Who to pick for the Champions League Fantasy in the second round

Today and tomorrow the matches of the second round of the group stage of the Champions League 2026/27 will be played. And we are ready to give some advice and help answer the question: “Who to pick in the Champions League Fantasy for the second round?”. Let's consider the most optimal options for each line and position on the field.

Best goalkeeper for Champions League Fantasy for the 2nd round

Optimal choice. David Raya (Arsenal)

The Spaniard is one of the most reliable goalkeepers of recent seasons, and Arsenal's defense is a hallmark of quality in modern football. The Londoners host the modest French Lille at home and have very good chances to keep a clean sheet.

Backup options. Manuel Neuer (Bayern) and Alisson (Liverpool)

Bayern play against a Champions League debutant – the Norwegian Viking and will most likely not concede any goals to this team. However, it is not certain that Neuer will start in goal for this game, especially considering his mistake in the last Bundesliga match.

As for Alisson, his team also plays against a weak opponent – the Austrian club LASK. However, the away status of the match and Liverpool's defensive instability make the choice of the Brazilian goalkeeper less reliable in our view than choosing David Raya from Arsenal.

Best defender for Champions League Fantasy for the 2nd round

Optimal choice. Joao Cancelo (Barcelona)

The Portuguese defender actively and effectively contributes to the attack this season – he already has 1 goal and 1 assist across all competitions, including a specific “assist” in the Champions League. Against Galatasaray, whose defense is not the most reliable, Cancelo can bring his Fantasy owners a lot of points.

Backup options. Xavi Espart (Barcelona), Alphonso Davies and Nathaniel Brown (Bayern)

Espart this season has earned 3 points under the “goal + assist” system (1 goal and 2 assists), while Davies and Brown have 1 goal + 2 assists and 2 goals respectively. The only concern in selecting all three players is the possible rotation of the squad. However, the opponents – both for Barcelona and Bayern – are quite suitable for full‑backs who like to join attacks regularly, bringing points to their Fantasy owners.

Best midfielder for Champions League Fantasy for the 2nd round

Optimal choice. Michael Olise (Bayern)

Frenchman, already tallying 8 goals and 3 assists across all competitions this season, is unequivocally the best option for Champions League Fantasy for the second round. If the head coach for any reason does not let Olise rest (and doing so now would be very strange), then against an opponent of the level of the Norwegian Viking, Olise is bound to improve his statistics and deliver many points.

Overall – Olise could even be tried as captain in the Champions League Fantasy for this round. And most importantly – Bayern play their match on Tuesday, so in case of force majeure their players can be swapped on Wednesday for other footballers, thanks to the substitution rules in the Champions League Fantasy.

Backup options. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Lamin Yamal and Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)

All four are high‑priced players in the Fantasy Champions League, but in the upcoming round you can and should expect useful actions and goal‑involving contributions from each of them. For Wirtz and the Barcelona pair, the opponents are weaker, so scoring goals and providing assists may be easier for them.

As for Kvaratskhelia, it is worth thinking longer before picking the Georgian for your Fantasy roster, since in the first round Luis Enrique didn't field Khvicha at all, and in the second his opponent is Manchester City. Nevertheless, there is a suggestion that Kvaratskhelia could have a strong match in the second round of the Champions League.

Best striker for Champions League Fantasy for the 2nd round

Optimal choice. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Everything that was written above about Michael Olise generally also applies to Kane this week of the Champions League. Harry, who successfully made it into the England national team and broke there the record for the number of matches as part of the Three Lions, is having another great season with a large number of goals. The Viking is an excellent opponent to add another 2-3 goals to his collection.

Backup options. Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) and Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona)

Thuram and Inter will have a home match against Brugge, in which the Milanese are quite capable of scoring a lot of goals, and the French striker could become a notable participant in this process.

As for Adeyemi, he is expected in the starting lineup of Barça for the match against Galatasaray, as Rafinha is currently having health problems. It is clear that goals are expected from the Catalans in Istanbul, and why not have Karim record one, or even a couple of them on his tally?

Overall, the optimal lineup for the 2nd round of the Champions League we presented for you in a special table below. You can copy it, or you can slightly optimise it using your own “managerial” decisions.

As you can see, playing Fantasy Champions League in the second round we suggest using the tactical formation “3-5-2”. Thanks to it we can obtain more points from attacking-position players, primarily from wing‑backs.