Six clean sheets, two expensive forwards blanking, captaincy confusion, an early deadline and a 10-goal drubbing of an amateur side: the first day of FIFA Club World Cup Fantasy was eventful, and as chaotic as we’d expected.
Reflecting on the tournament’s opening five matches, here’s our first mini-Scout Notes article of Matchday 1:
AL AHLY 0-0 INTER MIAMI
GOALS: None
ASSISTS: None
PENALTY WON: Zizo ($4.5m)
PENALTY SAVE: Óscar Ustari ($4.0m)
MOST POINTS: Ustari – 14, Yasser Ibrahim ($4.0m) – 9, Achraf Dari ($4.0m) – 9, Mohamed Hany ($4.3m) – 9, Ian Fray ($4.1m) – 9, Noah Allen ($4.2m) – 9, Maximiliano Falcón ($4.1m) – 9
Lionel Messi‘s ($10.5m) tournament got off to an underwhelming start in the curtain-raising stalemate. On another day, however, he could have hauled.
The Argentine legend went close to bagging the first direct free-kick goal bonus of the tournament, while his late, late cross-shot was palmed onto the bar. Fafá Picault ($4.8m) also nearly nodded in Messi’s corner. The former Barcelona man’s five shots were the most of the game.
Luis Suarez ($8.0m) also had an effort brilliantly cleared off the line but in truth, Al Ahly exerted as much pressure as the hosts did.
Home ‘keeper Ustari made a whopping eight saves in all, one of which came from the spot. There’s no Fantasy punishment for penalty taker Trezeguet ($4.0m), who missed, but Ustari was richly rewarded – the Scouting Bonus being the cherry on the cake:
Three defenders from each side, all of whom cost less than $4.3m, also complemented their clean sheets with Scouting Bonus. Dari nearly added to his tally a goal.
Trezeguet being a cut-price $4.0m and (unless he’s stripped of them) on penalties was also eye-catching. The new signing had more than twice as many shots (four) as any of his teammates.
However, this was both teams’ most appealing fixture of the group stage. Porto and Palmeiras now await, so there’s little incentive to back them now.
BAYERN MUNICH 10-0 AUCKLAND CITY
GOALS: Kingsley Coman ($8.8m) x2, Sacha Boey ($4.6m), Michael Olise ($9.4m) x2, Thomas Müller ($7.0m) x2, Jamal Musiala ($9.2m) x3
ASSISTS: Jonathan Tah ($5.5m), Coman, Olise x2, Boey, Müller x2, Serge Gnabry ($8.0m)
PENALTY WON: Musiala
MOST POINTS: Musiala – 21, Muller – 21, Olise – 19, Boey – 19, Coman – 18
Harry Kane ($11.0m) did a ‘Salah v Bournemouth’ and somehow blanked in a resounding win for his side. The striker managed only one shot in his 60-minute outing.
The expected bloodbath did materialise. So too did the minute management, not that it mattered for most.
Musiala scored a second-half hat-trick after coming off the bench for Kane, rubbing salt into the England striker’s wounds by converting a late penalty – a spot-kick the forward would have surely taken had he been on the field. Despite only having half an hour on the pitch, the newly fit-again Musiala had five shots, a tally that no other Bayern player could better.
His 21-point haul was matched by Muller, who delivered two goals and two assists and lasted the full 90 minutes. His 21-point haul was matched by Muller, who delivered two goals and two assists and lasted the full 90 minutes. The veteran forward, like Musiala, qualified for Scouting Bonus, too.
Olise and Coman registered a combined seven attacking returns despite just lasting 45 minutes apiece.
And there was joy at the back for Boey and Tah, who complemented clean sheets with attacking returns. Boey registered an eye-catching three shots and two key passes but not only does the opposition weakness have to be taken into account, but also the competition at right-back, with Konrad Laimer ($5.0m) and Josip Stanisic ($4.9m) options at right-back. The same Matchday 2 caveats apply to others such as Muller, given that he saw out the full game here.
Really, there’s very little to take from a mismatch such as this – only to back Benfica players against the Kiwi amateurs, who had just one shot, in Matchday 2.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 4-0 ATLETICO MADRID
GOALS: Fabián Ruiz ($6.5m), Vitinha ($6.1m), Senny Mayulu ($4.4m), Lee Kang-In ($6.0m)
ASSISTS: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ($9.2m) x2, Ibrahim Mbaye ($4.5m), Mayulu
MOST POINTS: Mayulu – 12, Ruiz – 10, Kvaratskhelia – 10
PSG made light of the fixture ticker by utterly demolishing an Atletico Madrid side usually known for their stubbornness.
It wasn’t just the game being played in sweltering heat but also the possibility of PSG having a Champions League (and June international) hangover. We needn’t have worried.
Utterly dominant, the French outfit outshot Atletico 16-5, enjoyed c. 75% possession and were ahead from the 19th minute.
There could have been other/further goals, too. Goncalo Ramos ($8.0m), deputising for the injured Ousmane Dembele ($10.0m), missed three chances, while Kvaratskhelia saw a fierce effort tipped onto the crossbar. Achraf Hakimi ($6.5m) also had a big opening in the 78th minute but couldn’t capitalise when Jan Oblak ($5.5m) was stranded. Fellow full-back Nuno Mendes ($6.2m) created three chances with no reward.
Kvaratskhelia had teed up both of PSG’s first two goals, with substitutes doing the late damage: Mayula and then Lee from the spot.
Mayulu interestingly got +3 points for his role in forcing a handball for the spot kick, rather than the usual +2 for ‘winning a penalty’. Lee, meanwhile, converted PSG’s penalty, despite one usual taker, Vitinha, being on the field.
“Why did I give the penalty to Kang-in Lee? We’ve already talked about it before, me, the coach, the other penalty takers. Normally, I take the penalty. If Ousmane is there, it’s Ousmane. Today, it was me. But I’m not a striker, so I don’t need goals. So if the score is good, we give it to an attacking player who needs goals. That was the case with Kang-in.” – Vitinha, via DAZN
The heat didn’t help Atletico but it was disappointing from their perspective, with Antoine Griezmann‘s ($8.5m) 45th-minute effort their only (legal) shot on target. Julian Alvarez ($9.0m) did have a goal chalked off by the VAR for a foul, however.
Clement Lenglet ($5.2m) will miss Matchday 2 after receiving a red card for two bookable offences.
The good news for Diego Simeone’s side is that it’s Seattle Sounders next, in the more forgiving climate of Washington.
PALMEIRAS 0-0 PORTO
GOALS: None
ASSISTS: None
MOST POINTS: Cláudio Ramos ($4.5m) – 10, Weverton ($4.9m) – 10, Ivan Marcano ($4.8m) – 9, Joao Mario ($4.9m) – 9, Ze Pedro ($4.0m) – 9, Agustín Giay ($4.4m) – 9, Joaquin Piquerez ($5.1m) – 9, Murillo ($5.1m) – 9
A second goalless draw of the tournament saw defenders richly rewarded in New York.
Budget gem Francisco Moura ($4.1m) was a popular pick heading into the tournament and got off to a flyer with a clean sheet.
As the only playing goalkeeper/defender in this fixture with an ownership of above 5%, however, he was outdone by several others.
The two goalkeepers were the stars of the show, each delivering 10-point hauls. Ramos was only playing because of an injury to Diogo Costa ($5.1m) but like opposite number Weverton, the Porto understudy delivered a clean sheet, a save point and two Scouting Bonus points.
With Al Ahly and Inter Miami up next, there’s every hope of more defensive returns.
The potentially penalty-taking Joaquin Piquerez was [our big pre-tournament hope from Palmeiras](http://Joaquín Piquerez 26, DML) and he highlighted his potential from full-back with a shot and three key passes. Another hit prospect, the Chelsea-bound Estevao ($5.5m), looked brilliant at times, although the young winger really should have scored from seven yards out with the goal gaping in first-half stoppage time. That chance was part of a frenetic seven seconds in which Ramos (twice) and then a goalline block prevented Palmeiras from scoring.
A budget gem from Porto, Samu Aghehowa ($4.2m), only registered one effort – but what a brilliant solo goal it nearly was.
BOTAFOGO 2-1 SEATTLE
GOALS: Jair ($4.8m), Igor Jesus ($4.1m) | Cristian Roldan ($5.5m)
ASSISTS: Alex Telles ($5.1m), Vitinho ($4.8m) | Paul Rothrock ($5.5m)
MOST POINTS: Telles – 12, Jair – 11, Jesus – 10, Roldan – 10
A dream evening for Telles owners saw the defender assist Botafogo’s opener and bank clean sheet points before Seattle scored their second-half consolation.
The former Man Utd man had already gone close with a volley of his own before his free-kick was nodded in by centre-half Jair.
It was a red-letter day for Botafogo defenders despite the team clean sheet loss, with opposite full-back Vitinho crossing for Igor Jesus to nod home. The Forest-bound Jesus (Jair is heading to the City Ground, too) looked impressive and a physical asset, with both his goal and an early saved effort coming from his head. He looked like a Club World Cup Fantasy bargain before the tournament started, and he didn’t disappoint.
This match wasn’t quite as one-sided as we were expecting. In fact, Seattle should really have got something out of the game, with their second-half onslaught resulting in them having almost double the shots (23 v 12) as the more fancied Botafogo.
Albert Rusnak ($5.4m) was, as we had suspected, at the centre of many Seattle attacks, be it during open play or from dead-ball situations. He had a whopping seven shots and made four key passes, both game highs.
Ultimately, though, the lack of a cutting edge cost the MLS side. Rushed shots and penalty-box pinball; even their goal came via a deflection.
As is the case with Inter Miami and Al Ahly, these two clubs won’t be high up on many Fantasy managers’ shopping lists. It’s Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain next…
Club World Cup 2025 Fantasy complete guide: Best players, tips, team reveals + more