UCL Fantasy Matchday 2 Best Budget Gems

The second round of the 2024/25 Champions League season is edging closer. With this in mind we continue our coverage by picking out the UCL Fantasy Matchday 2 best budget gems. To do this we consider several factors including fixture difficulty and form.

Budget players can be vital for UCL Fantasy managers. Cheap assets allow more budget for premium picks who can be some of the most consistent in the game. Finding cheap assets is essential but finding cheap assets who do well can contribute to both rank and mini-league position.

Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn

Nobody knew what to expect from Celtic in the first round of their new Champions League campaign. The Scottish Champions regularly win and win well domestically but that doesn’t always translate into their European competitions.

However, a 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava may suggest that is about to change. They come up against Dortmund this week who have shipped a huge seven goals in their last two Bundesliga matches. Primed to take advantage of their defensive form is Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn (€4.5m). As well as creating an assist in Matchday 1 of the Champions League Kühn has produced a huge five goals and five assists since pre-season.

The Barcelona Defence

Barcelona have started their domestic season exceptionally, winning every single one of their league matches so far. The only area they have lacked slightly is in defence, keeping just two clean sheets. That could all change this week as they face Young Boys at home.

Young Boys were swept aside by Aston Villa in Matchday 1, even as hosts. Now even more challenging for them, the Swiss side have to stop a better side away from home.

It’s a good opportunity for the Catalans to bank their first Champions League clean sheet. The cheapest route into the defence is via 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsí (€4.5m) who seems to be a regular starter now. The recent long-term injury to Marc Ter Stegen also indicates that Iñaki Peña (€4.5m) could step up between the sticks.

Rico Lewis

Manchester City are about to enter a fantastic stretch of fixtures from a potential investors perspective. The 2022/23 Champions League winners go into their next match as heavy favourites against Slovan Bratislava, who as mentioned above were trounced in their opening fixture 5-1.

Bratislava weren’t just dismantled by Celtic in Matchday 1, they also struggled offensively. In fact, their only goal came from a deflected shot. For that reason, buying into the Manchester City defence could be hugely rewarding and UCL Fantasy managers can do just that with Rico Lewis (€4.5m). Increasingly impressive performances and key injuries have helped Lewis in terms of expected gametime, and after producing three assists in the Champions League last season, the youngster also has evident attacking potential.

Bryan Gil

Girona will be hoping to bounce back in Matchday 1. The Spanish side suffered a 1-0 defeat in their opening match away from home to PSG. Ending their 2023/24 La Liga season on a high Girona netted a huge 16 goals in their final five matches, proving they are capable of scoring goals.

This week Girona play at home as Dutch side Feyenoord make the trip over. Missing key players and replacing former manager Arne Slot has been difficult and that was reflected in their recent 4-0 loss. Targeting Feyenoord whilst they transition with Bryan Gil (€4.5m) could be beneficial. The former Spurs winger has become an important player in the Girona frontline and may pick up his second goal for them in the upcoming fixture.

Eliesse Ben Seghir

Overshadowed by Barcelona’s red card Monaco’s win over the Catalans should be given more credit. The French side were very impressive in Matchday 2, as they have been in the league, winning all but one of their matches so far.

Monaco face GNK Dinamo this week, the same side who were trounced by Bayern in their mammoth 9-2 defeat. They appear a team to target defensively which is why midfielder Eliesse Ben Seghir (€4.5m) could have potential. The 18-year-old has made a fantastic start to the season after scoring two goals in his five league matches. On his current uphill trajectory Ben Seghir eases himself amongst the UCL Fantasy Matchday 2 Best Budget Gems.