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TOTWTOTW 28 Predicted Starting XI
There’s lots to digest this week, with a ludicrous number of defenders scoring multiple times, City lifting the cup via an O’Reilly brace, and Shaw breaking records in the WSL. There are numerous high-end players potentially reaching packs for TOTW 28.
GK: Arijanet Muric (Sassuolo) - 72 OVR -> 87 OVR:
It was clear to see that Muric always had shot-stopping ability but was unable to meet the demands of the Premier League in terms of ball distribution. There is less focus on that in Serie A, and thus the Kosovan is excelling for Sassuolo this season. Making seven saves and a last-minute penalty stop, Muric looks set to be included in TOTW 28 come Wednesday.
LB: Nico O'Reilly (Man City) - 73 OVR -> 87 OVR:
It's yet to be seen if EA will opt for a special type of card for the cup win, but with previous rounds counting towards TOTW, I would expect the same to occur here. O'Reilly has developed into a key player for City this season, and he once again showed his quality this weekend, scoring both City goals as they lifted the title via a 2-0 win.
CB: Ramy Bensebaini (Dortmund) - 79 OVR -> 85 OVR:
The defenders were beyond competitive this week, with abnormal performances occurring on a bizarrely common basis. Bensebani is one of at least ten defenders to score two or more goals this weekend from the back. Both of his were from the spot, but with Kicker awarding him a 1.5 and a spot in their TOTW, I can see it being enough for him to claim a place.
LB: Jens Castrop (Gladbach) - 70 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Completing a back three of two-goal scorers, we have Castrop. While his base card is a CAM, he was deployed as a LB this weekend and was named player of the week by Kicker for his double during an entertaining 3-3 draw with Koln.
LW: Nuno Mendes (PSG) - 86 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Onto an interesting one now, with Mendes playing a more advanced LW role this week. PSG returned to winning ways and, in turn, took control of the Ligue 1 title race with a 4-0 win over Nice. Mendes scored once and assisted another to lead his side to all three points, claiming MOTM with a 7/10 from L’Equipe for doing so.
CAM: Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) - 82 OVR -> 88 OVR:
Nottingham Forest took a huge step towards remaining in the Premier League next season with a 3-0 away win over Tottenham, who are now among the favourites to go down, maintaining the worst record in the division with no wins in twelve. I expect Forest to pick up an IF, and with limited central options alongside MGW being awarded MOTM, I would expect EA to go down that route.
LM: Pedro Goncalves (Sporting Lisbon) - 83 OVR -> 88 OVR:
The title is fully in Porto's control, but Lisbon are not giving up without a fight. They made it four wins from their last five with a 4-1 away win over Alverca this weekend. Goncalves scored two of those four goals, making him a strong candidate for this week’s side.
LM: Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) - 82 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With seven games to go, Munich maintain a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga as they look set to lift yet another title. Their latest three points came via a 4-0 win over Union Berlin, with Gnabry scoring two of those four goals to claim a 1.5 Kicker rating.
ST: Laura Freigang (Frankfurt) - 85 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Freigang found herself in numerous promotional sides for EA last year, but the same performance level has not reoccurred for the 2025/26 campaign. The German did find the back of the net on three occasions this weekend, however, scoring three of Frankfurt's four as they cruised to a 4-1 win over Hamburg.
ST: Khadija Shaw (Man City) - 89 OVR -> 91 OVR:
Shaw has been scoring for fun since joining Man City, adding another three to her tally this weekend as City beat Tottenham 5-2. What makes this treble so special, however, is that it broke the record for the quickest hat-trick in WSL history, with just twelve minutes and 37 seconds separating the goals.
ST: Beto (Everton) - 76 OVR -> 87 OVR:
Everton have been somewhat under the radar this season after a couple of campaigns battling towards the bottom end of the Prem. It was another impressive performance from them this weekend, beating Chelsea 3-0, a result which puts them three points off fifth. Beto scored twice and assisted another, making him an easy inclusion this week, probably as a featured option.
TOTW 28 Predicted Subs & Reserves
CB: Bryan Okoh (Auxerre) - 64 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Bryan Okoh will inevitably feature in EA's side, but whether they are willing to go from a 64-rated card to an 87-rated one remains to be seen so I am opting for a standard IF here. With Okoh playing in Ligue 1, I feel it’s a possibility, especially with decent base stats for the meta. He gets the nod for TOTW 28 after scoring twice from the back alongside keeping a clean sheet, despite going down to ten men in the eighth minute.
RW: Brajan Gruda (Leipzig) - 74 OVR -> 87 OVR:
It was a statement win for Leipzig this weekend, with a 5-0 victory over Hoffenheim resulting in the two sides swapping table positions, ultimately pushing Leipzig into the top four. Gruda was heavily involved in the win, scoring twice and assisting another from RW. Kicker awarded him a 1.5 rating, which likely results in his inclusion come Wednesday.
CM: Kenneth Taylor (Lazio) - 78 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Lazio backed up their 1-0 win over AC Milan with another strong result, beating Bologna 2-0. Taylor scored both of their goals, which likely results in another IF for the Italian side. I would have gone featured here had they not awarded Lazio a featured player just last week.
RM: Assane Diao (Como) - 76 OVR -> 85 OVR:
What a story Como continue to write. A 5-0 win made it five consecutive victories for them, which now puts them into the top four. Diao was the key player during their latest victory, providing both a goal and an assist to claim MOTM during the aforementioned 5-0 win.
ST: Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir (Angel City) - 80 OVR -> 85 OVR:
The NWSL will likely continue to receive IFs each week while it’s running. We saw an inclusion on its resumption last week, and another looks set to be nailed on this week. Jonsdottir played a pivotal role during Angel City’s 3-1 away win over Bay FC, scoring twice and assisting another.
ST: Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient) - 62 OVR -> 87 OVR:
With Ballard already obtaining an IF this year, it means he falls into the SBS category rather than reserves, which ultimately increases his chances of selection for me. His inclusion comes from their midweek win over Wimbledon, in which he scored three times during the 4-2 away win.
ST: Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) - 80 OVR -> 87 OVR:
I made the correct call surrounding the Fantasy cards last week, with several being included despite recently being in packs. That has made the decision to include Undav significantly easier for me. The German scored twice and assisted another to claim a perfect 1 from Kicker as Stuttgart cruised to a 5-2 away win over Augsburg.
RB: Jacob Italiano (GAK 1902) - 63 OVR -> 85 OVR:
A relegation play-off match is a fixture which has been very hit and miss over the years from EA, but considering the performance from Italiano, he’s an option I simply can't ignore. Once or twice a season a defender scores a hat-trick, and with it being such a crucial fixture, he will go down in the history books for them. There were numerous options for this spot, but it realistically should only go one way.
LB: Nolan Gillot (La Louviere) - 60 OVR -> 85 OVR:
A defender conceding five goals is always a big red flag, but Gillot played a huge role in an impressive point against Genk for La Louviere. Providing three assists, Gillot was a constant threat down the left-hand side for them. You don’t often see a defender with three attacking returns.
RM: Nene Dorgeles (Fenerbahce) - 70 OVR -> 85 OVR:
There is a slight risk with this addition, seeing as it comes from Fenerbahce's Tuesday fixture, but I feel that EA have been far more consistent with these inclusions than in previous editions of the game. The twenty-three-year-old has struggled to make that wing position his own, with most of his minutes coming from the bench this season, but his latest performance shows exactly what he is capable of, scoring three of their four goals.
LM: Dylan Aquino (Lanus) - 62 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Continuing with the Tuesday fixtures, we now have Aquino from Lanus. The Argentine youngster excelled throughout, with three goals and an assist during their demolition job of bottom of the table Newell's. With the Argentine division being featured in several promotions recently, I would be surprised if Aquino then misses out.
ST: Sam Surridge (Nashville) - 74 OVR -> 85 OVR:
An early Squad Foundations Surridge was one of my favourite cards on the game early on, so seeing a potential IF does pique my interest slightly. The Englishman scored three times for Nashville as they comfortably beat Orlando 5-0.
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!