Champions Manager Spillerunde 3: captain and best buys
Champions Manager Spillerunde 3 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials
Champions Manager Spillerunde 3 is the round where Manchester City host AEK Athens, and that one fixture shapes most of the decisions this week: a 92% win probability, 3.57 expected goals and a 65% clean-sheet chance, the best numbers of the round. But the transfers you make now should be judged on Spillerunde 3, 4 and 5 together. Real Madrid have the best three-round attack in the game, Inter and Liverpool the steadiest defences, and Bayern München, the most-owned club in the game, have a program that does not justify their ownership. Below: the programs worth owning, the best buys by position, the captaincy plan for Spillerunde 3 to 5, and the sells, each with the reason to make it now. The full projections sit on the Champions Manager player picks page, and the optimal teams for Champions Manager solver weighs the same rounds live. Last round's analysis is in the Champions Manager Spillerunde 2 preview.
Champions Manager Spillerunde 3 programs: whose next three rounds are worth owning
Real Madrid have the best attack over the next three rounds at 7.99 expected goals: [H]RB Leipzig → [A]AEK Athens → [H]PSV Eindhoven. All three are good fixtures (2.90, 2.21 and 2.88 xG), and they add 1.02 expected clean sheets on top. It is an even program with no weak week, which makes Real Madrid players the holds, not the rotations.
Manchester City are second on attack (7.48) and first on defence with 1.25 expected clean sheets: [H]AEK Athens → [A]RB Leipzig → [H]Napoli. The AEK game carries most of that, and the RB Leipzig trip is the one to plan around rather than avoid (44% win, 25% clean sheet). The Napoli home game in Spillerunde 5 lifts them again to 2.23 xG and a 35% clean-sheet chance. Two strong fixtures out of three is a buy by any standard.
Inter ([H]Shakhtar Donetsk → [A]Feyenoord → [H]VfB Stuttgart, 1.04 expected clean sheets) and Liverpool ([H]Villarreal → [A]Fenerbahçe → [A]Club Brugge, 1.01) are the defences to own beyond this week. Inter's Shakhtar game is the third-best clean-sheet chance of the round at 44%, and the Stuttgart game in Spillerunde 5 is 35%. Liverpool sit at 30% or better for a clean sheet in all three. Sporting CP ([H]LASK → [A]Shakhtar Donetsk → [H]Manchester United, 0.94) are a strong Spillerunde 3 team whose run fades after it.
Three clubs have one excellent fixture and a poor run behind it, so their players are one-round buys: Roma ([H]Slovan Bratislava → [A]Manchester United → [A]Paris Saint-Germain: 85% win, 51% clean sheet, then 21% and 12% win probability), Aston Villa ([H]Viking → [A]Barcelona → [A]Galatasaray) and Borussia Dortmund ([A]Sabah FK → [H]Real Betis → [A]Arsenal). Barcelona are the opposite case: the Paris trip is their weakest game (38% win), and [H]Aston Villa → [A]Sabah FK behind it are 2.42 and 2.82 xG. Barcelona players are Spillerunde 4 buys, not Spillerunde 3 buys. Check the expected teams on the Champions Manager predicted lineups page and the full calendar on the Champions Manager schedule.
| Team | Spillerunde 3 | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet | Program (Spillerunde 3-5) | 3-round xG | 3-round CS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | [H]RBL | 76% | 2.90 | 37% | [H]RBL → [A]AEK → [H]PSV | 7.99 | 1.02 |
| Manchester City | [H]AEK | 92% | 3.57 | 65% | [H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP | 7.48 | 1.25 |
| Barcelona | [A]PSG | 38% | 1.99 | 13% | [A]PSG → [H]AVL → [A]SFK | 7.23 | 0.88 |
| Inter | [H]SD | 81% | 3.02 | 44% | [H]SD → [A]FEY → [H]STU | 6.53 | 1.04 |
| Atletico Madrid | [A]STU | 43% | 1.73 | 22% | [A]STU → [H]FCB → [H]VIK | 6.33 | 0.70 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | [H]BAR | 40% | 2.05 | 14% | [H]BAR → [A]VIL → [H]ROM | 5.88 | 0.92 |
| Bayern München | [H]ARS | 44% | 1.69 | 26% | [H]ARS → [A]ATM → [A]LIL | 5.71 | 0.68 |
| Liverpool | [H]VIL | 63% | 2.20 | 36% | [H]VIL → [A]FB → [A]CLB | 5.66 | 1.01 |
| Sporting CP | [H]LAS | 76% | 2.78 | 42% | [H]LAS → [A]SD → [H]MUN | 5.51 | 0.94 |
| Aston Villa | [H]VIK | 78% | 2.89 | 42% | [H]VIK → [A]BAR → [A]GAL | 5.46 | 0.70 |
| Borussia Dortmund | [A]SFK | 71% | 2.51 | 40% | [A]SFK → [H]BET → [A]ARS | 5.29 | 0.75 |
| Roma | [H]SLB | 85% | 3.15 | 51% | [H]SLB → [A]MUN → [A]PSG | 5.12 | 0.76 |
| VfB Stuttgart | [H]ATM | 33% | 1.49 | 18% | [H]ATM → [A]GAL → [A]INT | 3.95 | 0.44 |
| AEK Athens | [A]MCI | 2% | 0.43 | 3% | [A]MCI → [H]RMA → [A]COM | 2.60 | 0.25 |
Best goalkeepers for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3
Gianluigi Donnarumma (5.11m, MCI) is the pick of the round with 119k projected and a program of [H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP. The Leipzig trip is the weak week, but the 65% clean-sheet chance against AEK and the Napoli home game make it 253k over three rounds, the best of any keeper (119k → 57k → 76k). At 1.3% ownership almost nobody has him.
Thibaut Courtois (5.10m, RMA) is the keeper to buy if you want to stop thinking about the position. Real Madrid's [H]RBL → [A]AEK → [H]PSV gives him 90k → 72k → 85k, 248k in total, only 5k behind Donnarumma, and no week below 72k. Over the next three rounds the two are level. If you weigh further ahead, Courtois edges it. Josep Martinez (4.54m, INT) is the cheaper route into the same idea: [H]SD → [A]FEY → [H]STU, 97k → 56k → 77k, 230k.
The budget play is Pierluigi Gollini (3.00m, ROM). Mile Svilar is listed out until 6 November, so Gollini is projected to start [H]SLB → [A]MUN → [A]PSG and scores 103k against Slovan Bratislava, the best points per million of any keeper. The Manchester United trip drops him to 37k, so this is a one-round buy: take him for Spillerunde 3 and sell him again before Spillerunde 4.
Best defenders for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3
| Player | Team | Price | Owned | Spillerunde 3 | Spillerunde 4 | Spillerunde 5 | 3-round total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federico Dimarco | Inter | 5.54m | 2.0% | 104k | 48k | 73k | 224k |
| Marc Guehi | Manchester City | 4.58m | 0.6% | 99k | 38k | 56k | 193k |
| Alejandro Grimaldo | Atletico Madrid | 5.11m | 0.5% | 69k | 60k | 119k | 247k |
| Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | 4.57m | 2.0% | 70k | 59k | 57k | 185k |
| Waldemar Anton | Borussia Dortmund | 3.03m | 2.0% | 84k | 44k | 6k | 134k |
| Gianluca Mancini | Roma | 3.52m | 0.2% | 95k | 16k | 6k | 117k |
Federico Dimarco (5.54m, INT) is the round's top defender at 104k and second over three rounds: [H]SD → [A]FEY → [H]STU, 104k → 48k → 73k. He has 0.62 xGI per 90 minutes this season, which gives him attacking points on top of the clean-sheet chances. Marc Guehi (4.58m, MCI) is the cheaper City option on the same [H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP at 99k → 38k → 56k (193k). Manchester City have allowed 1.05 xG per game with five clean sheets in the 13 matches we track this season, and Guehi pairs with Donnarumma to double up on the same AEK clean sheet. Remember the four-per-club cap if you are also bringing in Haaland and a City midfielder.
The three-round list and the Spillerunde 3 list disagree on one name. Alejandro Grimaldo (5.11m, ATM) only scores 69k in Stuttgart, but Atletico Madrid's [A]STU → [H]FCB → [H]VIK ends with Viking at home (73% win, 33% clean sheet) and he is projected 119k there. That makes him the best defender over three rounds at 247k. Nothing makes this round the moment, so you can wait a round and buy him before Spillerunde 4 or 5. Virgil van Dijk (4.57m, LIV) is the flat hold: [H]VIL → [A]FB → [A]CLB, 70k → 59k → 57k.
For a budget defender, Waldemar Anton (3.03m, BVB) has the best points per million of any defender at 84k, and Dortmund carry a 40% clean-sheet chance in Sabah. The run behind it is [A]SFK → [H]BET → [A]ARS, and he falls to 6k in London, so he is a two-round buy at most, sold before Spillerunde 5. The fee is about 30k each way. Gianluca Mancini (3.52m, ROM) is the purer one-rounder on [H]SLB → [A]MUN → [A]PSG: 95k against Slovan Bratislava, then 16k at Old Trafford.
Best midfielders for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3
| Player | Team | Price | Owned | Spillerunde 3 | Spillerunde 4 | Spillerunde 5 | 3-round total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | 8.07m | 35.5% | 132k | 162k | 189k | 483k |
| Ademola Lookman | Atletico Madrid | 5.69m | 0.3% | 92k | 89k | 156k | 337k |
| Antoine Semenyo | Manchester City | 6.04m | 0.3% | 145k | 65k | 91k | 300k |
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | 5.54m | 4.8% | 138k | 62k | 87k | 288k |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | 6.72m | 7.2% | 82k | 126k | 88k | 297k |
| Geny Catamo | Sporting CP | 3.75m | 0.8% | 121k | 55k | 54k | 230k |
| Pepe | FC Porto | 2.99m | – | 91k | 66k | 53k | 210k |
| Emiliano Buendia | Aston Villa | 4.70m | 0.9% | 140k | 36k | 64k | 240k |
Lamine Yamal (8.07m, BAR), owned by 35.5%, is a hold, not a buy question. [A]PSG → [H]AVL → [A]SFK gives him 132k → 162k → 189k, the best midfield total by 146k, and the rising trajectory is the whole case. He has 1.12 xGI per 90 minutes this season. The Paris trip is his weakest week, not a reason to sell.
Antoine Semenyo (6.04m, MCI) is the round's top midfielder at 145k, ahead of Yamal, and owned by only 0.3%. City's [H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP takes him to 300k over three rounds (145k → 65k → 91k). This is the differential of the round: a 6.04m midfielder in the best fixture of the round, owned by almost nobody. Rayan Cherki (5.54m, MCI) is the alternative on the same program at 138k → 62k → 87k and is more owned at 4.8%. Both carry some rotation risk in the City midfield, and the predicted lineups are worth checking before the deadline.
Ademola Lookman (5.69m, ATM) is the second-best midfielder over three rounds at 337k, owned by 0.3%. Atletico's [A]STU → [H]FCB → [H]VIK gives 92k → 89k → 156k, and he is on penalties. Like Grimaldo, the big week is Spillerunde 5, so he is a buy now only if you have the slot free. Bruno Fernandes (6.72m, MUN) runs [A]COM → [H]ROM → [A]SCP: 82k → 126k → 88k, a penalty taker who peaks against Roma in Spillerunde 4. The Como trip is not bad, but it is his weakest week. Buy him for Spillerunde 4.
For budget midfielders, Geny Catamo (3.75m, SCP) scores 121k against LASK and is projected to start ([H]LAS → [A]SD → [H]MUN, 121k → 55k → 54k). He is the best of the cheap Sporting players, and at 32.4k per million the best value of any midfielder this round. Pepe (2.99m, POR) is the cheap midfielder to hold: [H]PSV → [H]NAP → [A]FEY, 91k → 66k → 53k, 210k for under 3m. Emiliano Buendia (4.70m, AVL) is the one-round option on [H]VIK → [A]BAR → [A]GAL: 140k against Viking as Villa's penalty taker, then 36k in Barcelona, so sell him again before Spillerunde 4.
Best forwards for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3
| Player | Team | Price | Owned | Spillerunde 3 | Spillerunde 4 | Spillerunde 5 | 3-round total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | 10.35m | 19.9% | 209k | 157k | 207k | 573k |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 9.86m | 9.5% | 268k | 128k | 174k | 570k |
| Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | 7.55m | 2.2% | 142k | 104k | 139k | 385k |
| Serhou Guirassy | Borussia Dortmund | 6.82m | 5.4% | 208k | 114k | 49k | 371k |
| Donyell Malen | Roma | 5.59m | 3.6% | 226k | 76k | 52k | 355k |
| Vedat Muriqi | Fenerbahçe | 4.53m | 0.3% | 148k | 48k | 62k | 257k |
| André Silva | FC Porto | 3.50m | 0.8% | 106k | 76k | 60k | 242k |
The forward line is decided by two players. Erling Haaland (9.86m, MCI) scores 268k against AEK, the highest projection of the round, and [H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP gives 268k → 128k → 174k. Kylian Mbappé (10.35m, RMA) gives 209k → 157k → 207k from [H]RBL → [A]AEK → [H]PSV. Over three rounds they are level (573k and 570k), and over the next six rounds Mbappé is clearly ahead. Mbappé has 1.16 xGI per 90 this season against Haaland's 0.86. Haaland is only owned by 9.5%, which is the gap to close this week: his best fixture of the three is this one, so the transfer is worth most if it is made before the deadline.
Donyell Malen (5.59m, ROM) is the one-round forward of the round: 226k against Slovan Bratislava for 5.59m, the best points per million of any player in the game. He is Roma's penalty taker and has 1.01 xGI per 90 this season. Roma's [H]SLB → [A]MUN → [A]PSG drops him to 76k and 52k, so plan to sell him before Spillerunde 4. One extremely good fixture is enough for a buy here.
Serhou Guirassy (6.82m, BVB) is a two-round buy: [A]SFK → [H]BET → [A]ARS, 208k → 114k → 49k. Sabah and Real Betis are both good for him, and he drops to 49k at Arsenal, which is the round to sell. Vinicius Junior (7.55m, RMA) ([H]RBL → [A]AEK → [H]PSV, 142k → 104k → 139k, 385k) is the cheaper way into the Real Madrid program, but at 60 projected minutes he carries more minutes risk than Mbappé.
The hidden gem is Vedat Muriqi (4.53m, FB), owned by 0.3%: 148k at home to Slavia Prague, the fifth-best forward projection of the round at less than half Haaland's price. Fenerbahçe's [H]SLP → [H]LIV → [A]SD drops him to 148k → 48k → 62k, so treat him as a one-round buy. For a cheap forward to hold, André Silva (3.50m, POR) is a penalty taker with [H]PSV → [H]NAP → [A]FEY: 106k → 76k → 60k.
Champions Manager Spillerunde 3 captain picks
The captain scores double, and the order for Spillerunde 3 is clear:
- Erling Haaland ([H]AEK → [A]RBL → [H]NAP) – 268k against AEK Athens, 535k as captain. City's 92% win probability and 3.57 expected goals are the strongest numbers of the round, and Haaland is on penalties.
- Donyell Malen ([H]SLB → [A]MUN → [A]PSG) – 226k against Slovan Bratislava. The differential captain if you are bringing him in this week anyway.
- Kylian Mbappé ([H]RBL → [A]AEK → [H]PSV) – 209k against RB Leipzig. The safe pick for managers who do not own Haaland.
Serhou Guirassy ([A]SFK → [H]BET → [A]ARS, 208k this round) is the fourth option. Looking ahead, the captaincy moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid. In Spillerunde 4 the best options are Raphinha (168k, if back from injury), Yamal (162k) and Mbappé (157k). In Spillerunde 5 Mbappé leads at 207k. That is why Mbappé is the premium to keep even in a week where Haaland is the captain.
Who to sell before Champions Manager Spillerunde 3
Harry Kane (10.10m, FCB) is owned by 45.7%, more than anyone in the game. [H]Arsenal is not a bad fixture, and 96k is a fair return. But Bayern's [H]ARS → [A]ATM → [A]LIL gives him 96k → 100k → 114k, 310k over three rounds, against 570k for Haaland at a similar price. The move is worth most this week because Haaland's best fixture is the one about to be played. Kane's form (1.22 xGI per 90) is not the problem; the program is.
Michael Olise (7.99m, FCB), owned by 26.8%, has the same Bayern program ([H]ARS → [A]ATM → [A]LIL) and 84k → 81k → 93k. Semenyo and Cherki project more over three rounds for around 2m less, and Semenyo's biggest week is this one, so the swap is worth making now rather than later.
The Stuttgart defenders are the clearest sale. Finn Jeltsch (2.57m, STU) is owned by 32.0% and Josha Vagnoman (3.06m, STU) by 29.7%, and Stuttgart's [H]ATM → [A]GAL → [A]INT reads 18%, 13% and 13% for a clean sheet. Jeltsch goes 20k → 12k → 5k and Vagnoman 33k → 26k → 14k. The run gets worse every week, so there is no better moment ahead than this one.
Fabián Ruiz (3.33m, PSG), owned by 27.5%, and Gabriel Jesus (4.28m, BAR), owned by 21.3%, are both projected as rotation players for Spillerunde 3 (39% and 33% start chances) and score 29k and 41k. Neither program ([H]BAR → [A]VIL → [H]ROM and [A]PSG → [H]AVL → [A]SFK) makes up for the minutes. They are cheap to sell, and the slot is worth more in a Catamo or a Pepe right now. Alberto Brignoli (2.65m, AEK), owned by 15.3%, faces City this week at a 3% clean-sheet chance; AEK's [A]MCI → [H]RMA → [A]COM is the worst three-round defence in the game.
Do not sell Raphinha (7.34m, BAR, owned by 27.5%; [A]PSG → [H]AVL → [A]SFK). He is listed out until 28 October and misses Spillerunde 3, but he returns for Spillerunde 4 with 168k and 190k in Spillerunde 5, the best forward projection of Spillerunde 4. Hold him through the missed week.
Champions Manager Spillerunde 3 transfer summary
- Buy and hold: Haaland, Mbappé, Courtois or Donnarumma, Semenyo, Dimarco, Pepe.
- One-round buys: Malen, Muriqi, Gollini, Buendia, Mancini.
- Two-round buys: Guirassy, Anton.
- Wait a round: Grimaldo, Lookman, Bruno Fernandes, Barcelona players.
- Sell: Kane, Olise, Jeltsch, Vagnoman, Fabián Ruiz, Gabriel Jesus, Brignoli.
Check the bookmaker-implied numbers on the Champions Manager market probabilities page, test the squad in the Champions Manager optimal teams solver, and find every Champions Manager round in our Champions Manager preview hub. New to the game? Our fantasy guides cover the basics.
FAQ
Who should I captain in Champions Manager Spillerunde 3?
Erling Haaland is the captain, with 268k projected at home to AEK Athens (535k doubled). Donyell Malen (226k) and Kylian Mbappé (209k) are the alternatives.
Should I sell Harry Kane before Champions Manager Spillerunde 3?
Yes, if you are moving to Haaland. Kane projects 310k over Spillerunde 3 to 5 from Bayern's [H]ARS → [A]ATM → [A]LIL, while Haaland projects 570k, and Haaland's best fixture is this round.
What are the best differentials for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3?
Antoine Semenyo (0.3% owned, 145k), Vedat Muriqi (0.3%, 148k) and Donnarumma (1.3%, 119k) are the low-owned picks with the biggest projections this round.
Which cheap players are best for Champions Manager Spillerunde 3?
Geny Catamo (3.75m, 121k), Waldemar Anton (3.03m, 84k), Pierluigi Gollini (3.00m, 103k) and Pepe (2.99m, 210k over three rounds).
Is Raphinha playing in Champions Manager Spillerunde 3?
No. Raphinha is listed out until 28 October and misses Spillerunde 3, but he returns for Spillerunde 4 with 168k projected, so holding him is better than selling and buying back.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.