We are entering the final quarter of the season and there is serious jockeying for league positions across Europe. In the Premier League, Manchester United took a massive step towards securing Champions League football with a military 2-1 win over Chelsea, and the Liverpool goal scoring machine showed no signs of letting up in a 4-1 victory against West Ham.
The goals flowed in Spain with Real Madrid scoring seven times across two games, Barcelona defeating Girona 6-1 and Atletico Madrid romping to a 5-2 win over Sevilla. In Italy, AC Milan picked up a surprise victory at The Olimpico over Roma, blowing the race for European football wide open. It was a much quieter affair in the Bundesliga, with even Bayern Munich stumbling to a 0-0 draw with Hertha Berlin, and Paris Saint Germain extended their lead in Ligue 1 to 14 points with a 3-0 victory over Marseille.
There were some superb individual performances across Europe this week, so who has done enough to earn themselves a spot in the FIFA 18 Team of the Week? The squad of 23 players will be released at 6pm GMT on Wednesday, February 28 and those selected will receive an inform ratings boost on Ultimate Team. The players can be challenged in single player mode for a coin boost, and you can find them in packs in the FUT store or bought individually on the transfer market.
Rune Jarstein (OVR 82 – IF 85)
To get anything from a clash with Bayern Munich takes something special, and Hertha Berlin have goalkeeper Rune Jarstein to thank for their 0-0 draw at the Allianz Arena. The Norwegian made six saves on route to a point, which keeps Hertha seven points away from the relegation places.
Jarstein’s performance is worthy of a stats increase of three this week, which would take his rating to 85. His 82 gold card costs just 750 coins on PS4 and 900 on Xbox One on Ultimate Team.
Davide Calabria (OVR 73 – IF 79)
AC Milan kept their impressive run of form going with a superb 2-0 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Davide Calabria grabbed the second with a give-and-go with Suso followed by a delicate dinked finish, taking Milan to 12 games unbeaten and their fifth win on the trot.
Right back Calabria should receive a boost of six to a gold 79 card this week, with his normal 73 silver rating priced at 700 coins on PS4 and 800 on Xbox One.
Mile Skriniar (OVR 80 – IF 83)
A recent recipient of a stats boost in the FUT Ratings Refresh, Mile Skriniar showed his quality in Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over Benevento. The Slovakian was named man of the match for his goal, heading home from a corner, and disciplined performance at the back, with the visitors limited to just one shot on target.
Centre back Skriniar new 80 overall rating should now hit 83, and you can get his gold card for 900 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One. His old 74 maximum silver rating is actually more expensive, costing 1,200 on PS4 and 1,500 on Xbox One.
Adam Smith (OVR 73 – IF 78)
Over in the Premier League, Adam Smith came off the bench to grab an important goal for Bournemouth. The right back pulled the game back to 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining, before Dan Gosling snatched the equaliser in the 89th minute. The draw gives The Cherries a five-point gap from the relegation zone, and they should be safe given they lie in 11th place.
Smith’s 73 overall rating could become a gold 78 this week, and his normal silver card will set you back 2,500 coins on PS4 and as much as 4,200 on Xbox One.
Mattia Valoti (OVR 68 – IF 80)
Hellas Verona picked up a vital three points in their fight for survival against Torino. Central midfielder Mattia Valoti grabbed both goals which takes them within two points of safety, setting up a grandstand end to the season with 12 games to go.
Valoti’s 68 overall could travel to a superb 80 this week, and his normal silver card is valued at 1,400 coins on PS4 and 1,800 on Xbox One.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (OVR 83 – SIF 87)
One of the finest midfielders in Europe at the moment, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic added to his glowing reputation with a brace for Lazio at the weekend. The Serbian starred in the 3-0 victory over Sassuolo, backing up his recent Ratings Refresh stats boost.
The central midfielder’s performance should see his new 83 rating hit 87 this week, with his gold card priced at 7,100 coins on PS4 and 6,600 on Xbox One. His original 80 rating will cost 1,300 on PS4 and 1,700 on Xbox One, with an 84 in form setting you back 60,500 on PS4 and 48,000 on Xbox One. The Manchester United target also has an 86 in form card, costing a massive 215,000 coins on PS4 and 192,000 on Xbox One.
Lucas Deaux (OVR 76 – IF 83)
The midfield backbone of our side is Lucas Deaux, who grabbed both of Guingamp’s goals in the 2-2 draw with Metz. The defensive midfielder first slotted home Yannis Salibur’s through ball and then snatched a point for his side with a tap-in from a corner.
Deaux’s display could take his 76 overall rating to an 83 in form on Wednesday. His normal card will only set you back 400 coins on PS4 and 500 on Xbox One.
Rony Lopes (OVR 77 – SIF 83)
Monaco may have dropped points in their 3-3 draw with Toulouse, but the performance of Rony Lopes was a shining light. The Portuguese scored two goals, firstly calmly putting the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs when one-on-one and then smashing in a rebound off the post.
Lopes should switch from right to left midfield this week, with his 77 overall travelling to an 83 super in form rating. His normal card is priced at 400 coins on PS4 and 600 on Xbox One, with his 81 in form costing 13,000 on PS4 and 14,500 on Xbox One.
Glenn Murray (OVR 73 – IF 81)
Brighton aided their Premier League survival hopes massively with a 4-1 win over the in form Swansea. Striker Glenn Murray was the star, scoring twice, helping the Seagulls up to 12th place in the table and four points clear of the relegation places.
The English forward should receive a healthy increase for the Team of the Week, and we expect his 73 overall rating to reach 81. His normal card will set you back 450 coins on PS4 and 550 on Xbox One.
Luis Suarez (OVR 92 – SIF 95)
The performance of the weekend no doubt came from Luis Suarez, who claimed a hat trick and set up two more in Barcelona’s 6-1 thumping of Girona. With Neymar leaving in the summer, Suarez has formed a deadly strike partnership with Lionel Messi this season, with the little Argentine assisting one of Suarez’s goals and grabbing two for himself.
Uruguay striker Suarez has a 92 overall rating on Ultimate Team, and this will more than likely receive an in form boost to 95 this week. That normal card will cost you 355,000 coins on PS4 and 300,000 on Xbox One, with a 93 in form priced at 665,000 on PS4 and 590,000 on Xbox One. His incredible 94 in form card is worth 909,000 coins on PS4 and 810,000 on Xbox One.
Antoine Griezmann (OVR 88 – SIF 91)
Completing our Team of the Week is Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid forward also hit a hat trick in the 5-2 win over Sevilla and assisted his teammates twice. The victory keeps Atletico Madrid in the title race, seven points behind Barcelona, but don’t rule out Los Colchoneros just yet, who are on a seven-game winning streak in all competitions.
Griezmann’s 88 overall rating should rise to 91 this week, with his normal card priced at 116,000 coins on PS4 and 90,000 on Xbox One. The Frenchman’s 89 attacking midfield card will cost 551,000 on PS4 and 529,000 on Xbox One and his 90 rated European Man of the Match item will set you back around 750,000 coins on both consoles.
RealSport’s TOTW 24 prediction
Who do you think will make the Team of the Week? Let us know in the comments section below.
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