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Adewale covers top fantasy tips and captaincy picks for Matchday 15 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season.
Matchday 14 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League delivered thrilling action, highlighted by Serhou Guirassy scoring a hat-trick in Dortmund's 3-1 victory over FC Barcelona and Arsenal defeating defending champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate. The semi-finals are set! As we witness the final four teams square off for the Champions League trophy.
Matchday 15 promises more excitement with headline clashes like Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona hosting Inter this midweek. The road to Germany is set to be thrilling, ultimately leading to the final at Munich's Football Arena. RotoBaller remains your go-to source for top-tier UEFA Champions League fantasy content.
The Matchday 15 deadline of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season is Tuesday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. 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.
Semi-Finals Strategy: Making the Most of Your Next Five Transfers
As the last matchups before the final in Munich approach, UCL Fantasy managers will now be able to bring in six players from a single team. In essence, a manager has the opportunity to go all in on their preferred team this round.
But which key players should we focus on in order to score points at this critical stage?
Set-Pieces Takers/Scorers versus Innate Dribblers
One major takeaway from the Champions League Quarter-finals was the value of bringing in set-piece takers early. A prime example is Arsenal's Declan Rice, who scored twice against Real Madrid from free kicks.
However, defenders, who are often the primary targets, have also been key contributors, such as Inter's Benjamin Pavard, who scored in the second leg against Bayern Munich. Forwards such as Serhou Guirassy and Lautaro Martinez also found the net from corners. Therefore, set pieces remain an important factor heading into the semis.
There are certain dribblers, like PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who can change the course of a game and are most essential going forward. The Georgian international played a vital role for the Parisians in the first leg of the quarterfinals, winning the Player of the Match award and earning 11 points in Matchday 13.
In terms of fantasy points, key players like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, or PSG's Désiré Doué will be crucial additions to help boost our rankings as the contest nears its end.
Désiré Doué.#UCL pic.twitter.com/vM773RkHRz
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 22, 2025
Matchday 15 UCL Fantasy Tips
All-in on Arsenal and Barcelona's Assets
Reaching their third Champions League semi-final, the Gunners are brimming with confidence after eliminating the Galácticos. With an unbeaten home record in this season's competition, Arsenal are currently tipped as favorites and will be relying on their home advantage against Paris Saint-Germain.
Looking at their recent head-to-head history, the last meeting between these two sides was in October 2024, when Arsenal claimed a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain during the league phase.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta stated in his recent press conference that "We are making history, and we want more." Given the importance of this matchup, Arsenal will be devising a plan to not only win the game but also shut out their visitors.
North London is set. pic.twitter.com/JZDKWJva8v
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 28, 2025
Following a 3-2 triumph in the Copa Del Rey final over archrivals Real Madrid. Barcelona has already had a taste of silverware added to their trophy cabinet this season and is now focused on winning Europe's biggest prize—the Champions League.
Their next opponents, Inter, meanwhile, have not had the best of games in recent weeks. The Nerazzurri have struggled to score and lost three games in a row across all competitions. Barcelona will be ready to heap on more pressure when they host Inter at Camp Nou this Wednesday.
At this stage of the contest, it's safe to presume most UCL fantasy managers have at least three Barcelona players in their fantasy team. Nevertheless, now is the ideal opportunity to consider adding more players like Pedri or Ferran Torres, who might wreak havoc on Inter's shaky defense.
This Week's Recommended Targets
- Arsenal: Bukayo Saka (on pens), Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
- Barcelona: Raphinha (on pens), Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Jules Kounde.
Matchday 15 Top Captain Picks
The Champions League midweek fixtures present many fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Lamine Yamal, facing Inter, and Ousmane Dembele against Arsenal all present strong cases. However, our top two captain picks across the first leg of the semifinals are:
Check out the leading fantasy captaincy contenders for the first leg of the semi-finals 👇https://t.co/VgpfOjHYEd
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 23, 2025
Bukayo Saka (€9.0m) - Arsenal
Arsenal's 'Starboy' rises to the top of the captaincy rankings this week, thanks to Arsenal's UCL home advantage this season. In the reverse fixture on Matchday 2, Saka finished with nine points after scoring a free kick against the French side.
We've previously highlighted how important set pieces are in this round, and at only nine percent ownership, Saka appears to be an excellent captain choice and a strong differential pick to bet on when facing Paris Saint-Germain this Tuesday.
Bukayo 💫#UCL pic.twitter.com/QX06DGV8Wh
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2025
Raphinha (€7.9m) - Barcelona
Topping the UCL fantasy rankings with 122 points, the Brazilian international has been in top form as he has now scored 30 goals for Barcelona this season.
Averaging a 0.49 xG (expected goals) in the Champions League and leading the UCL assist charts, Raphinha is the optimal player to entrust with the captain's armband for the Wednesday fixture against Inter.
Differential Captain (<10% ownership)
Pedri (€7.5m) - Barcelona
Although Pedri may not be one to focus on goals and assists stats for compelling numbers. However, if we were solely motivated by numbers, key midfielders like Declan Rice, who contributed largely to ball recoveries and set pieces, would never make our fantasy teams.
The 22-year-old Spaniard has played a key role in how Barcelona transitions the ball from defense to attack, winning the Player of the Match award twice in the quarterfinals. Hence, established himself as an integral part of Hansi Flick's system.
With only eight percent ownership, Pedri is a differential to consider when Barcelona hosts an out-of-form Inter team this Wednesday.
Pedri gliding 😮💨#UCL pic.twitter.com/AuLmYVVtuN
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2025
Good luck with your final selections this week!
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 in the 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!
