Champions League Fantasy Football: Who should be my captain for Matchday 13?

Liverpool face Real Madrid in the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League and, unlike every other matchday, Fantasy managers only get one chance to pick the right captain.

UEFA.com runs through two options from each team for the season finale on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

• Fantasy tips for the final
• Fantasy Team of the Week Matchday 12

LIVERPOOL

Mohamed Salah (€11.2m)

While Salah hasn't found the net in his last five UEFA Champions League games – his longest barren spell in the competition for Liverpool – he remains his club's top scorer in Europe this season with eight goals. Indeed, he has surpassed the 30-goal mark in all competitions for the third time in five seasons under Jürgen Klopp, and after returning from injury with a goal in Liverpool's final Premier League game of the season on 22 May, will be raring to go against Real Madrid. The Egyptian has continued adding to his #UCLfantasy points total despite his goal drought in Europe, with assists in each of the Reds' semi-final victories over Villarreal. He also has previous in UEFA Champions League finals, having scored against Tottenham in 2018/19.

Sadio Mané (€10.6m)

Based on ownership alone, Salah will surely be the most common #UCLfantasy captain from the Liverpool ranks, but an equally compelling case can be made for his team-mate Mané. The Senegal international has been in blistering form since the turn of the year, scoring 17 goals from January onwards for both club and country – compared to Salah's 11 – while he has also found the net in his last three UEFA Champions League starts. Mané has nine goals in his last 13 appearances in all competitions, so #UCLfantasy managers could well be tempted to entrust the 30-year-old with the armband in Paris.

REAL MADRID

Karim Benzema (€10.8m)

There is no doubting Madrid's star man of this UEFA Champions League campaign, with Benzema having enjoyed a sensational knockout stage in particular. The Frenchman has almost single-handedly dragged his side through ties against Paris, Chelsea and Manchester City in the last three rounds, scoring ten goals in those six matches alone. Four of his last five appearances have yielded double-figure returns in terms of #UCLfantasy points, and he has now reached 100 points for the season as a whole – a rare feat. The Frenchman has failed to score in just three of his last 16 appearances in all competitions, and no player has scored more goals against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, one of his four strikes coming in the 2017/18 final.

Vinícius Júnior (€9.2m)

Those looking for an alternative option in the Real Madrid team would do well to consider Vinícius Júnior, who has three goals and six assists in Europe this season. The 21-year-old has enjoyed by far the most prolific campaign of his young career, surpassing the 20-goal mark in all competitions, and will be relishing the prospect of playing in his first UEFA Champions League final. The Brazilian has delivered attacking returns in four of Real Madrid's last five UEFA Champions League games, while successive double-figure hauls in the group stage illustrate that he is capable of scoring big points. From the Real Madrid options, the majority will go with Benzema on Matchday 13, but those who need to make up ground in mini-leagues should seriously consider his strike partner.