet.
Let’s take a look at what Pedro can do going forward. As well as the potential of being the designated penalty taker he offers great creativity. In fact, last season in his domestic league Porro managed 52 crosses. More than any other defender in that league.
Let’s take a look at his heat map below:
You’ll see from the heat map above that not only does Porro love to play in the opponents half but also spends a lot of time in the opponent’s box.
To summarise Pedro Porro has played 7 league matches, scored 2 goals, created one assist and kept 3 clean sheets, accumulating to 6 returns in 7 matches. A very good return on games played.
The price is also hugely attractive. 4.5 million. For those looking to get those pricey forwards, it’s players like this that can make that work and create a good team balance.
Furthermore the fixtures. As already mentioned Sporting play back to back matches against Besiktas who are struggling for consistency. A duo of great fixtures for Pedro Porro to potentially return from.
Definitely, one I’m personally excited by moving forward and has huge potential to become a hidden gem within the game.
Thomas Meunier (Dortmund)
Cost: 5.1 million
Meunier makes another edition of this article because he continues to deliver points even though the statistics don’t hugely back him.
Dortmund defensively have been just short of woeful. In their last 10 matches have only kept 1 clean sheet and that was in their last UCL match against Sporting. So why Meunier?
Meunier had a great Euros campaign in terms of Euros fantasy as mentioned in the previous article, with his attacking potential really shining through.
Let’s take another look at Meunier’s heat map for Dortmund this season:
3 clean sheets and 4 assists in his last 10 matches for both club and country. This shows that he’s more likely to get an attacking return than a clean sheet and with the Dortmund defensive form that shows.
Domestically in the Bundesliga, although he hasn’t kept any clean sheets in the 5 played with Dortmund he’s still managed to create 2 assists along with creating 3 big chances.
On top of this Meunier is a ball recovery master it seems. Recovering a massive 18 balls in the last 2 UCL games with Dortmund, accumulating to an additional 5 points between both matches showing an additional route to points if the clean sheet and attacking do not come.
With 15 points in his last 3 matches in the UCL, Meunier is averaging 7.5 points per game showing fantastic value at just 5.1 million.
Dortmund come up against Ajax in back to back matches in UCL Fantasy matchday 3 and 4. With Ajax losing their last match at home 1-0 they welcome Dortmund at home in MD3 where their dip could continue.
Meunier is an interesting asset as a defender because although his sides defensive form is very poor he still offers multiple routes to points and in his current form, it could be a poor decision to drop him. There’s always the chance Dortmund start to improve defensively as well. As always a good option.
Rasmus Kristensen (Salzburg)
Cost: 4.5 million
Another potential hidden gem at a low price. Another 4.5 million defender who could really help out in trying to balance out the time and move funds into the expensive attacking player.
Having started every match in both their domestic league and in the UCL Kristensen offers reliability in minutes and is nailed in that Salzburg defensive unit. Something we all expect from any player even from the cheap ones.
Defensively Salzburg have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 10 matches which is just under half. In terms of Kristensen and the price that’s pretty good. Especially if we can add another route to points, which we can.
Take a look at Rasmus’ heat map below for Salzburg so far this season:
Something I haven’t seen before amongst many defenders in this heat map is the amount of time spent in the opponent’s box (the darker red). This shows extreme motivation to get into the opponent’s box and a much higher chance of attacking returns.
In the 9 matches played for Salzburg, Kristensen scored 3 goals, created 2 assists, and kept 4 clean sheets. That’s 9 returns in 9 matches for the young Dane. Incredible form and shows fantastic value.
With Wolfsburg up next who currently sit within an inconsistent run of form with only 1 win in their last 5 matches, Kristensen could really thrive.
A cheap asset, averaging a return per game and a good run ahead Kristensen feels like a great option especially when considering his price.
Chelsea Defence
There are 2 main options here for me. Even as a Chelsea fan it is very difficult to know who will get rotated in or out for any given match. As a conservative player, my options are simple because they are the safest.
Chilwell, Alonso, Reece James, Christensen, and Thiago Silva all come with a rotation risk based on what we have seen this season. Although Christensen will be used more often than not his points potential puts me off taking that small risk anyway. The rest of them feel like they have a 50/50 chance of starting any given match.
For me, a double defence going into the next matchday is a great idea based on form and fixture, but just one Chelsea defender is still a great option.
Chelsea as a defensive unit are arguably one of the best in Europe along with the likes of Man City although Man City is slightly better.
In terms of underlying stats defensively Chelsea are up there. They stand joint best with Man City for goals conceded this season with 3, joint 2nd for clean sheets with Liverpool (4). This with having played their ‘tough’ fixtures already, playing teams like Tottenham, Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool, 4 of the ‘big six’.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Cost: 5.1 million
Firstly the price is a big factor. In fantasy premier league Azpilicueta is priced as the joint most expensive Chelsea defensive asset at 6 million. You will see that here he is only 5.1 million, hugely underpriced in the game in my opinion.
Out of the 7 Premier League games and 2, UCL matches Azpilicueta has only failed to not start in one of those matches whilst still making an appearance. This shows his importance to the team and reliability in minutes with only a very slight risk of rotation. Further backing up the fact that he’s very underpriced.
Azpilicueta’ versatility makes it a little awkward as to what position he will start in as he can play both RCB and RWB. As an owner, the preference would be of course in RWB. His heat map below shows that the majority of this season has been spent at RWB and you’ll see that from the heat map below:
You’ll also see that Azpilicueta loves to get forward in the opponents half and also loves to run into the opposition’s box. Huge potential.
In the premier league, Azpilicueta makes the top 5 amongst defenders for passes in the final third and joint 3rd for big chances created. Showing clear motivation to create for his attacking players.
From the 9 matches, Azpilicueta has started with the one feature in both the domestic league and UCL he has created 3 assists and kept 3 clean sheets. A nice balance of both and showing two great routes to points both defensively and offensively.
Azpilicueta shows clear value for money in both defensive points returns and offensive points returns. Arguably underpriced with a fixture up next against a Malmo team who have been swept aside by both Juventus and Zenit in their first UCL games makes Azpilicueta a no brainer.
With all of that in mind. The double Chelsea defence could be attractive. This leads on to my second option.
Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)
Cost: 5.5 million
You’ll notice that Rudiger is more expensive than Azpilicueta when it could easily be the other way around. What Rudiger does have over Azpilicueta this season is minutes played and full reliability for minutes. Playing the full 90 minutes of every premier league and UCL match this season Rudiger has become the rock at the back. The lack of squad depth in Rudiger’ position is also reflected in how much he has played for Chelsea.
Rudiger makes the joint highest scoring Chelsea player in the Fantasy Premier League with 36 points so far from the 7 played, averaging over 5 points per match.
Some would argue that Rudiger doesn’t show much attacking potential but I know as a Chelsea fan that his thirst for assists and goals is clear in the amazing solo runs he makes from his own half into the opponents final third and box. In his last 10 matches for club and country, he’s scored 2 goals so the potential is there.
Rudiger is that very safe option in terms of not being rotated and wanting a solid defender that will secure you steady points in every match. Although his offensive potential might be lacking his motivation to get forward isn’t.
With only 3 wins in their last 10 matches, Malmo are struggling for form. With 5 losses and 2 draws Malmo are looking toothless upfront. Against an Elite defence like a Chelsea not buying a Chelsea defensive asset for matchday 3 feels like a big loss.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern)
Cost: 6.5 million
Kimmich makes another article for many reasons. Bayern in their last 10 matches have kept 5 clean sheets which is ok but not fantastic. With more clean sheets kept lately than not Bayern are slowly looking stronger and stronger at the back.
As discussed in the previous article Kimmich labelled in the game as a defender plays much more advanced than that in real life. You’ll see this in the heat map below:
You’ll also see that Kimmich plays in a very central midfield role which allows him to contribute in attacking plays by creating and scoring. An out of position player playing for Bayern Munich would be extremely hard to ignore.
To highlight just how good of an asset Kimmich could be he has played 7 matches in the Bundesliga so far this season, creating 3 assists, scoring 3 goals and keeping 2 clean sheets. Combined this means that in 7 matches Kimmich has returned 8 returns in 7 matches which is fantastic. Adding to that a further 2 clean sheets in the UCL.
Although pricey Kimmich offers 3 different routes to points and has shown that through his nice spread of goals, assists and clean sheets.
With a double bill against Benfica coming up who although beat a dipping Barcelona couldn’t score against Dynamo Kyiv and lost their last game out against Portimonense. Bayern will go into the game as strong favourites not only to win but to keep the clean sheet.
Kimmich is good enough for both short term and long term hold. With the out of position potential, going into a game expecting attacking returns and a clean sheet isn’t an unrealistic target. This for me makes Kimmich a very strong option throughout the UCL group stages.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Best Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Cost: 10.5 million
Firstly Salah is classed as a midfielder in the game when every match he plays he takes up forward positions. This already provides a great advantage over other premiums in the forward position due to the extra goal point and clean sheet point. The potential to score an additional 2 points where forwards cannot. You’ll see this in his heat map below:
Arguably one of the best players in the world now and in the form of his life with Liverpool, the Egyptian continues to show the world just how good he is, which shows motivation to keep delivering.
Salah currently sits as the highest scorer in the game in Fantasy Premier League. Something that should not be taken lightly when the bar for talent is so high in the PL, especially because Salah leads the second-highest scoring player by 21 points. An incredible show of form.
Creating 3 assists and scoring 9 goals in his last 10 matches played for Liverpool shows world-class form. 12 goal contributions in 10 matches for Salah.
In the premier league for Liverpool so far Salah is joint 1st for goals scored, 1st for goal attempts with 28, 1st for goal attempts in the box, and 1st for big chances total. Some fantastic underlying stats.
Liverpool sit second in the league currently, blowing some of their opponents away with Salah being the main reason for that. In their last 10 matches, Liverpool have scored 28 goals, averaging a huge 2.8 goals per match. In fact, in their last 6 matches played they’ve scored 3 or more goals in 5 of those games.
With 5 clean sheets in their last 10 matches for Liverpool, it bodes well for Salah and getting those extra clean sheet points.
Liverpool go up against Atletico in their next match who have only lost 1 match in their last 10 which shows strong form. However, failed to beat Porto at home and scraped a win against a 10 man Milan. It is also very important we remember that Salah this season has already scored goals against both of the best defences in the league in Chelsea and Man City where Liverpool claimed a draw and a win in those same matches. For me, Salah is fixture proof.
Salah has shown time and time again that fixture difficulty doesn’t do much in limiting his threat, in fact, he thrives off it. He plays as an out of position player in terms of how the game have labelled him which means he claims both an extra goal point and a clean sheet point. A fantastic captaincy option. A great price compared to other premiums and in amazing form. I would highly recommend going into any matchday owning Salah.
Jude Bellingham (Dortmund)
Cost: 7.2 million
The 18-year-old star joins the article once again. Top of the list for many clubs to buy over the next couple of years, Bellingham shows constant and relentless growth with club and country and at such a young age.
4 assists created and 2 goals scored in his last 10 matches with a total of 6 goal contributions. With 4 of the 6 being produced domestically against Bayern and 3 in the 2 matches played in the UCL. This shows that Bellingham could be the big game player we all need.
Already, as mentioned above Jude has lit up the champions league in the 2 matches already played with a goal and 2 assists. This gave a return of 20 points in 2 matches with an average already of 10 points per match.
Jude plays behind one of the best strikers in the world in Haaland roaming in an attacking central/right midfielder role as you can see from his heat map below:
You’ll see also from this that Bellingham is allowed to roam looking for the best positions to attack from including some runs into the box.
In their last 10 matches, Dortmund have scored 18 goals averaging 1.8 goals per match within that time. Showing that they have the potential to score plenty of goals in any given match.
With a match against Ajax up next, Dortmund will be looking to stamp down their authority against their biggest threat in the group stages. The type of match young Bellingham thrives upon.
At a great price, Bellingham offers a cheap way into a very attacking team. With the potential of Haaland ahead of him, one of the worlds best strikers, Jude also offers great assist potential. A great asset both for this matchday and long term.
Brahim Diaz (Ac Milan)
Update: Diaz has got covid and is definitely out of UCL Fantasy matchday 3. The article was written prior to the news. We have left the analysis, feel free to scroll down.
Cost: 6 million
Those unaware of Diaz, the 22 years old Spanish talent, on loan from Real Madrid, is very versatile. You’ll see that sofa score has his optional strengths below:
A show of great attacking versatility.
You’ll also see from his heat map below that at the moment for Milan he mainly plays central and left attacking with plenty of movement in the opponent’s box, which is what we want in a midfield asset:
At 6 million Diaz offers a great price tag, something the game I feel is struggling with in terms of in-game midfielders. This price enables you to do a lot more with your squad in terms of bringing in those expensive assets. But we’re not just buying Diaz because he’s cheap right? Of course not.
Brahim has started his new season with AC Milan in fine form. In fact, in the 9 competitive matches he’s played so far, Diaz has scored 4 goals and 2 assist accumulating to 6 goal contributions in 9 matches. Very good for his price.
Diaz is looking to show his parent club, his new club and Spain national team what he’s capable of, showing great hunger and desire to return in every match he plays.
Ac Milan are in firing form in terms of scoring goals. 20 goals scored in their last 10 matches which is an average of 2 goals per match. A very good average and shows they can score multiple goals in a match against an opponent.
Milan haven’t had a great start to their UCL campaign and will be searching hard to get some points on the board. After losing to both Liverpool and Atletico they didn’t go down without a fight. In fact, they scored 2 goals against Liverpool and one against Atletico showing again that their potential to score goals even against a tough opponent is very likely.
With a matchup against Porto in the group next who have conceded 10 goals in their last 10 matches with half of them against Liverpool shows although domestically very strong against the best attacks in Europe can concede plenty of goals.
Diaz offers a cheap way into a very good Milan attack. Looking to impress Brahim plays a great fixture in Porto where they concede 5 goals the last time they played at home in Europe. A great enabler and has great potential as an asset for UCL Fantasy matchday 3, 4 and beyond.
Leroy Sane (Bayern)
Cost: 9 million
Firstly playing for one of the best teams in the world and one of the favourites for the UCL this campaign can only be a good thing.
There has been some rotation worries around the Bayern midfield as of late with Gnabry and Musiala so the assurance of Sane is already a key factor in deciding a midfield asset from Bayern. To highlight this Sane has now started 6 matches in a row for the German giants. Reliability of minutes feels nailed with Sane.
Check out Sane’ heat map below:
The heat map shows that Sane is very versatile. Although predominantly playing on the left-wing Leroy has also been utilised on the right-hand side and that shows. You’ll also see a lot of movement inside the left side of the opponent’s box which reflects just how attacking he is.
In the 9 matches played for Bayern so far this season in the Bundesliga and UCL Sane has scored 3 goals and created 5 assists, accumulating to 8 goal contributions in 9 matches. A very impressive run of form.
Already in the UCL Sane has managed a goal and 2 assists in the 2 matches he’s played so far. In terms of fantasy points, he returned a total of 23 points with the addition of 2 clean sheet points and even a player of the match ahead of teammate Lewandowski who scored a brace. Very good.
Bayern’ recent scoring form as a team is also at an elite level. 46 goals scored in the last 10 matches which is one of if not the best goal-scoring average in Europe amongst the top teams. That averages 4.6 goals per match which are ridiculously good and a team that every UCL manager should be looking to buy into.
Playing for one, if not the highest-scoring teams in Europe, in great form, nailed and at a good price Sane plays Benfica next, another team Bayern will be looking to roll over. A very good asset for the matchday ahead.
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Cost: 7.5 million
After creating the assist that won Chelsea the champions league last season Mount will be looking to once again make his mark on the UCL campaign.
The game has him as doubtful due to a recent knock but he is now fully fit and ready to start. We should see him start against Brentford this weekend.
Understand there is some questions around Tuchels rotation but when fully fit Mason is nailed. He makes the team tick, creates things other teammates can’t create, his pressing game is elite within the team and his creativity has been much needed whilst out. This is further backed by the fact that the Chelsea manager Tuchel said that Mason was one of the only players that can connect with Lukaku well within the team.
Mounts creativity has always been top level in English football. Since the start of the premier league 2019-2020 season, no player has created more chances in the premier league for Chelsea with 146 (70 chances clear of any other player). With Lukaku, one of the best strikers in the world in front of him Mounts creativity should shine.
You can see the 22-year-olds positioning below in the heat map. You’ll see Mount predominately creates and attacks down the left-hand side. With runs into the opposition’s box:
Mason also takes some set pieces which adds to the amount of routes to points he has.
In the 5 league games so far Mason has returned just one assist. However 2nd in the league behind joint top Bruno and Salah for big chances created with 4, and impressively 1st in the premier league amongst midfielders for expected assists with 2.11, ahead of the likes of Salah and Bruno Fernandes.
With an opponent ahead like Malmo who have conceded 15 goals in their last 10 matches averaging 1.5 goals conceded per game is exciting for Mounts potential, especially when 7 of those goals were conceded in the UCL and scored by Zenit and Juventus. A huge fixture to take full advantage of for Mason Mount.
At a good price Mount offers a way into a team facing a very weak opponent in the UCL group stages. With Lukaku ahead of him and the underlying creative stats backing him up, Mount could be a very clever asset for matchday 3.
Arnaut Groeneveld- Danjuma (Villarreal)
Cost: 6 million
Firstly try not to get confused by his name. The game have him named Arnaut Groeneveld however sofas score and some goal notification apps have him named Danjuma. They are the same person.
Let’s just get a little bit of backstory to him first. The 24-year-old Dutchman spent his 2020-2021 season with Bournemouth in the English Championship where he played 33 matches, scored 15 goals and created 7 assists, combining to 22 goal contributions in 33 matches. Impressive.
With his Villarreal move after an impressive run of form with a Bournemouth he continues to impress. After 8 matches this season Arnaut has managed to score 5 goals and create 1 assist. 6 goal contributions in 8 matches show great form in attacking returns.
Let’s take a look at this heat map:
You’ll see that the redder parts of the heat map are where he spends most of his time on the pitch and what is remarkable is that there is two redder areas with one being on the far left just past the half way line and the second inside the opposition’s box. Amazing to have that much time spent in the opponents box when playing predominantly from the left-wing.
13 goals scored by Villarreal in their last 10 is not fantastic but after a closer look into their matches played they have scored 2+ goals in 5 out of their last 10 matches, 50% of their games played. This shows that when Villarreal do score they tend to score 2+ goals.
Villarreal play against Young Boys up next who have only kept 2 clean sheets in their last 10 matches both in the UCL and domestically showing defensive frailties. A great game for Villarreal to push on in the group after a gripping last-minute loss against Man United.
Arnaut costs 6 million. A fantastic price for a player that’s in this type of form with Young Boys ahead. The price enables to spend money elsewhere in the team but in the knowing that he could easily be priced much higher if it were for this week ahead. A fantastic option for UCL fantasy matchday 3.
Federico Chiesa (Juventus)
Cost: 9 million
A player slowly becoming a talisman within Serie A and Italian football for both club and country, all at the age of 23.
Chiesa shows ridiculously good versatility and you can see that from the positions he is capable of playing below
To represent this let’s take a look at his heat map for Juventus so far :
His remarkable heat map surprised me in the way that he is a free attacking spirit on the pitch. Most heat maps show a predominant position on the pitch but you’ll see Chiesa roams wherever he wants to find the best position to attack from. Once again showing great versatility and trust from the manager.
In the 7 games, Chiesa started for Juventus this season domestically and in the champions league, he has scored 2 goals and created 1 assist. With 3 goal contributions in 7 matches, it doesn’t seem convincing. But after just getting over an injury Chiesa is finally back on his feet. After a huge winner against Chelsea, Chiesa came away from the match with a huge 11 points including winning player of the match.
Chiesa proves for both club and country to be a big game player and with a fixture next up against Zenit, he’ll be looking to shine again. 10 goals conceded in their last 10 matches for Zenit with only 2 clean sheets in that time. A huge opportunity for Chiesa to grasp. An exciting asset for UCL Fantasy matchday 3.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Best Forwards
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Cost: 10 million
Make no mistakes Benzema is underpriced. Cheaper than the likes of Lukaku, Salah, Lewandowski and Haaland aswell, a huge let-off considering Benzema is hitting premium price stats so far this season.
A 32-year-old Benzema last season once again reminded the world he isn’t done yet. Not just that but hit goal contribution numbers many would deem world-class. In the 2020-2021 season Benzema played 34 matches, scored 23 goals and created 9 assists, combining to 32 goal contributions in 34 matches. An incredible feat.
The amazing form continues this campaign. In La Liga so far Benzema has played 8 matches, scored 9 (the leagues top scorer) and created 7 assists. Combined that’s a massive amount of 16 goal contributions in 9 matches. Fantastic form again.
In Benzema’ last 10 matches for club and country, his hot form continues with 11 goals scored and another 4 assists. 15 goal contributions in 10 matches. 1.5 attacking returns per match on average.
Real Madrid now at the top of their league domestically. Scoring 24 goals in their last 10 matches they have averaged 2.4 goals per match. Exactly the type of scoring average we want when choosing a team to buy into.
Real Madrid have got off to a slightly rocky start in the UCL campaign so far having scraped a win against Inter and being beat by Sheriff at home 2-1. To avoid embarrassment they will give everything to make sure they get back to winning ways after winning the competition more than any other team in Europe.
Real Madrid come up against Shakhtar next in matchday 3 who lost their first outing against Sheriff 2-0. A team Real Madrid should sweep aside.
Benzema at 10 million provides great value for money in a team scoring 2+ goals per match on average in their last 10 matches. Looking for points Real Madrid will be looking to show their dominance and with Benzema, in hot form, I think both he and Madrid are in for a good matchday. A fantastic option for UCL Fantasy matchday 3.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
Cost: 10 million
Lautaro made the previous article as a top pick and was one of the only few that didn’t return. After a frustrating matchday, 2 Martinez enters back into the frame. You’ll see why.
Martinez’ form is on the rise this season regardless of his blank in matchday 2. So far this season in Serie A, in the 6 games started he has scored 5 goals. An impressive start to the season for the 24-year-old. That’s only one blank in all 6 matches.
In his last 10 matches for both club and country, Lautaro has managed 6 goals and 2 assists. A fine show of form with 8 goal contributions and only not returning in 2 of those 10 matches.
Martinez also takes penalties which again is a huge boost.
Inter as a team are in impressive scoring form even after the loss of Lukaku to Chelsea last season. 25 goals scored in their last 10 matches with an impressive 2.5 goals average over that period. One of the best in the UCL currently.
It definitely makes sense to want a piece of that Inter attack and Martinez is statistically the best option. Taking penalties and in scoring form, Martinez and Inter go up against Sheriff next up in matchday 3 Lautaro feels like he could be a really good option.
Karim Adeyemi (Salzburg)
Cost: 7.1 million
The 19-year-old German talent is slowly coming into view in terms of the world stage. Like myself, many wouldn’t have known much about him before this article so let’s get into it.
In his second season at Salzburg Adeyemi started to really show his talent. In 29 matches with only 11 of them actually starting he managed to score 7 goals and create 7 assists, an equal balance showing different routes to attacking returns. Combined that’s 14 goal contributions in 29 matches at 18 years. A very good start to his career.
After an impressive season, Adeyemi then went on to play every game of this current season in both the domestic league and the UCL for Salzburg. In the league playing 10 matches, Adeyemi has already scored 8 goals and created 1 assist. In the UCL after 2 matches played he scored an additional 2 goals. Combined that’s 12 matches played this season with a total of 11 goal contributions, which is fantastic.
At 7.1 million Adeyemi has fantastic stats backed up by the fact he takes the penalties for Salzburg. This is a great example of good value for money.
Salzburg came into the UCL as a team everyone thought would be pushed aside. With only 1 loss in their last 20 matches, and 9 wins in their last 10 matches domestically and in Europe, Salzburg show fantastic form. In addition in those same 10 last matches played they have scored 27 goals. That’s an average of 2.7 goals per match, a very impressive average.
Salzburg goes on to play Wolfsburg in UCL Fantasy matchday 3. A team struggling to find consistency with only 4 wins in their last 10 matches and conceding 13 goals within that time, Salzburg and Adeyemi show fine scoring form to further punish this ropey Wolfsburg defence.
Adeyemi is showing fine scoring form at a great price point in the game. Combine that with an opponent with a leaky defence and motivation to prove they deserve to be there as a team, the young German could be a brilliant option for UCL Fantasy matchday 3.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
Cost: 11.5 million
There is no beating around the bush with Lewandowski. Arguably one of the best if not the best striker in the world and still going relentlessly strong at the age of 33 years old.
Last season for Bayern the world saw some truly amazing attacking numbers from the Polish star. Playing 29 matches, scoring 41 goals and creating 7 assists, combined that’s 48 goal contributions in 29 matches, unrivalled form across Europe’s elite.
With no change in fabulous form, Lewandowski so far has played 7 matches in the Bundesliga returning 7 goals and creating 1 assist. In the champions league that form hasn’t dipped, 2 matches played and 4 goals scored. Combined that’s 9 matches played, 11 goals scored and 1 assist. Well worth his price tag.
Bayern as we’ve already seen are one of the highest scorers on average this season amongst most teams isn’t he UCL. To remind readers of the numbers in the last 10 matches Bayern played they managed to score 46 goals, an unreal amount with an even crazier average of 4.6 goals per match with Lewandowski leading that attack.
Lewandowski has the stats and plays in a team that is worthy of captaincy any given game week. With the addition of penalties and given the amount of goals, Bayern score on average not only does Lewandowski become a near essential asset he becomes a very popular UCL Fantasy matchday 3 captain choice. Don’t own him at your peril.
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Cost: 10.5 million
Lukaku returning to his old club Chelsea after becoming an elite striker was always going to be attractive for many fantasy managers on all platforms but for good reason.
Lukaku’ move to Inter in the 2019-2020 season was always an interesting one in terms of how he would adapt, but adapt he did. In his first Serie A season for Inter Lukaku played 36 matches, scoring 23 goals and creating 2 assists, accumulating to 25 goal contributions in 36 matches was very respectable in his first season.
Romelu massively improved in his second season. Playing 36 matches Lukaku managed to score 24 goals and an impressive 11 assists in addition to that totalling 35 goal contributions in 36 games, an extraordinary feat.
With this form came Chelsea in the transfer window. After a tough run of fixtures for Chelsea playing the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs, Lukaku still managed to play 6 matches and score 3 goals.
In his last 10 matches for club and country, Lukaku managed 7 goals and 1 assist. A great 8 goal contributions in 10 matches.
With Romelu’ fixtures improving domestically and in the UCL we could now see Lukaku’ potential in terms of multiple attacking returns.
Chelsea play Malmo next who were swept aside by both Juventus and Zenit. In fact, they conceded 7 goals between both matches. A huge game with even more potential for Chelsea and Lukaku especially because Chelsea average 1.7 goals per game in their last 10 matches and with fixtures improving that will only rise.
Lukaku is not just a great option for matchday 3 but has huge captaincy potential, especially against this poor Malmo defensive unit.
So that’s all of my options for you. Let’s see how that looks in a draft.
UCL Fantasy Matchday 3 Best Wildcard draft
After taking into consideration all of the options above this is how my very first draft looks for matchday 3. This could change at any point leading up to the deadline. Take a look:
Not a bad team, not just for the matchday 3 but for the entire group stages. My final team will be submitted and shared on Twitter before the deadline.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this mega article. I hope this helps once again in your progress towards UCL Fantasy success. Until next time.
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UCL Fantasy Budget Enablers for the 2021/22 UCL Season
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Louis Roberts
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