Feeling festive? Well, the latest round of domestic action across Europe should have certainly put you in the mood with some absolute Christmas crackers. All eyes in the Premier League were on great rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, with the 3-1 victory for the home side at Anfield, showing the gulf between the two sides at the minute.
In Italy, things went by the form book, with Juventus picking up another simple victory thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty. Barcelona pulled out all the fireworks as they thrashed Levante 5-0 courtesy of a hat trick from that man again Lionel Messi.
Four sides remain unbeaten domestically in Europe this season, with Borussia Dortmund keeping pace with Liverpool, Juventus and PSG. The Bundesliga leaders claimed a 2-1 victory against Werder Bremen meaning they lead the division by nine points.
With so many fantastic games to dissect, just who could be in with a shot of earning a spot in the FIFA 19 Team of the Week? A squad of 23 players will be released on Ultimate Team on Wednesday, 19 December 2019 and you challenge them in the game for a coin bonus. You can find the TOTW players for your own squad by hunting in packs from the FUT store, or buy and sell them individually in the transfer market.
Thibaut Courtois (OVR 90 – IF 91)
Thibaut Courtois has had a tricky time of it since joining Real Madrid, but that is largely down to the defensive troubles in front of him at the Bernabeu this season. Los Blancos scraped to a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, with the Belgian producing two late saves to hold on to three points.
A 90 overall for Courtois should improve to 91 on Ultimate Team, and you can claim his base card for 86,500 coins on PS4 and 78,500 on Xbox One. His 91 Champions League item is priced at 235,000 on PS4 and 220,000 on Xbox One.
Joshua Kimmich (OVR 85 – IF 86)
Bayern Munich look to finally be gelling under new boss Niko Kovac, with a 4-0 thrashing of Hannover ensuring they remain within nine points of Borussia Dortmund. Right back Joshua Kimmich was the star, scoring one and setting up another for Robert Lewandowski.
Kimmich’s 85 overall could now creep up to an in-form 86, and you can get the German’s base card for 18,000 coins on PS4 and 21,000 on Xbox One. His 86 Champions League rating costs 64,500 on PS4 and 74,000 on Xbox One.
Federico Fazio (OVR 82 – IF 84)
Roma are struggling this season, currently down in sixth place in Serie A, but a 3-2 victory over Genoa should be a springboard for getting into the top four. Centre back Federico Fazio scored at the Stadio Olimpico, meaning the gap between them and fourth-placed AC Milan is just two points.
The Argentine Fazio’s 82 card could improve to 84 this week, and you can pick up his base card in Ultimate Team for 900 coins on PS4 and 900 on Xbox One. An 83 Champions League item will set you back 5,000 on PS4 and 5,400 on Xbox One.
Daley Blind (OVR 79 – SIF 84)
The star of the weekend has to be Daley Blind. Yes, Ajax may have won 8-0 against De Graafschap, but a centre back scoring a hat-trick is just a ridiculous feat. All three goals were scored from open play, with the Dutch international first smashing one in from close to 30 yards, before getting on the end of two crosses.
Former Manchester United man Blind should see his 79 rating hit 84 at the very least, with the defender costing 800 coins on PS4 and 700 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team. His 80 rated Champions League card is worth 1,500 on PS4 and 2,000 on Xbox One, with his 82 in-form from TOTW 8 setting you back 16,750 on PS4 and 16,000 on Xbox One.
Xherdan Shaqiri (OVR 81 – IF 84)
What an impact Xherdan Shaqiri had off the bench for Liverpool against Manchester United. The Swiss international was given a free role to do as much damage as possible for the home side, and within ten minutes of coming on he had two goals to his name.
That brace for Shaqiri should see his 81 overall climb to a deserving in-form 84. The £13.5 million summer arrival from Stoke costs 1,300 coins on PS4 and 1,400 on Xbox One, with his 82 Champions League card worth 6,800 on PS4 and 9,600 on Xbox One. The right winger’s 82 Ultimate Scream will set you back 71,000 on PS4 and 82,000 on Xbox One.
Luka Milivojevic (OVR 79 – IF 82)
Crystal Palace picked up their first victory without Wilfried Zaha (who was injured) since September 2016 in the 1-0 win over Leicester at the weekend. The Eagles had to work hard without the Ivorian on the pitch, and they got what they deserved with captain Luka Milivojevic’s stunning strike to claim the three points.
Serbian international Milivojevic could improve from a 79 to an 82 rating this week, with the defensive midfielder costing 700 coins on both consoles in FUT.
Pablo Sarabia (OVR 81 – SIF 85)
With a shortage of midfield options this week, the door is open for Pablo Sarabia to claim a second in-form card of the season. The Sevilla man scored in the 2-0 victory over Girona, as his side continue their exceptional start to the campaign, in second place in La Liga just three points behind Barcelona.
Sarabia’s strike should see his 81 overall improve to 85 with his position moving from right to central midfield, and you can pick up his base card for 700 coins on both consoles. His 84 CM in-form costs 29,250 on PS4 and 36,000 on Xbox One.
Hakim Ziyech (OVR 82 – SIF 86)
Back to Ajax, Hakim Ziyech also bagged a hat-trick in that 8-0 thrashing. The Moroccan’s stock in Europe is growing, and you wonder how much longer he can stay in the Eredivisie for.
Attacking midfielder Ziyech should move out to the right-hand side this week, with is 82 overall reaching a second in-form of 86. His base card is worth 750 coins on both consoles with an 83 Champions League rating costing 2,800 on PS4 and 2,900 on Xbox One. His 84 left midfield in-form card from TOTW 10 is priced around 22,000 on both consoles.
Gabriel Jesus (OVR 83 – IF 85)
Gabriel Jesus has his mojo back, as shown by his well-taken brace for Manchester City against Everton. The Brazilian is one of the game’s great poachers, and he punished some defensive errors by the Toffees to keep City putting the pressure on Premier League front runners Liverpool.
Jesus’s 83 overall rating should rise to 85 this week, with his base card worth 5,200 on PS4 and 5,100 on Xbox One. An 84 Champions League item costs 67,000 on PS4 and 69,000 on Xbox One.
Antoine Griezmann (OVR 89 – IF 90)
After a remarkable summer winning the World Cup, Antoine Griezmann has gone under the radar this season, but the Atletico Madrid star is still a fantastic player. The Frenchman reminded us of that this week, with two goals and an assist in Atletico Madrid’s hectic 3-2 victory over Real Valladolid.
Striker Griezmann should improve from 89 to 90 on Ultimate Team, with his base card valued at 233,000 coins on PS4 and 190,000 on Xbox One. His 90 Champions League rating is worth 399,000 on PS4 and 390,000 on Xbox One, with a 90 TOTGS costing 513,000 on PS4 and 460,000 on Xbox One. He has a third UCL card, with Road to the Final item priced at 1.2 million on both consoles.
Lionel Messi (OVR 94 – IF 95)
Lionel Messi’s two free kicks last week didn’t earn him a spot in the TOTW due to his appearance in the Champions League Team of the Group Stage, but there will be no denying him after a hat trick this week. Not only that, a further two assists meant Messi was directly involved in all Barcelona’s goals in the 5-0 drubbing of Levante.
Messi’s 94 rating will only creep up by one to 95, with his card valued at 888,000 on PS4 and 845,000 on Xbox One. His 95 Champions League item costs 1.4 million on PS4 and 1.5 million on Xbox One, with his RW Team of the Group Stage card setting you back 1.6 million on PS4 and 2.2 million on Xbox One.
RealSport's TOTW 14 prediction
