KONAMI
KONAMI

PREVIEW: eFootball.Pro IQONIQ competition heats up as clubs hope for qualifying positions

The competition of Matchday 6 will reveal which teams have a high chance of competing in the Knockout Stage, and which clubs are seeing the opportunity slip away


eFootball.Pro IQONIQ's sixth matchday will livestream on Saturday, March 27th. Arsenal FC has taken over the first place ranking on the league table, with FC Barcelona and AS Monaco both trailing by only one point and hoping to regain this position by the conclusion of the day. The competition remains open with the possibility for all clubs to achieve a Knockout Stage qualifying spot.


AS Roma vs. Manchester United FC

Although AS Roma and Manchester United FC have yet to go head-to-head in the league, all players have competed against each other in previous seasons. In 2020-21, RoksaCzv22 has had standout individual gameplay, as he has scored the third highest number of goals (9) alongside three other players, and is ranked as the second best defensive player in the league. KEPA also showcases the Italian squad's talent by ranking 6th in assists. The English team's Ostrybuch stood out recently by ranking 5th in CO-OP points for Matchday 5


Manchester United FC and AS Roma have both achieved 17 goals so far this season. They are entering Matchday 6 closely ranked on the league table, with Manchester United FC in 6th with 14 points and AS Roma in 7th with 13 points. Without depending on the results of the matches, two victories are needed for AS Roma to end the March 27th competition in a Knockout Stage position, while only one win and a favorable goal difference against their opponents would be necessary for Manchester United FC. 


AS Monaco vs. Arsenal FC

AS Monaco and Arsenal FC last faced each other in the debut matchday of the 2019-20 season, which resulted in two wins and six points for Monaco. Monegasque club representative Kilzyou currently tops the goal scorers list with 13 and has the most shots on target as well. Teammate Lotfi is right behind him, ranked 2nd in goals scored (10) and 2nd in assists, providing 10 in the first five matchdays. Usmakabyle is ranked within the top 10 players for assists and defensive gameplay. Arsenal FC captain INDOMINATOR leads the league in passes, passes made, and dribbles. As a club, AS Monaco impressively leads the league in goals scored (27), assists (23), and shots on target (50).


The two clubs are entering Matchday 6 separated by only one point and two ranks, with Arsenal FC in 1st with 19 points and AS Monaco in 3rd with 18 points. Both Arsenal FC and AS Monaco will remain in Knockout Stage qualifying positions at the end of the matchday even if they lose both games. AS Monaco has potential to take back their first place position if they are victorious in both games and FC Barcelona is unable to win.



Galatasaray SK vs. FC Bayern München

This is the first time FC Bayern München will be facing Galatasaray SK, including all members of the Turkish club’s roster. Galatasaray SK’s StavAttack is ranked within the top 10 players for goals scored, as well as for defensive gameplay. Teammate Mucahit21 is currently the top defensive player in the league, placing 1st with 8,858 points. He also leads the league in proactive defense and is in the top ten players for number of assists. The German club has performed impressively individually as well, with FC Bayern München's MESTRE and JOSE both ranked within the top five best defenders, and MESTRE as one of the top ten assists providers in the league. Bayern's Alex Alguacil and MESTRE are also tied for the most key passes made so far this season (13). Both clubs have top players for defensive positioning, with Turkish club representative StavAttack ranked 2nd best and German club captain JOSE ranked 4th.


The clubs are separated by one point and two positions on the league table as they enter Matchday 6: Galatasaray SK in 8th with 10 points and FC Bayern München in 10th with 9 points. Both clubs would need all six points, as well as favorable results in the other matches of the day, in order to rank in a qualifying position.


Juventus vs. Celtic FC

Juventus and Celtic FC didn’t face each other in the 2019-20 season as they were set to compete in Matchday 7 which was postponed indefinitely. Juventus has two players in the top ten scorers so far this season: LoScandalo in 7th and IL DISTRUTTORE44 in 10th. Over half of IL DISTRUTTORE44's shots were skillfully achieved in just the last matchday alone. Both team captains are ranked within the top ten defensive players: ETTORITO97 ranked 1st in the league, and Jorcha in 6th place. umbee96_ is ranked 10th in assists, making him one of only two rookie players in the top 10 assists rankings. He also leads the league in defensive positioning. Italian club representative LoScandalo leads the league in shots, and is tied for having the second highest amount on target: 26 (17).


As a club, Juventus leads the league in shots and is tied with two other clubs for third highest number of goals scored. They are entering Matchday 6 separated by five rankings and seven points: Juventus in 4th with 16 points and Celtic FC in 9th with 9 points. Celtic FC needs to earn all six points, and see favorable results from other clubs in the league to land themselves in a qualifying position by the end of the day. With one victory, Juventus will secure a spot in the top six by the matchday's conclusion.


FC Barcelona vs. FC Schalke 04

FC Barcelona and FC Schalke 04 faced each other in Matchday 4 of the 2019-20 season, which ended in a one draw and one win for FC Barcelona. Most recently, they faced off in Day 2 of the eFootball.Pro Cup, which concluded in a draw. Blaugrana club captain THE PALMA is ranked as the 3rd highest assists provider, as well as the 4th highest goal scorer. Rookie ALEXR is positioned as the third highest goal scorer and is also in the top ten defensive players in the league. ALEX GRD is tied with his club's captain in assists provided in 4th place. The FC Schalke 04 trio has one player each in the top 10 rankings of these critical statistics: Urma in 9th place for goals scored, EL_Matador in 8th for assists provided, and MeroMen in 8th for defensive gameplay.


The Blaugrana team is ranked as the second best team for number of goals scored so far this season, with 25, as well as assists (19). With the standings as they are before the gameplay of Matchday 6, FC Barcelona will remain in a Knockout Stage qualifying position regardless of the outcome of their fixture. FC Schalke 04 can achieve this feat if they win one or draw both games without depending on the outcomes of other matches. 


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