Women’s Champions League Fantasy: former world number one reveals his Matchday 4 team!

Moving into Matchday 4 of UEFA Women’s Champions League Fantasy, I currently sit just inside the top 50 of the world leaderboard after a bad Matchday 3 saw me drop from first in the world all the way down to 49th.

Following an excellent Matchday 1 and a decent Matchday 2, things took a turn for the worse last time out. Failure to back that up my start has cost me, underlining the close nature of the UWCL Fantasy world leaderboard and how one single matchday can change your fortunes. Use of the Limitless chip on Matchday 3 proved to be a failure when considering the number of points my original squad would’ve registered.

The likes of Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario accumulated a whopping 30 points between, both of whom were in my original squad. My Limitless MD3 squad could only register 54 points with the gamble to switch captains in a desperate bid to save my lofty status not paying off and costing me a further seven points.

At the same time, highly-owned assets from other UWCL managers players such as Caroline Weir proceeded to burn me with high returns. After looking set to register just two points, the Scot's last-gasp equalising goal for Real Madrid against Paris FC vaulted the her individual score up a further eight points to ten overall after she was awarded Player of the Match, a brutal swing from my perspective.

Both my chips have now been burnt, leaving me with little room to manoeuvre and only two free transfers available heading into the fourth round of league phase fixtures. Therefore, some tough decisions have had to be made, which I will explain in more detail below.

Here is my UWCL fantasy MD4 squad as it stands as I aim to bounce back from last week with immediate effect. Whether this squad remains the same come the start of the matchday is dependent on team news leading up to the transfer deadline, particularly in my case with a number of players in my squad from teams whose starting line-ups will be revealed prior to the deadline.

MD4 Team Reveal

Goalkeepers

Lola Gallardo (€5.0m) - My main goalkeeper heading into the fourth matchday. Gallardo has already registered one clean sheet away from home for Atletico Madrid in this season’s Women’s Champions League and will hopefully do so again here against Twente.

Livia Peng (€3.9m) - With only two free transfers in hand and two goalkeepers playing on the same night, I have no choice but to roll with Gallardo on MD4 and leave Peng on the bench. When taking into account the lack of points production typically in this position and her cheap price-tag, I don’t believe transferring Peng out for a starting goalkeeper on Wednesday is worth a hit. 

Defenders

Maya Le Tissier (€5.7m) - Whilst Man Utd are a strong team defensively with two clean sheets from three league phase matches so far, I have my doubts regarding their ability to shut out Wolfsburg in Germany, especially as first-choice goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce is out injured again. However, Maya Le Tissier being on penalty duty makes her well worth keeping.

Giulia Gwinn (€5.0m) - A notoriously attacking full-back for Bayern Munich, I feel confident about Germany international Giulia Gwinn’s chances of returning a healthy number of points from different avenues away at Paris SG, who have lost three games from three so far.

Janou Levels (€5.0m) - Wolfsburg’s last home fixture saw Janou Levels accumulate eight points in a 4-0 triumph over Paris SG. The Dutch defender accrued seven ball recoveries in that one and against a Man Utd side shut out in two of their last three games in all competitions, a clean sheet could yet be on the cards for Levels.

Millie Bright (€5.0m) - The good news for me is that Mille Bright is almost guaranteed to start at the back for Chelsea. The bad news is that it will be up against a Barcelona team who have swept aside all before them racking up 14 goals across the league phase so far. A clean sheet for Bright would be a big shock and she is a contender to be sold prior to the deadline depending on other line-ups.

Ashley Lawrence (€4.5m) - If full-back Lawrence is named in the OL Lyonnes starting line-up, I am certain to retain her for an away match against Juventus. However, if the Canadian international winds up benched, then the likelihood is me potentially selling her for a teammate such as Selma Bacha, depending on funds. 

Midfielders

Aitana Bonmati (€10.5m) - Whilst Bonmati got herself into plenty of advanced positions on MD3 and had chances against OH Leuven, a third straight Champions League fixture went by without an attacking return for the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. However, with holes elsewhere in my squad, I have little choice but to persist with Bonmati against WSL heavyweights Chelsea, especially when considering that she has scored in each of Barcelona’s last two trips to Stamford Bridge

Alexia Putellas (€10.2m) - Putellas is now out on her own as the highest scoring UWCL fantasy asset across all positions after her third goal of the tournament on MD3. Another penalty helped earn her eight points, taking her overall score to 31 points. That number includes five attacking returns and guarantees her as a key member of my squad.

Linda Caicedo (€7.1m) - Real Madrid star Caicedo did everything but return big on MD3, hitting the woodwork and coming close on several other occasions against Paris FC. As frustrating as it was to watch her blank whilst Caroline Weir came up clutch instead, Caicedo remains an extremely valuable asset. A tough MD4 fixture awaits against Arsenal but the Colombian is the sort of player with the ability to be considered fixture-proof.

Julie Brand (€6.5m) - Another player of mine likely to be on the selling block if she is not in that OL Lyonnes starting line-up vs Juventus. Brand scored on MD2 against St. Polten but failed to gain an attacking return on MD3. With Bayern Munich winger and assist queen Klara Buhl a viable alternate option, it’s a wait-and-see scenario for the German.

Catarina Macario (€5.5m) - Watching Macario rack up two goals and 17 points against St. Polten was arguably the most painful aspect of Matchday 3 from a personal perspective. She’s now started Chelsea’s last three games and despite Aggie Beever-Jones returning to full fitness, Macario is likely to keep the shirt. It would be a huge gamble though to second guess Sonia Bompastor and Macario is another player on the bubble for me.

Forwards

Claudia Pina (€8.5m) - A regular goalscorer against Chelsea, my expectations are high for Barcelona forward Claudia Pina at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. She found the net three times against the Blues in last season’s two-legged semi-final between the sides. After a quiet MD3, I’m anticipating at least one attacking return from the Spaniard and she could well be chosen as my Thursday captain ahead of Putellas should I require one.

Ada Hegerberg (€9.0m) - Hegerberg’s brace and 13-point-haul for OL Lyonnes last week left me cursing my luck once again. I wasn’t expecting her to start on MD3 with Katoto back fit but having now scored three goals in her last two Women’s Champions League fixtures, I’m hoping Jonatan Giraldez gives Hegerberg the nod once again on MD4. If she does start, expect her to be my Wednesday captain. If she doesn’t, I will almost certainly sell her as one of my two free transfers with teammate Melchie Dumornay and Bayern Munich’s Pernille Harder both potential replacements.

Alexandra Popp (€8.6m) - Another whom I’m not delighted to own right now but with more pressing issues elsewhere in the squad, Wolfsburg striker Popp should line up as one of my three forwards. She boasts 40 UWCL goals across her career and found the net earlier in the league phase against Paris SG.

There is currently little to separate the top 50 and it’s set to be another exciting matchday. Best of luck to all Fantasy managers involved!