UCL Fantasy: Reactions to the Draw
We can now see the Champions League Quarter Finals and Semi Finals. So, we bring in our regular contributors and some of the most experienced managers around. Our experts share their UCL Fantasy expert reactions to the draw, any teams they think could progress and players they may look to target.
Catching up with our UCL Fantasy experts and checking out their reactions to the draw could be hugely beneficial to other managers. Knowing which players and teams our UCL Fantasy experts are looking to invest in can be help with decisions around captaincy, transfers and chip strategy.
@UCL_Beercules
“In my opinion, the best four teams are all in one side of the bracket. But, overall, the level of competition is really high in this year’s quarter finals. Arsenal are favoured to go through against Munich, but I’m not buying it. I might be slightly biased as a Munich fan, but I think Arsenal will get nervous in the Allianz Arena and Bayern seem to be back in business. Still, I’d recommend Arsenal’s attacking assets at home and I’ll be selling Sané now and getting Musiala for the second leg. I’m also not convinced that Dier will keep his place forever, but we’ll get line-ups”.
“Real should never be underestimated as well, but I’ll keep all of my City assets if they start. Bellingham is still essential. For the other side of the bracket I’d focus on the main assets from PSG (Mbappé, Hakimi, Zaire-Emery). They are playing at home and are the favourites to advance to the final. I favour Atlético to beat Dortmund over two legs but their players are quite pricey, so I wouldn’t rush to sell Dortmund players who offer good value for money. If money is not an issue, Oblak and Molina/Hermoso are fine picks”.
@aaron_graydon
“I used to leave my wildcard until this point in the tournament. I have changed that however in the past two years but I really wish I had my wildcard to maximise how good these fixtures can be for final push to end the season”.
“On one side of the draw, our big hitters will be knocking each other out in even-ties. This means people will either avoid the games due to uncertainty or we all go with the same people. On the other side is where we can take risks and really push our point potential. My favourites to progress are Man City, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and PSG”.
@FPL_Crisk
“For the second year in a row the UCL gods left us with two sides of the bracket that couldn’t be more different in terms of level. As much as this situation can be annoying for myself as a football fan, it is much more interesting in terms of fantasy assets. Players like Bellingham, Haaland, Kane and Saka have high ownership and have delivered for the better part of the UCL season. But, their fixtures are very tricky. Fantasy managers behind in their mini-leagues could risk going without either of them in order to catch up”.
“On the other hand, Dortmund, Atletico and Barcelona can offer a lot of differentials with a more affordable fixture. PSG vs Barcelona in particular looks like an exciting match for offensive assets, as I do not trust either backline. Mbappe in particular could probably be the most important asset to own”.
@Big4FPL
“City vs Madrid; not the ideal draw for managers banking on a one sided tie, but a good draw to take a few risks. The likes of Haaland, KDB, Foden, Bellingham will still obviously be in our consideration but maybe not maxing out on either team given the evenness of the tie.
“Arsenal vs Bayern; the return of Kane to inevitably score vs Arsenal! Bayern still indifferent in terms of form, so is a bit of a toss up. But, I imagine there will be goals in both legs of the tie so the usual culprits from both are still fantasy picks”.
“Dortmund vs Atleti; The “bore draw” of the quarters where I’m anticipating some closely fought legs with minimal goals. Still, some defensive assets are worth a punt or even a Griezmann/Fulkrug if feel strongly either way”.
“PSG vs Barca; Given Barca’s struggles this season, I think a heavy PSG investment could pay off. Though as we know with the UCL they are never a safe bet and that Barca team could spring a surprise. Mbappe, Hakimi etc still great picks”.
To check out all of the details on the draw, check out our article here.
