UCL Fantasy top picks for Matchday 12

The next round of Champions League is close. We take a look at the top picks for Matchday 12. In addition, we take into consideration team and player form, fixture difficulty, minutes, fitness, heat maps and other factors to help us pick out the best options.

Taking a look at the UCL Fantasy top picks for Matchday 12 could be vital to both getting back on track or maintaining those successful starts to the campaign. We have a new set of fixtures; this can indicate different assets or highlight players even more in terms of bringing them in.

Goalkeepers – Andrea Onana

Inter play on the first day of Matchday 12. This means that managers can access the line-ups before making their transfers ahead of the deadline. It also means that any players who blank in the first game can be rotated to the bench for a new player off the bench in the second game.

The Italian side have been on and off this season but look like they have been gaining some momentum as of late. In fact, since their latest quarter final match against Benfica, Inter have won all six of their matches in all competitions.

In terms of their defence, more recently in the last 10 matches in all competitions, Inter have banked an impressive six. Interestingly five of those same six clean sheets have come in their last six games. What is even more significant is that Inter also kept a clean sheet against their upcoming opponents in the first leg.

There could be multiple routes into the Inter defence this week. But, one of the most reliable ways into the backline is Andre Onana (€5m). The man between the sticks has managed a whopping eight returns in the 11 Champions League matches he has played this season. Taking all of the above into account, Andre Onana eases into the top picks for Matchday 12.

Ederson

Manchester City face Real Madrid on the Wednesday. That means that if our Tuesday players fail to return any significant points then we can substitute our Wednesday players in. This also means that managers are relying on their Wednesday players to be successful.

The English league leaders have been relentless this season. They are only getting stronger as we progress through the latter stages of the campaign. An example of this is that in their last 10 matches in all competitions they have won eight and drawn just twice, remaining unbeaten in the same period.

Although facing a tough opponent, Manchester City have proven to have one of the best defences in Europe in the last several seasons. Unfortunately, this season, although their underlying data has been very strong domestically, clean sheets have been fewer than they should be.

For those looking to back the goalkeeper with the best clean sheet potential on the Wednesday then back Ederson (€6m). Although Real Madrid can be extremely clinical, Manchester City didn’t actually conceded many chances in the first leg. All it takes it one good game for Ederson and he can collect a clean sheet. Because of that, he makes the top picks for Matchday 12.

Defenders – Federico Dimarco

We have already covered the fact that Inter play on the first day. This means that their assets can be rotated out to the bench if they do not return. It also means that we can see the line-ups and make our transfers ahead of the deadline.

Inter have been inconsistent this season as a whole, but their most recent form is impressive and highly appealing from an investors point of view. Defensively, Inter are also in top form. Not only have they kept five clean sheets in their last six games in all competitions but they have also banked a huge seven clean sheets in their current Champions League campaign.

The Italian side play with a back-three system which gives their wing-backs the freedom to advance forwards and get into some of the most dangerous positions on the pitch. One of the players to benefit from that is Ferderico Dimarco.

Dimarco comes in at a fantastic price-tag of €4.7m. This means that the Italian helps to enable funds elsewhere within the side, making the premiums assets much more affordable. Di Marco has also been a brilliant form.

In terms of his attacking output, Dimarco has bagged an impressive three assists and two goals in his last seven matches in all competitions, reflecting his potent offensive potential. Not just this but his output in the Champions League have also been strong, picking up six returns in the 10 games he was involved in, including two double-digit hauls.

We can see from his heatmap above that Dimarco loves to advance forward and spends more time attacking the opponents half than defending his own. It is also clear that the wing-back can also take corners, giving him an additional route to points. In fine attacking form and with clean sheet potential, Dimarco breezes into the top picks for Matchday 12.

Denzel Dumfries

Inter have proven well worthy of their semi-final position. They faced what everyone thought would be a very tough game against their domestic rivals Ac Milan. However, Inter swept Milan aside in the first leg in a comfortable 2-0 win.

Not only have they already proven their quality against their upcoming opponents already, they are also in very strong run of form. In fact, they have lost just once in their last 10 matches in all competitions, making their assets even more appealing.

Inter’s back-three set-up continues to spill out great options. Another many should consider is Denzel Dumfries (€5.3m). Although the Dutchman has been a rotation risk this season, he has slowly started to cement his place in the first team, starting all four of Inter’s last UCL games.

Dumfries used to be considered as one of the most attacking and exciting wing-backs in world football. Many of these opinions derived from his international performances. An example of this is that in his most recent World Cup campaign Dumfries bagged a goal and two assists in five matches.

Although short of confidence, Dumfries is still getting into some of the most attacking positions on the field. Below we can see his heatmap from his current UCL campaign. We can also see his heavy positioning, both in the opponents half and in the oppositions box. This increases his likelihood of picking up attacking returns.

Dumfries has proven his attacking prowess in the past and maintaining the positioning he has been, it is just a matter of time before he picks up an attacking return. Due to this and the above, Dumfries continues to stake his claim amongst the top picks for Matchday 12.

Theo Hernandez

AC Milan face Inter on the first day of Matchday 12. This means of course that managers can take more risk in the first game knowing that if they fail they can rotate their bench players in for the second day. AC Milan have struggled for consistency as of late and that can be reflected in their recent form.

In their last 10 matches in all competitions Milan have secured four wins, five draws and one loss. Interestingly the one loss they suffered was against their domestic rivals in Matchday 11. Although out of sorts, Milan have shown that they can keep clean sheets in Europe, keeping five so far.

There is no telling what could happen in the second leg between Milan and Inter but the former have been defensively solid in parts throughout the season. Because of this buying into the Milan backline could be an interesting move.

Going into Matchday 12 expecting an AC Milan clean sheet could be foolish but when considering Theo Hernandez’s (€5.9m) other traits, it could be a risk worth taking. The French left-back has been an exciting watch this season, picking up six returns in his current UCL campaign.

Hernandez has good attacking potential and that can be seen in the fact he bagged five goals and six assists in his 21/22 domestic league season and four goals and three assists in his current domestic campaign.

We can see from his positional map above that Hernandez spends a lot of time in the opposition half and even time in the opponents box, increasing his chances of attacking returns. He also takes some set pieces, giving him added routes to potential points.

Ruben Dias

Manchester City play on the second day of Matchday 12. This means that managers will not have access to the line-ups before making their transfers ahead of the deadline. It could also indicate that investing in nailed players in terms of minutes is a good idea.

In terms of defensive form, although maintaining some fantastic defensive data Manchester City have banked just three clean sheets in their last 10 matches in all competitions. But with the stats they have been sustaining, it could be a matter of time before they keep a clean sheet.

One of the most reliable ways into the Manchester City backline is Ruben Dias (€5.7m). The centre-back is a key player in the defence and when looking for security and longevity, he could be exactly that. Dias also has some attacking threat.

The Manchester City defender can be a huge threat from set pieces like corners and free kicks. His strength and presence in the opposition box could give him good potential. As well as securing 48 ball recoveries Dias has also scored and picked up a player of the match award in his current Champions League campaign.

Taking into account his sides underlying defensive stats, his threat from set plays and his reliability in terms of minutes, Ruben Dias makes his way into the top picks for Matchday 12.

John Stones

Manchester City may face Real Madrid in the next round but they face host them in England. This is a significant boost to their chances, especially when taking into account that they are considerably stronger when playing at home.

The English side have shown huge defensive strength in their current Champions League campaign. In fact, in their 11 matches played so far Manchester City have collected six clean sheets, one of them being against the free-scoring Germans Bayern.

Manchester City restricted Real Madrid to only a couple of clear-cut chances in the first leg and on any other day could have kept a clean sheet. Their defensive potential going into any given game is enough to make their assets appealing, even against the Spanish giants.

Another reliable way into the Manchester City backline is John Stones (€5.1m). The centre-back has become integral to Pep Guardiola’s staring 11 and what is even more significant is that Stones has also been playing in a midfield position, putting him closer to the oppositions goal and increasing his chances of attacking returns.

Similar to his fellow teammate Dias, Stones also has goal threat from set plays. A good example of his attacking potential is the fact he has collected a goal and an assist in his current UCL season. Stones has also picked up a player of the match award for his efforts so far.

Midfielders – Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City may face Real Madrid in Matchday 12 but the Spanish side have shown huge defensive inconsistencies as of late. A good example of this is that they conceded in all five of their last matches in all competitions.

To further reinforce the recent defensive fragilities of Real Madrid, the Spanish giants also conceded two goals in three of the same five matches as mentioned above. Manchester City have one of the deadliest frontlines in world football and taking both of those factors into account suggests buying into their offensive line is absolutely essential.

One of the best ways into the lethal Manchester City attack is Kevin De Bruyne (€10.5m). The Belgian can be considered as one of the best midfielders in Europe after the last several seasons. One example of his potential is that in his 21/22 domestic league season he racked up a huge 15 goals and eight assists.

His numbers above tallied up to 23 goal contributions in 30 games. His great form has continued into the current season. In fact, in De Bruyne’s current league campaign he has bagged seven goals and a massive 16 assists. That totals to 23 returns in 30 games.

In terms of Kevin De Bruyne’s most recent form, in his last 10 matches in all competitions the Belgian has notched up seven assists and four goals. From this, De Bruyne has been averaging more than one attacking return per game.

De Bruyne has huge potential going into any given game. The Belgian’s performance was heavily questionable in the first leg and even then, still managed to pick up a huge 11-point return after scoring and claiming the player of the match award.

Ilkay Gundogan

Manchester City’s free-scoring ability should be highlighted. The English side have managed to maintain an elite level of goals this season. More recently, in their last 10 matches they have found the net a huge 26 times. This averages out at 2.6 goals scored per game.

In the Champions League, their goal scoring qualities have been once again highlighted. In the 11 UCL matches they have played Manchester City also scored 26 goals, averaging 2.3 goals. Because of this it could be very beneficial to further invest in their attack.

Another player we could consider is Ilkay Gundogan (€8m). Firstly it could be vital to highlight his positioning. We can see that the German spends most of his time in a central position but also advances into a more attacking position as well.

Gundogan has become a cog in the Manchester City Champions League machine as of late. In fact, Gundogan has started all but one of their 11 matches in Europe, highlighting his importance to his side. In that same 11 matches the midfielder banked four returns.

Finding Gundogan in a good run of form and attacking output can be key in fantasy football. When he does well, his returns seem to come in patches and after three returns in his last two games, we could well be in the midst of that.

Jack Grealish

To highlight Manchester City’s form even more, the Blues have won eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions. This emphasises their imperious form and the huge appeal that their assets hold because of it.

Manchester City also play at home this week, so focusing on their home record could be key. In their last 10 home matches in all competitions they won all of them. Not just this, but in the same 10 games they also netted a monstrous 34 goals. That averages at a jaw-dropping 3.4 goals scored per game.

Every stat that Manchester City have been maintaining this season suggests that backing their attacking assets could be hugely beneficial. It is also important to mention that, by now, Guardiola’s Champions League team has become a predictable one.

One player who is seemingly assured for expected minutes moving forward is Jack Grealish (€7.9m). The winger struggled to fit in in his first season at Manchester City, scoring just three goals and creating three assists in 26 matches. However, his form and quality have started to shine through this season.

Grealish has become detrimental to the way Manchester City play. This season domestically, Grealish has more than improved on his previous campaign tally, netting five goals and producing seven assists with plenty of time to add to that.

As we can see from his heatmap above, Jack Grealish predominantly plays on the left side of the Manchester City wing. The Englishman also has an exciting amount of positioning in the opponents box. This increases his chances of picking up attacking returns. Taking all of the above into mind, Jack Grealish gets his inclusion into the top picks for Matchday 12.

Vincius Junior

Real Madrid may face a game against arguably the best team in the world, but they have shown serious resilience and goal threat in the latter stages of the Champions League for years. The added experience means the Spanish side have a very strong mentality at this point in the tournament.

In terms of recent form Real Madrid have shown inconsistencies. However, they have also shown that in no way affects their Champions League performances. They also showed their goal threat potential in the last 16 and quarter finals, scoring 12 goals amongst all four games.

One of the best ways into the efficient Real Madrid offensive line is Vinicius Junior (€10.4m). The Brazilian is one of the best attackers in Europe and there can be no doubts about that. In terms of his usual position we can see from the heatmap below he plays in a left wing position. We can also see that his positioning can be deemed as advanced a striker.

Vinicius has been mesmerizing this season in all competitions. In terms of his domestic league he has picked up 10 goals and nine assists. Focusing on his current Champions League campaign, Junior has banked an impressive seven goals and five assists, accumulating to 12 returns in 11 games.

In relentless form, Vinicius Junior could be seen as an absolute essential for the round ahead. His 12 Champions League goal contributions have amassed to a monstrous 91 points and 10 returns in 11 games.

Hakan Çalhanoğlu

Inter have been in excellent form lately. The Italian side have managed to win all six of their last games in all competitions since their Champions League quarter final tie. In that same period they also racked up 17 goals. That averages out at 2.8 goals scored per game.

Averaging a very appealing amount of goals scored per match, it could be very difficult to avoid investing in the Inter offensive line. Especially after see them comfortably dispatch domestic league rivals AC Milan in the first leg of the semi finals 2-0.

AC Milan are struggling for consistency, winning just two of their last six games in all competitions whilst also keeping as many clean sheets. Finding an Inter midfielder could be difficult but Hakan Çalhanoğlu (€7.4m) could be the player to go to.

Last season Hakan Çalhanoğlu had a very strong domestic campaign. The Turkish international registered seven goals and 12 assists, accumulating to 19 goal contributions in 34 matches. This shows he has multiple routes to points.

In terms of his current Champions League season, Hakan Çalhanoğlu has been impressive. In fact, the playmaker has managed five returns so far including a double-digit haul, showing he has explosiveness. He also takes corners for his team which gives him another potential route to points. For those reasons, he squeezes his way into the top picks for Matchday 12.

Forwards – Erling Haaland

Manchester City come into the second leg of the Champions League in a rich vein of scoring form. The English domestic league leaders have averaged 2.6 goals scored per game in the last 10 matches in all competitions.

Not just the above but the English giants also play at home, where their even stronger. To reinforce that point, in their last 10 matches, as already mentioned above, they have found the net a whopping 34 goals, which averages 3.4 goals scored per game.

Not investing in scoring averages like above can cause serious problems for rank and mini-league position and the exclusion of one player could be particularly damaging. Erling Haaland (€11.2m) has become, arguably, the best striker in Europe this season.

Since his move from Dortmund, Haaland has been performing to an elite level. The Norwegian has broken scoring records in his first season of Premier League football. He has amassed a incredible 35 goals and seven assists in 32 games already.

In terms of Champions League form, Haaland is also performing to a high level. So far he has netted 12 goals and created one assist in his nine European matches. Haaland is in the form of his early career and also takes his relentless sides penalties, giving him another potential route to points. Taking everything into account, Haaland could be considered as essential amongst the top picks for Matchday 12.

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid have shown huge experience in the latter stages of the Champions League over the years. This means that regardless of their overall form, they can go into any UCL game as favourites, especially amongst the most experienced fans.

The Spanish side face Manchester City in their second semi final clash. One player who will be looking to break the deadlock is Karim Benzema (€10.9m). The Frenchman has been one of the most consistent strikers in world football over the last decade.

To highlight his most recent form, in his 21/22 domestic season Benzema bagged a whopping 27 goals and 12 assists. This tallies to a huge 39 goal contributions in 32 matches. Adding to that total, in the same season but in the Champions League the striker also produced an eye-watering 15 goals and two assists in just 12 European matches.

Benzema seems to be aging like fine wine because his fantastic form has continued into the current season. In the 21 league games he has played so far he has netted 17 goals and created three assists, accumulating to 20 returns.

As well as being the focal point to the most successful team in European history, Benzema also takes his clubs penalties, giving him another potential route to points. Against a defensively inconsistent opponent, Benzema has big potential and due to that eases his way into the top picks for Matchday 12.

Lautaro Martinez

To once again highlight Inter’s great recent form, in their last six matches they have won all of them. To further the already high appeal of their attackers, in the same period they also netted 17 goals scored, averaging 2.8 goals scored per game.

The AC Milan defence have been conceding some concerning stats and Inter have the recent form to exploit that. The most obvious and the standout striker option from the in-form offensive line is Lautaro Martinez (€8.5m).

Martinez has proven his worth over the last several seasons. In his 20/21 domestic season, Martinez managed to bank 17 goals and six assists, totalling to 23 contributions in 38 matches. His following campaign was also a good one.

In Martinez’s 21/22 domestic league season he scored 21 goals and produced three assists, accumulating to 24 attack returns in 35 games. That great form has translated into his current season too. So far in Serie A, Martinez has collected a cool 19 goals and five assists. This takes his current tally to 24 goal contributions in 34 matches.

In terms of recent form, Lautaro has bagged four goals and two assists in his last four games in all competitions. With form behind him and in a team scoring plenty of goals, Marrtinez has to be given another chance after blanking in Matchday 11.

Rafael Leao

AC Milan have been inconsistent as of late but have proven they can win games in the Champions League, after all, they have made it this far. After losing to domestic rivals Inter in Matchday 11, Milan will be looking for revenge.

One of the biggest issues AC Milan had in the first leg is that they were missing their star player Raphael Leao (€8.5m). The Italian has become the most exciting player to watch in Serie A over the last couple of seasons.

Leao has been out due to injury, but after spending time in training with his teammates, the winger looks set to return. To highlight his quality, last season Leao banked 11 goals and eight assists. This totalled to 19 returns in 34 matches.

Fast forward a season later and Leao is still impressing. In fact, so far this campaign Leao has collected 12 goals and seven assists. This shows, once again, that the Italian has multiple routes to points. Leao could be Milan’s last hope in Matchday 12 and because of that, makes the top picks for Matchday 12.