Champions League Fantasy Football: Forwards
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
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With Robert Lewandowski having bowed out in the quarter-finals, Karim Benzema, Vinícius Júnior, Luis Díaz and Roberto Firmino are among the leading contenders to replace the Bayern forward.
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With the semi-finals looming, only a handful of strikers remain in the UEFA Champions League so managers much choose their forward lines carefully on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.
After Bayern's exit in the quarter-finals marked the end of the campaign for the tournament's top scorer Robert Lewandowski, many #UCLfantasy managers will be left with a hole in their pockets to spend on a replacement forward. For those that don't already own Karim Benzema (€10.6m), there is an easy decision to make. The Real Madrid man, fourth on the list of all-time UEFA Champions League goalscorers, has come alive in the knockout stage with successive hat-tricks preceding what turned out to be the winning goal against Chelsea on Matchday 10. Benzema's next task is another Premier League club, Manchester City, but the Frenchman is in blistering form right now and a man for the big occasion.
Because of Benzema's exploits, it has been easy to overlook the form of fellow Real Madrid striker Vinícius Júnior (€8.9m), who has been a consistent Fantasy performer. The Brazilian has produced assists in Madrid's last three UEFA Champions League games to take his overall tally to six, more than any other player still featuring in the competition. Successive double-figure point returns in the group stage also highlight Vinícius' ability to score heavily, so #UCLfantasy managers may well be tempted to double up on Real Madrid forwards ahead of Matchday 11.
The fact that Liverpool play Villarreal on Wednesday is something of a hindrance to #UCLfantasy managers deciding which Reds forward to opt for, as there are potentially three options worth considering. Luis Díaz (€8.3m) is now third on the list of active #UCLfantasy points scorers in his position, thanks in large part to his 12-point haul away at Benfica on Matchday 9. It was Roberto Firmino (€8.3m) who was the leading light on Matchday 10 though, his two goals against Benfica at Anfield earning him his second ten-point score of the #UCLfantasy season.
Diogo Jota (€8.4m) provided an assist in the same match, but with that only being his second attacking return in the UEFA Champions League this season, and considering he has only once completed 90 minutes in the competition, #UCLfantasy managers may have some reservations about selecting the Portuguese international.
Villarreal's Gerard Moreno (€9.0m) represents a differential option for those who need to make up ground in their mini-leagues, but there is reason to be hopeful of returns. The Spaniard has been a consistent performer, logging an attacking return in five of his six UEFA Champions League appearances this season. However, #UCLfantasy managers should be aware that the 30-year-old striker recently picked up a hamstring injury and his availability for the trip to Liverpool should be carefully monitored.
