TOTW 22 Predicted Starting XI
With FA Cup fixtures being played this weekend, it means no Premier League players will feature in TOTW 22, but there are still plenty of players to get hyped for, with Oblak, Batlle, Clauss, and Dembélé standing out.
GK: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - 88 OVR -> 89 OVR:
We start the prediction with a keeper many have wanted to see included in a promotional side for a while. With limited keeper options to choose from, Oblak’s right saves in a high-profile match really stand out, with the other option I had noted down being Skorupski, who made just one save.
RB: Ona Batlle (Barcelona) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
It's clear to see that Barcelona receive heavy favouritism towards IFs this year, with the women’s side picking them up almost weekly. It has been a few weeks since their last, though, so Batlle’s assist and clean sheet in a week with limited defensive options means they have a good opportunity to include Barcelona once again.
CB: Julian Chabot (Stuttgart) - 78 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With EA now opting for three featured players per week, the chances of low-rated cards in the starting line-up are very slim. Chabot scored what turned out to be the winner, with Stuttgart defeating Dortmund 2-1. Kicker awarded him MOTM with a 1.5 rating for that performance.
LB: Jonathan Clauss (Nice) - 80 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Onto what is likely to be a popular featured IF now, with Clauss. The Frenchman often receives some extremely usable cards over the course of the game, and this one adds to that list. Clauss scored one of Nice's two goals during their 2-0 win over Lens.
LM: Benedict Hollerbach (Union Berlin) - 72 OVR -> 87 OVR:
We saw Lewis-Skelly jump from a bronze to an 87-rated gold last week with a featured upgrade, and I expect a lot more non-golds to make those sorts of jumps in the coming weeks. Hollerbach could easily be one this week, with his NIF already having strong base stats. The German scored twice as Union Berlin recorded an impressive 4-0 win away at Hoffenheim.
CAM: Caroline Weir (Real Madrid) - 84 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Real Madrid faced a Levante side coming off the back of a huge win over Barcelona, but they didn’t suffer the same fate. Weir provided both a goal and an assist as they managed a 2-1 win.
CAM: Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club) - 82 OVR -> 86 OVR:
One of the easiest selections to make this week is Sancet. The Spanish midfielder scored three times for Athletic Club as they recorded a 3-0 win over Girona, moving them into the Champions League positions.
RM: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) - 83 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Considering the players AC Milan have in their squad, it's surprising to see them struggling for European positions this season. They did manage three points from their latest fixture, though, a 2-0 win over Empoli. Pulisic was named MOTM after providing the assists on both of those goals.
ST: Moise Kean (Fiorentina) - 78 OVR -> 87 OVR:
All three of the remaining players in the starting line-up have better or equal cards than their potential upcoming IFs, but it's difficult to leave any of them out. The first is Kean, who continues to live up to the hype he had at a young age. Another two goals to his name this weekend, with Fiorentina upsetting league leaders Inter with a 3-0 win.
ST: Ousmane Dembele (PSG) - 86 OVR -> 89 OVR:
Dembélé missed out, presumably due to TOTW proximity, last week, but with four-week gaps previously being seen, the Frenchman is able to be included this week. It was another fine performance from him, scoring twice to help PSG record a 4-1 win over Monaco.
ST: Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) - 76 OVR -> 87 OVR:
What a season Retegui is having. The Italian is inevitably going to attract a lot of interest this summer, along with a large increase to his base rating for next year’s edition of the game. Retegui scored four this weekend as Atalanta beat Verona 5-0, taking his tally to twenty for the season.
TOTW 22 Predicted Subs & Reserves
RB: Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia) - 77 OVR -> 85 OVR:
This was a huge match in terms of the relegation battle in La Liga, with both sides in desperate need of points. Valencia were the side to triumph, with the hosts securing a 2-0 win. Mosquera scored the first of those two and went on to claim MOTM.
CAM: Pedro (Lazio) - 76 OVR -> 85 OVR:
This could go to either Pedro or Castellanos, but with strikers being a lot more competitive than midfielders, I can see this being an easy route for EA to take. Pedro came off the bench to score twice as Lazio comfortably beat Monza 5-1.
LM: Rayan Cherki (Lyon) - 75 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Lyon will receive an IF on Wednesday, but the decision between Cherki and Tolisso is a difficult one. Both received an 8/10 from L'Équipe, but with an extra assist to his name, I lean towards Cherki being the player they opt for. His goal and two assists helped Lyon record a comfortable 4-0 win.
CM: Vanessa Fudalla (Leipzig) - 75 OVR -> 85 OVR:
The rest of the bench contains players who you fully expect to see feature in EA's side, the first being Fudalla, who played a deeper role than usual, occupying a CM position. That didn't stop his offensive contributions, however, with both two goals and two assists.
ST: Lara Prasnikar (Frankfurt) - 84 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Potsdam have taken several beatings this season, and this is another one, with Frankfurt finding the net nine times without response. Prasnikar had the time of her life, with both three goals and three assists during the romp.
ST: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Shabab) - 78 OVR -> 85 OVR:
There was a time when Hamdallah was recording crazy numbers in the Saudi division, and although those figures have decreased now, presumably due to the increased level of the league, his ability to score is still there. The Moroccan scored three times this week, with Al-Shabab winning 5-1.
ST: Cristiana Girelli (Juventus) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
EA have ignored this division for promotional items so far, but there has yet to be a standout performance to test them. With several other divisions in similar situations picking up IFs, I see no reason why they cannot. Girelli scored three this weekend as Juventus hammered AC Milan 6-0.
LB: Risto Radunovic (FCSB) - 69 OVR -> 85 OVR:
With the Romanian division receiving a featured upgrade last week, it would suggest EA are looking at the division going forward. There is another strong option this week with Radunović. The Montenegrin scored once, assisted another, and kept a clean sheet during FCSB's 3-0 win.
CM: Arne Engels (Celtic) - 72 OVR -> 85 OVR:
With no hat-tricks to shout about in the reserves this week, it leaves the door open for those who often miss out despite putting in superb performances. Engels falls into that category, having scored twice and assisted another from CM during Celtic's comfortable 6-0 win.
CM: Alvyn Sanches (Lausanne) - 67 OVR -> 85 OVR:
With several high-scoring matches occurring in Switzerland this week, it looks highly likely that they will receive an IF. The best option in my eyes is Sanches, after he scored twice and assisted another during a 4-1 Lausanne win.
CAM: Ontiveros (Cadiz) - 69 OVR -> 85 OVR:
While there were no hat-tricks, there was one player who managed three assists: Ontiveros. The Spaniard pulled the strings throughout the match, creating chance after chance as Cádiz beat Cartagena 5-2.
ST: Jhon Duran (Al-Nassr) - 74 OVR -> 85 OVR:
With Duran having a Trailblazer card, it means we can't award him the featured upgrade this week, but I expect EA to still award him an IF after he made an instant impact for Al-Nassr, scoring twice on his debut to help them towards a 2-0 win.
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!
Latest TOTWs