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Matchday 5 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group stage delivered thrilling action, highlighted by Atletico Madrid's incredible 6-0 victory over AC Sparta Praha and Arsenal's stunning 5-1 victory over Sporting CP. The first five games are done, but what does Matchday 6 have in store? Let's dive in!
Matchday 6 promises more excitement, with headline clashes like Leverkusen vs. Inter and Borussia Dortmund hosting FC Barcelona this midweek. The road to Germany is set to be thrilling, ultimately leading to the final at Munich's Football Arena. RotoBaller remains your go-to source for top-tier UEFA Champions League fantasy content.
The Matchday 6 deadline of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season is Tuesday, December 10 at 12:45 p.m. EST, when GNK Dinamo entertains Celtic and Girona hosts Liverpool. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Matchday 6 is here! 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/H6w2ztU5F9
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2024
UCL Season Recap: Matchdays 1 - 5 Review
Liverpool Excels, As Paris Saint-Germain Struggles
With five straight victories, 12 goals scored, and only one conceded, Liverpool is currently at the top of the table. The Reds have been the team to beat this season. Arne Slot has instilled in his squad a unique resilience, resulting in sweet victories over top teams such as Milan, Leverkusen, and Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain has had a worrying run of results, scoring only three goals while conceding six. The Ligue 1 champions have only one win in the opening five games, suffering defeats against Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich, and find themselves in the elimination zone.
In terms of players and team performances, here are some key takeaways from the first five Champions League games:
Club Stats:
- Most Goals Scored: FC Barcelona - 18
- Most Goals Conceded: ŠK Slovan Bratislava - 18
- Most Clean Sheets: Inter - 5
- Most Balls Recovered: Atletico Madrid - 250
Player Stats:
- Leading Goal Scorer: Robert Lewandowski - 7
- Most Assists: Igor Paixão, Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremie Frimpong, Mohamed Salah - 4
- Most Clean Sheets: Yann Sommer - 5
- Most Saves Made: Mike Maignan - 27
Matchday 6 UCL Fantasy Tips
Target Atletico Madrid and Barcelona Attacking Assets
Following recent victories over Paris Saint-Germain and AC Sparta Praha, Atletico Madrid will be looking to improve its qualification chances against UCL debutants ŠK Slovan Bratislava, who have conceded the most goals this season.
Among the top eight, the clash between third and fourth place might reshuffle the Champions League standings. However, Barcelona's 18 goals scored will provide an extra incentive for fantasy managers when they face Borussia Dortmund.
Time to take care of business. pic.twitter.com/ViXRBlQ4nN
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2024
For Matchday 6, UCL Fantasy managers are strongly advised to focus their free transfers on any of Atletico Madrid or Barcelona's attacking options.
This week's recommended targets include any of Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, Julián Álvarez, Conor Gallagher, and Marcos Llorente, and FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal.
Corner Kings: Double Up on Arsenal's Defense
Scoring from corners in four consecutive games, Arsenal has been crowned the corner kings and is a team to be feared for attacking set-pieces.
Ranked seventh place in the Champions League and boasting three clean sheets in its first five UCL games, Arsenal’s defense has been a stronghold. Its next three fixtures against AS Monaco, GNK Dinamo Zagreb, and Girona offer a prime opportunity for clean-sheet points.
Arsenal have scored 15 goals from corners in the Premier League in 2024, their joint-most in a calendar year in the competition (also 15 in 2023).
The Gunners have also scored 20 goals from set pieces (excluding penalties), also their joint-most in a single year in the Premier… pic.twitter.com/mjV6yKUDes
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 8, 2024
For those considering Arsenal’s defensive assets, a double-up or any combination of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, and Gabriel (if fit) stand out as reliable options, with potential for both clean sheets and attacking returns.
Matchday 6 Top Captain Picks
The Champions League midweek fixtures present many fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Jamal Musiala facing Shakhtar Donetsk and Rafael Leao with a favorable home tie against Red Star Belgrade all present strong cases. However, my top three picks across Matchday 6 would be:
Mohamed Salah (€10.1m) - Liverpool
Liverpool's talisman, Mo Salah, rises to the top of this week's captain picks. This is primarily owing to the Egyptian King's substantial rest during the previous weekend as a result of the most recent game postponement.
The 32-year-old veteran is in excellent form, with 15 goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Liverpool, making him the optimal captain choice for Tuesday's Matchday 6 encounter against Girona.
👑#UCL pic.twitter.com/RdOthQ56mN
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 4, 2024
Robert Lewandowski (€9.5m) - FC Barcelona
Reaching the milestone of 100 Champions League goals, Robert Lewandowski has cemented his legacy as one of the tournament’s all-time greats, trailing only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts.
Currently the UCL’s top scorer with seven goals this season, the Polish striker has also netted 16 times in the Spanish La Liga, averaging an impressive 1.08 goals per 90 minutes.
Lewa's lethal form and personal goal record of 27 goals scored in 26 outings against his former team, Borussia Dortmund, makes him a standout captaincy option ahead of Wednesday's fixtures.
Haaland ⚖️
Gyökeres ⚖️
Raphinha ⚖️
Wirtz ⚖️
Kane ⚖️Lewandowski clear 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/TgJzXcqX6z
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 29, 2024
Antoine Griezmann (€9.1m) - Atletico Madrid
Now is the perfect time to invest in an Atletico Madrid forward, particularly with a favorable home tie against ŠK Slovan Bratislava. Antoine Griezmann stands out as the key figure in Atletico's attacking setup.
The 33-year-old will be keen to build on his tally of two goals and two assists as the Red-Whites aim to solidify their position in the Champions League standings. Griezmann also emerges as a strong captaincy choice for Matchday 6 Wednesday fixtures.
Griezmann is pure Atleti ❤️🤍#UCL pic.twitter.com/2d31CMbUmv
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2024
Differential Captain Pick (<10% ownership)
Jonathan David (€7.2m) - LOSC Lille
Jonathan David has been pivotal for Lille, netting four goals in the Champions League and taking two penalties, all of which have contributed to the club's three victories in the competition. The 24-year-old recently reached a milestone of 101 goals in 206 appearances for the club, cementing his status as a key player.
With a 0.91 goal per 90 minutes in the French Ligue 1 and a favorable home tie versus Sturm Graz, the Canadian international is an excellent differential captaincy option for Matchday 6.
Under the radar🔍
Price - €7.2m
Position - FWD
Stats:
4 goals and an assist in his last two matches for Lille
11 goals scored in Ligue 1 (0.41 npxG/90, 0.91 goal/90)TSB: 3% ownership
Next UCL game: Sturm Graz (H)
Will Jonathan David be in #UCLFantasy team for Matchday 6? pic.twitter.com/gB1wYWmXmp
— FPL Manual (Wale) (@TheFPLManual) December 7, 2024
Join The RotoBaller League
Once again, join our RotoBaller.com league. Hit any of our writers up over the next two weeks, we will give you the code (also in the graphic below), and you'll be good to go. Good luck for UEFA Champions League Fantasy, RotoBallers!
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