Page 120 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2023

Serie A Review: Osimhen and Lookman shine as Juve face up to their troubles

This week, we’re dedicating this full column to league leaders Napoli due to their incredible 5-1 victory over Juventus.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Juve’s Troubles

It was another dark moment for Serie A over the weekend, as Juventus were handed a 15 point deduction in the standings following their involvement in shady accounting practices – something which involved inflating player transfers as a way to boost capital gains. As it stands, the Bianconeri currently sit mid-table on the FotMob app. None of this is set in stone, however, as Juve are appealing to the sporting court and hoping to get the penalty reduced.

In terms of the actual football, Juventus hosted Atalanta in a game that became a welcome distraction to all the negativity surrounding the club. Max Allegri’s team played one of their more entertaining games of the season, finishing with a 3-3 scoreline. Instead of playing their usual pragmatic style, Allegri finally shifted up a gear and had his team successfully match the pace and intensity of Atalanta.

The Juventus players showed plenty of heart and pride, playing with professionalism in a period where you wouldn’t fault them for being distracted with the current situation that has engulfed the club. Ángel Di MarÍa and Arek Milik were particularly impressive. The Argentine World Cup winner looked unstoppable in the first half, with clever movements and dynamism. Milik finished off a beautiful passing sequence by dispatching a pinpoint volley into the bottom corner. This is the type of Juve performance that we’ve been desperate to see more consistently – a team that is aesthetically pleasing and as clichéd as this may sound, plays to win.

A Nigerian takeover in the scoring charts

Two Nigerians sit at the top of the Serie A Capocannoniere standings, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman. While Osimhen’s output isn’t really a shock, as he’s finally playing more regular football, Lookman has been a welcome surprise for Atalanta.

Victor Osimhen has finally had a stretch of games at Napoli without serious injury and he’s looking like the best striker in the league. Against local rivals Salernitana, he scored once again in Napoli’s 2-0 victory. That now makes it 13 goals in 15 league appearances to go with three assists. His goals have come from all sorts of angles too – from bullet headers to world class volleys, low driven finishes while running at full pace and curling finesse shots into the top corner. That’s why the Nigerian striker has looked unplayable – there really isn’t a bulletproof way to defend him. He’s lightning quick and devastating on the counter, so it’s a massive risk to play a high defensive line against Napoli. Most teams drop deep into a low block to limit the spaces in the final third against the Neapolitan possession game (currently the best in the league at over 60%), which allows Osimhen to show off his aerial ability. His leaping and timing on headers, combined with general accuracy, mean that he’s a danger any time crosses are flung in from either flank. The only thing that has stopped him from topping the Capocannoniere charts in the past have been injuries. A healthy Osimhen has proven to be a world class player.

On the other hand, Ademola Lookman’s production for Atalanta has been one of the biggest revelations of the season. The Atalanta winger has been in searing form, including 10 goals in his last 12 appearances in Serie A. There are some who could’ve probably predicted this sort of form once upon a time. After all, he has been able to garner some high profile transfers in the past – an €11.8m transfer from Charlton to Everton when he was a teenager, and then more recently an €18m sale that sent him from Everton to German club RB Leipzig. However, the London-born Lookman has never scored more than six goals in an entire season. As it stands at the halfway point of the season, he’s on pace to score 22 with Atalanta. Anyone who has followed Atalanta closely since Gianpiero Gasperini took over six years ago, shouldn’t be too surprised. The Italian manager has developed a knack for being able to get the best out of enigmatic attacking players. The best example is perhaps Luis Muriel – a very talented but inconsistent striker who had issues keeping his weight down in the past. Under Gasperini, Muriel had a season where he was right alongside Robert Lewandowski in terms of goals-per-minute.

The Curious Case of Davide Nicola

There’s been a long running joke about some of the volcanic Serie A Presidents of provincial sides having a quick trigger with managers – two in particular have stood out in the past: Palermo’s ex-President Maurizio Zamparini, who infamously went through 45 different managers while in charge of the Sicilian club, and Enrico Preziosi of Genoa, who had a similar relationship with the “mister” of the Grifoni.

Fast forward to 2023 and we’ve just witnessed a situation reminiscent of all those reactionary moves from unsettled Presidents. Salernitana owner Danilo Iervolino moved to sack Nicola after the club’s 8-2 loss against Atalanta (a bit of an anomaly if you look at the xG). The move felt harsh given the Italian manager’s miracle salvation of the club last season after he took over at the midway point. Nicola then phoned the President and “tugged at his heart strings” by delivering a passionate spiel about why he should be given another chance to lead the club. The conversation worked, and Davide Nicola was rehired as Salernitana boss just days after being fired.

While it ends up being a feel good story, the whole situation reeks of confusion at the top of the club, when stability is needed. Nicola has already formed a reputation for miracle salvations, so he seems like the right man to try to get the team back to winning ways after this current winless streak – which now stands at eight games in a row.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Serie A season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2023

Premier League Team of the Week – Round 21

FotMob TOTW – Round 21

Haaland’s 4th hat-trick makes him a shoe-in for our top rating while Arsenal’s match-winners, Nketiah and Saka join him up top. Kieran Trippier is almost ever-present in the back-line and there was a big 9.0 rating for Emi Martínez.

Who had the best weekend? See you in the replies on Twitter.

Jan

2023

Premier League Review: Haaland does it again, Arsenal beat United and the end of the road for Lampard

Just when you think the Premier League table is taking shape, shock results occur to change the landscape in the top tier of English football. It happened again this weekend and we’re here to cover the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Too easy for Erling

Erling Haaland is making it look too easy in the Premier League. The Manchester City marksman added another treble this weekend in the 3-0 win over Wolves. The former BVB attacker now has 24 goals for the season – enough to win the Golden Boot in the previous four campaigns.

He did break another record this weekend. Haaland scored his fourth hattrick of the season in only his 19th appearance. Prior to that, Ruud Van Nistelrooy was the quickest to four trebles in the Premier League, achieving the feat in 65 matches.

While the focus was on yet another Haaland masterclass in the penalty area, the win did keep City in the title race.

The sign of Champions

Arsenal needed a last-minute winner to overcome a Manchester United side at the Emirates. However, the scoreline did not tell the entire story.

In truth, the away side offered very little and finished with an Expected Goals total of just 0.36. Erik ten Hag’s men needed a Marcus Rashford stunner and an Aaron Ramsdale mistake to make it a competitive match.

Arsenal controlled the ball, the space and the match, taking a total of 25 shots and limiting United to just six. They also racked up an extraordinarily high Expected Goals total of 3.25.

They kept going right until the very end and Eddie Nketiah’s winner was deserved.

The Lampard era comes to an end

Frank Lampard’s final game as Everton manager arrived against the club he made his debut for. It must’ve felt like déjà vu for the Blues on Saturday as they dominated the ball with 68% possession but did absolutely nothing with it.

They managed just five shots in total and created chances worth 0.55 Expected Goals. West Ham, on the other hand, carved out opportunities worth 2.27 Expected Goals. The hosts sacrificed possession to dictate the space and had a lot of success hitting the Toffees on the break.

It had been an issue that had plagued Lampard’s side all season. The next Everton manager will have to find a way to turn possession into goals.

Mitoma magic

Kaoru Mitoma was the player of the match for Brighton in their 2-2 draw with Leicester City, earning himself an 8.5 rating on the FotMob app.

He has been a revelation for the Seagulls ever since the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi and he really caught the eye against the Foxes.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring for the visitors, created two chances, completed 60% of his dribbles and recovered the ball on seven occasions. It takes some doing to steal the spotlight away from Alexis Max Allister and Moises Caicedo, but Mitoma did just that.

Ray(a) of light

Leeds and Brentford played out a 0-0 draw on Sunday and there wasn’t much to take from the game. However, without the exploits of David Raya between the sticks for the Bees, it might’ve been a different story.

He made five saves and prevented an Expected Goals on Target value of 1.25. Leeds will feel unlucky not to have picked up all three points at Elland Road but sometimes a keeper puts in a Player of the Match performance and you just have to rue your luck.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2023

Last Weekend: Lookman stars in Juve-Atalanta goal-fest, a close Klassieker and more

More major men’s leagues returned this weekend to add to the already-abundant action and drama. We will be going over the best of that by highlighting six matches from six different leagues in this week’s edition of Last Weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🇮🇹 Italy: Juventus 3-3 Atalanta

The last 10 days have been really bad for Juventus. First, they got blown away by Napoli last Friday, and then this weekend, they were hit with a 15-point deduction for financial irregularities in their previous statements. That pulled them down from the Champions League spots to the brink of falling out of the top half..

They had a tough fixture this weekend too, as they came up against an Atalanta side that had scored 13 goals in their last two games. Their main man in form was Ademola Lookman, who needed just five minutes to open the scoring in this match and enter double digits in terms of Serie A goals.

Juventus fought back, though, as Ángel Di Maria pulled them level from the penalty spot, and then Arkadiusz Milik scored a wonderfully taken goal to give them a lead going into half-time. It was the visitors’ turn to counterpunch then, Joakim Mæhle equalised just seconds into the second period, and Lookman made it three braces in three matches for himself well before the hour-mark.

There would be no winner in this match after Juventus equalised again through Danilo with a nicely worked free-kick, so the spoils were shared in Turin. That leaves Atalanta within a couple of points of the Champions League places, while Juventus will now refocus to try and finish seventh, which will likely earn them a spot in the Conference League next season.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Feyenoord 1-1 Ajax

De Klassieker is naturally always a big match in the Netherlands as it features two of the country’s oldest and most successful clubs in its biggest rivalry. This weekend, though, there was much more than bragging rights on the line.

Ajax have won the last three Eredivisie titles back-to-back, but that streak is under real threat as they found themselves five points behind league-leaders Feyenoord going into this fixture. There are other teams involved in the title race too, as AZ Alkmaar, PSV and FC Twente were all close to the defending champions in the table.

The match itself went as one would expect. The two teams were almost evenly matched as neither could impose themselves on the game, not that they took too many risks to try and do so either. The home team drew first blood in the 34th minute, as Igor Paixão scored just his second goal for the club from a fair way out.

Ajax seemed to have the upper hand thereafter as they pushed hard for an equaliser, but they could not create much from open play. They did eventually find the back of the net in the 71st minute when substitute Steven Bergwijn set Davy Klaassen up with a header into an open goal from very close proximity.

After that, both sides seemed content with a point, so the gap between them in the table has remained unchanged. However, Feyenoord’s lead has been cut down to two points after all the other title contenders won their respective matches – which also means Ajax have slipped down to fifth place.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea

We have mostly been covering proceedings at the top of the Premier League table since the World Cup break, so this week, let us look away from Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 win over Manchester United and Erling Haaland’s hat-trick against Wolves, and focus instead on a mid-table clash.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea are sides that would usually be expected to be competing in the title race as well, but when they kicked off the day’s action on Saturday, they showed just why they are where they are. Neither team looked anywhere near their best as they played out a goalless draw at Anfield in what was the 50,000th men’s top-flight football match in England.

The closest we got to a goal came when Kai Havertz put the ball in the back of the net after a corner in the third minute, but VAR had a clear offside call to make. After that, while neither defence looked particularly secure, neither attack seemed on song either so there were a good few chances at both ends but no goals.

There were silver linings for both teams in the second half, mainly in the form of their substitutes. For Chelsea, big-money signing Mykhailo Mudryk looked absolutely electric on his Premier League debut and really livened the match up late on. For Jürgen Klopp’s side, Darwin Núñez was sharp on his return from injury, and will hopefully lead the line for them from the start going forward.

The table does not paint a pretty picture for either side, though, as they are both level on 29 points in 9th and 10th spot. They are 21 points behind Arsenal so the title race is completely out of question, but it will still take something special to make up the ten-point deficit to fourth-placed Newcastle United.

🇩🇪 Germany: Wolfsburg 6-0 Freiburg

The Bundesliga returned to action after its Winterpause this weekend. RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich kicked off the action with a 1-1 draw on Friday night, but there were some huge results and incredibly entertaining games in the next couple of days. Those include Köln’s 7-1 thrashing of Werder Bremen, Bochum’s 3-1 win over fellow relegation-battlers Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund’s 4-3 win over Augsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 2-3 loss to Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg’s cricket score against Freiburg.

The visitors had actually enjoyed a great first half of the season which saw them end 2022 in second place, just four points behind Bayern. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, had a terrible start that left them winless in five, but they more than recovered by the end of the Hinründe as they went into this match with a nine-match unbeaten run and four straight wins in the league.

In this match, it was the hosts who got off to a flyer. Patrick Wimmer opened the scoring within 100 seconds, and he went on to set up Jonas Wind with a brilliant assist. Wind scored his second before half-time, and on the other side of the break, Yannick Gerhardt got in on the action. Late on, Ridle Baku and a stoppage-time penalty from Luca Waldschmidt made the scoreline a little ugly for Freiburg.

After the match, the Freiburg players and indeed head coach Christian Streich were at a loss for words when asked to describe what went wrong in this defeat, which has pulled them down to fourth place. They will be keen to forget this result quite quickly, but Wolfsburg will want to build on it and mount a charge for one of the Champions League spots, to which they currently have a four-point gap.

🇪🇸 Spain: Mallorca 1-0 Celta Vigo

While Chelsea are disappointed to be 10th in England, there is a club in Spain that is exceeding expectations by breaking into the top half almost half a season in.

That team is RCD Mallorca, whose latest promotion to La Liga was just two seasons ago, and they only stayed up by a point last time out. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why being closer in terms of points to the European spots than the bottom half is mightily impressive.

The mastermind behind their success is veteran Mexican head coach Javier Aguirre. He was brought in in March last year to rescue their season, which he successfully did, and is now taking things a step further.

The key turnaround he has made has been shoring up Mallorca’s defence. Last season, they let in 63 goals, the third-most in the division, but so far this term, they have let in less than a goal per game having conceded just 16 times. That is the joint fourth-best tally in La Liga, and it is backed up by equally impressive underlying numbers which are even better than the two capital clubs.

At the other end, Mallorca’s attack has not changed much as they have gone from scoring 0.9 to 0.8 goals per game, but they have been very efficient. On average, every goal they have scored has been worth about 1.66 points, which is the best conversion rate in the top five leagues this season.

Celta Vigo got a firsthand experience of this efficiency on Friday, as Dani Rodríguez scored the only goal of the game in the 59th minute to secure all three points for the home team. While they are enjoying a great start to the new year, Celta are in real trouble as they are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference having won just one of their last 11 league games.

🇪🇬 Egypt: Zamalek 0-3 Al Ahly

Our final match for this week takes us to Egypt, where two clubs that are not just the country’s, but all of Africa’s biggest and most successful, faced off in the Cairo derby for the 125th time in the league.

Zamalek have won the last two league titles but went into this match on the back foot as they were five points and two places away from their rivals. Their form wasn’t any good either, as they had failed to win their last four fixtures, a run which includes a semi-final elimination in the cup at the hands of Pyramids FC.

Their position has only worsened after this match, where they were beaten comprehensively. Zamalek did manage to keep the scores level till the hour-mark and equalled their opponents in terms of performance too, but after conceding first, they never looked like they would be able to come away with anything. Mahmoud Kahraba scored first for Al Ahly, and then a late brace from Mohamed Sherif sealed the result.

This win maintains Al Ahly’s four-point lead at the top of the table over top-flight newbies Future FC, while Zamalek drop down to fifth place.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jan

2023

This Weekend: The Bundesliga returns, Arsenal vs. Manchester United and Feyenoord vs. Ajax

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Friday

🇩🇪 We start this preview with the welcome return of the Bundesliga after an unprecedented 10 week break. And being clever, the league have pushed Bayern’s trip to RB Leipzig as the first game of the re-start. That’s first vs. third, albeit there is currently a six-point gap between Leipzig and the leaders.

Bayern come in to the game in the midst of an injury crisis – eased, in part, by the signing of Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer in the aftermath of Manuel Neuer’s skiing accident . A youthful Bayern side rallied to draw 4-4 in a training ground friendly with Leipzig’s Austrian cousins from Salzburg last week but we suspect it’ll be a different sort of line-up for this one.

Leipzig do themselves have a long list of injuries to key players but they’ll be hoping to start strongly and continue the 13 game unbeaten run that they took in to the extended winter break.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In England, we’ll be visiting our partners at Sheffield United as the Championship title race takes centre-stage on Friday night. The Blades, who sit second in the league, host Hull City looking to keep the pressure on leaders Burnley. Kicking off just 15 minutes later, Vincent Kompany’s Clarets take on West Brom who have risen to sixth on the back of an impressive change in fortunes following the appointment of Spanish coach Carlos Corberán.

🇦🇷 Argentine giants Boca Juniors and Racing Club are set to clash in the Supercopa, the country’s traditional curtain raiser. League officials might be hoping a chance of scenery keeps the lid on this one with the game taking place in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi – the last domestic meeting between these two ended with 10 red cards being shown in the final minutes of a very heated encounter!

Saturday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 There are some heavyweight ties in the Premier League this weekend and they start with the lunchtime kick-off between Liverpool and Chelsea – two big clubs currently struggling for form. Sat level on points but down in ninth and tenth in the league both Jürgen Klopp and Graham Potter will be looking for a statement result that can energise their respective teams as we head in to the second half of the season.

Brighton, who’s win over Liverpool moved them above the Reds last weekend now face a Leicester City side who are on a five game losing run in the league.

And later in the day, Newcastle go to Crystal Palace hoping to better Manchester United’s draw there on Wednesday night – a result that will enable them to re-take third place for at least 24 hours. Only five sides in the division have scored less goals than Palace this season so the Magpies may be confident of extending their league high record of 11 clean sheets.

🇮🇹 In Serie A, it’s been a strange week for Salernitana. Having suffered a whopping 8-2 defeat at Atalanta, the club decided to sack coach Davide Nicola only to change their minds and re-hire him two days later. Nicola was hailed as a hero for keeping the club up last season, their first in the top flight for over 20 years, but the first game of his new spell in charge will be a tough one – the great southern derby against league leaders Napoli. The Partenopei will no doubt still be riding the high of last week’s 5-1 humiliation of Juventus.

🇩🇪 The Bundesliga restart continues with games for two of this season’s surprise packages. Freiburg currently sit second and boast the second best defensive record in the league, something they’ll test as they go to seventh placed Wolfsburg.

Union Berlin were the early pacesetters but defeat – at Freiburg – just before the winter break saw them drop down to fifth. However, an impressive run of six straight wins in recent friendlies should have restored the fan’s faith that they can maintain a challenge for the European places – they start the second half of the campaign at home to mid-table Hoffenheim.

🇪🇸 With the top two not in action until Sunday, the sides just behind them are the biggest draw in tomorrow’s games in LaLiga. Real Sociedad can make it 10 games unbeaten with a positive result at Rayo Vallecano and a win would would put them level on points with Real Madrid.

Atlético Madrid currently sit seven points behind the Basque side, in fourth, and Diego Simeone will be hoping that his side’s habit of dropping points in winnable looking matches isn’t in evidence again as they take on Real Valladolid.

🇪🇬 The battle between Cairo giants Zamalek and Al Ahly, arguably African football’s biggest club rivalry, is another game to watch out for on Saturday. The hosts are the two-time defending champions but find themselves off the pace despite having lost only one of their 13 games while Egypt’s most successful club, Al Ahly, remain unbeaten and sit top of the table.

Sunday

🇪🇸 Fresh from a successful week that saw them tour the world; lifting the Supercopa against Madrid in Saudi Arabia before thrashing third tier AD Ceuta, in the Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Africa, Barcelona will be enjoying home comforts on Sunday. There, they face Getafe looking to maintain their three point advantage in the title race.

It looked like it was going to take Madrid a little time to recover from the disappointment of losing last weekend’s clásico as they went 2-0 down at Villarreal in the Copa Del Rey on Thursday evening but Carlo Ancelotti’s side recovered to win that tie with three second half goals. They face another stiff test this weekend though as they go to eighth placed Athletic Club where they never enjoy a warm welcome from the Basque locals.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The headline clash back in the Premier League is leaders Arsenal against old rivals Manchester United. After the recent dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool its somewhat refreshing to see these two once again battling it out towards the top of the table!

Heading into the weekend Arsenal boast a five point advantage over City with United a further three points back. United missed the chance to cut that deficit due to a last minute Palace equaliser on Wednesday night, a result which ended their run of nine straight wins, while the Gunners have had the week off to bask in their Derby Day heroics at Spurs last Sunday.

Elsewhere, Manchester City entertain Wolves just 72 hours after Thursday’s dramatic 4-2 comeback win over Spurs and Leeds United face Brentford.

🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund must wait until Sunday to get their season back underway and they do so at home, against Augsburg. The Black and Yellows currently sit outside the top five but they are faring better than fellow giants Gladbach (8th) and Leverkusen (12th), who face each other in the day’s other game.

🇳🇱 It’s de Klassieker time in Dutch football! Feyenoord take on Ajax in what looks like being an even more crucial than usual match-up between the Eredivisie’s two fiercest rivals. Three-time defending champions Ajax are in relative crisis(!) having drawn each of their last four games in the league – two of which have come since the turn of the year. Meanwhile, Feyenoord have looked strong and remain unbeaten since a 4-3 defeat to PSV way back in September.

Ajax have however won the last six meetings between these two, but could we be seeing a changing of the guard – both in the league, and this game?

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 Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jan

2023

Bundesliga Restart: Football finally returns to Germany

Guten Tag, the Bundesliga return is upon us, and not before time. It has been 10 weeks since German clubs tasted competitive action – that’s almost as long as the summer break.

The World Cup is finished and the Winterpause is no more. For some the break was nothing but bad news, for others it signalled a welcome return and for a lucky few it brought a belated Christmas present, but all that is now finished – Matchday 16 is GO!

By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert

National Disaster

No preview of the Rückrunde could ignore the goings on in Qatar. When the football got underway Hansi Flick’s side massively underachieved. For the second time in a row Germany failed to get out of the World Cup Group stage. Whilst not universal favourites, the 2014 winners were expected to punch around the Quarter Final mark.

Only Jamal Musiala and Niclas Füllkrug left the Middle East with nods of acknowledgement, the latter proving he was the striker Flick was searching for. The 29-year-old, who plies his trade at Werder Bremen, came off the bench three times – netting twice and providing one assist in his 66 minutes of action.

Bayern’s bad luck

The old saying ‘it never rains but it pours’ certainly rang true for the Bavarian club over the winter break. Sadio Mané was joined on the treatment table by Lucas Hernandez, who ruptured his ACL whilst on international duty for France.

Post-World Cup, Manuel Neuer broke his leg whilst skiing – cue the complaints of why contracted players on thousands of pounds a week can undertake dangerous pastimes.

Bayern did indeed investigate and Neuer didn’t do anything outside of his agreement with the 10-time champions, you could almost hear the ruffling of papers in Munich that day as other contracts were checked for eyebrow raising anomalies.

It is an incident that has left Bayern scratching around for a goalkeeper as the knockout stages of the Champions League loom large. Sven Ulreich has been a dutiful number two over the years, but a series of gaffs have cost the Rekordmeister in some major fixtures.

The natural course of action would have been to recall Alexander Nübel from his two-year loan at AS Monaco, but the intricacies of that deal meant the French club held all the cards – and they vetoed an early release.

As Friday’s kick off in Leipzig edges closer, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer becomes the man Hasan Salihamidžić and co will look to, the Swiss ‘keeper fills the gap left by Neuer. Gladbach proved a hard nut to crack in the transfer market, the Bavarians had to stump up €8m with an additional €1.5m to follow conditionally to get their man.

Haller hat-trick

In what could be the best news story you’ll hear in all of 2023, Borussia Dortmund’s Sébastien Haller is back on a football pitch and scoring goals once again.

Unable to make his BVB debut in the summer, after a routine scan in July led to a diagnosis of testicular cancer, the 28-year-old bagged a seven-minute hat-trick in his first outing since getting the all-clear.

It may have only been during a 3×30 minute training fixture in Marbella versus Swiss side FC Basel, but it did give us all something to smile about. With 34 goals and nine assists across 43 games for Ajax last season, Haller was expected to help fill the gap left by Erling Haaland – hopefully now we’ll get to see him back to his very best and doing what comes naturally.

Leverkusen lure Mbamba

He’s one of the most highly rated young defensive midfielders in Europe, and 18-year-old Noah Mbamba has chosen Bayer Leverkusen as his next destination. The versatile Belgian had been on the radar of a few Premier League clubs, but the Club Brugge prodigy cited the Bundesliga as a place he can develop.

“I like German club football and Bayer 04 are well known for giving young players the best opportunities to achieve the top level” he said at his unveiling.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder he can play slightly higher, or on either side, of the midfield. But it isn’t just breaking up the opponent’s attack he’s good at, Mbamba also has an eye for goal.

With three goals and one assist in nine Challenger Pro League appearances this season, Leverkusen are getting a player who influences at both ends of the pitch.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Bundesliga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2023

LaLiga Review: Supercopa glory for Barça and Derby delight for Real Sociedad

The big two met at the culmination of the Supercopa tournament in Riyadh while the rest of the league got on with the day-to-day back in Spain. Here’s our round-up of the most significant matches from the weekend.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Barcelona beat Madrid in the Supercopa

Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Riyadh on Sunday to win the Supercopa de España, their first trophy under Xavi, and perhaps the start of a new era for the Catalan club after three difficult years.

Gavi got a goal and two assists and a superb showing on the left of midfield, Robert Lewandowski scored for the first time in El Clásico and Pedri netted the third in a one-sided contest. Thibaut Courtois spared Real Madrid from further damage with some important saves and Karim Benzema grabbed a late consolation. But this was all about Barça.

“The team is together, united: we are a family,” defender Ronald Araújo said. “I think it’s something very special because it’s the start of a new era.” And Xavi agreed. “I’m very happy with the players because, ever since I have been here, they want to win and they are working to achieve that,” he said. “We are creating a team and I hope it’s the first of many [trophies].”

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti will need to find solutions after a dismal display from his side. “We have to learn,” he said. “It’s a difficult moment. We knew before the match that we were not at our best. We have to prepare for the next match and move on. This match showed some weaknesses.”

In LaLiga, Madrid are three points behind Barça with 16 games played each. With those two absent at the weekend, as well as Valencia and Real Betis following their participation in the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia, there was a reduced programme in Spain’s top flight.

Real Sociedad win Basque Derby

Real Sociedad came out on top in the Basque derby at the Reale Arena, cementing their third place in the table with a deserved 3-1 after first-half goals from Alexander Sørloth and Take Kubo and a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty following a foul and red card for Yeray Álvarez with just over an hour gone.

Imanol Alguacil’s side have won 11 of their 17 matches in LaLiga this season and moved seven points clear of Atlético Madrid in fourth after the Rojiblancos were held to a 1-1 draw at Almería.

“I feel a tremendous emotion and total enjoyment watching the team, the fans, looking at the third place in the table,” Alguacil said after the derby. “When I was a boy, I would go to bed angry and wouldn’t speak to anyone when la Real lost. Today has been [all about] enjoyment.” No doubt the fans can identify with those words.

Two more points dropped for Atlético

Atlético Madrid’s inconsistent form continued with that disappointment at Almería. Diego Simeone’s side took the lead through Ángel Correa, but were pegged back by an El Bilal Touré effort later in the first half and went on to miss a number of clear chances on another frustrating day in front of goal.

“We have the feeling that we lost two points,” Simeone said afterwards. “But the goals will come.”

Atlético are fourth, level on points with Villarreal (held 1-1 at Celta Vigo) in fifth and Betis in sixth, the latter with a game in hand after missing the latest round of matches due to their participation in the Supercopa.

Sevilla still in big trouble

Sevilla remain in big trouble after a 2-1 defeat away to Girona. Jorge Sampaoli’s side had beaten Getafe the previous weekend and looked to be on course for another positive result following Tanguy Nianzou’s towering header in the first half at Montilivi, but defensive frailties soon returned.

Girona equalised within a minute of the restart through the evergreen Cristhian Stuani and the Catalans took all three points following a terrible mix-up at the back with two minutes left, when Nianzou lost the ball in his own half and allowed Yangel Herrera in to score the winner.

“I’m not blaming anyone, but we can’t have any more individual mistakes,” Ivan Rakitić said after the game. And Nianzou was self-critical. “I have to improve in certain areas, especially in terms of concentration,” he said. Sampaoli saw no positives, either. “A defeat leaves you with nothing,” he said. “We have to keep working.”

With 17 games played, Sevilla sit in 19th, two points behind 17th-placed Real Valladolid and one adrift of their next opponent Cadíz. That all-Andalusian clash next weekend already looks like a big one.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 LaLiga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2023

Serie A Review: A Neapolitan special

This week, we’re dedicating this full column to league leaders Napoli due to their incredible 5-1 victory over Juventus.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Napoli’s historic night

It was one of Napoli’s greatest moments since the days of Diego Maradona more than three decades ago. On a Friday night in a stadium named after the Napoli legend, the Partenopei put on a performance worthy of Diego’s legacy. It’s hard to overstate just how incredible a 5-1 victory for Napoli is over their biggest rival Juventus. More than just a footballing derby, it’s the old North vs. South battle in Italy. During the 2010s, Juventus’ nine consecutive Scudetti made sure that Napoli’s competitive sides couldn’t reclaim a trophy they hadn’t won since 1990. It was a period when Napoli were always the bridesmaid, never the bride. They were tagged as the anti-Juve, but always fell short at the very end.

This season feels so different. For starters, having a nine point lead at the top of the table is something unprecedented for the current winter champions. Their style of play isn’t just the best in Italy, but one of the most aesthetically pleasing worldwide. Napoli hold the ball for longer than anyone else in Serie A, with an average possession of over 60%. They also press frenetically the second they lose the ball, which often times leads to them winning it straight back and having another long period of uninterrupted passing combinations.

What makes Napoli’s record even more remarkable is how this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for them. After a summer in which the club saw their most influential players leave in every department – Ospina in goal, Koulibaly from the defence, Fabián Ruiz from the midfield and then the two popular attackers Dries Martens and Lorenzo Insigne. Apart from Fabián, the others were older players on expensive contracts who were entering the tail end of their career.

The work that Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli did last summer is one of the finest I’ve seen from a person in his position. To be able to identify younger, low cost solutions from smaller leagues to come in right away and seamlessly transition to Serie A was incredible. The likes of the Korean defender Kim Min-Jae and winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia have had the most incredible impact right away.

It was once again Kvara as the catalyst in Napoli’s success against Juventus. The Georgian winger had his way for most of the night against Juve’s defender Danilo, especially in the one-on-one situations. Kvara inadvertently set up Victor Osimhen’s first goal by unleashing a bicycle kick that was parried right onto the waiting head of the Nigerian striker. Kvaratskhelia then was on the receiving end of an Osimhen assist, after Juve’s centre-back Bremer made another backbreaking error in his own box which Napoli pounced on. Finally, Kvara curled in a pinpoint cross for Osimhen’s headed brace. A world class performance for a 21-year-old who looked fearless in the biggest Serie A match of his life, a game that could’ve either opened up the Scudetto race with only a four point gap, or extend Napoli’s lead to double digits atop the standings.

The other player who lit up the Stadio Maradona was Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian has finally gone half a season without picking up a serious injury, something that has kept him out for months in the past. What Osimhen has been able to do with continued playing time is look like the best striker in the league. He’s now the current Serie A capocannoniere with 12 goals, including 10 of them coming in the last 10 league matches. Osimhen’s dynamic style has made him virtually unplayable. If the opposing defence plays a high line, the striker will torch them on the counter with his lightning pace and control. If a defence sits back, Osimhen’s accurate heading ability becomes a problem if you force everything wide and allow Napoli to cross it into the box.

On the Juventus end, nothing went right. For a team that had only conceded a league best seven goals all campaign, they nearly doubled that tally with the five Napoli scored past them. It was the ultimate battle between attack and defence, and Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti’s approach made the pragmatic, defensive style of Allegri seem archaic. In hindsight, Juve’s formation was perplexing. Having Federico Chiesa and Filip Kostic play as wingbacks who were rooted deep in their own half defending in a back five seemed like the worst way possible to utilise two natural wingers who do their best work in the final third. What’s even more puzzling is how Juve still seemed content to sit back and apply little pressure when they were down multiple goals. When they finally did show a bit more life, the game was well out of reach. It’s a Juventus system based on keeping a clean sheet rather than piling on the goals, so when the defence looks so utterly poor, it feels like there’s no chance for this team to succeed against such a dynamic attack.

What we’ve learned by now is that Napoli are truly the best side in Serie A. This no longer feels like a midseason fairytale. There’s enough evidence both in European play and domestically that Napoli’s depth and identity is going to lead to continued success. They play the best football and are managed by one of the great offensive minds of the 21st century, the massively underrated Luciano Spalletti. Spalletti’s fearless approach, as seen by his side constantly playing high up the field and pressing even with a four goal lead, shows you just how ruthless this team are. It would be an incredible story for Serie A if Napoli were to lift the Scudetto, and the party in Naples would probably be one heard around the world given the religious passion the Napoletani faithful show for their club.

Closing Notes…

Paulo Dybala scored a fantastic brace to secure Roma a win against Fiorentina, while Mexican keeper Memo Ochoa conceded eight goals as Salernitana got obliterated by Atalanta. Lecce’s unbeaten streak in Serie A is now at six, with wins against Lazio and Atalanta, followed by a 2-2 draw at home against Milan over the weekend.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Serie A season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2023

Last Weekend: <strong>Monumental Manchester derby, Napoli batter Juventus and more</strong>

Last Weekend: Monumental Manchester derby, Napoli batter Juventus and more

We are approaching the midway point of the 2022/23 season in most major winter leagues, so things are starting to really heat up now. Across Europe, there were some massive top-of-the-table clashes this weekend, many of which had the added twist of being local rivalries. We will be going over some of those, as well as a number of other consequential results in this edition of Last Weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🇮🇹 Italy: Napoli 5-1 Juventus

Serie A got its big game in early, as Napoli took on Juventus on Friday night. This was a match between the top two, but seven points separated the hosts from the Bianconeri prior to kick off.

Juventus did come into this game on a superb run of form, though. They had won each of their last eight league games, all with clean sheets to boot. Napoli, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the Serie A season a week and a half ago, so this was being built up as a crunch fixture for both.

In recent history, Juventus have always tended to win these big games by hook or crook, whereas Napoli have a bit of a reputation for choking at such times. For that reason, this result was nothing short of seismic.

Napoli did not just beat Juventus; they completely blew them out of the water. Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were simply too hot to handle all game, and they both returned three goal involvements. Besides them, defender Amir Rrahmani and substitute Eljif Elmas got on the scoresheet for the Partenopei.

There was a lot of talk about Juventus’ aforementioned clean sheet record prior to this match, but a quick look at the data made it clear that it was bound to end sooner rather than later. Prior to this match, they had conceded well under half the amount of goals their xGA projected, and their defensive stats still show a massive overperformance.

Napoli, on the other hand, are the best side in league in terms of goals scored and xG, and second-best in the division in terms of goals conceded and xGA. Clearly, their 10-point lead at the top is very deserved, and they are well on course to win their first league title since 1990.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City

It is hard to recall an English weekend in recent history with title-defining derbies of the proportion and impact that we saw over the last couple of days. On Sunday, Premier League leaders Arsenal visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a huge North London Derby, just a few hours after their clubmates were involved in a table-topping WSL derby against Chelsea.

Perhaps the most meaningful derby result came the day before those matches. Second-placed Manchester City visited United with four points between the two sides, but a noteworthy gap to Arsenal. Quite simply, this was a must-win game for both teams, not that there ever are any other options in such a derby anyway.

The first half was not the best from an entertainment point of view, but it featured a gripping tactical battle. The home side did fairly well in their 4-2-1-3 high block with player-marking through midfield which generated some good counterattacking opportunities, but their final action was not always on point. City controlled proceedings for the most part, but they too looked sloppy in the final third.

A couple of tactical tweaks at half-time seemed to give Pep Guardiola’s side the edge in the second period, so they looked to be on course to pick up all three points when substitute Jack Grealish turned in Kevin De Bruyne’s cross on the hour-mark. Out of seemingly nowhere, though, Manchester United equalised in very controversial fashion with just over 10 minutes to go when Bruno Fernandes slotted home Casemiro’s through ball. The Manchester City defence was passive since the clearly-offside Marcus Rashford made a run towards the ball, but he did not touch it, and in accordance with the laws of the game, did not interfere.

Perhaps the nature of that call and, of course, the timing of the goal completely shifted the game’s momentum. A Manchester United winner looked inevitable, and it came in the 82nd minute when the electric Alejandro Garnacho set up Rashford for his eighth goal in the last seven games (with at least one in each). With that, a seemingly comfortable win for City turned into absolutely nothing in a game of fine margins.

Manchester United will definitely feel that they too are now in the title race.

🇪🇸 Spain: Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona

The first Clásico of 2023 was not played in Spain, but in Saudi Arabia, which hosted the Supercopa de España. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona needed penalties in midweek to advance past Valencia and Real Betis respectively and set up a date against each other in the final on Sunday.

When the day arrived, it was Barcelona who sprung a bit of a tactical surprise. They adopted a very aggressive player-to-player defensive approach which really unsettled their opponents, switching to more of a 4-2-3-1 formation in the process.

In possession, Xavi set his side up in their usual asymmetrical system, which sees the left-back advance far forward while the right-back stays deep. In midfield, both Pedri and Gavi were quite advanced, and they really stole the show.

The 18-year-old Spanish international proved to be the difference-maker in the first half, as he got a goal and assist along with Robert Lewandowski to put Barcelona two goals to the good going into the half-time break. The second half was all about controlling the match, but Pedri got a third in the 69th minute, putting the result beyond doubt. Karim Benzema did get on the scoresheet late on, but that was just a consolation goal.

So, Barcelona lifted their first trophy in Xavi’s tenure as a manager, and also their first since the departure of Lionel Messi. They should no doubt celebrate this achievement, but must also refocus quickly on greater and grander ambitions, such as winning La Liga.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Ajax 0-0 FC Twente

While Barcelona seem to be on the up again, Ajax are rather slumping as their four-season streak of Eredivisie titles is under real threat this time out.

After going down to 10 men in the first half, they could only manage a goalless draw against FC Twente. That was their fifth consecutive match without a win in the league, and the first time they failed to score in their last 38 Eredivisie games. Perhaps most concerningly, though, this was just their first clean sheet in the last 10 league games.

That leaves Ajax in third place, five points behind league-leaders Feyenoord, as we approach the midway point of the season. AZ are a point above them, while PSV have the same points tally but an inferior goal difference.

Twente are just one point and two spots behind the defending champions in what is turning out to be a brilliant campaign for them, although they will also be disappointed with this result as they missed the chance to leapfrog them in spite of having a numerical advantage for the majority of the match. Still, for a side last promoted as recently as four seasons ago, that is a great position to be in.

The upcoming weekend could prove to be pivotal in the Eredivisie title race, as Ajax visit the leaders in the first Klassieker of the season.

🇨🇱 Chile: Colo-Colo 1-1 Magallanes (3-4 pens)

Football is back in Chile for the 2023 season, and its return was marked by the Supercopa. It featured the country’s most successful club and Primera División holders Colo-Colo, and Deportes Magallanes.

Magallanes’ story is quite fascinating. Formed in 1897, they have one of the richest histories in the country, having won the first three Chilean top-flight titles back-to-back in the 1930s. However, they have been fallen giants in recent history, as their last Primera División match was in 1986, and they were down in the third tier as recently as 2010.

2022 was incredible for them, as they not only won the Primera B and secured their return to the big time, but also went on an unforgettable run in the Copa Chile which saw them win their first major trophy since 1938 and also qualify for the Copa Libertadores as well as this match in the process.

Of course, they were still the clear underdogs in the Supercopa, and it seemed they would get a taste of reality in the top flight when they conceded the opener 22 minutes in. Magallanes took just four minutes to equalise, though, and then held on till the full-time whistle.

Having won two of their last three cup ties on penalties, they were well-prepared for what was coming up next. Colo-Colo went first and missed, but they were right back in it when Magallanes’ third effort was saved. Their last two takers delivered under great pressure, while Gastón Rodriguez saved the fifth penalty to help his side start 2023 with more silverware.

🇵🇹 Portugal: Rio Ave 0-1 Paços de Ferreira

The main match in Portugal this weekend was the Derby de Lisboa, which ended in a 2-2 draw between league-leaders Benfica and Sporting. Naturally, therefore, we will be focusing on the club at the other end of the table.

That team is Paços de Ferreira, who are having a really torrid time this season. 15 matches in, they had just three points, not a single win, and not even a clean sheet! That was a pretty shocking return for a club that qualified for Europe just two seasons ago and finished a respectable 11th last time out.

Unsurprisingly, they have changed head coaches in the middle of the campaign. César Peixoto was the man who was leading the team last summer, but he was told to pack his bags in October. His replacement was José Mota, who had played close to 200 matches for the club between 1987 and 1996 and had also managed them for almost 300 games in two separate stints in the 2000s.

This time, though, Mota just got seven matches – four league defeats and a winless elimination from the group stage of the League Cup – before losing his job. His replacement? You guessed it: César Peixoto.

Two games into his second tenure, the 42-year-old head coach is unbeaten and has tripled Paços de Ferreira’s points tally with a draw and a win. They also finally managed their first clean sheet of the season en route to three points against Rio Ave, who were no pushovers having started the match in the top half of the table.

Of course, Paços are still rooted to the bottom of the table and have a long way to go if they are to escape relegation, but they seem to finally be heading in the right direction.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jan

2023

Premier League Review: United beat City and Arsenal win the North London Derby

We had a couple of potential season-defining results this weekend in the Premier League as a number of teams suffered hefty blows to their ambitions. We take a look at the biggest talking points from across the action in England’s top tier.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Brighton March on

The Seagulls continue to soar in the Premier League this term and are now up to seventh following their 3-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday. It was a deserved victory for Roberto De Zerbi’s men as they dominated the ball (61%), had more shots (16 to 6) and had almost double the xG of their visitors (1.94 to 1.05).

Solly March was the star of the show as he netted twice and assisted Danny Welbeck for his goal. His FotMob rating of 9.1 was truly deserved. The 28-year-old ran riot at the Amex, attempting four shots and creating four opportunities for teammates. He did it all on the day and was rewarded for such an eye-catching showing.

Red Devils Derby delight

It was a controversial Manchester derby as United came from behind to dent City’s title hopes.

The away side took the lead on the hour mark as Jack Grealish nodded home a Kevin de Bruyne cross. Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the ball but United continued to look dangerous on the break.

Bruno Fernandes scored a hotly debated goal after Marcus Rashford, clearly in an offside position, raced onto a through ball. However, officials deemed the No.10 didn’t interfere with play as he didn’t touch the ball. With Ederson all at sea, Fernandes calmly passed the ball into the net.

Rashford then got on the scoresheet himself to continue his remarkable goalscoring run. While it might’ve felt like a smash and grab, United did have significantly more big chances (four to one) and had an xG of 1.72 to City’s 0.65.

They deserved the win.

Can a free-kick be as dangerous as a penalty?

They can be when James Ward-Prowse is on the pitch. The Southampton midfielder curled home yet another free-kick in the 2-1 win over Everton. He also netted the other goal for the Saints as they claimed all three points to put them level with the Toffees and West Ham United in the table.

It was a fairly even match ultimately decided by a moment of magic. It is something Everton could desperately do with right now with their last win coming in October.

Southampton, meanwhile, are showing signs of life under new boss Nathan Jones. This may have been their first win in the Premier League under him but across all competitions now, they are on a three-match winning streak.

Another clean sheet for Newcastle

They may have been fortunate but Eddie Howe’s side kept an 11th clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 win over Fulham. Nick Pope did have to pick the ball out of his net but Aleksandar Mitrović’s penalty was ruled out for a double touch. The Serbian powerhouse slipped when striking the ball and the ball struck his standing leg before looping into the goal.

You need that bit of luck though when you are battling for a top-four place. Newcastle deserved all three points too after peppering the Fulham goal for the entire match. Their xG haul of 2.36 was enough to win two matches. The hosts also had four times as many efforts as the visitors in what was a very one-sided game.

Newcastle are now just a point behind Manchester City and will fancy their chances of playing Champions League football next season.

Hugo Lloris costs Spurs…again

If you are to get anything against Arsenal this season you have to frustrate them. You can’t gift them a goal – which is exactly what Hugo Lloris did in the North London derby. With just 14 minutes on the clock, the Frenchman inexplicably parried Buyako Saka’s cross into his own net to give Arsenal the lead. From there, it was complete dominance from the Premier League leaders.

Top of Antonio Conte’s to-do list this summer is now likely to find a new goalkeeper. This is Lloris’ fourth error leading to a goal this season. Spurs are now five points behind Manchester United having played a game more.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.