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      Dream Team World Cup’s irresistible force will meet an immovable object when Kylian Mbappe plays England

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      TO win a World Cup you have to beat the best at some stage.For England, a quarter-final clash with France means a meeting with the tournament’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappe.
      For Dream Team World Cup managers, it’s a classic case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.
      Dream Team World Cup’s leading manCredit: getty
      The Three Lions’ conceded two goals to Iran in their opening 6-2 victory, one of which was a contentious penalty, but since then they’ve been airtight.
      USA, Wales and Senegal have all been repelled with the familiar trio of Harry Maguire, John Stones and Jordan Pickford recapturing the understanding that was a pillar of England’s run to the semis in Russia four years ago, as well as their close-but-no-cigar showing at Euro 2020.
      Three consecutive clean sheets have resulted in a healthy influx of Dream Team World Cup points for Gareth Southgate’s familiar favourites.
      Maguire’s tally of 33 points puts him top of the pile among players in his position at the time of writing while Shaw’s total of 25 earns him a place on the podium for now – Daley Blind (3.5m) splits the two Manchester United team-mates.
      And Stones is the eighth-best defender having accumulated 20 points.
      Those who have block-picked England assets, which is quite a few judging by their popularity in the game, have been handsomely rewarded so far.
      Stones and Maguire has generally been a solid partnership for EnglandCredit: getty
      Whether having three defenders in the top eight constitutes an ‘immovable object’ is up to you but what’s undeniable is that, in terms of pure returns, Southgate’s side have been the best the game has to offer when it comes to the defensive duties.
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      In contrast, France’s No10 is comfortably the most potent attacking threat.
      Mbappe has scored five goals and provided two assists in 297 minutes of playing time en route to the last eight.
      No other individual has scored more than three goals so already the Golden Boot seems destined for the 23-year-old’s trophy cabinet.
      Broadening out the discussion to his whole career, the PSG forward has nine goals in 11 World Cup appearances, putting level with Lionel Messi and above Diego Maradona, Rivaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time list.
      Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career goals on the biggest international stage is firmly under threat.
      Mbappe’s Dream Team World Cup points tally of 48 is more than enough to make him the outright best performer at this juncture – he holds a 12-point lead over his nearest rival, the aforementioned Messi.
      With an ownership of 51.1% he’s also by far and away the most-selected player.
      Mbappe and Olivier Giroud have gelled well in QatarCredit: getty
      Tens of thousands of gaffers will have backed England defenders and Mbappe in conjunction, a tactic that has paid dividends over the last fortnight.
      However, there can only be one winner when England meet France on Saturday.
      Either Mbappe will continue his scoring streak and deny Maguire and company a clean sheet or the Three Lions will keep out the electric forward and possibly condemn him to a blank.
      Read More on The Sun
      Dream Team World Cup bosses who need to make up ground in their mini-leagues probably can’t afford this counterproductive dynamic in what is shaping up to be a decisive fixture.
      Sometimes you can get away with hedging your bets but if drastic action is required then you might be better off choosing either France’s attack or England’s defence, rather than cautiously backing both. More

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      Dream Team World Cup bosses should back Brazil ballers for boost before quarter-final chaos

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      SO far the World Cup round of 16 matches have gone the way of the favourites.And while Netherlands v Argentina and England v France are mouthwatering prospects, those match-ups will force Dream Team World Cup managers to use transfers as the majority will have backed assets soon to be in direct competition.
      Before that chaos ensues, gaffers may well feel it’s worth targeting the remaining favourable match-ups, most prominently, Brazil v South Korea this evening.
      Will we see some samba style tonight?Credit: getty
      No disrespect to Paul Bento’s side, who beat a much-changed Portugal outfit to qualify for the knockout stage, but the fact is the five-time world champions will start tonight’s fixture as heavy favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.
      Dream Team World Cup bosses with plenty of transfers remaining could use their daily allotment of three in an attempt to cash in on what is expected to be a comfortable victory for the Selecao.
      Since Japan v Croatia is the early kick-off, gaffers could even wait for Brazil’s starting line-up to be announced and go from there.
      In regards to team selection, two days ago Tite said of Neymar: “If he practices okay, he will be playing tomorrow. If he plays it’s because he is in full health and ready to start, to play from the beginning and the entire game with no limitations.”
      The PSG forward injured his ankle in the latter stages of his side’s 2-0 win over Serbia 11 days ago.
      Vinicius Junior and Richarlison are safer selections in attack, the former is the second-most popular midfielder in the game and he’s played much better than his current points tally of five suggests.
      Neymar is expected to feature against South KoreaCredit: getty
      As for the Spurs forward, he was quiet against Switzerland but his brace against Serbia should still be at the forefront of your mind.
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      His goal second was spectacular but it was his first, a classic poacher’s effort, that underlined his role as Brazil’s primary No9.
      The pre-tournament favourites are likely to dominate possession and create more chances than South Korea and Richarlison will hold his advanced position between the width of the posts, waiting to pounce on any opportunity.
      Raphinha will probably start on the right wing despite a somewhat wasteful showing in Qatar so far, still his play style means he poses a constant threat.
      Attacking assets are more likely to bank mini-league shaping double-digit hauls but perhaps the smarter option is to back a Brazil a clean sheet.
      Tite’s first-choice back four not only repelled Serbia and Switzerland, they didn’t even concede a shot on target.
      Thiago Silva and Marquinhos both come at a cost (£5.5m each) but doubling up on Brazil centre-backs could be a very profitable short-term strategy – a pair of 7+ ratings and a clean sheet would result in an influx of 16 points.
      Alex Sandro is actually his country’s best-performing defender in Qatar to date having racked up 21 points by virtue of a Star Man award against the Swiss.
      And of course, Alisson will return between the sticks after Ederson was given a start against Cameroon.
      Richarlison has 18 Dream Team World Cup pointsCredit: getty
      A deluge of points is not a foregone conclusion of course, underestimating South Korea would be a mistake but the nature of Dream Team World Cup means favourable match-ups should be targeted.
      From the quarter-finals onwards it looks as if every game will be contested by top teams so this may be the last day to capitalise on any semblance of a mismatch in overall quality.
      Read More on The Sun
      An XI containing Alisson, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Vinicius Junior and Richarlison would be well placed to provide healthy returns later today.
      Just a theory… More

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      Which Dream Team World Cup assets should you bring into your XI to replace Germany’s eliminated flops?

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      HAS everyone recovered from the adrenaline caused by those three minutes when both Spain and Germany were going out of the World Cup?When all was said and done in Group E, Luis Enrique’s side progressed as runners-up behind Japan, sending Die Mannschaft to the airport with Costa Rica.
      That gave us the unintentionally funny visual of Kai Havertz having to pose with the Player of the Match award having just been dumped out of the tournament. More

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      Netherlands star Frenkie de Jong bucking the trend among Dream Team World Cup’s top midfielders

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      IT’S hard to know what to make of Netherlands at the World Cup so far.The Oranje topped Group A after beating Senegal and Qatar, with a draw against Ecuador in between.
      However, much like England, some of their fans have been unconvinced by the performances.
      Truth be told, Louis van Gaal’s side were pretty flat for 80 minutes against the African Cup of Nations champions and they were comprehensively outplayed by Enner Valencia and company in their second outing.
      And yet they’re undefeated and have earned themselves a round of 16 match-up against USA.
      Frenkie de Jong has impressed for Netherlands
      Cody Gakpo (£4m) is obviously the star of the show from a Dream Team World Cup perspective.
      The PSV forward has scored in every game to date, an effort that his resulted in 29 points, making him the joint-best performer alongside Bruno Fernandes (£4.5m) at the time of writing.
      Goalkeeper Andries Noppert (£2m) has offered superb value for money so far, twice combining clean sheets with 7+ ratings for a total of 16 points.
      And Frenkie de Jong (£3.5m) has banked 26 points from the group stage, a tally only bettered by the aforementioned Fernandes among midfielders.
      The Barcelona player is the focus of this article because his success is unexpected.
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      Don’t get us wrong, in terms of pure talent he ranks among the Netherlands’ very best assets and he was always going to be a prominent contributor if his nation were to go deep in Qatar.
      However, the 25-year-old isn’t generally the type of midfielder who usually thrives in Dream Team, a statement reinforced by the current rankings.
      Fernandes is Dream Team World Cup’s outright best midfielder currentlyCredit: getty
      The one thing that links all the other top-performing midfield assets in the game is that their primary task for their respective teams is to provide a threat in the final: Fernandes, Bukayo Saka (£5m), Dani Olmo (£3.5m), Davy Klaassen (£3m), Christian Pulisic (£3m), and so on.
      De Jong bucks this trend as he operates in deeper areas and excels in progressing the ball through the middle third of the pitch.
      The ex-Ajax midfielder scored against Qatar in Netherlands’ final group game but that was a relatively rare occurrence – he’s scored just two goals in 46 international caps.
      He’s fairing better in the creative stakes having registered six assists but still his attacking stats don’t paint the picture of a Dream Team World Cup midfielder who is able to sustain healthy returns.
      But his points tally doesn’t lie and the 19.3% of gaffers backing him have been handsomely rewarded in the last fortnight.
      De Jong is not a defensive midfielder but he does play deepCredit: getty
      The main reason for this is that De Jong is one of just two players have bagged two Star Man awards in Qatar, the other being that man again, Fernandes.
      And this is where deeper midfielders can mix it with the more attack-minded assets as WhoScored’s match ratings recognise the importance of impressive performances no matter what position they occupy.
      Saying that, Star Man awards are hard to come by and you don’t want to select a player if achieving the top match rating is their only route to healthy returns.
      Read More on The Sun
      Generally speaking, your midfielders should be highly likely to score goals and provide assists – De Jong has fitted the bill so far but he’s not been that type of player for the majority of his career to date.
      Just something to think about as the stakes increase this week… More

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      Who should start either side of Harry Kane when England face Senegal on Sunday?

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      IN many ways, England’s three group games at this World Cup have encapsulated Gareth Southgate’s entire reign as head coach.The Three Lions’ wealth of attacking assets have set up the team for a positive tournament performance and yet still supporters had to endure 90+ minutes of nothingness against USA, a reminder of the risk-adverse approach that tempers the creative talent in the squad from time to time.
      Still, seven points from what could have been a deceptively tricky group is objectively good going and the Euro 2020 finalists will start as favourites when they meet Senegal in the round of 16.
      Looking ahead to Sunday night’s knockout game, Gareth Southgate has big decisions to make in the wide areas, as do Dream Team World Cup gaffers.
      Should Rashford start against Senegal?Credit: getty
      Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden , Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford have all scored at the tournament already – a notable statistic given none of them got close during the stalemate against the Americans.
      Manchester United’s boy wonder has made a compelling case to start from the off against the Africa Cup of Nations champions having scored three goals in 107 minutes so far.
      Rashford came off the bench to cash in against a deflated Iran and was England’s most-threatening player against Wales, opening the scoring with sweetly-struck free-kick before capping the victory with a left-footed goal to make it 3-0 in the 68th minute.
      Naturally, the 25-year-old scooped the Star Man on Tuesday night to bank 18 points, taking his overall tally to 23 and putting him level with Lionel Messi (albeit having played a game more).
      It’s easy to forget that Saka scored a brace of his own in England’s opening fixture, an effort that produced an 18-point haul – only two midfielders, Frenkie de Jong and Bruno Fernandes, have racked up more since.
      England are stacked in the wide areasCredit: getty
      Sterling scored one goal and assisted another against Iran to pocket ten points and, crucially, is probably Southgate’s favourite option on the left flank.
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      The clamour for Foden was satisfied when the Manchester City youngster produced a silky performance against Wales, winning the free-kick which Rashford converted with a mazy run before scoring one of his own to double the lead.
      The 22-year-old earned eight points for his efforts but whether he’s done enough to convince Southgate he should start in the knockout stages remains to be seen.
      Finally, there’s Grealish, who also has eight points, but it seems likely he’ll continue in his impact substitute role for the foreseeable future.
      DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP OWNERSHIP:

      Foden – 17.4%
      Saka – 17.4%
      Rashford – 9.9%
      Sterling – 6.9%
      Grealish – 2.3%

      It’s worth noting that all the above players are categorised as midfielders except for Rashford, who is a forward.
      England fans got their wish against WalesCredit: getty
      Despite being the least in-form, Sterling is surely the favourite to start from the left against Senegal, the Chelsea winger has been one of the first names on the team sheet under Southgate and he’s justified his status more often than not in recent times.
      Let’s not forget he was arguably England’s most potent threat throughout Euro 2020.
      That leaves Foden, Saka and Rashford scrapping for a place on the right and no matter Southgate’s decision, a sizeable chunk of Dream Team World Cup bosses will be disappointed.
      If the team selection was determined by Dream Team World Cup points then it would Saka and Rashford either side of Kane from the off on Sunday night – that sounds pretty good on paper but the national coach cares not for fantasy football games (sadly).
      Read More on The Sun
      Dream Team World Cup bosses may choose to wait until the starting line-up is announced before making any transfers but with France likely to play in the afternoon (and possibly Argentina) they will be have to mindful of lockout.
      The last thing you want as we delve into the knockouts is multiple non-starters polluting your XI. More

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      Darwin Nunez and the other most-popular Dream Team World Cup players with fewer than five points

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      AS we dive into the final round of group games, Dream Team World Cup gaffers should be taking stock of which players have over-performed and which assets have sadly disappointed.For the next couple of minutes, we’re going to highlight the latter group.
      These are the five most-popular players with fewer than five points at this stage.
      Phil Foden

      11.7% ownership
      0 points
      £5million

      Frequently found on the benchCredit: getty
      The England midfielder has been limited to just 20-odd minutes of playing time in Qatar so far.
      His ownership reflects the feelings of many supporters of the Three Lions that he should be starting for the Euro 2020 finalists having already scored eight goals and provided three assists for Man City this season.
      Gareth Southgate may well appease the masses by naming Foden in his starting line-up to face Wales this evening, which would give the 22-year-old an opportunity to get off the mark in Dream Team World Cup.
      However, chances are he will find himself back among the substitutes in the round of 16 if England progress as expected.
      Darwin Nunez
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      11.7% ownership
      0 points
      £5million

      Goose eggCredit: getty
      Mexico, Tunisia and Uruguay are the only three teams yet to score a goal at this year’s World Cup.
      The latter’s inclusion in that list is particularly surprising given the quality of their squad.
      Liverpool’s new striker had a night to forget against Portugal and like everyone else on the pitch he fell victim to the tedium that infected the second half of Uruguay vs South Korea.
      Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are both past their best and that’s what led Dream Team World Cup gaffers to lump on Nunez prior to the tournament but he’s yet to repay his backers with a single point.
      Diego Alonso’s side take on Ghana in what will be an emotionally-charged game on Friday given the ill-feelings between the two nations stemming from the 2010 quarter-finals.
      The clash may favour Nunez as the Black Stars conceded five goals in their first two games, as well as scoring five.
      Lisandro Martinez

      13.2% ownership
      4 points
      £4million

      Just don’t mention Saudi ArabiaCredit: getty
      The Man United centre-back did his job valiantly to help Argentina keep a clean sheet against Mexico but he narrowly missed out on a 7+ rating so he had to make do with five points at the final whistle.
      Unfortunately, the minus point he incurred after coming off the bench against Saudi Arabia in that shock 2-1 defeat put his owners on the back foot.
      You would think that Martinez has shown enough to maintain his place in the starting XI when the Albiceleste take on Poland this week but Lionel Scaloni has often preferred to pair Cristian Romero with Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of defence.
      Emiliano Martinez

      19% ownership
      4 points
      £4million

      Still the most-popular keeper in the game
      Much of what applied to the Old Trafford resident is also relevant to Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper.
      Martinez was by far and away the most-popular asset in his position before the tournament got underway and he still holds that title although not to the same extent following that shocker against Saudi Arabia.
      Victory and a clean sheet against Poland would reaffirm the idea that the Aston Villa custodian is great value at £4m but if Robert Lewandowksi or one of his pals score then gaffers may have to cut their losses.
      Kevin De Bruyne

      22.2% ownership
      3 points
      £7million

      Belgium have disappointed Dream Team World Cup bossesCredit: getty
      The lowly returns of Belgium’s creator-in-chief are not only disappointing because of how popular he is but because of his price – at £7m he’s comfortably the most-expensive asset in his position.
      Roberto Martinez’s side have arguably been the most underwhelming of the big sides (they’re ranked second in the world after all) but they could yet book their place in the round of 16 with a positive result against Croatia.
      Read More on The Sun
      De Bruyne has the quality to produce a Star Man showing and double-digit haul out of nowhere but at this stage it seems likely that a lot of gaffers will be seeking a replacement before the knockout rounds get underway.
      The 31-year-old’s three points came from a 7+ rating against Canada. More

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      Portugal talisman Bruno Fernandes overtakes Kylian Mbappe to become Dream Team World Cup’s top dog

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      THERE was a time not long ago when Bruno Fernandes was unplayable at club level but frustratingly ineffective in Portugal colours.This culminated at Euro 2020 when he provided barely any threat at all for Fernando Santos’ side after registering 28 goals and 17 assists for Manchester United in 2020/21.
      However, it could be argued that the roles are reversed these days.
      The 28-year-old has mustered three goals and three assists in 20 appearances for the Red Devils this term, a return which represents a significant drop-off in tangible contributions from his first two years at Old Trafford.
      Conversely, Fernandes’ output at international level since Euro 2020 has improved significantly.
      His brace against Uruguay on Monday night made it nine goals and five assists in his last 17 outings.
      Fernandes has started brightly in QatarCredit: getty
      This dramatic reversal has paid huge dividends in the realm of Dream Team World Cup this winter.
      The midfielder’s double against Diego Alonso’s side had an element of fortune as it initially looked as if Cristiano Ronaldo had nodded home Fernandes’ inviting cross but the goal was soon awarded to the latter.
      And Fernandes would not have taken Portugal’s stoppage-time penalty had his five-time Ballon d’Or winning team-mate not been substituted.
      Still, the Navegadores’ No8 has played so well in his first two group games in Qatar that he’s earned his luck – plus, he was only denied a hat-trick by half a width of the post.
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      When all was said and done, Fernandes banked 18 points to add to the 11 he took off Ghana in the first round of fixtures.
      His overall total of 29 sees him overtake Kylian Mbappe (28 points) to become Dream Team World Cup’s outright top performer at this stage.
      A ‘friendly’ conversation
      What’s even more remarkable is the lead Fernandes has over his fellow midfielders – Bukayo Saka and Frenkie de Jong are his closest rivals and they’re both a full 11 points off the pace.
      Speaking of the Dutchman, he’s the only asset other than Fernandes to have claimed two Star Man awards at this tournament so far.
      With an ownership of 21%, the Man United playmaker is the third-most popular asset in his position at the time of writing but he’s likely to overtake Kevin De Bruyne (22.2% ownership) this week with an ageing Belgium at risk of elimination.
      Vincius Junior remains the most-selected midfielder with an ownership of 32.4%.
      With Portugal already assured of a spot in the round of 16, Fernandes’ price of £4.5m looks very reasonable although it’s not unthinkable that that he may have his minutes managed in some capacity against South Korea on Friday.
      Enjoy the crown while you’ve got it, Bruno, Kylian plays again tomorrow afternoon… More

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      Guillermo Ochoa and Bukayo Saka feature in the best Dream Team World Cup XI of the tournament so far

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      TODAY completes the first round of fixtures at this year’s World Cup so how about a quick Dream Team round-up?We’ve assembled the best possible XI of the tournament so far as determined by overall points.
      Needless to say, the more of these early risers you backed the better…
      GOALKEEPER: Guillermo Ochoa/Thibaut Courtois
      A World Cup icon
      It’s a tie between Mexico’s cult hero and the man who is probably the best player in the world in his position right now.
      Both Ochoa and Courtois saved penalties to keep their sheets clean this week – the former denied Robert Lewandowski as the north Americans drew 0-0 with Poland while the latter repelled Alphonso Davies as Belgium held off an impressive Canada side to win 1-0.
      The two custodians were equally deserving of their Star Man awards and are consequently locked at the top of the keeper rankings on 16 points each.
      DEFENDERS: Dejan Lovren, Jordi Alba, Ali El Abdi, Diego Godin
      You’ve probably erased Croatia’s 0-0 draw with Morocco from your mind and with good reason.
      Lovren was the unlikely beneficiary of that snoozefest as he just edged out Achraf Hakimi to claim the Star Man award (somebody has to win it) on top of his clean sheet for a tidy 13-point return.
      An experienced head among Spain’s youthful exuberanceCredit: getty
      Alba’s success was more predictable as most Dream Team World Cup bosses would have anticipated Spain to start their campaign with a comfortable win over Costa Rica.
      The Barcelona left-back assisted Marco Asensio’s goal and won the penalty converted by Ferran Torres to bank 12 points – he’ll be a popular recruit in the coming days.
      Denmark v Tunisia was another war of attrition at times but the latter gave a good account of themselves.
      Left-back El Abdi narrowly edged out several other players to take the Star Man award on top of his clean sheet for an unexpected return of 13 points – he currently appears in 0.2% of teams.
      And fresh off the presses is the ageless Diego Godin who came out on top of the match ratings in the 0-0 between Uruguay and South Korea this lunchtime – yep, you guessed it, 13 points.
      MIDFIELDERS: Bukayo Saka, Ilkay Gundogan, Dani Olmo
      England’s No17 is Dream Team World Cup’s joint-best performer overall at the time of writing.
      Saka scored two of the Three Lions’ six goals against a vulnerable Iran defence and held off stiff competition from Jude Bellingham to claim the Star Man award when all was said and done.
      Saka cashed in against IranCredit: getty
      The Arsenal youngster has 18 points to his name and has been transferred into loads of teams ahead of England’s meeting with USA on Friday night.
      Japan’s comeback condemned Germany to a miserable start their campaign in Qatar but it was a profitable one for Gundogan from an individual perspective in the realm of Dream Team World Cup at least.
      The Manchester City midfielder scored from the penalty spot and did a good job of linking the play together for Hansi Flick’s side in the first half.
      In hindsight, replacing him with Leon Goretzka in the 67th minute may have been a critical mistake as it was only a few moments later Japan took control of the game.
      Gundogan banked 13 points for his goal, a 7+ rating and a bittersweet Star Man award – leave him on the pitch next time will you, Hansi?
      Olmo completes the midfield trio having taken advantage of Costa Rica’s leggy defence to score one goal and assist another.
      The RB Leipzig winger has an ownership of just 1% but his Star Man showing and 15-point haul will surely convince a few gaffers to take a leap of faith ahead of La Roja’s mouthwatering match-up with Germany at the weekend.
      FORWARDS: Enner Valencia, Ferran Torres, Olivier Giroud/Mehdi Taremi
      Still nobody has topped Valencia’s opening salvoCredit: getty
      It feels like along time ago now but Ecuador’s captain bagged a brace against the hosts on Sunday to zoom to the top of Dream Team World Cup’s rankings with 18 points – a position he still holds alongside the aforementioned Saka.
      Valencia may find it tougher going against Netherlands on Friday but nobody can take his flying start away from him.
      Given that Luis Enrique’s side racked up a 7-0 scoreline it’s only fitting our hypothetical XI features a Spaniard in all the outfield positions.
      Torres is the chosen one having scored a brace at the expense of Keylor Navas and co for a 13-point return.
      The Barcelona man boasts an impressive scoring rate on the international stage – he averages a goal every 138.3 minutes for Spain.
      Giroud and Taremi are also tied on 13 points thanks to braces against Australia and England respectively, though their nations experienced different emotions come full-time in those fixtures.
      In regards to the former, £3.5m is a very reasonable price for France’s starting striker – a knock-on effect of Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku’s injury withdrawals.
      How many of these assets will double down on their returns in the second round of fixtures? Only time will tell…

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