Page 114 – The Pulse of Football

May

2024

Analysis: The 2. Bundesliga Promotion Picture

Although the final round of the season is yet to be played, the 2. Bundesliga promotion picture is all clear. St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel will finish as the top two in either order and win automatic promotion, while Fortuna Düsseldorf have locked down third place which will take them through to the promotion/relegation play-off.

By Neel Shelat

In recent seasons, the 2. Bundesliga has been one of the most exciting leagues in Europe. It has enjoyed the perfect mix of quality, drama, jeopardy, and tactical innovation as well as excellent match atmospheres created by the typically passionate ride-or-die German fanbases.

This season has been no different. Giants of German football such as Schalke and Hertha Berlin found themselves in the wrong half of the table for long periods, with the former flirting with the existential threat of relegation to the third tier before pulling themselves together for a solid mid-table finish. Christian Titz’s Magdeburg continued to stand out with their unique style of play, averaging a league-high 61.1% possession despite being well in the lower half of the table.

Up at the top, Hamburg did it again. The story of each of the last five seasons repeated itself as they looked like frontrunners in the promotion battle throughout the first half of the campaign before floundering at the crunch time and narrowly missing out.

In their lieu, their local rivals St. Pauli, plus Holstein Kiel and Fortuna Düsseldorf have taken up the three promotion places. The title is yet to be decided between the top two but both have already sealed the main prize of direct promotion, while Düsseldorf will have to earn their spot in the top-flight in the play-off against the team that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga.

St. Pauli

After 13 long seasons in the second tier, St. Pauli have finally secured their return to the German top flight and are best placed to win the 2. Bundesliga title as well.

From near-misses at the top, rather uninspiring mid-table finishes and some very close shaves at the bottom, they have experienced it all in the Zweiten Liga since their relegation in 2011. In recent seasons, though, they have been building towards this success with two consecutive fifth-placed finishes leading up to the 2023/24 campaign.

31-year-old Fabian Hürzeler deserves a lot of credit for their promotion, not because he is a key player but because he is the head coach! The Texas-born tactician joined St. Pauli in 2020 as an assistant coach under Timo Schultz, whose dismissal in December 2022 gave Hürzeler his first head coach role at senior level.

Initially, he was only given the role on an interim basis, but his impressive instant impact took the club from the lower half of the table to the brink of the promotion battle and earned him a full-time contract very quickly. So, the youngest head coach in the top three German men’s leagues had the time to lay the foundations for this success in the latter half of the 2022/23 season.

Known for their fanbase’s left-wing ideology, St. Pauli’s tactical approach under their Hürzeler has been quite left-field too. Unlike the more end-to-end transition-based approach German football is typically associated with, their style of play is focused on controlling possession and especially territory. So, stylistically at least, they are closer to Manchester City than, say, Hoffenheim.

While their control-based approach has helped them maintain the league’s best defensive record both in terms of goals conceded (35) and xG conceded (36.3), St. Pauli’s attacking play has not exactly blown opponents away. They only have the eighth-highest xG tally in the league and have often had to rely on sparks of individual brilliance to get on the scoresheet.

Thankfully for them, their players have delivered the goods when called upon. In particular, Marcel Hartel has been the dangerman as he leads the squad both in terms of goals and assists. In fact, no one in the league has more goal involvements than him this season, and no one in the squad has even half as many as he does.

It will be quite interesting to see how St. Pauli will fare in the Bundesliga, not least because of the potential of their unique style of play to either succeed or fail dramatically. The key for them will be holding on to key figures such as Hürzeler and Hartel over the summer while strengthening the squad in other areas – especially up front.

Holstein Kiel

St. Pauli’s success and celebrations have perhaps clouded what has been an arguably even more impressive campaign from Holstein Kiel. The Storks, who were down in the Regionalliga (the fourth tier of German football) as recently as 2013, have finally sealed their first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga.

They are a storied club with over 120 years of history including a German Championship title in 1912, but have been knocking about in the lower tiers post World War II. As a result, their current financial capacity is far from the greatest; their payroll is only the ninth-highest in the 2. Bundesliga this season. So, their success has stemmed from their ability to make the most of limited resources.

Kiel’s squad does not have any star names but rather has been assembled through shrewd signings from the lower German tiers as well as out-of-favour players from the Bundesliga and other nearby European leagues. Their head coach too was a man that not many people had heard of at the time of his appointment.

Marcel Rapp started coaching at the age of 33 after a pretty unremarkable playing career in the lower tiers. He eventually made his way to Hoffenheim’s academy, from where he was picked up by Heidenheim in late 2021 and given his first full-time head coach role. After two solid mid-table finishes, he has taken Kiel to new heights this term.

The Storks have been quite good – though not stellar – at both ends of the pitch this season with the fourth-most goals scored and the joint second-least conceded. In between, Rapp likes them to be quite expansive in their structure with the ball and aggressive in their press without it. What has set them apart from the sides below them, though, has been their ability to keep a shutout and grind out results.

Kiel’s current squad value is about an eighth of the Bundesliga average, and they do not have the financial capacity to change that drastically. They will almost certainly face a tough relegation battle next season, but as Heidenheim have shown this term, there certainly is a place for the minnows in the German top flight.

Fortuna Düsseldorf

Fortuna Düsseldorf will hope to return to the Bundesliga after four seasons away in the play-off, though they might feel a little hard done by only finishing third. According to our Expected Points model, they have been the best team in the league by the underlying numbers, but have been trumped by two significant overperformers in St. Pauli and Holstien Kiel.

In any case, Fortuna will back themselves to get the job done in the two legged play-off against either Mainz, Union Berlin, or FC Köln – something that will be decided by the final round in the Bundesliga this weekend – even though the second-tier side has only won this tie once in the last 11 years. Daniel Thiourne’s side have had the best attack in the second tier this season with an average of 2.1 goals per game with Norwich City loanee Christos Tzolis looking particularly dangerous on his day, so they will hope to power through one of the Bundesliga’s worst defences come the last week of May.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game in Germany’s top two divisions live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Premier League Team of the Week: Round 37

There are a few surprise names in the FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday 37 while three teams have multiple players in the XI. Here’s a look at who made the cut and why in the penultimate matchday of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Goalkeeper: Wes Foderingham

It is rare for a player to make it into the FotMob XI if their team loses, but when it does happen, it highlights an impressive individual showing. This is the case with Foderingham this week. Sheffield United lost 1-0 to Everton but the shot-stopper made it into the team after an impressive display between the sticks. The 33-year-old made six saves and faced efforts with an Expected Goals on Target total of 2.02. His exploits in goal earned him a rating of 8.5.

Right-Back: Pedro Porro

Porro looked back to his early season best for Spurs in their comeback victory over Burnley on Saturday. The right-back scored the winner with one of his four efforts as well as carving out a chance for a teammate. The 24-year-old also completed two of his three dribbles while winning 100% of his tackles, 100% of his aerial duels and 50% of his ground duels as Ange Postecoglou’s side kept their Champions League hopes alive.

Centre-Back: William Saliba

Saliba bossed it for Arsenal in their 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. The centre-back completed 90% of his passes while also winning 75% of his tackles, 100% of his aerial duels and 100% of his ground duels. The 23-year-old also made six clearances as he played his part in ensuring the Gunners kept a vital clean sheet to move back to the top of the Premier League table.

Centre-Back: Micky Van De Ven

The young centre-back scored the winner for Spurs as they overturned a 1-0 deficit against Burnley. The defender stepped up from the back, showing great composure to pass the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. A seasoned finisher would’ve been proud of the goal.

The 23-year–old finished with a pass success rate of 94% while also having a 100% record in duels and tackles.

Left-Back: Joško Gvardiol

The world’s most expensive defender has really come into his own over recent weeks. Gvardiol scored twice for Manchester City in the 4-0 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon, a result that temporarily lifted them to the top of the Premier League table.

Gvardiol completed 87% of his passes on his way to a FotMob rating of 8.9. He also attempted four dribbles from full-back and was involved in six duels at Craven Cottage.

Midfield: Morgan Gibbs-White

Another player to impress despite turning out for a losing side. Gibbs-White caught the eye for Nottingham Forest as they fell to a 3-2 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday evening. The versatile midfielder earned himself an 8.8 FotMob rating after claiming two assists against the Blues. The former Wolves prodigy also hit the woodwork with an effort. Without the ball, he won 100% of his tackles and involved himself in 16 duels.

Midfield: Bernardo Silva

No goals for Bernardo Silva on Saturday afternoon but his performance for Manchester City in their 4-0 victory against Fulham earned him a FotMob rating of nine. The 29-year-old carved out four chances, one big chance and finished with two assists.

He also completed 93% of his passes, 100% of his dribbles and involved himself in seven duels to round off a solid, all-around showing for the reigning champions.

Midfield: Michael Olise

Another week, another appearance in the FotMob XI. Olise caught the eye for Crystal Palace in their 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday. Oliver Glasner’s side have now won four of their last five in the Premier League and Olise has been pulling the strings for the Eagles. He claimed a goal and an assist at Molineux to make it 15 goal involvements in 1,187 minutes this term. The in-demand forward attempted six dribbles and won six of his 13 duels.

Attack: Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo caught the eye again for Brentford in their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

The 24-year-old scored the opener and assisted the winner for the Bees in a performance that earned him a FotMob rating of 8.6. He also created two chances, had eight touches in the penalty area and made six ball recoveries for Thomas Frank’s men.

Attack: Jhon Durán

With Aston Villa looking to salvage something from the game against Liverpool, Unai Emery gave Duran 11 minutes of normal time to make a difference.

And make a difference he did. The young Colombian forward scored twice in the space of two minutes to help Villa claim a 3-3 draw against the Reds. It could well prove to be a pivotal point in the race for a Champions League spot too with the Villans now five points clear of Spurs having played one game more.

Attack: Yoane Wissa

Wissa came off of the bench for Brentford and completely transformed the game against Bournemouth. The striker was brought on with 27 minutes to play and he went on to assist the opener and score the winner.

The 27-year-old created two chances and finished with a 100% pass success rate. He wasn’t massively involved but he made every moment he had count. And he more than played his part in the Bees picking up all three points.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

The MLS Team of the Week: Matchday 13

FotMob’s MLS expert James Nalton picks five standout players from Matchday 13, including his two votes for the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) MLS Player of the Matchday.

By James Nalton

It was one of those weeks where picking just five players from a raft of impressive performances proves a difficult task.

Even selecting a team of XI players is not so easy when there were so many individual performances affecting the results achieved by their teams on Matchday 13, which was also a Rivalry Week in MLS.

There was one standout player, though. The race for the Golden Boot looks to have several contenders this season, and one player made their mark this weekend with a headed hat-trick.

Elsewhere, there were notable performances from players in both Los Angeles teams and star players from each conference showing their class in rivalries new and old.

The Top Two

9.7 FotMob rating: Christian Benteke, DC United

The Belgian centre-forward leapt back to the top of the goalscoring charts, scoring all three of his side’s goals in DC United’s 3-2 win at Atlanta United.

And each of them came via headers, with Jared Stroud delivering the crosses for the first two, and Mateusz Klich assisting the third.

The hat-trick saw Benteke return to the top of the goalscoring charts, overtaking Lionel Messi to take his place alongside Luis Suárez and Cristian Arango on 11 goals for the season.

Benteke’s hang time and reach are unmatched in the league, though these headers were more about positioning and evasion of defenders.

This prowess makes him both a weapon in attack and extremely useful when defending set pieces. It should see him keep pace with those big names at the top of the goalscoring charts.

9.4 FotMob rating: Denis Bouanga, LAFC

Bouanga was one of two players, along with Nicolás Lodeiro of Orlando City, to register three assists this Matchday.

The performances of Lodeiro and Luis Muriel in Orlando’s victory against Philadelphia Union were impressive, but Bouanga edges his way ahead of them onto the list of standout players this week.

Bouanga’s usual trick is using his speed and directness to cut inside from the left into shooting positions on his stronger right foot, but he mixed things up in this 3-0 win against Vancouver Whitecaps.

All three of his assists came from left-footed crosses, causing defenders problems on the outside of the left flank rather than cutting in.

These three almost identical plays set up each of his team’s goals; two for Cristian Olivera and another for Mateusz Bogusz.

This ability to go on the outside and cross like a traditional winger as well as cutting inside to shoot like an inside forward will worry defenders throughout the league, who will be at a loss as to the best way to defend against him. Good news for LAFC, though.

Three more standout performers

9.2 FotMob rating: João Klauss, St. Louis City

St. Louis City’s Brazilian striker was one of the revelations in MLS last year as the Missouri franchise played its first season in the league.

He scored 10 goals in 14 starts in 2023 but missed a big chunk of his season with a hamstring injury.

Hoping for an uninterrupted campaign this year, Klauss is starting to get on a goalscoring roll.

He’s now scored four in the last four games, including two in Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Chicago Fire.

The first was an instinctive finish following an awkward ball in from Celio Pompeu, which required him to readjust his right foot quickly to guide the ball home.

The second was a Benteke-esque header at the far post after Chris Durkin stood up a cross, leaving Chicago’s defence scrambling in vain to prevent the inevitable — a second goal for Klauss, who is starting to look sharp in front of goal once again.

8.9 FotMob rating: Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy will have been disappointed not to take all three points from this clash at the top of the Western Conference with Real Salt Lake.

They had Cristian Arango to contend with, and the Colombian was one of a number of players close to making this list this week, thanks to his two goals in this 2-2 draw.

But, as he often is, Riqui Puig was a standout player, pulling the strings in midfield for the Galaxy.

The first goal summed up everything that is good about this team.

Joseph Paintsil played the pass to Puig who found Gabriel Pec cutting in from the left to score, but the run of Dejan Joveljić to take defenders away from Pec was also key.

Ahead of the second Galaxy goal, Puig was frustrated his through-ball intended for Miki Yamane had been picked up by Daniel Aguirre before it got there.

But once the ball found its way back to him, Puig crossed to Miguel Berry to score the equaliser to claim a point which was the least the Galaxy deserved.

8.9 FotMob rating: Lewis Morgan, New York Red Bulls

Amid some stiff competition for a place among the top five players of this matchday for this article, Morgan’s performance for the Red Bulls against New England Revolution cannot be ignored (although we did do that for the FotMob TOTW).

Morgan opened the scoring when Sean Nealis played a long ball from deep over the top of the New England defence, catching them off guard.

The distance he had to cover meant he had lots of time to think about the finish. Players can often wilt in this scenario, but not Morgan, who slotted past Aljaž Ivačič.

He should have had an assist after some great play along the byline, beating defenders before setting up Emil Forsberg, but the Swede couldn’t take what was a great chance.

Morgan did eventually get an assist to go with his goal, backheeling the ball through to Cameron Harper to give the Red Bulls a 4-2 win against their old foes from Massachusetts.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

The story of Peter Bosz’s title-winning campaign with PSV Eindhoven

It’s been a big year for Dutch football. Ajax are a mess on and off the pitch, Feyenoord’s Arne Slot seems destined to take over at Liverpool, replacing Jürgen Klopp, and PSV have just won their first Eredivisie title in six years.

By Alex Roberts

While much of the media focus has been on the other two clubs, at least outside of the Netherlands, Peter Bosz has been quietly doing a fantastic job since taking over at the Eindhoven giants. In the end, the league title race wasn’t even close. At the time of writing, PSV are seven points above Feyenoord in second place, with one weekend of the season remaining.

Bosz rose to prominence during his time with Ajax, replacing club legend Frank de Boer in the summer of 2016. On all fronts his Ajax side impressed, despite the fact they didn’t win any silverware.

Reverting back to Ajax’s free flowing ‘Total Football’, they narrowly missed out on the league title by two points to rivals Feyenoord. On the continent was where they shined brightest. After a disappointing Champions League campaign, Bosz and Ajax found themselves dropping down to the Europa league, before making it all the way to the final where they were eventually beaten, 2-0 by José Mourinho’s Manchester United.

With Thomas Tuchel leaving Borussia Dortmund for Paris Saint Germain in 2017, the German club were looking for a new manager. Bosz’s impressive spell with Ajax made him their prime target and he was given the job that summer.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Bosz in Dortmund, and he was sacked a few months later in December. A manager can’t be judged by one bad spell, and in January 2018 he was appointed Bayer Leverkusen manager.

Leverkusen offered Bosz stability for the first time since a three year stint at Vitesse Arnhem and he very nearly matched that at the Bundesliga club, before being sacked in March 2021 after a disappointing season. He can at least be credited with turning Kai Havertz into the player he is today.

In 2021 he took over at Lyon, but the fans never truly took to him. An eighth-place finish in 2021/22 left him on thin ice going into the 2022/23 season. And inevitably, just ten games into his second season that ice cracked, and he was sent packing.

Under appreciation is a running theme throughout Bosz’s career. When he replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy at the start of this season, his appointment was meant with shrugs from PSV fans. That’s no longer the case, now he has them cheering.

It was something of a surprise when Van Nistelrooy decided to leave the club. He’s arguably PSV’s greatest ever player and had won two trophies and led them to a second placed finish during his single season at the helm.

2022/23 Eredivisie top goalscorer, Xavi Simons left the club and returned to PSG for €6 million. Midfield general Ibrahim Sangaré also parted ways with the club, joining Nottingham Forest for a whopping €30 million.

Reinforcements were needed, and PSV had one of the best transfer windows in Europe. American duo, Malik Tillman and Sergiño Dest, joined on loan, becoming integral cogs of the title winning machine. Armel Bella-Kotchap was another temporary addition, but his season was ended early due to injury.

Forwards Ricardo Pepi, Noa Lang, and midfielder Jerdy Schouten all joined the club permanently, but it was the re-signing of Mexican winger Hirving Lozano on transfer deadline day that had the fan’s hearts fluttering.

Bosz recognised he had to get the fans on side quickly, as it turns out, the best way to do so is to win football games. Who’d have thunk it.

His first game in the dugout was a 2-0 home win against FC Uterecht, a result that was relatively flattering for the away side. PSV dominated them in every aspect, playing them off the park with Bosz’s trademark dynamic, possession-based style.

Lang scored their first goal of the season right before half-time before Yorbe Vertessen doubled their lead and secured the win, not that it was in any doubt. From then on, PSV’s run was nothing short of remarkable.

They were scoring goals for fun, scoring three or more in each of their next 12 league games. This included a 5-2 battering of Ajax at the Philips Stadion. The Amsterdam club scored first through Branco van den Boomen on the tenth minute before Lozano levelled things up in the 20^th.

Ajax then took the lead for a second time thanks to Brian Brobbey’s deflected goal and went into half-time ahead. Whatever Bosz said in his team talk worked because PSV blew them out of the water.

Luuk de Jong was in the right place at the right time to score an easy goal after Lozano’s curling effort smacked the crossbar. VAR couldn’t find anything wrong with Ismael Saibari’s first and PSV’s third, and the home side took the lead for the first time.

Ajax’s defence couldn’t deal with the pace of PSV’s wingers. Johan Bakayoko played a lovely ball across the heart of their defence to Lozano who expertly finished for his second goal. The little Mexican then bagged his hattrick, taking advantage of more poor defending.

By this point it was only October but PSV were already starting to look like champions. It wouldn’t be until the new year that they dropped points. Before their 1-1 draw with Utrecht, PSV had won 51 points from a possible 51, scoring 59 goals in the process.

They finally suffered their first domestic defeat in late January, a 1-0 away loss to Feyenoord in the KNVB Cup, courtesy of Quentin Timber’s lovely 31^st minute turn and strike.

It was important for Bosz and his side to put cup disappointment behind them. They did drop more points in the subsequent games, a 1-1 draw at Ajax, and a 2-2 league draw at home to Feyenoord, but it wasn’t enough to stop the free scoring Boeren.

In March, PSV’s first Eredivisie defeat of the season came at the hands of an unlikely foe. Neither Ajax nor Feyenoord had it in them to stop this runaway freight train, but NEC Nijmegen did!

When Bakayoko scored the opener for PSV, it looked like it would be nothing but a routine win for the would-be champions. Lasse Schone then threw a spanner in the works with a penalty goal just before half-time.

The game was a story of two goalkeepers. Jasper Cillessen in the NEC net was having the match of his life, no matter what PSV tried, they couldn’t beat him. As for Walter Benitez in the opposite goal, it wasn’t his best game.

The big Argentine shot stopper could only parry Mees Hoedemakers’ shot into the path of Japanese midfielder Kodai Sano, who finished from close range. Benitez couldn’t do anything to stop the third. Forward Sylla Sow lifted it over him from inside the six-yard box to secure the points.

Being disappointed about losing your first game in March is a problem football fans across the globe would love to have. PSV fans had to get over it, winning the league title certainly did the job.

PSV were officially named champions after their 4-2 win over Sparta Rotterdam. Flares were lit, flags were flying, and Bosz has finally found a home. Not only has he led them to the Eredivisie title, but he’s also done what only a select few managers are capable of, improved the players under him.

Bakayoko has become one of the most sought-after young wingers in Europe, Joey Veerman has been running the show from central midfield, amassing an impressive five goals and 15 assists, and 33-year-old Luuk de Jong is a new man with 27 goals and 15 assists in the league alone.

Bosz has the opportunity to build something special at PSV, but if he continues on this path, he may not be there for much longer. Don’t be surprised if at some point soon you see him join fellow shiny headed countrymen Slot and Erik ten Hag in the Premier League.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Eredivisie live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Benjamin Sesko: The striker with a profile that is much in-demand

The striker position is one that has evolved through different phases over the history of the sport. But in today’s game, we’ve reached a stage where the super clubs are looking for physically imposing number 9s who can do a little bit of everything, but in particular, use their elite physical traits to constantly pin back the opposition and hold their own against defences set up in deeper blocks.

By Mohamed Mohamed

Several young to early-prime age strikers fit that bill of the ideal modern striker. Erling Haaland is the most obvious example, as his combination of freakish athleticism and awareness led to his historic 2022-23 season with Manchester City. Victor Osimhen utilized a similar playbook and was the key factor in Napoli winning their first Scudetto since 1990. Other examples of these tall versatile strikers include Alexandre Isak, Joshua Zirzkee, and Rasmus Højlund.

Another of those potential unicorns is Slovenian international Benjamin Šeško, who fits the bill as a tall forward with high-end athleticism. After a slow start to the season at RB Leipzig, he’s been one of the most productive players in the Bundesliga since the calendar turned over to 2024. His output over the past few months at a young age, combined with the intrigue over his skillset, makes him a highly sought after player for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Šeško’s athleticism is on display both on and off the ball. Without the ball, he can be a handful to deal with. Part of the reason why is just how quick he can be. His ability to get to top speed in a short amount of time is impressive given how tall he is, which helps him be a threat during fast attacks. Relative to some of the other big five leagues in Europe, there is less emphasis on defensive compactness in the Bundesliga, and Šeško has been able to profit considerably during counter attacking play. Against settled defenses, you’ll often see him and Loïs Openda interchange positions, with one occupying the opposition centre-backs while the other is closer to operating between the lines.

There are some questions with how well Šeško operates inside the box. Whereas there’s more intensity with his runs into the channels or straight-line dashes towards the penalty box to get on the end of whipped crosses, he tends to be more stationary within the 18 yard area. The best forwards in the world like to incorporate double movements to keep defenders guessing, and generally have more variety in how they find open spaces. It’s tough to tell how much in-box movement can be improved through more experience and different coaching, versus this being something that’s more innate.

Part of the evolution with these jumbo-sized strikers is that they’re quite comfortable receiving passes to feet and aren’t just target forwards who you lump aerial passes to. Šeško is no exception, with his 1.06 successful dribbles per 90 and 51.5% success rate considerably above average. He can shield the ball adeptly to bring others into play, and has quick footwork in the box to help get shots off. It’s helped him take 42 out of 44 shots from 18 yards or fewer. His tall centre of gravity means there’ll be moments where it can look a bit awkward for him, especially when sizing up his marker along the flank.

With only 2 assists in just over 1400 league minutes this season, playmaking has not been a strong suit of Šeško’s game. The underlying numbers, 0.75 chances created per 90 and 0.08 expected assists per 90, don’t paint a substantially different picture. This isn’t to say that Šeško is a complete dud as a passer. He has some utility as an outlet ball to alleviate pressure and spark potential counters. These moments help fuel Šeško’s own movement as well since he can make forward runs immediately after executing lay-offs to nearby teammates against a destabilised defence, which include headed or chested passes. He’s not at the point where he can find pockets of space and spring teammates through with high level passes.

Šeško is certainly not without his flaws at this stage of his development. A fair amount of his off-ball value comes from non-structured situations. On a more possession heavy side in a different league, those moments will happen less frequently. What separates someone like Haaland from Šeško is that in addition to being a premium counterattacking threat, Haaland expertly works the blindside of defenders when facing low blocks. Šeško isn’t a major playmaking threat, and so what he does in attack will be almost entirely dependent on the shots he generates for himself. It’ll also be interesting to see how much his dribbling and back to goal play translates against higher caliber athletes.

All things considered though, Šeško’s debut season in the Bundesliga has been a success. A combined 15 goals and assists in a little over 1400 league minutes is an impressive return, and he’s currently hit a purple patch for RB Leipzig which has them in pole position to secure Champions League football for 2024-25. The transition to German football has suited his game, and he’s ended up being one of the better players in the league. Despite the flaws mentioned, he’s shown enough to where he’s one of the more intriguing prospects in Europe because of the upside he’s flashed.

It’s not hard to see why there’s been a fascination with Šeško over the years. Big strikers who show good coordination on and off the ball are highly coveted in today’s game, and his goals and assists per 90 rate stacks up with some of the best forwards in Europe. While there have been some Bundesliga players who’ve found it tough outside the German football bubble, one could convince themselves that Šeško will not suffer the same fate should he move soon. This run of good form has been great for his current club RB Leipzig, and if it continues when Slovenia line up against England, Denmark, and Serbia in the Euro 2024 group stages, Benjamin Šeško’s name will be on the lips of many football fans this summer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every developing transfer story on FotMob thanks to our active news feeds, club pages, and dedicated transfer centre. Download the free app here.

May

2024

Premier League Review: Matchday 37

Regardless of what happens during the mid-week fixtures, the title race is going to the final day of the season. Arsenal and Manchester City, once again, both held up their ends of the bargain this weekend. The relegation battle will also be decided on Matchday 38 while there’s still a competitive scramble for the final European places. Here’s a look at the headlines across Matchday 37.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

City strike first

For the first time in a while, Manchester City played before their title rivals. Fulham hadn’t been in the best form but a trip to Craven Cottage always has the potential to be a bit of a curve ball.

But the reigning champions have been relentless over recent weeks and their ruthlessness was on full display against Marco Silva’s side. City scored four goals for the third time in their last four Premier League matches as they romped to a 4-0 win.

The star of the show was, surprisingly, Joško Gvardiol. The versatile centre-back, starting out at left-back, scored twice with Phil Foden and Julián Álvarez adding the other two goals for Pep Guardiola’s men. City deserved the win having been truly dominant, with 64% possession and an Expected Goals haul of 3.25. They limited their opponents to just a single shot as they opened up a two-point lead over Arsenal ahead of the Gunners playing on Sunday.

Spurs keep their top four hopes alive

It was a nervy affair for Ange Postecoglou and his players on Saturday as they played host to Burnley. A win was needed to keep the pressure on Aston Villa in the race for a top four finish. It is still a long shot, with Unai Emery’s men being in a much more favourable position, but Spurs had to give themselves a chance and they did just that.

Burnley needed a win to keep their survival hopes alive.

There was a lot to play for and the pressure appeared to have gotten to Spurs early on when the away side took the lead, albeit against the run of play. However, the hosts hit back fairly quickly, levelling things up just seven minutes later.

Spurs had the better chances and looked the more likely winners but a second goal eluded them until the 82nd minute.

Micky Van De Ven scored what turned out to be the winning goal with an outrageous finish for a centre-back. Having made a dart forward, he showed great composure to take the ball past two defenders before working the ball onto his stronger side and passing the ball into the bottom corner.

Burnley couldn’t hit back in the final few minutes and their relegation was confirmed. Spurs now have to wait and see what Villa do against Liverpool on Monday.

Moyes gets his send-off

West Ham’s Saturday afternoon game against Luton Town was David Moyes’ final one in the home dugout after it was confirmed his contract wouldn’t be extended. The Scottish manager has done a lot for the Hammers over the years and guided them to success in the Europa Conference League last term. He deserved a good send-off and despite a rocky start, he did get one.

Luton struck first after just six minutes with one of their four shots of the game. The Hammers huffed and puffed in the first half, having a total of 10 efforts, but worked the goalkeeper just once.

After the break though, the hosts looked like a completely different team. They carved out five big chances from a total of 14 efforts. And they managed to find the back of the net on three occasions. The win did nothing for the Hammers but it would’ve been nice for Moyes to bow out at home with all three points. The loss didn’t relegate Luton but their survival now looks extremely unlikely.

Chelsea’s late European push continues

Mauricio Pochettino’s side are now unbeaten in four after their comeback victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.

The Blues took an early lead through Mykhalio Mudryk but found themselves 2-1 down with just 16 minutes remaining after Callum Hudson-Odoi struck against his former team to continue his fine form for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.

A win would’ve guaranteed Nottingham Forest’s survival following Luton’s defeat earlier in the afternoon. However, they couldn’t hold on. Raheem Sterling, off the bench, scored just his seventh goal of the season in the 80th minute before Nicolas Jackson extended his hot streak by adding his 14th of the season and his fourth goal in his last three outings just two minutes later.

Chelsea are now three points clear of Manchester United and level on points with Newcastle United in their pursuit of the Europa League Conference League place.

Their late-season form has gone a little under the radar.

Manchester United lose at home again

For the sixth time in the Premier League this season, Manchester United lost at Old Trafford. The Red Devils went down to title hopefuls Arsenal on Sunday afternoon with Leandro Trossard scoring what turned out to be the winner in the 20th minute of the match.

Erik Ten Hag’s men are now in eighth position in the Premier League and the likelihood is Old Trafford won’t be playing host to European football next season.

Arsenal weren’t at their best but they did enough to secure a vital win. It lifted them back into top spot and, once again, heaped the pressure onto Manchester City ahead of their game in hand against Spurs in midweek.

Mikel Arteta’s side deserved the win, they had more shots and their Expected Goals total was comfortably higher. They also managed to limit their hosts in what was another dominant defensive display.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

Matias Rojas: The potential ace up Tata Martino’s sleeve at Inter Miami

The headlines, as they always do, belonged to Lionel Messi. In a 6-2 win for Inter Miami over the New York Red Bulls, the legendary Argentine either scored or assisted all six goals. No player had made four assists in a single Major League Soccer match before. Everyone at Chase Stadium for last weekend’s match saw something special.

By Graham Ruthven

And yet the performance of another Inter Miami player was profound in its own way. In only his second MLS appearance after joining the South Florida outfit from Corinthians last month, Matias Rojas found the back of the net twice – both goals from Messi assists. The Paraguayan could be Inter Miami’s secret weapon for the rest of the season.

Rojas is a good fit for the team Tata Martino has forged over the first few months of the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old is attack-minded in the way he plays. He likes to push into advanced areas of the pitch and make late runs into the box from midfield, like he did in the demolition of the Red Bulls.

Inter Miami might not have needed Rojas had Diego Gómez not gone down with an ankle injury last month, but the 21-year-old’s absence pushed the club into the transfer market to find a replacement and Rojas ticked all the boxes. His technical ability – and versatility – has allowed the Paraguayan to settle in quickly at Chase Stadium.

Deployed on the left side of a midfield three after coming off the bench for the start of the second half, Rojas was extremely influential, registering two shots on target, three passes into the final third and one successful dribble. As a ball carrier, creator and goal threat, the 28-year-old more than proved his worth alongside Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.

Inter Miami have adopted a two-pronged approach in the transfer market. While they have signed legendary stars in the form of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba, the South Florida club has also looked to South America to add depth. The capture of Rojas represented the latter.

It was an opportunistic move that made the most of a dispute between Rojas and Corinthians over image rights. The midfielder had only been at Corinthians for a year, but the Brazilian club ultimately decided to move him on rather than continue a contractual tussle. Inter Miami were the ones to benefit from this.

Fernando Redondo was another opportunistic capture. The young Argentinean midfielder had been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe after an impressive showing at last year’s U20 World Cup, but Inter Miami offered him the chance to play with his hero. The pull of Messi has helped the club attract new players that otherwise would have been out of their reach. Expectations are higher for Inter Miami than any other team in MLS history. Their squad is the strongest ever assembled in the league and many predicted they would sweep all before them in all competitions in 2024. An early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup was a blow, but in MLS, the Herons are living up to their billing as the Supporters’ Shield pacesetters.

There are obstacles ahead for Inter Miami. In particular, this summer’s Copa America means Messi will be unavailable for a key stretch of the MLS season with Suárez also expected to be at the tournament. Maintaining a Supporters’ Shield challenge through this period might prove beyond Martino.

For the time being, though, Inter Miami are setting the standard at the top of MLS – and they are getting stronger. The summer will be tricky, but the Herons are building momentum with almost every match they play at the moment. Indeed, Inter Miami have won four league matches in-a-row and have scored 16 goals in the process.

Inter Miami will need more than just Messi to achieve their objectives for the season and that’s why the addition of Rojas could be significant. The Paraguayan provided a hint of what he could offer in his cameo off the bench against RBNY with his opening strike one of the Goals of the Season so far in MLS. There could be much more to come.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

Milan and Pioli: Are we reaching the end?

AC Milan supporters are unhappy. That comes with the territory of watching your closest and fiercest rivals stroll to the title, but there is more to the Rossoneri’s malaise than Inter’s Scudetto success. This is a team that should, according to the banner displayed by Milan fans during Sunday’s match against Genoa, be performing better.

By Graham Ruthven

Stefano Pioli is widely expected to bear the brunt of this frustration at the end of the season when the 58-year-old will most likely leave as Milan manager. Discussion has already turned towards potential candidates to replace Pioli with the San Siro club reportedly already talking to a number of targets.

Julen Lopetegui was believed to be one of those targets until a negative reaction from supporters to AC Milan’s interest in the Spaniard ended negotiations. Lopetegui is now close to taking over at West Ham, leaving the Rossoneri at square one in their efforts to find a new manager that both fits their criteria and appeases the fans.

Sérgio Conceição has emerged as a contender over the past few days. The Porto manager is believed to be interested in a switch to Serie A and is ready for the next step in his managerial career having reached the end of a cycle in his current job. Conceição is expected to hold talks with new Porto president André Villas-Boas before the end of the week. Things could move quickly.

There are, however, some concerns over Conceição’s style of play. The 49-year-old is renowned for his conservative approach which has helped Porto achieve success in Europe, but Milan fans might expect their team to play a more attack-minded game considering the talent in the San Siro dressing room. Fans could bore of Conceição quickly.

Paulo Fonseca is another name reportedly on the shortlist. The 51-year-old is doing an excellent job at Lille and is widely seen as one of the most exciting coaches working in European football right now. In contrast to Conceição, Fonseca likes his teams to control possession and play through teams with the ball. Milan would be more attractive under his stewardship.

That Conceição and Fonseca are both on the club’s shortlist doesn’t say a lot about the vision they have for the team. Conceição and Fonseca are good candidates, but there isn’t much to link the two in terms of how they view the game. Do the Rossoneri decision makers really know what they want from their next manager?

A whole host of other names have also been linked with the AC Milan job that hasn’t even been vacated yet. Thiago Motta has earned admirers for pushing Bologna into top four contention in the Serie A table this season with Zlatan Ibrahimović reportedly an advocate for the hiring of the former midfielder.

Antonio Conte has been linked with the Milan job in the past and is still out of work after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last season. However, Conte is more likely to take over at Juventus where recent reports claim the former Chelsea and Italy boss feels he has some unfinished business. Some claim Conte has already spoken to the Old Lady.

Then there’s Roberto De Zerbi who until recently appeared restless at Brighton. Napoli wanted De Zerbi to replace Luciano Spalletti last summer and the 44-year-old has so far resisted a return to Serie A despite interest from more than one club. Milan’s sales pitch, however, might be more compelling than anything else made to De Zerbi.

Roberto Martínez, Maurizio Sarri, Mark van Bommel and Francesco Farioli are also candidates reportedly being assessed by Milan who are doing everything they can to ensure their next appointment is the right one. Sacking Pioli – who won the Scudetto only two seasons ago – only makes sense if his replacement represents a step forward.

However, there is a point at which such a broad process becomes scattergun. Milan find themselves at a critical crossroads in their recent history and need a more accomplished manager to take them to the next level. It’s possible they will find that figure this summer, but the stakes are increasingly high.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Manchester United vs. Arsenal, Celtic vs. Rangers, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Fulham vs. Manchester City

In a change to the pattern of recent weeks, Manchester City are the title rival who play first in the Premier League this weekend. In fact, they kick off the penultimate full round of games, at Fulham, in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.

City have a fantastic record against the Cottagers, with Pep Guardiola’s charges unbeaten in the previous 18 meetings between the two. Should City make that 19, they’ll move two points above Arsenal with two games to play. With that recent history, Arsenal fans may already be looking towards City’s game in hand, the Tuesday night trip to the Gunners’ North London rivals, Tottenham, as the best opportunity to see them drop points.

Fulham have been inconsistent this season, form that has seen them rooted in a lower mid-table position, safe from any fear of relegation, and equally capable of upsetting a big side (see the win vs. Arsenal on New Year’s Eve) or going on a run of one win in seven, as is the case at the moment. They can boast one of the better defensive records in the division – they’re conceded at a rate of 1.5 goals per game, but they only have the 13th best scoring record – at 1.4 goals per game, which tallies with their league position.

Manchester City, of course, don’t have that issue, particularly with the league’s top scorer, Erling Haaland seemingly finding form again just in time for the run-in.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Manchester United vs. Arsenal

Arsenal, then, will know exactly what they need to do to keep pace, or go back above, Manchester City when they take to the field at Old Trafford on Sunday. A meeting with Manchester United, their old title rivals from the 90s and 2000s, probably isn’t the best timing for this current Arsenal side who simply cannot afford to slip up in either of their remaining fixtures (they face Everton on the final day).

That said, the Manchester United side that lost 4-0 away at Crystal Palace last Monday night bore little resemblance to the team that was going toe-to-toe with Arsenal, and often lifting the Premier League trophy during the period previously mentioned. Erik ten Haag appears to be clinging on to his job as manager with United winning just two of their last 10 league games. February’s four back-to-back wins feel like a long time ago now, and yes, there is the FA Cup Final to look forward to, but a top six finish could now, arguably, be out of their hands.

Mikel Arteta’s side have stood up admirable in the last few weeks, winning their last four games with an aggregate scoreline of 13 to two. And the Gunners appear to have the back bone to take this title race all the way to the final day, providing they get some kind of favour from City’s remaining opponents.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Premiership: Celtic vs. Rangers

You may have already seen our specialised preview for Saturday’s Old Firm Derby – if not, you can read that here. And you may remember the big billing we gave the last meeting between Rangers and Celtic that took place a little over a month ago.

At that point, Rangers trailed Celtic by a point and had a game in hand on their Glasgow rivals. The title race was well and truly on. But after a thrilling 3-3 draw that ebbed and flowed both ways, it was felt the result was a better one for Celtic. And that’s how it has panned out with Celtic winning all three of their consequent league matches, while Rangers have won two, drawn one, and lost one, thus wasting their one game advantage.

Now, with a win in this game, with only two further rounds to play, Celtic could all but wrap up what would be their 54th league title. A figure that would move them within one of Rangers’ record of 55, although we’re aware some fans dispute that latter figure.

A win for Rangers, however, would breathe new life in to this title race and leave us with two very exciting match days to look forward to.

Who will come out on top on Saturday afternoon? Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who appears reinvigorated in recent weeks, or Philippe Clement, the man who arrived at Rangers in October and completed revived the Ibrox outfit?

🇩🇰 Danish Superliga: Brøndby vs. FC København

Elsewhere in Europe, this Sunday, there’s another derby between two city rivals who are virtually neck-and-neck at the top of their respective league. And that comes in Denmark where Copenhagen south siders Brøndby take on FC København.

Here, just a point separates the two sides – in Brøndby’s favour – with four games to go. The Superliga format is similar to Scotland in that the main league has now split in two and this game will mark the second and last meeting between the two rivals during this stage of the campaign.

Brøndby started the second portion of the season with a huge comeback win at FCK, fullback Sean Klaiber scoring a 93rd minute winner against their arch-rivals in a game that finished 2-1. Since then, Brøndby went four games unbeaten, albeit they only picked up one other win, before they then lost to Midtjylland last weekend. København have won their last three to close the gap between the two sides.

Midtjylland also remain in the mix as they sit level on points with København, so in truth, this is really a three-horse race, or four, if you still want to include Nordsjælland who are another two points further back in fourth! Whatever the result, this could be an exciting league to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bochum vs. Bayer Leverkusen

We’ve included this game, between a side already crowned Bundesliga champions, and Bochum, who could still do with a win to ease any lingering relegation play-off fears, for one reason only. And that is for you all to make sure you’re following along to see whether Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen can extend their unbeaten season to an amazing half century of games across all competitions.

Leverkusen have been notorious for scoring a lot of late goals in recent weeks, rescuing draws, or winning games from losing positions with an extraordinary knack for persistence, something we coined Xabi-Time in a recent article (here). The 49th game in their run fits this profile perfectly, and it came in the home leg of their Europa League semi-final against Roma on Thursday night. Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Rome, Leverkusen then conceded twice from the penalty spot, meaning the tie was level on aggregate heading in to the final 10 minutes of the game. But then, as they have done on countless occasions recently, Leverkusen pulled one back.

That would have been enough to win the tie, but Alonso’s side were never going to settle for that, they’re aiming for a full invincible season, and so they carried on knocking on the door, eventually equalising through substitute Josip Stanišić in the 97th minute!

Leverkusen, then, are still on for the treble. They have the league in the bag and there’s still the DFB Pokal Final and Europa League Final to come. And for reference, the 49-game unbeaten streak is a European record since the introduction of UEFA club competitions in the mid-1950s.

Plus two further suggestions from a little deeper in your match feed…

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Women’s FA Cup Final: Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday’s Women’s FA Cup Final is a notable one in England as it does not include one, or two of Manchester City, Chelsea, or Arsenal – the current top three in the WSL – for the first time since 2005!

Manchester United were the losing finalists last season, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, so they have something to prove in a game that they at least have some recent experience of. Opponents Spurs have never made it this far in the competition and it can be argued that this game is therefore the biggest in their 39-year history.

In the league campaign, United sit fifth in the table, seven points above sixth placed Spurs. And the sides played out a 2-2 draw just a couple of weekends ago, the first time Spurs have managed to take points off United in five previous meetings. United won the earlier fixture this season by four goals to nil.

🏆 AFC Champions League Final, First Leg: Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Al Ain

On Saturday, we get the first leg of the Asian Champions League, a competition that has been raging since 1967. And it’s set to be a big game with Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos taking on Al Ain, the most successful side to stem from the UAE Pro League.

For all their recent success at home, Yokohama have won two of the last five J.League titles, and finished as runners-up in two of the other three during that period, they have not made a continental final of this magnitude since losing the 1989/90 final. Things haven’t started so well this season under the management of former Socceroo and Premier League stalwart, Harry Kewell, with the side currently sat 11th in the league after 12 rounds.

Al Ain, notably, knocked out Saudi giants Al Hilal in the semi-finals, and saw off Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the round before that. They too are well off the pace in their domestic league but they appear to have some serious momentum behind them on the continental stage.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on our Social channels for updates on all the important football going on this weekend – search @FotMob on x, @fotmobapp everywhere else!

Images from IMAGO

May

2024

Celtic vs. Rangers: The Final Showdown

As recently as two months ago, Celtic appeared to be in crisis. Protests against the club’s board were staged at several matches with one banner reading “Celtic board, on your heads be it” as Brendan Rodgers’ team seemingly allowed the Scottish Premiership title race to swing towards Rangers.

By Graham Ruthven

Heading into Saturday’s final league Old Firm Derby of the season, though, Celtic can effectively clinch yet another championship. The trophy won’t be handed out at Celtic Park, but a home victory would put Celtic six points ahead of Rangers with two games left to play. It would be all over…Bar for the fat lady singing.

Rodgers deserves credit for the way he turned around Celtic’s season to put them on the brink of a 12th title in 13 years. There was a point at which the Northern Irishman looked detached – disinterested, even – from the situation he’d entered by returning to Glasgow last summer. Now, though, he is once again driving the Hoops forward

Celtic are currently on a run of five wins from their last six league with their only stumble coming in a 3-3 draw away to Rangers which, in the context of everything, was a positive result. Indeed, that point at Ibrox could prove to be the most important in Celtic’s entire season given it put the title race back in their own hands.

While Philippe Clement has revitalised Rangers since his appointment in October, the Belgian has yet to beat Celtic. The Hoops were the more proactive of the two teams in the last Old Firm Derby and they are expected to play on the front-foot again on Saturday. Rangers might not be able to handle the attacking threat of their rivals.

After a difficult start to the season, Kyogo Furuhashi has found form in recent weeks, scoring twice in last weekend’s win over Hearts. Rodgers initially struggled to find a role for the Japanese forward, but has more recently deployed him in a position where he can get on the end of chances in and around the box.

Ange Postecoglou’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur left Celtic in ideological limbo. Rodgers prefers a more considered possession-based game and several players struggled with the transition between the two managers at the start of the season. Kyogo, perhaps more than any other player, embodied this.

There were times earlier in the season when Celtic were simply too slow and laboured on the ball to break down low defensive blocks. Rodgers, however, has done a lot to inject some intensity to his team over the last few weeks with James Forrest providing some much-needed forward thrust in recent games against Dundee and Hearts. He will likely start on Saturday.

The return of Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor from injury has also raised Celtic’s performance levels in the centre of the pitch while Cameron Carter-Vickers has finally provided some defensive consistency after a long period on the sidelines. As the treatment room has emptied at Celtic Park, the Hoops’ results and performances have improved.

“I don’t think there is any doubt [Celtic are ready], we’ll arrive into this weekend’s game and this will probably be the best version of the team that I’ve had since I’ve been here [in the second spell],” said Rodgers. “When you look at the injuries we’ve had, right the way though, the disruptions, it felt like at the weekend was about there, virtually, in player availability and where the team is at. And in terms of fitness as well.”

Matt O’Riley has flourished under Rodgers this season with the Danish international used in a more advanced midfield position than was the case under Postecoglou while centre back Liam Scales has emerged as one of the surprise packages of the season. Progress has been slower than many fans would have liked, but it has been achieved.

Another title triumph would do little to silence the complaints of supporters and pundits who justifiably claim Celtic must do more in the transfer market to take the next step in their development, but it would reflect how fortunate they are to have one of the most accomplished, experienced coaches in British football right now at the helm.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Rangers and Celtic game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.