TOTW 34 Predictions

Although the TOTW hype has now taken a backseat with TOTS sides dropping twice a week it's safe to say there will be at least some hype surrounding TOTW 34 which looks set to be the best side we have seen in months, with ten players which are at least 87 rating it’s the highest rated side I can recall

Goalkeeper

Jan Oblak – GK - OVR 91>>93
We start the week as we intend to go on as this is one of the highest rated sides I have seen as a TOTW in a very long time. Real Madrid fielded a significantly weaker side than usual having already lifted the La Liga title but with this being a rivalry match everything was still competitive. Atletico Madrid came away with a 1-0 win thanks to a Carrasco goal however with six saves to his name I feel that Oblak is the man who will receive the IF from this one

Defenders

Jordi Alba – LB - OVR 86>>88
An Alba TOTS is practically inevitable but with a gap between his TOTW coming out of packs and his TOTS going into packs, there is a good chance for a small boost before. Should EA allow that to happen he will definitely feature in TOTW 34. That is after the Spaniard scored once and assisted another, allowing Barcelona to take all three points via a 2-1 win over Real Betis.

Marc Cucurella – CB - OVR 81>>84
Manchester United have been poor this season but a 4-0 loss to Brighton emphasizes just how far they have fallen this past decade. Trossard was the obvious shout for the IF with a goal and two assists from LWB however with just a three-week gap from his previous IF he is unable to receive the IF. I can’t see Brighton being ignored after such an impressive result though and we turn to Cucurella, who scored one of the four from an unusual CB role.

Nordi Mukiele – RWB - OVR 81>>84
Leipzig bounced back from their upset against Rangers in the Europa League with a 4-0 home win against Augsburg. Nkunku was the main man, as usual, however, with the Bundesliga TOTS being on Friday he is unable to pick up an IF. We then turn to Mukiele who provided the assist on two of the four goals and also picked up the same match rating as Nkunku did.

Midfielders

Julian Brandt – CAM - OVR 81>>86
Although there is just a four-week gap between this Brandt IF and his previous it would only be his SIF and thus I am willing to take the punt. Especially when you consider the lack of Bundesliga options this week to go alongside their TOTS. Brandt scored twice on Saturday away at Furth, helping Dortmund secure three points via a 3-1 win.

Luis Alberto – CM - OVR 84>>88
Lazio continues to battle for that Europa League position and maintain in the driving seat for it. That is after another brilliant Luis Alberto display saw the Spaniard score once and provide for the other during a comfortable 2-0 Lazio home win over Sampdoria. Alberto was named MOTM with a 7.5 from Gazzetta and should pick up his third IF as a result.

Aurelien Tchouameni – CDM - OVR 79>>87
What a season it has been for Tchouameni. The young Frenchman has seriously made a name for himself this campaign and at just 22 years of age, the future looks bright. Arguably his best performance of the season came on Friday from which he scored twice during Monaco’s 2-1 away win over Lille. L’equipe awarded him the rare match rating of 9 and despite the fact, this would be his fourth IF of the game I expect it to happen.

Seko Fofana – CM - OVR 78>>84
From one strong Ligue 1 option to another, Fofana’s headliner card was one of the most hyped cards in the game at one stage but failed to pick up many IF’s over the year. It looks as though he may be set for one last upgrade though after scoring a last-minute winner for Lens as they beat Reims 2-1. L’equipe awarded him an 8/10, making him the second highest of the week.

Raheem Sterling – RM - OVR 88>>92
With Liverpool only drawing against Tottenham this weekend it means that if City lose a match the league will likely come down to goal difference and thus it is important that as many are scored as possible. Manchester City understood the assignment and scored five without reply against Newcastle on Sunday. Many of the stand out players are currently in TOTS however Sterling is not and thus his two goals should see him awarded his fourth IF of the game.

Forwards

Iago Aspas – ST - OVR 84>>89
There is a risk associated with this prediction seeing as though Aspas is practically guaranteed to feature in the La Liga TOTS however with a week gap between this TOTW and La Liga TOTS I feel that it is possible for another IF for the Spaniard. It comes after Aspas scored twice and assisted another during Celta Vigo’s 4-0 win at home to Alaves.

Romelu Lukaku – ST - OVR 88>>91
Life at Chelsea has not been as many expected for Lukaku who will most likely leave in the summer. With the season approaching its finale the Belgian was given a chance against Wolves and it was one he took well scoring both Chelsea goals. A late comeback from Wolves meant the points were shared but with Lukaku named MOTM and an OTW card available to him, I doubt he misses out regardless.

Substitutes

Fernando Muslera – GK - OVR 81>>86
Although it's rare to see goalkeepers included outside the top five leagues, Muslera could be about to do it twice it five weeks. This is the minimum amount of time between IF’s as a rule of thumb which is why I have ignored Pickford once again. Galatasaray held Basaksehir to a 0-0 draw, or should I say Muslera held them to a 0-0 draw, making a total of ten saves to keep his clean sheet intact.

Zaidu Sanusi – LB - OVR 76>>84
After losing to Braga a couple of weeks ago it was now pivotal that they recorded a result against Benfica to avoid the pressure really building up with Sporting hot on their heels. A single goal was enough to decide the match though and in turn, win Porto the title with a remarkable 88 points from 33 matches. Sanusi scored the only goal of the game making him the obvious choice and he could also be the featured player looking at the options we have.

Sandro Tonali – CDM - OVR 77>>84
AC Milan held their nerve once again and are now just two wins away from the Serie A title after beating Verona 3-1 away from home. Tonali scored two of those three goals and received a strong match rating of 8/10 from Gazzetta. Although significantly worse than his FantasyFut card this will still be a nice boost before a potential TOTS item.

Emiliano Buendia – CAM - OVR 79>>82
After a rough patch of form Aston Villa have now recorded back-to-back wins with a 3-1 win over Burnley being their latest result. Buendia has perhaps now been as big of an impact as hoped for upon signing the Argentine but it was a strong performance from him this weekend, scoring once and assisting another from a centralised position.

Jarrod Bowen – RM - OVR 78>>84
One of the biggest exclusions from the Premier League TOTS has to be Jarrod Bowen, what a season he has had for West Ham. Although a consolation prize the Englishman is set for a SIF this week after he provided three assists for West Ham during their 4-0 away win over relegated Norwich this weekend. Alternatively, Benrahma’s two goals will be included but with the TOTS snub, I feel that Bowen is the frontrunner.

Anderson Talisca – ST - OVR 82>>87
It was the return of the Saudi League this weekend and with it brings potentially another upgrade for the popular Talisca OTW card. Al Nassr managed a 4-2 home win with Talisca scoring two of those four goals and with a lack of gold striker options this week that should be enough to see him included.

Jorge Molina – ST - OVR 77>>84
It was the true meaning of a relegation six pointer this weekend between Granada and Mallorca with the former in the relegation zone, just one point behind Mallorca who was just outside. The tables have now turned though after Granada recorded a convincing 6-2 away win. There are several candidates for the IF but Molina looks to be the best after coming off the bench to score twice and assist another

Reserves

Antony Evans – CAM - OVR 61>>71
There were simply ludicrous scenes on the final day of the League 2 season with Northampton winning 3-1 it meant Bristol Rovers required a seven-goal margin to obtain automatic promotion. As you have probably seen by now, they managed the result, beating bottom of the table Scunthorpe 7-0. I fully expect this to be recognized by EA and several players could pick up the IF. Evans is my guess though after the midfielder scored twice and assisted another.

Francis Amuzu – LM - OVR 70>>78
Although Anderlecht’s title hopes are over, they are still playing for European football next season and a win over Antwerp was crucial for that. The Belgian outlet managed it with ease though scoring four goals without reply. Amuzu scored three of those four making him a clear-cut candidate for Wednesday.

Min Kyu Joo – ST - OVR 69>>77
The K-league only has the one IF this season but that number looks set to double after Min Kyu Joo bagged himself a hat trick for Jeju during their 3-1 home win over Sangmu.

Lukasz Zwolinski – ST - OVR 67>>76
There was late drama in the Gdansk match this weekend with Zwolinski scoring in the 93rd minute to secure his hat trick and Gdansk a 3-2 win before the goal was then ruled out by VAR two minutes later before then being overturned again to re-award the goal after another three minutes had passed. It was a tense five minutes on what was an extremely close offside call.

Ronaldo Cisneros – ST - OVR 64>>74
We saw several high scoring games in the MLS again this week, which inevitably will result in an IF. Cisneros is an easy inclusion after the Mexican striker scored three times for Atlanta as they recorded a 4-1 win at home to Chicago Fire.