The group stages of the UEFA Champions League will finally see its culmination in this midweek, giving us the final 16 teams who will progress to the knockout stage of the competition. On the Indian shores, the Indian Super League (ISL) will enter its matchday eight after a plethora of high-octane action over the past few gameweeks.  

Among biggest fixtures this week, we’ll see Inter Milan host the Catalan giants, Barcelona while Jose Mourinho’ Tottenham will travel to Munich where the Bavarians, Bayern Munich will be hoping for a similar result like last time, which although seems unlikely under the tutelage of the Portuguese manager.  

In a battle of the heavyweights in ISL over the upcoming weekend, FC Goa will go against a ravishing ATK where the Fijian international, Roy Krishna seems to be proving invaluable for the team from Bengal. The fantasy managers of Nostragamus have a long and tedious week ahead. Sit back while we handpick the players that will make your journey rewarding this week.  

DELE ALLI

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Match: Bayern Munich vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham’s number 20 has been enjoying life under the watchful eyes of Mourinho. The fans have been witnessing a ‘Renaissance’ as far as Dele Alli is concerned, with the 23-year-old scoring four goals in five games with three invaluable assists.   

The attacking midfielder’s best performance came against Bournemouth at home when he scored two goals, posted a 100% take-on success rate and made eight successful recoveries during the match. Mourinho is smiling from the dugout and so are we because the new manager might have just unleashed a sleeping giant and it may well be his time to shine in the Champions League against Bayern.

Read | Twitter in disbelief as Manchester United beat Mourinho’s Tottenham

SERGIO CASTEL

Club: Jamshedpur FC 

Match: Kerala Blasters vs Jamshedpur FC

The Spaniard’s debut season with Jamshedpur FC in ISL 2019-20 campaign has been a delight to watch. Having scored five goals in his six appearances so far, Sergio Castel’s tenure on loan from Atletico Madrid is proving fruitful. An ambitious number nine, Castel’s consistency is what is keeping him going toe to toe with veterans like Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna. 

Read | Jamshedpur FC’s Sergio Castel roaring his way to the top in the ISL

Castel has been an epitome of high work rate as well, making a total of nine crucial tackles with a decent passing accuracy of 48.38%. The Spanish forward is surely one who will be making headway for the Golden Boot this season.   

LAUTARO MARTINEZ 

Club: Inter Milan

Match: Inter Milan v Barcelona

One of European football’s hottest emerging property now is the Argentinian forward, Lautaro Martinez. The forward has scored five goals in his last five Champions League outings and has paired up wonderfully with Romelu Lukaku upfront. The duo has now registered eight-plus goals after 15 Serie A matches as well and are running riot both in Italy and Europe.

The 22-year-old’s ascent has been duly noticed by Spanish giants Barcelona and an upcoming encounter against the Catalan giants might just be his biggest test till date and given his form, expect a goal or two from the Argentinian. 

ROY KRISHNA

Club: ATK 

Match: FC Goa vs ATK 

ISL’s most prized possession this season has been ATK’s, Roy Krishna. The prolific striker is leading the charts with six goals in seven appearances in the 2019-2020 edition. Krishna was awarded the ISL ‘Hero of the month’ award for the month of November for scoring three goals in three games, making him the most successful striker in ISL this season so far. 

The Fijian international has also found solace in his attacking partnership with David Williams who seems to be relishing his playing time with the Fijian. With Goa up next, he will aim to extend his impeccable goal scoring form.

Read: The Roy Krishna story: From Fiji via New Zealand to India

AMINE CHERMITI

Club: Mumbai City FC

Match: Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC 

The Tunisian striker, Amine Chermiti was up and running over the weekend against Kerala Blasters as he smashed an equalizer and rescued a point for his team. The experience seems to be playing off lately as the 31-year-old has made tremendous progress, having scored four goals in his seven appearances and has emerged as Mumbai City’s saving grace in the past few games.

Read | Amine Chermiti’s experience a key element in Mumbai City FC’s surge

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

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Tottenham HotspurInter MilanATKMumbai City FCJamshedpur FCAmine Chermiti - ForwardRoy Krishna - ForwardSergio Castel Martínez - ForwardMartinez Lautaro - Forward Fantasy Focus