Women’s Champions League Fantasy: world number one reveals his Matchday 3 team!
As we head into Matchday 3 of UEFA Women’s Champions League Fantasy, I currently sit top of the world leaderboard on the official game.
I reached this position thanks to an incredible Matchday 1, where I racked up 148 points, the best of any UWCL fantasy player. Despite accumulating just 69 points on Matchday 2, I gained enough points to remain the number one player in the world.
Being in such a position means that there is no margin for error on my side, as a poor Matchday 3 will see me bumped straight off the top. With that in mind, I am likely to activate the Limitless chip, ensuring I have the strongest squad available and giving myself the best chance of holding onto top spot.
Obviously, the decision will be made subject to team news leading up to the MD3 deadline, but assuming I do follow through with the use of the Limitless, this would be my likely team selection as it stands, along with the reasons behind it.
MD3 Team Reveal
Goalkeepers
Livia Peng (€4.0m) - Selecting a Chelsea player is always a huge risk due to Sonia Bompastor’s penchant for rotation. But with Hannah Hampton having not travelled with the squad to Austria, second-choice goalkeeper Livia Peng will be given a chance to play vs St. Polten, as she did against Twente on MD1.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (€5.5m) - One of the standout goalkeepers so far in this season’s Champions League, Tullis-Joyce has yet to concede a goal for Man Utd in the league phase and faces a Paris SG side who have scored just once after two rounds of fixtures. This ensures I have a goalkeeper featuring on both days of MD3.
Defenders
Maya Le Tissier (€5.6m) - Another Man Utd asset and this one is a no-brainer. Not only part of an excellent backline with a decent chance of a clean sheet, but also the team’s first-choice penalty taker. This is fantasy football gold for a defender and makes Le Tissier a must-own asset for managers.
Maelle Lakrar (€5.1m) - With an attractive home fixture against Paris FC, I plan to max out on Real Madrid assets. This includes centre-back Maelle Lakrar, who scored and assisted on MD1.
Diana Gomes (€4.5m) - Once again this pick is about targeting a friendly fixture as Benfica host Twente on MD3. Whilst the Portuguese giants are without a clean sheet so far in the league phase, they looked good defensively against Arsenal and Gomes boasts 17 ball recoveries after two games.
Selma Bacha (€5.5m) - With a tough game against Wolfsburg on the cards for OL Lyonnes, I’m expecting attacking full-back Bacha to start after being rested vs St. Polten. However, Bacha was not in the squad for Lyonnes’ must recent Arkema Premiere Ligue game against Montpellier, so I’ll be searching for additional team news before locking her in.
Andrea Medina (€5.0m) - I have doubts over the minutes of Man Utd’s Fridolina Rolfo and whether she will start on MD3 ahead of Melvine Malard. With that in mind, I’m edging towards Atletico Madrid full-back Andrea Medina, who scored in a 0-6 win against St. Polten on MD1. Atletico are at home to Juventus on Wednesday.
Midfielders
Aitana Bonmati (€10.5m) - Whilst the highly-owned Barcelona superstar drew a blank again on MD2, the peripherals are good and you feel it’s a matter of time before she hauls big. Barca players represent significant rotation risk on MD3 against OH Leuven, but Bonmati’s starting place should be assured after being rested this past weekend.
Alexia Putellas (€10.1m) - Despite her being a huge candidate to be rested on MD3, it represents too much of a risk not to own Putellas, who is currently the joint highest-scoring Women’s Champions League asset with 23 points.
Linda Caicedo (€7.1m) - Again, my strategy of targeting fixtures has worked well so far and Caicedo looks a smart pick for that reason. Seemingly back from injury, the Colombian came off the bench to score a wonder goal in La Liga Femini on Saturday and I can see Real Madrid boss Pau Quesada giving her a start on MD3 against Paris FC.
Caroline Weir (€5.1m) - This is another defensive pick, or 'shield' pick in fantasy circles, knowing that many of my rivals own the Scottish international. Understandably so when considering her attacking form for Real Madrid this season. Weir boasts 17 points heading into MD3, including two goals against Roma. However, like Putellas I do have concerns about her minutes.
Sandy Baltimore (€7.0m) - Yep, I’m ready for another round of Bompastor Bingo. After starting and scoring in each of Chelsea’s first two league phase games but being named on the bench against Arsenal in the WSL on Saturday, I expect Sandy Baltimore to be in the XI for that mouth-watering St. Polten fixture.
Forwards
Ewa Pajor (€10.6m) - One of the biggest dilemmas I have is who to select out of Claudia Pina and the returning Ewa Pajor, assuming that I stick with both Putellas and Bonmati. Pina has come off the bench to deliver at least one attacking return in both of Barca’s European fixtures so far and is surely due a UWCL start sooner rather than later. However, Pajor is back and after featuring at the weekend (replacing Pina off the bench), the Polish striker could get the start against OH Leuven. It’s a call that could make or break the matchday.
Sam Kerr (€9.0m) - With Aggie Beaver-Jones out for Chelsea, I’m banking on Sam Kerr being handed a rare start. If I choose to pick Kerr, I do so in the knowledge that even if she is benched, she’s more than capable of coming on to get something against St. Polten.
Melchie Dumorney (€6.1m) - This is not a pick I’m fully settled on, and if I activate the Limitless chip, I could pivot to Alba Redondo and pick an Atletico Madrid midfielder such as Luany or Fiamma over Caicedo instead. As of now though, I’m eying up OL Lyonnes’ Dumorney, who scored twice on MD1.
This team reveal is dependent on me using the Limitless chip, with a final decision to be made closer to the MD3 deadline
