We are underway in the 2025 BFFA Champions League!
Alleviate the Tedium 28 – 73½ Barons FC
Barons got their second win over ATT this season, this time with an incredible 40-pt margin. They enjoyed the best goal haul of the week (4) with contributions from the week’s top pointscorer Reece James (23FPts), Morgan Rogers, and another brace from Erling Haaland. In contrast, ATT had zero goals and despite 12 Key Passes, only recorded one assist and one shot-on-target.
Barons top the First Round table after the first round of games.
Atletico Topo Chico 50 – 49½ BattleVAR Galactico
ATC have had a nightmare start to the 2025/26 season; this is only the second time that they’ve reached 50 matchpoints in a gameweek. However, thanks to the new half-point for a striker’s clean sheet, Pedro Neto (15 touches in the Chelsea half, 10 passes in own half, 2 blocks, 3 aerial duels won…) tipped the balance in ATC’s favour and got them their first win of the season. Of course, Neto’s second-half goal, one assist, two shots-on-target and four key passes did substantially more to win the match, but they took the win by just that half-point, with only ten men playing as well.
De Bruyne Trousers 58 – 30½ Smash & Grab
In GW1 DBT got an opening day win in a game against S&G with goals from Wood (2), Ekitiké and Cherki. Reece James also earned 9 points that weekend. James returned to face S&G again this weekend and scored a splendid 23FPts. Even without James’ contribution, De Bruyne Trousers had enough to see off their Premier League rivals and start their CL campaign on a positive.
Gloopy Yarbles 61½ – 62 Hung Like A Bony
The second CL game this week to be decided by the smallest possible denomination was an absolute thriller. Haaland did most of the heavy lifting (2 goals, 4 SOT, 1 Fwd CS), but the game was put beyond reach late on Sunday afternoon by 28 minutes of Benjamin Sesko (1KP). Gloopy and Hung, second & third in the Premier League, both won their league matches, but a faltering Mo Salah couldn’t help the CL holders in the opening game of their title defence.
Housewives Favourite 72½ – 64 A.F.C. Chester
The Premier League leaders rocked their L1 opponents in the highest-scoring game of the round. Chester, who qualified via the postseason playoffs, had the fourth-best score of the sixteen but found themselves up against a typically fierce Wives Fave. It was an incredibly close game and was level 64-64 at full-time, but then (as we do in the fantasy world) substitutes were processed and Wives Fave had Q.Hartman (8.5FPts) ready to replace the injured Evanilson. Wives Fave second in the group stage table; Chester, best of losing sides, sit ninth.
Mighty Fine 48 – 43 All Star Gunners
To highlight the team that wins with the lowest score is often unfair because in fantasy football, as in real life, the key to winning consistently requires far more than just fielding the best team you can – a true tactical masterclass is also about capitalising on your opponents’ weaknesses. Focus on their weak players and find strength in the players they’re facing. For example, if they play Malen (AST, 2FPts), counter with Palhinha (TOT, 9.5); if they have Frimpong (LIV, 1.5) and Isak (LIV, 3), show them Bruno (MUN, 6.5) & Mbeumo (MUN, 9.5). Heck, if they start Chalobah (8), why not do the same thing!
Peltier 69 – 50 The Phenoms
Peltier won by 2 in GW5, this week’s win was a lot more convincing. Where Mighty Fine slipped, Peltier succeeded – they had the foresight to start Trai Hume for 11.5. Not only that, they also played the defender that Hume assisted – Nordi Mukiele – for another 17.5FPts. Facing them, league rivals The Phenoms put their faith in Bueno & Arias of Wolves, only to see them crumble in front of Peltier’s Mackems.
Shams army 56 – 40 Preliminary Version
Shams army suffered a narrow loss in the League to table-toppers Whiskey de Bruyne, but their 56 earned them a win in the CL Group Stage. This win could be attributed to Danny Welbeck’s heroics at St. James’ Park, earning 16.5 matchpoints to give the army a 16-point win. Crucial, especially after their #1 sub, Adrien Truffert, brought them down by 1.5 points – exactly the margin of loss in their league match.
Prelim, who had scored 59 last week, found most of their team lacking on their return from the international break. The six players they own that had goal involvements in the off-week – Mo Salah (who had scored two against Djibouti), Reijnders (scored against Malta), Gordon (scored v Latvia), Pino (scored v Malta), Ndiaye (scored v Mauritiana) and Guehi (two assists v Wales) – all returned just 5.5 FPts or less when it mattered here. And the less said about Malo Gusto the better.
Fixtures
We get our first League & Champions League double-header next weekend when Housewives Favourite and Smash & Grab face-off in their eleventh meeting from Friday evening. The exact same thing happened in Season 10 (Gameweek 10) and it ended with S&G winning (both) 51-38. Prior to that, Wives Fave had won their first league meeting 56-49 and their first CL encounter 39-35.
Smash & Grab went 2-1-1 vs Wives Fave in the Prem last season, winning in the final gameweek of the regular season 47-46.
All Star Gunners saw off Peltier in GW7 when Semenyo registered his second brace of the young season, putting two past Harry Wilson & co. This will be just their second-ever encounter and both teams will be looking for big scores as they try to close the gap to Barons & Prelim at the top of the Championship.
Gloopy and Barons first met in Season 4 where Barons knocked the Yarbles out of the BFFA Cup in the Third Round. They have also played each other in the Champions League before, also in the First Round of the Season 10 edition. They took a win each and both finished the round with four wins from six. Gloopy topped the group and went on to be Runners-up; Barons were knocked down into the IML.
ATC and Prelim shared the Championship last season, finishing second and fourth respectively. So far this season, ATC have really struggled to get off ther mark (but won in the CL), whereas Prelim have had a good start to 2025/26 (but lost in the CL). Last season they took six points off each other, ATC outscoring Prelim 174-173 in their meetings. This season, the pair are sitting at opposite ends of the Best-ish table going into this fixture.
Also playing:
De Bruyne Trousers v AFC Chester – First meeting.
Alleviate the Tedium v Hung Like a Bony – First meeting. Both teams made the QF’s last season.
Mighty Fine v The Phenoms – The Phenoms are making their second-consecutive Champions League appearance and this week they will be playing the two-time winners Mighty Fine.
Shams Army v BattleVAR Galactico – Played four times last season. The Army took three wins on their way to winning the League. This season, Shams Army are finding life difficult in the third tier, while BattleVAR have taken an early claim to the League Two top spot.
At the end of the round:
1st-4th: 》The top four will get a bye to Round 3 (the QFs).
5th-12th: 》The teams in places 5th-12th will playoff in Round 2;
(A) 5th v 12th // (B) 6th v 11th // (C) 7th v 10th // (D) 8th v 9th. Two legs.
13th-16th: 》The bottom four will be eliminated.
If tiebreakers are needed, it will be decided on Goals Scored, then Best-ish ranking, then trackback weekly scores.
From Round 3 the highest-ranked teams will face the lowest-ranked teams (rankings decided by the Group Stage positions). R3 is also two legs.
Round 4 is the Semi-Finals.
Again, the highest-ranked team will play the lowest-ranked remaining side. SF also two legs.
And then the Final takes place in Gameweek 22. One leg – No replay if drawn.
Enjoy.
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