WE’VE all got while away the hours of these World Cup rest days somehow.
Here we’ve assembled the five best Dream Team World Cup assets with an ownership below 5% for your perusal.
Before we get into it, just a note to say that we’ve omitted players who have been eliminated since the primary focus is on potentially savvy differentials ahead of the quarter-finals.
Right, without further ado…
gettySafe hands[/caption]
5 Dominik Livakovic
GoalkeeperCroatia£3million1.6% ownership21 points
The 2018 runners-up may lack potency in the final third but they’re resolute in defence.
Livakovic kept two clean sheets in the group stages, against Morocco and Belgium, and he claimed the Star Man award in the round of 16 after his penalty shootout heroics to eliminate Japan.
The Dinamo Zagreb keeper has been alert between the sticks and will surely have to be at his best to frustrate Brazil in the quarter-finals.
4 Noussair Mazraoui
DefenderMorocco£2million0.8% ownership24 points
A right-back by trade, the Bayern Munich resident happily shifts over to the left for his country so that Walid Regragui can play a certain ice-cold PSG full-back in his specialist position (more on him later).
Mazraoui is able to adjust seamlessly when asked to switch flanks; his diligent defending and positional discipline have made the Atlas Lions an awkward team to play against – just ask Spain!
The 25-year-old has registered 7+ ratings in all three of Morocco’s clean sheets so far (he blanked versus Canada) and has offered excellent value for money at just £2m.
Captain Fantastic!getty
3 Romain Saiss
DefenderMorocco£2million2.7% ownership25 points
Morocco’s skipper was quite literally defending on one leg against Spain in extra time when it looked for the all the world that he would be substituted with a hamstring issue.
Whether the ex-Wolves defender will be fit enough to lead his nation against Portugal on Saturday remains to be seen but it’s clear his absence would be a huge blow for the North Africans.
Saiss scored his side’s first goal in the historic win over Belgium in their opening game and he’s been at the heart of three clean sheets alongside Nayef Aguerd (£2.5m).
Again, what a bargain he’s been at £2m.
2 Achraf Hakimi
DefenderMorocco£3million4.9% ownership29 points
The third and final Moroccan and the best of all!
Panenka penalty hero, inexhaustible talisman, resident superstar… Hakimi fulfils so many roles for his country and he’s been fully deserving of the praise he’s received in the last fortnight.
The 24-year-old has arguably been the best player in his position on display in Qatar – his average match of rating of 7.47 puts him among the best performers overall according to WhoScored.
Harry Maguire is the only defender with more points (33) than the PSG star and England’s No6 features in 21.3% of teams.
The man of the hour
1 Goncalo Ramos
StrikerPortugal£3million2.5% ownership30 points
It makes perfect sense why the 21-year-old marksman has such a low ownership.
Prior to the events of the round of 16 he was somebody who came off the bench after the 80th minute.
But Fernando Santos’ decision to start Ramos over Cristiano Ronaldo (£7m) against Swizterland was emphatically justified when the Benfica forward bagged a hat-trick.
He also registered an assist for his efforts, banking 30 points in one fell swoop!
Ramos’ ownership has risen from 0.1% to 2.5% as a response and will probably increase further if (when) he’s selected to start against Morocco on Saturday.