Champions League Fantasy Football: Popular Picks and Potential Differentials

UEFA.com assesses the merits of some highly-owned assets, as well as those who could prove to be excellent differentials, on Matchday 2 on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

Popular Pick

Marc-André ter Stegen (€5.5m) vs Porto (A)
Featuring in a third of all teams, Ter Stegen is the most popular goalkeeper on Fantasy at the moment having recorded a clean sheet against Antwerp on Matchday 1. Barcelona, who are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions this season, next face a tricky away trip to Porto, but Ter Stegen's popularity has not diminished.
Selected by 33%

Potential Differential

Jan Oblak (€6.0m) vs Feyenoord (H)
Oblak represents a tempting Matchday 2 option given Atlético's solidity at home. Diego Simeone's side are unbeaten in 13 home games in all competitions, and have not conceded more than once at the Estadio Metropolitano for 11 months. Atlético did leak a late equaliser at Lazio on Matchday 1, yet Oblak still returned four Fantasy points and will now be targeting his first clean sheet of this season's European campaign.
Selected by 5%

DEFENDERS

Popular Pick

João Cancelo (€6.0m) vs Porto (A)
Also a popular pick in the past, Cancelo has been rejuvenated by his loan move to Barcelona, and Fantasy managers have caught on. The versatile defender earned seven points on Matchday 1 and has since scored a dramatic winner against Celta Vigo in La Liga. His high ownership is partly down to his ability to score points at both ends of the pitch.
Selected by 40%

Potential Differential

Kieran Trippier (€6.0m) vs Paris (H)
Trippier's low ownership is perhaps due to Newcastle's difficult group. Eddie Howe's side host Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 2, but Trippier's ability to make assists makes him an appealing Fantasy asset. The England international recorded three assists in the Premier League on 24 September and if he can transfer that output to the European stage, he would become an excellent differential option.
Selected by 4%

MIDFIELDERS

Popular Pick

Jude Bellingham (€7.5m) vs Napoli (A)
Unsurprisingly, Bellingham is the most commonly-chosen midfielder given his excellent start at Real Madrid, and his popularity has grown yet further after he scored a late winner in his first Champions League appearance for the club on Matchday 1. The 20-year-old has six goals in seven club appearances this season.
Selected by 77%

Potential Differential

Kingsley Coman (€8.0m) vs Copenhagen (A)
Bayern attacking assets are always worth considering and the Matchday 2 trip to Copenhagen is no different. A recent injury to Serge Gnabry is likely to result in more game time for Coman, scorer of the winner in the 2020 final, and the low-owned Frenchman recorded an assist on his last Bundesliga start.
Selected by 1%

FORWARDS

Popular Pick

Erling Haaland (€11.5m) vs Leipzig (A)
No other forward comes even remotely close to Haaland's ownership, which is a testament to his incredible scoring rate. Despite only returning five points on Matchday 1, Fantasy managers have not wavered when it comes to their faith in the Manchester City striker. After all, when City last faced Leipzig, Haaland became just the third player in Champions League history to score five goals in a match.
Selected by 74%

Potential Differential

Rasmus Højlund (€7.0m) vs Galatasaray (H)
From one Manchester-based Scandinavian striker to another, Manchester United frontman Højlund's ownership pales in comparison to his City counterpart. However, the Dane scored on his Champions League debut at Bayern München on Matchday 1, and now faces a Galatasaray side without an away win in the Champions League proper in over ten years.
Selected by 3%