GW 18 – Review

So how did you find that?! Have the mixture of nerves and excitement settled? The Ultimate Goals’ first midweek bonus round of the season was an absolute belter, with so many interesting options to choose from. Did you take a punt on the grand theatre of the Champions League fixtures, or was it the tried and tested lower league teams that you put your faith in, or even a mixture of the two? There was no shortage of energy to the bonus gameweek whichever route you took!

Let’s crack on with our midweek table topper, congratulations to Josh Astle! Barcelona (23 picks) got Josh started on x2 with 3 goals at home to Borussia Dortmund, with free-scoring RB Salzburg (just 7 picks) netting 4 at Genk on x3. Fulham put 3 past Derby County for a solid x4, while 4 goal Tottenham Hotspur (67 picks) and 6 goal Bayern Munich (60) boosted Josh’s score by 72 points on x6 and x8 respectively. Surprisingly it was Liverpool (48) and Man City (78) that produced the two underwhelming scorelines for Josh on x5 and x7, each registering just a solitary goal. Nonetheless, Josh’s faith in 6 UCL teams helped him to an impressive 114 and a table at Club 100!

However, not many followed in those footsteps as just 3 other players recorded green scores this week, with highly popular Raith Rovers (57 picks) the most notable culprits, failing to score at home in the league for the first time since February! The goals were certainly out there though, with a ‘Perfect 7’ score of 169 on the cards. Unsurprisingly it was the German Champions, Bayern Munich, who notched the highest number of goals, scoring 6 away at Red Star Belgrade. Rather more unexpectedly, it was National League sides Barnet (just 2 picks) and Hartlepool (0!!!) who occupied the x6 and x7 spots in the gameweek’s top combination of teams, with both teams scoring 5. Any of the various 4 goal teams would have done the business for your lower multipliers for a shot at that elusive P7.

Plenty of talking points over the course of the two nights too; Jose Mourinho’s first home game as Spurs manager triggered a dramatic 4-2 win over Olympiakos, while Fleetwood Town put 4 past Everton U21s in the EFL Trophy, a rare occasion that this competition was available for selection. Maidenhead left Dover with a thrilling 4-3 away win, while Solihull Moors beat Stockport County with a decisive 4-1 victory. In Wednesday night’s Championship action there were goals aplenty, as Hull condemned Preston to consecutive defeats with a 4-0 drubbing of The Lilywhites, while Nottingham Forest thumped 10-man QPR 4-0 at Loftus Road.

I can’t finish without mentioning the 8 minus 20s though, the only blots on an otherwise impressive Global Table, where the average score came in at 39.

So what did you make of TUG’s first midweek action of the season? The Champions League matches certainly spiced things up, with many of you taking the infrequent opportunity to back some of Europe’s best. However, whether you scooped up a tasty points bonus or lost ground in the overall standings, there’s little time to either celebrate or sulk, with the deadline for GW 19 fast approaching. This weekend’s early kick offs feature a Tyneside visit for Manchester City as they take on Newcastle Utd, while Sheffield Wednesday travel to the capital to play Charlton Athletic in the English Championship. Be sure to get those selections in and good luck to you all!

– Samuel Wilkinson