Who should be my Champions League Fantasy Football captain for Matchday 8?

Four potential captains are under the spotlight as UEFA.com looks ahead to Matchday 8 on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

João Mário, Kylian Mbappé, Riyad Mahrez and Karim Benzema all delivered big scores in the first leg and are strong contenders for the armband as the round of 16 second legs approach.

TUESDAY 7 MARCH

João Mário (€6.3m) vs Club Brugge (H)

João Mário has established himself as one of the most reliable Fantasy assets this season, and underlined his appeal with a goal in the first leg against Club Brugge. That took the Portuguese international to five in this season's competition, behind only Mohamed Salah and Vinícius Júnior among midfielders. The Benfica man has produced seven points or more in five of his last six UEFA Champions League outings, and has also scored seven times in his last five Portuguese Liga matches.

WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH

Kylian Mbappé (€11.4m) vs Bayern (A)

Although Paris lost the home first leg, Mbappé's impact off the bench could well have done enough to convince Fantasy managers that he will be a key figure if his side are to turn the tie around. Now fully fit, the Frenchman will be a constant threat to the Bayern defence if his performances in the competition this season are any guide. With ten goal involvements and four Player of the Match awards, and more Fantasy points than any other striker in 2022/23 (63), he will be difficult to ignore on Matchday 8.

TUESDAY 14 MARCH

Riyad Mahrez (€9.8m) vs Leipzig (H)

Those who chose to captain Erling Haaland on Matchday 7 were left disappointed with his blank, and may now turn to Mahrez should they need a skipper from the Manchester City vs Leipzig contest on Matchday 8. The Algerian – a scorer in Germany – certainly has the pedigree. Pep Guardiola has a well-publicised penchant for rotation but, more often than not, he lines up with Mahrez in the UEFA Champions League. The winger has featured in all seven European games this season – starting six – and is potentially lucrative differential captain.

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH

Karim Benzema (€10.6m) vs Liverpool (H)

Benzema has had a lot of success against Liverpool in the past, his double at Anfield taking him to six career goals against the Reds – more than any other player has managed in the European Cup. The Frenchman failed to score in the group stage but has now found the net in all but one of his last seven UEFA Champions League knockout appearances, seven goals in total. If the Matchday 8 fixture against Liverpool is as goal-laden as the first leg, Benzema could turn out to be an excellent last-day captaincy choice.