Hello and welcome to my prediction for Team of the Week 17!
We're getting closer and closer to one of the most exciting events on Fifa with Team of the Year just being around the corner but for now we're focusing on another weekend of football. La Liga and Serie A have been the only two big leagues in action last week, with Liga Portugal and Turkish Süper Lig being the other ones to mention, so you can expect most players coming from Spain and Italy with the rest being filled with various smaller names plus a few women players. Keep in mind that we will most likely see a few random inclusions as there haven't been that many standout performances and a lot will be 50/50! So enough said, go on and check the potential squad for this week!
TOTW 17 Predicted Starting XI
GK: Andrea Consigli (Sassuolo) - 79 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Sassuolo have been one of the strangest teams so far this season across the top 5 leagues, recording wins against top-sides but then losing to the small teams in the league. They now again beat one of the stronger teams in the league, picking up a narrow 1-0 win at home to Fiorentina. Shot-stopper Consigli was named Man of the Match after he made 3 saves, including a penalty stop and I honestly can't see any other keeper this week being included, despite the low amoung of saves.
CB: Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino) - 81 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Napoli’s defence of their Serie A crown continues to be disappointing as the champions lost for the seventh time this season, 3-0 away at Torino. Napoli would have had to be at their best to beat the 24 year-old - which they definitely weren't - because he had his eye on everything. On the ground he limited the opposition to low percentage shots, but it was in the air that he truly reigned supreme. His goal, from a corner, with his head, was no less than he deserved, the mark of a man who knows how to time his leap and can place a header wherever he wants. Vlasic was awarded MOTM and POTW with an 8 but it's hard to ignore a defender with a goal and clean sheet so I'm predicting Buongiorno to pick up his second inform.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) - 85 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Real Madrid began 2024 with a win in La Liga as Carlo Ancelotti's side picked up a narrow 1-0 win against RCD Mallorca. Rüdger has been the unsung hero of the season. What a colossus he has been at the back – one of the best center backs in the world. This season we are seeing the true Toni Rudiger. Oftentimes was last man back physically dueling it out with Larin, whom he outmatched. Scored the game-winning goal off a corner kick late in the second half to seal the victory.
CB: Theo Hernández (Milan) - 86 OVR -> 87 OVR:
AC Milan made it three consecutive wins in all competitions after a rather comfortable display against Empoli this afternoon, prevailing 3-0. It was a great display from the Frenchman in both phases of the game. He made more than one crucial block inside the box and often won the ball back as well. In attack, he troubled Empoli on a couple of occasions with his trademark runs. To display it in numbers, Theo won 6 duels, made 6 clearances, 5 ball recoveries, 3 blocks and won 2 of his 3 tackles against Empoli.
CDM: Orkun Kökcü (SL Benfica) - 82 OVR -> 85 OVR:
Benfica kept pace with league leaders Sporting, only sitting one point behind after they recoreded a 3-0 win against relegation-battling side Arouca. Kökcü could pick up his first inform this week after the former Feyenoord midfielder scored one goal and assisted another.
CM: Pepelu (Valencia) - 78 OVR -> 84 OVR:
Valencia made it back to back win in La Liga, beating struggling Villareal with 3-1 at home. Youngster Pepelu was the standout player that day, scoring twice from the penalty spot and dictated the game from his deeper midfield role.
CM: Patri Guaijarro (Barcelona Women) - 88 OVR -> 89 OVR:
It was a case of new year, same old Barca on Saturday night when Barcelona Femeni defeated Levante Las Planas 9-1 at home in impeccable fashion. The Blaugrana dominated their opponents for the majority of the game and hammered nine goals past their opponents in the Catalan derby. Patri Guijarro could pick up her first inform after she recently got a RTTK card after she scored twice for her side.
RM: Cengiz Under (Fenerbahce) - 78 OVR -> 86* OVR:
There have been a few players who scored three goals the past week but we also saw two scoring four. One of them was Fenerbahce's right midfielder Cengiz Ünder who contributed four goals in their 5-1 win against Istanbulspor.
ST: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) - 83 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Juventus snatched a 2-1 victory at Salernitana in Serie A, a dramatic comeback victory for them to extend their unbeaten run and keep the pressure on Inter at the top of Serie A. Serbian international Dusan Vlahovic was struck at the death as his injury-time header secured the comeback-win and he also assisted the equaliser earlier.
ST: Ramirez (UD Levante Women) - 83 OVR -> 86 OVR:
Another Women from the Spanish league we could see getting an inform this week is UD Levante's Mayra Ramirez after she scored three goals in their 5-0 trashing against Villareal.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting CP) - 75 OVR -> 86* OVR:
Sporting remains top of the League in Portugal after they recorded another victory, beating Estoril comfortably with 5-1. Swedish summer signing Viktor Gyköreres, who's making headlines nearly every week with big clubs showing interest in him, stood out again after he finished the game with a hat-trick of assists and should be a safe inclusion this week.
TOTW 17 Predicted Subs & Reserves
ST: Sheila (A. Madrid Women) - 72 OVR -> 83 OVR:
I've already mentioned it, there have been two players with four goals the past week and both should be in this week. Atletico Madrid's women team recorded a 6-1 win against Valencia and Sheila got herself five goals contributions with scoring four and assisting another.
ST: Nuno Da Costa (Kasimpasa) - 71 OVR -> 83 OVR:
One of the most surprising results the last weekend came from the Turkish Süper Lig where Besiktas surprisingly lost 1-3 to Kasimpasa. Nuno Da Costa was the one who sealed all three points for his side with the forward from Cap Verde recording a hat-trick.
ST: Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano) - 75 OVR -> 83 OVR:
There haven't been many gold strikers this week with more two goal contributions or more which should make Camello an obvious inclusion after the Spaniard scored both goals in Rayo Vallecano's 2-0 victory against Getafe.
CAM: Valentin Carboni (Monza) - 60 OVR -> 83 OVR:
Italian side Monza went back on winning ways in entertaining ways, picking up all three points away from home with a 3-2 against Frosinone. Argetinian midfielder Valentin Carboni scored one and assisted another for Monza and with a 7.5 from Gazzetta I can see him sneak in this week.
LM: Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen) - 65 OVR -> 83 OVR:
Aberdeen showed their character to recover from last weekend's humbling defeat to St Mirren by roaring back to run out 3-0 winners against Ross County up in Dingwall. McGrath took his goal tally to seven with a well-taken double as the Republic of Ireland international continues to stake his claim as one of the signings of the season.
CM: Ivan Martin (Girona) - 74 OVR -> 83 OVR:
La Liga's 2023/24 surprise team Girona picked up another victory, beating Atletico Madrid 4-3 in dramatic fashion at home on Wednesday that kept them level on points with Real Madrid at the La Liga summit. There wasn't a clear standout player so I'm going to take the punt on Ivan Martin who scored the stoppage-time goal to seal all three points.
CB: Abdulkerim Bardakci (Galatasaray) - 77 OVR -> 83 OVR:
We usually don't see more than one or maybe two players from smaller leagues like the Turkish one but with the limited amount of leagues in action last week this will very likely be different this week. Galatasaray picked up a comfortable 3-0 win against Konyaspor and central defender Bardakci scored two of the goals which should be enough to make it this week.
That concludes this week's Team of the Week predictions! What do you make of these predictions? Is there anyone else who should have made the TOTW? Let us know below!
Check out the players who made all previous Teams of the Week here.