EURO 2020 Fantasy Captain Picks – Matchday 1
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As EURO 2020 draws ever closer, fantasy managers are frantically assembling their respective teams ahead of the competition’s opening round of matches played between Friday June 11th and Tuesday June 15th. Already in the minds of many will be who to select for that all-important captaincy. With your captain picking up double points in EURO 2020 Fantasy, selecting the right option will be crucial.
The biggest difference between Fantasy Premier League and EURO 2020 Fantasy is that you have the option to switch your captain if the player you selected the day before did not return the number of points you desired. With Matchday 1 consisting of five separate days of fixtures, we’ve selected a captain option for each day that we think stands the best chance of accruing a big haul to get your EURO 2020 fantasy campaign off to a flyer!
FRIDAY 11th JUNE
Ciro Immobile (€10.0m) vs Turkey
The opening night of EURO 2020 sees one match take place as Turkey faces off against Italy. With a limited number of captain options for this particular night, it is Italian forward Ciro Immobile (€10.0m) who appears to stand out the most. The 31-year-old is coming off the back of a hugely impressive season for Lazio, in which he netted 25 goals in all competitions for his club. Immobile heads into this summer’s tournament having scored in each of his last two appearances for Italy and those who captain Immobile will be confident of at least one attacking return against a Turkey side who have kept just one clean sheet in their last ten fixtures (including friendlies), conceding 19 goals in the process.
SATURDAY 12th JUNE
Romelu Lukaku (€11.0m) vs Russia
Belgium’s all-time record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku (€11.0m) is widely expected to shine once again for his country in EURO 2020, beginning against Russia on Matchday 1. His record of 59 goals in 91 games for Belgium is excellent, including 37 goals over the course of his last 35 appearances. Roberto Martinez’s side are notoriously free scoring, having netted 40 goals in ten qualification matches and against a Russia team who have conceded 11 goals in their most recent five competitive fixtures, Lukaku could be set to profit significantly.
Whilst Lukaku's international record is exceptional for Belgium, a serious injury sustained by teammate Kevin De Bruyne in the UEFA Champions League final has put his EURO 2020 participation in doubt. The potential absence of the Red Devils' most creative player could well have an effect on Lukaku's attacking prospects on Matchday 1 and fantasy managers are advised to keep a close eye on the injury status of De Bruyne leading into the tournament.
SUNDAY 13th JUNE
Harry Kane (€11.5m) vs Croatia
England were the second highest scorers of any country in qualifying having racked up 37 goals from their eight games. Forward Harry Kane (€11.5m) was responsible for 12 of those goals, finding the net at least once in each of those eight matches. The striker is coming off the back of an incredible domestic season for club side Tottenham, recording 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League which saw win not only the golden boot, but also the playmaker award for most assists. Kane’s last major international tournament was the 2018 World Cup, in which he picked up the golden boot award after scoring six goals as he helped lead England to the semi-finals.
The Three Lions will be aiming to get their EURO 2020 campaign off to a strong start against Croatia at Wembley, with Kane scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory when the two sides last met in the UEFA Nations League. Unsurprisingly, the striker is expected to be an extremely popular captain pick and with penalties also under his command, it would take a brave fantasy manager not to place the armband on the England captain.
MONDAY 14th JUNE
Ferran Torres (€8.0m) vs Sweden
Ever since Ferran Torres (€8.0m) made his international debut for Spain last September, the 21-year-old has shone for his country. Primarily fielded either as a right winger or on the right-hand-side of a front three, Torres has been superb in front of goal having scored five in his last four international appearances for Spain, with three of those coming as part of a magnificent hat-trick against Germany which ended in a thumping 6-0 victory for Luis Enrique’s side last November. As a midfielder, Torres will not only gain five fantasy points for any goal he scores on Matchday 1 against Sweden as opposed to the four awarded to forwards, but will also gain an extra point should Spain keep a clean sheet. These extra points must taken into considering when selecting a captain and only adds to the appeal of Torres.
TUESDAY 15th JUNE
Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.0m) vs Hungary
Perhaps unexpectedly, Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.0m) is currently owned by just 12% of fantasy managers and represents something of a differential selection heading into EURO 2020. This, however, could lead to anyone captaining the forward gaining a major leg-up on their mini league rivals. Ronaldo will of course be expected to play a crucial role for the defending European champions and an enticing Matchday 1 fixture on paper against Hungary could provide the perfect platform for Ronaldo to begin the tournament with a bang.
The 36-year-old has accumulated an incredible 103 goals for his country and despite the presence of teammates such as midfielder Bruno Fernandes, set-pieces such as free kicks and penalties should still fall under Ronaldo’s domain. With 11 goals scored for Portugal in qualifying and coming off the back of having found the net 36 times in all competitions for club side Juventus this season, Ronaldo’s captaincy credentials speak for themselves.
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