After a chaotic Round 8 that flipped groups, shattered predictions, and sent a few hopefuls packing that were in it until the final minutes, the dust has finally settled. Now the real business begins. The knockout stage is here, which means no more margins for error, no more second chances. Two-legged ties demand consistency, composure, and impact in key moments.

For the knockout phase, leg 1 will always consist of our typical Sofascore Fantasy pick style, in which we’ll present a recommendation of 11 players. For leg 2, we’ll be reflecting upon the first match and analyzing what can be done to maximize points ahead of the second and decisive fixture, seeing if there are any changes in terms of injury status and potential rotations. So without further ado, let’s kick start the road to Budapest!

Formation: 3-5-2

Thibaut Courtois (Benfica vs Real Madrid) – €6.2m

Who would have guessed that we’d be seeing Los Blancos travel back to Lisbon after Round 8, and arguably the most chaotic, dramatic, and emotional moment of the entire Champions League thus far, in which Trubin scored in the last second of the match to send Benfica through to the knockouts. Pure knockout drama before the knockouts even began, and now Real Madrid will want some revenge.

Real Madrid travel to Lisbon knowing both clubs thrive in high-intensity home environments, and considering the ego of many of their players as well as their club’s history as a whole, they’ll be looking to set the record straight with the Portuguese. Courtois doesn’t need much of a push as a Fantasy pick; he’s probably the best goalkeeper in the world. He’s the third-highest-rated Real Madrid player in the Champions League, after Mbappé and Rodrygo, respectively, and even has an assist, next to two clean sheets so far.

Nico Schlotterbeck (Dortmund vs Atalanta) – €7.2m

As Dortmund face Atalanta in the first leg of this Champions League knockout tie, Nico Schlotterbeck stands out as a key piece of their back line. The German is an absolute force to be reckoned with, currently being the third-highest-rated player in the Bundesliga with a Sofascore Average Rating of 7.68, just behind the Bayern attacking duo of Kane and Olise. In the Champions League, he hasn’t been too shabby either, as he’s the 22nd-highest-rated player in the competition, at 7.46.

While having a snack for scoring goals, Schlotterbeck’s consistency in defensive duels and build-up contribution make him immensely important in Niko Kovač’s system. He’s been the personification of dominance and consistency, averaging 6.0 ball recoveries per game, as well as winning 65% of his duels, both ground and aerial.

Abdülkerim Bardakcı (Galatasaray vs Juventus) – €5.1m

Galatasaray’s first knockout clash against Juventus will be played in an intense, but typical, Istanbul atmosphere, where the home crowd can transform momentum and test visiting attackers. Galatasaray are statistically strong at home in European competition, unbeaten in their three previous home matches against Juventus (W2 D1), and they haven’t lost 11 home games in a row against Italian sides dating back decades. That atmosphere and historical edge can lift defensive performances and increase engagement across defensive metrics.

Individually, Bardakcı has been a reliable centre‑back this Champions League season, playing and starting 7 matches, winning two clean sheets, and averaging 5.3 clearances per game. His best performances were delivered at home and against elite opposition, receiving an 8.1 and 7.0 Sofascore Rating at home against Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, respectively. Away was more of a struggle, against the likes of Man City and Monaco, which means we can expect him at his best at Rams park.

Kieran Trippier (Qarabağ vs Newcastle) – €6.1m

The Magpies will be happy with their Champions League draw as they’ll travel to Azerbaijan to begin this knockout tie against Qarabağ with clear control of proceedings. While the Azerbaijani’s are no pushovers, surprising many by reaching this stage of the competition, Newcastle’s group stage campaign was strong, 17 goals scored and just 7 conceded, with 4 clean sheets, providing both attacking threat and defensive solidity across their Champions League matches.

For Trippier, this tie is the kind of fixture where his hybrid defensive and creative profile shines, as realistically speaking, he plays a crucial attacking role for Newcastle. While only playing five out of the eight possible League phase matches due to injury, the Magpies are a much more dangerous side with Trippier on the right, providing a plethora of overlaps, crosses, and progressive passes. Qarabağ will most likely look to be compact defensively, allowing Trippier to be on the ball and test his delivery.

Manuel Locatelli (Galatasaray vs Juventus) – €6.5m

It might seem hypocritical to commence our midfield with a Juventus player after bashing them and Italian clubs when facing Galatasaray away in the Bardakcı post, but if anyone can control and calm the stakes, it’s Juventus’ midfield metronome. As Juventus prepares for this first knockout leg in Istanbul, Manuel Locatelli’s role becomes central to how the Bianconeri control the middle of the park.

Currently the highest-rated player in Serie A, sitting on a 7.63 Sofascore Average Rating after receiving a perfect 10 in Juve’s derby loss against Inter, Locatelli has been a consistent presence in the UCL as well, averaging a formidably high passing accuracy (90%) and regularly being involved in build‑up phases, even if he hasn’t contributed goals or assists yet. His defensive work, with constant ball recoveries and duels won, anchors Juventus’ midfield and helps protect the defence ahead of transitions. For only €6.5m, he’s a bargain in midfield.

Patrick Berg (Bodø/Glimt vs Inter) – €5.6m

Can Inter do it on a cold and rainy night in Bodø? Well, considering the fact that we have Patrick Berg as one of our Sofascore Fantasy picks, we don’t think so. The Norwegians are fascinating to say the least. Right now, Bodø only has Champions League football on its schedule, as the domestic league returns in March, highlighting their absolute focus on Inter. Not to mention that they made it past the League phase thanks to back-to-back wins against Man City and Atlético Madrid in the space of a week! Everybody knows that they are a force to be reckoned with, especially at home.

The Norwegian midfielder has been a staple in Bodo’s UCL campaign, starting all 8 matches and playing every minute, a testament to his importance in the squad. Bodø/Glimt’s European journey this season has been defined by high intensity and compact pressing, outworking opponents even without dominating possession. That brand of football places a lot of responsibility on the midfield engine, and Berg is at the very epicentre of it: he completes high volumes of passes and wins his share of duels to help sustain attacks.

Kang-in Lee (AS Monaco vs PSG) – €6.5m

This may be a risky pick, considering Kang-in Lee’s limited and, to be frank, unfair exposure, but there’s a method to our madness. While facing his fair share of injuries, the South Korean has been lethal when on the pitch. In Le Classique on the 8th of February, in only 22 minutes played, Lee scored and created two big chances, receiving an 8.4 Sofascore Rating in PSG’s 5-0 thumping of Marseille. He often plays on the wing, despite being registered as a ‘midfielder’ in our Fantasy, which is just a small hack for our picks. After such a dominant and impactful display in the derby, Lee should be rewarded with a starting XI spot in the Champions League.

Playing any French side is a treat for PSG, and they’ll be entering this two-legged tie with all the confidence in the world. The defending UCL champions are first in Ligue 1, while the hosts are struggling in 10th place, with more losses than wins. In a team full of stars, Lee is PSG’s dynamic creative spark, always providing a high dose of chance creation potential and a world-class one-on-one player.

Arda Güler (Benfica vs Real Madrid) – €8.1m

Heading into this knockout tie in Lisbon, Arda Güler arrives with plenty of narratives behind him, both positive and negative, as well as high expectations, which is a given when playing for Los Blancos. Referring back to what occurred in the same stadium in Round 8, that rollercoaster of a result set up this rematch, and psychologically, Güler comes into it with a bit of pressure to influence the game creatively, just like the rest of his teammates.

Despite not scoring in this UCL campaign so far, Türkiye’s biggest talent has four assists in eight matches, averaging 3.0 key passes per game and a passing accuracy of 90%. In a quite rigid and static Real Madrid midfield, almost lacking a sense of creativity, Güler is vital as he’s unique compared to the rest, mostly resembling workhorses, such as Bellingham, Valverde, Tchouaméni, etc. He was one of the more inspired players on the pitch last time out against Benfica, with an assist and 6 key passes, despite Real Madrid’s dramatic loss at the end.

Giuliano Simeone (Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid) – €6.1m

We’ll travel from one side of Madrid to the other for our final midfield pick. Atlético Madrid are weird, a very weird team right now. They absolutely smoked past Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, and Cholo Simeone’s son was a menace on the right wing, but then they lost to Rayo Vallecano 3-0 only three days later. Giuliano Simeone’s work rate and pressing intensity in transitional play are elite, which makes him such a vital part of this Atlético side. Atletico’s style in Europe has been more open and offensive compared with some of their traditional, more defensive setups, creating more ball progression and shot opportunities for aggressive and intense players like him

Across his seven Champions League appearances this season, he’s logged 85 minutes per match, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist. Club Brugge are no pushover, having beaten Marseille at home 3-0 in Round 8 and drawn with Barcelona back in November. However, Atlético will have plenty of confidence and should get the job done in Belgium, setting themselves up well for the return leg in Spain’s capital. Surely follow Atlético’s weird logic, after destroying Barcelona but then getting destroyed by Rayo, they should return to their prime on Wednesday night.

Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica vs Real Madrid) – €4.5m

Kick-starting our attacking duo, we’re returning to Lisbon for the third time, but finally for a pick within the Benfica ranks. While we’ve already mentioned Benfica’s dramatic Round 8 clincher over Real Madrid, we’ve failed to mention that Schjelderup was central to the story. The 21-year-old Norwegian scored two goals in that 4–2 win that not only overturned the ledger but helped send Benfica into the Champions League playoff round, receiving a perfect Sofascore 10 Rating.

Before the Madrid match, Schjelderup wasn’t anything worthy of mentioning. Statistically, this season’s UCL figures show that he’s averaging just under 53 minutes per game, and with only 5 appearances, his only goals arrived in Round 8. However, he’s proved that he can make an impact at the highest level, and he’ll be awaiting Los Blancos with all the confidence in the world. Considering his cheap Fantasy price, it’s a pick that can reward you greatly without costing you much if he doesn’t deliver.

Ousmane Dembélé (AS Monaco vs PSG) – €11.8m

What better way to finalise our picks than with a Ballon d’Or winner? Surely, we could wrap up this article with this sentence alone; there is no need to further emphasize Ousmane Dembélé’s importance and quality in this PSG side. Especially considering the fact that PSG will be facing French opposition, which we assume, they absolutely love more than anything.

PSG’s last two matches took them to face the 4th and 6th in Ligue 1, and while they lost more recently against Rennes, Dembélé was brilliant in both matchups, tallying up three goals and one assist, with 8.3 and 10 Sofascore Ratings. They’ll be looking to get back to winning ways after dropping to 2nd place in their domestic league, leaving absolutely no room for another mockery. PSG’s biggest star will also be looking to get his UCL campaign back on track, as he hasn’t really blossomed thus far in comparison to last season’s brilliance.

Cost: €73.7m