EURO 2020 Fantasy Captain Picks – Matchday 5
As EURO 2020 heads into the quarter-finals stage, we unveil one captain pick from each of the four matches that make up Matchday 5.
Friday July 2nd
Ferran Torres (€8.1m) – vs Switzerland
After scoring on Matchday 3 for Spain as a substitute in their 5-0 victory against Slovakia, Ferran Torres (€8.1m) was afforded a start by boss Luis Enrique on Matchday 4 and the Man City winger did not disappoint. Deployed as part of a front free, Torres registered both a goal and an assist over the course of Spain’s thrilling 5-3 round of 16 triumph over Croatia after extra time. The 21-year-old has accrued 16 EURO fantasy points and his performance last time out should ensure his place in the starting line-up for Spain’s quarter-final clash with Switzerland. When considering that the Swiss have conceded eight goals over the course of their four matches at EURO 2020 so far, the free scoring Spaniards have to be fancied to find the net at least once in this match and Torres therefore represents an excellent EURO fantasy captain option.
Leonardo Spinazzola (€5.6m) – vs Belgium
Matchday 4 saw Italy full-back Leonardo Spinazzola (€5.6m) set for a huge EURO fantasy points haul after helping the Azzurri break the deadline against Austria in extra time, after supplying his second assist of the tournament. However, after going 2-0 ahead, Roberto Mancini’s side conceded a soft Austrian goal from a set piece to wipeout Spinazzola’s clean sheet and leave him with a more modest score of five points. That total is the lowest Spinazzola has accumulated of the three matchdays in which he has featured in so far, an impressive feat and underlines his captaincy credentials for Matchday 5, despite defenders being a naturally unfavoured EURO fantasy position for a captain among managers. Italy have yet to concede in 90 minutes at EURO 2020 and with Belgium likely to be without key attacking midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, another Azzurri shutout could be on the cards. Combine that with left-back Spinazzola’s tendency to roam forward and his EURO fantasy captaincy credentials shouldn’t be in doubt.
Saturday July 3rd
Patrik Schick (€8.6m) – vs Denmark
Patrick Schick (€8.6m) has firmly established himself as the Czech Republic’s go-to man for goals at EURO 2020 and the Bayer Leverkusen forward came up trumps for his country once again on Matchday 4, netting the second goal as Jaroslav Silhavy’s side knocked out ten-men Netherlands, winning 2-0 in Budapest. Schick’s goal was his fourth of the tournament and leaves him just one behind the now eliminated Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the golden boot. Matchday 5 sees Czech Republic face Denmark in the quarter-finals, who have kept just one clean sheet from their four EURO 2020 fixtures so far, which bodes well for Schick who also has penalties under his control, a crucial EURO fantasy requirement for any attacking asset. If your captain pick from the day before has failed to delivered enough points for your liking, Schick provides an ideal choice for the armband on Saturday.
Raheem Sterling (€9.7m) – vs Ukraine
England are riding the crest of a wave after a superb 2-0 victory over Germany in arguably the greatest major tournament win since beating Argentina back in the 2002 World Cup. Once again, attacking midfielder Raheem Sterling (€9.7m) played a crucial role as he opened the scoring with what was his third goal of EURO 2020. It also secured him his third eight-point haul from the four matches he has featured in so far. The Three Lions travel to Rome for a quarter-final showdown against Ukraine, who are yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition so far. With that in mind, the in-form Man City star will no doubt be in high demand among EURO fantasy managers and handing Sterling the armband could give you the edge over your mini league rivals.
