The Champions League returns with quarter-final first legs that feel more like finals. Tight margins, heavy legs, and for Fantasy Football managers, one wrong pick can wreck a carefully built season.
Here’s how the big hitters are expected to line up – and where the landmines lie.
Paris vs Liverpool
Wednesday 8 April
Two sides built to attack, two fanbases who don’t understand caution, and a Fantasy slate loaded with premium options.
Paris (predicted XI):
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, João Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
Paris lean into their technical core. Safonov anchors a back four with the pace of Hakimi and Nuno Mendes out wide, both capable of turning a clearance into a counter in seconds. Marquinhos and Pacho bring balance at the heart of defence.
Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha and João Neves give Paris a slick, energetic midfield triangle. They can press, they can keep the ball, and they can feed a front line that looks built for chaos: Doué drifting between lines, Dembélé attacking full-backs, Kvaratskhelia cutting in to decide games.
One headache:
- Out: Barcola (ankle)
- Doubtful: Mayulu (calf), Fabián Ruiz (knee)
For Fantasy managers, note the disciplinary tightrope:
- Misses next match if booked: Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes
High upside, but one yellow card and they’re gone for the second leg.
Liverpool (predicted XI):
Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitiké
Liverpool arrive with a hybrid look. Mamardashvili in goal behind a back four that screams aggression: Frimpong and Kerkez flying on the flanks, Konaté and Van Dijk tasked with keeping a lid on Paris’s runners.
The midfield offers both craft and legs. Szoboszlai and Gravenberch push forward, Mac Allister knits it all together, and Wirtz drifts into pockets where he can punish any lapse in concentration.
Up front, the spotlight is familiar. Salah remains the premium Fantasy asset, while Ekitiké adds movement and vertical threat against his former league rivals.
Key absences and doubts:
- Out: Alisson Becker (hamstring), Bradley (knee), Endo (foot)
- Doubtful: Isak (leg)
Discipline watch for the second leg:
- Misses next match if booked: Bradley, Gravenberch, Jones, Van Dijk
Van Dijk owners in particular will be watching every 50–50 challenge.
Barcelona vs Atleti
Wednesday 8 April
A clash of philosophies, but both sides arrive with enough attacking talent to turn a tight tactical contest into a Fantasy goldmine.
Barcelona (predicted XI):
Joan García; Eric García, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, João Cancelo; Olmo, Pedri; Yamal, Fermín López, Rashford; Lewandowski
Barcelona lean on youth and star power. Joan García takes the gloves, protected by Eric García and the rapidly maturing Cubarsí, with Gerard Martín and João Cancelo offering width and guile.
In midfield, Olmo and Pedri dictate tempo and progression, while ahead of them sits a dangerous band of three: Yamal stretching the pitch, Fermín López crashing into the box, Rashford attacking space from the left.
Lewandowski leads the line, still a magnet for Fantasy points in big European nights.
Unavailable and concerns:
- Out: Bernal (ankle), Christensen (knee), De Jong (match fitness), Raphinha (hamstring)
- Doubtful: None
Yellow card tightrope:
- Misses next match if booked: Casadó, Fermín López, Gerard Martín, Yamal
With so many young players at risk, one rash tackle could reshape the second leg.
Atleti (predicted XI):
Musso; Llorente, Giménez, Hancko, Ruggeri; Koke, Álex Baena; Simeone, Griezmann, Lookman; Alvarez
Atleti travel with a side that can grind or explode, depending on the rhythm of the game. Musso starts in goal, shielded by a back line that mixes bite and left-footed balance in Hancko and Ruggeri.
Koke and Álex Baena form the midfield axis, tasked with both disrupting Barcelona’s flow and launching counters. Ahead of them, Simeone, Griezmann and Lookman support Alvarez, who leads the line with a mix of movement and finishing.
Injury list and doubts:
- Out: Barrios (thigh), Cardoso (adductor), Mendoza (ankle), Oblak (muscular)
- Doubtful: Pubill (match fitness)
The disciplinary minefield is real:
- Misses next match if booked: Almada, Barrios, Le Normand, Lenglet, Llorente, Pubill, Ruggeri, Simeone
For Fantasy managers, that’s a long list of potential suspensions in a tie that could go the distance.
Tuesday 7 April: Confirmed Quarter-Final XIs
No guesswork here. These are the starting line-ups already named for Tuesday’s first legs.
Real Madrid vs Bayern München
Real Madrid (starting XI):
Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Pitarch; Arda Güler, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
Real Madrid roll out an attacking side with Alexander-Arnold at right-back and a front three of Arda Güler, Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. For Fantasy players, it’s a dream front line, fed by Valverde and Tchouaméni from midfield.
Bayern München (starting XI):
Neuer; Stanišić, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer; Kimmich, Pavlović; Olise, Gnabry, Luis Díaz; Kane
Bayern answer with firepower of their own. Neuer returns in goal, Kane leads the line, and behind him a creative trio of Olise, Gnabry and Luis Díaz. Kimmich and Pavlović sit in midfield, offering control and long-range threat.
Every line on the pitch is stacked with Fantasy relevance. Every mistake, a potential points swing.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
Sporting CP (starting XI):
Rui Silva; Fresneda, Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Araújo; João Simões, Morita; Catamo, Francisco Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves; Suárez
Sporting CP line up with a compact back four and a double pivot of João Simões and Morita. Catamo, Francisco Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves support Suárez, giving plenty of creative outlets and set-piece potential.
Arsenal (starting XI):
Raya; White, Salibas, Gabriel, Calafiori; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyökeres, Trossard
Arsenal respond with a powerful, balanced XI. Raya in goal, White and Calafiori at full-back, Salibas and Gabriel at centre-back. Ødegaard, Zubimendi and Rice form a commanding midfield, with Madueke, Gyökeres and Trossard offering goals from all angles.
For Fantasy managers, these are the margins that matter now. One smart differential, one avoided suspension, one correctly judged injury risk – that could be the difference between a deep run and an early exit in your own mini-league.
