Champions League Fantasy Football: Scout squad for Matchday 7

With unlimited transfers before the UEFA Champions League round of 16 gets under way, and a longer winter break than usual, the Scout has taken full advantage to make an extensive squad overhaul ahead of the return of #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

The first squad for the knockout rounds is a combination of players such as Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, who delivered in the group stage, and form players like Riyad Mahrez, João Mário, Harry Kane and Napoli pair Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen.

Goalkeepers

The standout fixture from the first week of first legs from a Fantasy viewpoint is Benfica's trip to a Clube Brugge side who have won one of their last ten matches in all competitions, while the Portuguese Liga leaders have suffered one defeat all season. Odysseas Vlachodimos (€5.0m) picked up only 17 points in the group stage, managing a single clean sheet, but looks well placed to claim another in Belgium.

Another team setting a blistering domestic pace are Napoli, who have won their last six Serie A games, a run that includes four clean sheets. Alex Meret (€5.0m) picked up 22 points in the group stage and will be looking to add to that total at Eintracht Frankfurt, who have one win in their last four Bundesliga matches.

Defenders

The appeal of those Benfica and Napoli fixtures is such that both teams also provide players in the back line – two in Benfica's case. Alejandro Grimaldo (€5.3m) was the top-scoring defender in the group stage on 47 points thanks to two goals, two assists and a clean sheet, while team-mate António Silva (€4.2m) delivered 31 points, 11 of them via ball recoveries.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo (€5.1m) is the Napoli representative in the back four, aiming to add to his 42 points from the group stage, a total that included two double-digit hauls and 12 points from ball recoveries. Manuel Akanji (€5.1m) is the chosen Manchester City option for their trip to Leipzig, while Ivan Perišić (€6.0m), on 31 points ahead of the knockout rounds, is likely to be a key attacking option as Tottenham aim for a favourable first-leg result at AC Milan in a stadium the Croatian knows very well having spent six seasons at Inter.

Midfielders

Jude Bellingham (€7.5m) finished as the second highest scorer among midfielders in the group stage despite sitting out Matchday 6; the England international scored in each of his first four appearances and delivering three double-digit returns. Vinícius Júnior (€10.0m) collected 40 points in the group stage, also finding the net four times, and will be a key attacking threat as the holders take on an out-of-sorts Liverpool, the Brazilian having scored the only goal of last season's final between the clubs.

Riyad Mahrez (€9.8m) has four goals and five assists since the Premier League resumed at the end of December and looks the most potent Manchester City attacking midfield option for their game at Leipzig. The midfield is completed by two more players from Benfica and Napoli; João Mário (€6.1m) scored ten points on both Matchday 5 and 6, for a total of 41 overall, and has five goals in his last three league games; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (€5.9m) is also a man in form, with three goals in his last four Serie A outings.

Forwards

Kvaratskhelia's Napoli team-mate Victor Osimhen (€7.9m) is arguably the form player in Europe now with goals in each of his last six Serie A games – eight in total – making him a straightforward pick for the trip to Frankfurt. Also in Germany is Erling Haaland (€11.1m), who delivered 25 points in his first three appearances but only one across the three subsequent matchdays, although with 25 Premier League goals already, fitness permitting Manchester City are sure to look to him as their main threat at Leipzig.

With doubts around the availability of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, and with Robert Lewandowski having departed the competition, Harry Kane (€10.5m) is perhaps the stand-out form option among other strikers; he recently became Tottenham's all-time record goalscorer and has struck 17 times in this season's Premier League, five since the restart.