The Tipster: Going for goals

The past ten seasons of UEFA Champions League football have produced 24 hat-tricks, but already, after two weeks of the 2002/03 season, there have been three. And with 102 goals already scored in the competition, strikers and midfield players are scoring big in Champions League Fantasy Football.

Missing defenders
That is why the Dream Team after two weeks features just two defenders and why there is only one defender in the top 20 points scorers. So, the Tipster again counsels managers to go gung-ho with all-out attack. There is certainly no shortage of players in top form. Michael Owen and Francesco Totti returned to form and fitness respectively with trebles at the weekend, and both will fancy their chances against the bottom teams in their respective groups although neither has been prolific in the Champions League.

Form forwards
Other strikers on hot streaks are Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus FC), Ruud van Nistelrooij (Manchester United FC), Thierry Henry, Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal FC), Mateja Kezman (PSV Eindhoven), Ewerthon (BV Borussia Dortmund), Mista (Valencia CF), Christian Vieri (Internazionale FC) and Wesley Sonck (KRC Genk).

Carrière central
But goals scored from other sectors of the pitch are even more prized in the competition. Olympique Lyonnais midfield player Eric Carrière was one of the top-scoring midfield players in last season's competition, despite exiting at the first group stage, and he is at it again with 17 points so far. He faces a tough test against Inter this week, but is a player that would improve any Fantasy Football team.

Midfield menace
His compatriot Yann Lachuer of AJ Auxerre is another midfield player who can score and netted twice at the weekend. Others scoring highly from midfielder are Fredrik Ljungberg of in-form Arsenal, and the Valencia duo of Miguel Angulo and Pablo Aimar.
Dream defender
But perhaps the best bet is Rosenborg's Azar Karadas, who has been scoring for fun since being converted from defence to attack. Listed as a defender, he is available for €5.8m and scored twice at the weekend.

Banned duo
Finally, a word on players missing from action this week. Newcastle United FC's Craig Bellamy and Dmitry Loskov of FC Lokomotiv Moskva are the only players suspended but there is a lengthy injury list.

Missing list
The absentees are as follows: Djibril Cissé (Auxerre), Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires (Arsenal), Kevin Hofland (PSV Eindhoven), Roy Keane, Wes Brown (Manchester United FC), Marek Spilár (Club Brugge KV), Bixente Lizarazu, Sebastian Deisler, Mehmet Scholl, Roque Santa Cruz (FC Bayern München), Marat Izmailov (Lokomotiv), Carl Cort (Newcastle), Kees van Wonderen (Feyenoord), Olexandr Shovkovskiy, Yuriy Dmytrulin, Valentin Belkevich (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Alon Harazi (Maccabi Haifa FC), Jens Nowotny, Diego Placente (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Lampros Choutos, Christos Kontis (Olympiakos Piraeus FC), Fernando Hierro, Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF), Rafael van der Vaart (AFC Ajax).