TOTW 25 Predictions

With usable players all over the side this week it looks set to be one of the best we have seen recently. With both Ronaldo and Benzema likely to lead the line it pleases those who want the very best while also pleasing unique sides with the likes of Tierney, Koopmeiners and Orsic!
 

Goalkeeper

David Soria – GK - OVR 82>>85
There were a lot of low scoring matches in La Liga this weekend which means we are very likely to see a couple of defensive options from the league. Soria is the one who stands out after making seven saves for Getafe during their 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid. He was named MOTM for his performance which with a lack of options from the division should means he walks in.

Defenders

Kieran Tierney – LB - OVR 78>>85
The North London Derby is always a big match so with only a couple of Premier League options this week I would be surprised to see this match miss out. Smith-Rowe was named MOTM but with a highly competitive reserves section already I can’t see it going his way. Instead, I am opting for Tierney, who like Smith-Rowe received an 8/10. The LB provided one of the assists as Arsenal fought from behind to win 2-1.

Jose Fonte – CB - OVR 78>>84
Would it be a TOTW without a random Ligue 1 defender? I don’t think so and with a lack of options from the division Fonte looks to be an easy selection. The defender has excelled this season with his latest performance being the sixth time he has made it into L’equipes side. The Portuguese defender was vital at the back for Lille as they battled their way to a 0-0 draw with Monaco.

Jesus Navas – RB - OVR 84>>86
Sevilla made the gap between the top four and the rest of the pack six points with a 1-0 win over Betis. Thanks to a first half goal from En-Nesyri, who makes is 15 for the season now. Navas provided the assist on that goal and performed well defensively throughout

Midfielders

Phil Foden – LW - OVR 79>>85
Manchester City bounced back from a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United with a comfortable 5-2 win over Southampton on Wednesday. Despite both Mahrez and De Bruyne scoring twice each, it was the ever-improving Phil Foden who was named MOTM for his two-assist performance from LW. Alternatively, we could see Cancelo feature from their match at the weekend but with a 9/10 I still favor Foden here.

Thomas Muller – CAM - OVR 86>>89
Muller has developed his game superbly the last couple of seasons moving away from the goalscoring aspect that was once there to more of a playmaker role, providing a ridiculous number of assists over the last few campaigns. He added another two this weekend and was named MOTM for doing so as Munich managed a 3-1 away win over Werder Bremen.

Teun Koopmeiners – CM - OVR 78>>86
The Eredivisie just looks better and better every week. Koopmeiners looks set to get another upgrade this week, making him a very usable 86 rated item. This is after he was named POTW for his role in AZ’s comfortable 4-1 home win over Twente this weekend. Although he only scored one goal with an 8/10 and EA’s history of including VI’s POTW I find him very difficult to ignore.

Miroslav Orsic – LM - OVR 76>>86
Orisc once again looks to be entering the elite players outside of the main five leagues with potentially a third special item coming our way on Wednesday. Zagreb managed to hit five without reply against Varazdin this weekend with Orsic being heavily involved. I had to watch highlights to find this out, but I believe Orsic ended the match on two goals and two assists from LM. Making him one of the best options this week.

Forwards

Cristiano Ronaldo – ST - OVR 92>>96
Had Ronaldo not have randomly been included for a Monday fixture a few weeks ago we would have been looking at this one as a certainty but with just a three week gap it is now a questionable one. Seeing as though there is a gap though and the fact, he was named POTW for his hat trick in Juventus’s 3-1 win I am willing to include him this week. Especially with a lack of big names. There is still no clear-cut rule outside of a one-week gap with EA this year so who knows what might happen here.

Karim Benzema – ST - OVR 89>>93
Benzema continues to hold down Madrid’s ST spot despite now being 33 years of age with multiple talents threatening to take his spot over the past few years and with good reason he has managed to retain that position. The Frenchman added another two goals to his tally this weekend, taking his total to 15 for the season with Madrid recording a 2-1 win over Elche. Will we see a fourth IF for him only time will tell but he deserves a spot in this week’s side.

Wout Weghorst – ST - OVR 81>>86
Almost every week we see whoever plays Schalke pick up an IF and it’s no different here. Wolfsburg has seriously impressed this season and although against a poor Schalke side, 5-0 is still a strong result. Weghorst was involved in three of those five goals, scoring once and assisting another two. With just nine games to go Wolfsburg are looking very good for a Champions League position

Substitutes

Rafal Gikiewicz – GK - OVR 77>>84
Gikiewicz was named Bundesliga player of the week for his performance on Friday for Augsburg from which he made a total of six saves in their 3-1 win over Gladbach. When a defensive player gets named POTW in a top five league they almost always end up making the following TOTW and I highly doubt that this will be any different.

German Sanchez – CB - OVR 77>>81
I have already mentioned the lack of goal in La Liga this week and to be more specific six of the ten games played had one goal of less. German Sanchez is another defensive option though after he scored the only goal of the game during Granada’s 1-0 win at home to Real Sociedad.

Silas Wamangituka – RM - OVR 70>>82
It has been a breakthrough season for Wamangituka and I would be very surprised if he didn’t secure a move to a bigger side over the summer. The 21-year-old now has 11 goals and five assists to his name for a midtable Stuttgart side. Kicker awarded him a 2-match rating and in turn MOTM for his two assists against Hoffenheim on Sunday. With him already having a silver star item it would mean he is listed as a gold and thus should get in here.

Mario Pasalic – CAM - OVR 77>>81
Annoyingly Pasalic only picked up a 7-match rating from Gazzetta for his brace in Atlanta’s 3-1 home win over Spezia which does make his inclusion rather hit and miss but despite that, I simply can’t ignore a gold midfielder with a brace this week. So, despite the 7, I would be surprised if Pasalic failed to make TOTW 25.

Mikhael Uhre – ST - OVR 66>>76
Although it's rare there have been instances of six non-gold players being used in TOTW by EA this year and with a plethora of options available for the reserves, this is the perfect week for them to do so. Uhre scored all three of Brondby’s goals as they recorded a 3-0 away win over OB.

Nicolas De Preville – ST - OVR 75>>81
It was a week of upsets in Ligue 1, with the top four all failing to win. In turn that made TOTW selections very difficult for the division. Realistically for me, there are two options with Preville being one of them. The Frenchman only picked up one goal and one assist but with an 8/10 to his name and Ligue 1 not going to miss out I feel he is the best option from the division.

Bafetimbi Gomis – ST - OVR 80>>85
It’s really difficult to judge IF gaps this year with EA with some obvious choices missing out on 4-week gaps while others make it with just one or two between. With Gomis not exactly being a game changing option, I can see him getting in with a four-week gap, especially with us reaching the second half of the year now. He gets the nod after scoring a hattrick during Al-Hilal’s 4-2 away win over Al-Wehda. A result which sees them take the lead on goal difference at the top of the table.

Reserves

Filip Mladenovic – LWB - OVR 71>>78
I feel like this one is largely dependant on whether EA class him as a LWB or a LM but with his NIF being a LB, LWB looks more likely to me. Especially with the clarification of Alba last week. Mladenovic was crucial for Legia in their 3-2 win, scoring twice and assisting the other. Pretty impressive and even better if EA decides to make him a silver star. One way or another Mladenovic really should feature on Wednesday though.

Kelechi Iheanacho – ST - OVR 74>>80
There were a plethora of striker options this week for the reserves with so many hat tricks being scored. That has made selecting the players very difficult but there are a couple that are pretty much guaranteed. Ilheanacho is one of those, with the Nigerian playing in the prem. Chris Wilder parted ways with Sheffield United this week and the team doesn’t look to have taken it well. Leicester cruised their way to a 5-0 win with Ilheanacho scoring three.

Kane Hemmings – ST - OVR 63>>73
It seems to be an almost weekly occurrence that we see an English silver feature in TOTW now. Hemmings looks set to be the next in the ever-growing list after he scored three for Burton as they recorded a 3-0 away win over Crewe.

Serdar Dursun – ST - OVR 72>>79
Darmstadt was lurking dangerously close to the relegation zone before their match against Aue this weekend and the three points they managed to pick up make their position look so much more comfortable. Dursun was heavily involved in scoring three of their four goals during a 4-1 home win.

Dusan Vlahovic – ST - OVR 70>>78
When a silver striker from a top five league scores twice it’s always extremely difficult to fit them in, especially in a week full of hat tricks. Thankfully Vlahovic managed to score his third in the final moments of the first half, in turn completing his hat trick. Fiorentina went on to win the match 4-1 as Benevento continues to struggle.