Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say

Ahead of Matchday 7, UEFA.com crunches the numbers to find out which players are predicted for big points hauls on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

Through crunching the numbers, a projected Fantasy points total for each player has been calculated based on the player's historical performance in the UEFA Champions League. Goals, assists, clean sheets and the likelihood of playing are the major parameters used in our projections.

The top projected players for each position for Matchday 7 are given below. As ever, check latest team news and possible line-ups before making your final selection.

GOALKEEPERS

Porto's Diogo Costa scored more Fantasy points than any other goalkeeper in the group stage – 48 in total – and judging by the Portuguese side's recent form, he could well continue to be a lucrative asset. At the time of writing, Porto have conceded just one goal in their nine competitive fixtures in 2023. Matchday 7 opponents Inter, however, have also been tight at the back of late, with four clean sheets from their last six games in all competitions, making André Onana another viable option for Fantasy managers.

Ederson is the highest projected scorer from the premium bracket. The Brazilian kept clean sheets in three of his four group appearances, while Manchester City conceded just two goals across the entire group stage – the joint best record along with Bayern.

DEFENDERS

Alejandro Grimaldo has accumulated more Fantasy points than any other defender this season and with Benfica having kept clean sheets in five of their six Portuguese Liga matches in 2023, the algorithm places him at the top of the Matchday 7 projections. The Spaniard registered four attacking returns in the group stage, and he has recorded both goals and assists in domestic action recently.

João Cancelo has quickly settled into life at Bayern, recording assists in his first two appearances, adding to his four assists for Manchester City during the group stage. Another attacking full-back, Raphaël Guerreiro, may be the one to go for. The Portuguese international scored twice in the group stage and delivered three assists in Dortmund's Bundesliga win against Freiburg in early February.

Club Brugge failed to keep a clean sheet in just one of their six Group B fixtures, so budget pair Brandon Mechele and Bjorn Meijer remain good value, especially with the Belgian side at home on Matchday 7. On the opposite side of the pitch, Benfica's António Silva – who scored in the group stage – also looks a bargain at €4.2m.

MIDFIELDERS

Real Madrid face Liverpool in a repeat of last season's final, when Vinícius Júnior delivered the only goal. The Brazilian either scored or assisted in all five of his starts in Group F, and has four goals in his last seven appearances in all competitions.

The algorithm also champions João Mário, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Christopher Nkunku based on impressive domestic form. The Benfica man has scored five goals in his last three league games, Napoli's Kvaratskhelia has two goals and four assists in his last three Serie A outings, and Leipzig's Nkunku scored seven goals in seven appearances in all competitions prior to an injury, but is a tempting option should he recover in time to face Manchester City.

FORWARDS

Erling Haaland tops the projections for Matchday 7 on account of his impressive minutes-per-goal ratio. The Norwegian was on target five times in just 249 minutes of action and the Manchester City striker, who has already surpassed 30 goals in all competitions this campaign, could deliver again in the round of 16.

Premium pair Lionel Messi and Harry Kane are also projected to perform well on account of their recent form, while Karim Benzema – despite a frustrating group stage – sneaks into the top ten due to his strike-rate in all competitions this season.

Mid-priced options Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martínez have been in blistering form for Napoli and Inter respectively of late, while Benfica's Gonçalo Ramos has hit a rich of vein of form at the right time with three goals in his last three Portuguese Liga appearances.