Champions League Fantasy Football: Top performers on Matchday 8

In the final round of league phase fixtures in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, 12 players recorded 13 points or more, four gaining at least 17. UEFA.com highlights those top scorers on Matchday 8 of #UCLfantasy, presented by PlayStation.

GOALKEEPERS

Newcastle's Nick Pope (€5.0m) completed an outstanding league phase campaign with nine points on Matchday 8, the joint-most of any goalkeeper equalling his highest individual score of the season. Pope denied Ousmane Dembélé from the penalty spot and made six saves as Newcastle held reigning champions Paris Saint-German to a 1-1 draw.

Pope's nine points was matched by Simon Mignolet (€5.0m), whose nine saves in his first league phase appearance since Matchday 1 helped Club Brugge to a 3-0 victory over Marseille. Italian goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.9m) and Mattia Perin (€3.8m) also registered clean sheets, each making five saves for Manchester City and Juventus respectively.

However, the Matchday 8 headlines went to Anatoliy Trubin (€4.6m), whose dramatic 98th-minute header sent Benfica through to the knockout phase play-offs and helped him to eight Fantasy points. Trubin was the first goalkeeper to score in the Champions League since Ivan Provedel in 2023 and the first in the league phase.

DEFENDERS

A number of premium-priced defenders were among the points on Matchday 8, Virgil van Dijk (€6.2m) picking up his third double-figure haul of the campaign with 15 points. The Dutchman's two assists and nine ball recoveries in Liverpool's 6-0 win over Qarabağ helped boost his overall league phase score to 64 points, the most of any player in his position.

Another Premier League defender racking up points throughout the league phase has been Cristian Romero (€5.0m), the Tottenham centre-back recording his third straight double-figure Fantasy score. Romero received the Player of the Match award after his ten ball recoveries and assist played a key role in Spurs' win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Alejandro Grimaldo (€6.2m) was back on the scoresheet for Leverkusen, his fourth goal of the league phase helping earn him a season-best 14 points. However, it was another left-back who accumulated the highest Fantasy score of Matchday 8 among defenders. Federico Dimarco (€5.5m) set Inter on their way to winning in Dortmund with a stunning free-kick from outside the box and securing safe passage through to the round of 16. Dimarco also managed six ball recoveries as he was named Player of the Match, boosting his tally to 18 points.

MIDFIELDERS

A number of midfielders came away from Matchday 8 with huge Fantasy totals, but no one could match the 18 points registered by Aleksandar Stanković (€5.0m), who was key to all three of Club Brugge's goals against Marseille. The Player of the Match award followed for Stanković, who recorded a goal and two assists.

Alexis Mac Allister (€6.4m) of Liverpool and Leverkusen's Malik Tillman (€6.3m) each scored twice on Matchday 8, both earning Player of the Match awards and 17 points respectively. Those two, alongside Stanković made up the three top-scoring midfielders in this final round of league phase fixtures.

After missing Matchday 7 through suspension, Lamine Yamal (€9.9m) was back in the side and back on the scoresheet for Barcelona, who came from behind to win 4-1 against Copenhagen. The 18-year-old set up the equaliser before putting them ahead, his display giving him the Player of the Match award along with 13 Fantasy points.

FORWARDS

As was the case with goalkeepers, the top Matchday 8 score among forwards was shared by two players. Both scored two crucial goals, a João Pedro (€7.1m) double – one from outside the box – helping Chelsea to a 3-2 win at Italian champions Napoli, while Andreas Schjelderup (€4.7m) scored two of Benfica's four goals in their triumph at home to Real Madrid. Both picked up 14 points.

Two more Benfica players made up the top-three highest-scoring Fantasy forwards, Vangelis Pavlidis (€7.1m) recorded three attacking returns and 13 points on Matchday 8, scoring a penalty and setting up both of Schjelderup's goals. In the same fixture Kylian Mbappé (€11.0m) struck twice for Real Madrid, making it 13 Champions League goals for the season and cementing his spot as the top Fantasy scorer overall on 77 points.

Making his first Champions League appearance of the campaign, Arsenal's Kai Havertz (€7.5m) delivered for Fantasy managers with a goal, assist and 11 points in a Player of the Match performance against Kairat Almaty. The German was not the only Arsenal forward to shine, Viktor Gyökeres (€9.0m) also recording a goal and assist as the Gunners completed their perfect league phase campaign.