Page 158 – The Pulse of Football

May

2023

Premier League Review: Making sense of the goal-scoring frenzy

It was a goal-filled match week in the Premier League with 44 being scored across the 10 matches. However, some meant more than others. As usual, here’s a look at the biggest talking points from across the action.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

The Seagulls maul Wolves

Brighton’s season had threatened to end abruptly after they followed up their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United with a 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest in mid-week. Roberto De Zerbi made changes to his starting XI for the visit of Wolves, dropping Levi Colwill, Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Karou Mitoma to the bench.

His side responded well to the shake-up and found themselves 4-0 up at the break following a ruthless display. Pascal Groß and Dennis Undav both netted doubles but the player of the match was Danny Welbeck. The forward rolled back the years to claim two goals and an assist. The one-time Manchester United player more than deserved his 9.3 FotMob rating and Brighton more than deserved their 6-0 win, creating five big chances as well as racking up an Expected Goals haul of 3.34.

The Eagles soar to safety

In any other week, this would probably be the match of the weekend.

West Ham had the better of the chances in the first half, going in at the break with a higher xG but trailing 3-2 to Roy Hodgson’s side. The hosts made the most of all of their possession (60%) and took their chances. The 4-3 win lifted them onto 40 points and they are all but guaranteed another season in the English top flight. The Hammers aren’t yet there and find themselves four points above the drop following back-to-back defeats.

Things don’t get easier for David Moyes’ men with a trip to title-chasing Manchester City on the cards.

Panic mode for Leeds United

Bournemouth romped to a 4-1 win over Leeds to give themselves some breathing space. The Cherries are now nine points clear of the drop zone with just four games to play.

This result almost certainly expedited the departure of Javi Gracia. The former Watford man only replaced Jesse Marsch in February but he has now been swiftly replaced ahead of their next match – away to Manchester City on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce is the surprise appointment with Leeds now desperate to remain in the Premier League. Gracia hasn’t had the best of times at Elland Road. The loss to Bournemouth was their fourth in five matches and the third time they had conceded four or more in a match during this period.

A tale of two halves at Anfield

The first half was all Liverpool and the second half was all Spurs. The hosts eased into a 3-0 lead inside of 15 minutes before losing complete concentration. Jürgen Klopp’s side were sloppy in possession and created next to nothing following the third goal as Spurs fought back.

However, the Reds won it with Diogo Jota’s strike in stoppage time, just 90 seconds after Richarlison had equalised.

It was a fairly predictable game in many ways.

Harry Kane scored for the eighth time against Liverpool. Mohamed Salah scored for the eighth time against Spurs. Heung-Min Son scored for the third successive match at Anfield while Trent Alexander-Arnold made it six assists in his last five outings.

A match of the season contender

On paper, Everton’s trip to Leicester City should’ve been a tight-knit affair. Both teams need points and the best way to do that is to keep a clean sheet. Keep chances to a minimum and bide your time.

Neither side got that script though. The 2-2 draw was one of the most entertaining games of the season that did nothing to either side’s hopes of survival. Both teams finished with an xG total of over three on the night, the first time this has happened this season.

The point helped the Foxes move out of the relegation zone on goal difference but they are still level on points with 18th-placed Nottingham Forest while Everton remain in 19th and are one of only two teams not to hit 30 points this season.

Lampard’s streak continues

Since replacing Graham Potter as interim manager of Chelsea, Frank Lampard is yet to oversee a victory. The former Everton boss has lost six successive matches across all competitions and the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal was his fourth in the Premier League.

He made changes to his team looking for a reaction following the 2-0 defeat to Brentford over the weekend but one of them, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was hauled off at half-time to really emphasise how things are going for Lampard as a tactician, and Chelsea as a club, right now.

It was all too easy for Arsenal who now sit top of the table once again.

(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.

May

2023

Last Weekend: Toulouse lift the Coupe de France, Roma create history and more titles are won

It is only the end of April, yet we are seeing titles being handed out by the truckloads around Europe. This weekend was full of cup finals while some league titles were also clinched, so the agenda for our weekly column rather set itself.

By Neel Shelat

🇫🇷 France: Nantes 1-5 Toulouse

The Coupe de France was full of unexpected results and upsets once again this season. After their surprise success last year, defending champions Nantes made the final once again after beating the likes of Lens and Lyon. Their opponents at the Stade de France this time were Toulouse, who faced two second-tier opponents in the lead-up to this match.

This was only the second time that the Ligue 2 holders had reached the final in their long history. Their last appearance came way back in 1957, when a previous iteration of the club lifted their first major trophy – a high that they failed to replicate to this point.

On Saturday, though, they arguably surpassed it with a dominant display on the big stage. Philippe Montanier’s side absolutely blew their opponents out of the water, scoring two early set-piece goals en route to a four-goal lead in about half an hour. After that, it was simply a case of seeing the match out to hold this coveted trophy aloft, which they comfortably did.

Such unfancied sides surprisingly winning a trophy generally tend to be one-off successes, as happens to be the case of Nantes who now find themselves battling relegation from Ligue 1. For Toulouse, though, this could just be the start of a special era.

After their last relegation from Ligue in 2019/20, American investment agency RedBird Capital bought an 85% stake in Téfécé. They would go on to completely change the club, setting up a now-renowned scouting and recruitment department with a heavy emphasis on data-driven decision-making.

This was the key behind their Ligue 2 triumph last year and has once again proven crucial as they look set to comfortably finish in mid-table in Ligue 1 with a squad containing representatives from 23 different nationalities. Montanier has got them playing some very good football that is easy on the eye, so most French football fans were happy to see them win the cup.

🇮🇹 Italy: Roma 2-1 Fiorentina

2022/23 will go down as a historic season in Italian football. Not only does Calcio have five representatives in European semi-finals along with a guaranteed spot in the UEFA Champions League final, but there also is a lot going on on the domestic front.

That includes Juventus’ well-documented ongoing case, as well as Napoli’s imminent title win, which will be their first since 1990. That might have been this week, but Salernitana played party poopers and held them to a draw.

Nevertheless, there was a title decided in Italy this weekend. In the first season of the Serie A Femenille after its full professionalisation, Roma have created history by winning their first-ever league title in their five-year history.

Their 2-1 win over Fiorentina this weekend did the job, ending Juventus’ streak of dominance since their foundation in 2017. This is a thoroughly deserved title for the Giallorosse, who have been the best side in the country by some way having dropped points on just two occasions in the league so far. They also made it to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to would-be finalists Barcelona.

Clearly, this is only the start of a period of prolonged success for Roma.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Ajax 1-1 PSV (2-3 on pens)

There was history made in the Netherlands as well this weekend. For the first time in the 125-year history of the KNVB Cup, last season’s finalists faced off in the decider once again.

Ajax lost to their old rivals PSV at De Kuip last year, so they would have hoped for a different result as the two rivals met again. Their quest for revenge would only have been made more intense by the two sides’ last meeting only a week ago, when PSV delivered a significant blow to Ajax’s Champions League ambitions.

Johnny Heitinga’s side initially looked much improved here, as they were in the ascendency throughout the first half and took the lead through a Jarrad Branthwaite own goal just before half-time. They could not maintain their performance levels in the second period, though, letting in an equaliser from Thorgan Hazard after a period of prolonged PSV pressure.

That took the game to extra time, where a lack of goals meant that it all boiled down to penalties. In a pretty unique shoot-out where only half of the efforts went in – largely thanks to a streak of four consecutive failures in the middle – it was PSV who prevailed as Wolves loanee Fábio Silva made no mistake with the final effort.

So, for just the second time in their history, PSV have won consecutive KNVB Cup titles, meaning Ajax’s season has gone from bad to worse just as we head in to the tailend of the season.

🇦🇹 Austria: Rapid Wien 0-2 Sturm Graz

Sunday was also Cup Final day in Austria, where there was no sign of RB Salzburg in this crucial match for the first time in a decade. They lost to Sturm Graz in the quarter-final, after which Graz got the better of LASK to set up a great shot at winning the trophy. Their final opponents were Rapid Wien, who last won this trophy way back in 1995.

There was a great atmosphere at the Wörthersee Stadion, as both sets of supporters recognised this golden opportunity to add a title in what is a period of almost total domination for Salzburg. On paper, Sturm were the slight favourites owing to their superior position in the league table and better form, but those things can sometimes go out of the window on such special occasions.

Thankfully for Sturm, that did seem to translate onto the pitch to some extent as they had the better chances in a frantic first half. The best opportunity fell to Manprit Sarkaria, who blazed wide from relatively close range with only a couple of defenders standing between him and an empty net.

The 26-year-old forward more than atoned for that in the second period by scoring two goals that will surely go down in his side’s history. He opened the scoring in the 67th minute and then sealed the result in the 82nd, securing a sixth cup title for Sturm Graz.

🇪🇸 Spain: Barcelona 3-0 Sporting Huelva

Back in league football, there was a much more predictable outcome in Spain. Barcelona Femení, undisputedly the most dominant women’s side in world football at the moment, have added yet another league title to their collection.

Once again, they have done so with a perfect record of 26 wins from 26 games, along with a goal difference figure in three digits. To find the last time they dropped points in a league fixture, you would have to go all the way back to June 2021 – 62 fixtures ago.

Even though Barcelona have secured a spot in the Champions League final and have won every one of their domestic matches this season, the treble is not on for them. That is because they were expelled from the Copa de la Reina for fielding an ineligible player, so they will not be able to defend that title.

Nevertheless, this looks set to be a very successful season for Barcelona yet again, although there will be a lot of expectations from the Champions League final in Eindhoven. The good news for them ahead of that game is that star midfielder Alexia Putellas made her long-awaited return from an ACL injury this weekend, so she should be up to full speed by then.

🏆 CAF Champions League: Espérance 1-1 JS Kabylie (2-1 agg)

Our last game is the only one where a title was not decided with the full-time whistle, but it was quite an important knock-out match nonetheless. The second legs of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals were held this weekend, so the tournament has now boiled down to four teams.

There is a nice split of major representatives from the continent’s most successful nations, including South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, defending champions Wydad Casablanca, Egyptian champions-elect Al Ahly and Tunisian giants Espérance.

Sundowns and Al Ahly advanced with relative comfort, but the other two sides encountered some hiccups. Wydad ended up having to win a penalty shoot-out against Tanzanian side Simba SC, while Espérance had some very different problems in their match against JS Kabylie.

Things seemed to be going smoothly for them at half-time in Radès as they managed to preserve their first leg lead, but then everything changed at half-time. Kick-off for the second half was delayed significantly after a fire broke out in the stands. The exact cause of that remains unclear with some attributing it to fighting between the two sets of fans and others accusing an unknown group entering the stadium from outside, but what is certain is that the police intervened and fired tear gas. Unfortunately, there were several injuries reported among fans and the police, but the match eventually resumed.

On the pitch, the home side quickly added a buffer to their lead just a few minutes after the resumption. JS Kabylie pulled a goal back in the 85th minute and hoped to stage a dramatic turnaround thanks to the away goals rule, but they failed to do so.

So, in some rather unsavoury circumstances, Espérance advanced to the final four. It is unclear as to whether they will face some sanctions for these incidents with reports seemingly suggesting that CAF will take action.

Regardless, JS Kabylie must now turn their full attention to the Algerian Ligue 1, where they shockingly find themselves in serious danger of relegation.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Apr

2023

This Weekend: Cup Finals galore, possible Serie A deciders, and a chance for Man City to go top

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Saturday

🇪🇸 After a mad midweek round of action in LaLiga that saw Girona smash four past Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Rayo Vallecano inflict just a third defeat of the season on leaders Barcelona the following evening, the top two feature again in Saturday’s fixtures.

The chasers, Real Madrid, are up first and have the easier game on paper, with Almería the visitors to the Bernabéu. In the evening kick-off, Barcelona take on sixth placed Real Betis. Barça’s charge towards the title has stalled somewhat in recent weeks, thanks to a run of one win in their last four but they will be keen to knock off the 11 points they need to confirm championship number 27.

🇮🇹 The city of Naples has been waiting 33 long years for another party like the one that raged when Diego Maradona last won Napoli the Serie A title back in 1990. The fans might just eclipse memories of that night over the course of this weekend but it all depends on the results of two games played on different days.

Napoli currently boast a 17-point lead in the table and a third Scudetto title will finally be theirs should they beat southern rivals Salernitana today AND Lazio drop points in tomorrow’s early kick-off at Inter.

Saturday also sees a massive game in the race for the top four as Europa League semi-finalists Roma take on Champions League semi-finalists Milan. The two are currently level on points and goal difference meaning Milan sit fourth on goals scored, and as it stands, would qualify for next season’s Champions League.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 There was also a midweek round in the Premier League, meaning there appears to be a reduced number of games lined up for this afternoon. The three fixtures that remain, though, are all significant to the relegation battle. That is particularly the case for Crystal Palace and West Ham, who face each other after both suffering defeat during the week. Palace sit eight points clear of the relegation zone while the Hammers have a five point advantage on the bottom three – so a win for either side here would go a long way to securing their Premier League status.

Elsewhere, 17th placed Nottingham Forest will be looking to build on Wednesday’s surprise win over Brighton when they go to Brentford. And Wolves – who are level on points with Palace, the side they beat during the week, now face a trip south to play Brighton.

🇩🇪 The title race is going long in the Bundesliga this season, but with the main players in action on Friday night (Dortmund) and Sunday (Bayern), we’ll concentrate on two of the other main success stories in the league. And conveniently, they play each other this afternoon as third placed Union Berlin host in-form Bayer Leverkusen. The latter have been transformed following the appointment of Xabi Alonso, climbing the league table to sit sixth having lost just once in their last 10 games. Union still look to be guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League but Leverkusen are now a reasonable bet to be joining them with a top four finish.

🇫🇷 The 106th final of the Coupe de France is scheduled to take place later this evening. With France’s biggest sides falling by the wayside round after round we’re left with a situation similar to last season, when again, two unfancied, or underperforming sides, have a shot at some serious silverware. In 2022, that saw Nantes end a 20 year run without a trophy by beating Nice. This year, Nantes have again made the final – despite sitting a lowly 16th in Ligue 1 – where they will meet Toulouse, who were only promoted back to the top flight at the start of the campaign.

🏆 We also have a continental Cup final in the listings as the first leg of the 2022 AFC Champions League Final (yes, you read that right) takes place in Riyadh. Here, defending champions and the winners of the competition’s Western and Central zone, Al Hilal, face off against the J-League’s Urawa Red Diamonds, the team who has won through the Eastern zone.

As two of Asia’s most successful sides, the two are familiar foes and this match-up is a repeat of both the 2017, and 2019 finals. Urawa took the first of those, with Al Hilal winning the 2019 edition. In total, the Saudi club have four Champions League titles to their name and with home advantage in the first leg, they start as overwhelming favourites.

Sunday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tomorrow looks a little busier in the Premier League with five games on the slate. They include an opportunity for Manchester City to leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the table. That’s if they back up Wednesday’s 4-1 thrashing of the Gunners, with victory, away at Fulham‘s Craven Cottage.

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne ran riot in that midweek game and the Norwegian striker needs just one more goal to equal the Premier League single-season scoring record of 34 set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer.

There are also some very intriguing games in terms of the battle for a Champions League spot. Newcastle United have scored 10 goals in their last two fixtures and look likely to heap more misery on basement side Southampton, who must be dreading their visit to St. James’ Park. Fourth meets sixth as Manchester United take on the Unai Emery-inspired form club, Aston Villa. While consistency has long been a bugbear at Old Trafford, Villa are currently unbeaten in 10 games, and now sit just six points down on United in the table.

And in the final game of the day, it’s fifth vs. seventh as interim coach Ryan Mason takes Tottenham Hotspur to Liverpool. Spurs recovered from 2-0 down to rescue a point against Manchester United in midweek but may want to exercise more caution for this away trip than they did their last – the horror show at Newcastle where they conceded five in the first 21 minutes of the game.

🇮🇹 Going back to Serie A, a reminder for you to keep an eye on the early kick-off between Inter and Lazio at the San Siro. A win for the home side, or a draw, combined with a win for Napoli on Saturday means that Napoli take the title with six games to spare.

With Inter currently outside the top four, the impetus is on them to get a result.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 It’s semi-final weekend in the Scottish Cup and if today’s match up between third tier Falkirk and second tier Inverness Caledonian Thistle doesn’t get you excited (and why not?), then maybe Sunday’s fixture from the other side of the bracket will. Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic are set to face off for what is a fifth meeting already this season, this time on the neutral ground that is the city’s Hampden Park Stadium.

Celtic are closing in on the league title and have a 13-point advantage on Rangers in the Premiership – thanks, in part, to the pulsating 3-2 win they enjoyed over their rivals earlier this month. The four previous match-ups between these two have averaged four goals per game so we should be on for a cracker, especially with this being Rangers last shot at a trophy this season.

🏆 Following on from Saturday’s showpiece game in the Coupe de France, there are a number of other cup finals taking place around Europe. Among them is the huge clash between Ajax and PSV in the final of the Dutch KNVB Cup, which follows last weekend’s league meeting between the two that was won convincingly, by PSV.

Then, in neighbouring Belgium, there’s the Croky Cup final between KV Mechelan and Royal Antwerp. Of the two, only Antwerp have performed well in the league this season but both are recent winners of this competition – Antwerp in 2020, and Mechelan in 2019, when they lifted the cup as a second tier club.

And lastly, we’ll have the ÖFB Cup Final in Austria, where Rapid take on Sturm Graz. This will be the first time someone other than Salzburg wins the competition since Graz last lifted the trophy in 2018. And unbelievably, Rapid, Austria’s most successful club, could end a 15-year barren spell without a trophy having not won the league since 2008, and the Cup since way back in 1995!

🚨 In this section, we just wanted to highlight a selection of big club, or derby match-ups also taking place on Sunday. We start in Türkiye, where Istanbul rivals, Beşiktaş and Galatasaray go head-to-head. Gala currently boast a six point lead in the table, with Beşiktaş sitting down in third.

In Bulgaria, where there are three rounds left to play, current leaders CSKA Sofia could take a massive step towards ending Ludogorets’ 11-year run of league wins. That’s if they can beat Ludogorets, at home!

Elsewhere, there’s the meeting between Danish football’s biggest rivals – FC København and Brøndby, plus another edition of Croatia’s Eternal Derby between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb.

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

Apr

2023

Premier League Team of the Week – Round 33

FotMob TOTW – Round 33

Haaland and De Bruyne, the stars of City’s 4-1 win over Arsenal, rate highest. But there’s room for players from five other sides, including Rúben Neves, who also clocked up a 9 rating in Wolves’ win over Palace.

Who stood out for you? Let us know in the replies.

Apr

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Napoli, Cup Finals, and more!

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

By Bill Biss

🇮🇹 Napoli vs. Salernitana

This tip is probably twofold, as the outcome of this season’s Serie A title race actually depends on two results over the weekend. First, runaway league leaders Napoli need to beat regional rivals Salernitana at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday afternoon. Then, if Lazio fail to win in Sunday’s early game at Inter, you can expect the party to end all parties to kick-off back in Naples!

There were unbelievable scenes when the team arrived back at the airport after beating Juventus last weekend (see above) but that will be small-fry compared to the day when a first Scudetto since 1990 is finally confirmed.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Rangers vs. Celtic

For the fifth time this season, and the second time this month, Scotland’s two biggest clubs meet each other again. This time, we’re on neutral territory as Hampden Park plays host to this Scottish Cup semi-final tie on Sunday. Celtic have undoubtably had the upper-hand against their old enemies this season, winning three of the four Glasgow Derbies, with the other being a 2-2 draw in which they equalised in the 88th minute. With third tier Falkirk and second tier Inverness playing in the other semi-final though, there is every chance that the winners of this game will go on to lift the cup. As if either needed extra motivation.

🇳🇱 Ajax vs. PSV

Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven have played each other even more recently – going toe-to-toe in the league just last weekend (pictured).

On Sunday, they face off again in what will be the 105th final of the KNVB Cup, the major cup competition in the Netherlands. In fact, it’s also a repeat of last year’s final, which was won by PSV. With Feyenoord odds on to win the Eredivisie, this is the only opportunity for either side to lift silverware this season.

🇫🇷 Nantes vs. Toulouse

The big sides just keep falling by the wayside in the Coupe de France this season, leaving us with a final that features defending champions Nantes against Toulouse, the sides placed 16th and 12th in Ligue 1 respectively.

PSG were undone by Marseille back in the Round of 16 before L’OM were themselves upset by Ligue 2 giant-killers Annecy. Toulouse finally ended their run in the semi-finals while Nantes have beaten Lens and Lyon to get back to the final. Last season, they were 1-0 winners over Nice, ending a 20-year wait for a trophy.

🇹🇷 Beşiktaş vs. Galatasaray

Galatasaray, with a star studded squad that includes the likes of Mauro Icardi, Juan Mata, Nicolo Zaniolo, Dries Martens and Fernando Muslera currently lead the Süper Lig by six points. With seven rounds to play, they meet city rivals Beşiktaş on Sunday, who themselves sit third and a further two points down on second placed Fenerbahçe. The three Istanbul rivals have dominated the league this season and bar a showdown with Fener on the penultimate weekend, this game is the stiffest test that Galatasaray will face in the run-in.

Plus two hidden gems from deep in your match feed…

🇧🇷 Derby Paulista: Palmeiras vs. Corinthians

It’s early days in the new Brasileirão season, the main national league in Brazil, but this weekend will see two of the league’s biggest sides face off in a São Paulo. Defending champions Palmeiras have enjoyed superiority over their city rivals in the past few years – even winning South America’s biggest prize, the Copa Libertadores back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. And they’ve started the season slightly better – winning one and drawing the other in the opening two rounds while Corinthians have won one, lost one.

Both sides will have been relieved to scrap through their respective cup matches in the week – Corinthians needing penalties to beat third tier Remo, and Palmerias only drawing the second leg of their tie at Serie B club Tombense to go through 5-3 on aggregate.

🏆 AFC Champions League Final: Al Hilal vs. Urawa Red Diamonds

In a quirk of the footballing calendar, we’ll finally see the first leg of the 2022 AFC Champions League Final take place in Riyadh on Saturday. Defending 2021 Champions, and record winners, Al Hilal are the Saudi hosts for the clash with J-League side Urawa Red Diamonds. This is a repeat of the 2017 Final – won by Urawa, and the 2019 Final – won by Al Hilal, so perhaps consider this the decider! And know that both clubs have some great pedigree in this competition and have already conquered their respective regions to get this far – the competition being split in to East and West Zones until we reach this final stage.

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

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

Cover Image from IMAGO

Apr

2023

LaLiga Review: Barça and Madrid slip up in midweek

Ahead of the weekend action in Spain’s top flight here’s a recap of a bizarre set of results in the round of games played midweek.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

No points record for Barça

Barcelona remain 11 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga after both teams lost in midweek, but the Catalans can no longer make it into three figures following their 2-1 defeat away to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

Xavi’s side had only conceded nine times in the league all season, but Álvaro García made it 10 and Fran García 11 as Rayo went 2-0 up at Vallecas and held on despite a late Robert Lewandowski effort to condemn the Blaugrana to just their third loss in the competition in 2022-23. And it means the record points total – the 100 set by José Mourinho’s Real Madrid in 2011-12 and Tito Vilanova’s Barça the following season – is now out of reach.

“If we look on the positive side, the distance is the same,” Xavi said after the match. “But we didn’t play a good game. We weren’t comfortable. They were aggressive, intense, and they didn’t let us play.”

Despite the loss, Barça need only 11 points from their final seven fixtures to be confirmed as champions. Xavi’s side have had a blip, though, picking up just five points from their last four games. “We are not in a negative dynamic,” he said. “But nothing is done. LaLiga is not over.”

Since winning promotion, Rayo have taken 10 out of 12 points off Barcelona in their four meetings over the past two campaigns. “Very happy to beat Barça,” coach Ander Iraola said. “But above all, for the 43 points that ensure there will be another Rayo-Barça next season.”

Real Madrid hit for four in Girona

Girona striker Taty Castellanos had been in tears after missing an easy chance against Barcelona earlier in April and even deleted his social media accounts due to the abuse he received, but the Argentine had an unforgettable night against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Castellanos scored all four of Girona’s goals in an amazing 4-2 win for the Catalans at Montilivi and is only the fifth player in history to net a ‘poker’ against Real Madrid.

Vinícius Júnior scored for Madrid with Los Blancos 2-0 down and Lucas Vázquez grabbed a late goal to avoid a three-goal defeat for the visitors, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side were well beaten on the night.

“It was a hard night,” the Italian said. “To lose like that. On a defensive level, it was a very bad game. That was the key. Today the team didn’t play and we tried to pick it with individuals. But it was a bad level in all respects. The team was nervous.”

“We knew what we wanted to do, we were brave,” Girona coach Michel said. “Today it all came together. The players deserve a win like this.” The Catalans should be safe now with 41 points, two behind Rayo, in 10th place.

Atlético could catch Real

Atlético Madrid beat Mallorca 3-1 at the Metropolitano on the night of their 120th anniversary and the Rojiblancos are now just two points behind city rivals Real with seven games left to play.

Wearing a special blue-and-white commemorative shirt, Atlético went behind to a Matija Nastasić header following a corner early on, but goals from Rodrigo de Paul, Álvaro Morata and Yannick Carrasco secured a comfortable win for Diego Simeone’s side. The Spain striker’s effort was a fine header, while the Belgian ran half the pitch in a breakaway attack following a great pass from Antoine Griezmann. The team’s upturn in form since January, interrupted briefly by a narrow defeat against Barça at the weekend, continues.

“I’m proud of the way we have turned things around since the World Cup,” Simeone said. And on the atmosphere at the stadium on a special night for Atleti, he said: “It was wonderful. To feel this club, you have to understand it.”

Huge win for Valencia

When Valencia went behind early on at home to Real Valladolid following a comical error by Mouctar Diakhaby, their fans must have feared the worst. But the defender later equalised with a header that goalkeeper Jordi Masip thought was going wide and in added time, 19-year-old academy player Javi Guerra won it at Mestalla with a superb solo goal.

“Mestalla’s magic pushed us and the end was tremendous,” coach Rubén Baraja said afterwards. It was Valencia’s second win in a row and sees the club move out of the relegation zone, two points clear of 18th-placed Getafe. The Madrid side, beaten 2-1 at home by Almería and back in danger after two straight defeats, have since parted company with coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Meanwhile, Sevilla are up to 11th after an excellent 1-0 win at Athletic Club on Thursday. Lucas Ocampos’ penalty in added time sealed the victory, a first ever for their coach José Luis Mendilibar at San Mames in 13 attempts. The Basque has led Sevilla to five wins and two draws since taking over from Jorge Sampaoli and with 41 points now, the Andalusians are staying up.

Another matchday starts on Friday…

And there is barely a break as the next round of matches starts this Friday with Osasuna in eighth at home to fourth-placed Real Sociedad. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are in action on Saturday: Los Blancos at home to Almería and Barcelona against Real Betis at Camp Nou. Atlético are away to Valladolid on Sunday.

(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.

Apr

2023

Premier League Review: Midweek Special

There’s still everything to play for in the Premier League. There’s still a title race, there’s a scramble for the top four and a minimum of six teams find themselves currently in the relegation battle.

This round of midweek fixtures threw up more questions than answers. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

The Emery Era is underway

Aston Villa recorded a 1-0 win over Fulham and in doing so became the first team in Premier League history to score in their first 20 games under a new head coach.

Unai Emery has masterminded Villa’s rise up the ranks. They’re now sixth in the table, level on points with Spurs and unbeaten in 10, having won eight matches.

Tyrone Mings nodded the winner in what was a fairly one-sided match. The hosts had 14 shots to Fulham’s one and racked up an xG of 1.02 to the away team’s 0.10.

A statement victory

The pressure was on Manchester City heading into the match against Arsenal. They weren’t the league leaders but they had momentum on their side. A win would see the title race swing in their favour. A loss would put Pep Guardiola’s men in a difficult situation.

It could’ve been a banana skin fixture but the reigning champions put on a clinic at the Etihad.

Erling Haaland recorded the highest FotMob rating, with a 9.4, having assisted two goals before adding the fourth in stoppage time.

Kevin De Bruyne rivalled the City No.9 with his display as he netted twice while also assisting John Stones.

For the fourth successive match, Arsenal conceded a minimum of two goals. Mikel Arteta’s men are winless in four after an April to forget. They are still top of the league, leading the way by two points but City have two games in hand.

Lampard loses again

Frank Lampard didn’t have a honeymoon period following his return to Chelsea.

He was supposed to lift the mood after replacing Graham Potter but the Blues haven’t been able to hit their stride after bringing back the former Everton boss.

The 2-0 defeat to Brentford means Chelsea have loss five successive matches since Lampard’s appointment as interim manager. Three of those have come in the Premier League, with Wolves and Brighton joining the Bees as victors in April.

Chelsea dominated the ball at Stamford Bridge but, once again, showed very little in attack.

Forest fight on

In what was one of the shock results of the season, Nottingham Forest defeated Brighton to increase the likelihood of them staying up.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side will feel frustrated not to have taken anything from the game. They responded well to the FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United, creating four big chances and amassing an xG haul of 2.34, while dominating the ball with 75% possession.

The comeback win for Forest lifted them out of the relegation zone. They rallied well after Brennan Johnson missed an early penalty and Brighton took the lead in the 38th minute.

The Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment continues

Liverpool travelled to London for a tricky match against West Ham United.

Though the hosts took an early lead, Jürgen Klopp’s men responded well and eventually claimed a 2-1 win. For the second successive match, both Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold assisted a goal.

The right-back, playing in his new inverted full-back role, now has five assists in his last four, with the Reds making a late push for a Champions League place.

The Magpies march on

Newcastle United are now two points clear in third spot after a 4-1 away win at Everton boosted their chances of playing Champions League football next season while simultaneously casting doubt over the Toffees’ Premier League future.

Callum Wilson, once again leading the line for Eddie Howe’s men, netted twice in an eye-catching display. He was given a FotMob rating of 8.7 while Joelinton found himself on the scoresheet yet again.

The Magpies dominated the game, creating three big chances to zero, with their chances worth 2.44 xG to Everton’s 0.66. It was a one-sided second half display by the visitors, just days after they blew Spurs away in the first half.

Spurs show some fight

Tottenham made the bold decision to part ways with interim manager Cristian Stellini after the 6-1 loss to Newcastle United.

Ryan Mason was tasked with managing the team and at one stage it looked like another disappointing home defeat was on the cards after United took a 2-0 lead in the first half.

However, the hosts responded well after the break with goals from Pedro Porro and Heung-Min Son. Mason reverted back to the 3-4-3 shape after the 4-3-3 disaster against Newcastle.

Spurs created chances worth 1.89 xG in the second half, showing resilience and fight under new manager Mason in what was a fairly even game, with the home team creating four big chances to the away side’s three.

(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.

Apr

2023

Bundesliga Review: The best season in years!

It’s been a season of shocks, from Union Berlin topping the table back in September to Hertha Berlin’s freefall to the very depths of the league since March.

However, it was April that proved to be the most eye-opening month so far in what has been a crazy Bundesliga season. Just when you thought they wouldn’t, Bayern München went full FC Hollywood and now Dortmund sit poised to deliver the dream.

By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert

Sorry, what?

Indeed – it was the question of the day, the month, and maybe even the year. Thursday 23 March seemed to be like any other day until Bayern decided to pull the trigger on Julian Nagelsmann’s time as head coach.

Just as we were all settling down for bed, Fabrizio Romano tweeted that the Bavarians were considering parting ways with their then-current coach, in favour of Thomas Tuchel.

It came out of nowhere really, granted there were a few questions about the team’s performance under the 35-year-old, but surely they wouldn’t sack him just before a crucial game against Dortmund, and an even bigger matchup against Manchester City on the horizon, would they?

The answer was yes, less than 24 hours later the unpopular skier come skateboarder was out on his ear and Tuchel was at the helm. If that wasn’t crazy enough what followed was jaw-dropping.

Under the ex-Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea boss, Bayern tore their nearest rivals apart. The Schwarzgelben were the most in-form team in Europe prior to their trip to Munich, unbeaten in 10 they’d amassed 28 points from a possible 30, but inside the Allianz Arena they leaked three goals in 10 minutes, eventually restoring some pride but they left having been pumped 4-2.

A perfect start for Tuchel, but it was also the perfect end – days later they were dumped out of the Pokal at home by Freiburg with almost the last kick of the game, then Pep Guardiola did to Bayern what he’d done to plenty of other sides when in the München dugout, he oversaw a total demolition.

Within 10 days Bayern had gone from treble dreams to scraping for a Bundesliga title, and still, the pain wasn’t over. Four points from a possible nine gave the advantage back to Dortmund and as we approach the final five matchdays it is now theirs to lose, Bayern are not in control of their own destiny.

Maybe, just maybe

Dortmund have sniffed the aroma of Meisterschale glory a couple of times over the last few seasons, but just as the sweet smell of victory drew closer they invariably punched themselves in the face, breaking their nose in the process.

Dropped points at VfB Stuttgart, whilst leading by two goals and with a man advantage, brought the memories of yesteryear flooding back, but with Bayern adopting the persona of traffic policemen and handing out three points to their opposition at will, Dortmund found themselves with a chance to go top and by a point.

This time there would be no mistake, a prolific and professional display against Eintracht Frankfurt resulted in a 4-0 win and with it four players in the Fotmob Matchday 29 team of the week.

Donyell Malen’s performance saw the Dutch international pick up a 9.0 rating, thanks predominantly to two goals from four shots, all finding the target and giving Eintracht’s Kevin Trapp something to do all afternoon.

It was the second week in a row the 24-year-old had made the Matchday’s top 11 and he looks to have found a spot of form at the most crucial time.

Brilliant Bayer Leverkusen

Yes, you did read that correctly. Leverkusen have been superb of late, completely transformed by Xabi Alonso, the Werkself were bottom on Matchday Two and 17th on Matchday Eight when Gerardo Seoane was sacked.

Now, with four weeks and five games to play the team from Germany’s industrial heartland are sixth, and look real contenders to sneak into the all-important fourth spot taking the final Champions League place on offer in the Bundesliga.

They are also Europa League semi-finalists, 180 minutes against AS Roma stands between them and the final in Budapest’s Puskás Aréna.

Losing just once in their last 10 league outings, Alonso’s side are playing some of the best football in Germany. Five straight victories saw them climb five places, with wins against Bayern – and most recently Leipzig – highlighting their impressive transformation under the Spanish tactician.

Florian Wirtz’s return from a cruciate ligament tear bolstered Leverkusen’s ability to control and dictate matches, but the 19-year-old missed their fixture versus Leipzig with an illness, Alonso and co. will be hoping the German international isn’t missing for much longer.

With nine goals and eight assists, Moussa Diaby tops the Leverkusen stats for most goal involvements. The Frenchman has been an integral cog in the Bayer wheel of late and a player his head coach has looked towards both domestically and on their European adventures.

The strongest league in years?

This month I’ll end with a question, is this the best Bundesliga season we’ve seen in a while? Some food for thought as we await the final five games in what is shaping up to be an epic title fight, and I don’t ask this purely because Bayern are stumbling.

At the opposite end of the table, Hertha Berlin currently sits bottom, but the Big City club are not cut adrift. Previous seasons have seen a whipping boy, a team so bad they have been effectively relegated in January.

Just two years ago Schalke 04 ended the campaign on 16 points, 15 behind their nearest rivals. Before that Greuther Fürth finished 10 points worse off than 17th-placed Arminia Bielefeld, and in season 2019/20 the gap from Paderborn 07 to Fortuna Düsseldorf was also 10 points, this time it’s all a little different.

As we approach May, seven points is the slim difference between Hertha at the foot of the table and TSG Hoffenheim in 14th, a normally regarded safeish position. Such is the tightness of the Bundesliga currently that should results fall their way Hertha could still mathematically finish as high as 10th, and Borussia Mönchengladbach who currently reside in 10th could finish as high as fifth or as low as 18th.

For the first time in a long while we have 18 strong teams, and the permutations for who finishes in the European placings and who gets relegated are wild to say the least.

(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.

Apr

2023

Serie A Review: Atalanta push for Europe and Rafael Leão hits form at just the right time

Our regular Serie A expert takes us through three top talking points from the weekend round in Italy’s top flight.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Atalanta remind everyone about their Top 4 ambitions

Often forgotten about, Atalanta’s game against Roma on Monday was a reminder to the rest of the league that they can still make a serious push for a top four finish. Atalanta managed to beat the side from the capital 3-1 in Bergamo, which was a win against a direct competitor for a Champions League spot.

It’s quite incredible that Atalanta are even here to begin with, given the issues they’ve had up front. Their two leading goal scorers from the last few seasons, Duván Zapata and Luis Muriel, have only managed a combined two goals in 43 matches. This has meant that they’ve had to earn results via other sources. Fortunately for La Dea, it’s come in the form of two summer arrivals from last year. The Ademola Lookman / Rasmus Højlund pairing has combined for 20 goals this season and demonstrated once again just how astute Atalanta’s scouting department is. This is a club that has had to consistently replenish its roster after losing key players in the transfer market. The one constant has been their manager Gianpiero Gasperini, who has now become the longest serving active manager in the league since taking over in 2016. Atalanta can also look above them in the table and see that all the other teams in contention for that fourth spot are also juggling European competitions. Milan and Inter in the Champions League and Juventus and Roma in the Europa League. Atalanta have only the league to focus on, so being four points shy of fourth spot suggests that goal is attainable.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Atalanta’s co-owner Steve Pagliuca (also part owner of the Boston Celtics) for CBS; where he made clear his team’s intentions stating they are absolutely gunning for a top four spot. Atalanta suddenly has very important financial backers who also have a shrewd understanding of the marketing it takes to spread awareness about the club’s recent success. While Atalanta has historically been a yo-yo team bouncing between Serie A and Serie B, the last seven years has changed their reputation to a side that is always in the mix for a European spot. Hearing Pagliuca’s bullish comments about his side’s future should definitely be enough for their fans to feel confident that this team is one on the rise.

Leão’s MVP form

Rafael Leão is back to looking like the best player in the league. His brace over the weekend, against Lecce, means that he’s eclipsed his 11 goal tally from last season by hitting a career best 12 goals at this stage, with seven games to play. Leão’s inconsistent season seems to be in the past now, as the winger was the primary reason why Milan were able to beat Napoli in the Champions League quarterfinals and in their most recent domestic meeting. It’s not just the statistics with Leão, but the way he’s achieving them. It feels like every single game now has a world class coast-to-coast run from Leão, where he goes 70 yards on his own to either set up a goal or score himself. What’s amazing about his style is that he’s running by players effortlessly and with a smile on his face. When Leão’s in this form, the game looks like it comes so easily to him. In the three matches against Napoli – the team that’s dominated Serie A and made all the headlines this season – it was Leão that looked like the best player on the pitch.

The smartest decision Pioli made this calendar year was scrapping the 3-5-2 formation that he temporarily used to get Milan out of their defensive funk, in favour of his usual 4-2-3-1. Surprisingly, Leão was candid about his struggles in the 3-5-2 formation, complaining that his more central position meant he didn’t feel like he could turn and run into space as easily. As soon as he was utilised in his more natural left-wing position, Leão showed off his MVP form from last season and more. If Milan have any chance in the Champions League, it’ll have to come through his individual play. The simple inclusion of the Portuguese international in the starting lineup may make opposition managers second-guess their defensive approach.

Milan don’t have anyone else with his characteristics. A defence that plays a high line against the Rossoneri also has to deal with the counter-attacking threat that Leão offers. A team’s right-back will also have to play more conservatively knowing that he has a world class winger to contend with.

With Milan still fighting for a top four spot in the league and a chance to make their first Champions League final since 2007, Leão going back to his stellar form from last season couldn’t have come at a better time.

Verona’s last stand

It was only a month ago that Hellas Verona looked destined to get relegated back into Serie B after a lacklustre season which has seen different managers come and go. Their campaign looked doomed from the start. In the summer, the club lost their three top goal scorers from last season in the transfer market – Giovanni Simeone went to Napoli after a personal best goal scoring season, Gianluca Caprari left for Monza, and dynamic midfielder Antonín Barák took his talents to Tuscany to link up with Fiorentina. Without this trio, Verona found themselves in the difficult position of having to replace double digit goals with a meagre budget.

The strikers they did sign have been abysmal. The hulking Bosnian Milan Đurić has only scored once in 21 matches since coming over from Salernitana. Thomas Henry joined from Venezia after his nine-goal campaign with the relegated club, but so far has only found the back of the net twice in 16 matches. The other strikers have somehow fared even worse – Kevin Lasagna, known more for his name than his football, has a paltry one goal in 26 matches for Verona. These types of returns are normally synonymous with a team destined for the second division, but in recent weeks, Verona’s fortunes have seemingly changed. The club has picked up seven points in their last three games, including an impressive scoreless draw away at against league leaders Napoli.

More importantly, their most talented player has finally found his stride. Simone Verdi is coming off a brace in a 2-1 win against red-hot Bologna. Verdi is a strange player. Not long ago, Napoli signed him from Bologna for €25m after the winger managed to score 10 times that season. Verdi has always had bags of talent, but has never been able to consistently express it. Perhaps his most unique skill is that he doesn’t know which is his favoured foot. He has taken free kicks and corner kicks with both his right and left foot. This ability means he is very difficult to mark for a defender, given that he doesn’t have a particular tendency.

However, even though Verdi has also been a very streaky, confidence based winger, he is now finding his form at the most important time of the season. The club are only one point from safety and look like the only side from the bottom three that has a good chance of saving themselves down the stretch.

(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.

Apr

2023

LaLiga Review: Madrid refuse to throw in the towel as Barcelona close in on the title

Ahead of the midweek round of action in Spain’s top flight here’s a recap of the weekend games and an overview of how things stand.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Barça close in on the title

Barcelona took another big step towards the title by beating Atlético Madrid 1-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday as Ferran Torres’ slick finish from the edge of the area at the end of the first half proved enough to secure all three points for Xavi’s side and take them 11 points clear of rivals Real Madrid with just eight rounds of the competition remaining.

Antoine Griezmann almost gave Atético the perfect start as he hit the woodwork with a lobbed effort in the very first minute, but Barcelona had more chances and ultimately deserved to win the game, although there were a few nervy moments at the end after the ball hit Sergio Busquets on the arm in the area.

Atlético are the only side in LaLiga without a penalty in the competition this season and they did not get one here either. That looked like the right call, though, as Busquets’ arm was raised because he was jumping and he could do little to get out of the way of the ball as it was headed against him by José Giménez from point-blank range.

“It’s a really important win,” Xavi said after the game. “It was key for our objective, which is to win LaLiga. We have beaten a great team. They had chances, but we dominated and we could have scored a second goal, which would have given us calm.”

Asked if Barcelona feel like champions yet, Xavi said: “In the dressing room, they don’t feel like champions and if they did, we would tell them that we still aren’t. Nothing is done yet. We are focused and excited.”

Barça welcomed back Pedri and Frenkie de Jong from injury, but there was no appearance for 15-year-old Lamine Yamal, who was called up to the list for Sunday’s game but will have to wait for another opportunity to become the club’s youngest-ever player in an official game.

Atlético remain in third place and Diego Simeone said: “I’ll stick with the positives. We played a great match. We weren’t sharp enough in front of goal.” And on Barcelona this season, he added: “Being effective in both areas gives you a chance to be champions.”

Real Madrid beat Celta

Real Madrid had given themselves hope of closing some of the gap on Saturday as they beat Celta Vigo 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu to reduce Barcelona’s lead at the top to eight points ahead of the Catalans’ clash with Atlético on Sunday.

Goals from Marco Asensio and Éder Militão either side of half-time sealed a routine win for Los Blancos in front of their own fans, but they look unlikely to retain their title as Barça stretched their lead back to 11 the following day.

“I liked the team,” Carlo Ancelotti said. “I liked the attitude of the team. That allowed some of the players to shine, like Asensio and [Eduardo] Camavinga.”

The Frenchman, who played at left-back again, earned applause from the fans and acclaim from his coach. “He has extraordinary quality in all facets,” Ancelotti said. “He’s improving. He can play anywhere. In central midfield, at centre-back… he always does well.”

Asensio, meanwhile, is into double figures in a season for the fourth time as a Madrid player and needs just one more to match his best mark of 12, which came last term.

With eight games left in LaLiga, two legs of a Champions League semi-final against Manchester City and a Copa del Rey final versus Osasuna ahead in the coming weeks, Ancelotti is likely to rotate his squad as much as he can.

But the Italian is not giving up on LaLiga. “Looking at the quality of the two teams, there is not an 11 points difference,” he said. “Small details have determined that distance, which we want to reduce in the next few games.”

Hope for Valencia as Athletic join European race

Valencia beat bottom club Elche 2-0 away from home in a vital victory which has boosted their hopes of staying in LaLiga. Rubén Baraja’s side remain in 18th place, but are now level on points with Almería above them.

That was after Almería lost 2-1 at home to Athletic Club and the Bilbao outfit are very much in the race for Europe following a decent run of results in recent weeks. Ernesto Valverde’s side are now just a point behind sixth-placed Villarreal (beaten 2-1 at Sevilla) and two adrift of Real Betis (3-2 losers at Osasuna) in fifth.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad’s 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano saw them open up a four-point gap in fourth place over Betis. Sevilla are eight points clear of the drop zone in 12th after their win over Villarreal, but Espanyol remain in trouble in 19th place following a goalless draw at home to Cádiz.

Midweek Fixtures coming up…

Real Madrid travel to Catalonia on Tuesday to face Girona, while Barcelona are in the capital to play Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday. Also on Tuesday, fourth-placed Real Sociedad visit the team below them in the table: Real Betis. Atlético are at home to a resurgent Real Mallorca on Wednesday. Valencia meet Real Valladolid in another crunch clash for both teams on Thursday, while Athletic host Sevilla at San Mames that same night.

(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.