#UCLFantasy: Reporters' matchday three tips
Monday, October 17, 2016
Article summary
Our team of reporters around Europe have been looking at who impressed on international duty to give you the inside line.
Article top media content
Article body
After a two-week break, the UEFA Champions League is back – but who's been impressing on international duty? Our team of reporters have been scouring the statistics to see which players are well placed to bring you the points on matchday three.
Arsenal (Andy Brassell, @UEFAcomAndyB)
Theo Walcott (FW, €7.0m)
Unlike most on this list, Walcott struggled on international duty against Malta and Slovenia, but his double against Swansea this weekend took him to seven goals and two assists from nine club starts this season. Only Alexis Sánchez has scored more UEFA Champions League Fantasy Football points for Arsenal than the England forward's ten.
Atlético Madrid (Joe Walker, @UEFAcomJoeW)
Stefan Savić (DF, €5.0m)
The centre-back recorded not only back-to-back clean sheets with Montenegro as they moved to the top of FIFA World Cup qualifying Group E, but also found himself on the scoresheet in the 5-0 victory against Kazakhstan, showing his prowess at both ends of the pitch.
Barcelona (Graham Hunter, @BumperGraham)
Luis Suárez (FW, €11.5m)
A goal plus two assists for Uruguay during World Cup qualifying; a goal, an assist plus two shots off the woodwork for Barça at the weekend but also three goals, an assist and a record of one defeat in eight matches against Manchester City. What's not to like?
Basel (Ben Gladwell, @UEFAcomBenG)
Taulant Xhaka (MF, €5.0m)
With Basel not expected to pile forward at Paris Saint-Germain, a midfielder or defender would seem the wise choice for matchday three. Look no further, then, than Taulant Xhaka, who played 75 minutes of Albania's 2-0 defeat by Spain on 9 October. The 25-year-old can cover both roles well while he is also a potential provider of assists as and when the Swiss side do get the chance to hit Paris on the break.
Bayern München (Jordan Maciel, @UEFAcomJordanM)
Robert Lewandowski, (FW, €11.0m)
Bayern's talismanic striker bagged four goals for Poland during the international break, taking his season tally to 14 goals in 14 games for club and country.
Benfica (Paul Bryan, @UEFAcomPaulB)
Victor Lindelöf (DF, €5.0m)
The 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship winner scored a senior debut goal for Sweden, smashing in following a corner in the 3-0 victory against Bulgaria.
Beşiktaş (Çetin Cem Yılmaz, @UEFAcomCetinCY)
Ricardo Quaresma (MF, €6.5m)
The tricky winger had two assists in Portugal's last two games (both 6-0 romps against Andorra and the Faroe Islands), and has now been involved in four goals in his last four starts for club and country. Only a second-half substitute at the weekend, but almost sure to start in Napoli.
Celtic (Alex O'Henley, @UEFAcomAlexOH)
Moussa Dembélé (FW, €6.0m)
Fresh from his stellar performance against Manchester City on matchday two, Dembélé scored on his international debut for France's Under-21s in a friendly against Georgia on 6 October before finding the net again in Les Bleus' 3-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Club Brugge KV (Berend Scholten, @UEFAcomBerendS)
Ricardo van Rhijn (DF, €4.5m)
After joining from Ajax to replace Thomas Meunier, it took some time for the right-back to get fully match fit, but now he has established himself in the team. Technically good, he loves to get forward and is also a threat from set pieces, as he proved with the derby winner against Gent, a beautiul free-kick.
CSKA Moskva (Richard van Poortvliet, @UEFAcomRichVP)
Carlos Strandberg (FW, €5.5m)
His goal helped Sweden beat Croatia and qualify for next summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship ahead of Spain. Unlikely to start against Monaco, but could get some game time in the second half.
Dinamo Zagreb (Elvir Islamović, @UEFAcomElvirI)
Josip Pivarić (DF, €5.0m)
After recovering from injury, Pivarić has re-established himself as one of Dinamo's key players. Having helped Croatia to wins against Kosovo and Finland, he's a good-value option as he's relatively cheap and dangerous from left-back.
Borussia Dortmund (Steffen Potter, @UEFAcomSteffenP)
Mario Götze (MF, €8.0m)
After a few difficult seasons with Bayern and Germany, the two recent World Cup qualifying wins against the Czech Republic (3-0) and Northern Ireland (2-0) were a step into the right direction for Götze, who visibly enjoyed playing and set up Thomas Müller for the opener against the Czechs.
Dynamo Kyiv (Bogdan Buga, @UEFAcomBogdanB)
Andriy Yarmolenko (FW, €7.0m)
The winger was the man to watch during the international break with a goal and an assist in both Ukraine's games in October, against Turkey and Kosovo. His domestic form is not so impressive but he could be more motivated and successful on the European stage.
Juventus (Paolo Menicucci, @UEFAcomPaoloM)
Miralem Pjanić (MF, €7.5m)
Mario Mandžukić was on fire on international duty with four goals in two games for Croatia. However he is not expected to start against Lyon and midfielder Miralem Pjanić – one goal and one assist on matchday two – showed his good form with Bosnia and Herzegovina, supplying two assists in the 2-0 win over Cyprus.
København (Nicklas Vinde, @UEFAcomNicklasV)
Peter Ankersen (DF, €5.0m)
The right-back has provided a series of assists recently, and set up both goals against AGF last month – two of his five assists in 11 Superligaen outings this season. Also set up a goal in Denmark's 3-2 defeat by Poland last weekend.
Legia Warszawa (Piotr Koźmiński, @UEFAComPiotrK)
Valeri Kazaishvili (MF, €5.5m)
The Georgian midfielder put in a star turn against Wales, producing an amazing assist for Tornike Okrashvili to earn a point and coming close to a late winner himself only for the crossbar to intervene. Competition in Legia's midfield means he might not start, but his attacking style could come in handy if the Polish champions are feeling brave at Real Madrid.
Leicester City (Simon Hart, @UEFAcomSimonH)
Kasper Schmeichel (GK, €5.5m)
It may seem an odd choice given Leicester are leaking goals on their travels in the Premier League but Schmeichel has yet to concede in the UEFA Champions League – and has been beaten just once in four home matches this season. Moreover, he knows the FCK players better than anyone, having played with ten members of the Danish champions' squad with his national team.
Bayer Leverkusen (Matthew Howarth, @UEFAcomMattH)
Admir Mehmedi (FW, €6.0m)
The 25-year-old scored his second goal of Switzerland's 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in the Nati's 2-1 victory against Andorra, taking his personal tally to four goals in twelve appearances for club and country this season.
Ludogorets Razgrad (Stoyan Georgiev, @UEFAcomStoyanG)
Vladislav Stoyanov (GK, €5.0m)
Conceded seven goals in Bulgaria's games with France and Sweden but usually saves his best for European away days with Ludogorets. On his day he can single-handedly stop the deadliest strikers in Europe, as Cristiano Ronaldo found out during March's defeat of Portugal.
Lyon (David Crossan, @UEFAcomDavidC)
Alexandre Lacazette (FW, €8.0m)
Made his comeback from injury off the bench at Nice last Friday and will undoubtedly start against Juventus. The French international forward struck six goals in four league games before his latest setback.
Manchester City (Simon Hart, @UEFAcomSimonH)
Nolito (MF, €7.0m)
Has scored in his last three games, for Manchester City against Celtic and Everton and – in between – for Spain in their victory in Albania. Additionally, Nolito seems to enjoy proving a point against the club he represented from 2008 to 2011. He set up the only goal when previous team Celta recorded their first-ever win at Barcelona in November 2014 and, in September last year, scored in the Vigo side's 4-1 home Liga win against the Blaugrana.
Monaco (David Crossan, @UEFAcomDavidC)
Kamil Glik (DF, €4.5m)
The centre-half may have scored an own goal for Poland against Denmark but don't let that deter you. In his first season at the club he is Monaco's key defender and scored an outstanding late equaliser against Bayer Leverkusen on the last matchday.
Borussia Mönchengladbach (Matthew Howarth, @UEFAcomMattH)
Nico Elvedi (DF, €4.5m)
Elvedi made his full debut for Switzerland in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Hungary, before coming on as a second-half substitute in the Nati's 2-1 defeat of Andorra. The 20-year-old followed that up with an impressive display in Mönchengladbach's goalless draw with Hamburg at the weekend.
Napoli (Paolo Menicucci, @UEFAcomPaoloM)
Dries Mertens (FW, €7.0m)
After Arkadiusz Milik suffered a ligament injury on international duty, his likely replacement Manolo Gabbiadini (€6.5m) is probably the man to target but Dries Mertens scored two goals on matchday two and confirmed his form with Belgium with a brilliant assist versus Bosnia and Herzegovina and a great goal against Gibraltar.
Paris Saint-Germain (Chris Burke, @UEFAcomChrisB)
Edinson Cavani (FW, €9.0m)
Not the most imaginative choice perhaps, but the Uruguay forward is in a hot streak of goalscoring form at the moment, following up a double against Venezuela during the international break with his ninth strike in eight Ligue 1 outings as Paris edged Nancy 2-1 on Saturday.
Porto (Paul Bryan, @UEFAcomPaulB)
André Silva (MF, €6.5m)
Followed his first senior international goal for Portugal in their 6-0 defeat of Andorra with an impressive hat-trick as the UEFA EURO 2016 champions dismissed the Faroe Islands by the same scoreline.
PSV Eindhoven (Derek Brookman, @UEFAcomDerekB)
Steven Bergwijn (FW, €4.5m)
This 19-year-old posed a constant threat to the Heracles defence at the weekend and also nearly scored against Rostov on matchday two after coming on as a substitute.
Real Madrid (Joe Walker, @UEFAcomJoeW)
Cristiano Ronaldo (FW, €12.0m)
Helped UEFA EURO 2016 winners Portugal kick-start their campaign with five goals across two qualifying victories and now has six goals and an assist in his last four appearances for club and country.
Rostov (Richard van Poortvliet, @UEFAcomRichVP)
Sardar Azmoun (FW, €5.5m)
The 21-year-old scored a vital goal on 25 minutes to give Iran a 1-0 victory against the Korea Republic, which keeps his country top of their FIFA World Cup qualifying group. Has found domestic goals hard to come by, but has looked sharp and was impressive in helping Rostov qualify for the group stage with two goals.
Sevilla (Graham Hunter, @BumperGraham)
Samir Nasri (MF, €6.5m)
Lean, fit and loving his football again. Sevilla play to his tempo. Man of the match last time out in the UEFA Champions League, man of the match and scorer in Sevilla's 3-2 win at Leganés on Saturday; his price represents value.
Sporting (Paul Bryan, @UEFAcomPaulB)
Bryan Ruiz (MF, €6.5m)
Along with his compatriot and Sporting team-mate Joel Campbell, Bryan Ruiz found the net in Costa Rica's 4-3 friendly win against 2018 World Cup hosts Russia, firing in a left-footed shot from distance.
Tottenham (Daniel Thacker, @UEFAcomDanielT)
Dele Alli (MF, €7.5m)
Alli has scored three goals in his last four games for club and country, including in England's victory against Malta. Facing a Leverkusen side that loves to play on the front foot, expect to see the young midfielder popping up in plenty of promising positions once again.