Ligue 1 teams haven’t fared greatly in the Champions League recently, but the emergence of Monaco last season means that they now have more than one threat in the competition.
PSG have taken the headlines this summer with their transfer business and they enter the tournament as one of the favourites to win it.
Although many consider the French league as the worst of the top five leagues, there is a lot of talent in it and a few will be great draft picks.
Here are the five players in Ligue 1 that you must draft:
Neymar (PSG)
The Brazilian adds experience to the PSG frontline as he has won the Champions League before. He has opted to join the club, because he wants to emerge from Lionel Messi’s shadow and prove that he is the best player in the world and it would have been difficult to do that at Barcelona. The Parisiens have never won this competition and the 25-year-old sees it as a challenge that would add to his legacy if he is successful.
Neymar has a good record in the Champions League and he came of age during last season’s competition. He was the key player in Barcelona’s incredible turnaround triumph against PSG as they came back from 4-0 down to reach the quarter-finals. The Brazilian scored two goals in the closing stages to help his side triumph. During his career, he has been involved in a goal every 94.7 minutes in the Champions League. He has to be one of the first players drafted.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
PSG have several of the best options in Ligue 1 and that is understandable given the resources at their disposal. The signing of Neymar stole the headlines, but it could be the capture of Mbappe that turns out to be the better signing in the long term. He has already proven he can compete to a high standard and he has potential to get even better.
The teenager has only had one full season in senior football, but it was mightily impressive. There are some unknowns regarding his ability to adapt to his new surroundings, but if he maintained the strike-rate he had at Monaco, he will be in for another great season in the Champions League. He scored six goals in nine appearances and the majority of those came during the knock-out stages. Mbappe is a player for the big occasion and he would be a great second striker pick.
Thomas Lemar (Monaco)
The Monaco attacker has become a name that is familiar to Premier League fans this summer as he was continuously linked to Arsenal and Liverpool. He didn’t make the move across the channel and remains with the Ligue 1 champions. After the clear-out that the club had, Lemar is now one of their most important players and he could really shine in the competition this year.
Last season, he competed well in the Champions League and didn’t look out of place. His performance against Tottenham at Wembley was superb. However, he didn’t stand out as one of the best players in the Monaco team. Lemar will be desperate to step up and better his return of two goals and four assists. There will be clubs watching him closely and he is worth a gamble as one of your midfield draft picks.
Falcao (Monaco)
There will be many sleeping on Falcao during the draft, but he could be an incredible pick-up as a second or third forward option. After the departure of Mbappe, the Colombian is now the main goal threat in the Monaco attack and he has started the season in great form. He has already scored seven goals in only four league appearances. The 31-year-old is one of the best goalscorers in Europe once again.
Like many in the Monaco team, Falcao impressed in the Champions League last season. There were doubts about whether he could still compete at the highest level after disappointing loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea, but he responded to them with five goals in the competition. The Ligue 1 champions have a relatively easy group and their striker could finish the group stages as the leading scorer in the tournament.
Dani Alves (PSG)
PSG made it clear this summer that they want to win the Champions League. They have added one of the best players in the world in Neymar; one of the biggest talents in Mbappe and one of the greatest defenders of all time in Dani Alves. The Brazilian remains one of the best wing-backs as he offers a lot in both halves of the pitch. He was integral as Juventus made the final last year and has won the competition three times with Barcelona.
Alves should be one of the first names on your wish list when it comes to defenders. During last season’s competition, he contributed three goals and four assists. His value has been hurt by his move to PSG as he no longer has the clean sheet potential that he did have, but he remains a great option.
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