TOTW 16 Predictions

With no Premier League in action due to the FA Cup this weekend, this side won’t be viewed as a strong one to many but with the likes of Navas, Reus, Depay and Griezmann all involved it’s not one to overlook. 
 

Goalkeeper

Keylor Navas – GK - OVR 87>>89
I have never really got along with Navas on FIFA but even I am interested in his potential IF on Wednesday. The Costa Rican was crucial for PSG as they scraped a point against St Etienne from their midweek fixture. In total he made five saves in the 1-1 draw, keeping them in the game so much so that L’equipe named him keeper of the week with an 8/10.
 

Defenders

Omer Toprak – CB - OVR 76>>81
It has been a while since the name Toprak has come to mind. The Turkish defender has been in the Bundesliga for a while now and although he is not playing at the same level, he once was he still puts in a shift for Werder Bremen. He claimed MOTM this weekend after scoring the opening goal during a 1-1 with his old club, Leverkusen.

Jose Gaya – LB - OVR 83>>85
Before you get too excited over a potential IF Gaya let’s just say I was clutching at straws with this one after I seriously struggled for a final gold defender. Gaya provided the assist on the only goal of the game in Valencia’s 1-0 win but the game as a whole was not the most enthralling one. It could happen though as if I struggled EA will also likely struggle for options.

Danilo – RB - OVR 79>>82
It’s not often that we see two players from the same team selected for TOTW but with both of Juventus’s options coming from separate games, it’s something I am willing to do for TOTW 16. Danilo gets the nod for the second Juventus game this week after they beat Sassuolo 3-1 at home. Some places are giving Danilo an assist on top of his goal which would make him a certainty however Gazzetta is only awarding him a goal. Despite that, he picked up MOTM and with the limited options we have that should be enough for him.


Midfielders

Robin Gosens – LM - OVR 82>>84
This is a bit of a strange one as Josip Ilicic would have once again made TOTW for his performance if it were not so close to his previous IF and thus as is often the case we look to the next best option from the side. That happens to be Gosens however it is from their other game rather than the 4-1 win Ilicic performed well in. I can still see this being the case though after a goal and an assist saw Gosens pick up a 7.5 match rating.

Parejo – CM - OVR 85>>87
Parejo often gets IF’s for his performances alone, not needed offensive contributions so when he gets a goal and an assist it is always likely that he will make the cut. Villarreal managed a 4-0 win away at Vigo with both Parejo and Moreno pulling the strings. With Moreno recently being included in TOTW, it looks as though we will be seeing a SIF Parejo on Wednesday.

Marco Reus – CAM - OVR 85>>86
Haaland's brace saw him claim MOTM for Dortmund however with his headliner item being in packs until Friday it’s unlikely that EA will opt for him. That leaves us with both Sancho (1g1a) and Reus (2a) the former only got a 2 from kicker while Reus was awarded the same as Haaland with a 1.5. Due to that the logical route is an IF Reus despite many expecting Sancho to be named.

Amine Harit – LM - OVR 77>>81
Schalke finally got off the mark this season and they did it in style, winning 4-0 at home to Hoffenheim. Hoppe scored three of their goals and was named MOTM for doing so but with the striker not in-game it leaves the door open for Harit instead. The Moroccan was involved in all four of their goals, scoring one himself alongside providing the assist on all three Hoppe goals.

Antoine Griezmann – LW - OVR 87>>89
I debated taking a Messi punt after Barcelona’s first fixture this week but with TOTY just around the corner Griezmann then made the decision much easier, scoring twice and assisting another in their 4-0 win over Granada. Due to that, I doubt that EA will include a Messi IF quite so close to the upcoming promo and thus Griezmann seems to smart option.

Forwards

Kevin Volland – ST - OVR 81>>86
Volland has been brilliant all season for Monaco and is well on his way towards a TOTS item already. He added another two match deciding performances to his name this week with one goal and one assist during the midweek fixture before then scoring another and providing two more assists on Saturday.

Memphis Depay – ST - OVR 85>>87
Another Ligue 1 striker with two strong performances this week was Depay. The Dutchman recorded two goals in his first before then scoring once and assisting another in his second. I don’t have L’equipe ratings due to a strike but if anything, that probably increases Depay’s chances as on paper he looks strong.

Substitutes

Emil Audero – GK - OVR 77>>81
The second keeper I have selected this week, also from a midweek fixture is Audero. The Italian was vital for Sampdoria as they recorded a shock 2-1 win over Inter Milan. Audero made several saves and also managed to save a penalty. Gazzetta awarded him MOTM with a 7.5 match rating and with limited options I can’t see him not making the side.

Romain Thomas – CB - OVR 76>>81
Although one of the least exciting options this week, Thomas is among the most deserving of the mention. An early brace allowed Angers to take a 2-0 lead away at Nice. A lead which they managed to hold onto with the match ending 2-1 to the underdogs. Thomas was awarded an 8/10 for his performance and thus walks into the side.

Jonas Hoffman – LW - OVR 77>>81
One of the bigger upsets this week saw Gladbach shock Bayern Munich, winning 3-2 at home. Hoffman was awarded a perfect 1 match rating for his display in the result after scoring twice and assisting another from the wing to help Gladbach come from behind and claim all three points.

Federico Chiesa – RM - OVR 78>>82
With AC Milan currently leading the standings in Italy, this was a huge match for Juventus to not only make a statement to them but also to put them within reach of the current leaders. It proved to be a strong performance from the reigning champions of whom managed a 3-1 away win. Chiesa scored two of those goals and was unlucky not to have a third. An easy choice for the IF.

Eran Zahavi – ST - OVR 81>>84
The showdown match this week ended up in a dramatic 2-2 draw. It looked as though PSV were going to be the side taking all three points though after a Zahavi brace saw them two up early on. Ajax battled back well and claimed a point but despite that, I can see Zahavi making TOTW after being named POTW with an 8/10 from VI.

Youssef En Nesyri – ST - OVR 78>>82
Sevilla played out a 3-2 thriller with Sociedad on Saturday with the hosts coming out on top, largely thanks to En Nesyri of whom scored all three of Sevilla’s goals. Sevilla is now unbeaten in nine as they begin to make a serious charge up the table.

Borja Mayoral – ST - OVR 76>>81
Mkhitaryan was once again heavily involved in Roma picking up three points but it was their Loanee, Mayoral who ended up claiming MOTM after the Spaniard scored twice in a 3-1 win over Crotone and an 8/10 from Gazzetta to go with it

Reserves

Dominic Thompson – LB - OVR 61>>71
Yet another English Silver IF looks to be on the way after Thompson managed to provide all three assists for Swindon from LB during their 3-2 win away at Ipswich. A game that featured a magnificent goal from Twine, which if you haven’t already seen is well worth the watch.

Younes Belhanda – CM - OVR 78>>82
We saw two 6-0 victories in Turkey this week and both look set to result in an IF. The first comes as Galatasaray recorded a 6-0 win over Genclerbirligi, with Moroccan midfielder, Belhanda, scoring three of those goals. It's rare that we see more than one IF from Turkey per week but on this occasion, it would be crazy for that not to happen.

Cyle Larin – RM - OVR 72>>79
A couple of seasons ago Larin was tipped to be a major star. Since then he has failed to reach those expectations, at least on a regular basis anyway. He does have moments of magic though and this weekend saw a simply magnificent performance. The Canadian scored four times and assisted another during a 6-0 Besiktas win. He could easily be a silver star from that performance but with him playing RM his FIFA card is simply awful and thus I expect him to become a normal IF.

Taremi – ST - OVR 77>>81
We have seen this on numerous occasions this year so far and once again it looks to be the case. I predicted Taremi’s IF last week before EA went on to snub him and then once again, he is in with a strong shout the following week. He added another two to his tally during a 4-1 win over Famalicao and with no Premier League I fully expect these sort of players to make the side.

Paul Ebere Onuachu – ST - OVR 72>>79
Usually, I would rule out a hat trick which contained two penalties due to the sheer number of options for this reserve section but with limited leagues in action that was anything but the case and in fact, it was the opposite with myself struggling to fill the reserves. As a result of that, I can see Onuachu’s hat trick being noted and in turn receiving an IF for it on Wednesday.