Page 12 – The Pulse of Football

Feb

2025

Preview: Chelsea looking for a response against Southampton

Chelsea host Southampton in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night as they look to bounce back after a disappointing run of form. The Saints themselves are struggling of late, but it’s been a familiar story all season.

By Matt Smith

When the two sides met earlier in the campaign, Chelsea secured an emphatic 5-1 victory at St Mary’s Stadium. Southampton could take confidence from the last Premier League fixture they played at Stamford Bridge when James Ward-Prowse’s goal saw them win 1-0.

Chelsea suffer Chalobah blow

Since returning from his loan spell at Crystal Palace, Trevoh Chalobah has played a crucial role for the Blues in defence. The English centre-back was substituted after just eight minutes against Aston Villa last time out due to injury, and Enzo Maresca has now provided an update on his fitness.

The Chelsea boss has confirmed that Chalobah will miss the game against Southampton. The 25-year-old is likely to be out for around seven to 10 days, but thankfully the Blues have a break until their next Premier League fixture.

Maresca needs Palmer firing once again

Cole Palmer’s emergence on the Premier League scene has been special since his move to Chelsea, and the England international has quickly become one of the most talented players in Europe.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, Palmer has endured a difficult few weeks, and subsequently the team’s form as a whole has dropped significantly. Palmer has failed to provide a goal or assist in his last six games, and you get the feeling that the Blues won’t be at their best until Palmer starts producing the magic once again.

Bednarek set to miss out

Like Chalobah, Jan Bednarek was substituted early on in Southampton’s previous fixture. Ivan Jurić confirmed when speaking to the media ahead of this game that the Polish defender will be unavailable, but it’s not thought to be a serious injury.

Jurić also suggested that Flynn Downes will play after the Southampton duo settled their differences. Downes was omitted from the squad over the last few weeks, with Jurić citing an attitude issue.

Fernandes slowly adapting to life in England

Mateus Fernandes has been a shining light for the Saints in what has been a disappointing season after moving from Portugal in the summer transfer window. The 20-year-old has showcased his talent and immense potential during his first few months at the club, but Jurić will want to see more.

*Fernandes passing stats, Premier League 2024/25*

Fernandes will be disappointed not to have more goal contributions to his name, and it will be partly down to Jurić to get more of out him by getting him higher up the pitch. The Portuguese midfielder has created 24 chances this season in the Premier League, but only produced two assists.

Prediction

Despite Chelsea’s poor form, it’s difficult to see Southampton getting a result in this one considering they’ve picked up just nine points in the Premier League this season.

We’re going for a comfortable 3-0 victory to Maresca’s side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Premier League Preview, Midweek Matchday 27

And just like that, the landscape in the Premier League dramatically shifted…

By Sam McGuire

Matchday 26 altered how a lot of people viewed this campaign. Arsenal could’ve cut Liverpool’s lead at the top to just five points but now find themselves 11 points off the pace. Newcastle looked rocked after their 4-0 loss to Manchester City last weekend but are now level on points with the reigning champions and no doubt feeling bullish about a top four finish.

This mid-week round of fixtures has thrown up some intriguing match-ups that could have large scale ramifications for the remainder of the campaign. Let’s take a look at what and why.

The battle for a European place is heating up

A few weeks ago, after their 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, it looked as though Brighton would have to settle for a mid-table position after a disappointing campaign under new manager Fabian Hürzeler.

However, back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Southampton have completely transformed the outlook on the season. All of a sudden, the Seagulls have racked up 40 points and are just four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

A Champions League spot might be a stretch but there’s no reason they couldn’t claim a European place.

Bournemouth had been one of the form sides in the Premier League, going on a 12-match unbeaten run across all competitions before their 2-0 loss to league leaders Liverpool. They bounced back, beating Southampton, before a 1-0 loss to relegation threatened Wolves on Saturday.

They’re now just three points ahead of their Tuesday night hosts. Another loss could see them finish the week in as low as 8th position, a huge blow to Andoni Iraola and his players. A win, though, could see them, momentarily at least, claim a place in the top four.

This is a must not lose clash for both sides.

Arsenal need to be looking over their shoulders

In the blink of an eye, Arsenal have gone from being the hunter to being the hunted.

The loss against West Ham United on Saturday, coupled with Liverpool’s win over Manchester City, means Mikel Arteta’s side are 11 points off the pace, albeit with a game in hand.

Just a few days ago, Arsenal fans had been plotting the game in which they’d be able to leapfrog Liverpool into top spot. Now they’re looking over their shoulder and wondering whether Nottingham Forest could displace them in second position.

The Gunners have a six point lead over Forest but the two teams face off at the City Ground on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal are struggling offensively with so many attackers out injured. Mikel Merino spearheaded the attack against the Hammers in a game the hosts struggled to create anything of real note, finishing the game with an Expected Goals total of just 1.22 despite having 20 efforts.

Forest lost last time out, falling to a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park. They’ve now lost two on the bounce in the Premier League but they’ll still think they can take something from this game against the Gunners. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have only lost twice at home all season and have the fifth best home record in the English top-flight.

In fact, if Forest want to be playing European football next season, they’re going to have to wrestle back some momentum ASAP and a win over Arsenal does just that.

The Spurs hoodoo

Spurs made it consecutive wins in the Premier League with a 4-1 hammering of Ipswich Town. They’re now 12th in the table and the pressure has eased on Ange Postecoglou. For now at least.

They face an out of sorts Manchester City side on Wednesday.

The reigning champions lost 2-0 to Liverpool at the Etihad just days after crashing out of the Champions League. They could finish Matchday 27 in as low as eighth if results don’t go their way.

Erling Haaland might be back after missing the game against the leaders but that might not be enough for them to get back on track. He’s not exactly been at his ominous best this term, has he?

And City don’t have the best record at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. They’ve played eight matches there in all competitions and won on just two occasions, losing six times. They’ve scored just four goals and conceded on nine occasions. In the league, they have one win in their five clashes.

If Spurs keep up their hoodoo over Pep Guardiola’s men, City could be in trouble. The title is already gone. Their top four place could be in danger despite that big investment in January.

A shootout for the Golden Boot at Anfield

Mohamed Salah is the best player in the Premier League this season. He’s a shoo-in for every single individual award. He leads the way for goals (25) and assists (16). The three-time Golden Boot winner has at least one goal involvement in his last eight outings for the Reds across all competitions.

He added to his haul on Sunday with a goal and an assist against Manchester City at the Etihad.

In the race for the Golden Boot, he’s six clear of his nearest rivals – Haaland and Alexander Isak. On Wednesday evening, Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield.

Isak might look a little off the required run rate to topple Salah in the race for the Premier League’s top goalscorer but he’s been moving up the table over recent weeks. He’s scored doubles in three of his last six outings in the English top-flight.

If he keeps on chipping away with two goals here and there, things are going to get a lot tighter in the race for the Golden Boot. Outscoring Salah at Anfield on Wednesday night gets him off to a good start.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Preview: Barcelona and Atlético Madrid face off in headline semi-final

Barcelona and Atlético Madrid were drawn against each other for the two-legged Copa del Rey semi-finals, after which the winner can expect to face archrivals Real Madrid in the final.

By Neel Shelat

Barcelona’s fine form in 2025

Barcelona rather ran out of steam at the end of 2024 as they won just one of their last seven domestic games of the year. However, they certainly seemed to hit the reset button in the winter break as they have won 10 and drawn the other two of their 12 games so far in 2025.

That run of results includes their last two Copa del Rey ties against UD Barbastro and Real Betis, the memorable Supercopa 5-2 Clásico victory (which is just one of seven games in which Barça scored four or more goals) and an ongoing five-match winning streak.

Atlético Madrid’s watertight defence

Atlético Madrid’s summer transfer business heavily focused on revamping their attack, but defence has still remained the key to success for Diego Simeone’s side.

Atléti have conceded multiple goals in just one domestic match this term, so they unsurprisingly have the best defensive record in LaLiga, and by a notable margin.

On the flip side, Barcelona have scored by far the most goals in the Spanish top flight this season, so an epic battle looks to be on the cards.

*LaLiga goals scored and goals conceded per match*

Barcelona’s tough-to-swallow defeat in the last meeting

Of course, these two teams met pretty recently in LaLiga. That match was also held at the Olympic Stadium, where Atlético staged a late turnaround to knock Barcelona off the top of the table.

That loss must have been particularly tough to digest for the hosts given the fact that they absolutely dominated proceedings throughout the match but conceded twice against the run of play.

On the flip side, Hansi Flick must have had a lot of positives to take away from his team’s overall performance in that game, which might even make them the favourites for this tie.

Both sides near full strength

Another reason to be excited about this game is that we should expect to see two near full-strength XIs. Lamine Yamal was absent for the last meeting with an ankle injury, but he should be expected to start along with all of Barcelona’s star forwards. Andreas Christensen’s fitness is the only question for the Blaugrana, as Marc-André ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are out for the season.

Koke is the only player on Atlético Madrid’s injury list, so Simeone will have all of his attackers to choose from. Assuming he sticks to the trusty 4-4-2 formation, the recent pattern suggests that Julián Alvarez should be expected to start alongside Antoine Griezmann, while Alexander Sørloth will likely come on off the bench in the second half.

Prediction

These two closely matched rivals will be keen to not lose this cup tie in the first leg, so we should expect a tight contest. Barcelona’s powerful attack should aim to break through Atléti’s staunch defence, but the visitors’ counterattacking threat may also cause problems for what can be a sometimes disarrayed defence. All of that might result in a 1-1 score draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Nestory Irankunda: Australia’s next great talent finding his feet in Europe

Ever since the Socceroos’s golden generation faded into oblivion, Australian soccer has been anxiously waiting for a second coming.

By Ben Bocsák

In the absence of the Tim Cahills and Mark Vidukas, the country is crying out for a fresh star to herald a new dawn.

And the wait might soon be over with Nestory Irankunda ready to break into the spotlight.

Born in Tanzania, Irankunda represents an exciting new face of Australian football.

He is the face of the Mohamed Touré and Garang Kuol generation. The representation of a ‘new Australia.’ These are young stars, the children of immigrants who have broken new ground in the A-League at 15 and 16 years of age. The true definition of trailblazers.

Irankunda is by far the most exciting of them all. At 18 years old, he had already made 61 first team appearances for Adelaide United establishing himself as one of the best players in the A-League.

He’d attracted the attention of a host of European clubs, but it was Bayern Munich who won him over, presenting a clear pathway for him to break into the club’s first team.

Bayern hope Irankunda will follow in the footsteps of Alphonso Davies, another teenage talent the German side recruited at an early age from an ‘untapped’ football territory and has since gone onto establish himself as one of the best players in European football.

The young Australian is very much on track to follow that pathway.

In his first season at the club, Irankunda has made eight goal contributions in 15 appearances for Bayern Munich’s II team playing in Germany’s third tier.

Deemed too good for that level, he’s now been sent out on loan to Grasshopper in Switzerland, where Irankunda is proving he might be too good for that level too.

Three assists in his first seven appearances may not look like much but the underlying numbers and the background context make the youngster’s first month in Switzerland an unequivocal success.

In his seven matches so far, Irankunda has a 7.31 overall rating on FotMob, which is the highest rating from all the Grasshopper players during the same period.

It’s even more impressive considering Grasshopper have not won any of the seven matches Irankunda has played in. So even though his side have not played well, Irankunda has still been able to stand-out, which is the sign of an exciting talent.

Delving deeper into the numbers, you really start to see where Irankunda’s quality shines.

He is a player who is very elusive on the ball and hard to catch for opponent defenders. In his first seven matches, Irankunda has been the most fouled player three times and completed the most dribbles on the pitch twice.

In total, he has attempted an average of 2.5 dribbles per 90 minutes and succeeded in 50% of his attempts. This might not seem like much but considering Grasshopper have the fourth lowest average possession in the league (46.6%) the fact that Irankunda is still able to attempt two dribbles per game when he’s limited to 40-50 touches per 90 minutes is an impressive ratio.

*Irankunda’s early possession numbers per 90, Swiss Super League*

Even more impressive are his creative numbers. This is the area where Irankunda really thrives in.

In seven matches he has created eight chances for his teammates and has seven key passes. He’s been directly involved in 40% of Grasshopper’s goals since he has arrived, and he has created the most chances for his side too.

The fact that he’s doing that in his first month with the Swiss side, settling in seamlessly, is a marker of his exciting talent.

He only turned 19 years old at the start of this month and this is just his first season in Europe but already he is making a strong impression.

He’s only just getting started too. Blessed with pace and brilliant technical qualities, Irankunda is yet to unleash one of his best traits.

In the A-League, the youngster scored 16 goals, including some stunning strikes with his wand of a left foot. 25% of his goals for Adelaide United were scored from outside the box during his time in Australia.

*Irankunda’s shot map from his last A-League season with Adelaide United*

A combination of his unselfishness and Grasshopper’s poor form has meant Irankunda hasn’t been able to showcase his goal prowess so far. He’s been restricted to just 8 shots (an average of 1.48 per game) in his first six appearances and a total xG of 0.50. The closest he has come so far is hitting the woodwork in Grasshopper’s 2-1 defeat against Servette.

The goal will come but right now all Bayern will care about are the performances. Based on his first month, Irankunda is already showing he’s ready for the next step.

What that will be remains to be seen. At the same age, Alphonso Davies was still largely playing for Bayern Munich’s II team before breaking into the first team the following season.

Irankunda’s pathway to Bayern is a little trickier. He’s a right-winger by trade and won’t be transitioned to play as a full-back like Davies.

With the likes of Michael Olise and Leroy Sané ahead of him in the pecking order, Irankunda might have to bide his time a little longer.

But if he continues on the same path, he absolutely has the potential to explode onto the scene at Bayern and follow in the footsteps of Davies. In the process, he’ll put Australian soccer on the map, just as the left back has done with Canadian soccer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Alex Palmer is the missing piece but is it too late to solve the Ipswich puzzle?

At 3-1 down with 11 minutes to go, Alex Palmer is finally still and silent. He’s standing outside his area, hands on hips next to the unfortunate Luke Woolfenden, who’s just deflected Tottenham’s third. Perhaps the size of his task as Ipswich Town’s new goalkeeper is starting to become apparent.

By Sanny Rudravajhala

The 28-year-old is arguably one of the shrewdest signings of the season, arriving on deadline day for around £2m from West Brom, rising to £4m, you’d assume, if Ipswich survive. Right now, ‘if’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

A star showing on his Premier League debut saw Palmer having what he described as the ‘surreal’ experience of being analysed on the BBC’s Match of the Day, by his childhood goalkeeping hero, Joe Hart.

It’s rare that the biggest cheer in a stadium before kick-off is for the home goalkeeper but perhaps that tells its own story. Arijanet Muric was error-strewn for Burnley last season and after conceding 33 in 18 starts and a total of five mistakes leading directly to goals for Ipswich in this campaign, Kieran McKenna finally relegated the Kosovan ‘keeper to the bench. Now is the chance for the new man to stop his side suffering a similar fate.

Palmer is a bag of energy. With the ball at the other end, he is a constant whir of stretches, side-steps and shuffles. “He’s chatty he talks a lot, sometimes a bit too much”, joked defender Jacob Greaves before their home game with Spurs. “But he’s been good, especially his debut against [Aston] Villa.” Those sentiments were echoed by his manager Kieran McKenna, describing him as a ‘really good communicator’.

“We don’t expect him to be perfect, no-one is. There’s going to be mistakes along the way from every player, but he’s a very good goalkeeper and he’s made a good start.”

‘A good name for a goalkeeper’, quipped Gary Lineker in the MOTD studio after his last-minute acrobatics got them a point on the road but their defensive display against Spurs will bring a very different Saturday night dissection.

Ipswich play with a level of naivety that the Premier League refuses to humour. Ben Godfrey has just five appearances for Atalanta this season. McKenna’s ring-rusty new loanee was gobbled up by Heung-Min Son who twice teed up Brennan Johnson for a two-goal lead inside the first 30 minutes.

But Tottenham had started as slowly as the matchday traffic that traverses the River Orwell, which snakes through Ipswich. And, thanks to the human battering ram that is Liam Delap, Ipswich could have been out of sight with a flurry of early opportunities.

Omari Hutchinson’s cool finish got them back into the tie before the break, but the second half again got away from them. Picking the wrong decisions in the final third, Ipswich were frustratingly picked apart at the other end.

I’ve seen a lot of Palmer this season at West Brom. I’d say up close, but such is the gantry at The Hawthorns, it’s been from quite far away. He is confident with his claims, a solid shot-stopper and not afraid to use his feet. In Town’s pre-match programme notes, Palmer says he puts that down to being trained with the ball whilst at Albion’s academy.

His senior career has now seen him play in the top six divisions of English Football. Relegated from the National League on loan at Kidderminster before returning for a second campaign, he then tasted success with promotion from League Two with Plymouth Argyle. His break into the West Brom 1XI came after a full season in League One with Lincoln City. And last season, he shared The Championship golden glove with Leeds United’s Ilan Meslier after 18 clean sheets, 12 of which were picked up at home.

It’s at his new home where his team desperately need to stop the rot which now sees them winless in 2025. That’s despite the fevered atmosphere that greets the players as they emerge from the tunnel. A pew at Portman Road is the hottest ticket in town, despite their dire record.

*Palmer player traits, top flight stats comparison only*

“The supporters know the journey we’ve been on. Five years ago, we were in the middle of League One and they were in the Champions League Final”, Kieran McKenna said after their 4-1 defeat to Spurs was confirmed.

“The supporters are clever enough here and honest and balanced enough to see a lot of good things on the pitch today. They’re taking pride in some of the things that they’re seeing. Of course, they’re frustrated like we’re frustrated.”

At full time, Palmer took the applause of the home faithful and shared a moment with his old West Brom captain and defensive teammate, Dara O’Shea. It was a chastening afternoon for both as they took a moment to applaud an emptying stand. These afternoons have been all too many at Portman Road and relegation will be a certainty without vast improvement.

But, the last line of defence is now in place, even if it is too late.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 26

Wolves and West Ham United are the only two teams to have more than one player in the FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday 26. It isn’t that much of a surprise though, is it? Wolves stunned an in-form Bournemouth side away from home while West Ham beat title contenders Arsenal at the Emirates.

By Sam McGuire

But who made the cut though and why?

Goalkeeper: José Sá

The Wolves shot-stopper wasn’t exceptionally busy at Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He made just three saves as the Cherries struggled following the early sending off of Illia Zabarnyi. However, he did made a big save early on when it was 11 vs 11, racing off his line and making himself big at the feet of Justin Kluivert after clever play had gotten the Dutchman free in the penalty area. His exploits between the sticks earned him an 8.4 rating as Wolves kept a clean sheet and opened up a five point buffer between themselves and the dropzone.

Right-Back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Wan-Bissaka turned into prime Cafu against Arsenal on Saturday. His marauding runs down the right flank set up two chances for West Ham, including the eventual winner. He completed 80% of his passes for the visitors and was successful with three of his four attempted dribbles. He won the most duels (nine) and recovered the ball four times as he helped the Hammers repel the hosts at the Emirates on his way to an 8.3 rating.

Centre-Back: Maxence Lacroix

Lacroix was unbelievable for Crystal Palace in their win over Fulham. The centre-back was given a FotMob rating of 8.3 for his performance at Craven Cottage and it was more than justified. The former Wolfsburg man completed 88% of his attempted passes. He won 75% of his tackles, made 12 clearances, and won 100% of his duels – he went 5/5 in ground duels and 2/2 in aerial duels. The 24-year-old wasn’t dribbled past and didn’t commit a single foul against Marco Silva’s in-form men.

Centre-Back: Toti Gomes

Gomes was solid in defence for Wolves. The 26-year-old completed the most passes (54), found a teammate with 83% of his attempted passes, won 50% of his tackles, and 100% of his duels, ground and aerial. The centre-back also made four interceptions, recovered the ball on five occasions and wasn’t dribbled past once. Gomes, meanwhile, completed 100% of his dribbles, albeit he attempted just one. Still, it was a good, confident showing, with and without the ball, against a Bournemouth team with European aspirations.

Left-Back: Oliver Scarles

Scarles certainly made a name for himself at the Emirates. It wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if Arsenal made a move for him this summer, Mikel Arteta loves a left-back. The West Ham full-back made the most tackles in the match (four), made seven interceptions and nine recoveries. The 19-year-old also won 70% of his ground duels as he battled his way with the rest of the team to an important clean sheet and three points.

Midfield: Marco Asensio

Asensio has quickly put to bed any concerns that he might not be suited to the rigours of the Premier League. He impressed in Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool in midweek and was then the match-winner for the Villans against Chelsea on Saturday evening. The on-loan PSG attacker ran the show for Unai Emery’s side, scoring twice, creating two chances and completing 50% of his dribbles. He was the most dangerous Villa player with an xG of 1.06. The win moved the hosts to within one point of Chelsea.

Midfield: Manuel Ugarte

Ugarte put in a dominant showing for Manchester United as the Red Devils overturned a 2-0 deficit against Everton to claim a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park. The Uruguayan destroyer scored the equaliser to cap off an impressive performance. The former Sporting midfielder completed 91% of his passes, found a teammate with four of his five attempted long passes, he attempted four dribbles, won 100% of his tackles and 60% of his ground duels. He might be finding his feet under Rúben Amorim.

Midfield: Mikkel Damsgaard

Damsgaard added two assists to his haul for the season in Brentford’s 4-0 win over Leicester City this weekend. The midfield playmaker is now on 10 assists for the season. Only Mohamed Salah has more. The 24-year-old created three chances against the Foxes and finished the game with an xA of 0.5. He completed two of his three dribbles, won 100% of his tackles and 50% of his duels. He’s turned into a key cog for Thomas Frank and his side.

*Premier League assist leaders, 2024/25*

Attack: Brennan Johnson

Johnson netted his first Premier League goals of 2025 this weekend in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road. The versatile winger scored the first two goals of the game on his way to an 8.8 FotMob rating. He had a total of three shots and racked up an xG haul of 1.15. Johnson attempted two dribbles and had three touches in the penalty area in what turned out to be a ruthless performance.

Attack: Alexander Isak

Isak is now level with Erling Haaland for goals scored in the Premier League this season with 19. The Newcastle United forward netted twice in the 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest to take the Magpies level on points with fourth-placed Manchester City. The Sweden international did his job brilliantly against Forest. He wasn’t heavily involved but when he was, he was putting the ball into the back of the net. He could fire Eddie Howe’s men into the Champions League.

*Premier League golden boot leaders, 2024/25*

Attack: Mohamed Salah

Another Team of the Week article, another section reserved for Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward is having the season of his career. For the 11th time this campaign, the No. 11 scored and assisted in the same game as the Reds ran out 2-0 winners of reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad. He created three chances and completed 75% of his attempted dribbles in what was a statement showing from the legendary forward.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Preview: Real Madrid’s chance to recover in LaLiga against toothless Girona

Real Madrid scored a huge UEFA Champions League victory over Manchester City this week, but their form in LaLiga has been subpar of late. So, they will be keen to get back on track against Girona on Sunday.

By Neel Shelat

Real Madrid looking to avoid four-game winless streak in the league

Having started February with a loss to Espanyol and followed up with draws with Atlético Madrid and Osasuna, Real Madrid are the most out-of-form side among La Liga’s top 15 teams this month.

The last time Los Blancos went four league matches without a win was back in 2018 when a drawn Madrid derby was followed by losses against Alavés and Levante and a 5-1 Clásico humiliation that cost Julen Lopetegui his job. Of course, there isn’t quite as much pressure on Carlo Ancelotti right now, partly because of his previous success but mostly since he oversaw a commanding Champions League knockout win over Manchester City, complete with the team’s best performance of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Jude Bellingham’s suspension opens a spot in the attack

Jude Bellingham saw red for dissent in Real Madrid’s draw with Osasuna last weekend, prompting long discussions all over Spain about the subtle difference between “f– you” and “f– off”. There was a potential threat of a long suspension as well, but ultimately, he was handed a relatively moderate two-match ban.

As a result, there will be an opening in the otherwise fixed front four for the next week. Brahim Díaz and Arda Güler are the two chief competitors to be the second choice in the number 10 role. The latter is arguably the more creative player, but recent form favours the Moroccan as he provided the match-winning assist in the Copa del Rey tie against Leganés earlier this month before scoring the game-winner in the first leg against Manchester City.

Kylian Mbappé’s sensational start to the year

Kylian Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid was by far the biggest transfer of the summer. Even so, some analysts questioned whether he would be the best fit in Ancelotti’s side. Indeed, he did take a good deal of time to adapt to his new surroundings at the start of the season but has well and truly arrived by now.

The French forward has scored 14 goals in his last 11 matches, including a couple of hat-tricks against Real Valladolid and Manchester City. So, he is still firmly in contention for the Pichichi Trophy.

Girona looking a shadow of their former selves

Girona were one of the most eye-catching teams in LaLiga en route to a podium finish last season, but they have not been able to sustain that level of performance. Michel’s side are currently languishing in mid-table and have lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.

Although they have maintained their possession-dominant style of play, the departures of Artem Dovbyk and Savinho have really hurt them in the final third. The absences of forwards Abel Ruiz and Arnaut Danjuma will further limit their threat in this game, but the suspended Yangel Herrera will be a bigger miss in midfield.

Prediction

Given Girona’s recent struggles, Real Madrid should aim to keep a clean sheet and record a multi-goal victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Preview: Man City host Liverpool in Sunday headliner

Manchester City need three points from their match against Liverpool to retain a Champions League place for next season, even if their title bid has almost certainly sailed.

By Ian King

Crunch time for both sides

Both clubs were involved in midweek fixtures, and both had a difficult time of things. City were blown away in a meringue-storm at the Bernabeu courtesy of a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé, which was all a sharp contrast from the previous weekend’s 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle. And with that result coming off the back of that 5-1 defeat at Arsenal and the first leg of their Champions League play-off, it’s fair to say that City’s recent form has been…patchy.

Liverpool made hard work of their rescheduled Premier League game away to Aston Villa, taking the lead before falling 2-1 behind by half-time at Villa Park and ending up hanging on slightly for a 2-2 draw. Following an uninspired performance against Wolves and conceding that late equaliser at Everton, they’ve started to show signs of fallibility of late after a lengthy excellent run from the start of the season.

History

Historically speaking, Manchester City do not have a great record in this fixture. It took them eleven goes to record their first win against Liverpool, a 3-2 win at Maine Road on Halloween 1903. Their recent record isn’t so great, either, with just two wins from their last ten meetings, though four of those ten did end in draws. Earlier this season, Liverpool beat them 2-0 at Anfield.

Key players

Dominik Szoboszlai was a lot of fun at Villa Park on Wednesday night. He’s a player who’s really grown into a role at Anfield, and his link-up play with Mo Salah can be a delight to watch. To the extent that a modern Premier League footballer at a big club can be, he still feels slightly underrated. Injuries mean that the Manchester City team for this match is somewhat uncertain, but a big performance from Phil Foden would certainly do an again beleaguered-looking Pep Guardiola a favour.

Team News

John Stones limped out of the Real Madrid game early, while Erling Haaland was left on the bench; both have to be considered doubtful for this game as well. Nathan Aké replaced Stones on Wednesday night and could be back in the team for this game. Cody Gakpo missed the Villa game for Liverpool but could return for this one. Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton are also likely to be missing.

Prediction

Manchester City are capable of putting in a big performance. This much we can say with a degree of certainty; they certainly put one in against Newcastle last weekend. And considering that Liverpool have started to look nervy in their last three straight Premier League games, it could even turn out to be that yesterday’s defeat for Arsenal isn’t too damaging if City can lift themselves out of their torpor and put in a similar performance to last weekend. The uncertainty surrounding both teams lends itself to a 1-1 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Inter Miami face NYCFC in season opener

MLS is back, and so are Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. They kick off their 2025 league campaign at home to New York City on Saturday night on the back of a midweek Champions Cup matchup played in freezing conditions. Can they warm up in time for the new season?

By James Nalton

Is Messi still magic?

Many thought the 2022 would be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, signing out with a long-awaited triumph with Argentina.

Having moved to one of the 2026 co-host countries to play his club football, and having been the standout player in MLS last season despite limited game time, he might be eyeing 2026.

But first, 2025. There are signs already that Messi is still magic after he scored the only goal in Wednesday night’s Concacaf Champions Cup meeting with Sporting Kansas City.

If he can log more minutes than the 1,756 he managed in MLS last season, he could break league records and come back for more in 2026 for both club and country.

Luis Suárez is back too

Having originally only signed a deal with Inter Miami until the end of 2024, Luis Suárez signed on for another year.

He retired from international football last season but feels his aching 38-year-old knees still have another MLS season in them.

While the physical speed isn’t there, the mental quickness and clever movement are, meaning he should still be among the goals in 2025.

The benefit of a warm-up match?

Inter Miami enter this game on the back of that 1-0 win in Kansas City, but despite a chance at pre-season competitive action, the conditions were far from ideal.

The temperature at kick-off was -14°C and such extreme weather as well as the travel involved might affect the players.

The competitive action might have been useful though, and the test for Miami this season will be on Javier Mascherano’s coaching and how the rest of their roster performs alongside Messi, Suárez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.

Do they have the quality depth and game plan to deal with the rigours of MLS and Concacaf? It doesn’t get much more rigorous than their midweek experience.

Improving on last season

Having topped the overall table with an MLS-record points haul in 2024, Inter Miami have one aim this time around — winning the MLS Cup.

Though the league leaders are celebrated and get to lift the Supporters’ Shield, the true champion in MLS is considered to be the post-season playoff winner.

Last season, that was LA Galaxy, as Inter Miami suffered a shock playoff exit at the hands of Atlanta United.

There is now only one aim for this team and that campaign won’t begin until October, but they will likely be in the running for the Supporters’ Shield again regardless.

Prediction

If pre-season is anything to go by, New York City will be without their best player, Santi Rodríguez, who has been linked to a move to Botafogo. Though Inter Miami might still be thawing out from the freezing temperatures of Kansas City, another narrow 1-0 win for Messi and co. might be on the cards.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Barcelona visit Las Palmas in the Canary Islands

Table-toppers against relegation strugglers. Unbeaten in 12 against winless in seven. There’s simply no way that this one is an upset, right?

By Karl Matchett

Opposites and familiarities

Barcelona have found their groove again. They stumbled and stuttered before Christmas, but Hansi Flick has his side back on cruise control in some matches, finding quality to find a way in others. Unquestionably there was an element of fortune last time out against Rayo Vallecano, but the end result is Barcelona on top of the table in LaLiga, toe to toe with the two Madrid clubs and – with only 14 matches left to play now – slightly ahead in the title race.

It’s all very different for Las Palmas, goal difference again a decisive factor but this time keeping them not top of the table, but outside the relegation zone. The problem they face is that even over the last five matches, Valencia have managed a nine-point swing on them one spot lower, while Leganés have earned four points more and sit one spot higher.

In form terms it simply doesn’t look as though anything can stop Barcelona taking another three points and Las Palmas losing another match; football moves in odd ways at odd times though and a couple of old Camp Nou faces might be looking at this fixture as a statement one. At either end of the pitch, Jasper Cillessen and Sandro Ramírez are keys for the islanders, and will want another chance to show their old supporters that they still have the talent they once displayed in Catalunya.

In the red and in the green

Six defeats and one draw in the last seven doesn’t offer too much hope for the hosts. A more winnable run of games lies beyond this one, but they haven’t kept a clean sheet this side of Christmas and three wins at home all season is far from ideal. On the other hand, four wins on the bounce for Barca in league play shows they are in fine fettle, rattling in 13 goals in that time.

Team news

Scott McKenna is suspended for the home team, who will also be missing Adnan Januzaj, Fábio Silva and Marc Cardona from their attack, plus midfielder Kirian Rodríguez. Long-term absentees Andreas Christensen, Marc-André ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are the Barcelona players who remain MIA, but Marc Casadó and Dani Olmo are available again.

Key player

Without going to the super-obvious pick of Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer, it’s Raphinha’s all-round impact this year which has kept Barcelona competitive. He’s first in the squad for xA/90, chances and big chances created and penalties won, plus has 19 goals or assists to his name. He ranks 96th percentile for chances created across Europe, 97th for shots and 98th for goals in his position – it’s been a scintillating return to form for him in 2024/25 and he remains the biggest all-over threat.

Prediction

No shocks or surprises, an away win and with a few goals scored along the way: Las Palmas 1 Barcelona 4.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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