Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9: captain picks, best buys

Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9 preview: the Athletic and Levante double, captains and differentials

Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9 is a double gameweek for two clubs: Athletic Club play [A]VAL and [A]LEV, and Levante play [A]COR and [H]ATH. That is why the top of the round's projection table is full of cheap Athletic and Levante players. But the transfer you make this week also has to hold up in Gameweeks 10 and 11, and the program behind the double decides which of those players to buy. Villarreal and Espanyol are the other story: both play twice in Gameweek 10 and have no fixture in Gameweek 11.

Every projection below comes from our model and was pulled on 13 October, after the latest predicted-lineup update. Compare them with the full Sofascore LaLiga player picks, and check the predicted lineups before the deadline. If you missed last week, the Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 8 preview covers the run-up.

The programs: whose next three gameweeks are worth owning

The table is sorted by expected goals over Gameweeks 9–11, not by this week alone. The first five columns show Gameweek 9. Program, 3-round xG and 3-round CS cover all three gameweeks, and 3-round CS is the expected number of clean sheets. The full fixture list is on the Sofascore LaLiga schedule.

Athletic and Levante play four games in the window, so their totals are not directly comparable with three-game teams. Athletic's run is still the one to buy into. Their 1.52 expected clean sheets is the best figure in the league by a distance (Atletico are next at 1.06), and after the double they host Getafe and Real Sociedad. Barcelona have the best attacking program of the three-game teams at 7.38 xG. [H]RMA in Gameweek 10 is the week to plan around, and [H]ALA follows it. Real Madrid have the best Gameweek 9 fixture, a 77% win probability at home to Sevilla, before the program gets harder with [A]BAR.

Villarreal are a timing problem. [H]ELC is a decent Gameweek 9 fixture, the Gameweek 10 double ([A]VAL, [H]ESP) is where their points are, and Gameweek 11 is a blank. A Villarreal player bought now gets one useful week before the double and one empty week after it. Espanyol have the same shape. Every other club has a fixture in all three gameweeks.

Goalkeepers

Unai Simon (6.5m, ATH) is the goalkeeper to own. His program is [A]VAL → [A]LEV → [H]GET → [H]RSO, and he projects 9.3 → 5.2 → 4.8, the highest three-round total of any keeper at 19.3. Athletic's clean-sheet chances across the double are 34% and 32%, and the home run after it holds its value. He is already 19.3% owned, so the cheaper differential is below.

Mathew Ryan (5.7m, LEV) gets the same double at 0.8m less: [A]COR → [H]ATH → [A]RSO → [H]ATM, projecting 8.9 → 4.1 → 4.4. His 1.56 points per million in Gameweek 9 is the best of any keeper. Levante's defence is weaker than Athletic's, and the model makes up for it with saves across two games.

If you would rather plan for the end of the window, Álvaro Vallés (6.0m, BET) has a rising trajectory: 4.3 → 5.2 → 6.1 from [H]BAR → [A]CEL → [H]MAL. The Barcelona game is the weak one, but his Gameweek 11 figure is the best of any goalkeeper that week, and you can buy him once and hold him to the end of the window.

Defenders

Adrián De La Fuente (6.1m, LEV) is now the defender to buy on both views. He leads all defenders in Gameweek 9 at 9.8 and over three gameweeks at 19.4, and he is listed as a penalty taker, which is unusual for a defender and raises his ceiling. His program, [A]COR → [H]ATH → [A]RSO → [H]ATM, gives 4.4 and 5.2 after the double, so he is a hold rather than a one-week rental. Aissa Mandi (5.6m, LEV) is the cheaper Levante option on the same program at 8.6 → 3.6 → 4.1.

Yuri Berchiche (6.1m, ATH) is the best Athletic defender to own at 8.6 → 4.9 → 4.1 from [A]VAL → [A]LEV → [H]GET → [H]RSO, 17.6 over three gameweeks. The model has him close to nailed at around 76 minutes a game with assist potential on top, and at 2.9% ownership he is a differential. Jesus Areso (5.1m, ATH) is the cheaper route into the same back line and the same program: 7.3 → 3.8 → 2.9 at 0.4% ownership, though his minutes are a little less secure. A GK + DEF pair from Athletic doubles up on the 1.52 expected clean sheets, and it is the correlated stack this round supports. Aitor Paredes still projects only around 45 minutes per game in the double, so leave him out.

Gameweek 9 and the three-week view disagree on Villarreal. Renato Veiga (5.5m, VIL) projects 5.0 this week but 9.9 in the Gameweek 10 double from [A]VAL → [H]ESP, the second-highest projection of anyone that week. He then blanks in Gameweek 11. If you have one transfer this week, spend it on Athletic or Levante. Veiga is a Gameweek 10 buy, not a Gameweek 9 one.

For a steady defender outside the doubles, Florian Lejeune (5.8m, RAY) projects 4.8 → 4.9 → 4.5 from [A]GET → [H]ELC → [H]CEL, and Adrià Pedrosa (4.6m, RAY) is the budget version at 4.1 → 4.1 → 3.4 and 0.9% ownership. Rayo's 1.03 expected clean sheets over the window is second only to Atletico among the three-game sides. Alejandro Grimaldo (6.4m, ATM) is the hold for owners of Atletico's [A]ESP → [H]COR → [A]LEV: 5.0 → 6.3 → 4.1, and the Deportivo week is the one that pays.

Midfielders

Lamine Yamal (13.0m, BAR) is the template premium for a reason. His 10.5 → 10.0 → 8.5 from [A]BET → [H]RMA → [H]ALA is the best three-round total in the game at 29.0, and the top projection in all three gameweeks. He is already 50.5% owned, so owning him protects your rank rather than gaining you any. The places to gain rank are further down this section.

The Athletic midfield has moved since the last update. Robert Navarro (5.2m, ATH) is back to around 64 minutes a game and now leads the Athletic attackers this week at 8.2, then 4.3 → 3.7 from [H]GET → [H]RSO, at 0.7% ownership. Alex Berenguer (5.2m, ATH) is the same price on the same [A]VAL → [A]LEV → [H]GET → [H]RSO run at 8.0 → 4.2 → 3.5, also 0.7% owned. Either is a real differential.

Inaki Williams (6.0m, ATH) projects 0.58 goals across the double, the most in the Athletic squad, and 7.8 → 4.4 → 4.0 over the same program. He carries a return date of 14 October, before the deadline, and the model has him starting, but confirm it on the predicted lineups. Peio Canales (4.0m) has the same return date and projects 6.8, and Benat Gerenabarrena has dropped to 6.8 as well, so neither is a priority now. Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta (5.5m, ATH) is the safer minutes pick at 7.2 → 3.7 → 3.3.

For Levante, Thiago Fernandez (4.5m, LEV) is the cheapest way into the double: 7.8 this week from [A]COR → [H]ATH, then 3.2 → 3.4 from [A]RSO → [H]ATM, at 0.2% ownership and 1.73 points per million. Roger Brugué (4.7m, LEV) has the steadier minutes at 7.6 → 3.5 → 4.0 and 0.8%. For the long view, Jude Bellingham (11.0m, RMA) holds 6.4 → 5.1 → 5.7 from [H]SEV → [A]BAR → [A]SAN, and Pedri (8.5m, BAR) is the mid-price way into Barcelona's [A]BET → [H]RMA → [H]ALA at 5.2 → 5.1 → 4.5.

On the Gameweek 10 side, Pape Gueye (6.9m, VIL) projects 9.5 and Alberto Moleiro (7.2m, VIL) 9.3 for [A]VAL → [H]ESP. Espanyol's Edu Exposito (5.5m, ESP) projects 9.4 for [A]SAN → [A]VIL. All three project under 5 this week and blank in Gameweek 11, so buy them a week from now, not today.

Forwards

Kylian Mbappé (12.5m, RMA) is 55.7% owned, takes penalties and projects 8.2 → 5.9 → 7.0 from [H]SEV → [A]BAR → [A]SAN. That is the best forward program in the game at 21.1, and selling him gains nothing. Vinicius Junior (11.4m, RMA) follows the same program at 5.9 → 4.1 → 4.9 and is far less owned at 16.7%.

The three-week view now agrees with Gameweek 9 on Ivan Romero (6.1m, LEV). He projects 8.2 for [A]COR → [H]ATH, level with Mbappé and the best of any non-Madrid forward, then 3.7 → 4.1 from [A]RSO → [H]ATM. His 16.0 over three gameweeks is the second-best forward total, ahead of Lucas Boye, so if you are buying one forward and keeping him, buy Romero. Lucas Boye (5.8m, ALA) is still the forward to own for Gameweek 10 itself: 5.0 → 6.2 → 4.4 from [A]CEL → [H]MAL → [A]BAR, 15.6 in total, and in Gameweek 10 he outprojects Mbappé at 4.7% ownership. Sergio Camello (5.7m, RAY) is the steady alternative with no blank, at 4.8 → 5.5 → 4.6 from [A]GET → [H]ELC → [H]CEL.

Gameweek 9 and the three-week view disagree on Espanyol too. Roberto Fernández (5.6m, ESP) projects 4.4 this week and 9.0 in the Gameweek 10 double, then nothing in Gameweek 11. Treat him like the Villarreal players: buy him next week if at all.

Captaincy for Gameweek 9

Lamine Yamal (13.0m, BAR) is the captain. His 10.5 at [A]BET is the highest projection in the game, and Barcelona's 2.73 expected goals is the second-highest single-match figure of the round. He also tops Gameweek 10 at 10.0 at [H]RMA, ahead of every Villarreal double player, and Gameweek 11 at 8.5 at [H]ALA. No other player is a strong captain option in all three gameweeks, which is the case for owning him at all.

The alternatives are double-gameweek players. Adrián De La Fuente (6.1m, LEV) at 9.8 has two games and penalties behind him, and [A]RSO → [H]ATM after it. Ivan Romero (6.1m, LEV) and Robert Navarro (5.2m, ATH) both project 8.2 with attacking upside across two games, Romero from [A]COR → [H]ATH and Navarro from [A]VAL → [A]LEV, and both keep a fixture in Gameweeks 10 and 11. With half the field captaining Yamal, any of them is a real differential, but all are a step below him.

Who to sell before Gameweek 9

Raphinha (11.3m, BAR) is the biggest sell of the round. Barcelona's [A]BET → [H]RMA → [H]ALA is the best attacking program in the game, but he is 27.9% owned and is listed as out until 26 October, so he projects nothing in Gameweeks 9 and 10 and 7.2 in Gameweek 11. Why now: two empty gameweeks are coming, and his 11.3m funds two double-gameweek players this week, with money left for the Villarreal move next week.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (6.2m, COR) goes for the same reason. Deportivo's [H]LEV → [A]ATM → [H]OSA program does not matter here: he is 24.2% owned and is listed out until 17 November, so he projects nothing in Gameweeks 9, 10 and 11. Why now: no return date falls inside the window, so waiting gains nothing.

Marc Cucurella (6.8m, RMA) is a sell into a decent fixture. [H]SEV is a good one for Real Madrid's defence, with a 43% clean-sheet chance, but he is projected for only around 54 minutes, which gives 2.9 this week, then 1.6 at [A]BAR and 2.7 at [A]SAN. Why now: [A]BAR follows, so this is the better of his next two weeks to move him on, and 16.7% of managers still own him.

Joan Garcia (6.7m, BAR) is 15.7% owned and projects 3.2 → 3.1 → 3.6 from [A]BET → [H]RMA → [H]ALA, 9.9 in total, against 19.3 for Unai Simon at 0.2m less. Why now: Athletic's double is this week, so the swap is worth the most today. Carlos Romero (6.0m, VIL), 15.3% owned, projects only 2.6 → 4.2 from [H]ELC → [A]VAL → [H]ESP and then blanks. Why now: even the Villarreal double does not lift him above 4.2, and Veiga is the cheaper way into it next week.

Julián Álvarez (8.5m, ATM) has a decent program in [A]ESP → [H]COR → [A]LEV, and Atletico project 1.76 goals this week. His own 3.0 → 3.7 → 2.8 comes from 49 projected minutes, though, and he is 17.2% owned. Why now: the doubles are worth buying immediately, and his 8.5m is the easiest money to free up for them. Andrei Ratiu (5.7m, RAY), at 14.4% ownership and 39 projected minutes this week (2.2 → 2.6 → 2.5 from [A]GET → [H]ELC → [H]CEL), goes for the same reason. Nicolas Pépé is listed back on 14 October but projects nothing this week and blanks in Gameweek 11, so Gueye or Moleiro is the cleaner route into Villarreal's double.

Aymeric Laporte is not a sell. He projects 6.8 → 4.0 → 3.5 for the double and the run behind it, so you can wait a round on him. If you do not own an Athletic defender yet, Berchiche or Areso is the better buy at a lower price.

Transfer summary

In: Levante and Athletic double-gameweek players (Adrián De La Fuente, Ivan Romero, Unai Simon, Yuri Berchiche, Robert Navarro or Alex Berenguer). Out: Raphinha and Aubameyang, then Cucurella, Joan Garcia or Julián Álvarez if you need the money. Plan Villarreal and Espanyol moves for Gameweek 10. The Sofascore LaLiga optimal teams solver shows the best squad for any range of gameweeks, and the market probabilities page has the bookmaker numbers behind each fixture. More analysis is in the Sofascore LaLiga preview hub.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9?

Lamine Yamal. He projects 10.5 at [A]BET, the highest in the game, and tops Gameweeks 10 and 11 as well at 10.0 and 8.5. For a differential, captain Adrián De La Fuente (9.8) or Ivan Romero (8.2) from the Levante double.

Which teams have a double gameweek in Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9?

Athletic Club ([A]VAL, [A]LEV) and Levante ([A]COR, [H]ATH). Villarreal and Espanyol double in Gameweek 10 instead and then blank in Gameweek 11.

Best differentials for Sofascore LaLiga Gameweek 9?

Yuri Berchiche (6.1m, 2.9% owned, 8.6 projected), Robert Navarro (5.2m, 0.7%, 8.2), Alex Berenguer (5.2m, 0.7%, 8.0) and Thiago Fernandez (4.5m, 0.2%, 7.8) all play twice this week. Lucas Boye (5.8m, 4.7%) is the differential for Gameweek 10.

Should I sell Raphinha before Gameweek 9?

Yes. Raphinha is listed out until 26 October and projects zero in Gameweeks 9 and 10. His 11.3m is better spent on Athletic or Levante double-gameweek players now.

Should I buy Villarreal players for Gameweek 9?

Not yet. Villarreal's points are in Gameweek 10, where Renato Veiga projects 9.9 and Pape Gueye 9.5 across [A]VAL and [H]ESP, and they blank in Gameweek 11. Buy them for Gameweek 10 instead.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.