UCL Fantasy Matchday 7 Best Budget Gems

The new 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 7 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.

Atalanta

13th in the Champions League, Atalanta are just two points off the top eight as they head into Matchday 7. The Italian side come up against Sturm Graz at home this week, which could mean potential across the board for their assets.

With four clean sheets in six Champions League matches, Atalanta have proven themselves defensively. For those looking for cheap defensive options then there are several. One of them is Mateo Carnesecchi (€4.5m) who plays between the sticks. Wing-back Davide Zappacosta (€4.8m) is a more attacking option – having produced three goals and three assists already this season.

Atalanta have also sustained a scoring average of two goals per game in both Serie A and the Champions League. This makes them an enticing prospect for UCL managers this week. Leading the attack and scoring in both of his matches since returning from injury is Mateo Retegui (€5.4m). A fresher option could be fellow forward Charles De Ketelaere (€5.7m). The Belgian was rested for most of his sides recent game and he goes into the next one having already racked up three goals and four assists in just six Champions League games.

Celtic

Celtic should be another side UCL Fantasy managers consider. Matchday 7 sees Celtic host Young Boys. The Swiss side don’t just sit fourth from bottom in their domestic league, they also sit 36th and rock bottom of the Champions League.

The fact Young Boys have scored just three goals so far, means Celtic could well keep a clean sheet. Kasper Schmeichel (€4.4m) could be a nice option in goal, but defender Auston Trusty (€4m) is even cheaper. The standout option at the back is Alistair Johnston (€4.5m). The advancing full-back has mustered up a huge 10 goal contributions in all competitions this campaign.

Celtic are also more than capable of scoring goals. In fact Brendan Rogers and his side have notched up a massive 64 goals in the Scottish Premiership, which averages 2.8 per game. Of their attackers, the cheapest and most effective may be Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn (€4.8m) who has bagged four goals and one assist in his previous five games. Fellow midfielder, set piece and penalty taker Arne Engels (€5.7m) could be another consideration.

More Great Budget Picks

With only two wins in their previous 10 matches, and at least two goals conceded in half of them. Monaco could struggle against an Aston Villa attack which just put two goals past Arsenal. One route into the frontline is Morgan Rogers (€5m), who has managed six goals and four assists in the Premier League this season.

Bologna are another side in scoring form – scoring 2-3 goals in every one of their last five games. They face a Dortmund defence which has shipped nine goals in their previous three games, and that is something midfielder and penalty taker Riccardo Orsolini (€5.3m) could take advantage of based on his current form.

Arsenal have a lovely home fixture against GNK Dinamo, which could suggest clean sheet potential for their defensive assets. Rather than picking the pricey Gabriel, managers could just opt for the much cheaper Jurrien Timber (€4.4m).