Fantasy Football

Euro 2024 is fast approaching which means time is running out to enter our free-to-play game BRACKET CHALLENGE.It couldn’t be easier to play, simply predict the standings for the group stage and the resulting outcomes of the knockout fixtures before the action gets underway at 8pm on June 14th.You’ll earn points for accurate predictions and if you rack up more than any other user, you’ll win an iPhone 15 Pro Max* (worth £1,199).PLAY EUROS BRACKET CHALLENGE NOW – FREE TO PLAY, IPHONE 15 PRO MAX UP FOR GRABS!Enter before Germany v Scotland gets underway at 8pm this Friday!Credit: Dream TeamIn the spirit of transparency, we’re prepared to reveal our own Bracket Challenge predictions (not that we’re experts).GROUP A
Germany
Hungary
Scotland
Swizterland
Hungary went unbeaten in qualifying and have produced impressive performances against England, Germany and Italy in recent times so we’re backing them to finish as runners-up to the hosts – sorry, Scotland!There’s a bit of dissension in the Swiss ranks and a sense that they lack inspiration up top – Xherdan Shaqiri is still a key player for them in attack which doesn’t seem ideal in 2024.GROUP B
Spain
Croatia
Italy
Albania
An ultra competitive group and one that could get rough for Albania in a hurry.Spain looked better in qualifying than Italy and Croatia with La Roja also buoyed by success in the most recent Nations League.Luka Modric and company tend to prefer World Cups to Euros but a 2-1 win over Portugal in a pre-tournament friendly served as a reminder of their potential.Group B looks very competitive on paperCredit: GettyGROUP C
England
Denmark
Serbia
Slovenia
Defeat to Iceland at Wembley served as a reality check for England but the quality of their attacking options (Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, etc) should serve them well in Germany.We found it difficult to rank the other three teams in this group but Denmark have several good centre-backs and a solid spine.Serbia are dangerous but unpredictable while Slovenia will probably rely on Benjamin Sesko to score their goals. GROUP D
France
Netherlands
Austria
Poland
Ralf Rangnick has stirred optimism among Austria fans who believe their side could upset the odds but we’ve decided to play it safe and back France and Netherlands in the automatic places.Poland have had a couple of good friendly results and in Robert Lewandowski they have what many other nations lack, a world-class goalscorer, but they’re a tad uninspiring if truth be told.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!England have the talent but question marks in defenceCredit: AFPGROUP E
Belgium
Ukraine
Romania
Slovakia
Belgium have seemingly been dealt a favourable group and for all their struggles against top teams, they tend to get the job done against lower-ranked sides without too much stress.Ukraine finished level on points with Italy in qualifying in a group that also included England – they’ve gone toe-to-toe with several fancied countries in recent times so they get the nod over Romania and Slovakia.GROUP F
Portugal
Turkey
Czechia
Georgia
Portugal dominated qualifying (most goals scored, fewest goals conceded, ten wins from ten) albeit in a friendly group and Roberto Martinez has selected balanced squad bursting with talent.The last time Turkey were labelled ‘dark horses’ they capitulated entirely so we won’t go that far but they did finish above Croatia in qualifying.That being said, they’re without a win in their last five games which is a concern.To complete the round of 16 line-up we need to select the four best third-place finishers:
Scotland
Italy
Austria
Romania
Love you really, Scotland!Credit: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty ImagesOnto the knockouts now and we’ve highlighted our predicted winners in bold…ROUND OF 16
SPAIN v Austria
GERMANY v Denmark
PORTUGAL v Italy
NETHERLANDS v Ukraine
BELGIUM v Scotland
FRANCE v Turkey
ENGLAND v Romania
Hungary v CROATIA
A safe set of predictions across the board with Portugal v Italy being the standout match-up.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
QUARTER-FINALS
SPAIN v Germany
PORTUGAL v Netherlands
Belgium v FRANCE
ENGLAND v Croatia
We tossed a coin for Spain v Germany.Pessimistic England fans certainly wouldn’t look forward to a meeting with Croatia in the last eight – the ghosts of 2018 still haunt these lands.It’s hard to look past Kylian Mbappe and friendsCredit: GettySEMI-FINALS
Spain v PORTUGAL
FRANCE v England
France have made the final in three of the last four major tournaments so we allowed our head to rule our heart on this occasion.Nobody likes a jinx anyway…And let’s have Portugal to face Les Bleus in a repeat of the Euro 2016 final.FINAL
Portugal v FRANCE
Is it boring to predict glory for Kylian Mbappe and company? Probably.But here’s the thing, Bracket Challenge is all about earning points for accuracy so it’s best to keep your zany predictions holstered unless you truly believe in them.No doubt we’ve overlooked the potential for some exciting upsets so show us how it’s done by playing Bracket Challenge before Friday’s curtain-raiser between Germany and Scotland kicks off!Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

LEGENDARY manager, FA Cup winner, king of the jungle – can Harry Redknapp add Dream Team Euros champion to his list of illustrious achievements?The former West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth boss will fancy his chances given his wealth of experience, but could you show him how it’s done?Play Dream Team Euros NOW!Harry Redknapp has selected three ex-Spurs players in his Dream Team Euros XICredit: GETTYIf you think you can, you might just win BIG because Dream Team Euros is BACK with a colossal £50,000 in prize money up for grabs!That’s right, our legendary free-to-play fantasy football game returns with the winner set to pocket a stunning £25,000!There’s £5,000 for the runner-up and £1,000 each for gaffers who finish between 3rd to 22nd.Harry has even set up his own Celebrity League, which you can join right now using the PIN: EUHARRYRPlayer prices have now been confirmed – so you can officially submit your team! Don’t worry, you can make as many changes as you like until the tournament gets underway on Friday.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
There are no current Tottenham players in his starting XI, but Harry Redknapp HAS included three of the club’s former players.The 77-year-old has selected one in each position with England’s Kyle Walker (£4m) in defence, Croatian icon Luka Modric (£4m) in midfield and Harry Kane (£7.5m) spearheading the attack.Walker is joined in what appears to be a very Premier League-heavy defence by Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol (£4m) (Croatia) and Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk (£5m), who is Netherlands’ designated penalty taker.Harry Redknapp has opted for a 3-4-3Credit: DREAM TEAMIt’s no surprise to see Champions League and La Liga winner Jude Bellingham (£6m) in the heart of midfield having netted 23 goals and provided 13 assists for Real Madrid last season.There’s an Italian(ish) connection in the remainder of the midfield with Italy’s Federico Chiesa (£4.5m) joined by Inter Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu (£3m), who takes penalties, free-kicks and corners for Turkey.Alongside Kane is Real Madrid and Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m) who will lead Portugal’s stacked squad and rising Slovenian star Benjamin Sesko (£2.5m).Think you could do better? Come and play Dream Team – and join Harry’s league using PIN: EUHARRYR and prove it!Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

THERE’S little room for error in Group D at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands up against Poland, France and Austria.The Oranje took on Didier Deschamps’ side during qualifying and didn’t fare all that well, losing 4-0 in Paris and 2-1 in Amsterdam.Be that as it may, Ronald Koeman has some talented players at his disposal this summer and Dream Team Euros managers will understandably be tempted to back some Dutch assets once the action is underway, especially as their most-favourable fixture (Poland) comes in Matchday 1.With that in mind, let’s analyse Netherlands’ top stars, bargain options and players to avoid.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Netherlands are strong in defence… on paperCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSThe eye is drawn first and foremost to Netherlands’ wealth of centre-back options.Virgil van Dijk (£5m) and Nathan Ake (£4m) are the absolute bankers with Micky van de Ven (£3.5m), Matthijs de Ligt (£4m), Stefan de Vrij (£3m) and Lutesharel Geertruida (£3m) competing for minutes elsewhere.Jurrien Timber and Sven Botman would both have been strong contenders too had they not suffered the misfortune of injuries this season.Koeman also has a nice problem at right wing-back where both Denzel Dumfries (£4.5m) and Jeremie Frimpong (£4m) are appealing selections.Most read in FootballThe former was among the most prolific assist providers across the continent during qualifying but the latter is coming off the back of an impressive campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.There have been hints that Frimpong may play in a more advanced position so that both he and Dumfries can play in tandem – this eventuality would make him a hugely tempting option for Dream Team bosses as he’s categorised as a defender in our Euros fantasy game.The 23-year-old registered 12 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the German double winners in 2023/24.Frimpong is a potential game-changerCredit: Kenny RamsayWhile Netherlands’ defence looks strong on paper, it should be noted that they have conceded plenty of goals against the top teams in recent times – something to bear in mind for the knockouts.Up top, Cody Gakpo (£4m) is the main man having scored eight goals and provided three assists in his last 17 outings at international level.And his record of a goal involvement every 125.7 minutes for Liverpool this season may have been overlooked by some.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
BARGAIN OPTIONSNetherlands’ players appear fairly priced across board generally but there might be some decent value in midfield if gaffers can predict Koeman’s starting line-up.For example, if Teun Koopmeiners (£3m) gets the nod then his price would seem reasonable.The 26-year-old contributed 15 goals and seven assists to Atalanta’s season, which ultimately resulted in Europa League glory.However, Koopmeiners is can’t be considered a guaranteed starter at the time of writing so Dream Team bosses should tread carefully.Gini Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay may still be key figures under KoemanCredit: Kenny RamsayPLAYERS TO AVOIDGini Wijnaldum (£3m) is back in contention and while his historical record at international level is good, many fans fear he won’t be up to speed in Germany.The experienced midfielder spent the domestic season with Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League and failed to score in the second half of the campaign.Elsewhere, Ryan Gravenberch (£3m) is a familiar name but Koeman publicly admitted that the Liverpool man only made the cut because of injuries to other players which gives a fairly clear indication of his place in the pecking order.Frenkie de Jong (£3.5m) is a crucial player for Netherlands and if he’s fully fit and motivated then he should be considered among their top stars rather than players to avoid.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, the Barcelona midfielder is in a race against time to make Matchday 1 and if doesn’t pull through then it might be a baptism of fire for him against France in Matchday 2 – proceed with caution.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

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