UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 Fantasy Player Picks

The Champions League is back!

We’ve had the last international break of 2019 (thankfully) and a full slate of domestic matches to digest. The action now shifts to Europe in the second to last match-day of the Group Phase.

With just the one round left, several teams are staring over the precipice of dropping into the Europa League or being eliminated altogether. Other teams are on the verge of climbing to the first waypoint of qualification to the knockout round.

This means that there should be a heavy supply of drama in this week’s fixtures with much at stake.

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Here are the fixtures for UCL Matchday 5:

Tuesday 26th November

• Galatasaray vs Club Brugge
• Lokomotiv Moscow vs Bayer Leverkusen
• Real Madrid vs PSG
• Tottenham vs Olympiakos
• Crvena Zvezda vs Bayern Munich
• Manchester City vs Shakhtar Donetsk
• Atalanta vs Dinamo Zagreb
• Juventus vs Atletico Madrid

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Wednesday 27th November

• Zenit vs Lyon
• Valencia vs Chelsea
• Liverpool vs Napoli
• Genk vs Salzburg
• RB Leipzig vs Benfica
• Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund
• Slavia Prague vs Inter Milan
• Lille vs Ajax

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GOALKEEPERS

Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Ederson (Manchester City, 6.0m)

The Brazilian shot stopper returned from injury at the weekend and showed why he was sorely missed. Strong shout for a clean sheet as City aim to seal qualification.

Keylor Navas (PSG, 5.5m)

The Costa Rican enigma will be super motivated to repel all the best efforts of his previous employers — just as he did in their first group stage encounter.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona, 6.0m)

The German goalie will need to be at his best to keep a relentless Borussia Dortmund attack at bay. Save points beckon if not clean sheet returns.

Paulo Gazzaniga (Tottenham, 4.4m)

The Argentinian goalkeeper has deputised well in the absence of the injured Hugo Lloris. The recent managerial change should invigorate Spurs when they welcome Olympiakos to their home ground.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea, 5.5m)

The youthful Spanish stopper has been slightly inconsistent, but will need to be on top form for this huge away trip against Valencia in UCL Group H.

Andre Onana (Ajax, 5.0m)

It’s a great chance for Ajax to go top of Group H ahead of the final matchday so the acrobatic Cameroonian #1 will be key for the Dutch champs.

Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow, 5.0m)

It’s the last chance saloon for the Russian champs as a win is needed to keep hopes of qualification alive in Group D. The Russian keeper is a good shout for point returns as Lokomotiv welcome Bayer Leverkusen to their less than hospitable home turf.

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DEFENDERS

Photo by Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images

Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax, 5.2m)

Ajax’s Argentinian full back is always a great punt for points at both ends of the pitch and will be heavily involved for the visit to Lille.

Andrew Robertson (Liverpool, 7.0m)

The Scottish full back has hit top gear over the last few weeks and has been chipping in with goals and assists. A visiting Napoli is another chance to get points on the board.

Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, 6.5m)

The departure of Niko Kovac from the Bayern hot seat has seen a marked improvement in defensive solidity for Bayern. A trip to Crvena Zvedza is no cakewalk, but Kimmich is a great shout listed as a defender but operating in a midfield role.

Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig, 4.5m)

The German full back is the most attacking option in a Leipzig defense with one eye on qualification to the next phase.

Stefan De Vrij (Inter Milan, 5.5m)

Antonio Conte’s men face a harrowing trip to an energetic Slavia Prague team but will need to deliver here if they’re to stand a chance of qualification to the next phase. The Dutch hardman possesses set piece threat plus possible clean sheet points.

Kevin Theophile Catherine (Dinamo Zagreb, 4.5m)

The Croatian champs may have been whipping boys last season, but are the surprise package of the Champions League this season. Theophile Catherine sits high up the charts for defender points in the Group Phase at a bargain price.

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MIDFIELDERS

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Heung Min Son (Tottenham, 9.5m)

The South Korean superstar has been the one shining light through a dismal season so far for Spurs. Yet the arrival of Jose Mourinho could see him take his game to even higher heights. He’s currently the second highest point scorer amongst midfielders in the Champions League.

Sadio Mane (Liverpool, 10.5m)

The Senegalese hotshot has been the jewel in the Liverpool crown this season. Injury worries for Mohamed Salah have seen Mane shoulder the responsibility and become the focal point of the ferocious Liverpool attack.

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, 11.1m)

After a hot start, the England winger has experienced something of a mini drought. However the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk coupled with the absence of Sergio Aguero present the perfect opportunity for him to halt his barren run.

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, 7.9m)

The American winger has established himself in the Chelsea first XI with some scintillating performances. He’ll have to deliver the goods again when Chelsea head to Spain with Group H hanging in the balance.

Hakim Ziyech (Ajax, 8.0m)

The Moroccan winger owns probably the best left foot in Europe and it was on devastating display in the Matchday 4 classic against Chelsea. He should once again put it to good use against Lille.

Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb, 6.2m)

Dinamo Zagreb’s surprising Group Stage form has been fueled by the superb performances of the Croatian midfielder. A trip to group-bottom Atalanta should hold no worries for him.

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FORWARDS

Photo by David Geieregger/SEPA.Media /Getty Images

Erling Braut Haaland (Red Bull Salzburg, 4.6m)

The most coveted young striker in Europe, a trip to Genk is another opportunity for the Norwegian prodigy to elevate his already sky high profile.

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, 9.5m)

The French (can we still call him that?) striker has been in the form of his career this season, topping the scoring charts for Real Madrid. The grudge match against Group A rivals PSG is a great chance for the Benz to show his best form.

Harry Kane (Tottenham, 11.0m)

The England captain hasn’t been at his best so far this season, but the “Jose effect” is sure to reinvigorate him for this home encounter against visiting Olympiakos.

Robert Lewandowski (10.6m)

Is there a hotter striker in Europe right now? The Polish striker has been an automatic scorer in almost every game so far this season and is a fixture in these pics.

Timo Werner (RB Leipzig, 8.5m)

The in-form German striker will set his targets on a Benfica defense and will be motivated to score goals with Group stage qualification a real possibility for Leipzig.

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, 5.5m)

The diminutive Argentinian striker has been excellent this season so far and will need to be at the top of his game in a must win game for Inter Milan.

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Have you picked your team yet? Whom do you have your eyes on who has been mentioned above? Is there anyone who has been left out of this article that you would recommend? Which match do you most want to watch this week? Please let us know in the comments!

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