The dust has settled after a drama-filled round of 16 and Fantasy managers are now tasked with choosing a Matchday 5 captain. Thankfully, UEFA.com is on hand to assist.
Note that the quarter-finals are spread over just two days, so there is only one opportunity to switch the armband this time around.
FRIDAY 2 JULY
Ferran Torres (€8.1m) vs Switzerland
After coming off the bench to score against Slovakia on Matchday 3, Torres was rewarded with a start in the round of 16 by Spain head coach Luis Enrique and that faith was repaid with a goal and an assist in their dramatic contest with Croatia. Enrique has plenty of attacking options at his disposal, but it seems likely that the Manchester City midfielder will get the nod once more against Switzerland. With Spain’s tie being the first of Matchday 5, Fantasy managers will do well to delay their decisions as long as possible to see the team sheets, while some may be tempted by the in-form Pablo Sarabia if he also makes the starting line-up.
Romelu Lukaku (€11.3m) vs Italy
An alternative option on the opening day of quarter-final action is a striker who will be eager to edge closer to Cristiano Ronaldo in the Alipay Top Scorer ranking. Already with three goals to his name in the tournament, the scoring burden could be even greater on Lukaku now with the potential absence of injury doubts Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard to face an in-form Italy. However, the Internazionale forward has already found the net without those two on the pitch at UEFA EURO 2020, and Austria proved in the round of 16 that the Azzurri defence can be breached.
SATURDAY 3 JULY
Patrik Schick (€8.6m) vs Denmark
Schick is finally getting the recognition he deserves from Fantasy managers, with the Czech striker’s ownership percentage now into double figures for the first time, and it will no doubt continue to rise ahead of the Matchday 5 deadline as Schick is now the joint-highest scoring Fantasy asset remaining in the competition. His 27 points have come courtesy of four goals – one of those from outside the box – and from having won a penalty, and although he has now risen by €0.6m in value since Matchday 1, his price remains a bargain at his current strike-rate.
Harry Kane (€11.5m) vs Ukraine
While Raheem Sterling – scorer of three of England’s four goals so far at EURO 2020 – will tempt many Fantasy managers with the armband, there is something to be said for opting for Gareth Southgate’s No9. Up until the 86th minute of the Three Lions’ round of 16 tie with Germany, it had been a frustrating tournament for the Tottenham man but the relief was palpable when he nodded in Jack Grealish’s pinpoint cross. It is often said that strikers feed off goals and, now that he is off the mark, it would not be surprising to see Kane hitting the net with more regularity now.
