Before Matchday 3, UEFA.com is researching a number of prestigious tips that have been very sought after by the managers of EURO 2020 Fantasy Football.
Choose your fantasy team for matchday 3
GOALKEEPER
Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma (€ 5.5m) became the first goalkeeper at EURO 2020 Fantasy to concede consecutive goals after his shut-out against Turkey on the opening night of the tournament was supported by another against Switzerland. The Azzurri have not conceded a goal in their last ten games and it is no surprise that Donnarumma is the second highest goalkeeper ahead of Matchday 3 as Italy face Wales and aim to go through the group stage cleanly.
Denmark will face Russia in the last Group B game and need a positive result to qualify for the knockout stage. To get one, they have to be at their best defensively, which means goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (€ 5.0m) becomes a viable fantasy option. In fact, Leicester’s number 1 is currently represented in around a fifth of the teams.
Manuel Neuer’s possession (6.0 million euros) is already quite high, but will continue to increase in the last group game between Germany and Hungary. If you consider that both France and Portugal complete Group F, this is a game that Germany called a competitive game and the owners of Neuer expect a goal from the experienced coach on Matchday 3.
Other popular elections: Thibaut Courtois (€ 6.0 million), Hugo Lloris (€ 6.0 million), Lukas Hradecky (€ 4.2 million)
DEFENDER
With Timothy Castagne injured, Thomas Meunier’s (€ 5.6m) popularity has skyrocketed, no surprise as he scored 15 Fantasy Points after being sent off on Matchday 1. The Dortmund star is now featured in over 20% of Fantasy It could be expensive to leave him out of your squad on Matchday 3 – when Belgium meets Finland.
Another noteworthy asset to Schmeichel is Denmark’s center-back Simon Kjær (€ 4.5m). As captain, his team will look to him as inspiration for a defense that must be at its best by Matchday 3 to keep Russia in check. It is also a cheap budget enabler that a quarter of fantasy managers understand.
Numerous Italian players have come to the fore after three consecutive three-goal wins in their two previous Group A games. One of these players is full-back Leonardo Spinazzola (€ 5.5m), who, after conceding, submitting and nine-point successes on matchday 1, followed with a second goal and six more fantasy points on matchday 2. Italy boss Roberto Mancini has given the defender the freedom to push forward and join the attack, which has made him an excellent EURO fantasy approach. With ownership increasing all the time, Spinazzola is more than worth its price.
Other popular elections: Jordi Alba (€ 6.0m), Rúben Dias (€ 6.0m), Pau Torres (€ 4.5m)
MIDFIELD PLAYER
Lorenzo Insigne (€ 8.5m) was featured in Italy’s first two games as part of the top three, which resulted in him scoring once on both match days, collecting 11 Fantasy Points. With Italy facing Wales in the first game of Matchday 3, it is likely to further increase their popularity with fantasy managers who will have access to this all-important team news before the Matchday 3 deadline.
Joshua Kimmich (€ 6.0m) played as a right-back on matchday one in Germany’s opening defeat against France, but head coach Joachim Löw could be tempted to use him in central midfield – where he normally plays for Bayern – until matchday three against Hungary. With 14 assists for Bayern in all competitions of the 2020/21 season, Kimmich could play a major role on the offensive
N’Golo Kanté (€ 5.5m), currently the second most popular EURO Fantasy player in the tournament, showed a typically reliable performance when France started with a win over Germany. Ultimately, however, he would love to have offensive returns, and in a glittering squad full of offensive superstars, they’re never easy to come by for a defensive midfielder. From a budget-easing point of view, however, it remains an extremely popular asset that enables EURO Fantasy managers to redistribute their money in order to be able to afford more attacking players on Matchday 3.
Other popular elections: Bruno Fernandes (€ 10.5 million), Mason Mount (€ 7.0 million), David Alaba (€ 5.5 million)
FORWARD
England will face the Czech Republic on matchday three, the third game in a row for the Three Lions at Wembley. The two teams met in a qualifier for EURO 2020 at Wembley in March 2019, when England won 5-0 with Harry Kane (€ 11.5 million) in the top scorer list. The captain also hit the net in the second leg in the Czech Republic, giving him a good record against his opponents on matchday three. He is expected to arouse serious interest among EURO Fantasy managers before this game and is already one of the top three strikers.
The third matchday could be a big one for the reigning European champions Portugal as they face the 2018 world champions France in another potential group winner. Striker Cristiano Ronaldo (12.1 million euros) has already made history at EURO 2020 after he overtook Michel Platini with his two goals on matchday one and was the all-time top scorer in the history of the finals. Ronaldo’s thirst for records is so great that he will already have his eye on the top scorer of EURO 2020. As popular as ever with fantasy managers, it could shine again.
It’s impossible to discuss popular options without mentioning the highest of them all, as over half of fantasy managers have reserved a spot for Romelu Lukaku (€ 11.0m) on their roster. The Belgian goalscorer machine will try tirelessly for club and country to end the group stage in style with a duel against Finland.
Other popular options: Kylian Mbappé (€ 12.0m), Memphis Depay (€ 10.0m), Ciro Immobile (€ 10.0m)
