RADIO
Matchday 9 was an exciting matchday with 18 goals scored in the Champions League first leg. Harry Kane scored against old time rivals Arsenal, Vinicius Junior provided two assists to help Real Madrid secure a draw with Manchester City, Raphinha scored twice to give Barcelona the lead against Paris Saint-Germain, and Atletico Madrid won at home against Borussia Dortmund.
As managers prepare for an exciting slate of Champions League games, UCL fantasy is back in full swing. RotoBaller's inaugural season covering the UEFA Champions League provides insights for the upcoming midweek games as well as top captaincy picks for the second leg of the quarterfinals.
Additionally, we'll also provide updated information on players who could be injured or suspended for the upcoming tie, as well as a select players who could miss the upcoming semifinals owing to impending suspension.
It's crunch time 😬#UCL pic.twitter.com/l1KSV5pe3e
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 15, 2024
Matchday 10 UCL Fantasy Tips
Target Bayern Munich's Strike Force
Bayern Munich's streak of 11 consecutive league titles recently came to an end, leaving them eager to secure success in the UEFA Champions League.
'Die Bayern' has the chance to build on the first leg result and grab the bull by the horn, crossing the finish line into the semifinals when they play their English opponents, Arsenal, who just conceded its second defeat in 2024 against Aston Villa the previous weekend.
Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane are strong recommendations to consider for Bayern Munich's attack.
Thomas Müller on @LinkedIn:
"The league title has been decided.
After 11 titles in a row, Bayer Leverkusen has won the trophy this year with a truly sensational performance. So far, my former teammate Xabi Alonso's team is unbeaten this season. Hats off to this achievement… pic.twitter.com/uoywBCuuUJ
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 15, 2024
Don't Focus on Defensive Transfers
With only three transfers available to UCL fantasy managers this midweek, it's best to focus your moves on midfield and attacking alternatives. Last week, 18 goals were scored in only four games, and no clean sheets were recorded.
According to the bookies, Manchester City is the only top side with a significant possibility of 35% to secure a clean sheet against Real Madrid, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich trail behind with 27% and 26% odds, respectively.
As the case may be, if you were to contemplate making a defensive move, look for more attacking-minded candidates like Raphael Guerreiro and Josko Gvardiol, who recently scored goals for their respective sides.
Teams most likely to keep a clean sheet in #UCLFantasy MD10:
🔵 Man City - 35%
🟡 Dortmund - 27%
🔴 Bayern Munich - 26%
🟣 Barcelona - 23%
🔴 Arsenal -22%
🔴 Atletico Madrid - 21%
🟣 PSG - 17%
⚪️ Real Madrid - 14%— Champions League Fantasy Football Tips (@UCL_Fantasy) April 16, 2024
Matchday 10 Top Captain Picks
The Champions League midweek fixtures present a plethora of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha both facing Paris Saint-Germain and a fully-fit Kevin De Bruyne with a favorable home tie against Real Madrid all present strong cases. However, my top-two picks would be:
Harry Kane (€10.1m) - Bayern Munich
The 30-year-old striker presently has 32 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga and is the leading scorer in the Champions League with seven goals.
Harry Kane's precise penalty shot in the first leg increased his goal total to 15 in his past 20 outings against Arsenal. This amazing performance undoubtedly makes Harry Kane a strong candidate for the armband among UCL fantasy managers.
Cool as you like 🥶@HKane | #UCL pic.twitter.com/JMv0GyWnZx
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 13, 2024
Erling Haaland (€11.7m) - Manchester City
Manchester City enters this tie as strong favorites, boasting a 30-game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League. The Cityzens will be eager to extend that impressive record to 31, with their talisman Erling Haaland leading the line.
Having recently scored his 20th Premier League goal for the club, the 23-year-old Norwegian forward will be eager to add to his goal tally in the Champions League to propel Manchester City toward a spot in the semifinals.
Only three players have scored 20+ goals in their first two Premier League seasons:
◎ Andy Cole (93/94 & 94/95)
◎ Ruud van Nistelrooy (01/02, 02/03, 03/04)
◉ Erling Haaland (22/23 & 23/24)He won't be stopping there. 😅 pic.twitter.com/IXvSUqHHqI
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 13, 2024
Differential Captain Pick (<10% ownership)
Ilkay Gundogan (€8.1m) - FC Barcelona
Setting up an assist for Andreas Christensen's header last week placed Gundogan among the joint-leaders for assists in the Champions League; the veteran midfielder is also top for chances created in the Champions League, with a total of 24 chances created in the competition.
According to projections, Gundogan is expected to accumulate around 9.3 points in his upcoming home game against Paris Saint-Germain. This makes the German international an ideal differential captain for Tuesday's opening round of games.
İlkay Gündoğan has now created more chances than any other player in the 2023/24 Champions League. 🎨#UCL pic.twitter.com/uwUUdYQvWQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 10, 2024
Injury Update and Suspended Players for Matchday 10
The latest update offers a detailed look at the injury and suspension status of key players from several teams gearing up for the upcoming UCL clash.
After picking up a third yellow card, Sergi Roberto, Andreas Christensen, Alphonso Davies, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Samuel Lino will miss out the second leg of the quarterfinal due to suspension.
Real Madrid key players Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Eduardo Camavinga, and Dani Carvajal are currently one yellow card away from suspension. Manchester City's defender, Kyle Walker, is feeling 'much better' and Kevin De Bruyne is okay, as mentioned by Pep Guardiola.
For Bayern Munich, Sacha Boey, Bouna Sarr, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman will miss the return leg due to injuries while Memphis Depay and Thomas Lemar are key figures who will be absent for Atletico Madrid.
2023 CAF winner Sebastien Haller is out due to an ankle injury for Dortmund; however, Donyell Malen and Jadon Sancho are healthy again. Achraf Hakimi and Nordi Mukiele are now available for Paris Saint-Germain, and Pedri is also fit to start for Barcelona.
Injury update/Suspended players ahead of MD 10 (Quarter Finals - Second Leg) #UCLFantasy
Out ❌
Courtois
Alaba
S Boey
Gnabry
B Sarr
Depay
K ComanDoubt 🤕
Ake
WalkerSuspended 🟥
A Davies
A Christensen
S Roberto
Tchouameni
S LinoPredicted lineups and more updates to follow pic.twitter.com/COjBFT3bY5
— FPL Manual (Wale) (@TheFPLManual) April 15, 2024
Stick around for more UCL Fantasy content coming soon. Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
