TOTW 26 Predicted Starting XI
TOTW 26 looks to be a tad underwhelming, with a couple of big names having to be forced in to make it noteworthy. Headlining the prediction are Pulisic's comeback-inspired performance, Gyokeres continuing his goalscoring form, and yet another Barcelona IF with Putellas.
GK: Matthew Ryan (Lens) - 78 OVR -> 85 OVR:
There were a few goalkeeper candidates this week, with Henderson, Horn, and Ryan being the standout options. I have opted for the latter after he was awarded an 8/10 from L'Équipe, making him the keeper of the week in France for his six saves during Lens' 2-0 win over Marseille.
CB: Diego Llorente (Real Betis) - 77 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With Anthony missing out and then back-to-back snubs for Isco in favour of alternative Real Betis IFs, selecting their players has been a nightmare recently. With their continued form, another looks to be on the way, however, and that's Llorente, after he scored the only goal of the game as Betis beat Las Palmas.
CB: Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (Augsburg) - 76 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Augsburg became the latest side to record three points over Dortmund as their season continues to fall apart. Gouweleeuw scored the only goal of the game, earning Augsburg an impressive three points and claiming MOTM in the process with a 1.5 match rating.
LB: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) - 82 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Cucurella ended up missing out last week with EA opting for Nkunku instead. The Spaniard is in with a shout again this week, though, after he scored the only goal of the game, with Chelsea scraping three points at home to Leicester.
LM: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) - 83 OVR -> 88 OVR:
Pulisic has really improved since leaving Chelsea for AC Milan, with him arguably being their best player this season. They found themselves two goals behind to Lecce this weekend before a late turnaround. Pulisic scored twice, helping them take all three points.
CM: Marten de Roon (Atalanta) - 79 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Atalanta recording a 4-0 win away at Juventus this weekend was a real statement for where they are as a club and their title intentions this season. With such a convincing win, I can see EA opting to award them an IF. De Roon was named MOTM for his performance, which included scoring one of those four goals.
CM: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona) - 90 OVR -> 91 OVR:
EA are in desperate need of some big names to help promote this week's side, so I would expect to see a couple included that you usually wouldn't. Putellas was a fringe option for me, but with the need for big names, I moved her up the pecking order. She provided both a goal and an assist as Barcelona recorded a 4-1 win over Valencia.
LW: Bradley Barcola (PSG) - 80 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Considering the impressive numbers Barcola has recorded for PSG this season, it comes as a surprise that the talented Frenchman is still without an IF. That could be set to change on Wednesday after he supplied both a goal and an assist as PSG went on to beat Rennes 4-1.
LM: Klara Buhl (Munich) - 83 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With it only being the Spanish and German divisions in action for the female side this week, I would expect to see IFs from both. While the Spanish selections are relatively straightforward, the German one is not. Buhl is seemingly the best option, having provided a pair of assists during a 3-0 win over Koln.
ST: Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting) - 84 OVR -> 89 OVR:
Another player I have forced in to give this side some balance is Gyokeres. There were very few strikers who scored more than once this week, which increases the Swede's chances of selection. Sporting are starting to stabilise after that chaotic period post-Amorim and remain at the top of the table as a result, albeit much closer than before. Gyokeres scored twice during their latest victory, a 3-1 win over Casa Pia.
ST: Romelu Lukaku (Napoli) - 82 OVR -> 88 OVR:
Another player likely to benefit from the limited striker options is Lukaku. The Belgian was named MOTM after his goal and assist helped Napoli scrape a 2-1 win over Fiorentina. Gazzetta awarded Lukaku a 7.5 for his performance, which could easily be enough for his TIF.
TOTW 26 Predicted Subs & Reserves
LB: Manu Sanchez (Alaves) - 74 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Although the match rating for Sanchez was rather average considering the circumstances, I am happy to take the punt here. Sanchez scored early on to put the hosts ahead before they had to hold onto those points, with Sivera seeing red in the 58th minute. A strong defensive display ensured they held onto the points, securing the 1-0 win.
CM: Mauro Arambarri (Getafe) - 78 OVR -> 85 OVR:
A late double from Arambarri, scoring in both the 88th and 92nd minutes of the game, helped Getafe deliver a late shock for Atletico Madrid, with Getafe coming from behind to win 2-1. A straightforward selection here considering the magnitude of the result.
CM: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz) - 78 OVR -> 85 OVR:
More often than not, the Bundesliga Player of the Week will end up in EA's side. This week, that award went the way of Amiri, who was snubbed of a spot just a couple of weeks ago. This time around, he put in a similar display, with both a goal and an assist helping Mainz to a 3-1 away win over Gladbach.
LW: Bobby Kamwa (Newport County) - 61 OVR -> 87 OVR:
An 87-rated Newport County player seems ludicrous to me, but it's a reality we are likely to have come Wednesday with Bobby Kamwa bagging a treble for them as they beat Gillingham 3-1.
LM: Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest) - 77 OVR -> 85 OVR:
It's extremely rare to be struggling for options from the Premier League, but that was exactly the case this week with very few standing out. Hudson-Odoi, despite only scoring once, is probably the best option. It was a huge win for Forest, who beat City 1-0, solidifying their position in the top 4.
LM: Athenea (Real Madrid) - 82 OVR -> 86 OVR:
There were a couple of candidates from Real Madrid's 4-0 away win over Sevilla, with Redondo narrowly missing out after scoring twice. Instead, I feel that Athenea gets the nod for her goal and assist, as she claimed MOTM from the comfortable win.
ST: Jutgla (Club Brugge) - 74 OVR -> 86 OVR:
I have already mentioned the lack of striker options this week, so I had to take a punt on someone. Jutgla is who I have opted for, after his brace helped Club Brugge to a 3-1 away win over rivals Cercle Brugge. With Jutgla already having one IF to his name, it means he gets the nod over other silver candidates.
LW: Alfon Gonzalez (Celta Vigo) - 79 OVR -> 85 OVR:
It's likely that at least one of the reserves section contains a top five league player this week, and I am going for Alfon Gonzalez to be that player. With both a goal and an assist from LW, his performance allowed Vigo to record all three points as they managed a 2-1 win at home to Leganes.
RM: Victor Garcia (Eldense) - 69 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Relegation-threatened Eldense recorded a very important 4-2 win away at Zaragoza, leaving them just two points away from safety. Victor Garcia was crucial in this match, with two goals and an assist being pivotal for those three points.
ST: Daniel Chima Chukwu (Chennaiyin) - 67 OVR -> 85 OVR:
The Indian Super League has only received two IF's so far this game, so this is a slight risk, but with a severe lack of reserve options, it's a punt that could pay off. The Nigerian was involved in three of Chennaiyin's five goals during their 5-2 home win over Jamshedpur.
ST: Louis Munteanu (CFR Cluj) - 69 OVR -> 85 OVR:
We end the prediction with hat tricks from a couple of random divisions. CFR Cluj in Romania offer the first, with Munteanu scoring three times during a convincing 6-0 win. The Romanian division has received a few IFs recently, so there is no doubt over this inclusion.
ST: Colm Whelan (Bohemians) - 79 OVR -> 85 OVR:
While it's unclear if the Irish division can receive IFs yet, with a very uncompetitive reserves section, a hat trick for Whelan will be the tester here. Although two of his three goals were from the spot, if EA deems the Irish league eligible, then he will feature this week.
That concludes this week's Team of the Week predictions! What do you make of these predictions? Is there anyone else who should have made the TOTW? Let us know below!
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