The Pulse of Football

Oct

2025

Hearts ready to take advantage of Scotland’s complacent big two

It’s been 40 years since we’ve seen the Scottish Premiership start like this. With both Celtic and Rangers struggling, Hearts are running away with the lead and could become the first non-Old Firm side to win it since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen.

By Alex Roberts

Brendan Rodgers hasn’t lost a league title during his two spells as Celtic manager and that success has made the club lethargic, lazy, and assured of their own greatness, like a banker before the 2008 financial crisis. Surely, they’re too big to fail, right?

Wrong. Their play is slow and predictable, consisting of little more than boring sideways passes with low attacking quality, clearly lacking individuals that can take the game by the scruff of its neck and win it with a moment of magic. Long gone are the days of Shunsuke Nakamura and Henrik Larsson.

Rangers fans would be loving it if they weren’t even worse. The appointment of former Southampton boss Russell Martin has proven disastrous. After just 123 days in charge, with only five wins from 17 games and a 29% win rate, he has been shown the door. Danny Röhl has since taken over.

Even with Scotland’s big two wounded, everything is heavily weighted in their favour. Celtic’s wage bill this season is reported to be £22.5 million to £25.5 million while Rangers are said to be spending £23.5 million.

Breaking that glass ceiling requires something more than simply throwing cash at the situation, the old heads may not like it, but it needs numbers and analytics.

There are few people in the football-sphere better at that than Tony Bloom. The Brighton and Hove Albion owner made his fortune in gambling, so it should come as no surprise that he loves to take a risk in the transfer window.

Bloom has pioneered the use of data to improve efficiency in player recruitment. Brighton don’t just magic the likes of Moisés Caicedo out of thin air before going on to sell them for £100 million, there is a LOT of hard work that goes into find these players.

He invested £10 million in Edinburgh club Hearts back in June, buying a 29% stake while the Foundation of Hearts, a supporter-backed organisation, retain overall control, so it’s not exactly like multiclub entities such as BlueCo, one of Bloom’s best customers.

With Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics firm taking control of Hearts’ recruitment, the club brought in ten players from Iceland to Portugal, including the record £1.7 million transfer of Ageu from Santa Clara.

That partnership is already paying off. Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kiziridis, signed from the relative obscurity of Norway’s second tier and the Slovakian league, have impressed during an unbeaten start to the season.

Don’t just take our word for it, Foundation of Hearts chairman Gerry Mallon has been full of praise for their relationship, telling AFP: “The single most impactful part of this whole package of Bloom involvement is the facilitation of that relationship with Jamestown.

Now, Hearts are five points clear at the top of the Scotting Premiership, and their meeting with current champions Celtic at Tynecastle Park on Sunday (October 26) gives them the opportunity to extend that lead to eight.

They’ve been here before. Back in 2005-06, with George Burley at the Helm, Hearts were sat at the top, with Celtic in second, with seven wins from their opening seven games. They went on a 12-game unbeaten run, winning ten and drawing two.

However, despite their start Burley was ‘sacked’ by then-owner and 2007 Lithuanian Dancing With The Stars winner Vladimir Romanov due to various disagreements, all but destroying the fans collective faith in the Russian they once hailed as a savior.

Hearts would go on to finish second that season, the highest finish in their recent history, but it’s tainted by what could have been. Thankfully, Bloom is no Romanov, and Derek McInnes is showing no signs of wanting to leave any time soon.

McInnes joined in May following a relatively successful two-and-a-half-year spell with Kilmarnock. He’s largely regarded as one of the best managers in Scotland, and has previously been linked with Rangers, a club he spent five years at as a player.

The Edinburgh club had a couple of serious players already there before the summer, most notably Lawrence Shankland. An eight league goal haul in 2024-25 was poor by his standards, especially considering he had bagged 24 in the two seasons before.

Adding Braga and Greek winger Kiziridis, who now have 12 league goal contributions between them, has turned Hearts into a genuine force, leading in terms of goals per match with 2.4, creating 5.8 chances per 90 minutes, and having 261 touches in the opposition box so far.

They’re not just winning games, they’re dominating them, scoring 19 goals and conceding just six, in fact, their only let given up one goal in their previous five league games. Hearts have every right to be top of the table.

With all this talk of numbers, analytics, and data, McInnes has managed to instil that ol’ troupe, wanting it more, into his side. Hearts have won a league high of seven points from losing positions since the start of the season.

McInnes’ lads went 2-1 down to Dundee United in matchday two, only for Stuart Findlay to score a 94^th minute winner. In their next league game against Motherwell, the visitors led 3-0 after 62 minutes; Harry Milne score shortly after before a Braga brace helped earn a draw.

Hearts went behind again when they made the trip to last-placed Livingston, then Braga restored parity just after half time, with Kiziridis bagging yet another stoppage time winner to keep their perfect start intact.

A visit from Celtic is easily their toughest test of the season so far. Rodgers’ side will look to keep the ball as much as possible, they’ve averaged 72.7% possession, but should Hearts win, it could be a giant step towards one of the most impressive feats in football.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Scotland on FotMob during the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Nico Paz and the match stats that make him the most exciting talent in Serie A

Who is the best player in Serie A right now? If you’re focusing on longevity and lifetime achievements, you might select Kevin De Bruyne or Luka Modrić. If you’re going by goal-scoring ability, you might pick Lautaro Martínez or Christian Pulisic. If you’re prioritizing last season’s achievements, you might go with reigning Serie A MVP Scott McTominay…

By Zach Lowy

…However, if you’re going by FotMob’s player ratings, there’s only one correct answer: Nico Paz (8.09).

Paz sits well ahead of second-placed Arijanet Murić (7.97) in the league rankings and only behind Harry Kane (9.07), Luís Diaz (8.28), Michael Olise (8.15), Erling Haaland (8.22), Kylian Mbappé (8.62), and Lamine Yamal (8.42) in Europe’s top five leagues. In just his second full professional season, Paz has emerged as an indispensable figure for a Como side that is daring to dream under Cesc Fàbregas. And just like Fàbregas, there’s every reason to believe that Paz can become one of the best attacking midfielders of his generation and win the biggest trophy in sports with his country.

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, Nico is the son of a Spanish mother and an Argentine father – Pablo Paz – who played for Argentina in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Initially, he looked set to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a centre back, only to depart the Canary Islands in 2016 and join Real Madrid’s academy, where he evolved into a centre forward and then a winger, before eventually settling into an attacking midfield role. Paz broke into the first team in November 2023 and was heavily involved for two months before being sent back to the reserves after various senior figures returned from injury. Whilst Paz only managed 128 minutes across eight appearances, he nevertheless ended the season with three trophies – LaLiga, UEFA Champions League and Supercopa de España – and a maiden senior goal vs. Napoli, before leaving Spain for the first time in his life and joining Serie A club Como on a four-year contract. Como paid €6 million for Paz, but Real Madrid retained a 50% sell-on clause as well as three different buyback options in 2025 (€9m), 2026 (€10m), and 2027 (€11m).

It didn’t take long for Paz to adjust to his new surroundings, breaking into the starting XI in September 2024 and bagging assists in wins vs. Atalanta and Hellas Verona, before being called up for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers, where, merely 13 minutes after coming on for his senior debut, he assisted Lionel Messi’s goal in a 6-0 thrashing of Bolivia. He’s been called up for every single international window since then, amassing five caps, and he looks set to compete in his first-ever senior tournament with the Albiceleste in next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

*Paz’s player traits comparison vs. similar players in top 5 leagues*

“Nico Paz is a difference-maker,” stated Argentine journalist Julián Giacobbe. “He’s an attacking player with a brutal technical sensitivity and creation ability, who’s very polished for his age, and who’s already capable of being a playmaker like few others on the planet. He’s a creative attacking playmaker with a great duel-winning ratio, who can drop back into midfield and put in a willing effort off the ball. His excellent ball control and ability with either foot allow him to strike the ball well both with shots and passes. Last season, he was a breakthrough star, but now, many defenders and coaches are aware of his quality and are taking a slightly more cautious approach to him. Since going to Italy, he’s gone from being a young reserve with barely any playing time to the attacking talisman of an ambitious project like Como – he’s matured and developed, and he’s repaying their trust with great performances and consistent growth.”

In their first top-flight campaign in 21 years, Como finished in 10th place thanks in large place to Paz’s 6 goals and 9 assists in 35 appearances, enough to see him win the Serie A Best Young Player award and make the Serie A Team of the Season.

*Paz’s passing numbers, Serie A current season*

Operating as the central attacking midfielder in Como’s 4-2-3-1, Paz has thrived at making incisive runs into the box, delivering quick one-twos with his teammates, and launching counter-attacks with perfectly timed through balls, as well as taking aim from distance and getting just the right amount of swerve and height to elude the goalkeeper with his shots. Today, Paz leads all Serie A players for assists (4), goal contributions (8), and chances created (26). Only Federico Dimarco (11) has created more big chances than Paz (8), whilst only Riccardo Orsolini (5) has scored more goals than him (4). At 21 years of age, he’s emerged as the creative fulcrum of a Como side that is on track for European football and that currently sits sixth in the table, ahead of the likes of Juventus, Atalanta, and Lazio.

He’s taken his game to the next level since being given the No. 10 shirt, kicking off the 2025/26 Serie A season with a goal and assist vs. Lazio before bagging a goal vs. Genoa, two assists at Fiorentina and a goal vs. Cremonese. But his finest performance came on Sunday vs. Juventus, where he used his wand of a left foot to whip in a sumptuous cross for Marc-Oliver Kempf to volley home from close range. Como would double their lead in the 79th minute with Paz receiving the ball at the halfway line, sauntering forward and bamboozling Andrea Cambiaso fwith a deft shoulder drop, before bending a rocket into the back of the net. It was a world-class goal that was reminiscent of a certain Francesco Totti.

“At the moment, there aren’t many Italian talents…the only one I’m watching, even if he’s not Italian, is Nico Paz,” stated Totti in a recent interview. “I like him…he intrigues me so much. Real Madrid made the best choice; he will return to Madrid and become one of the best players in the world.”

It seems only a matter of time before Nico Paz is back at the Santiago Bernabéu, but for now, he’s focused on two things: helping Como qualify for Europe for the first time in four decades, and helping Argentina become the first team in a quarter-century to win back-to-back World Cups.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every Como game with FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Nick Woltemade is having a big impact at St. James’ Park

Newcastle United have found a new cult hero in Nick Woltemade who has hit the ground running following his summer arrival.

By Graham Ruthven

Alexander Isak isn’t welcome back at St James’ Park. Newcastle United fans have made that clear since the Swedish striker forced through a summer move to Liverpool. At the same time, though, it was difficult to envisage how the Magpies would possibly replace their best player and top scorer.

And yet Nick Woltemade has done a better job of stepping into the void than ever seemed likely. The German wasn’t Newcastle’s first choice to replace Isak. He wasn’t even their second choice. Or third choice. It’s not clear how far down Newcastle’s list of targets Woltemade’s name was, but it certainly wasn’t at the top.

*Woltemade’s player traits comparison vs. strikers in top five leagues*

So far, though, the 23-year-old hasn’t just effectively replaced Isak, he has rapidly become the perfect frontman for Eddie Howe’s team. Woltemade has scored four goals in his first five Premier League appearances, also scoring on his Champions League debut. The German has made an instant impact.

There is no other player in world football like Woltemade. He is better with the ball at his feet than anyone standing 6′ 6″ tall should ever be. While Woltemade has proved himself as an effective targetman in his first few games for Newcastle, scoring a series of headed goals, he is also comfortable linking up play.

In many ways, Woltemade is the antithesis of Isak. While Isak was smooth in his play, Woltemade is gangly and awkward. Isak’s game is about making the most of his speed and directness in open space. Woltemade, on the other hand, is a more rounded centre forward in terms of his profile.

*Woltemade’s shot map, Premier League 2025/26*

Isak is a better player, even if he is currently struggling. There’s a reason Liverpool smashed the Premier League transfer record to land him. Isak is the closest thing to Thierry Henry English football has seen since the legendary Frenchman last played for Arsenal. Along with Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, he is among the best forwards around.

Something about Woltemade, however, feels custom-built for Newcastle, not just as a team, but a fanbase and a city. The German has already made himself a cult hero. There’s something about his character that evokes memories of the 1990s and the days of Kevin Keegan’s great entertainers.

The Newcastle United project could have stalled in the summer. The loss of Isak could have set them back years, and the Magpies weren’t able to strengthen in the way they had planned. Having qualified for the Champions League again, it was surprising that Newcastle weren’t a more attractive proposition to more top-level players.

Newcastle’s summer transfer window became a last-minute trolley dash. They grabbed Yoane Wissa, who hasn’t made his debut yet due to injury, with Woltemade joining the St James’ Park club in a deal worth £69m that drew scepticism, not least from Bayern Munich’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who called Newcastle “idiots” for paying that much.

“It’s irrelevant, really,” Howe said in response to the comments. “The market forces dictate transfer fees – not necessarily any one club. We’re very pleased to have Nick with us. I think he’s started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him because he’s been thrust straight into action with no training time of note with us. He’s done really well. We’re really pleased to have him with us and the transfer fee is absolutely irrelevant.”

It’s certainly irrelevant now that Woltemade is thriving as Newcastle’s new focal point. The 23-year-old is the Magpies’ top scorer and boasts the highest Expected Goals (xG) of anyone in the St James’ Park dressing room, suggesting his current scoring ratio will be sustainable.

Newcastle can still do more to get even more out of their £69m striker. The Magpies aren’t the most creatively productive outfit in the Premier League, ranking only 11th for Big Chances created so far this season. They lack a midfield playmaker in the mould of someone like Kevin De Bruyne or Martin Ødegaard.

This is where Newcastle’s progression must occur. As formidable as the midfield trio of Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali is, Howe needs a different sort of tool to impose the Magpies’ own game on the highest calibre of opponents. There’s still a ceiling on what Newcastle can truly achieve with their current squad.

Woltemade, however, is a central pillar Newcastle can now build around, and at 23 years old he is likely to get even better as he continues to acclimatise to his new surroundings. His cult status could grow further as the German produces more and more big moments. Woltemade might not be Isak, but right now he is using that to his advantage.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game on FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Harry Kane is embracing a new all-round role for Bayern Munich

Harry Kane is transitioning into a different role as Bayern Munich’s creator-in-chief as well as being the Bundesliga’s top scorer.

By Graham Ruthven

Harry Kane’s numbers do enough to highlight his brilliance. Indeed, the 32-year-old has scored 24 goals for club and country this season, a tally that is bettered only by Erling Haaland in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues. And yet this still doesn’t fully quantify Kane’s growing importance to Bayern Munich.

Kane’s performance in Saturday’s Der Klassiker was a showcase of everything he offers. Not only did the Englishman score the opening goal of the game from a corner kick, sending Bayern Munich on their way to a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, he orchestrated the Bavarians’ second goal, and their attacking display as a whole.

Deployed as a number 10 behind Nicolas Jackson, Kane took it upon himself to be Bayern Munich’s quarter-back. It’s a role he has embraced in other matches this season, but Vincent Kompany fully leaned into Kane as his primary playmaker against Dortmund, allowing the Englishman to drift wherever he could find space.

The highlight of Kane’s performance was the cross-field pass that led to Bayern Munich’s second goal. He wasn’t even looking in the direction of Luis Díaz when he angled a 40-yard ball out to the Colombian winger from inside his own half, opening up the space for Díaz to get into the final third.

This wasn’t the only Tom Brady-esque pass played by Kane in the game. Only Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich completed more long balls than the 32-year-old with Díaz, Jackson and Michael Olise all benefiting from the natural creativity of their English teammate.

Of course, Tottenham Hotspur fans grew accustomed to Kane playing in a similar way for them. Over time, Kane became a one-man attacking hub for the North London side, frequently dropping deep to pick up the ball and move Spurs forward, either through carrying possession or finding space with a long pass.

*Kane’s shooting stats, Bundesliga 2025/26*

Kane’s all-round game has been apparent for some time, but until this season Kompany hadn’t afforded the freedom to make full use of it for Bayern Munich. In fact, Kane faced some criticism last season for not playing a larger role in the Bavarians’ overall possession play. While still putting up numbers, he was a peripheral figure in a lot of matches.

This season, though, Kompany has built around Kane as someone who can offer a lot more than just goals. No Bayern Munich player has created more Big Chances than Kane (five) this season with only Olise and Kimmich ahead of the forward in Expected Assists (xA). He’s a playmaker as much as he’s a finisher.

“Harry Kane can of course still improve, even though he has been more than brilliant so far for us,” said Kompany after the win in Der Klassiker. “I think Messi and Ronaldo have set the bar so high that you feel like scoring in the manner Kane is scoring right now should be normal, but what he is doing is really outstanding. He worked so hard for the team tonight and was once again very important for us.”

*Kane’s passing stats, Bundesliga 2025/26*

Despite playing in the Club World Cup, the summer break appears to have revitalised Kane. He is covering more ground and playing with greater intensity. This might fade as the season progresses, and next summer’s World Cup starts to come into view, but on current form Kane might be the best player in the world.

Haaland is putting up serious numbers having notched an incredible 20 goals in his last 10 games for Manchester City and Norway, but he isn’t conducting play like Kane is for Bayern Munich right now. The same could be said about Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman is on fire in front of goal, but isn’t an all-round threat in the way Kane is.

Bayern Munich look to have taken a step forward this season. Díaz has given them greater energy in the forward line with the Colombian registering nine goal contributions in just seven Bundesliga games. Olise also looks to have improved further, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

In central midfield, Bayern haven’t been so open in defensive transition while the summer addition of Jonathan Tah has steadied things at the back. Kompany is building more on top of the foundations he put in place last season and the Bavarians look stronger for it. They could be Champions League contenders.

Some eyebrows were raised when Bayern Munich paid £86m for a 30-year-old Kane. Many saw the signing as a short-term measure with the Englishman entering the twilight of his career. For that money, though, the Bavarians landed an attacking focal point who can do it all. The current version of Kane is the best there has ever been.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Bayern Munich game on FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Alexander Isak’s struggle to get going part of a wider issue at Liverpool

Liverpool’s dream summer transfer window has turned into a bit of a nightmare.

By Sam McGuire

The Premier League champions trail leaders Arsenal by four points following their third successive loss in the English top-flight. The Reds suffered a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday in a game that loosely followed their previous two losses. Arne Slot’s side start off poorly in the first half, change things in the second half and score an equaliser. However, having thrown on so many attackers and completely disregarding the balance of the team, the Reds are then left exposed and succumb to a late winner.

There are so many similarities between the goals conceded against Crystal Palace and Man United. The Reds failed to properly clear a long throw against the Eagles while against the Red Devils it was a corner. On both occasions, the back post is exploited. Interestingly though, in all three defeats, Alexander Isak has started for Liverpool.

This can’t have been why the 26-year-old forced a move to the Merseyside club. It can’t have been what the reigning champions had expected when they agreed to pay a British record £125million to pry the centre-forward away from Newcastle United.

*Isak player traits comparison against other strikers in top five leagues*

The Liverpool No. 9 is yet to get off the mark for his new club and in each of these starts, he’s missed at least one big chance. He was signed to be the difference-maker in the final third. He was earmarked as the man to spearhead Slot’s forward line because of how ruthless he’d been for Newcastle over the years.

He was the complete opposite of Darwin Nũńez and, to some extent, Luis Díaz. Whereas the former No. 9 was erratic in the final third and unreliable in the penalty area, Isak was as close to a guarantee as you could get. His confidence was borderline arrogance, but he was calm and composed when it mattered for the Magpies.

The champions are yet to see that player in red. His four missed big chances see him rank fourth for this metric behind Jean-Philippe Mateta (10), Erling Haaland (eight), and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (five).

*Isak’s shooting numbers in the Premier League so far*

Granted, Isak is having to feed off of scraps right now with Liverpool having trouble to really get going. The Reds had the best attacking numbers in the Premier League last term, averaging 2.3 goals per game with an Expected Goals per 90 average of 2.2. This term, they rank joint fourth for goals scored per game (1.8) and their Expected Goals per 90 total is down at 1.72.

For added context here, Slot’s side are on course to finish with an xG total of 65, significantly down from the 83.5 they finished with last season. While the sample size isn’t the largest, we are almost 25% into the 2025/26 campaign now.

Isak isn’t the sole reason for these struggles but he’s not helping right now, and there’s no escaping that. He’s missing opportunities and failing to make the most of the moments he’s presented with. A close range header against Chelsea was spurned and then he fired an effort almost straight at Senne Lammens from a good position against Manchester United. The most galling thing about the effort against the Red Devils was he scored against Liverpool from an almost identical position during his time with Newcastle.

The Sweden international was signed to be the difference-maker during those big moments. So far, he’s not managed to turn chances into goals. Perhaps a larger issue at play here though is that he’s not getting many chances at all.

The following needs to be caveated by saying he’s only made three starts, but Isak is averaging just 2.13 shots per 90 and his Expected Goals per 90 average is 0.34 with his Expected Goals on Target per 90 average coming in at 0.1 To top it all off, he’s averaging just 3.91 touches in the opposition box.

These numbers are considerably down on what he was posting for Newcastle prior to his £125million move to Anfield.

*Isak’s shot map at Newcastle United, Premier League 2024/25*

For Eddie Howe’s side last term, Isak had an xG per 90 of 0.66 and he was fairly accurate with his finishing with an xG On Target average of 0.65 from his 3.22 shots. He was also averaging almost seven touches in the opposition box on a per 90 basis.

Liverpool spent big money on him but, so far at least, don’t really know how to get him firing like he was at Newcastle.

What hasn’t helped the No. 9 is the fact he’s been having to play his way to fitness due to the nature of his transfer being drawn out. It’s something manager Arne Slot referenced ahead of the United game.

“I think he’s now had his five or six weeks of preseason, which is normal after being out for three or four months.

“Fitness-wise, he’s close to the level he should be, and now we can judge him fairly. If he plays twice for Sweden and doesn’t score, that’s not what you hope for, but I think his preseason is finished now.

“He’s played several games of 70, 80, and 90 minutes. Let’s see where he is in the coming weeks.”

Liverpool need the ruthless Isak who was feared by the Premier League last season. Isak needs a Liverpool team that has a clear way of playing. The sooner the latter happens, the sooner the former will make an appearance for the champions.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Liverpool game with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Preview: Spurs visit Monaco in the Principality

Spurs travel to the Mediterranean for a Champions League fixture against a Monaco side who’ve already spun the managerial roulette wheel this season.

By Matt Smith

Both Monaco and Spurs arrive for this fixture in a slightly out-of-sorts condition

Both Monaco and Spurs have been under par, of late. Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday seemed to indicate that Thomas Frank’s plans for his team aren’t quite going according to plan, but he’s not alone in being in this position. Their Champions League performances so far have been underwhelming but more or less effective, with a 2-2 draw against Bodø/Glimt and a 1-0 home win against Villarreal.

Like Spurs, Monaco started their season pretty well, but also like Spurs, they’ve tailed off in recent weeks. They’re three games without a win in Ligue 1, and their Champions League performances so far have hardly set the world alight either, with a 4-1 defeat at Club Brugge in their opening match followed up by a more respectable 2–2 home draw against Manchester City.

Monaco have a 100% competitive record against Spurs in the Champions League

These two clubs have only been drawn together once in the Champions League. This came in the 2016-17 group stage, and Monaco won both meetings 2-1. They ended that stage at the top of the group – they were eventually eliminated in the semi-finals by Juventus – while Spurs finished third and were transferred into the Europa League, where they were promptly knocked out in the Round of 32 by Belgian side Gent.

There was happier news for Spurs a season prior to this, when they met in the group stages of the Europa League. The two sides drew 1-1 in Monaco, but Spurs won the return match at White Hart Lane 4-1. On that occasion, Spurs won the group – and were beaten in the Round of 16 by Borussia Dortmund – while Monaco finished third and were eliminated.

Fati is back on form, Johnson needs to rediscover his

There is one particular goal threat for which the Spurs defence will need to be especially prepared. Ansu Fati has had a stop-start career so far. The young forward remains a Barcelona player, and following a mixed time on loan in the Premier League at Brighton during the 2023-24 season he returned to Catalunya. Having failed to establish himself there, he was loaned out to Monaco for the 2025-26 season, where he’s found his shooting boots again, with six goals in six games in all competitions.

One Spurs player with a point to prove is forward Brennan Johnson. He scored in Spurs’ first two Premier League matches of the season but hasn’t done so again since, and with only a goal against Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup to show for the last couple of months, his recent form in front of goal has become a bit of a concern.

Monaco have changed manager, while Spurs have further injury doubts

There have been two big pieces of team news from Monaco in the last couple of weeks. One concerns the man who’ll be picking the team. Adi Hutter was sacked during the international break and has been replaced by the former West Bromwich Albion left-back Sebastien Pocognoli. Pocognoli was at Union Saint-Gilloise last season, taking them to their first-ever Jupiler League title and their first ever appearance in the Champions League group stage.

Their big injury news concerns Eric Dier, who was at Spurs for a decade before going to Bayern Munich and then on to Monaco this summer. Dier will have been looking forward to locking horns with his former club, but a muscle injury has rendered him injured for a few weeks and he will not be taking part in this fixture. They will also be missing Lamine Kamara, Denis Zakaria, Lukas Hradecky, Christian Mawissa, Paul Pogba and Vanderson.

Spurs have further injury concerns, with Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies all doubtful, to add to their list of longer-term injuries, which still consists of James Maddison, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai.

Monaco and Spurs seem likely to cancel each other out

In seventh and sixth place in their domestic league respectively, Monaco and Spurs have both seen promising starts to their seasons tail off in recent weeks. Monaco have been in transition, with their managerial replacement, and they have a proven goalscorer leading their line. This could create problems for a Spurs defence which hasn’t kept a clean sheet since the 24th September.

The financial advantages conferred by being in the Premier League should hand a considerable advantage to Spurs for a fixture such as this, but seasoned Tottenham observers will already know that they just don’t seem to work in a logical sense, much of the time. Monaco need a win if they’re to kick-start their Champions League campaign and Spurs need a result following a very disappointing home defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend. These two teams seem likely to cancel each other out, so I’m going for a 1-1 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, physical metrics, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Preview: Los Blancos take on the Old Lady in clash of European royalty

Juventus coach Igor Tudor is hoping to wake up the Old Lady’s misfiring attack as they visit Real Madrid in the Champions League.

By Filip Mishov

The in-form LaLiga leaders welcome underperforming Juve

Allan Nyom’s ridiculous red card set Real Madrid on course to secure a late win at Getafe and return to the top of LaLiga ahead of an important week in Madrid featuring this blockbuster clash against Juventus in the Champions League, followed by Sunday’s highly-anticipated edition of El Clásico.

Even though the Whites’ performances have rarely been eye-catching this season, their results are, as Xabi Alonso‘s squad are currently on a three-match winning streak and remain undefeated at the Bernabéu, and have enjoyed a flawless start to their Champions League campaign.

The Italian club’s trip to Madrid comes at a difficult time with Juventus winless in six consecutive matches and fresh from losing to Como in Serie A, inviting pressure on Igor Tudor to inspire a change of fortunes.

Furthermore, the under-fire Croat already suffered at the hands of Xabi Alonso’s sides in the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer, and although the Turin-based club’s last visit to Bernabéu ended in a victory (1-3) back in 2018, Real Madrid ultimately progressed in the tie and also beat them in the Champions League final the year before.

Key players

Arda Güler has established himself as one of Real Madrid’s most efficient players this season, alongside their star men up front, as the Turkish prodigy is the squad’s joint-top assists maker (4) as well as leading chance creator (23) in LaLiga. Also, the attacking midfielder has started in all but two matches this campaign and is averaging a FotMob rating of 7.87, which puts him only behind Vinícius Júnior (7.92) and Kylian Mbappé (8.62).

Another Turkish rising star is currently holding court in Turin and Kenan Yıldız‘s influence is growing exponentially, with the 20-year-old even finishing the last match wearing the captain’s armband. Just like his compatriot, the tricky forward is the top assist provider (3) and best chance creator (18) for Juventus in Serie A, earning him a FotMob rating of (7.39), the best of any forward in the team.

Team news

Xabi Alonso welcomed back captain Daniel Carvajal to first-team training, and although the 33-year-old is suspended for the Juventus showdown, it is a much-needed boost after losing David Alaba to an injury, while Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold are nearing returns on the pitch and might be involved on Wednesday. Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen and Dani Ceballos remain absent and will most likely miss El Clásico as well.

For Juve, Fabio Miretti and Edon Zhegrova were involved in the final training session ahead of this match, but Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal remain sidelined, while it will be interesting to see whether Igor Tudor will switch back to 3-4-2-1 after failing to outsmart Cesc Fàbregas‘ Como with a 4-3-3.

Prediction

Real Madrid have won all but one match this season (10 from 11) and are averaging three goals per game over their past five, making them inevitable favourites against a Juventus side who are struggling. I expect Xabi Alonso’s squad to come out on top and head into El Clásico high on confidence.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Preview: Liverpool look to snap winless run at Eintracht Frankfurt

Wednesday evening sees two sides in dire need of a win facing off against one another in the Champions League as Eintracht Frankfurt host Liverpool.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Dino Toppmöller’s side might be one of the most entertaining teams in Europe. Eintracht Frankfurt are the second top scorers in the Bundesliga with 19 in their seven matches. However, they’ve got the worst defensive record in the German top-flight having conceded on 18 occasions. It’s why they find themselves in seventh position.

In the Champions League, it’s been just as manic. Die Adler kicked off their European campaign with an undeserved 5-1 win over Galatasaray before losing to Atlético Madrid by the same scoreline.

Liverpool, meanwhile, started the season with seven successive wins across all competitions. Arne Slot takes his side to Germany in a poor run of form though having lost four on the bounce across all competitions.

The Reds have failed to score more than one goal in a game since the Carabao Cup win over Southampton almost one month ago and though they started their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 win over Atlético Madrid, they lost to Galatasaray in Istanbul last time out.

Not only do the Premier League champions need a win to boost their chances of a good finish in the Champions League, they need one to help with confidence.

Recent form

This clash puts two struggling sides against one another.

Eintracht Frankfurt have one win across their last five matches and have conceded 18 goals in the process. Even in their win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Toppmöller’s side conceded four goals. In fact, their 2-2 draw against Freiburg over the weekend was the first time in five matches that they haven’t conceded a minimum of three in a game.

Liverpool aren’t as bad defensively but the Reds are struggling. Their last clean sheet was against Burnley in mid-September and the goals have now dried up. Slot’s side have managed just five goals in their last five outings across all competitions.

If they can’t get amongst the goals against this Eintracht Frankfurt team, there are problems.

Key Players

For the hosts, Can Uzun has caught the eye this term. The 19-year-old, rumoured to be a Liverpool transfer target, has five goals and three assists in seven Bundesliga outings and scored in the win over Galatasaray.

The Turkish international is a bit of a shot monster from attacking midfield, averaging over three shots per 90 in the league. He’ll see this as an opportunity to impress, not just the Reds but any potential suitors across Europe.

For the visitors, the difference-maker could well be former Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike. The France international will likely start the game after Alexander Isak started in the loss against Manchester United.

Ekitike has been the form forward for a misfiring Liverpool and given he’s playing in the stadium he used to call home, it might be the perfect storm for him to make his mark and claim the centre-forward position as his own moving forward.

Team News

Liverpool are without Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni while Ryan Gravenberch is an injury doubt after sustaining an injury against United on Sunday, as Slot confirmed: “I took him [Gravenberch] off because he twisted his ankle. Is he an injury concern? That’s what we have to wait and see.”

Eintracht Frankfurt have an almost clean bill of health with Elias Baum being the only injury issue for the German side.

Prediction

With Toppmöller’s team conceding so many chances, it has to be a Liverpool win. However, with the Reds lacking confidence, we can’t see it being a big victory for the visitors, so let’s go with a 2-1 win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Preview: Chelsea take on Ajax in the Champions League

The Dutch giants travel to West London in pursuit of their first Champions League win of the season while Chelsea seek to build upon their edgy 1-0 win over José Mourinho’s Benfica in the previous round.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday cost Ange Postecoglou his job just over a month after being appointed. With Ajax boss Johnny Heitinga also under pressure, could they make it two for two?

Josh Acheampong is the future

The 19-year-old followed his assured performance in the 2-1 win over Liverpool up with an even better one in the victory of Forest. At a time when Chelsea’s defensive injury crisis looked to be their undoing, Acheampong grasped his chance with both hands.

Enzo Maresca took him off after 81 minutes to help get some minutes in Tosin Adarabioyo’s legs following the veteran (in terms of Chelsea) defender’s recent setback, having won 100% of his aerial duels, made six recoveries, and four interceptions.

Fellow Cobham graduate Reece James has said that the best thing for his development is to play games, and with centre-back arguably Chelsea’s weakest position, perhaps he could nail his spot down.

In desperate need of a result

Heitinga is a certified Ajax favourite, but even he will know he’s teetering dangerously close to his overdraft as his credit starts to run low. Their recent 4-0 defeat to Marseille was their worst ever in the Champions League.

Only Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty sit below them, but at least they’ve managed to score a goal, while Ajax are one of two teams yet to register. The four-time champions look destined to fall at the first hurdle.

Domestically, it’s not going any better. Sitting in fourth, already nine points behind arch-rivals Feyenoord at the summit of the Eredivisie table and an impotent 2-0 home defeat to AZ Alkmaar on Saturday, leave little hope.

Team news

Wesley Fofana should now be available to play after picking up a concussion in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Lincoln a few weeks back, while questions remain over whether Enzo Fernández could feature due to the knee injury he picked up while on international duty.

However, the hosts are still missing Cole Palmer (groin), Levi Colwill (ACL), Dário Essugo (thigh), Benoît Badiashile (muscle), Liam Delap (hamstring), and João Pedro (suspension).

Moisés Caicedo was brought on at half time in the win over Forest and could be called upon instead of injury-prone midfielder Roméo Lavia, meanwhile Jorrel Hato, who joined Chelsea from Ajax in the summer, will likely have to settle for a spot on the bench against his former club.

As for Ajax, left-back Owen Wijndal was taken off with a muscular problem in his side’s defeat to Marseille, with midfielder Branco van den Boomen a major doubt due to a back injury.

Striker Kasper Dolberg will also be forced to sit out with a stomach injury, meaning former Man United striker Wout Weghorst will likely start up top for the visitors.

Prediction

Long gone are the days when Ajax could compete against Europe’s best. Last time these two sides met all the way back in 2019 it ended 4-4, this time, it shouldn’t be so close. We’re going with a 2-0 Chelsea win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Oct

2025

Preview: Manchester City visit the Yellow Submarine

It all looks rather ominous again for those opposing Manchester City: Erling Haaland free-scoring, new signings settled and eight unbeaten since an early-season stumble. But is their Champions League path just as clear-cut?

By Karl Matchett

Last year’s struggles won’t be forgotten

Autumn time a year ago was a tough patch for Pep Guardiola’s side, as they fell out of contention for the domestic title with a series of defeats – and in Europe it was almost a similar story. They eventually rescued themselves late on in the eight league phase fixtures but for a time it looked like they might even struggle to make it into the top 24. No letting up the pressure this time around in the search for early points, you can be sure – and with a trip to Real Madrid on the horizon, this first visit to Spain to face Villarreal looks an easier chance to pick up a victory.

Two German visitors – Dortmund and Leverkusen – are potentially tough in name but perhaps not quite so much in reality, but Man City won’t want to take any chances and, having taken four points already, should really be eyeing up a top-eight finish for automatic progression to the last 16.

Marcelino magic back in town

Villarreal head coach Marcelino must be one of the most underrated bosses in Europe – consistently able to shape his teams to play good football, be solid defensively and progress in the cups. He has made three Copa del Rey finals in his time – two with Athletic Club and one with Valencia – and this is his second spell with Villarreal, having earlier taken them to touching distance of the Europa League final, losing a semi-final second leg to Liverpool. Now he has the Yellow Submarine back in the Champions League and third in the table domestically, early though it is – his 4-4-2 template is compact, quick in transitions and happy to counter-attack bigger teams and inflict serious damage along the way.

Recent form

The Spanish team had won three in a row before a recent sequence of no wins in three – but they’ve come against Juventus, Real Madrid and Real Betis, to be fair. Earlier in the season they lost at Tottenham in gameweek one. Man City are very much in form, unbeaten in eight – though they haven’t yet won three in a row since the season started. They beat Brentford and Everton in their most recent two.

Team news

Juan Foyth is a doubt and a big loss for Villarreal. Georges Mikautadze should return to the XI in attack.

For City, Rodri and Rayan Aït-Nouri are the notable absentees.

Key player

If it feels obvious, it’s because he’s so key. Erling Haaland is in relentless mode: 14 goals in ten games across league and Europe. He’s top-ranked in the Premier League for everything shooting related: xG, on target efforts and goals of course, but he’s also top for strikers in final third possession wins, aerial duels won and touches in the box.

Prediction

Manchester City should have too much in attack to worry about dropping points again – Villarreal 1-2 Man City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.