The biggest rivalry in club football will take centre stage this week when Barcelona host their eternal rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in La Liga. The Blaugrana’s prolific forward Lionel Messi is in red hot form and has demanded caution from his teammates when facing Los Blancos who seem to be faring well under Zinedine Zidane once again.

However, the Indian Super League (ISL) will enter matchday nine with an intense battle lined up between NorthEast United and Bengaluru FC. David Williams and Roy Krishna will look to consolidate on their partnership once again when ATK plays bottom placed Hyderabad FC on the weekend while table toppers FC Goa will look to assert their authority once again when they come up against Odisha FC.

We’ve made the job easier for the fantasy managers of Nostragamus,  who can sit back, relax and enjoy a good week of football with the players we’ve chosen for them.  

LIONEL MESSI

Club: FC Barcelona

Match: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

An El Clasico without Lionel Messi is unthinkable and given his recent sixth Ballon d’Or win, the 32-year-old has only grown fiercer. Messi is leading the charts in La Liga with 12 goals along with Karim Benzema and has provided six assists in his 11 appearances in Spain’s domestic league so far.

The Argentinian wizard is the leading goal scorer in Clasico’s having scored 26 goals and provided 14 assists since he first faced the Los Blancos. He continues to amaze us with every game and given the scope, the left-footed genius will surely look to extend his tally and make Real pay for their mistakes.

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AMINE CHERMITI

Club: Mumbai City FC

Match: Jamshedpur FC vs Mumbai City FC

The 31-year-old Tunisian forward is fighting the good fight for Mumbai City FC as the lad scored the equalizer against Kerala Blasters in matchday eight to hand his team a point and keep things in check. Posting a hefty passing accuracy of 57%, Amine Chermiti has managed to net four goals in seven appearances so far in the tournament with Mumbai’s coach Jorge Costa relying on him to give them the lead at crucial junctures

Chermiti’s sound technical abilities have proven to be a boon for Mumbai City who seem to be struggling to find their way into the top three so far.

JAMIE VARDY

Club: Leicester City

Match: Manchester City vs Leicester City

The man leading the charge under Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City is Jamie Vardy who has scored a whopping 16 goals in 17 appearances, averaging a goal almost every match. Leicester sit at the second spot in the Premier League courtesy Vardy’s impeccable run of form and have never looked hungrier.

Vardy has been influential in team play as well, assisting thrice and has almost 28 shots on target this season in the league. Leicester play current league champions Manchester City with a heavy reliance on the 32-year-old to see them through.

SUNIL CHHETRI

Club: Bengaluru FC

Match: NorthEast United vs Bengaluru FC

The captain of the Indian national football team and Bengaluru FC, Sunil Chhetri seems to be in complete command of his side in the ISL. Although Chhetri has etched his name on the scoresheet only four times in his eight appearances, his presence on the pitch has motivated his teammates to go the mile.

Bengaluru’s good run in the competition has been credited to his leadership skills and the 35-year-old is equally effective in making defensive runs and has successfully completed seven tackles and six interceptions so far. Expect a goal or two in a fierce battle against NorthEast’s defence. 

Also Read: ATK’s Roy Krishna and David Williams have a secret to their ISL success

DAVID WILLIAMS

Club: ATK

Match: Hyderabad vs ATK

David Williams’s pace has been too much to bear for any defender this season. The ex A-League star has already formed a unique partnership with Roy Krishna and has been fruitful in scoring goals for his side. With four goals and two assists to his name, Williams is the third joint leading scorer in the ISL making life easier for ATK.

Williams will be facing an out of form Hyderabad FC over the upcoming weekend and given his form, expect nothing short of a goal fest from the 31-year-old forward.

Feature image courtesy: AFP/ GABRIEL BOUYS

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ATKManchester CityLeicester CityBarcelonaBengaluru FCMumbai City FCReal Madrid English Premier LeagueFantasy FocusIndian Super League