With a lot of football coming from top leagues of Europe, fantasy managers have got a plenty of players to choose from. Champions League matches are surely the biggest attractions, but some league matches from the weekend can also bring some entertainment.
Thus, to solve the ‘problem of plenty’ for the Nostragamus fantasy players, we have picked five players to pick for your dream team of this week.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Club: Manchester City
Matches: Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers | Manchester City vs Dinamo Zagreb
After creating a league-high 105 chances in Manchester City’s record breaking 2017-18 season, Kevin De Bruyne has become the heart and soul of City’s midfield. Though his knee injury minimized his involvement in 2018-19 season, where his team won the Premier League title, De Bruyne has come back hard since recovering completely.
He already has most assists in the Premier League this season and is also the leader in creating chances. The Belgian’s playmaking abilities and intelligence in the midfield makes him a sure pick for any fantasy player.
CRISTIANO RONALDO
Club: Juventus
Matches: Inter Milan vs Juventus | Juventus vs Bayer Leverkusen
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly a favorite for any fantasy player as his match winning abilities are known to everyone. His impact in the game can put any opponent under pressure. He led Portugal to the maiden UEFA Nations League title last season and played an important role in Juventus’ eighth consecutive Serie A triumph.
Champions League has always been Cristiano’s hunting ground and with Bayer Leverkusen coming to Turin, Ronaldo will be looking to increase his goal tally as UCL’s top scorer. Also, with top two teams of Serie A this season – Juve and Inter - going head to head with a little margin of points among them, this early battle of the season can be Ronaldo’s chance to keep up to his reputation of being the best.
ROBERTO FIRMINO
Club: Liverpool
Matches: Liverpool vs Red Bull Salzburg | Liverpool vs Leicester City
Liverpool’s attacking trio of Mohammad Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino has been the most fearsome attacking combination in Europe for the past two seasons. With Salah and Mane stealing the limelight by scoring goals, Firmino has been the architect of Liverpool’s attacks.
He is a hard-worker and is often seen chasing the ball all the way back to his own box and running at defenders to put them under pressure during a match. He sometimes looks like more of a box-to-box midfielder than a forward. His ability to create chances and make key passes is what makes him an important player for the team, but in his recent performances, he has also added some goals to his name. This makes him a better pick for the fantasy players to go for Firmino rather than taking Salah or Mane in their team.
NICOLAS TAGLIAFICO
Club: Ajax
Matches: Valencia vs Ajax
There is nothing the Ajax left-back can’t do on a pitch; he can score headers, flying volleys, provide assists, play crosses and defend as well. He played a major role Ajax’s outstanding performance last season when they reached semifinals of the Champions League. From the start of this season, Tagliafico has played every minute of football for Ajax and has proven himself as one of the most important players in the team’s line-up.
JOAO FELIX
Club: Atletico Madrid
Matches: Lokomotiv Moscow vs Atletico Madrid
Joao Felix came as a replacement for Antonio Griezmann after Atletico Madrid payed a club-record fee of €126 million to Benfica for his release clause. He seemed to be a perfect match on paper and an ideal partner for Diego Costa up front, but their partnership hasn’t yielded much as it was expected.
He can definitely prove to be a good pick as he has got the speed and can make runs to boost an attack any time. The Portuguese forward will have a bigger stage and a weaker opponent to put his mark and gain confidence that he can fit into a new team.
It's time to start creating your Fantasy team. Head to Nostragamus for more details.
Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Kenzo Tribouillard
