RADIO
This article covers top fantasy tips and captaincy picks for Matchday 1 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League returns for its 70th season since its inception in 1955, and this year introduces notable changes. The new league phase format is now here to stay, featuring 12 additional teams, bringing the total number of participating clubs to 36.
This season promises plenty of thrilling matchups, with Milan vs. Liverpool and Manchester City vs. Inter headlining this midweek’s action. The journey to Germany is bound to be captivating, culminating in the final at the Munich Football Arena. RotoBaller remains your go-to source for top-tier UEFA Champions League fantasy content.
The Matchday 1 deadline of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season is Tuesday, September 17 at 12:45 p.m. EDT, when Young Boys entertains Aston Villa and Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Tuesday ✅
Wednesday ✅
Thursday ✅#UCL pic.twitter.com/6u34blOYBa— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 16, 2024
Matchday 1 UCL Fantasy Tips
Invest in FC Barcelona Fantasy Assets
Barcelona's new boss, Hansi Flick, has made life much smoother for the Catalan side, with the team now unbeaten in their first five La Liga matches. Flick’s impact has been immediate, bringing a sense of stability and purpose to the squad.
The new system and style of play have made Barcelona a force to be reckoned with, enhancing both their offensive and defensive capabilities. Their fluid attack and solid defense have stood out in this early phase of the season.
For fantasy managers, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde are top recommendations to consider, given how well they’ve adapted to this new approach.
▪️ 5/5 wins
▪️ 17 goals
▪️ 4 conceded
▪️ Top of the leagueHansi Flick already has Barça flying in La Liga 🖐️ pic.twitter.com/JFi058cDo8
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 15, 2024
Target Sporting CP's Attack and Juventus' Defence
Sporting CP's 3-0 victory over Arouca in Liga Portugal last Friday marked an impressive run, with the team now tallying 19 goals in their first five matches while conceding only two.
Their formidable form is attributed mainly to the attacking trio of Pedro Gonçalves, Viktor Gyökeres, and Francisco Trincão, a dominant force on the field. The synergy between these players has made Sporting CP one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the league this season.
In the Italian Serie A, Juventus has set a new record by keeping four consecutive clean sheets in their first four matches for the fifth time in the club's history. Under new manager Thiago Motta, the team’s defense has shown no weakness.
Players to consider targeting for Matchday 1 include Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres, Francisco Trincão, and Pedro Gonçalves, as well as Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Gatti, and Bremer. Doubling up on any of these assets could be a strong strategy.
This is only the fifth time that Juventus have kept a clean sheet in each of their first FOUR Serie A matches, after 2014-15, 1986-87, 1983-84 and 1965-66. 🇮🇹🧱 pic.twitter.com/d2bCzeFKUy
— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuveEN) September 14, 2024
Matchday 1 Top Captain Picks
The Champions League midweek fixtures present many fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Viktor Gyökeres facing Losc Lille and Ousmane Dembélé with a favorable home tie against Girona all present strong cases. However, my top three picks across Matchday 1 would be:
Harry Kane (€10.5m) - FC Bayern Munich
The 31-year-old striker has hit top form with his recent league performances for the German giants, FC Bayern, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists in his last three games, including a hat-trick against Kiel last weekend.
The English international boasts 29 goals in his last 44 Champions League appearances. With penalty duties and a favorable home matchup against Dinamo Zagreb, Harry Kane is a strong candidate for the captain's armband on Matchday 1 this Tuesday.
18 - With his goal against Holstein Kiel, Harry Kane has now scored against all 18 different clubs he faced in the Bundesliga - in BL history, only Miroslav Klose has faced more different opponents and scored against all of them (28). Variety. pic.twitter.com/zeBAkAt3Tq
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 14, 2024
Erling Haaland (€11m) - Manchester City
With nine goals scored in just four games, no player in Europe’s top leagues has matched the output of Erling Haaland this season. The Cityzens remain unbeaten at home in the previous 30 Champions League games and will again rely on their talisman to wreak havoc against Inter Milan.
Haaland also boasts an impressive record of 41 goals in 39 Champions League appearances, making him the ideal captain for Wednesday’s fixture in your UCL fantasy team.
9 - Erling Haaland has scored nine goals across Manchester City’s first four league games this season – the most of any player in the opening four matchdays of a Premier League campaign (overtaking Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 - eight in first four). Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/K7uawybPIF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 14, 2024
Lamine Yamal (€7.5m) - FC Barcelona
The 17-year-old Spanish international has been in incredible form recently, with seven attacking contributions (three goals and four assists) in his last five games.
Yamal’s natural dribbling skills and ability to break through the opposition’s defense make him a standout asset for your team. Barcelona's opening game against AS Monaco presents an excellent opportunity for Lamine Yamal to shine, making him a strong captaincy option for Thursday’s fixture.
Lamine Yamal's game by numbers vs. Girona:
10 duels won
8 touches in opp. box
8x possession won
6 tackles
6x possession won in final third
5 shots
4 shots on target
3 fouls won
2 goalsHe now has four assists and three goals in five LaLiga appearances this season. 👏 pic.twitter.com/8KcXvBXjFM
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) September 15, 2024
Differential Captain Pick (<10% ownership)
Victor Boniface (€7m) - Bayer Leverkusen
After setting up an assist and adding two goals for Leverkusen in their match against Hoffenheim last weekend, the 2022/23 Europa League Golden Boot winner is back in contention for the captain's armband as Leverkusen travel to the Netherlands to face Feyenoord.
Victor Boniface played a crucial role in Bayer Leverkusen's historic Bundesliga title win, contributing 14 goals and eight assists for the team. With just 3 percent ownership, the Nigerian international is a strong differential captain option this midweek and will be eager to score on their return to the Champions League.
Two Goals.
One Assist.
Victor Boniface. 😮💨🇳🇬#TSGB04 pic.twitter.com/e7MLYnVkzB— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) September 14, 2024
Join The RotoBaller League
Once again, join our RotoBaller.com league. Hit any of our writers up over the next two weeks, and we will give you the code (also in the graphic below), and you'll be good to go. Good luck for UEFA Champions League Fantasy, RotoBallers!
Stick around for more UCL Fantasy content coming soon. Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
