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TOTWTOTW 20 Predicted Starting XI
We are now well past the halfway stage in terms of released TOTWs, with the twentieth edition looking rather mediocre, in truth. With big upsets and honourable mentions in packs, it was always going to limit the pool of potential players. Headlining the side, we have Maignan, Endrick, Murillo, and Dimarco.
GK: Mike Maignan (AC Milan) - 87 OVR -> 89 OVR:
I struggled to even select a goalkeeper this week, with minimal performances standing out. As a result, I would expect a random division to be included here, but Maignan does stand a chance. He made several key saves for AC Milan as they scraped their way to a 1-1 away draw with Roma. The Frenchman was awarded MOTM with a 7/10 from Gazzetta.
CB:Murillo (Nottingham Forest) - 83 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Nottingham Forest have been very patchy this season. When they are playing well, they can be extremely difficult to beat, but they can also look horrendous. This week was a sublime performance, securing a 2-0 win over high-flying Brentford. While defenders were highly competitive for selection this week, Murillo could sneak in without an attacking return after Sky awarded him MOTM with a 9/10.
CB: Youri Baas (Ajax) - 75 OVR -> 84 OVR:
One defender who looks nailed on for this week’s side is Baas. The young Dutch defender found himself on the scoresheet twice for Ajax this week, helping to secure a 2-0 home win over Volendam. The scoreline could have been significantly higher had it not been for the Volendam keeper; however, with Ajax winning the match, it’s Baas who inevitably claims the IF here.
LB:Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Dimarco started on the bench for Milan this week and it looked as though they were missing him early on, falling two goals behind after just twenty three minutes. The Italian came on in the 34th minute and Inter then took control, going on to win 6-2. Dimarco scored once and assisted another two which saw him named MOTM from Gazzetta as a result.
RM: Estevao (Chelsea) - 78 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Premier League options were few and far between this week, but the division is often the most favoured when it comes to EA's TOTW, so I would expect several forced in. One of those looks likely to be Estevão, with the Brazilian scoring once and assisting another as Chelsea recorded a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
CAM: Julio Encisco (Strasbourg) - 73 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Lille are falling down the table at a rapid pace, with Strasbourg inflicting their third consecutive loss in the division and doing so convincingly with a 4-1 win. Enciso scored once and assisted another, claiming MOTM for his performance pulling all the strings from that CAM role.
CM: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz) - 81 OVR -> 87 OVR:
The Bundesliga only had a handful of options this week, but as is usually the case, the Player of the Week is highly likely to be one of those. Amiri received that recognition this week, coming off the bench to help secure Mainz a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, with the German supplying both a goal and an assist.
RM: Beth Mead (Arsenal) - 87 OVR -> 88 OVR:
Come the end of the season, Arsenal may look back at this result as the defining moment of their campaign. Travelling to Chelsea, who had conceded just six league goals prior to this match, they secured a 2-0 away win. Mead was directly involved in both goals, with a goal and an assist, playing a crucial role in their three points. The result closes the gap to just a single point between the two sides as they battle it out for a Champions League spot.
CAM: Dani Olmo (Barcelona) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
It was extremely important that Barcelona got back to winning ways after their shock defeat last week to stay in control of the La Liga title race. That’s exactly what they managed, with an Olmo goal and assist helping them secure a comfortable 3-0 home win over Oviedo.
ST: Oyarzabal (Sociedad) - 82 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Oyarzabal has been quite the servant for Sociedad, with the one-club man continuing to be their main man. The Spanish attacker scored another two goals for them this weekend, leading the way during a 3-1 win over Betis, which likely secures Oyarzabal his third promotional card of the game.
ST: Endrick (Lyon) - 77 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Endrick is showing exactly why Madrid signed him, with the Brazilian now having scored four times and provided an assist within his first three games for Lyon. Three of those goals came this weekend during a 5-2 away win over Metz, from which the Brazilian was named player of the week by L’Equipe for his performance.
TOTW 20 Predicted Subs & Reserves
CB: Kelland Watts (Cambridge) - 65 OVR -> 84 OVR:
There were so many defenders with multiple goal contributions this week, and another of those was Watts. Cambridge came away as 4-2 winners against Tranmere as they continue to push towards promotion.
CAM: Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel) - 78 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Shaqiri rolled back the years this weekend, scoring three times and providing an assist as Basel played out an enthralling 4-3 away win against Zurich. Shaqiri is often a popular player among the UT community and usually ends up with a usable card by the end of the year; he takes the first step towards that on Wednesday.
CAM: Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray) - 80 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Galatasaray continue to lead the way in Turkey, having lost just one game this season. Their latest three points came via a 3-1 away win, with Sara scoring two of those three goals. The division continues to receive regular IFs, so I would expect Sara to receive his SIF on Wednesday.
RM: Mohamed-Ali Cho (Nice) - 76 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Nice recorded an impressive 4-1 away win over Nantes this weekend, taking a big step away from the relegation zone and sitting seven points above Nantes. Cho scored two of those four goals, claiming the joint highest match rating of the week from L’Equipe with an 8/10 for his performance.
ST: Luis Suarez (Sporting) - 77 OVR -> 84 OVR:
With twenty-two goals and five assists from twenty-seven matches in Portugal, it’s highly surprising that Suarez is still without a promotional inclusion this game. That being said, he’s in line for one yet again this week after his brace helped Lisbon secure a 2-1 away win over Arouca as they continue to chase league leaders Porto.
ST: Tasos Douvikas (Como) - 73 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Como continue to show they are here to stay in Serie A with yet another top performance. Beating Torino 6-0, I fully expect the result to see an IF occur. Douvikas is the best option from the match, with his two goals earning him an impressive 8/10 match rating from Gazzetta.
RB: Marco Palestra (Cagliari) - 61 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Onto another Serie A defender now with the division offering several strong candidates this week. Palestra was another who received an 8/10 from Gazzetta, with the Italian managing both a goal and an assist as Cagliari secured a 2-1 away win over Fiorentina.
CM: Han-Noah Massengo (Augsburg) - 72 OVR -> 84 OVR:
The biggest shock of the weekend came with Augsburg ending Munich's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 away win. An IF is inevitable as a result, and while there isn’t a player who on paper you would think must get in, with Massengo being named MOTM for his goal, the likelihood is that it will be him.
ST: Callum Paterson (MK Dons) - 66 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Time for the weekly lot of ST hat tricks now with the first being MK Dons striker Patterson. The Dons went on to secure a comfortable 5-1 home win over Shrewsbury as they continue to be strong contenders for an automatic promotion spot.
ST: Barney Stewart (Falkirk) - 57 OVR -> 84 OVR:
There were a few options from the Scottish Premiership this week but it’s very difficult to ignore the player with a hat trick and thus Stewart’s treble gets my nod and likely EA’s nod also. The striker scored three of Falkirk’s four goals as they secured a 4-1 home win over Hibernian.
ST: Wilfried Kanga (Gent) - 69 OVR -> 84 OVR:
The Belgian league has only received four IFs this year so far, with several snubs occurring over the course of the previous 19 weeks. It’s clear that IFs can happen however and therefore I must include Kanga. The Gent striker scored three of their four goals as they secured an impressive 4-0 away win over Standard Liege.
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!