Champions League Fantasy Football: Top performers on Matchday 7

With the first legs of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League round of 16 ties now over, UEFA.com looks back over the highest scorers across the whole of Matchday 7 on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

Of the 16 goalkeepers in action, five of them managed to keep a clean sheet. Andriy Lunin (€4.6m) made nine saves in Real Madrid's 1-0 win away at Leipzig, earning nine Fantasy points – the highest of any goalkeeper. The Ukrainian has now scored 22 points in three Champions League appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season.

The most popular goalkeeper among Fantasy managers justified his high ownership, Yann Sommer (€4.5m) recording a fourth Champions League shut-out of the campaign as 2022/23 finalists Inter edged past Atlético de Madrid 1-0. Despite those six points, Sommer is not the highest-scoring goalkeeper on Fantasy this season; he is behind Lazio's Ivan Provedel (€5.0m), who matched Sommer's six points in the 1-0 defeat of Bayern in Rome.

Two other goalkeepers picked up six points: Gianluigi Donnarumma (€6.0m) and Diogo Costa (€5.5m). Both kept clean sheets for Paris and Porto respectively, while Kamil Grabara (€4.6m) made nine saves to earn four points despite conceding three goals in Copenhagen's home defeat by Manchester City.

DEFENDERS

Mats Hummels (€5.1m) maintained his record of scoring at least four points on every matchday this season, his four in Dortmund's draw at PSV taking him to an overall total of 44 points, the most of any defender. Two defenders earned double-figure Fantasy scores on Matchday 7. Marquinhos (€5.4m) accumulated 12 points courtesy of a clean sheet, an assist and six ball recoveries in Paris's 2-0 triumph at home to Real Sociedad.

Having started in Porto's dramatic 1-0 win against Arsenal alongside 40-year-old Pepe (€4.9m), 21-year-old centre-back Otávio (€4.0m) shone in his first Champions League appearance, providing an assist to go with a clean sheet to pick up ten Fantasy points. His low price tag means plenty of Fantasy bosses will have taken notice.

MIDFIELDERS

After injury kept Jude Bellingham (€8.0m) out of action, his replacement stepped up admirably. A spectacular solo goal from Brahim Díaz (€6.5m) was enough to secure Real Madrid's one-goal win at Leipzig and helped the Spaniard to 12 Fantasy points after being named Player of the Match. However, the 24-year-old was forced off through a hamstring injury later in the game.

Another midfielder to score the only goal in a round of 16 first leg and pick up 12 Fantasy points was Galeno (€7.0m), whose magnificent curling effort from outside the box gave Porto a precious 1-0 lead to defend at Arsenal. Also named Player of the Match, the Brazilian winger's third double-figure score of the campaign takes him to 63 points for the season, the most of any midfielder.

Two Manchester City midfielders also scored heavily on Matchday 7. Kevin De Bruyne (€10.5m) and Phil Foden (€8.2m) each delivered a goal and an assist, while the former was named Player of the Match in the victory at Copenhagen. That was De Bruyne's first appearance in this season's Champions League and he ended it as the highest-scoring Fantasy asset in all positions with 13 points.

FORWARDS

Although a couple of highly-owned forward assets failed to get on the scoresheet on Matchday 7, Kylian Mbappé (€11.5m) managed his highest Fantasy score of the season. The Paris striker scored his fourth goal of the competition, all at home, and was also named Player of the Match.

That points total was matched by another premium forward in Robert Lewandowski (€10.3m). As has so often been the case, the Polish international stepped up in the Champions League knockout stage, opening for the scoring for Barcelona in a 1-1 draw at Napoli. Like Mbappé, Lewandowski was named Player of the Match.

It was not all plain sailing for the high-price Fantasy options, however, with Erling Haaland (€11.7m), Vinícius Júnior (€11.1m) and Harry Kane (€10.1m) all unable to find the net in away games and seeking improved fortunes in the home returns.