Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8: captain picks, best buys

Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8 preview: best buys, captain picks and two doubles ahead

Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8 is a normal ten-match round, starting tonight, and every one of the 20 clubs plays once. The next two gameweeks are not normal. In Gameweek 9, Athletic Club and Levante play twice, and they meet each other on 21 October. In Gameweek 10, Villarreal and Espanyol play twice, and they also meet each other, on 30 October. On the current schedule, Villarreal and Espanyol then have no Gameweek 11 fixture.

So Gameweek 8 is a decision about the next three weeks. Sell the players who score little or nothing in that window, get the double-gameweek players in before their good weeks start, and decide which of the two doubles your Quick Fix belongs to. All numbers below are projected Sofascore points from our model, and the full table is on the Sofascore LaLiga player picks page.

Gameweek 8 to 10 programs: whose next three gameweeks are worth owning

Barcelona have the best three-gameweek run in the game: [H]GET → [A]BET → [H]RMA, with 8.09 expected goals across the three. Gameweek 8 at home to Getafe is the best single fixture of the round: a 90% win probability, 3.43 expected goals and a 59% clean-sheet chance. The Gameweek 10 Clásico against Real Madrid is the week to plan around, not a reason to avoid Barcelona.

The two doubles change the rest of the table. Villarreal ([A]RMA → [H]ELC → [A]VAL + [H]ESP) are second on expected goals at 7.28, but they need four games to get there, and Gameweek 8 at Real Madrid is their worst fixture of the window. Athletic Club ([A]RAY → [A]VAL + [A]LEV → [H]GET) have the best clean-sheet total in the game at 1.44 from four fixtures. They allowed 1.11 expected goals per game last season, second only to Real Madrid, and 1.10 per game in their first six league games this season. Espanyol ([A]MAL → [H]ATM → [A]SAN + [A]VIL) and Levante ([H]SEV → [A]COR + [H]ATH → [A]RSO) also play four, from weaker bases. Levante have conceded 2.05 expected goals per game this season, so their double is about the number of games, not their defence.

Real Madrid ([H]VIL → [H]SEV → [A]BAR, 6.85 expected goals) have two home games before the trip to Barcelona, so their attackers are strongest now. Atletico Madrid ([A]ALA → [A]ESP → [H]COR) have the best clean-sheet total of any side with three fixtures, 1.20.

Program cells marked "4 fixtures" include a double gameweek. Their totals cover four matches, not three, so they are not directly comparable with the three-fixture rows. The 3-gameweek CS column counts expected clean sheets (1.00 means one clean sheet expected); it is not a percentage. At the bottom, Getafe ([A]BAR → [H]RAY → [A]ATH) and Malaga ([H]ESP → [H]RSO → [A]ALA) have the weakest attacking programs, and Deportivo La Coruna ([A]RSO → [H]LEV → [A]ATM) have the lowest clean-sheet total in the game, 0.56. Kick-off times are on the Sofascore LaLiga schedule, and the odds behind these numbers are on the market probabilities page.

Best goalkeepers for Gameweek 8

Unai Simon (6.5m, ATH) is the goalkeeper to own for the window. His program is [A]RAY → [A]VAL + [A]LEV → [H]GET, scoring 4.5 → 9.3 → 5.4, for 19.2 over three gameweeks, the most of any keeper. The Gameweek 9 double gives him two clean-sheet chances, and he keeps a Gameweek 11 fixture (4.9 at home to Real Sociedad), which the Gameweek 10 doubles do not. At 19.3% owned he protects your rank more than he sets you apart.

Péter Gulácsi (5.1m, VIL) is the cheapest way into a double. His program is [A]RMA → [H]ELC → [A]VAL + [H]ESP, scoring 3.7 → 4.9 → 9.6, for 18.2 over three gameweeks. That is the best three-gameweek points per million of any goalkeeper, and he is 2.0% owned. His Gameweek 10 projection of 9.6 is the highest of any player that week. Buy him for Gameweek 9, not now: Gameweek 8 at Real Madrid gives Villarreal a 6% clean-sheet chance, and Villarreal have no Gameweek 11 fixture, so plan to sell him after the double.

Mathew Ryan (5.7m, LEV) covers the other double: [H]SEV → [A]COR + [H]ATH → [A]RSO, scoring 4.7 → 9.0 → 4.4, for 18.1 over three gameweeks at 8.2% ownership. His points come from the two Gameweek 9 games, not from a strong defence.

On a budget, Alfonso Herrero (4.6m, MAL) has the best Gameweek 8 points per million of any keeper. His program is [H]ESP → [H]RSO → [A]ALA, scoring 4.9 → 4.6 → 4.5, for 14.0 over three gameweeks at 3.4% ownership. Two home games to start make him a buy now, not later. Dominik Livakovic (5.0m, BAR) is the direct swap for Joan Garcia owners (see the sell section): [H]GET → [A]BET → [H]RMA, scoring 4.9 → 3.8 → 3.8. Most of his value comes this week, so treat him as a one-week buy.

Best defenders for Gameweek 8

This is the position where this gameweek's ranking and the three-gameweek ranking disagree most. Pau Cubarsi projects the most of any defender in Gameweek 8 (6.8 against Getafe), but his three-gameweek total is 15.7, while the Gameweek 9 double-gameweek defenders reach 17.6 to 18.4. Keep him if you own him. If you are buying one defender to hold, it is not him.

Adrián De La Fuente (6.1m, LEV) is the defender to buy. His program is [H]SEV → [A]COR + [H]ATH → [A]RSO, scoring 4.8 → 9.1 → 4.5, for 18.4 over three gameweeks, the most of any defender. He is on Levante's penalty list, which is why a defender behind a leaky back line still projects 9.1 in the double. He also has Atletico Madrid at home in Gameweek 11 (4.8), and he is 6.1% owned. Buy him now: the home game against Sevilla is a decent fixture on its own, and the double comes straight after.

From Athletic Club, Aymeric Laporte (6.4m, ATH) (4.1 → 8.5 → 5.0, 17.6 over three gameweeks) is the popular pick at 19.7%, and Yuri Berchiche (6.1m, ATH) (4.2 → 8.5 → 4.9, also 17.6) is the differential at 2.9% and 0.3m cheaper. Both run [A]RAY → [A]VAL + [A]LEV → [H]GET. Each club is capped at three players, so if you also own Unai Simon, only two Athletic Club outfielders fit.

The Gameweek 10 double brings three more defenders into play. Leandro Cabrera (5.8m, ESP) runs [A]MAL → [H]ATM → [A]SAN + [A]VIL, scoring 5.1 → 3.8 → 8.1, for 17.0 over three gameweeks at 9.6% ownership. Omar El Hilali (5.3m, ESP) has the same program and scores 4.9 → 3.5 → 7.5, 15.9 at 3.5%. Both open with a decent trip to Malaga, so they can come in now. Renato Veiga (5.5m, VIL) ([A]RMA → [H]ELC → [A]VAL + [H]ESP, 2.8 → 4.5 → 9.2, 16.5) is a buy for Gameweek 9, not now: Gameweek 8 at Real Madrid is too tough to pay for. All three have no Gameweek 11 fixture.

Outside the doubles, Angel Perez (5.5m, ALA) runs [H]ATM → [A]CEL → [H]MAL, scoring 4.3 → 4.3 → 7.0, for 15.6 at 6.8% ownership. Malaga at home in Gameweek 10 is his best week. David Hancko (6.3m, ATM) is the steady hold: [A]ALA → [A]ESP → [H]COR, scoring 5.5 → 5.0 → 5.7, for 16.2, the best three-gameweek total of any defender without a double. That is a flat program you can stop thinking about.

The budget defender is Carlos Puga (4.0m, MAL): [H]ESP → [H]RSO → [A]ALA, scoring 4.9 → 3.7 → 3.6, for 12.2 over three gameweeks. He has the best Gameweek 8 points per million of any defender and the best three-gameweek points per million too, and the model has him at 79 minutes. That makes him a playable fifth defender rather than pure bench cover.

Best midfielders for Gameweek 8

Lamine Yamal (12.9m, BAR) is the best player in the game and the easiest decision of the week. His program is [H]GET → [A]BET → [H]RMA, scoring 12.6 → 10.5 → 8.5, for 31.6 over three gameweeks. The model gives him 0.99 expected goals and 0.37 expected assists against Getafe alone. Last season he produced 12.7 expected goals and 10.2 expected assists in LaLiga, for 16 goals and 11 assists, and he has 7 goals and 4 assists in 581 league minutes this season. He is in 50.0% of squads. If you do not own him, fix that this week, because Gameweek 8 is his peak.

Jude Bellingham (10.9m, RMA) is the second premium: [H]VIL → [H]SEV → [A]BAR, scoring 7.9 → 7.3 → 5.5, for 20.7 over three gameweeks, the second-highest total of any player. The two home games make him a buy now. His Clásico projection is the weak week, not a reason to wait.

The standout value midfielder for the Gameweek 9 double is Robert Navarro (5.2m, ATH). His program is [A]RAY → [A]VAL + [A]LEV → [H]GET, scoring 4.8 → 9.6 → 4.3, for 18.7 over three gameweeks. That is the best three-gameweek points per million of any midfielder, his Gameweek 9 projection is second only to Yamal's, and only 0.6% own him. Add Gameweek 11 at home to Real Sociedad and he reaches 23.0 over four gameweeks. Alex Berenguer (5.2m, ATH) (4.3 → 8.6 → 3.9, 16.8, 0.7%) is the alternative on the same program. Oihan Sancet is not: the model has him out of both Gameweek 9 games.

For the Gameweek 10 double, Edu Exposito (5.5m, ESP) runs [A]MAL → [H]ATM → [A]SAN + [A]VIL, scoring 5.4 → 4.5 → 9.2, for 19.1 over three gameweeks at 3.4% ownership, the best three-gameweek total of any player under 6m. Last season he turned 6.8 expected assists into 6 assists, and creating chances is his route to points again. Buy him now: Gameweek 8 at Malaga is decent, and buying now gets you four games in three gameweeks before Espanyol's blank. Here the three-gameweek and four-gameweek rankings disagree: Exposito leads Navarro over Gameweeks 8 to 10 only because Navarro has the bigger Gameweek 9 and keeps a Gameweek 11 fixture. If you are buying one cheap midfielder and keeping him, buy Navarro. If you are planning a Quick Fix for Gameweek 10, buy Exposito.

From Villarreal, Pape Gueye (6.9m, VIL) ([A]RMA → [H]ELC → [A]VAL + [H]ESP, 4.5 → 5.0 → 9.5, 19.0) and Alberto Moleiro (7.2m, VIL) (4.2 → 5.3 → 9.5, 19.0) are buys for Gameweek 9, ahead of the double. Both score 4.5 or less at Real Madrid this week and score half their window in Gameweek 10. Moleiro has 2 goals and 3 assists from 3.6 expected goal involvements in 411 league minutes this season.

Fermin Lopez (7.6m, BAR) is the cheaper Barcelona option: [H]GET → [A]BET → [H]RMA, scoring 7.4 → 6.0 → 4.6, for 18.0 over three gameweeks. He is third among all players for Gameweek 8. Among budget picks, Inigo Vicente (5.4m, SAN) has the best Gameweek 8 points per million of any midfielder. His program is [H]VAL → [A]OSA → [H]ESP, scoring 6.1 → 5.0 → 4.7, for 15.8 at 3.0% ownership. Dani Lorenzo (4.0m, MAL) ([H]ESP → [H]RSO → [A]ALA, 4.3 → 3.8 → 3.6, 11.7) is a 4.0m midfielder on 77 minutes, second on Gameweek 8 points per million at 1.6% ownership.

Best forwards for Gameweek 8

Kylian Mbappé (12.6m, RMA) projects the most of any forward this week and over the window: [H]VIL → [H]SEV → [A]BAR, scoring 7.0 → 7.5 → 5.1, for 19.6 over three gameweeks. The model still has him at 64 minutes against Villarreal, but he is on Real Madrid's penalty list and has 7 goals from 7.8 expected goals in 630 league minutes this season. He is 55.7% owned. Keep him: the two home games are his best run.

Vinicius Junior (11.5m, RMA) is the alternative premium on the same program, scoring 6.6 → 6.5 → 4.7, for 17.8. Roberto Fernández (5.5m, ESP) nearly matches that at less than half the price: [A]MAL → [H]ATM → [A]SAN + [A]VIL, scoring 4.9 → 4.2 → 8.6, for 17.7 over three gameweeks at 6.5% ownership, the best three-gameweek points per million of any forward. Last season he produced 9.3 expected goals for 7 goals, and he has 6 goals in 613 league minutes this season. He is the forward who pairs with Exposito for the Espanyol double, and like Exposito he has no Gameweek 11 fixture.

Sergio Camello (5.6m, RAY) is the flat, nailed option under 6m: [H]ATH → [A]GET → [H]ELC, scoring 5.3 → 4.9 → 5.2, for 15.4, and with Celta Vigo at home in Gameweek 11 he reaches 20.1 over four gameweeks, third among forwards behind the two Real Madrid premiums. Ivan Romero (6.1m, LEV) is the Gameweek 9 double forward: [H]SEV → [A]COR + [H]ATH → [A]RSO, scoring 3.9 → 7.5 → 3.7, for 15.1 at 7.1% ownership. Ayoze Pérez (5.5m, VIL) ([A]RMA → [H]ELC → [A]VAL + [H]ESP, 3.5 → 4.7 → 8.3, 16.5) is the Villarreal option, but he is projected for 63 minutes this week, so treat him as a Gameweek 10 punt rather than a core pick.

One rotation play for this week only: Gabriel Jesus (6.0m, BAR) projects 6.3 at home to Getafe on 75 minutes, but only 2.3 and 1.9 after it. He is a one-week Quick Fix name, not a buy.

Captain picks for Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8

The captain scores double, and the choice is not close. Lamine Yamal (12.9m, BAR), on [H]GET → [A]BET → [H]RMA, projects 12.6 at home to Getafe, 4.7 points clear of Jude Bellingham (7.9), with Fermin Lopez (7.4) and Kylian Mbappé (7.0) behind. Yamal's 12.6 is also the highest single-gameweek projection of any player from Gameweek 8 to Gameweek 11. If you still hold the Triple Captain, this is the week it does the most.

Captaincy changes over the next two gameweeks. In Gameweek 9, Yamal (10.5) still leads, with Robert Navarro (9.6) and Unai Simon (9.3) behind him in the Athletic Club double. In Gameweek 10, Yamal drops to 8.5 against Real Madrid, and Péter Gulácsi (9.6), Pape Gueye (9.5), Alberto Moleiro (9.5) and Edu Exposito (9.2) all project more. A Villarreal or Espanyol double-gameweek player is therefore your Gameweek 10 captain, and a second reason to own one. Every captain option is ranked on the player picks page.

Who to sell before Gameweek 8

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (6.3m, COR) is the first sale. He is 25.4% owned, is listed as unavailable until 6 December, and projects zero in every gameweek of the window. Why now: there is no week in this window when he plays. His money goes straight into De La Fuente, Navarro, Exposito or Roberto Fernández before the doubles.

Raphinha (11.3m, BAR) is the biggest call. He is 29.4% owned and on Barcelona's penalty list, but the model has him playing no part against Getafe and only 44 and 61 minutes after it. That gives him 0.0 → 5.2 → 5.5, 10.7 over three gameweeks, about half of Bellingham's 20.7 at a similar price. Why now: Barcelona's best fixture of the window is this week, and he is projected to miss it.

Joan Garcia (6.8m, BAR) is next. He is 15.7% owned, he is flagged unavailable, and the model has Dominik Livakovic in goal for all three gameweeks, so Garcia projects zero across the window. Why now: Barcelona's best clean-sheet week is this one, a 59% chance against Getafe. Switching to Livakovic or Herrero now catches it, and both are cheaper.

Alejandro Grimaldo (6.4m, ATM), 21.2% owned, is also flagged unavailable. He projects nothing in Gameweek 8, then 2.5 and 4.3, for 6.8 over the window. Atletico's program is fine. Why now: Gameweek 8 is a game he misses, while David Hancko from the same back line projects 16.2 over the three.

Julián Álvarez (8.5m, ATM), 17.1% owned, is projected for 29 minutes this week and 6.4 points across the three gameweeks. The fixtures are fine; his role is the problem, and nothing in the window changes it. Carlos Romero (6.0m, VIL, 15.3%) is a similar case: 1.1 → 2.2 → 3.9, 7.2 in total. Even Villarreal's double only takes him to 3.9, while Renato Veiga from the same defence projects 16.5.

Marc Cucurella (6.8m, RMA), 16.7% owned, is now a sale rather than a wait. Real Madrid's two home games are good fixtures, but the model has him on 57 minutes against Villarreal and 3.0 → 3.5 → 2.2, 8.7 over the window, with the drop at Barcelona in Gameweek 10. Why now: the good fixtures are not reaching him, so there is no better week to sell, and Antonio Rüdiger (5.5m) projects 12.6 from the same defence. Thibaut Courtois (17.9%, 4.3 → 4.8 → 3.7) is the Real Madrid sale you can wait a gameweek on: move him after Gameweek 9, before the trip to Barcelona.

Finally, if you bought Oihan Sancet (5.1m, ATH, 2.3%) for the Athletic Club double, move him on. He projects 2.0 → 0.0 → 0.0 on 32 minutes this week and nothing in Gameweeks 9 and 10. Why now: the double is next week and he plays no part in it, so Robert Navarro on the same program is the like-for-like swap.

Best Quick Fix (Free Hit) team for Gameweek 8, and when to play it

Sofascore's Quick Fix works like a Free Hit. The best Gameweek 8 squad our model finds starts this eleven in a 3-5-2:

• GK: Álvaro Vallés (5.9m, BET, 5.4)
• DEF: Natan (6.0m, BET, 6.2), Unai Nunez (5.1m, ESP, 5.1), Carlos Puga (4.0m, MAL, 4.9)
• MID: Lamine Yamal (12.9m, BAR, 12.6), Jude Bellingham (10.9m, RMA, 7.9), Fermin Lopez (7.6m, BAR, 7.4), Antony (7.6m, BET, 6.3), Inigo Vicente (5.4m, SAN, 6.1)
• FWD: Kylian Mbappé (12.6m, RMA, 7.0), Gabriel Jesus (6.0m, BAR, 6.3)

That eleven projects 75.2 points before the captain, with Yamal as captain. The same exercise for Gameweek 9, built around the Athletic Club and Levante double, projects 88.8. For Gameweek 10, built around Villarreal and Espanyol, it projects 87.7. Gameweek 8 is the weakest of the three, so hold the Quick Fix. Gameweek 10 is the better home for it if you would rather not carry Villarreal and Espanyol players into their Gameweek 11 blank, because the squad reverts afterwards. If you have more than one Quick Fix left, Gameweeks 9 and 10 are both strong weeks to use them. The exact live optimum, solved against current prices, is on the Sofascore LaLiga optimal teams page.

Gameweek 8 transfer summary

Out: Aubameyang, Raphinha and Joan Garcia first, then Grimaldo, Julián Álvarez, Carlos Romero or Cucurella if you have the transfers. Courtois can wait until after Gameweek 9.

In: Yamal if you do not own him. Then pick a double: De La Fuente or Navarro for Gameweek 9, or Exposito, Roberto Fernández or Cabrera for Gameweek 10. Villarreal's Gulácsi, Gueye and Moleiro are Gameweek 9 buys, after the trip to Real Madrid. Herrero or Livakovic cover the goal this week.

Check the Sofascore LaLiga predicted lineups before the deadline, especially for Raphinha, Mbappé and the Athletic Club midfielders. Every preview for this game is collected in the Sofascore LaLiga preview hub, and our fantasy football guides cover the strategy basics.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8?

Lamine Yamal. He projects 12.6 points at home to Getafe, 4.7 points clear of Jude Bellingham (7.9), with Fermin Lopez (7.4) and Kylian Mbappé (7.0) next. It is the highest single-gameweek projection of any player from Gameweek 8 to Gameweek 11, so it is also the week for the Triple Captain.

Should I sell Raphinha before Gameweek 8?

Yes. The model has him playing no part against Getafe and projects 10.7 points over three gameweeks, about half of Jude Bellingham's 20.7. If you also own Aubameyang or Joan Garcia, they project zero across the window, so sell them first.

Which players should I buy for the Gameweek 9 and Gameweek 10 doubles?

For Gameweek 9: Unai Simon (19.2 over three gameweeks), Robert Navarro (18.7), Adrián De La Fuente (18.4) and Aymeric Laporte or Yuri Berchiche (17.6). For Gameweek 10: Edu Exposito (19.1), Péter Gulácsi (18.2), Roberto Fernández (17.7) and Leandro Cabrera (17.0). The Gameweek 10 players have no Gameweek 11 fixture, and the limit is three players per club.

Best differentials for Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8?

Robert Navarro (0.6% owned, 18.7 over three gameweeks), Péter Gulácsi (2.0%, 18.2), Edu Exposito (3.4%, 19.1), Yuri Berchiche (2.9%, 17.6) and Omar El Hilali (3.5%, 15.9) all combine low ownership with strong three-gameweek totals.

When should I use the Quick Fix in Sofascore LaLiga?

Not in Gameweek 8. The best Gameweek 8 starting eleven projects 75.2 points, against 88.8 in Gameweek 9 and 87.7 in Gameweek 10, when Athletic Club, Levante, Villarreal and Espanyol play twice. Gameweek 10 is the better choice if you want Villarreal and Espanyol players without carrying them into their Gameweek 11 blank.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.