FC 26 Team of The Week 8 Predictions

TOTW 8 delivered everything with cup drama, international fixtures, double gameweeks, and plenty of hat tricks. Despite all that, the final team is surprisingly underwhelming, arguably the weakest of the year. There are still a few standout picks though, including a potential featured IF for Carreras along with notable SIFs for Laimer and Sarr.

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic - GK - 79 > 82 OVR

Penalty save and clean sheet / Napoli 0 - Como 0 / 7 Gazzetta Rating

Napoli and Como played out a goalless draw, with both goalkeepers impressing throughout. However, Milinkovic-Savic was officially named MOTM by Gazzetta, giving him the advantage. Considering EA’s preference for goalkeepers who make penalty saves this year, he looks a strong candidate for inclusion.

Alvaro Carreras - LB - 80 > 85 OVR

Goal and clean sheet / Real Madrid 4 - Valencia 0 / 9.4 Sofascore Rating

EA have a great opportunity to create a highly usable left back this week. Carreras scored one of Real Madrid’s four goals in their comfortable 4-0 win over Valencia. Dubbed this year’s Ferland Mendy by the FIFA community, if EA choose to make the Spaniard the featured player, he could become one of the most desirable options available.

Konrad Laimer - RB - 82 > 86 OVR

Assist and clean sheet / Munich 3 - Leverkusen 0 / 1.5 Kicker Rating

With Munich securing a comfortable win over a strong Leverkusen side, I would expect to see one of their players receive an IF. Laimer was named MOTM after providing an assist in the victory. This would be his second in-form, but with a five-week gap since the first and us now being in week eight, we should start to see SIFs appearing more regularly.

Oscar Mingueza - RB - 80 > 83 OVR

One goal, one assist / Levante 1 - Celta Vigo 2 / 8.6 Sofascore Rating

There is no guarantee that EA will classify this as a RB, with both RB and RM being viable options, but with the base card listed as RB, I am inclined to lean that way for the possible IF. Mingueza is a strong candidate regardless of position after scoring a goal and providing an assist for Vigo in their 2-1 win.

Antony - RM - 81 > 84 OVR

Two goals, one assist / Real Betis 3 - Mallorca 0 / 10 Sofascore Rating

With numerous Cornerstone players already receiving IFs following their promotional inclusion, it stands to reason that Rating Reload players could also feature. Antony tests that theory after scoring twice and providing an assist in Betis’ 3-0 win.

Hakan Calhanoglu - CM - 86 > 87 OVR

Two goals / Inter 3 - Fiorentina 0 / 8 Gazzetta Rating

Early signs point towards a highly competitive title race in Italy, with just a point separating the top four after ten games. Inter are among those sides after securing a 3-0 win over Fiorentina. Hakan scored two of those three goals, earning the joint-highest Gazzetta rating from the midweek fixtures.

Ismaila Sarr - CAM - 79 > 84 OVR

Two goals / Liverpool 0 - Palace 3 / 9.4 Sofascore Rating

For the second time this season, Crystal Palace managed to defeat Liverpool, this time in the cup with a dominant 3-0 win away from home. Sarr scored twice in that victory as we once again consider who could become the first player EA decide to award a SIF to.

Diego Gomez - LM - 73 > 83 OVR

Two goals / Brighton 3 - Leeds 0 / 9.4 Sofascore Rating

It was a difficult week for Premier League inclusions with few players standing out. Gomez looks to be one of the few who could make the cut after scoring twice in Brighton’s 3-0 home win over Leeds. He already has an IF, but with multiple players now in line for potential SIFs, I believe TOTW 8 could be when we start to see them appear.

Stina Blackstenius - ST - 82 > 84 OVR

Two goals, one assist / Leicester 1 - Arsenal 4 / 8.9 Sofascore Rating

Another league that often finds a way into TOTW is the WSL. While Blackstenius looks like a clear choice on paper with two goals and an assist, it was actually difficult to include her in such a high-performing week. That said, I’m confident EA will still find a way to fit her in.

Konstantinos Fortounis - ST - 80 > 83 OVR

Two goals, two assists / Al-Khaleej 4 - Al-Ittihad 4 / 10 Sofascore Rating

The Saudi League has consistently been picking up IFs, although they have typically been limited to just one per week. Once again, there were several strong options from the division, but Fortounis appears to be the standout choice. Despite his side only managing a draw, his two goals and two assists made a massive impact.

Lea Schuller - ST - 86 > 87 OVR

Two goals, one assist / Bayern 4 - Essen 1 / 9.7 Sofascore Rating

The Frauen-Bundesliga selection came down to a few options, but with many non-gold players already producing impressive performances, Schuller stands out with two goals and an assist. With a base rating of 86, she would be included in the starting eleven, which in a week like this significantly boosts her chances.

Substitutes

Anton Krivotsyuk - CB - 68 > 80 OVR

One goal, one assist / Daejeon 3 - Seoul 1 / 8.7 Sofascore Rating

One division that has seen an increase in IF inclusions recently is the K-League, with a couple of surprise additions already this season. Krivotsyuk would be a deserving candidate if EA decide to feature the division again this week. The defender scored once and assisted another from centre-back, earning MOTM in Daejon’s impressive win over Seoul.

Emma Sears - LM - 75 > 81 OVR

Hat trick / USA 6 - New Zealand 0 / 9.6 Sofascore Rating

This week had everything with cup fixtures, double gameweeks and even international matches. While I have mostly ignored the international games, Sears was simply too good to overlook. She fits the inevitable NWSL IF slot perfectly after scoring three of the USA’s six goals in their dominant 6-0 win over New Zealand.

Jamie Gittens - LM - 78 > 82 OVR

One goal, two assists / Wolves 3 - Chelsea 4 / 8.7 Sofascore Rating

One of the standout matches this week came in the cup tie between Wolves and Chelsea. The game produced seven goals in total, with Chelsea eventually edging it 4-3. Gittens played a crucial role, scoring once and assisting twice to earn MOTM. With both sides being from the Premier League, I expect this fixture to be treated the same as a regular league match.

Haris Tabakovic - ST - 73 > 80 OVR

Two goals, one assist / St. Pauli 0 - Gladbach 4 / 1 Kicker Rating

Tabakovic was difficult to fit in with so many silver hat tricks occurring but with the Bosnian claiming player of the week in the Bundesliga I simply could not ignore him. With two goals and an assist Tabakovic led the line during a dominant 4-0 away win for Gladbach.

Emelyne Laurent - ST - 75 > 81 OVR

Three goals, one assist / Fleury 4 - Lens 0 / 10 Sofascore Rating

The competition for positions this week was unlike any other, with some leagues playing twice while others featured cup fixtures. This made selecting the side extremely challenging, and from this point onwards it becomes clear just how high the level of competition was. Laurent makes the cut after scoring three goals and providing an assist in Fleury’s 4-0 win over Lens.

Esteban Lepaul - ST - 74 > 80 OVR

Hat trick / Rennes 4 - Strasbourg 1 / 9 L’equipe Rating

Lepaul received the highest L’equipe match rating this week after scoring three goals for Rennes in their 4-1 home win over Strasbourg. Although fewer silvers were included last week, I expect EA to revert back to form this time around with stronger competition in that category.

Juanmi - ST - 74 > 80 OVR

Four goals, one assist / Inter Valdemoro 0 - Getafe 11 / 10 Sofascore

After the exclusion of Samu from a cup fixture despite scoring a hat trick, there are several question marks surrounding EA’s consistency and criteria when it comes to including cup matches. Juanmi led the line for Getafe on Tuesday as they recorded a ludicrous 11-0 away win. The Spaniard scored four and assisted another, which, regardless of the opposition’s quality, should realistically result in an inclusion.