RADIO
The UEFA Champions League returns with mouth-watering fixtures that have sparked excitement among football fans. Manchester City is set to face Real Madrid, Bayern Munich will travel to London to face Arsenal where Harry Kane, upon his return to England, will be eager to take on his old time Arsenal rivals, and there will be many more games to follow.
This unintentionally puts UCL fantasy back to the menu for fantasy managers along with tempting possibilities to choose from. As RotoBaller embarks on its inaugural season covering the UEFA Champions League, this article aims to share insights for the upcoming midweek fixtures and excellent captain choices to take into account for the first 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 second leg owing to impending suspension.
This week 🤤#UCL pic.twitter.com/4G8y2NsGP2
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 8, 2024
Matchday 9 UCL Fantasy Tips
Invest Heavily on Real Madrid Attack and Avoid Manchester City Defense
It's wise to steer clear of the Manchester City defense for your fantasy team. Despite its dominance in the UEFA Champions League, its recent defensive record is cause for concern. With only two clean sheets in its last eight matches, it's evident that its defensive strength has waned. Moreover, the absence of key players like Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake, who were not included in the final squad for the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, further undermines confidence in City's ability to keep a clean sheet.
On the flip side, Real Madrid's recent performance in La Liga is impressive, having scored 10 goals in its last three games. This indicates they'll be eager for redemption against Manchester City, especially after suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the Etihad in the 2022-23 contest.
Last but not least, Real Madrid holds the record for the most goals scored against Manchester City in the Champions League, tallying 14 goals. Key players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham, who lead the frontline for Los Blancos, are expected to play pivotal roles in this fixture.
Real Madrid vs Man City...
A modern classic ✨#UCL pic.twitter.com/N7n9VDlQyB
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 8, 2024
Keep an Eye For Atletico Madrid Defense
Being aware of Atletico Madrid's defense is especially important because they have a history of playing well at home when playing in the Champions League. They have a well-known defense under Diego Simeone's leadership, frequently putting defense first.
In their matchup with the Black and Yellows, bookmakers give Los Colchoneros a 41% probability of keeping a clean sheet. Nahuel Molina, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Jan Oblak -- who leads the remaining teams in saves -- are important players to take into account for your fantasy squad.
Teams most likely to keep a clean sheet in #UCLFantasy MD9:
🔴 Atletico Madrid - 41%
🔴 Arsenal - 36%
🟣 PSG - 31%
🔵 Man City - 26%
⚪️ Real Madrid - 25%
🟡 Dortmund - 20%
🟣 Barcelona - 19%
🔴 Bayern Munich - 17%— Champions League Fantasy Football Tips (@UCL_Fantasy) April 8, 2024
Matchday 9 Top Captain Picks
The Champions League midweek fixtures present a plethora of enticing picks for your captaincy choice. Players like Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior both facing Manchester City and Antoine Griezmann with a favorable home tie against Borussia Dortmund all present strong cases. However, my top-three picks would be:
Harry Kane (€10.1m) - Bayern Munich
The 31-year-old forward currently boasts 32 goals scored and seven assists contributed in the Bundesliga and among the joint top goal-scorer in the Champions League with six goals while also contributing three assists for his club.
Set to face familiar foes again, Harry Kane is no stranger to the London opponents as he has scored 14 goals in his last 19 games against Arsenal. With Bayern's ambitions for a silverware primarily focused on the Champions league, Harry Kane will play a crucial role against Arsenal this midweek.
Kane's record against Arsenal 👀#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/H4H9aimh4s
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2024
Bukayo Saka (€9.8m) - Arsenal
Following his successful penalty conversion against Brighton in the previous weekend, Arsenal's "Starboy" Bukayo Saka continues to shine. With 14 goals scored in the Premier League and 10 assists to his name, Saka is enjoying his best goal-scoring season yet.
Additionally, he ranks among the current leaders on the assist table in the Champions League, further solidifying his importance to the Arsenal squad. I definitely advocate handing Bukayo Saka the armband for this all-important fixture against Bayern, as the Gunners want to move further in the tournament.
14 - Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League outings this season, equalling his most in a single campaign in the competition in nine fewer appearances (14 in 38 games in 2022-23). Refined. pic.twitter.com/SU6ev62BCg
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 6, 2024
Kylian Mbappe (€11.5m) - Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe, who has six goals in the Champions League and five goals and an assist in his previous five games for the French team, is a dangerous opponent against FC Barcelona going into this tie.
Bookmakers tip the French international with a high probability of 48% to score against the Catalonian visitors. Mbappe's recent exploits in the 2020-21 season, including a memorable hat-trick against Barcelona, make him a compelling choice for the captain's armband as he seeks to recreate those special moments at Parc Des Princes.
Mbappé hat-trick 🆚 Barcelona 👀#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/HBzXq6wOHh
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2024
Injury Update and Suspended Players for Matchday 9
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.
Real Madrid key players Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni are currently one yellow card away from suspension. Manchester City is without Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake while Josko Gvardiol is marked as a doubt, as mentioned by Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal boosts a clean bill of health with the return of long-term absentee Jurrien Timber seen taking part in Arsenal's group training earlier. For Bayern Munich, Sacha Boey and Bouna Sarr are the only unavailable players while Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman are now available for selection after missing the previous weekend game against FC Heidenheim.
After picking up a third yellow in Matchday 8, Achraf Hakimi will be out for the clash against FC Barcelona due to suspension and will be a big miss for Paris Saint-Germain as the French giants will be without their first-choice right back while Pedri and Frankie de Jong are big doubts to feature for FC Barcelona in Paris.
Injury update/Suspended players ahead of MD 9 (Quarter Finals - First Leg) #UCLFantasy
Out ❌
Courtois
Alaba
Ake
Walker
S Boey
B Sarr
DepayDoubt 🤕
Gvardiol
Pedri
De JongSuspended 🟥
HakimiPredicted lineups and more updates to follow pic.twitter.com/S04isn8skb
— FPL Manual (Wale) (@TheFPLManual) April 8, 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!
