It is only a day or two left until “THE CHAMPIONS” hymn rings in, and reminds us of club football’s most elite platform there is. Starting with 32 teams, now only the top 16 survived through and would be battling in their respective fixtures for the top spot. The Round of 16 games starts from 15th February, 8 PM UTC. Besides the main fixtures, it is also the return of UCL fantasy, which football fanatics have been waiting for. Following the ‘let bygones be bygones’ phrase, the UCL fantasy allows unlimited transfers before venturing into the knockouts. This, UCL Fantasy Round of 16 2021/22 (Matchday 7) Guide, calls for a rebuilding of the squads based on the upcoming fixtures, leaving behind the group stages.
As usual, we would be guiding fantasy managers with our recommendations. However, this time our approach would be to build an entire squad out of a limited budget. Lest the budget isn’t in balance for any managers, we also would recommend some alternative choices. The selections would rather be baked upon the players’ recent form and performance in the group stage, rather than favorability of the fixtures.
Also, lest anyone requires reminding, the total budget for UCL Knockouts is raised to €105m, from €100m. Also, the maximum number of players from each team is increased from 3 to 4. Besides, the fact that squad prices have increased for almost all the managers has been kept in mind. Our guide would be keeping all these into consideration, so do read till the end.
UCL Fantasy Round of 16 2021/22 Fixtures
1st Leg
15th February 8 PM UTC
- Sporting CP v Manchester City, Estadio Jose Alvalade
- Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid, Parc des Princes
16th February 8 PM UTC
- Salzburg v Bayern Munich, Stadion Salzburg
- Internazionale v Liverpool FC, San Siro
22nd February 8 PM UTC
- Chelsea v Lille OSC, Stamford Bridge
- Villarreal v Juventus, Estadio de la Cerámica
23rd February 8 PM UTC
- Benfica v Ajax, Estádio do Sport Lisboa
- Atletico Madrid v Manchester United, Wanda Metropolitano
2nd Leg
8th March 8 PM UTC
- Bayern Munich v Salzburg, Allianz Arena
- Liverpool FC v Internazionale, Anfield
9th March 8 PM UTC
- Manchester City v Sporting CP, Etihad Stadium
- Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain, Santiago Bernabéu
15th March 8 PM UTC
- Ajax vBenfica, Johan Cruijff ArenA
- Manchester United v Atletico Madrid Old Trafford
16th March 8 PM UTC
- Lille OSC v Chelsea, Stade Pierre Mauroy
- Juventus v Villarreal, Allianz Stadium
UCL Fantasy Round of 16 2021/22 Team
Goalkeepers
Sven Ulreich (€ 4.5m) vs Salzburg (A)
A gamble which can well pay off is Bayern Munich’s second-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. Accompanied by the sturdy defense of Bayern who almost becomes unbeatable on UCL nights, Sven Ulreich is all set to make his UCL appearance for the first time this season against RB Salzburg. Manuel Neuer is sidelined with a hairline fracture for which he underwent surgery giving the perfect opportunity for Sven.
Not going by the last game against Bochum, Bayern Munich was pretty decent in their defensive track record this season in UCL. They are also the favorites against Austrian side Salzburg, and a good performance from Ulreich will not only provide a good differential option but also give the extra bucks in your pocket for the team selection. Coming at a base price of 4.5 m Euro, Sven had 86 saves last season 9 clean sheets, for 126 SoTA (Shots on target Against).
Odisseas Vlachodimos (€5.2m) vs Ajax (H)
Benfica is facing free-scoring Ajax in the round of 16, and this might be the possible reason that Vlachodimos isn’t getting the credit he deserves for his current UCL fantasy score. However, the Greece international is not to be dismissed, as he finished the group stage with the most points (34) of any goalkeeper. Vlachodimos, like Mendy, has 4 clean sheets to his credit, but he has also made 22 saves, including a penalty save against Bayern. He has an impressive stat of 70.5% of shots saved in the domestic league and 67.9 % in the UEFA Champions League.
Vlachodimos accumulates a percentage of 66.7% of clean sheets per 90 minutes of football action and an average of 36.67 touches in the game per 90. On Matchday 7, he’ll likely be quite active against Erik ten Hag’s team, but that opens up the prospect of more saves, which might lead to another healthy UCL fantasy score.
Alternatives
- Wojciech Szczesny (€ 5.8, vs Villareal) from Juventus with a price tag of 5.8 million euros. He has played five of the six matches in the group stage for Juventus and conceded 6 goals so far. He also has an impressive 74.2% shots saved in the domestic Italian league. Juventus face Villarreal in their first knockout match away from home on 23rd February and are the likely favorites. He can also prove to be an effective differential with just 5% of teams selecting him as their goalkeeper out of all the teams playing UCL fantasy football.
Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold (€6.6m) vs Internazionale (A)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the favorites of UCL fantasy managers to keep in the team. The English right-back has not featured in the last 3 games out of 6 group stage matches, a group in which Liverpool dominated and demolished the named group of death. But with the eventual departure of Neco Williams from the squad fantasy managers are now convinced that he will be starting the game.
He gets a price tag of 6.6 million Euros and has managed to accumulate 20 points out of the three games played with a huge 14 points haul on matchday 4 against Atletico Madrid at home. The stunning form he is in has helped him become the highest assist provider in the premier league and the fourth-highest assist provider among all premier league defenders of all time. Certainly, he has the full scope to overtake some of the greats of the game and register his name as a hero in red.
Trent Alexander Arnold has a ridiculous stat of 0.44 npxG+xA registered per 90, which can easily surpass prolific wingers and strikers in the champions league. He has 9.12 progressive passes registered per 90 and 5.93 progressive carries, making him one of the best-attacking fullbacks to have graced the game. Accompanied by the tight and solid defense of Liverpool, Trent is one of the few must-haves in the game giving him both clean sheet points as well as points for assists and goals.
Thiago Silva (€5.6m) vs LOSC (H)
After accumulating 30 points in the five matches played at the group stages of the UEFA champions league, Thiago Silva and his Chelsea face LOSC Lille in their first knockout match of the tournament. Silva has played 367 minutes in the champions league so far with 3 clean sheets and 26 balls recovered. He also has an assist awarded to his name in the champions league itself with an xG of 0.3 and xA of 0.1. His aerial presence makes him one of the favorites to reach the lofted balls from Chelsea set-pieces as visible in his goal tally in the premier league with a total of 3.
Chelsea is also favorites to keep a clean sheet in both of the legs of the first knockout game. Thus Thiago emerges to be the favorite to get 4 points from the clean sheet and possible goal-getter from set-pieces.
Benjamin Pavard (€5.6m) vs Salzburg (A)
Benjamin Pavard is another defender on the list who has accumulated 30 points so far in the league. With a 5% of total teams selecting him in their UCL fantasy matchday squad, the French side back can even turn out to be a potential differential in your fantasy team. Bayern Munich plays Red Bull Salzburg away from home on 17th February in which Bayern will be the out-and-out favorites for the tie. The young side back played in all 6 group stage games for Bayern Munich with one assist and three clean sheets to his name.
Pavard also has an assist to his name in the Bundesliga with a 1.1 expected assist tally. He completes an average of 6.1 4 progressive passes per 90 minutes of football and 0.13 npxG+xA per 90. He also completes an average of 5.89 progressive carries with 2.29 clearance per match. Safe to say, the young French defender can be one of the potential boosts if Bayern registers a thumping display against the Austrian side.
Lisandro Martinez (€5.3m) vs Benfica (A)
A budget-friendly defender with a selected percent of 3 out of all global managers playing UCL fantasy, Lisandro Martinez emerges to be a great pick in defense for this matchday. Lisandro played all 6 games in the group stage accumulating 32 points with 2 clean sheets and one assist. His club Ajax Amsterdam plays Benfica away from home in the first knockout match. The Argentine also has 4 goal contributions in the domestic league of the Netherlands. He also has an outstanding statistic of 93.4 % passes completed per 90 minutes of action with 91.0 passes attempted averagely.
Martinez has an impressive 5.25 progressive passes and 4.92 progressive carries recorded per 90 minutes of football. With almost 3.83 clearances at an average per match, Lisandro Martinez is a perfect budget-friendly pic to fill up the bench of your UCL fantasy league team.
Reinildo Mandava (€5.4m) vs Manchester United (H)
One of the best differential players in the UCL fantasy league buys this Matchday is Reinildo Mandava from Atletico Madrid who plays against Manchester United on 24th February as their first knockout game. Mandava has played in every group stage match for Atletico Madrid and accumulated a total of 37 points. He is selected by a mere 1% of all global UCL fantasy managers and fits perfectly in a tight budget as he cost only 5.4 million.
Manchester United’s attacking department is certainly misfiring at this point and hence a very good match from the defense of athletic go can actually silence Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mate thereby clinching a clean sheet in front of the home crowd.
He averages 4.54 progressive carries per 90 minutes of action and 3.37 progressive passes with almost 2.29 interceptions and 3.43 tackles per match. He is an interesting pick and can turn out to be a very good differential giving you an extra edge over your rivals.
Alternative Choices
- David Alaba against Paris SG, have been in tremendous form with most goal contributions and defensive actions in the champions league as well as in La liga for Real Madrid.
Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (€10.9m) vs Internazionale (A)
One player in form this season is undoubtedly this Egyptian. The Premier League top goalscorer despite being absent for almost a month has a staggering xG+xA of 0.99 per 90 for Liverpool across all competitions. He also has 4 shots per game in PL (3.2 per game in UCL) with at least 2 on target per game in both the competitions.
Adding up to his goal-scoring numbers is his 2 Key passes per game in both the competitions. All these statistics have made the Liverpool winger have a total of 32 goals+assists so far this season. No doubt he would be a must-have in fantasy teams, given his guarantee to start and the form he and his team is in.
Lest we forget to mention, he would also be a top Captain choice over any forward on the first game day, because of him being a midfielder (clean sheet points and an extra point for goal). Hence, the player who is the 2nd highest scoring midfielder in UCL fantasy thus far (4th in overall rank) must be a safe and also must-have choice for fantasy teams. Mo Salah is predicted to accumulate 8.8 points this week by the official UCL Fantasy.
Arnaut Danjuma (€6.8m) vs Juventus (H)
The Dutch winger has been a clutch prospect of the Spanish side in the group stage. Accumulating a total of 44 points in the group stage for 2 assists, 4 goals, and 2 Man-of-the-match awards, he may be a decent choice for the fantasy teams. The 25-year-old has had 3.2 shots per game in the UCL group stage, with 1.8 on target. In La Liga, he ranks 3rd among players with the most shots per game (2.8) and 6th in shots on target per game (1.2).
Overall, he has a 0.70 xG+xA stat and a 0.49 shot goal-creating actions per 90. Considering his cheap price and low ownership of 3%, he may prove to be a decent differential choice besides balancing the budget. Lastly, note that his projected points for this matchday are 7.5 as per the Official UCL Fantasy.
Leroy Sané (€9.4m) vs RB Salzburg (A)
The top point scorer from the Group stage is in quite good form this season. With 12 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, his overall form is no doubt convincing enough for his addition to the fantasy squad. Furthermore, his xG+xA of 0.83, 1.70 shots on target per 90 out of 4.88 shots per 90 ratios enhances his contention to be in the squad.
The Official UCL Fantasy has also predicted 9.1 points for Sané this matchday. Hence, the Bayern winger with 65 fantasy points this season already, is a must-have for managers in order to accumulate the maximum of points.
Rafa Silva (€7.4m) vs Ajax (H)
Yet another differential choice with only 1% ownership. With 0.44 xG+xA per 90 contributing to 8 goals and 13 assists across all competitions this season, he might be a bargain for such a low price.
Rafa Silva is also a guaranteed starter and has come up with at least 2 shots per game this season, keeping 0.64 on target. Besides his 0.62 goals per shot on target is accompanied by 7 Key passes overall, making him a budget option for the squad’s midfield.
Riyad Mahrez (€9.4m) vs Sporting CP (A)
Despite the doubts surrounding Manchester City players starting a game, Mahrez has been fielded in all 6 group stage games this season by Pep. The Algerian, though a bit high-priced in the fantasy, has very much played according to expectations and has accumulated 40 points so far. His 0.86 xG+xA also includes the penalties he takes.
Besides, a highly attacking team like Manchester City is no doubt a favorite against Sporting CP. He has 3.69 shots per 90 to 1.54 on target ratio, making him a favorite for the last midfield spot in the squad.
Remarkably, the City winger has made 27 Key Passes across 5 club competitions this season, accompanied by 12 goal-creating actions overall, which surely makes him a top choice. In the fixture against Sporting, he is projected to score 8.5 points as per the Official CL Fantasy.
Alternative Choices
- P. Gonçalves (€8.2m) vs Manchester City – The young Portuguese has been the 4th best midfielder in terms of points collected so far. An expensive differential worth considering. Keep note that he is suffering a muscular problem currently and missed out the league tie against Porto
- H. Ziyech (€8.4m) vs Lille OSC- Apparently a favourable fixture for Chelsea, however, his teammate M. Mount can also be considered, for a considerably lesser price (€7.4m).
Forwards
Sébastien Haller (€9.3m) vs Benfica (A)
No other player has been in a better goalscoring form than this Ivorian. A staggering 10 goals in the group stage has helped him accumulate the most points (63) of all players in the game. Haller boasts a whopping 23 goals and 6 assists for Ajax this season in league and UCL combined.
Besides, a monstrous 1.66 xG+xA, 48.8% shot accuracy on goal, and 1.81 shots on goal per 90 have described enough about the precision a top forward needs to have for being a top fantasy prospect.
Higher priced alternatives are available, but Haller’s price and form combined make him no doubt a lucrative asset to have. He is also considered by the Official UCL Fantasy, who projects Haller to score 8.8 points this matchday.
Diogo Jota (€8.4m) vs Internazionale (A)
The Portuguese winger turned forward is in quite a form in this season’s PL. Ranked 2nd in PL Golden boot chart, Jota can boast about the 17 goals and 2 assists he has had this season across all competitions. A 0.90 xG+xA with a 42.7% shot accuracy is what he had to offer so far this season.
Given the attacking team Liverpool is, and now with their African wingers Salah and Mane all available, Jota is a must-have for the fantasy squad.
Antony (€8.0m) vs Benfica (A)
Projected with about 7.9 points this matchday, the Brazilian winger from Ajax is no doubt a lesser popular choice than his teammate Haller. However, stats like a 0.72 xG+xA, 1.36 shots on target per 90 along with 9 goals and 6 assists show he isn’t much behind.
Furthermore, he has provided 1.3 key passes per 90 in Eredivisie this season besides 1.8 key passes per 90 in the UCL. He has also delivered 3.4 crosses into the box, which might be vital with Haller inside the box. Overall, in order to balance the budget in the forwards’ department, he might be a very decent addition.
Alternative Choices
- R. Lewandowski (€12m) vs Salzburg– An obvious choice for many managers for many reasons, but might be difficult to fit if the midfield has taken up funds.
- Vinicius Jr. (€8.7m) vs PSG- Another in-form player this season, also within budget. But difficulty of the fixture may be an issue.
UCL Fantasy Round of 16 2021/22 Guide: Tips and Tricks
- In case these recommendations don’t convince you enough, and alterations are required, adjust with the goalie. Goalkeepers have the least probability to grant decent points, hence any goalie who is guaranteed to start works.
- Try taking players from all 4 game days, so that substitutions can be done accordingly as per their performances across all 4 days.
- Also, try taking at least 1 captain choice from all 4 game days, for the same reason stated above.
- Last and not the least, of course it is highly unpredictable at this stage of the outcome. But still, choose players from teams who are favorites to go through to the next round. Remember that the number of transfers becomes limited after this stage.
So what are you waiting for? Setup your squads and join our very own UCL Fantasy 2021/22 Classic League through this invitation code 38IHUP5L10 or join from this link and win exciting cash rewards for absolutely free!
Did you find our analysis and overview on the UCL Fantasy Round of 16 2021/22 (Matchday 7) guide useful? Drop your comments in the comment section below!
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