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Matchday 2 Preview: 2024-2025 UCL Fantasy Tips and Top Captaincy Picks

Erling Haaland - EPL-DFS-lineup-picks-english-premier-league-daily-fantasy-soccer-fanduel-draftkings-icon

This article covers top fantasy tips and captaincy picks for Matchday 2 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League.

Matchday 1 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group stage delivered thrilling action, highlighted by FC Bayern's remarkable 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, setting a new scoring record. AS Monaco also turned heads with an impressive win against Barcelona, adding to the excitement of the round.

Matchday 2 promises more excitement, with headline clashes like Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich. 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 2 deadline of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season is Tuesday, October 1 at 12:45 p.m. EDT, when Salzburg entertains Stade Brestois 29 and VFB Stuttgart hosts AC Sparta Praha. 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 2 UCL Fantasy Tips

Invest in Inter, Barcelona, and Manchester City Attack

It's been strongly recommended that UCL fantasy managers target attacking assets from any of Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, or Manchester City. Projections for Matchday 3 indicate Inter is anticipated to score 3.00 expected goals (xG), followed by France at 3.50 xG and Manchester City at 3.65 xG.

All three teams are aiming to be get their first Champions league this season and are favorites to win the next tie. The selected teams' projected clean sheet odds for Matchday 3 are 52%, 58%, and 67%, respectively.

The German Machines: High Goal Scoring Potential

A solid Bayern Munich 9-2 home win, Bayer Leverkusen's 4-0 away victory in Matchday 1, and strong weekend performances by VfB Stuttgart, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund, the German teams have made a strong case for mid-week selections.

According to goal projections from above, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart, and Borussia Dortmund are expected to produce at least 2.05 xG against their opponents for Matchday 3, with only an exemption of RB Leipzig at 1.45 xG against Juventus.

Key players to target include Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, Stuttgart's Deniz Undav, Bayern's Michael Olise, RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško, and Bayer Leverkusen’s talisman Florian Wirtz.

Big At The Back: Juventus Deadly Defense

Juventus is the only Serie A team yet to concede a goal in its first six league games, securing six consecutive clean sheets. Under Thiago Motta's leadership, the Old Lady's defense has remained resilient, even against tough opponents like AS Roma and Napoli in the domestic league.

If you own Michele Di Gregorio and either Federico Gatti, Andrea Cambiaso, or a combination of both, Matchday 2 could present another opportunity to bank on Juventus' defense for clean sheet points.

 

Matchday 2 Top Captain Picks

The Champions League midweek fixtures present many fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Florian Wirtz facing Milan and Lautaro Martínez with a favorable home tie against Red Star Belgarde all present strong cases. However, my top three picks across Matchday 2 would be:

Robert Lewandowski (€9.5m) - FC Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski, La Liga's top goal scorer, currently has nine goals (seven scored and two assists) in eight league games. The 36-year-old Polish striker has been in excellent form for FC Barcelona under new manager Hansi Flick, averaging 0.89 non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes thus far.

The experienced veteran has a remarkable 94 Champions League goals in 121 outings. With penalty duties and a favorable home match against Young Boys, Lewandowski is an optimal candidate for captaincy on Tuesday for Matchday 1.

Erling Haaland (€11.0m) - Manchester City

Erling Haaland scored 10 goals in his last six Premier League appearances for Manchester City, but his streak came to a halt against Newcastle the previous weekend. However, we cannot rule out the 24-year-old Norwegian's excellence in front of goal, as he is due to face UCL newbie Slovan Bratislava next.

Manchester City will be looking forward to their first Champions League win in 2024/25, and Haaland's impressive record of 41 goals in 40 Champions League games makes him a top captain choice for your UCL fantasy team.

Mohamed Salah (€10.0m) - Liverpool

The 32-year-old Egyptian international now boasts eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) in his first six league outings for the Reds this season. Liverpool's talisman will be eager to get on the scoresheet, having been unlucky in Matchday 1 with two attempts hitting the post.

With an impressive record of 44 goals and 15 assists in 80 Champions League appearances, a home tie against Bologna makes Mo Salah an ideal captaincy pick for the Wednesday fixtures in Matchday 2.

 

Differential Captain Pick (<10% ownership)

Deniz Undav (€7.0m) - VFB Stuttgart

The 28-year-old German has been outstanding for VFB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, contributing to five goals (four goals and one assist) in his first five matches.

Deniz Undav kicked off his Champions League campaign with a debut goal against Real Madrid in Matchday 1 and has been on the wishlist since then. According to FBRef, he averages 3.36 shots per 90 minutes and boasts 0.89 non-penalty expected goals per 90, indicating a killer instinct to be dangerous in front of goal.

With a favorable home tie against Sparta Prague, Undav has another great chance to increase his goal tally as Stuttgart looks for their first Champions League win of the season.

 

Ones To Watch: Ibrahima Konaté (€5.5m) - Liverpool (Defender)

With 1.89 blocks per 90 minutes, 4.72 clearances per 90 minutes amassed for the Reds, and a goal scored from an attacking set-piece against Milan in Matchday 1, the 25-year-old Frenchman has been on impressive form for Liverpool, contributing to their four Premier League clean sheets this season.

If you're seeking a replacement for defenders like Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa or PSG's Achraf Hakimi, who face tougher matchups in Matchday 2, Ibrahim Konaté is an ideal replacement to consider. His ability to rack up ball recoveries and secure clean sheets makes him a solid defensive choice.

Finally, keep a watch out for injury reports on a few key players, such as Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich's top striker Harry Kane, who may be unavailable for the UCL midweek games. Important information about these assets will be revealed during their respective team press conferences later.

 

Join The RotoBaller League

Once again, join our RotoBaller.com league. Hit any of our writers up over the next two weeks, and 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!

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!

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