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Fantasy Focus: Tosin takes off
One is a well-paid star at an English Premier League giant and the other is a trainee teacher from New Zealand’s North Island, yet on the final day of action in their respective groups at the FIFA Club World Cup™ they both starred.
Chelsea FC centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo ($4.9m) impressed with a solid eight-point outing in his side's opening win against LAFC but he dazzled with a 16-point haul, featuring a goal, a clean sheet and the scouting bonus as the Blues booked a second round berth courtesy of a 3-0 win against Espérance.
Arguably the star of the day though was Auckland City FC’s Christian Gray ($4.6m). The 28-year-old trainee teacher – whose father is the team’s security lead – headed into the Navy Blues’ final fixture owned by precisely zero per cent of all teams.
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On a day that Gray, and the entire club will never forget, he popped up with a 52nd-minute goal to help secure a famous point for Auckland in a 1-1 draw with CA Boca Juniors on his way to an eye-catching 11-point fantasy return.
At the other end of the scale, as expected, rotation was a factor and that saw some highly owned players register only limited minutes and low returns. No need to panic for those that have the likes of FC Bayern München stars Harry Kane ($11.0m) and Michael Olise ($9.4m) though despite both only returning the single point on a day where the Bavarian giants fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of SL Benfica.
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Auckland City FC 1-1 CA Boca Juniors
Star players
DEF Christian Gray (Auckland City, $4.6m) – 11 points
FWD Jerson Lagos (Auckland City, $4.8m) – 7 points
DEF Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca, $4.1m) – 7 points
Low returns
FWD Alan Velasco (Boca, $6.0m) – 1 point
FWD Miguel Merentiel (Boca, $6.2m) – 2 points
FWD Edinson Cavani (Boca, $7.2m) – 2 points
SL Benfica 1-0 FC Bayern München
Star players
GK Anatolii Trubin (Benfica, $5.3m) – 10 points
DEF Antonio Silva (Benfica, $4.7m) – 9 points
DEF Samuel Dahl (Benfica, $4.8m) – 9 points
Low returns
FWD Harry Kane (Bayern, $11.0m) – 1 point
MID Michael Olise (Bayern, $9.4m) – 1 point
FWD Thomas Muller (Bayern, $7.0m) - 2 points
LAFC 1-1 CR Flamengo
Star players
DEF Alex Sandro (Flamengo, $5.1m) – 9 points
MID Wallace Yan (Flamengo, $4.2m) – 9 points
FWD Denis Bouanga (LAFC, $7.0m) – 9 points
Low returns
GK Hugo Lloris (LAFC, $5.2m) - 2 points
FWD Pedro (Flamengo, $6.8m) – 2 points
MID Giorgian de Arrescaeta (Flamengo, $6.2m) – 3 points
Espérance 0-3 Chelsea FC
Star players
DEF Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea, $4.9m) – 16 points
MID Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, $6.2m) – 10 points
GK Filip Jorgensen (Chelsea, $4.2m) – 10 points
Low returns
FWD Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea, $6.3m) - 2 points
MID Noni Madueke (Chelsea, $6.5m) – 3 points
MID Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea, $5.0m) – 3 points
Next up (Wednesday 25 June)
Borussia Dortmund v Ulsan HD
Mamelodi Sundowns FC v Fluminense FC
FC Internazionale Milano v CA River Plate
Urawa Red Diamonds v CF Monterrey
Highest owned players in action
DEF Denzel Dumfries (Inter, $6.3m) – 22.2%
FWD Serhou Guirassy (Dortmund, $9.0m) – 22.1%
GK Yann Sommer (Inter, $5.4m) – 21.7%
MID Franco Mastantuono (River, $4.3m) – 15.1%
GK Franco Armani (River, $4.0m) – 11.3%
Differentials
With CF Monterrey knowing that nothing less than a win will potentially do as they pursue a knockout stage berth, they will be chasing goals against an already eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds side at the Rose Bowl. That then brings midfield string-puller Sergio Canales ($6.1m) right into play while forward German Berterame ($6.0m) is also a decent punt, despite both having failed to register big returns so far.
In the same section, with both FC Internazionale Milano and CA River Plate knowing that only a win will guarantee they finish top of the group, attacking options could also be a focus. That sees the likes of River’s Facundo Colidio ($5.8m) and perhaps Inter’s Francesco Pio Esposito ($4.0m), after his impressive matchday two cameo, as possible options to target.
Group F is a three-way tussle where goals will be important for Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense FC and Mamelodi Sundowns FC. That then brings some attacking options also into focus in those fixtures in Cincinnati and Florida. Options that are below the scouting bonus line of less than five per cent ownership include Dortmund midfield revelation Jobe Bellingham ($5.7m), budget Flu forward Everaldo ($4.5m) and Sundowns’ pair Lucas Ribeiro ($5.7m) and Iqraam Rayners ($5.8m).
