Fantasy Football

DREAM TEAM managers currently tinkering with their Euros fantasy XI should consider which players thrived during qualifying for this summer’s tournament.We understand that many gaffers don’t have the time or patience to seek out spreadsheets and bar graphs so we’ve assembled all the headline stats here in one convenient location.CLICK HERE TO PLAY DREAM TEAM’S EUROS FANTASY GAME NOW!Romelu Lukaku scored 14 goals to help Belgium qualifyCredit: EPAFirst up, let’s take a look at the top goalscorers during Euro 2024 qualifying.MOST GOALS
14 – Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m)
10 – Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m)
9 – Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m)
8 – Harry Kane (£7.5m)
7 – Scott McTominay (£2.5m), Rasmus Hojlund (£4m)
Belgium’s target man particularly enjoyed himself against the likes of Estonia and Azerbaijan but a hat-trick away to Sweden plus goals in both fixtures against group runners-up Austria meant he was no flat-track bully.When things go wrong for Lukaku they tend to go spectacularly wrong but that shouldn’t obscure the fact he’s a potent threat when everything clicks – he’s scored 83 goals in 114 caps in international football.How about McTominay rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in world football?The Manchester United midfielder has been talismanic for Scotland lately and may well prove to be a smart differential option in Dream Team Euros if Steve Clarke’s side continue to punch above their weight this summer.Most read in FootballMOST ASSISTS
8 – Bruno Fernandes (£6m)
5 – Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m), Denzel Dumfries (£4.5m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.5m)
4 – Bernardo Silva (£4.5m), Dusan Tadic (£3m), Jeremy Doku (£5m) Nicolo Barella (£4m)
Ronaldo will always be Portugal’s megastar as long as he’s playing for them but Fernandes is the true driving force of the current side.The 29-year-old finished the regular season in fine style and averaged nearly nine points-per-game for Man United after the turn of the year.Portugal’s main manCredit: Dream TeamMbappe is not only an elite goalscorer but a prolific creative force too – no wonder he’s the joint-most expensive player in the game.Dumfries is a notable inclusion in this list as the Dutchman is categorised as a defender – wing-backs who provide an attacking threat can be worth their weight in gold.As a side note, we’ve left out Teemu Pukki and Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson (five assists each) plus Harry Wilson and Olimpiu Morutan (four each) because we’re only really interested in players that will be present in Germany.GOALS + ASSISTS PER 90 MINUTES
2.28 – Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m)
1.92 – Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m)
1.50 – Bruno Fernandes (£6m)
1.49 – Harry Kane (£7.5m)
1.46 – Marcel Sabizter (£3m)
Erling Haaland (1.48) has been omitted here as Norway didn’t qualify but otherwise it’s more of the same names.This stat highlights Fernandes’ dual threat – he scored six goals on top of his eight assists – and cements him as a top-tier Dream Team Euros asset.Sabitzer’s inclusion is interesting as he started just three of Austria’s eight qualifiers – what sort of impact could he have if allowed more minutes on the pitch?Mbappe boasted impressive numbers throughout qualifyingCredit: GettyTOTAL SHOTS
46 – Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m)
38 – Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m)
34 – Robert Lewandowski (£5m)
32 – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (3m)
29 – Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m), Nicolae Stanciu (£2m)
Total shots gives a sense of which players are presented with plentiful chances and those most hungry for goals.It’s hardly surprising to see the five-time Ballon d’Or winner so far clear at the top as Portugal were gifted a relatively favourable group and dominated almost every qualifying fixture – not to diminish the appeal of Ronaldo and Fernandes as assets.However, total shots only tells us a fraction of the story; additional context changes the outlook quite dramatically.For example, Georgia’s superstar Kvaratskhelia is an entertaining talent but only five of his 32 shots in qualifying were registered as on target – compare that ratio to Lukaku’s (62.1% of shots on target) and it’s night and day.Greece’s Anastasios Bakasetas (32) and Luxembourg’s Gerson Rodrigues (30) have been removed.Kvaratskhelia struggled to hit the targetCredit: Kenny RamsaySHOTS ON TARGET PER 90 MINUTES
2.74 – Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m)
2.37 – Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m)
2.33 – Andrej Kramaric (£3m)
2.26 – Michael Gregoritsch (£2.5m)
2.21 – Zeki Amdouni (£2.5m)
Remember, shots on target are worth one point each in our Euros fantasy game and boiling stats down to per 90 minutes gives a clearer indication of what players do with their time on the pitch.It’s interesting that big names like Mbappe and Kane are absent from the top end of this metric but strikers from Croatia, Austria and Swizterland make the cut.TACKLES
22 – Joao Palhinha (£3.5m)
21 – Milos Kerkez (£2.5m)
19 – Antoine Griezmann (£6.5m)
18 – Andrej Duda (£2m)
17 – Jaka Bijol (£2m)
We’ve had to remove plenty of players here as naturally many of the productive tacklers during qualifying represented smaller teams that weren’t afforded much possession.It’s no surprise to see Palhinha come out on top of the revised ranking as he was in a league of his own for tackles in our regular season game.The Fulham and Portugal midfielder takes no prisoners in the middle of park and is fully capable of earning four or five Dream Team points in one game from tackles alone when in the mood – although he gets his fair share of yellow cards too.Modern football’s tackle machineCredit: GettyFurther evidence here of why Griezmann has been categorised as a midfielder in Dream Team Euros.He may not score the same volume of goals at international level as he once did but he does pretty much everything else in a deeper role.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!CLEAN SHEETS
6 – Diogo Costa (£4m)
5 – Martin Dubravka (£1.5m), Dominik Livakovic (£3.5m), Mike Maignan (£4.5m)
4 – Angus Gunn (£2m), Jan Oblak (£3m), Jordan Pickford (£4m), Wojciech Szczesny (£2.5m)
Portugal’s favourable group also allowed their first-choice goalkeeper to top the charts for clean sheets in qualifying.Costa is currently the fourth-most popular asset in his position among gaffers but it wouldn’t be a shock if he cracked the top three before the Matchday 1 deadline.Dubravka’s price suddenly looks very reasonable although it’s worth noting that Slovakia play Belgium in their opening game.Is Dubravka good value at £1.5m?Credit: GettySAVES
35 – Giorgi Mamardashvili (£2m)
27 – Martin Dubravka (£1.5m)
25 – Horatiu Moldovan (£1.5m)
22 – Denes Dibusz (£2.5m)
21 – Dominik Livakovic (£3.5m), Anatoliy Trubin (£2.5m)
Clean sheets are like goals to keepers but with one point earned for every two saves completed it’s worth considering each individual’s workload too.Andre Onana finished as the top goalkeeper in our regular season game, mostly because he was forced to make a huge volume of saves over the course of the campaign.Again, we’ve omitted those who failed to qualify and Georgia’s No1 tops the pile as a result – the Valencia keeper is highly rated by those in the know.The stats suggest Dubravka ticks both boxes in terms of clean sheets and saves but it’s worth noting Slovakia finished runners-up to Portugal in that favourable qualifying group – Luxembourg finished third for context.READ MORE SUN STORIESDream Team will be on hand with plenty more tips, tricks, stats and facts as the tournament draws near.If you haven’t yet selected an XI, even as a first draft, what are you waiting for?Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

EVEN the more lackadaisical Dream Team managers should start immersing themselves in our Euros fantasy game this week.The tournament itself kicks off on June 14th with Germany v Scotland and so it’s high time we started highlighting some underrated players who may be flying under the radar.How about Artem Dovbyk (£3m) for starters?CLICK HERE TO PLAY DREAM TEAM’S EUROS FANTASY GAME NOW!Unfairly overlooked?Credit: Dream TeamThe Ukraine striker heads into this summer’s international tournament having lit up La Liga throughout the domestic season.As the spearhead for a valiant Girona side that punched well above their weight to claim third, Dovbyk finished as the top flight’s leading goalscorer.He claimed the Pichichi with a hat-trick against Granada on the final day of the campaign to take his tally to 24 league goals.This flourish was the culmination of an extraordinary end to the campaign that saw him score ten goals in nine games.Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski and Jude Bellingham were just some of names left trailing in Dovbyk’s wake in regards to La Liga goals in 2023/24.It’s simply a fact that very few players will head to Germany in better form than the 26-year-old so why has been selected by just 3.4% of Dream Team Euros managers at the time of writing?Most read in FootballDovbyk fired Girona to Champions League qualificationCredit: EPAThe fact he doesn’t represent one of the tournament’s stronger teams is undoubtedly a factor – Ukraine qualified for Euro 2024 via the play-offs (by virtue of their performance in the Nations League) after finishing third in their group.Although it should be noted that Serhiy Rebrov’s side finished level on points with Italy during qualifying, in the same group as England – they drew with the Three Lions back in September.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!Dovbyk and company were dealt a difficult qualifying group but they won’t mind their draw for the actual tournament as they’re in Group E alongside Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.In fact, most bookies reckon they’ll qualify for the round of 16.Ukraine start their campaign against Romania in Matchday 1 and don’t have to play group favourites Belgium until Matchday 3.With all this in mind, surely Dovbyk deserves to be more popular among Dream Team Euros bosses?Ukraine fans are hoping Dovbyk translates his club form to the international stageCredit: ReutersHe’s reasonably priced at £3million and could helpfully offset the cost of other more expensive forwards, such as Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m) and Harry Kane (£7.5m).At present, Dovbyk, who previously plundered plenty of goals for Dnipro-1, is only 0.1% more popular than Ollie Watkins (£3.5m), who is almost certain to start on the bench for England throughout the summer.READ MORE SUN STORIESUkraine face Germany in a friendly this evening and will later take on Poland and Moldova so gaffers may be able to get a better read on Dovbyk’s prospects before the Matchday 1 deadline.He should certainly be considered a viable option.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

FRANCE have made it to the final in three of the last four major international tournaments, with their World Cup triumph in 2018 being their crowning glory of recent times.With a squad rich in talent and depth, it’s generally expected that Les Bleus are serious contenders on the big stage and Euro 2024 is no different.Most bookies have Didier Deschamps’ side as close second favourites (behind England) this summer and Dream Team Euros managers will therefore be hopeful of bountiful points from their players – but who to select?Here we detail their top stars, bargain options and players to avoid.CLICK HERE TO PLAY DREAM TEAM’S EUROS FANTASY GAME NOW!Mbappe leads from the front in more ways than oneCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSLet’s not pretend Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m) is anything other than the standout superstar in the player list.The electric forward is in the prime of his career at 25 years old and heads to Germany having plundered 44 goals from 48 games in his farewell season at PSG.He claimed the Golden Boot at the last World Cup with a dramatic hat-trick in the final and he’s scored a further ten goals in 11 appearances since then having been awarded the captain’s armband.Mbappe is the joint-most expensive player in the game but that hasn’t put gaffers off as he’s currently the only player who features in the majority of teams created (54.5% ownership).Most read in FootballNo defender costs more than Theo Hernandez (£5m) in our Euros fantasy game, which is a reflection of both France’s overall prospects and his individual quality .Only Portugal conceded fewer goals in qualifying than France and the 26-year-old played the full 90 minutes in all eight fixtures.The Milan left-back contributed five goals and 11 assists at club level in 2023/24 and many Dream Team bosses will remember his attacking contributions at the most recent World Cup – he even scored in the semi-final.Hernandez was among France’s best players in QatarCredit: GettyAntoine Griezmann (£6.5m) is arguably the player most emblematic of the Deschamps era and somebody who always seems to save his best form for major tournaments.The 33-year-old generally played as a striker for Atletico Madrid this season but he’s operated in a deeper role at international level for quite a while now, hence why we’ve categorised him as a midfielder.Naturally, he doesn’t score as many goals as he used to for France (just two in his last 26 caps) but he does pretty much everything else – it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earned more than his fair share of bonus points.BARGAIN OPTIONSSuch is France’s strength and depth, none of their players are priced below £3million and so there’s no outright bargain in the truest sense but there are some value-for-money options to mull over.Some gaffers may be surprised to learn that Adrien Rabiot (£3.5m) is now considered among Deschamps’ favourites and he is expected to get plenty of minutes in Germany.In terms of ability-to-cost ratio, Eduardo Camavinga (£3.5m) has to considered decent value in the mid range, especially with Real Madrid team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni (£3.5m) an injury doubt.The 21-year-old offers minimal attacking threat but it’s feasible he could tick over at a respectable rate through tackles and bonus points.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!Camavinga may have a big role to fulfil this summerCredit: AFPOne other thing to keep an eye on is the possibility of Marcus Thuram (£4m) usurping Olivier Giroud (£4.5m) to become first-choice striker.The 26-year-old contributed 29 goal involvements to Inter’s successful campaign and he’s featured in each of France’s last eight games in some capacity.Both Griezmann and Mbappe like to play with Giroud but the experienced target man is 37 years old and the last time he played 90 minutes at international level was against England in the World Cup quarter-final.It’s not unthinkable Thuram might jump up the pecking order, in which case his price tag of £4m would suddenly look very affordable.PLAYERS TO AVOIDAs we’ve made clear, France boast a strong squad and so there aren’t any perilous trapdoors that need signposting.However, Ousmane Dembele’s (£4.5m) ownership of 10.2% feels rather high.Dembele has bags of talent but his end product remains a concernCredit: GettyThe two-footed winger is capable of delivering massive returns if everything clicks but he can be frustrating player to watch at times – a return of three league goals this season for a player in his position at PSG is underwhelming.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe’s not assured of substantial minutes either as Kingsley Coman (£4.5m) and Randal Kolo Muani (£4m) are competitive options on the right wing.Elsewhere, 8.8% of Dream Team bosses have picked Benjamin Pavard (£3.5m) at the time of writing but the defender isn’t the lock he once was under Deschamps – he started just two of the qualifiers.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

WITH two weeks to go until Dream Team’s Euros fantasy game gets underway, it’s time to highlight some players we expect to be pivotal figures.We kicked off our EURO STAR series yesterday with a look at Cristiano Ronaldo and whether or not the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s goalscoring pedigree will prevail over his ageing legs.At 21 years old, today’s subject is at the complete opposite end of his career on a dramatic upward curve and so the question must be asked: will this be the summer of Jamal Musiala (£4.5m)?PLAY DREAM TEAM’S EUROS FANTASY GAME NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Germany’s X-FactorCredit: Dream TeamAt the time of writing, the Germany midfielder appears in 21.7% of teams created, making him the third-most popular player in his position.The outlook is likely to change as more and more managers sign-up to play our Euros fantasy game across the next fortnight but it seems reasonable to assume Musiala will be among the most-selected players heading into Matchday 1.On the surface, this may seem a tad curious as he’s scored just two goals in 27 caps in senior international football.However, it should be taken into account that 20 of his appearances came as a teenager, when he was still finding his feet at the top level; similarly Jude Bellingham (£6m) has three goals in 29 caps for England on a similar trajectory.What’s really telling is that Germany’s coaches have felt that Musiala is a talent worthy of so many caps at such a young age.And there are signs he’s flicked the switch from promising youngster to a player one could build a team around.Most read in FootballMusiala produced some impressive performances in the Champions League this seasonCredit: PAHe scored ten goals and provided six assists in 24 Bundesliga outings for Bayern Munich this season (that number restricted due to injuries) which boils down further to a goal involvement every 110.4 minutes.Needless to say, these are the stats Dream Team bosses should be seeking from their midfielders, especially with goals and assists worth six and three points each this summer.It’s worth noting too that Musiala shone brightly in Germany’s friendly wins over France and Netherlands in March, providing an assist in each fixture.Those victories over strong opposition boosted morale among fans of Die Mannschaft after some worrying results in 2023 that led to Hansi Flick’s departure.Musiala’s potential to supply goal involvements is only one element of what makes him such an appealing option in Dream Team Euros.PLAY OUR EUROS BRACKET CHALLENGE – FREE TO PLAY, IPHONE 15 PRO MAX TOP PRIZE!Musiala represented England at youth level before declaring for GermanyCredit: ReutersAs gaffers who played our regular season game will know, talented dribblers tend to earn their fair share of bonus points.This is because each successful dribble (and foul won) counts as a player performance park (PPM), which determine how bonus points are distributed – click here for further details about our scoring system.Despite the fact Musiala missed ten league games this term, only Leroy Sane (£5.5m) completed more successful dribbles in the top flight.Such stats only serve to reinforce what anyone who has watched him play has observed – the kid is a natural.It’s unclear whether Sane will start for Germany this summerCredit: GettyIn terms of pure talent, Germany’s midfield crop is certainly in the top tier among this summer’s trophy hopefuls.Florian Wirtz (£4.5m), Ilkay Gundogan (£4.4m), Toni Kroos (£3.5m) and the aforementioned Sane all boast impressive attributes but it’s notable that Musiala, who is capable of playing centrally or on either wing, is the most popular of the lot among Dream Team bosses at present.Many Germany fans are imploring Julian Nagelsmann to start both Musiala and Wirtz in tandem, offset with the experience of Kroos and Gundogan.It’s not unthinkable that Sane will initially be deployed as an impact substitute – he was suspended for those morale-boosting wins over France and Netherlands when Germany looked mightily improved.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe hosts face Scotland in the opening fixture of Euro 2024, with Switzerland and Hungary completing Group A, and it will be interesting to discover which stars Nagelsmann prioritises.But what’s clear from a Dream Team perspective is that Musiala’s attacking threat, coupled with his dribbling ability, makes him a seriously tempting option.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

OUR Euros fantasy game offers Dream Team managers the chance to once again take charge of an XI starring Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m).The five-time Ballon d’Or winner still holds the record for most points earned in a single Dream Team campaign – he amassed 477 for Manchester United in 2007/08 – and as the all-time top goalscorer in international football history he is clearly an asset who deserves suitable consideration.Few players possess such aura and pedigree but at 39 years old the question will be asked whether he is still capable of lighting up a major international tournament?CLICK HERE TO PLAY DREAM TEAM’S EUROS FANTASY GAME NOW!Superstars don’t come biggerCredit: Dream TeamDream Team bosses keen on Ronaldo have plenty of reasons to be hopeful of mega returns.The prolific striker heads to Germany having plundered 50 goals in as many games for Al Nassr in 2023/24.He was ruthless during Euro 2024 qualifying too, scoring ten goals in nine outings – only Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m) bagged more.Ronaldo also registered the most shots on target (worth a point each in Dream Team Euros) during qualifying while no player averaged more shots per 90 minutes.Simply put, he’s a potent threat and arguably the most complete goalscorer to ever play the game.And broadly speaking, Portugal are well placed to go deep at Euro 2024.Most read in Dream TeamThey’re set to face Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in Group F, which has to be considered a relatively favourable draw.Portugal boast a strong squad for Euro 2024Credit: GettyAt £6m, Ronaldo is among the most-expensive players in Dream Team Euros but he’s £1.5m cheaper than Harry Kane (£7.5m) and Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m).Gaffers keen on a top-tier forward could select Ronaldo in place of either the England or France captain and invest the extra £1.5m elsewhere.The case for selecting Portugal’s talisman is strong but some gaffers will have their doubts.His scoring record in Saudi Arabia is impressive on paper but it’s difficult to gauge the standard of the league in relation to the European top tiers.Similarly, Roberto Martinez’s side came out of qualifying with the best record (most wins, most goals scored, fewest goals conceded) but they too benefited from some friendly match-ups.Half of Ronaldo’s goals came from three games against Lichtenstein and Luxembourg.The latter, currently sandwiched between Zambia and China in the world rankings, finished third in a weak group.Portugal could only beat what was put in front of them but there’s a suggestion Ronaldo might head to Germany having played against sub-par opposition for both club and country across the last 18 months.Therefore, there’s a chance he may be caught out by the sudden jump in standard expected at Euro 2024 – then again, he’s a man who has thrived under the brightest spotlights time and time again.Ronaldo triumphed at Euro 2016Credit: Getty ImagesExperienced Dream Team managers will remember Ronaldo quickly became an expensive asset to avoid at the 2022 World Cup.He scored a penalty in Portugal’s opening win over Ghana but after ineffective showings against Uruguay and South Korea, and behavioural issues, he was dropped from the starting line-up for the round of 16 and quarter-final, where his side were ultimately eliminated by Morocco.Of course, that was all Fernando Santos’ doing, who has since been replaced in the dugout by Martinez.The former Belgium coach has reinstated Ronaldo as first-choice striker.Dream Team managers have a big decision to make on RonaldoCredit: GettyWith just over two weeks until the tournament gets underway, Ronaldo currently features in 13.5% of teams created.That makes him the fourth most-selected striker at the time of writing but it will be interesting to see whether he gains or loses popularity as the Matchday 1 deadline nears.Few players have a higher ceiling when everything clicks but many gaffers will be reluctant to back a 39-year-old who has been playing in the Saudi Pro League for the last year.READ MORE SUN STORIESDecisions, decisions…PLAY OUR EUROS BRACKET CHALLENGE GAME – IPHONE 15 PRO MAX UP FOR GRABS!Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More