Champions League Fantasy Football: Top performers on Matchday 1

After a thrilling opening round of league phase fixtures in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, UEFA.com takes a look back at a number of players in all four positions who performed well from a Fantasy perspective.

Of the top 20 highest-owned players, 15 recorded a score of six points or more on Matchday 1 of #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

Two goalkeepers on the opposite end of the ownership scale stole the show on Matchday 1. While David Raya (€5.5m), the third most popular goalkeeper, scored 11 Fantasy points thanks to a clean sheet and a penalty save in Arsenal's 0-0 draw away at Atalanta, his score was equalled by Bologna's Łukasz Skorupski (€4.5m). The Poland international also saved from the spot as the Champions League debutants drew 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk.

The highest-scoring Fantasy goalkeeper last season, Gregor Kobel (€5.0m) was in fine form to begin this year's campaign. Kobel made five saves to ensure a clean sheet for 2023/24 runners-up Borussia Dortmund, who beat Club Brugge 3-0 in Belgium with Kobel gaining seven points.

A total of 11 goalkeepers returned at least six points on Matchday 1, only Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m) not keeping a clean sheet. Six crucial saves from the Belgian were key to Real Madrid’s 2-1 triumph over Stuttgart, earning Courtois the Player of the Match award, the only goalkeeper to do so in the 18 Matchday 1 fixtures.

DEFENDERS

Any questions over whether Leverkusen full-backs Jeremie Frimpong (€5.5m) and Alejandro Grimaldo (€5.5m) would carry their attacking qualities into the Champions League were answered emphatically on Matchday 1. The pair accumulated three attacking returns between them and each gained 12 Fantasy points as Xabi Alonso's side won 4-0 at Feyenoord.

However, their Fantasy scores were eclipsed by both Sparta Praha's Filip Panák (€4.0m) and Zeno Debast (€4.5m) of Sporting CP. Budget pick Panák recorded a clean sheet, assist, six ball recoveries and was named Player of the Match as Sparta beat Salzburg 3-0. No defender managed a higher Fantasy score than Panák's 14 points, although Debast picked up 13 after scoring in Sporting's 2-0 win against LOSC Lille.

Highly-owned defensive assets William Saliba (€5.5m), Achraf Hakimi (€5.5m) and Antonio Rüdiger (€6.0m) all ensured their respective owners were happy on Matchday 1. Saliba and Hakimi were both part of back lines who kept clean sheets, while Rüdiger's winning goal for Real Madrid earned him nine points.

MIDFIELDERS

Four of the five midfield points scorers on Matchday 1 play for German clubs, with Florian Wirtz (€7.5m) leading the way on 18 points. For the second time this season, Jamie Gittens (€5.0m) came off the bench to hit a double for Dortmund, scoring 15 points in the process.

Bayern München unveiled a new potential Fantasy star in Michael Olise (€6.5m), the winger scoring twice and recording 13 points on his Champions League debut. Experienced team-mate Joshua Kimmich (€6.0m) gained 12 points following a hat-trick of assists against GNK Dinamo while the 25% of Fantasy bosses who own Jamal Musiala (€9.0m) earned home nine points as the 21-year-old managed two assists himself.

Budget buys may include Sparta Praha's Qazim Laçi (€4.5m) and Celtic's Nicolas Kühn (€4.5m), who both recorded an attacking return in the opening fixtures.

FORWARDS

The star among forwards was undoubtedly Harry Kane (€10.5m). Bayern's 9-2 win over GNK Dinamo will be remembered for many reasons, not least for the England captain's exploits. Kane scored four goals, becoming the 18th player to do so in a Champions League fixture, with three of those coming from the penalty spot.

Kane, who finished on 21 points, was the only striker on Matchday 1 to score more than once, although there were goals for other highly-owned forward assets such as Kylian Mbappé (€11.0m) and Viktor Gyökeres (€7.5m), who picked up six and nine points respectively. However, Erling Haaland (€11.0m) was kept at bay as the 2022/23 Champions League final rematch between Manchester City and Inter ended goalless.

Two other forwards aside from Kane ended the first round of fixtures with a double-figure Fantasy score. Antoine Griezmann (€9.0m) accumulated 13 points after scoring and providing an assist in Atlético de Madrid's 2-1 win against Leipzig, whilst Kenan Yıldız (€6.5m) was also on the scoresheet as Juventus won 3-1 at home to PSV. Among the budget options, Nicolás González (€5.0m), Victor Olatunji (€5.0m), George Ilenikhena (€5.0m) and Abdallah Sima (€5.0m) all found the net.