Champions League Fantasy Football: Defenders

With the UEFA Champions League finalists both having shown considerable defensive prowess on their way to Istanbul, UEFA.com considers the leading contenders among the Manchester City and Inter back lines for the last game of the season on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

Manchester City have conceded just three goals in the knockout stage and their 4-0 triumph over Real Madrid on Matchday 12 was their third clean sheet since Matchday 7. A mainstay within their defence has been Rúben Dias (€5.7m), who has started each game and picked up 30 Fantasy points in the last five, scoring at least four in every match. No City defender has more Fantasy points than the centre-back's 67.

Another City central defender who has shone in the knockout stage is Manuel Akanji (€5.1m). Like Dias, Akanji has started the last five fixtures, but the Swiss international has eight extra Fantasy points, including double-figure hauls on both Matchdays 8 and 12 with his first City goal and a clean sheet bringing him 13 in the semi-final second leg.

Available at the same price as Akanji is John Stones (€5.1m), another who has played every minute across the quarter and semi-finals. Stones has picked up 25 Fantasy points in that time, including an assist, two clean sheets and 13 ball recoveries. Kyle Walker (€5.3m) remains a key figure in the City back line with his pace likely to be crucial in breaking up Inter attacks. Walker managed eight ball recoveries against Real Madrid on Matchday 12, picking up eight points overall.

While Inter have conceded the same number of goals as Man City during the knockout stage, Simone Inzaghi's men boast five clean sheets over that period, two more than their final opponents. Deploying three central defenders with wing-backs has reaped its rewards with their defensive assets also profiting from Fantasy point of view, particularly Alessandro Bastoni (€5.6m), the highest-scoring player in all positions set to feature in the final. Of his 73 points, 54 have come from his last seven appearances, so expect him to be in significant demand ahead of Matchday 13.

Bastoni's fellow centre-backs are also likely to court interest. Francesco Acerbi (€4.6m) represents excellent value for money, having recorded eight-point-scores in three of the last four matchdays. The experienced Italian has the highest ball recovery figures of any Inter asset, gaining 50 so far. Another cheap defender expected to line up in Istanbul is Matteo Darmian (€4.5m), who has recorded the same number of points (39) as Acerbi over the course of the knockout stage.

However, neither Acerbi nor Darmian have gained as many Fantasy points across the campaign as Federico Dimarco (€4.9m). Expected to start on the left side in the final, the wing-back has 61 Fantasy points thanks in part to five assists. Interestingly, the 25-year-old has been substituted after the 60th minute in each of the last five matches, which could work in his favour from a Fantasy perspective should Inter still be holding out at that stage.