The domestic run-ins are gathering pace, with the many of Europe’s top divisions having two rounds of fixtures this week. With league titles, European places and top-flight survival to play for, some of football’s top stars produced the goods.
It’s advantage Liverpool in the Premier League title race, with Manchester City featuring in the FA Cup semi-finals. A 3-1 win over Southampton takes the Reds top, and the top four battle was opened up by Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Everton.
Over in Germany, one of the biggest Klassikers took place in recent history, with Bayern Munich’s 5-0 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund taking them top of the Bundesliga and gives them momentum for the run-in.
Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid midweek edged them closer to the league title in Spain, but a thrilling 4-4 draw against Villarreal perhaps shows complacency is creeping in. As for Italy, Juventus are homing in on the Scudetto with wins this week over both Cagliari (2-0) and AC Milan (2-1).
So out of the weekend’s actions, which players deserve a spot in the FIFA Ultimate Team of the Week? A squad of 23 in-for players will be released at 6pm BST on FUT this Wednesday, with the team able to be challenged for a coin bonus. You can get these boosted items in packs for the FUT store, or buy and sell them individually from the transfer market.
RealSport looks at who could be in the frame for the starting 11 this week.
Pau Lopez (OVR 82 – IF 84)
Real Betis defeated Villarreal 2-1 in La Liga, but despite Giovani Lo Celso’s brace, it was goalkeeper Pau Lopez who takes the plaudits. The stopper denied Villarreal’s Santi Cazorla form the penalty spot in the 89th minute to take the points for Betis and lift them to ninth in the table.
Lopez’s 82 overall should improve to an 84 in-form rating this week, with his base card priced at 750 coins on both PS4 and Xbox One on Ultimate Team.
Ezequiel Garay (OVR 82 – IF 84)
Valencia picked up a big 2-1 win over Real Madrid, and it was former Real man Ezequiel Garay who came back to haunt Los Blancos. The centre back bagged the second goal for his side at the Mestalla, taking Los Che to sixth in the division.
Garay’s goal should take his 82 overall up to around 84 this week, with his base card priced 750 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One. An 83 rated Champions League item is worth 6,800 on PS4 and 10,000 on Xbox One.
Phil Jagielka (OVR 78 – IF 81)
Phi Jagielka has been Everton’s fourth-choice centre back this season behind Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina, but he was given a rare opportunity against Arsenal. The club captain got the only goal in the 1-0, with the Toffees enjoying a late return to form in the Premier League run-in.
Former England international Jagielka should rise from 78 to an in-form 81 on Ultimate Team, with his base card able to be picked up for 650 coins on PS4 and 950 on Xbox One.
Dante (OVR 80 – SIF 85)
It was a similar tale for Nice centre back Dante, with the former Brazil defender bagging the only goal in a 1-0 win over Montpellier in Ligue 1. The three points see Les Algions move up to seventh in the table, just three points off a European spot.
Dante’s 80 overall should improve to a second in-form of 85, and you can claim his base card on Ultimate Team for 700 coins on PS4 and 500 on Xbox One. Hs 83 in-form card from TOTW 22 is worth 36,500 on PS4 and 39,000 on Xbox One.
Serge Gnabry (OVR 82 – SIF 86)
Robert Lewandowski was perhaps the star in Bayern Munich’s Der Klassiker clash against Borussia Dortmund, but Serge Gnabry was just as influential. The German international scored one and assisted another in the 5-0 win, taking the champions top of the table.
Gnabry’s performance is likely to see him receive a second in-form card of the season, and his position should move from left to right midfield. His base card worth 1,700 coins on PS4 and 2,000 on Xbox One, with an 83 Champions League item costing 18,000 on PS4 and 19,250 on Xbox One. An 84 in-form from TOTW 12 will set you back 79,500 on PS4 and 63,500 on Xbox One.
Jordan Henderson (OVR 82 – IF 84)
Jordan Henderson faces plenty of critics, but the Liverpool skipper showed what sort of impact he can make in the 3-1 win over Southampton. The defensive midfielder came off the bench at 1-1, going on to score one and set up another, taking the Reds top of the table.
Henderson’s 82 overall rating should move to an in-form 84, with his base card costing 1,100 coins on PS4 and 1,200 on Xbox One. An 83 Champions League item will set you back 13,000 on PS4 and 19,000 on Xbox One.
Nani (OVR 80 – SIF 85)
Nani’s switch to Orlando City from Sporting Lisbon went under the radar this winter, with the Portuguese star starting to show his class in the MLS. The former Manchester United man scored two goals in the 4-3 win over Colorado Rapids, taking Orlando up to sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Nani has an 80 overall rating on Ultimate Team, which should rise to a second in-form 85 this week with his positioning moving from LW to CAM. His base card costs 700 coins on PS4 and 700 on Xbox One, with his 83 in-form from when he was at Sporting worth 41,750 on PS4 and no recent sales on Xbox One.
Ivan Perisic (OVR 86 – IF 88)
Inter Milan bounced back from their loss to Lazio with a 4-0 demolition of Genoa, and it was Croatia’s Ivan Perisic who was the main man. The left midfielder scored one and picked up an assist to take the Nerazzurri back to winning ways, keeping them third in Serie A.
Perisic’s 86 base card should improve to an 88 in-form, with his normal rating costing 22,250 coins on PS4 and 24,000 on Xbox One. An 87 Champions League item will set you back 49,750 on PS4 and 51,500 on Xbox One, with a live Europe League card worth 153,000 on PS4 and 135,000 on Xbox One.
Jamie Vardy (OVR 82 – SIF 86)
Jamie Vardy looks back to his best under new Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, with the former England man bagging a brace in the 4-1 win over the already relegated Huddersfield. The Foxes jump up to seventh in the Premier League, which could claim Europa League football at the season’s end.
Vardy’s 82 overall rating should improve to a second in-form card of 86 this week, with his base card requiring 1,600 coins on PS4 and 2,000 on Xbox One. An 84 in-form from TOTW 26 will set you back 59,500 on PS4 and 61,000 on Xbox One.
Karim Benzema (OVR 85 – SIF 88)
Karim Benzema has been one of few consistent Real Madrid performers this season, with the Frenchman taking his tally for the season to 26 in all competitions after his brace against Eibar. The 2-1 win still doesn’t mean a lot for Zinedine Zidane’s Real, with competition for places for next season the only thing to play for.
Benzema’s 85 overall is set to increase to an 88 second in-form this week, and you can claim his base card for 14,000 coins on PS4 and 14,500 on Xbox One. An 87 in-form from TOTW 20 costs 63,500 on PS4 and 64,000 on Xbox One with an 89 Champions League item setting you back 139,000 on PS4 and 160,000 on Xbox One.
Andrea Belotti (OVR 82 – TIF 87)
Andrea Belotti put himself in the shop window once again this week, with the 25-year-old scoring twice for Torino in a 2-1 win over Sampdoria. The Italian now has 12 league goals this campaign, and you wonder how many he could rack up if he was playing for a quality side in European competition.
Belotti should see his 82 base card rise to a third in-form of 87 with the TOTW, and you can pick up his base card for 900 coins on PS4 and 1,100 on Xbox One. His 86 second in-form card costs 70,000 on PS4 and 67,500 on Xbox One.
RealSport’s TOTW 30 prediction
