TOTW 18 Predicted Starting XI
With most divisions playing twice this week, whether in cup or league matches, there was a lot of competition between players for spots. This made predicting the side difficult, but it is shaping up to be a strong one, with Valverde, Dimarco, McTominay and Pajor leading the way.
GK: Lucas Chevalier (PSG) - 83 OVR -> 87 OVR:
There were several keepers standing out for their heroics in the cup this week, but you have to give preference to Chevalier. With PSG securing the cup via a penalty shootout win against Marseille, Chevalier saved two of the three penalties he faced, making him the hero as PSG lift yet another trophy through a shootout.
RB: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) - 89 OVR -> 90 OVR:
Although Real Madrid went on to lose the cup final to rivals Barcelona, they also played their semi final this week, and this is where Valverde gets the nod. Scoring once and assisting another, the Uruguayan was a key figure in their route to the final, securing a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid.
LB: Federico Dimarco (Inter) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
I was surprised to see Dimarco without a promotional card this season, considering how popular he was in last year’s game. That could change on Wednesday, however, after the Italian scored one of Inter Milan’s two goals as they secured a 2-0 away win over Parma. Gazzetta awarded him a 7.5, which was the joint highest this week.
RB: Rico Lewis (Man City) - 77 OVR -> 86 OVR:
We saw EA become slightly more relaxed with cup inclusions recently, and I feel that is magnified this week with so many top-end performances from cup matches occurring. One of those is likely Rico Lewis, the young defender who scored twice and assisted another as Man City secured a ridiculous 10-1 win over Exeter.
LM: Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With the return of womens football this week I would expect several IF's to occur this week. One league back in action was the WSL from which Baltimore stands out in. The Chelsea winger scored two of their five goals during a comfortable 5-0 win over West Ham and while she is a TOTY nominee I dont see her featuring in that side making her IF seem probable.
CM: Scott McTominay (Napoli) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
We already have two 87-rated McTominay cards this year, and that number likely becomes three on Wednesday. The Scotsman has been a key player for Napoli since moving from Manchester, and his performances helped guide them to the title last season. Once again, Napoli are battling towards that feat, and a 2-2 draw away at Inter Milan could be a valuable point in the long run. McTominay scored both their goals to claim MOTM during the draw.
RM: Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) - 86 OVR -> 87 OVR:
A third 87 rated Olise card appears to be just around the corner after Munich secured a convincing 8-1 win over Wolfsburg. Olise scored twice and assisted another during that match, which saw him awarded Bundesliga Player of the Week.
RM: Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart) - 75 OVR -> 86 OVR:
With the Bundesliga returning to action this week from their winter break, it was inevitable that we would see a shock result or two. That is exactly what occurred with Leverkusen hosting Stuttgart. The away side came out strong and went into halftime 4-0 up. While Leverkusen pulled one back in the second half, the damage was already done. Leweling was named MOTM after scoring two of those four goals.
LM: Moleiro (Villarreal) - 79 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Villarreal continue to battle their way into a potential title contender position. While they still have a little way to go to catch the top two, their form continues to impress, now winning eight of their last nine La Liga matches. The latest came via a 3-1 home win over Alaves, with Moleiro heavily involved, scoring once and assisting another.
ST: Ewa Pajor (Barcelona) - 88 OVR -> 89 OVR:
While there is a risk of Pajor featuring in EA’s TOTY promotion, with the Polish forward not being a nailed on option, I am happy to include her in the upcoming TOTW. Barcelona returned from the break to put a ridiculous twelve past Madrid, with Pajor scoring four of those twelve.
ST: Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
You only have to look at Benzema’s stats to see he’s capable of playing in top divisions, so it comes as no surprise he’s scoring for fun in Saudi Arabia. The Frenchman added another three goals to his tally this weekend, taking his total to fifteen for the season, for which he has played sixteen matches.
TOTW 18 Predicted Subs & Reserves
LB: Alex Moreno (Girona) - 77 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Defenders were rather difficult to predict this week, and the likelihood is that we will see a random inclusion or two in those positions. My punt for this week goes to Girona's Moreno. The Spaniard provided the pivotal assist as Girona secured a narrow 1-0 win over Osasuna.
CAM: Matias Soule (Roma) - 78 OVR -> 86 OVR:
This could be one of the highest overall rating TOTWs we have seen to date, with numerous high-rated players performing while the lower end were few and far between. Soule is yet another 86 I expect to see on Wednesday, with the Argentine continuing to impress for Roma. With both a goal and an assist, Soule helped secure a 2-0 win for Roma against Sassuolo.
LW: Harvey Barnes (Newcastle) - 80 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Barnes was a key player in both Newcastle’s league and cup matches this week, scoring twice during their dramatic 4-3 win over Leeds in the league, before then scoring twice again in another dramatic match, which saw Newcastle progress on penalties against Bournemouth after a 3-3 draw. While I have specifically included him for his league performance, the cup match only helps his case.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) - 81 OVR -> 85 OVR:
While Arsenal were expected to beat Portsmouth comfortably, when a hat trick is scored the player becomes difficult to leave out regardless of the match context. For that reason I have opted for Martinelli, who scored three times from LW during Arsenal's 4-1 away win over Portsmouth.
ST: Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves) - 78 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Following a similar reasoning to Martinelli, we move onto Larsen. Wolves have picked up some form in the Premier League after a dreadful start, so it was important that they maintained that momentum despite it being a cup match. Thankfully for them, it came against Shrewsbury, and they made it look easy with a 6-1 win. Larsen scored three and assisted another during the match.
ST: Edna Imade (Real Sociedad) - 80 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Several female leagues returned to action this week, with Liga F being one of them. We saw a couple of ludicrous scorelines, including Real Sociedad’s 5-5 draw with Atletico Madrid. Imade scored three of Sociedad’s five goals, which likely sees her pick up a third promotional item this year, with this potential IF actually being her lowest-rated.
ST: Haris Tabajovic (Gladbach) - 73 OVR -> 86 OVR:
It looks as though three sides in the Bundesliga will end up receiving an IF this week, with Gladbach, Munich, and Stuttgart all excelling. The decision is not easy for any of those sides, but there is one I lean towards from each. In this case, it is Tabakovic, who scored two of their four during a 4-0 win over Augsburg.
CM: Louis Reed (Mansfield) - 64 OVR -> 84 OVR:
The FA Cup is often full of surprises, and this round was no different, with several shocks occurring. One of those was Mansfield’s 4-3 away win over Championship opposition Sheffield United. Reed scored twice from CM during the win, rightfully claiming MOTM as a result.
ST: Emil Riis (Bristol City) - 71 OVR -> 84 OVR:
While this one isn’t really an upset, with both sides playing their trade in the same division, I can’t see why Riis’ performance would be overlooked. Scoring three times, alongside also providing an assist, Riis was a key factor in Bristol City’s progression from the third round of the FA Cup.
ST: Jovon Makama (Norwich) - 63 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With Sargeant seemingly forcing a way out of the club, Norwich fans will be happy to see Makama scoring regularly, especially with the club struggling at the bottom of the Championship. It was a routine progression for them in the third round of the FA Cup, with a Makama hat trick leading them to a 5-1 win over Walsall.
ST: Kenan Kodro (Real Zaragoza) - 70 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Moving away from the cup now, we finish the prediction with a couple of league fixtures, the first being Kodro, who scored three times as Real Zaragoza battled their way to a 3-2 away win over Racing Club, managing to hold off Racing Club’s late comeback attempt.
ST: Jesus Ramirez (Nacional) - 69 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With both sides needing points to escape the relegation battle they find themselves in, a draw wasn’t an ideal result for either side. It’s what played out, though, with Nacional and Santa Clara taking a point each via a 3-3 draw. Ramirez scored all three Nacional goals, making his spot in this side seem highly probable.
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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