The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) returns on Tuesday – and so does the competition’s official Fantasy game.
Unlike in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), where it’s hands-off management after the deadline passes, there are changes UCL Fantasy managers can make midway through a Matchday, including captaincy.
Below, we’ve put together a guide to the league phase calendar so you can see who the best armband candidates are every day.
There’s more focus on Matchday 2 but we’ve namechecked players who could be made skipper in future Matchdays to come.
BEST DAY-BY-DAY UCL FANTASY CAPTAINS: MATCHDAY 2
TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER
The standout captaincy on Tuesday could well be Erling Haaland (€11.0m). What separates him from the Barcelona attackers is that most of what the Manchester City side create funnels through to him, whereas with the Barcelona frontline the returns are more than often shared.
Haaland’s form this season makes him a difficult player to back against with captaincy but if you want to do it then the likes of Robert Lewandowski (€9.5m) and Lamine Yamal (€7.5m) have the fixture to do it.
WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER
Failing to secure a captaincy return on the Tuesday could mean backing Mohamed Salah (€10.0m).
Liverpool face an inconsistent Bologna side at home (it’s one win in six league games for the Italians) whilst the Reds themselves also maintain some elite attacking data.
Everything backs the Egyptian on Wednesday but another great alternative could be Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior (€11.0m). With teammate Kylian Mbappe (€11.0m) a doubt, Vinicius Junior is likely to take back ownership of penalty-taking duty.
He also clashes with a Lille side who have conceded two or more goals in their last four matches in all competitions.
DAY-BY-DAY CAPTAINCY PICKS: MATCHDAY 2-8
Looking further ahead, here’s a briefer look at some of the most eye-catching fixtures and captains in Matchdays 2-8.
Plenty can change between now and then, of course.
However, for planning purposes (as many of us will need to look long term with our tranfers), here are some of the best options.
Matchday 3
- Tuesday 22 October: Saka (Shakhtar Donetsk h), Barcola/Dembele (PSV Eindhoven h), Gyokeres (Sturm Graz a)
- Wednesday 23 October: Haaland (Sparta Prague h)
Matchday 4
- Tuesday 5 November: Haaland (Sporting a)
- Wednesday 6 November: Kane (Benfica h), Yamal/Lewandowski (Crvena Zvezda a)
Matchday 5
- Tuesday 26 November: Yamal/Lewandowski (Brest h), Haaland (Feyenoord h)
- Wednesday 27 November: This is the trickiest day to navigate, with Liverpool up against Real Madrid at Anfield. A punt on a Borussia Dortmund player against Dinamo might be your best bet.
Matchday 6
- Tuesday 10 December: Salah (Girona a), Kane (Shakhtar Donetsk a)
- Wednesday 11 December: Saka (Monaco h)
Matchday 7
- Tuesday 21 January: Salah (Lille h)
- Wednesday 22 January: Saka (Dinamo h), Mbappe (Salzburg h)
Matchday 8
- Wednesday 29 January: Kane (Slovan Bratislava h), Haaland (Club Brugge h), Mbappe (Brest a)
