It’s Christmas! RealSport brings you the contenders for the FIFA 19 Team of the Week for the holiday period. It’s the time of year to give presents, to spend time with those closest to you and above all, see who tops the tree in the big five divisions across Europe.
It has been a fantastic festive period for Liverpool, who not only reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, but they have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points following a 2-0 victory over Wolves and Manchester City’s shock loss at home to Crystal Palace.
Borussia Dortmund also suffered a surprise defeat, falling to newly promoted side Fortuna Dusseldorf in midweek, but bounced back to beat Borussia Monchengladbach, ensuring they have a six-point lead in the Bundesliga at Christmas.
With Real Madrid away at the FIFA Club World Cup, the door was open for Barcelona to keep their march on in La Liga, with a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo meaning they still top the table by three points.
Joining Liverpool as the only unbeaten sides in Europe’s top five leagues are Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, who both picked up 1-0 wins over Roma and Nantes, respectively.
So who could make the most festive edition of the Team of the Week. RealSport looks at the starting 11 contenders that will be released on Wednesday, December 26 at 6pm GMT. You can challenge the 23-man squad for a coin bonus on Ultimate Team, or look to get the in-form players for your team in packs from the FUT store. Alternatively, you can buy and sell them on the transfer market.
Kasper Schmeichel (OVR 84 – IF 86)
Due to Crystal Palace’s upset over Manchester City, and Andros Townsend’s wonder goal in it, Leicester City’s 1-0 away at Chelsea went under the radar. The result looks to have dumped the Blues out of the title race, and Leicester (as well as the current title contenders) have goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to thank. The Dane may have been helped out by the woodwork twice, but he still made six saves to hold on to the victory.
Schmeichel’s 84 overall could rise to an in-form 86 this week, and you can sign the son of Peter Schmeichel for around 4,000 coins on both consoles on Ultimate Team.
Cristiano Piccini (OVR 78 – IF 82)
Over in Spain, and Cristiano Piccini was the unlikely hero for Valencia against Huesca. The right back grabbed a 94th minute winner to steal a 2-1 victory for his side, and lift Los Che up to eight position in the table after a tricky start to the season.
The Italian Piccini could now see his 78 base card improve to an in-form 82. You can pick up the defender’s normal rating for just under 1,000 coins on both consoles, whilst his 79 Champions League item is worth 1,000 on PS4 and 1,700 on Xbox One.
Francesco Acerbi (OVR 82 – IF 84)
Another Italian in the form of Francesco Acerbi, the Lazio defender picked up a goal for himself in Lazio’s 3-1 win over Cagliari. After missing out on Champions League football so narrowly last season, Le Aquile are in the top four as things stand, but have six sides all within three points of them snapping at their heels.
Acerbi’s goal could see his 82 normal rating climb to an in-form 84 this week. You can pick up the centre back’s base card for 800 coins on PS4 and 850 on Xbox One.
Raul Albiol (OVR 84 – IF 86)
Completing the defence, we have another Serie A based centre back, with Raul Albiol grabbing the only goal in a 1-0 win for Napoli. The Spaniard headed in Dries Mertens’ corner, leaving Carlo Ancelotti’s side as the only possible contender to the unbeaten Juventus, despite trailing the champions by eight points.
Albiol’s already strong 84 rating should creep up to 86 this week, and you buy his base card for 5,400 coins on PS4 and 6,700 on Xbox One. His 85 Champions League item costs 14,000 on PS4 and 16,000 on Xbox One.
Jesse Lingard (OVR 82 – IF 85)
Jesse Lingard was given the license to express himself under new Manchester United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, lining up in a fluid front three with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The England international scored twice and picked up an assist in the 5-1 thrashing over Cardiff City, the first time United have scored five since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Lingard’s performance should see him improve from 82 to an in-form 85 rating, as well as move from attacking midfield to right wing. His base card costs 1,200 coins on PS4 and 1,300 on Xbox One, with an 83 Champions League item worth 15,000 on PS4 and 19,500 on Xbox One. The midfielder also has an 86 UCL Road to the Final live card, which improves after each round of the competition, costing 152,000 coins on PS4 and 178,000 on Xbox One.
Paul Pogba (OVR 88 – IF 89)
Sticking with Manchester United, Paul Pogba also impressed as he was recalled to the starting lineup under new boss Solskjaer. The French World Cup winner picked up two assists, his first since October, as he looks to put a difficult start to the season behind him.
Pogba’s fantastic performance will only take his 88 overall up by one to 89, with the central midfielder priced at 378,000 coins on PS4 and 327,000 on Xbox One. His 89 Champions League card costs 580,000 on PS4 and 557,000 on Xbox One.
Mario Gotze (OVR 82 – IF 84)
It’s great to see Mario Gotze performing once again, and the German World Cup winner proved to be the difference in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach. The midfielder came off the bench for the injured Paco Alcacer after just 35 minutes and set up both his side’s goals in the victory.
Gotze’s 82 overall rating could rise to an in-form 84 this week, with his base card valued at just 1,000 coins on both consoles. An 83 Champions League item is worth 5,600 on both platforms.
Franck Ribery (OVR 85 – IF 87)
Another Bundesliga man, Franck Ribery showed his undeniable class with a brace in Bayern Munich’s in a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite falling behind in the title race earlier in the season, a run of five straight victories have brought Bayern back to within six points of Borussia Dortmund and back in the hunt.
Ribery’s 85 overall rating is likely to rise to an in-form 87 this week. His base card will set you back 15,000 coins on PS4 and 17,250 on Xbox One, whilst the left midfielder’s 86 Champions League card is worth 27,000 on PS4 and 29,000 on Xbox One.
Kai Havertz (OVR 79 – IF 83)
Staying in Germany, Kai Havertz is one of the brightest talents in the division, and he showed what he’s all about for Bayer Leverkusen against Hertha Berlin. The attacking midfielder stroked in a brace, to lift Die Werkself up to ninth in the table, recovering from a poor start to the campaign.
Havertz’s 79 overall will improve to around 83 if selected this week, and you can purchase his base card for 700 coins on PS4 and 860 on Xbox One. His 82 Europa League Team of the Group Stage item is worth 10,500 on both consoles.
Heung-Min Son (OVR 84 – IF 86)
Tottenham looked to be the third side in the top four to suffer defeat this week when they fell 1-0 down early on to Everton, but a sensational comeback ensured they won the game a resounding 6-2. This was led by Heung-Min Son playing in a striking role, picking up two goals and an assist.
The South Korean’s 84 overall should improve to an 86 in-form this week, with his base item priced at 16,000 coins on PS4 and 15,000 on Xbox One. An 85 Champions League item costs 90,000 on both consoles for the left midfielder.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (OVR 87 – SIF 89)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended a run of three league games without a goal, by netting a brace in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Burnley. The win draws the Gunners level with Chelsea in the table, and with an in-form striker on their books, you would back Unai Emery’s side to edge their London rivals out.
Aubameyang is in line for a second in-form card of the season, with his 87 overall set to rise to 89 this week. The Gabonese international’s base card costs 216,000 coins on PS4 and 200,000 on Xbox One, with an 88 in-form valued at 507,000 on PS4 and 490,000 on Xbox One.
RealSport’s TOTW 15 prediction
