With an eye on Matchday 5, UEFA.com assesses #UCLfantasy’s best performing defenders so far this season on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.
Club Brugge have been one of the standout sides in the UEFA Champions League so far, having already booked their place in the Round of 16 with ten points from four Group B games. Belgian champions was their strong defensive base, which brought them four clean sheets in the group stage. Abakar Sylla (€4.8 million) and Brandon Mechele (€4.3m) were each huge successes from a #UCLfantasy perspective, garnering 36 and 30 points respectively. Sylla is currently #UCLfantasy’s most successful defender, having also scored one goal and recorded 21 recoveries, and he and Mechele are likely to be in high demand on matchday five as Club Brugge host Porto.
While he did not participate in the 3rd day, the central defender Antonio Rüdiger (€5.5m) was back in action for Real Madrid on Matchday 4 against Shakhtar Donetsk, his last-minute equalizer salvaging a draw for Carlo Ancelotti’s side and helping them to 11 fantasy points. Rüdiger has now collected 19 points from his last two appearances and represents a tempting option with Madrid next going to Leipzig, whom they beat 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu on matchday two.
Whether in defense or attack, Joao Cancelo (€6.7m) has been a constant source of #UCLfantasy feedback. The Manchester City flying full-back may have failed to register an attacking return for the first time this season on Matchday 4 but still picked up a healthy eight Fantasy points after a draw 0-0 in Copenhagen, City leaves despite its reduction. to ten men in the first half following Sergio Gómez’s red card. His suspension and the resulting injury to Kyle Walker mean Cancelo is City’s only available senior full-back heading into Matchday Five. His chances of featuring upfront against Dortmund are therefore high despite the Premier League champions having already secured a place in the knockout stage.
Cancelo isn’t the only Manchester City player who could prove profitable for the #UCLfantasy managers on Matchday 5. Returning to the fold on the third day following an injury, the central defender Aymeric Laporte (€5.5 million) started both games against Copenhagen, keeping a clean squad in every game and even winning a penalty. It earned him 14 Fantasy points over the two matchdays, but Laporte faces a stern test on Matchday 5 in Dortmund which puts him up against Raphael Guerreiro (€4.8 million). The 28-year-old defender was one of the #UCLfantasy biggest bargains of the group stage, scoring two goals and collecting 24 points.