Captaincy options ahead of Dream Team Euros Matchday 4 – Alvaro Morata to feast against Georgia?
DREAM TEAM EUROS managers essentially have a clean slate ahead of Matchday 4 with unlimited transfers available to all before the round of 16.
Once gaffers have forged their ideal XI, they will have to decide which player to captain (and vice captain) with a view to maximising their returns.
With that in mind, let’s analyse some of the most tempting captaincy options for Matchday 4.
Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m)
France’s No10 is likely to be the most-selected skipper come Saturday’s 4pm deadline.
Les Bleus will arguably be part of the most-difficult fixture to predict when they take on Belgium but some players are immune to the schedule’s fluctuations and Mbappe comfortably qualifies.
The prolific forward underlined his pedigree in Matchday 3 when he plundered 18 points against Poland via a goal, five shots on target and five bonus points – the best haul among all assets so far.
In fact, Mbappe averages 13 points-per-game this summer, the highest rate in Dream Team Euros.
Didier Deschamps’ side have only mustered two goals in Germany to date but their underlying numbers suggests they’re problem is chance conversion, rather than chance creation.
No team generated more xG across the first three Matchdays and they registered the same number of shots (47) as Spain.
Simply put, France could easily jump up a level or two and who better to capitalise than Mbappe?
Alvaro Morata (£5.5m)
Spain have been the pick of the teams at the tournament having dominated their group (a tough one at that with Italy, Croatia and Albania for company) without conceding a goal.
This record coupled with a favourable last 16 match-up, with all due respect to Georgia, means La Roja assets are immensely appealing ahead of Matchday 4.
Morata has a reputation as a striker who blows hot and cold but he’s looked sharp enough so far – he took Croatia and Italy for 19 points across the first two Matchdays.
Spain’s captain has the luxury of being flanked by Lamine Yamal (£4m) and Nico Williams (£4m), two exciting young wingers who endeavour to put the ball into the box at every opportunity.
Morata is not everyone’s cup of tea but he leads the line for the best team at the tournament on current form and so he’s clearly a captaincy candidate.
Jamal Musiala (£4.5m)
Germany’s No10 is currently the most-popular player in Dream Team Euros with a massive ownership of 56.4%.
The 21-year-old was more subdued against Switzerland but he dazzled against Scotland and Hungary with a goal against each among some mesmeric dribbles.
Musiala has 27 points to his name at present, four more than the next-best midfielder, and his ability to earn bonus points on top of his goal/assist threat puts him in the captaincy conversation.
The hosts will meet Denmark in the last 16 and there’s a chance Christian Eriksen (£3m) and company will be caught cold against a dynamic opponent having slugged it out in a comparatively slow Group C alongside England, Serbia and Slovenia.
See also: Ilkay Gundogan (£4m)
Cody Gakpo (£4m)
Netherlands finished third in Group D but they won’t be complaining about a last 16 meeting with Romania on the more favourable side of the draw.
Ronald Koeman has problems to solve but Gakpo has been a shining left on the left flank, as evidenced his total of 32 points.
Goals against Poland and Austria only tell half the story; he earned the maximum of five bonus points against the former and has picked up tackle points in all three outings.
Whether the Oranje have the makings of a team capable of going deep at this tournament remains to be seen but Dream Team Euros bosses should only concern themselves with individual returns and Gakpo has delivered in spades across the first three Matchdays.
Elsewhere, many gaffers will be stirred by the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m) against Slovenia in a knockout environment but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s failure to score from three starts in the group stage is a slight concern.
Those keen on Portugal might be better off backing Bruno Fernandes (£6m) or targeting a clean sheet through Joao Cancelo (£4.5m), who often occupies advanced positions.
Good luck to those captaining either Harry Kane (£7.5m) or Jude Bellingham (£6m) – you might need it if England’s last outing is anything to go by.