2019 is here! We look forward to a new year, and the football that comes with it, but first we must look back at the last week’s footballing action. France, Germany, Holland and Spain are all on their winter breaks, meaning that for the FIFA 19 Team of the Week, this time around we are only looking at players from the English Premier League and Italian Serie A.
A squad of 23 players will be released at 6pm on Wednesday, January 2nd 2019 on Ultimate Team, and you can challenge them for a squad bonus. If you want the players for yourself, you can find them in packs from the FUT Store. Alternatively, you can buy and sell them on the transfer market.
RealSport looks at who could make the starting lineup from the action over the past seven days.
Neil Etheridge (OVR 72 – IF 79)
Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has been the club’s best player this season, with the Filipino producing two fine displays this week. First, he made six saves in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace before saving a penalty (his third of the season) in the 1-0 win over Leicester. The results leave the Bluebirds in 16th place, three points above the relegation zone.
Etheridge’s 72 overall rating should now rise to a strong in-form 79 card. His silver item is valued at 700 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One.
Ricardo Pereira (OVR 81 – IF 83)
Potentially a fantastic selection for the Team of the Week given his popularity on FUT, Ricardo Pereira’s strike against Manchester City should see him make the side this week. The right back fired in from 25 yards against the Champions in a 2-1 win for Leicester, capping a fine first half of the season for the Portuguese international.
Ricardo’s base 81 card should improve to an in-form 83 this week, and you can get his normal gold rating for 1,300 coins on PS4 and 1,800 on Xbox One.
Nicolas N’Koulou (OVR 80 – IF 83)
Over to Italy now, with Torino centre half Nicolas N’Koulou scoring in a 3-0 victory over Empoli. The Cameroonian rose highest from a corner to head his side in front, with the three points taking Il Toro to ninth in Serie A.
N’Koulou’s goal and clean sheet should see his 80 OVR improve to an in-form score of 83. The defender’s base card is priced at 800 coins on PS4 and 900 on Xbox One.
Lucas Digne (OVR 78 – IF 82)
Everton bounced back superbly following their 6-2 defeat at the hands of Tottenham, by thumping Premier League strugglers Burnley 5-1. Lucas Digne was the star for the Toffees, with the left back scoring twice to keep them in the top half of the Premier League.
Digne’s strikes should see his 78 overall rating climb to an in-form 82 at least, with the Frenchman costing 850 coins on PS4 and 700 on Xbox One.
Cengiz Under (OVR 77 – IF 81)
Cengiz Under is one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, and the Turkish starlet showed exactly that over two games for Roma this week. The right winger first picked up an assist in the 3-0 win over Sassuolo, before netting himself and setting up another in the 2-0 victory against Parma.
Under’s 77 overall should improve to 81 as a result, with his base card in Ultimate Team costing 750 coins on PS4 and 550 on Xbox One. His 78 Champions League item will set you back 1,400 coins on PS4 and 1,300 on Xbox One.
Christian Eriksen (OVR 88 – SIF 90)
Although Spurs lost their final game of 2018 to Wolves, during midweek they were well on song in the 6-2 demolition of Everton. Christian Eriksen doesn’t get enough credit with the superstars of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son ahead of him, but the Dane notched a goal and grabbed an assist in what has been a fantastic first half of the season for Tottenham.
Eriksen’s 88 overall rating should rise to a second in-form card of 90, with his position also moving from attacking to central midfield. His base card costs 92,000 coins on PS4 and 88,000 on Xbox One, whilst his 89 Champions League item will set you back 202,000 on PS4 and 207,000 on Xbox One. His central midfield in-form card from TOTW 11 costs 305,000 on PS3 and 330,000 on Xbox One, and a 90-rated UCL Road to the Final card (which improves after each Champions League round) is valued at 375,000 on PS4 and 370,000 on Xbox One.
Roberto Firmino (OVR 86 – IF 88)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has the task of getting Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all on to the pitch, and it guarantees goals. Firmino has dropped back into an attacking midfield role, and he scored his first Anfield goals of the season with a hat trick in the 5-1 win over Arsenal.
Firmino’s position should move from centre forward to CAM this week, and we expect his 86 overall to improve to an in-form 88 at least. The Brazilian’s base card is worth around 37,000 coins on both consoles, with his 87 Champions League item requiring 145,000 on PS4 and 150,000 on Xbox One.
Cristiano Ronaldo (OVR 94 – IF 95)
Could it be? We may just be in for the first in-form Cristiano Ronaldo of the season to kick-start 2019. The Portuguese superstar saved his side twice this week, coming off the bench to earn Juventus a 2-2 draw with Atalanta, and then netting both goals in a 2-1 victory over Sampdoria.
Ronaldo’s 94 rating is likely to just creep up to 95 this week, but his position may just move striker to let wing. The forward’s base card costs 2.4 million coins on PS4 and 2.1 million on Xbox One, with his Ones to Watch card (improving with each in-form card) is valued at 4.5 million on PS4 and 4.2 million on Xbox One. His 95 Champions League item costs 3.1 million on PS4 and 3 million on Xbox One.
Josip Ilicic (OVR 81 – SIF 85)
Josip Ilicic is a very underrated player in Serie A, with the forward in line for his second in-form card of the season. The Slovenian bagged a hat trick as Atalanta defeated Sassuolo 6—2, doubling his return this season to six goals.
Ilicic’s 81 overall rating will reach at least 85 if he makes the TOTW for the second time. The centre forward’s base card is worth 900 coins on both consoles whilst his 84 in-form from TOTW 6 will set you back 37,000 on PS4 and 36,250 on Xbox One.
Marcus Rashford (OVR 81 – IF 84)
With Paul Pogba ineligible for the Team of the Week, the Manchester United representative could be Marcus Rashford. The forward picked up a goal and assist in the 4-1 win over Bournemouth, meaning the Red Devils have now scored 12 goals over the three games that club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been in charge for.
Rashford’s 81 overall should improve to an in-form 84 this week, and his position should move from left wing to striker. His base card is priced at 2,000 coins on PS4 and 3,500 on Xbox One, with his 82 Champions League item costing 28,250 on PS4 and 35,500 on Xbox One.
Eden Hazard (OVR 91 – SIF 93)
We finish with a superstar, with Eden Hazard almost single-handedly taking down Watford in midweek. His Chelsea side held on for a 2-1 victory, with Hazard scoring both goals and winning the penalty that he converted himself. It’s 12 goals and nine assists for the Belgian so far this season, but it looks increasingly likely that he will join Real Madrid next summer.
Hazard’s 91 overall rating should improve from 91 to an in-form 93, and we expect his LW positioning to move to CF. His base card costs 308,000 coins on PS4 and 284,000 on Xbox One, with a 92 in-form from TOTW 1 costing 685,000 on PS4 and 599,000 on Xbox One.
RealSport’s TOTW 16 prediction
