The international break is the bane of many, but at least the newly formed UEFA Nations League gives provides us with an extra edge. With four qualification spots available for Euro 2020, there is a much greater incentive to go pick up victories and get the European crowds excited.
This past week there have been some great stories from the international circuit, with the Netherlands creating the biggest headline, defeating the severely out of form Germany 3-0. Portugal look to be coping just fine without Cristiano Ronaldo as the European champions notched six goals across two games against Poland and Scotland, respectively. France almost suffered a shock defeat to Iceland, but the world champions fought back from 2-0 down to claim a draw in Guingamp.
With some superb performances from the internationals this week, as well as in the English Football League and American MLS, selecting the FIFA 19 Ultimate Team of the Week will be a tough task. A squad of 23 in-form boosted players will be released on Wednesday, 17 October at 6pm, and can be challenged on FUT for a coin bonus. You can try to get hold of these in-form men in packs from the FUT store or buy-and-sell them on the transfer market.
RealSport looks at what the starting line-up could look like this week.
Dominik Livakovic (OVR 72 – TOTW 78)
England had the strange task of taking on World Cup finalists Croatia in an empty stadium in Rijeka. The Three Lions looked to make amends for the semi-final defeat to the Croatians during the summer, but were thwarted by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic on numerous occasions. The Dinamo Zagreb man twice denied Marcus Rashford from one-on-one situations to frustrate Gareth Southgate’s side in the eerie 0-0 draw.
Livakovic’s 72 overall should climb by six to 78 for the Team of the Week. You can get his base card for 750 coins on PS4 and a steep 4,000 on Xbox One.
Santiago Arias (OVR 78 – TOTW 80)
This week, Santiago Arias showed the quality that brought him to Atletico Madrid, with the right back notching two assists in Colombia’s 4-2 victory over the United States. Aged 26, the new Atletico Madrid man is coming into his prime and his £11 million fee from PSV Eindhoven looks a bargain.
Arias has a 78 overall on FUT, which is set to climb to 80 on Wednesday. You can pick up his normal rating for 750 coins on PS4 and 700 on Xbox One, with his 79 Champions League item setting you back 11,500 on PS4 and 12,250 on Xbox One.
Virgil van Dijk (OVR 85 – TOTW 86)
Virgil van Dijk wears the captain’s armband for the Dutch national team, and it looks like the Oranje have turned a corner under manager Ronald Koeman. A 3-0 victory over Germany speaks volumes about where both sides are at the moment, with Van Dijk grabbing a goal from a corner to open the scoring.
Van Dijk’s impressive start to the season looks to be rewarded, with his 85 FUT rating set to creep up to 86. The Liverpool centre back costs a hefty 145,000 coins on PS4 and 139,000 on Xbox One with his 86 UCL item valued at 454,000 on PS4 and 305,000 on Xbox One.
Harry Toffolo (OVR 65 – TOTW 71)
Over in the English League Two, Lincoln City helped produce one of the games of the weekend with a crazy 6-2 victory over Port Vale. Left back Harry Toffolo picked up two assists in the victory, cementing the Imps at top spot in the table.
Toffolo’s 65 card should rise to around 71 this week, with his base rating costing 800 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One.
James Rodriguez (OVR 88 – TOTW 89)
James Rodriguez enjoyed a superb first season for Bayern Munich, but he operates in a different role for the Colombian national side. The attacking midfielder moves to the right side for his country, but he still has a great influence shown by his brilliant curling effort and assist in the 4-2 win over the United States.
Rodriguez should improve from 88 to 89 for the TOTW, and you can pick up the playmaker for 70,000 coins on PS4 and 65,000 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team. His 89 UCL card is valued at 240,000 on PS4 and 250,000 on Xbox One.
Pedro Aquino (OVR 71 – TOTW 74)
Sticking in South America, Peru picked up a huge 3-0 win over Chile, as defensive midfielder Pedro Aquino popped up with two goals. Fortunately for the Chileans this was only an international friendly, but they need to turn things around quickly after failing to qualify for the last World Cup.
Aquino’s 71 overall should rise to at least a maximum silver rating of 74 this week. The Club Leon man costs 2,900 coins on PS4 and 1,800 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team.
Carlos Vela (OVR 81 – TOTW 83)
Carlos Vela shone on the domestic scene this week, with the Los Angeles FC star playing a part in all four of their goals in the 4-2 win over Houston Dynamo. The former Arsenal and Real Sociedad man scored twice and set up the other two, shining in a number 10 position.
Vela could move from right wing to attacking midfield this week, with his 81 overall set to improve to 83. On FUT, the Mexican is valued at 900 coins on PS4 and 850 on Xbox One.
James Coppinger (OVR 65 – TOTW 70)
Back to the Football League, with James Coppinger also having a role in all three of Doncaster Rovers goals against Rochdale in League One. Coppinger picked up three assists to take the Donny up to fourth in the division.
Coppinger should move from attacking midfield to left wing this week, with his 65 overall likely to rise to 70. The Englishman is priced at 700 coins on PS4 and 2,500 on Xbox One.
Romelu Lukaku (OVR 87 – TOTW 88)
When Romelu Lukaku’s hot, he’s hot. Belgium’s all-time top goal scorer extended his record with two more against Switzerland to seal a nervy 2-1 victory. 45 goals in 78 games aged just 25 is quite scary, and it may now be time for the Manchester United striker to receive the respect he deserves.
Lukaku’s overall of 87 should sneak up to 88 this week, causing even more demand for an already popular Ultimate Team player. The forward’s base card costs 234,000 coins on PS4 and 201,000 on Xbox One, whilst his 88 Champions League item requires 505,000 on PS4 and 520,000 on Xbox One.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (OVR 76 – TOTW 79)
Judging by his start to the Premier League season (five goals in eight games), Mitrovic looks underrated on Ultimate Team, and he has added a brace for Serbia in a tense affair against Montenegro. This year, the Fulham forward has netted 10 times in 11 games for his country.
Mitrovic’s 76 overall could hit a 79 rating this week, and as things stand, he is a bargain on FUT. You only need 500 coins for the Serb on PS4 and 400 on Xbox One.
Luke Norris (OVR 63 – TOTW 71)
A third a final Football League player completes the line-up, as Luke Norris scored and bagged two assists in Colchester United’s 3-1 win over Crawley. Three points take the Essex-based club up to sixth in the League Two table, but still some five points off the automatic promotion spots.
Norris’s 63 rating could climb to an in-form 71 this week, and you can pick him up for cheap on Ultimate Team, with his base card costing 200 coins on both consoles.
RealSport’s TOTW 5 prediction
