Here’s my team and below i’ll talk about each pick. An essential piece of information before you look at it is i’ll be using my Wildcard in MD4/5 and my LL in MD8.

I’ll talk more about that below but you need to have a loose idea on what you’re doing before the MD1 deadline as it will dictate how you set up your team.

Forwards - Kane (10.5m), Haaland (11m), Mbappe (11m)
Other considerations: Gyökeres (7.5m), Lewandowski (9.5m) 

I’m going to be a bit different and start with my forwards because it’s who you pick in these three valuable positions that heavily influences the other 12.

Kane:

My Tuesday captain, the elite striker plays Dinamo Zagreb at home in MD1. Off the back of a hattrick against (admittedly) minnows Holstein Kiel, the English number 9 already has 5 goals in 4 games for Bayern this season and shows no sign of slowing down. Bayern will be heavy favourites and I can’t bring myself to miss out on this potential MD1 haul. Dinamo Zagreb have lost their last two against Hajduk Split & Trnje (no, me neither) and drawn 1-1 against Rijeka so I don’t expect much resistance in the Allianz Arena. 

That said, I am going to bank in a transfer for MD2, rotating out Kane for Lewandowski who will have Young Boys at home in MD2. Bayern’s next two fixtures aren’t favourable (Villa & Barca away) and I think I can secure more points by hopping off.

Haaland:

It may be surprising to FPL managers (after the big Norwegian has scored 9 goals in 4 FPL games) but there is a big movement amongst engaged UCL managers to skip Haaland in MD1. In fact, Haaland is only 53% owned as I write this. Man City have a very defensively solid Inter at home in MD1, and some managers are deciding to swerve this and lock in a transfer to have Haaland MD2 onwards (Bratislava (A), Sparta Prague (H), Sporting Lisbon (A), Feyenoord (H), the next 4).

The reason I have gone for Haaland is we only get two transfers between MD’s and i’ve already planned to do Kane - Lewandowski for MD2. The other reason is quite simple. Who do you captain on Wednesday if not Haaland? The tricky thing for MD1 is the issue of captaincy. I would genuinely consider not having Haaland in MD1 and bringing him in on MD2 IF there was a viable alternative captaincy on Wednesday. Currently it would need to be…I don’t know…Barcola for PSG at home to Girona? A Dortmund player away from home? A Celtic player at home to Bratislava? You get my point - there are no other premium options that day. Given I’ll want him from MD2 anyway, and he’s the only option on Wednesday, he’s in.

Mbappe/Vini:

I am still a bit undecided on whether I go with Mbappe or Vini Jr for Real Madrid and this highlights the problem a lot of people are facing: who is the main man? Ancelotti recently confirmed the duo would ‘share’ penalties (a recipe for disaster if you ask me) and both players drift towards the left even if they are meant to playing through the middle. 

This is the one position up front that could change for me, just due to the uncertainty of it all. The reason I currently have a RMA attacker is just for any potential MD1 haul - they have Stuttgart at the Bernabeu. If i’m honest, my gut says to skip MD1 and think longer term (RMA have Lille (A), Dortmund (H), AC Milan (H), Liverpool (A) in the next 4) but I almost can’t bear not having SOME sort of coverage for that Stuttgart fixture. 

A further complication is Real playing on the same day as Kane at Bayern who I am captaining. I therefore have a premium asset I won’t captain in MD1 AND I won’t captain them in MD2 either as Salah plays Bologna at Anfield. If Bellingham was definitely fit, I would have him in midfield and feel comfortable I had them covered, but, although it sounds like he’s in the squad, he may not start. Annoying. Don’t be surprised if this third forward slot changes to Lewandowski by the time the deadline comes.

Other considerations (briefly):

Lewandowski (£9.5m): 4 goals in 4 games in a rejuvenate Barca. Monaco away MD1, Young Boys at home MD2. £1.5m cheaper than Mbappe/Vini. Worth considering.

Gyökeres (7.5m): In the first 5 league games the ex-Coventry striker has 8 goals and an assist. Sporting have Lille at home MD1. If he played on the last day of the MD (Thursday), I would definitely have him in my team.

Midfield: Salah (£10m), Goncalves (£6.5m), Gloukh (£6m), Yamal (£7.5m), De Cuyper (£4.5m).
Other considerations: Barcola (£7m), Rodgers (£5m), Saka (£9m), Adeyemi (7m), Olise (£6m), Ben Seghir (£4.5m) .

Salah: I expect nothing MD1, but beyond that Liverpool have Bologna (H), Leipzig (A), Leverkusen (H), Real Madrid (H). I honestly believe Salah can score in any of those games. I’d always back the Egyptian king at Anfield. Another route I have considered is skipping Salah in MD1 (away against AC Milan - a tight game I predict) and bringing him in MD2, but I can’t do that with everyone!

Goncalves: If there was one player i’d say was an underpriced and underowned gem, Pedro Goncalves is it. You simply HAVE to have either him or Gyökeres from Sporting Lisbon. Their first three MD’s are Lille (H), PSV (A) and Sturm Graz (A). In 6 games so far, he has 5 goals and 4 assists. You can never predict how a season is going to go, but for me, this guy is THE bargain to get in UCL Fantasy 2024/2025.

Gloukh: Oscar Gloukh is a rising star in football. He was born in 2004 (makes me feel old), and if anyone can’t do maths, makes him 20. In three Bundesliga games this season, he has three goals and two assists. The best thing about Gloukh though is his fixtures, RB Salzburg have Sparta Prague (A), Brest (H) and Dinamo Zagreb (H) in their first three. He’ll be in my team and I won’t need to think about him until MD4/5/6 which is the wildcard corridor anyway.

Yamal: In my opinion you either go Raphina or Yamal (or both!) for your MD1 team. Barcelona look completely different this season to last, much much more attacking. In five games Yamal has three goals and four assists (Raphina has three goals and three assists but it was a hattrick, so maybe less consistent?).

De Cuyper: This could very well change but I always choose a midfielder at the cheapest price point every season. Those of you who played EURO 2024 fantasy know De Cuyper was popular, and for a reason. Ten assists last season for Club Brugge and an enabler ‘out of position’ player in this game - he should be listed as a defender, but he’s a cheap, cheap mid. I expect nothing from him, but the potential for a surprising return is there. I am reviewing this slot and if a better £4.5m starts in MD1 (out of the two fixtures we’ll see the line-ups for), then I may change.

Defenders: Grimaldo (£5.5m), Cubarsi (£4.5m), Digne (£4.5m), Can (£5m), Vikik (4m)

Grimaldo: From LWB last season at Bayern Leverkusen, Grimaldo got 10 goals and 15 assists in 33 Bundesliga games. Leverkusen’s fixtures are mixed (Feyenoord (A), Milan (H), Brest (A), Liverpool (A), Salzburg (H) in the first 5), but the attacking wing back is the sort of player I may keep for the whole eight game group stage. 

Cubarsi: Quite simply the most nailed £4.5m defender you’ll get, and he plays for Barcelona who’s first two fixtures are Monaco (A) and Young Boys (H).

Digne/Villa defender: The great thing about Aston Villa’s first UCL game is that we will see the line up before the MD1 deadline (along with their opponents Young Boys, Juventus & PSV) and can therefore bring in a certain starter. Digne has assisted in back to back PL games and seems to be the favoured choice at LB whilst injuries hamper Villa’s back line. That said, keep any eye out and be ready to switch to Maatsen if he starts in stead! Villa have Young Boys (A), Bayern (H), Bologna (H), Brugge (A) in their first four. Not bad. I wouldn’t be put off by their MD2 fixture at home against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich either, the first UCL game at Villa park ever (yes, yes, the European cup etc before that) will bring a fervent crowd. I was at Newcastle United’s first game back in the Champions League after 20 years last season (4-1 vs PSG) and it was electric. I expect the same sort of thing here. I predict a 3-0 Villa win in MD2.

Can: Emre Can is a £5m defender, out of position (he should be a midfielder) and on penalties (he scored this past weekend). Madness. Get him. In all predicted Dortmund line-ups for MD1 as well. 

Vitik: Sparta Prague’s Vitik is in my team for one reason, he’s a starting £4m defender. This slot could change, and may well change, as I now realise Vitik is up against my Salzberg midfielder, Gloukh. There are other £4m defender options - I need to do some more research over the next 20 hours!

Goalkeepers: Di Gregorio (£4.5m), Kobel (£5m)

When choosing goalkeepers in this game, you want to make sure (unlike FPL) you have two starters. You also want to make sure they play on different days. When doing my research (to be concluded) it seems really hard to get two good (and not expensive) GK options, who always play on a different day - in fact currently, I think it’s impossible.

Juventus’ Di Gregorio has started the season with 4 back to back clean sheets. Not bad. He’s also £4.5m. He is the keeper you want. Your ‘second keeper’ is the question. I have Kobel as he has great fixtures MD1/MD2 (Brugge (A), Celtic (H)). The issue is MD3/4/5/6/7/8 both keepers play on the same day. Clearly not great - I will be changing this before tomorrow’s deadline.