EURO 2020 Fantasy Football: Popular Picks for Matchday 3

Ahead of Matchday 3, UEFA.com examines some well-regarded picks that have emerged as highly sought-after choices amongst EURO 2020 Fantasy Football managers.

GOALKEEPERS

Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.5m) became the first goalkeeper in EURO 2020 Fantasy to register successive clean sheets after his shut-out on the opening night of the tournament against Turkey was backed up by another against Switzerland. The Azzurri haven't conceded a goal in their last ten games and it is no surprise that Donnarumma is the second highest owned goalkeeper ahead of Matchday 3, with Italy facing Wales and looking to go throughout the entire group stage without conceding.

Denmark's final Group B fixture sees them take on Russia needing a positive result in their bid to qualify for the knockout stage. To get one, they will need to be at their best defensively which means goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (€5.0m) becomes a viable Fantasy option. Indeed, the Leicester No1 features in around a fifth of teams at present.

The ownership of Manuel Neuer (€6.0m) is already fairly substantial but it is set to rise further with Germany up against Hungary in their final group fixture. When considering that both France and Portugal complete Group F, this is a match that will have been earmarked as a must-win game by Germany and Neuer owners will be expecting a clean sheet from the experienced custodian on Matchday 3.

Other popular choices: Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m), Hugo Lloris (€6.0m), Lukas Hradecky (€4.2m)

DEFENDERS

Given the injury to Timothy Castagne, the popularity of Thomas Meunier (€5.6m) has soared, no surprise given that he amassed 15 Fantasy points after coming off the bench on Matchday 1. The Dortmund star is now included in over 20% of Fantasy managers so omitting him your Matchday 3 squad – when Belgium take on Finland – could be costly .

Joining Schmeichel as another Denmark asset worthy of a mention is centre-back Simon Kjær (€4.5m). As captain, his side will be looking to him for inspiration in a defence needing to be at their best on Matchday 3 to keep Russia at bay. He also represents a cheap budget enabler, which a quarter of Fantasy managers have caught on to.

Numerous Italian players have come to the fore following successive three-goal victories in their two Group A fixtures so far. One of those players is full-back Leonardo Spinazzola (€5.5m), who followed up his clean sheet, assist and nine-point haul on Matchday 1 with a second clean sheet and six more fantasy points on Matchday 2. Italy boss Roberto Mancini has allowed the defender freedom to push forward and join the attack, leading him to stand out as an excellent EURO Fantasy proposition. With a constantly rising ownership, Spinazzola is more than worth his price tag.

Other popular choices: Jordi Alba (€6.0m), Rúben Dias (€6.0m), Pau Torres (€4.5m)

MIDFIELDERS

Lorenzo Insigne (€8.5m) has been fielded as part of a front three in Italy's first two games which has led to him scoring once and accumulating 11 Fantasy points across both matchdays. With Italy facing Wales in the first fixture of Matchday 3, this is likely to further enhance his popularity among Fantasy managers, who will have access to that all-important team news before the Matchday 3 deadline.

Joshua Kimmich (€6.0m) operated as a right-wing-back on Matchday 1 in Germany's opening defeat by France but head coach Joachim Löw may be tempted to field him in a central midfield role – where he typically operates for club side Bayern – by the time the Matchday 3 fixture with Hungary comes around. Having racked up 14 assists for Bayern in all competitions in 2020/21, Kimmich could have a big role to play from an attacking point of view

Currently the most second most popular EURO Fantasy asset competing at the tournament, N'Golo Kanté (€5.5m) put in a typically reliable performance as France opened with a win against Germany. Ultimately though, attacking returns are what his vast ownership would love for him to accrue and in a glittering side full of attacking superstars, they are never easy to come by for a defensive midfielder. However, he remains a hugely popular asset from a budget-enabling perspective, allowing EURO Fantasy managers to distribute their funds elsewhere in a bid to afford more attacking players on Matchday 3.

Other popular choices: Bruno Fernandes (€10.5m), Mason Mount (€7.0m), David Alaba (€5.5m)

FORWARDS

England face off against Czech Republic on Matchday 3, a third successive fixture at Wembley for the Three Lions. The two sides met at Wembley in a EURO 2020 qualification game back in March 2019, when England were 5-0 winners with Harry Kane (€11.5m) on the scoresheet. The captain also found the net in their reverse fixture in the Czech Republic so he has a good record against his Matchday 3 opponents. He is expected to court serious interest from EURO Fantasy managers ahead of this match and already sits among the top three most owned forwards.

Matchday 3 could prove a big one for reigning European champions Portugal as they take on 2018 World Cup winners France in another potential group-winning decider. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.1m) has already made history at EURO 2020 after his two goals on Matchday 1 took him past Michel Platini to stand alone as the all-time highest scorer in the history of the finals tournament. Such is Ronaldo's thirst for records, he'll already have his eyes on being the top scorer at EURO 2020. As popular as ever among Fantasy managers, hecould be set to shine once more.

It's impossible to discuss popular options without mentioning the highest owned of them all, with over half of the Fantasy managers reserving a place for Romelu Lukaku (€11.0m) in their squads. Relentless for both club and country, the Belgium goalscoring machine will be looking to sign off the group stage in style with a haul against Finland.

Other popular choices: Kylian Mbappé (€12.0m), Memphis Depay (€10.0m), Ciro Immobile (€10.0m)