Dream Team

GARETH SOUTHGATE has a wealth of attacking options available to him ahead of Euro 2024 but he’s stretched thin at the back.Luke Shaw (£4m) is the only specialist left-back in the England squad and he’s not expected to be available until Matchday 2 at the earliest having not played since mid-February.Harry Maguire (£4.5m) has been a first-choice centre-back for his country for over six years but the 31-year-old was unable to regain fitness in time to be included in the final 26-man squad.Furthermore, John Stones (£4.5m) has been dogged by injuries this season and was substituted at half-time against Iceland after taking a blow to the ankle.Naturally, these setbacks and concerns will have disrupted the Three Lions’ plans but can Dream Team Euros managers twist this situation to their advantage?PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Value for money?Credit: Dream TeamMaguire was priced at £4.5m in our Euros fantasy game as a reflection of the fact he was expected to start every game for one of the strongest teams at the tournament.As it stands, he’s set to replaced in the first-choice XI by Marc Guehi (£3m).The Crystal Palace centre-back therefore offers a cheap route into England’s defence – there aren’t many starting defenders available for £3m among the top sides.Last week, we questioned Kyle Walker’s (£4m) immense popularity due to the fact he offers very little going forward at international level.Most read in FootballThe only reason for gaffers to select the speedy right-back is if they expect England to keep their fair share of clean sheets in Germany.If that’s the case then why not pick Guehi instead and invest the extra £1m on a significant upgrade elsewhere?Southgate has question marks in defenceCredit: AlamyEUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!For example, say there’s a Dream Team boss out there with Walker and Jorginho (£3.5m) in their XI – replacing Walker with Guehi would allow them to switch the Italy midfielder for either Jamal Musiala (£4.5m), Bernardo Silva (£4.5m), Ousmane Dembele (£4.5m) or Florian Wirtz (£4.5m).Of course, there is a chance Southgate will pair Stones with either Lewis Dunk (£3m), Joe Gomez (£3.5m) or Ezri Konsa (£3m) but right now it appears as if Guehi tops the pecking order.Gaffers may be given a helpful indication of England’s team selection prior to the Matchday 1 deadline this Friday (7pm).PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
One of the other reasons we doubted the widespread selection of Walker relates to the imbalance between the Three Lions’ attacking pedigree and their depleted defence, which looked vulnerable against Iceland at Wembley on Friday night.The point being, a makeshift back four might find clean sheets harder to come by than managers would like.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, there’s a difference between backing England’s defence at £4m via Walker and taking a punt on them at £3m through Guehi.Gaffers will have to do some risk-reward analysis of their own this week.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

BELGIUM didn’t make the most of their so-called ‘Golden Generation’ but their current side still contains plenty of talent.The Red Devils have been dealt a relatively favourable draw at Euro 2024 with Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine for company in Group E.This set of fixtures should interest Dream Team Euros managers and so let’s analyse Domenico Tedesco’s squad in search of the top stars, bargain options, and players to avoid.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Any team that includes Kevin De Bruyne deserves to be taken seriouslyCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSWith Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) in their ranks, Belgian boast arguably the best playmaker of the modern era.The Manchester City midfielder has proved over the course of several years that he is capable of massive returns in the realm of Dream Team.Goals, assists, big chances created, bonus points… he does it all.De Bruyne is the outright most-expensive player in his position but if anyone has a body of work that justifies such a status, it’s him.Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m) broke the record for most goals scored in a European Championship qualifying campaign when he plundered 14 of them to book his country’s place in Germany.Most read in FootballSome Dream Team bosses will find it hard to look past the hulking target man’s ineffective spells at Manchester United and Chelsea but it would be a mistake to ignore his prolific record.Lukaku has bagged 83 goals in 114 caps at a rate better than Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at international level.Lukaku’s record for Belgium is immenseCredit: EPAFew players have a higher ceiling than Jeremy Doku (£5m) when it comes to point-scoring potential.The 22-year-old’s dribbling stats are incredible at times, an attribute that helps him collect plenty of bonus points.His end product still needs work but when everything clicks the skilful winger is almost unplayable.If Doku starts against Slovakia in Matchday 1, he could feast.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
BARGAIN OPTIONSIt would be a stretch to describe Koen Casteels (£3.5m) as a certified bargain but he looks reasonably priced now it’s been confirmed Thibaut Courtois will not play any part in Germany this summer.The Wolfsburg goalkeeper is in line to start for Belgium in a favourable group – most of the other first-choice selections in his position among the top nations are priced at either £4m or £4.5m.Courtois will be watching Belgium from the sofa this summerCredit: ReutersWout Faes (£3m) started every game of the Red Devils’ qualifying campaign and may therefore offer an affordable route into a defence hopeful of clean sheets.In the attacking positions, Johan Bakayoko (£3m) would suddenly be great value if he got the nod on the right flank.The 21-year-old registered 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for PSV this season and offers plenty of excitement in possession.However, it might be wise to wait for a clearer indication of the pecking order before committing to Bakayoko.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!PLAYERS TO AVOIDLeandro Trossard (£4m) offers plenty but it might surprise some gaffers to learn that the Arsenal man has completed 90 minutes just once for his country since the start of the 2022 World Cup.In fact, he averages just 50 minutes per appearance for Belgium in the same time frame.Trossard’s place in the pecking order isn’t all that clearCredit: EPAThree goals in his last six outings may have persuaded Tedesco that Trossard is worthy of more playing time but his position is one in which Belgium still have decent depth.An ownership of 11.1% feels high for an asset who might spend significant time twiddling his thumbs on the bench.READ MORE SUN STORIESSimilarly, Lois Openda (£3.5m) has bags of talent and is coming fresh off a 28-goal season with RB Leipzig but it’s difficult for him to get a look in up front because Lukaku’s record is so formidable.If circumstances change and he becomes first-choice striker then he would potentially transform into a smart value-for-money option but that’s not the case at present.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

ROMELU LUKAKU (£5.5m) is a captivating character.Laughable at his worst but unplayable at his best, the Belgium target man is the perfect subject for the next edition in our EURO STAR series – previously featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Jamal Musiala and Antoine Griezmann – that seeks to thoroughly examine players of note in relation to Dream Team’s Euros fantasy game.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Does Lukaku deserve to be more popular?Credit: Dream TeamAt the time of writing, Lukaku features in 12.3% of teams created, which puts him just outside the top 20 most-popular players in the game.Many Dream Team bosses won’t be able to look past the more farcical spells of the 31-year-old’s career – he appeared overweight and disinterested at the back end of his Manchester United tenure and his second spell at Chelsea has proved to be bitterly underwhelming.But it would be a mistake to underestimate what he’s capable of when everything clicks.During qualifying for Euro 2024, Lukaku scored 14 goals in eight appearances – a record tally for a European Championship qualifying campaign.Granted he eight of those goals came from 240 minutes of action against Estonia and Azerbaijan but a hat-trick away to Sweden and strikes in each fixture against fellow qualifiers Austria proved he was no flat-track bully.Lukaku has enjoyed himself in a Belgium shirtCredit: APTruth be told, a genuine flat-track bully would be licking their lips looking at Belgium’s group stage opponents this summer.The Red Devils will take on Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine and while those sides made it to Germany on merit, there can be little doubt Group E pales in comparison quality-wise to Group B (Spain, Italy, Croatia, Albania).Most read in FootballSimply put, Lukaku could feast during the group stage if he picks up where he left off at international level – gaffers may remember he provided an impressive assist during a friendly against England in March.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!More broadly, his overall record for Belgium is truly immense.He’s scored 83 goals in 114 caps at senior level at a better strike than Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Only seven players have scored more goals in the entire history of men’s international football and Lukaku needs just three more to jump up two more places.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
He was limited to just 54 minutes at the 2022 World Cup, during which time he squandered two gilt-edged chances, but he scored four goals in five outings at Euro 2020.Dream Team managers would understandably be hesitant to back Lukaku if he had endured a torrid domestic season but he returned 21 goals in all competitions on loan at Roma in 2023/24.And let’s not forget that Belgium’s first-choice striker has the luxury of being served by Kevin De Bruyne (£7m), arguably the best playmaker of his generation.Lukaku has occasionally been a figure of fun but he ticks a lot of boxes in the world of Dream Team Euros.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

IT wasn’t that long ago that German fans were largely pessimistic about their side’s hopes at Euro 2024.A series of disappointing results led to the dismissal of Hansi Flick and debate raged about Die Mannschaft’s best XI.However, consecutive wins over France and Netherlands in March, coupled with the return of Toni Kroos and the eye-catching form of some of their younger talents, have boosted morale considerably.Naturally, Dream Team Euros managers will be keen on Germany, now under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann, so let’s analyse their top stars, bargain options, and players to avoid.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Florian Wirtz has the potential to take the tournament by stormCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSMuch of the hosts’ hopes rest on the young shoulders of Jamal Musiala (£4.5m) and Florian Wirtz (£4.5m).The former is one of the most natural dribblers in world football, a gift that should earn him a few bonus points, while the latter is coming off the back of a hugely successful campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.Wirtz registered 18 goals and 20 assists as Xabi Alonso’s side suffered just one defeat in all competitions.Joshua Kimmich (£5m) is the joint-most expensive defender in the game; a reflection of his dual purpose.Most read in Dream TeamThe 29-year-old will be hopeful of clean sheets in Group A, where Germany are joined by Scotland, Hungary and Swizterland, but he’s also got the quality to contribute in attack – he’s played more than enough times in midfield throughout his career.A fantastic crosser of the ball, Kimmich registered ten assists for Bayern Munich in 2023/24.Havertz finished well for Arsenal in 2023/24Credit: GettyUp top, Kai Havertz (£4.5m) is most likely to lead the line and he’ll be hoping to carry over the form he exhibited for Arsenal during the final third of the domestic campaign.Mikel Arteta started using him as a false nine and, as a result, Havertz scored nine goals and provided six assists in his last 14 outings for the Gunners.BARGAIN OPTIONSOutright bargains are generally found among the less fancied teams but that doesn’t mean savvy gaffers can’t find decent value for money among the German ranks.Maximilian Mittelstadt (£3.5m) has just three senior caps to his name but he’s expected to start at left-back after an impressive season with Stuttgart.The 27-year-old took his chance in those morale-boosting wins back in March, he even scored against the Netherlands.Starting defenders among the tournament’s bigger teams generally cost more than £3.5m so Dream Team bosses looking to save some cash at the back could take advantage of Mittelstadt’s price.Mittelstadt is expected to start at left-back against ScotlandCredit: GettyToni Kroos (£3.5m) is a class act and likely to be the man pulling the strings in midfield but whether his understated style will lead to many points is difficult to predict.Truth be told, it’s probably worth finding some extra budget for one of his more attack-minded team-mates.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
PLAYERS TO AVOIDAs previously mentioned, Havertz is thought to be the first-choice centre-forward from the get-go which means Niclas Fullkrug (£4m) will have to be content as an impact substitute, at least initially.The tall target man has an excellent record at international level having scored 11 goals in 15 appearances to date but his domestic form for Borussia Dortmund tailed off at the back end of the season – though he did produce some good performances in the Champions League knockout stages.Similarly, Thomas Muller (£4m) is generally limited to cameo performances these days.The experienced ‘Raumdeuter’ was a tournament specialist in his younger years but he’s only completed 90 minutes for Germany twice since Euro 2020.Fullkrug will have to be patientCredit: GettyAt the time of writing, Marc-Andre ter Stegen (£4m) is the joint-tenth most selected goalkeeper in Dream Team Euros but he’s likely to play second fiddle to Manuel Neuer (£4.5m).Backing a reserve keeper is a bad enough as it is but selecting one that costs £4m is a potential disaster.READ MORE SUN STORIESLastly, Leroy Sane (£5.5m) owners should tread carefully as he’s far from a guaranteed starter.The Bayern Munich winger’s price is a reflection of his talent but he’ll only be viable if he’s assured of minutes – gaffers might want to wait until Matchday 1 has played out before making a decision on him.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More