Our favourite competition is finally back after the international break, and that only means one thing: another edition of our Sofascore Fantasy picks.
So far, we’ve highlighted the best under-21 players and the most optimal budget-friendly picks. For this fifth round of the Champions League, we’ll be selecting a player per match. With 18 fixtures and only 11 lineup slots, here are the XI that have made the cut.
Philipp Köhn (Pafos vs AS Monaco) – €4.1M
Starting with our first pick between the sticks, we’ve got a goalkeeper who has been brilliant in this Champions League campaign. Despite Monaco’s fluctuating form in Europe, Köhn has a Sofascore average rating of 7.43, being the player of the match in the French side’s first three points in Round 4 against Bodø/Glimt.
Köhn and his team will be feeling optimistic about picking up another win this week, as after northern Norway, Round 5 will see them travel to sunny Cyprus in southern Europe, where they’ll face Pafos away. Will the Swiss be able to get his third clean sheet?
Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid vs Inter) – €6.9M
We’re commencing our defense with one of the derbies of the round. The Metropolitano stadium will host the Italian giants Inter, as Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid can’t afford to drop any more points in the Champions League. After two wins and two losses, the Rojiblancos need to start performing more consistently in Europe, as they’ve been able to dominate teams “weaker” than them comfortably. However, Arsenal and Liverpool proved that there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Atlético’s Marcos Llorente has been electric this season, both in LaLiga and the Champions League. In Europe, he’s already scored 3 goals in 4 matches… as a right back! In his last 7 matches in all competitions, he has an average Sofascore rating of 7.26, highlighting a dose of consistency that he potentially lacked in previous seasons.
Marquinhos (PSG vs Tottenham) – €7.5M
The defending champions from Paris would have had a flawless campaign thus far if it weren’t for Kompany’s in-form Bayern spoiling the party. Despite the loss in Round 4, PSG has had its share of highs away from home, notably demolishing Bayer 7-2, as well as silencing Montjuïc. They’ll be looking to get back to winning ways against Tottenham on Wednesday.
PSG’s captain and leader, who has been in the club since July 2013, is their second-highest-rated player in the Champions League after Nuno Mendes, averaging a 7.80 Sofascore rating. When Marquinhos has his day, there’s very little you can do to stop PSG. His 9.1 Sofascore performance in Round 1 against Atalanta, both scoring and keeping a clean sheet, is definitely the highlight of his season so far.
Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool vs PSV) – €6.2M
Crossing the English Channel for Marquinhos’ centre-back pairing, we’re resting our hopes in England’s sleeping giant awakening against PSV on Wednesday. “Sleeping” giant might be a bit harsh, as there’s still all to play for Liverpool this season, but their form has been worrying to say the least. 8 losses in the previous 11 matches would be alarming for teams in the relegation battle, let alone for the Premier League’s defending champions.
In the Champions League, they’ve started to pick up some form, beating both Real and Eintracht after a disappointing defeat away in Istanbul. Konaté has started all of their 4 previous fixtures, averaging a 7.18 Sofascore rating. While PSV has been dominating the Eredivisie, Liverpool will have to beat them, as any other outcome may see Slot’s Anfield career cut short.
Yuri Berchiche (Slavia Praha vs Athletic Bilbao) – €5.5M
We started our backline with a Spaniard, so it would only be right to seal it off with one as well. From Atlético to Athletic, the boys from the Basque Country have a massive chance to steer the Champions League campaign back on track. Slavia Praha is an absolute must-win game, as for the remainder of their Champions League campaign, Bilbao will face PSG, Atalanta, and Sporting Lisbon, respectively.
Yuri Berchiche was a vital part of their only Champions League win so far this season, in what was a relatively comfortable win at home against Qarabağ, despite going 0-1 down in the opening minute. As their second-highest-rated player in the UCL, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.15, Berchiche offers both an attacking option on the left and defensive stability.
Leroy Sané (Galatasaray vs USG) – €6.0M
As we get deeper into this season, Galatasaray’s summer cash splash seems to be paying off. Despite a humiliating 5-1 defeat away in Frankfurt in Round 1, Cimbom await Union Saint-Gilloise with 9 points and 3 wins in a row. The Turkish giants have really picked up the pace in Europe and look like the absolute favourites to pick up another win, which would all but mathematically seal their place in the knockout phase of the UCL.
Arguably, their signing of the summer, if we exclude Osimhen, who played on loan last season, Leroy Sané has grown into a key figure of this Galatasaray squad. With a 7.22 and 7.23 average Sofascore ratings in the Süper Lig and the Champions League, respectively, Sané is always a goal threat on the right with his pace and skill. His performances for Germany during the November international break prove that he’s still a world-class player.
Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli vs Qarabağ) – €6.0M
The beauty of this new Champions League format is that the underdogs from Azerbaijan, Qarabağ, have 3 more points than Napoli after 4 rounds. Antonio Conte’s side has had a turbulent campaign, adequately highlighted by their 6-2 defeat in Eindhoven against PSV in Round 3. With 4 points from 4 matches, the Neapolitans won’t accept anything but a win in Round 5.
While Lobotka may not grab the headlines, the Slovak has been Napoli’s metronome for a few years now. He’s a player who dictates tempo while keeping his teammates structurally sound, rarely ever having a bad day. Averaging a 7.00 Sofascore rating in the Champions League this season, Lobotka will be vital for Napoli’s pursuit of 3 points against Qarabağ.
Jude Bellingham (Olympiacos vs Real Madrid) – €9.6M
Alongside Lobotka, our second central midfielder comes from the Spanish capital and the most successful Champions League club in history. There was only one way we were going to swing when choosing a player from the Olympiacos vs Real Madrid fixture in Round 5. Despite Los Blancos having a plethora of world-class and phenomenal players to choose from, we’ve opted for Jude Bellingham.
Akin to Lobotka, Bellingham is one of Xabi Alonso’s most influential players due to his role on both ends of the pitch, as a box-to-box creator and a defensive workhorse, winning duels all over. While he hasn’t been scoring as much as he’d like to, Bellingham loves a Champions League night, and we may see his prime in Piraeus.
Francisco Conceição (Bodø/Glimt vs Juventus) – €5.4M
Rounding up the midfield and heading back to northern Europe after a trip down south to Greece, Francisco Conceição is our pick for Tuesday’s fixture between Bodø/Glimt and Juventus. Once absolutely undisputed as Italy’s most dominant side, the Old Lady has become a shadow of its former self. 0 wins, 3 draws, and a loss in the Champions League thus far is a shameful effort for a club of Juventus’ European stature. Moreover, they haven’t been brilliant in the Serie A either.
Despite this rather depressing reality for Juventus fans, a “cold windy night” in Bodø might be what Spalletti’s side needs to kickstart their UCL campaign. Francisco Conceição has been a rare bright spot in a highly underperforming team. As their third-highest-rated player in the Champions League, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.40, Conceição is technically gifted and dangerous on the wing. He’ll definitely create havoc for the Norwegian backline.
Youssoufa Moukoko (København vs Kairat) – €5.4M
Oh yes… Youssoufa Moukoko… that’s probably a name you haven’t heard in a long time. Known for breaking multiple German youth records and scoring at unprecedented rates for Dortmund’s academy, Moukoko’s “senior” career development has not followed suit despite only being twenty-one. After a rather unsuccessful loan stint in Ligue 1 last season, signing for the Danish champions looks to be a step in the right direction, as Moukoko needs more time to grow into the player that he’s projected to become.
København and Kairat have almost identical Champions League records thus far, only picking up a single point each in 4 matches. Despite a rocky campaign in the Danish League, København has more quality than Kairat and should get the job done at home.
Erling Haaland (Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen) – €11.2M
Finishing off our Round 5 picks, we have none other than the Norwegian cyborg and the best striker in the world (alongside Harry Kane). There’s really no need to say anything else, but let’s run through some stats to refresh our knowledge on the absolute insanity of the season he’s having.
In the Premier League, 14 goals in 12 matches. In the Champions League, 5 goals in 4 matches. In UEFA World Cup qualifiers for Norway, 16 goals in 8 matches. His statistics this season have been frightening, and Bayer have every right to feel the same about a Champions League night against Haaland in the Etihad. After a bad performance against Newcastle, he’ll be feeling even more motivated to bounce back with a bang.
Budget: €73.8M