#UCLfantasy popular picks and potential differentials
Monday, April 15, 2019
Article summary
With the quarter-finals concluding, who is everyone picking and who could help your team steal a march?
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As the quarter-finals conclude, UEFA.com identifies the Fantasy Football options everyone is picking and selects a player in each position who is still flying under the radar.
GOALKEEPERS
Popular pick
Ederson (€5.6m) v Tottenham (H)
One of the higher-priced #UCLfantasy assets, Manchester City's Ederson looks a solid option. City have only conceded three goals at home during this season's UEFA Champions League, and have kept two clean sheets, including one in the round of 16 in Manchester.
Selected by: 22%
Potential differential
Hugo Lloris (€5.7m) v Tottenham (A)
With just 1% ownership, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris is the least-selected starting goalkeeper among the eight quarter-finalists. While a trip to City may not seem the most attractive fixture on paper, few would have expected Spurs to record a shut-out in the first leg. That clean sheet, together with a penalty save from Sergio Agüero, brought Lloris 11 points on matchday nine – the most of all goalkeepers. Tottenham are yet to concede in this season's knockout phase and know a fourth consecutive clean sheet will take them to the semi-finals for the first time.
Selected by: 1%
DEFENDERS
Popular pick
Jordi Alba (€6.6m) v Manchester United (H)
With 29% ownership, Barcelona's left-back is the most-selected defender in the game. Following their clean sheet in the first leg, Barcelona welcome Manchester United to Camp Nou knowing a second clean sheet would secure a semi-final place. United have scored the fewest goals (10) and have had lowest number of attempts on goal (109) of all the quarter-finalists. With one goal and three assists, Alba also offers good attacking potential.
Selected by: 29%
Potential differential
Clément Lenglet (€5.0m) v Manchester United (H)
For our differential pick, we have gone with a second Barcelona player. In contrast to Jordi Alba, Clément Lenglet is owned by just 3% of managers and as such is the lowest-owned defender, along with Nélson Semedo, who started for Barcelona in the first leg. His partnership with Gerard Piqué has been instrumental in this impressive Barcelona defence, which has been stout at home this season, keeping two clean sheets and conceding only two goals in four UEFA Champions League matches.
Selected by: 3%
MIDFIELDERS
Popular pick
Sadio Mané (€9.1m) v Porto (A)
Already on the radar of most #UCLfantasy managers, Mané travels to Porto with Liverpool to defend a 2-0 lead. The Senegalese international is in a rich vein of form, netting his seventh goal in eight matches in all competitions at the weekend – a stretch that includes a two-goal haul away to Bayern in the last round. Porto have conceded in each of their last three home UEFA Champions League fixtures and given the firepower that Liverpool possess, that trend could well continue.
Selected by: 20%
Potential differential
Kevin De Bruyne (€9.8m) v Tottenham (H)
For our differential pick, Kevin De Bruyne is an attacking Manchester City asset owned by just 2% of #UCLfantasy managers. As such he offers extreme differential value. City are the tournament's top scorers with 26, six more than any other side. They have been particularly prolific at home, scoring 16 goals – an average rate of four per game. Aiming to overcome a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, Josep Guardiola will be looking to De Bruyne to inspire his side to victory.
Selected by: 2%
FORWARDS
Popular pick
Lionel Messi (€11.6m) v Manchester United (h)
We selected Lionel Messi as our popular pick for matchday nine and he promptly scored just two appearance points. To say it would be a surprise if Messi blanked again on matchday ten would be an understatement. The Argentinian superstar has scored an incredible 30 #UCLfantasy points in the two home games he has started in this season's UEFA Champions League, scoring five times and registering two assists in those two matches. Chances will be there for Barcelona and Messi against Manchester United, who have conceded in each of their last five away matches in all competitions, and have to attack if they are to come back in the tie.
Selected by: 54%
Potential differential
Moussa Marega (€8.1m) v Liverpool (H)
Given Marega is the third-highest point scoring forward in #UCLfantasy and costs a relatively budget friendly €8.1m, it is perhaps a little surprising the Porto forward does not have more owners than just 3%. Marega has been integral in Porto's run to the quarter-finals, scoring in every home UEFA Champions League match this season. With the club needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit, they are likely to attack from the start, which will increase Marega's prospects of adding to his goal tally.
Selected by: 3%
