#UCLfantasy as it stands
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Article summary
With the eight ties finely poised, UEFA.com picks out the players who could make the difference in the second legs.
Article top media content
Article body
Ahead of next week's second legs, UEFA.com runs the rule over the players who could make the difference in each tie.
Dortmund v Tottenham (first leg 0-3)
The top 12 points scorers from the first leg were all Tottenham players, Jan Vertonghen leading the way with a bumper 15 points – making him the top scorer overall in the round of 16. Dortmund have scored in all but one of their 17 home games this season in all competitions, however, and could well win on the night with Jadon Sancho (MF, €4.9m) and Mario Götze (MF, €7.2m) solid options; the fit-again Harry Kane (FW, €11.2m) could capitalise on Dortmund's need to push forward.
Real Madrid v Ajax (first leg 2-1)
The Merengues have won seven in a row against Ajax and an eighth straight success would be no shock. Karim Benzema (FW, €9.8m) is the man in form with eight goals in his last ten games, although one clean sheet in Madrid's last ten matches in all competitions suggests the Dutch visitors might get some joy going forward. Dušan Tadić (FW, €7.3m) and Hakim Ziyech (MF, €7.0m) have been Ajax's form players in the Eredivisie.
Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester United (2-0)
It's hard to see Paris letting this one slip and Kylian Mbappé (FW, €10.0m) is difficult to ignore. Edinson Cavani (FW, €11.0m) recently became the first player ever to score 100 goals at the Parc des Princes while former United player Ángel Di María (MF, €8.5m) produced a stand-out display back at Old Trafford. The French club have not managed a clean sheet in their last five home UEFA Champions League games, however, so don't discount Marcus Rashford (FW, €6.8m).
Porto v Roma (1-1)
With the tie still in the balance, Porto will be hoping Moussa Marega (FW, €8.0m) recovers from injury, having scored in all three of their home group games. Roma's away struggles – one win in their last eight in the competition, with six defeats – mean the Portuguese side look the better bet, although only one clean sheet in nine home UEFA Champions League matches mean Porto's attacking players – such as three-goal Jesús Corona (MF, €6.9m) might prove the value picks.
Manchester City v Schalke (3-2)
A late first-leg comeback has put the English champions in pole position and they are likely to go for the jugular back in Manchester. With Gabriel Jesus sidelined, Sergio Agüero (FW, €10.3m) should start up front, while first-leg goalscorers Leroy Sané (€8.8m) and Raheem Sterling (€9.6m) could get the nod in midfield.
Juventus v Atlético (0-2)
Juve have it all to do in Turin and will need Cristiano Ronaldo (FW, €12.0m) to find his shooting boots – although strike partner Paulo Dybala (€10.2m) has almost double the points in this season's Fantasy. Atlético's resilience should make it a tall order; nine goals in their last seven away games in all competitions suggest they will be less of a threat at the other end although five of those were supplied by Antoine Griezmann (FW, €10.6m), the stand-out attacking option.
Barcelona v Lyon (0-0)
Lyon expertly restricted Barcelona in the first leg in France, but Lionel Messi (FW, €11.6m) has eight goals in his last eight matches at the Camp Nou in all competitions, while Luis Suárez (FW, €10.4m) has not scored in this season's UEFA Champions League but has three goals in Barça's last two domestic outings. For Lyon, Nabil Fekir (FW, €8.5m) is back after suspension and could carry the main forward threat.
Bayern v Liverpool (0-0)
Another tie still awaiting its first goal, Robert Lewandowski (FW, €11.3m) scored twice in Bayern's last two home games in the group stage and is this season's leading scorer overall with eight goals. Further back, Joshua Kimmich (DF, €6,1m) and Mats Hummels (DF, €6.2m) look like Bayern's best bets, while Sadio Mané (MF, €9.0m) is Liverpool's most in-form attacker. The Reds have also kept four clean sheets in a row in all competitions and full-backs Andrew Robertson (€5.5m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (€5.5m) are also useful attacking outlets while Virgil van Dijk (€6.0m), who was banned for the first leg, could be a set-piece danger.