The Indian Super League will enter its fourth matchday, with teams looking to leave their disappointment in the past and look for new starts. ATK will take on Jamshedpur FC in the comfort of their home, while Goa FC will look to pile on the misery on a struggling Mumbai City FC.
Also, Europe’s premier football competition, the UEFA Champions League, returns this week with the clubs across the continent all but sure to make it count on matchday four. While the battle in Europe will be at its pinnacle, the fight for domestic glory doesn’t seem to take a back seat as Liverpool and Manchester City clash at Anfield on Sunday.
A jam-packed week will find its course and end with huge clashes between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Germany while Italy will witness current league leaders, Juventus going toe to toe with AC Milan in Turin.
The fantasy managers of Nostragamus will find themselves in a bubble of keeping track of high-octane fixtures. That said, here we bring you the five players you can pick to ease your woes.
SADIO MANE
Club: Liverpool
Match: Liverpool vs Manchester City
Sadio Mane’s goal in stoppage time against Aston Villa ensured that the Reds stay undefeated in the Premier League. The Senegalese striker has been at his lethal best, having scored six and assisted two in his last 11 appearances for the club. A visit of the defending champions will be tricky, given the point difference between the Citizens and the Merseysiders, but Mane’s goal scoring form has peaked at the most opportune moment.
Before that, Liverpool host KRC Genk at Anfield in the midweek Champions League fixture. Going into an all-important fixture on the weekend, this encounter could truly enhance Mane’s form.
Read | How Mane, Firmino and Salah wrought havoc on Europe
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI
Club: Bayern Munich
Match: Bayern Munich vs Dortmund
The Polish striker couldn’t have envisioned a better start to his campaign with teams faltering at the sight of the ball on his feet. He is currently unstoppable, as the 31-year-old has found the back of the net on 14 occasions in 10 Bundesliga games. Given the fact that Bayern play Olympiacos at home in the Champions League in midweek, Robert Lewandowski will surely look to better his record of five goals in three encounters in Europe’s premier competition.
However, his biggest challenge lies over the weekend when Dortmund visit the Allianz Arena. Expect nothing but a flurry of goals from the world-class forward.
AFP / Aris MessinisARIDANE SANTANA
Club: Odisha FC
Match: Odisha FC v Kerala Blasters
Joining Odisha FC from Cultural Leonesa on loan, Aridane Santana is enjoying life in the Indian Super League. A key attacking player, Santana has struck three goals in three outings and has provided an invaluable assist to etch his name as a fan favourite.
Currently the leading goal scorer in the league, Santana’s priority remains to boost the chances of his team and make them an all-round squad by leading from the front. Odisha play Kerala Blasters this week and Santana will be pumped to continue his remarkable goal scoring form in the league.
Read | Aridane Santana: A journeyman finding solidity with Odisha FC
DAVID WILLIAMS
Club: Atletico de Kolkata (ATK)
Match: ATK vs Jamshedpur
A player with an impressive resume with Liverpool and Belgian club Club Brugge during his youth, the Australian-born David Williams will be looking to extend his goal tally. He is on par with Santana on the number of goals scored in the season so far and to leave him out of your fantasy squad would be nothing short of criminal.
Playing for two-time champions ATK, Williams is tipped to become one of the most prolific goal scorers in the league.
ASAMOAH GYAN
Club: NorthEast United FC
Match: NorthEast United FC vs Hyderabad FC
The former captain of the Ghana national football team, Asamoah Gyan has posted an impressive start to the season with two goals in his first three encounters. Gyan has already shone with clubs around the world playing in Italy and England but an opportunity to play in the Indian Super League has been even more rewarding for the NorthEast United striker.
Northeast United have drawn two of their three matches and are yet to lose a game. Time for the experienced striker to propel them to a resounding victory when they come up against Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / NEUtdFC
