Page 176 – The Pulse of Football

Apr

2018

What to Watch For This Weekend

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Football never sleeps. After a frenetic midweek in the Champions League, the weekend is already here and is packed with high-stakes fixtures.

The best drama remains in Italy. After their heartbreaking near-comeback against Real Madrid, the week could get worse for Juventus. They’re four points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A, but host Sampdoria on Sunday, who beat them 3-2 in November. In-pursuit Napoli will need to travel to the San Siro and beat AC Milan to keep the pressure on. Then to cap the weekend off, midweek heroes Roma face Lazio in the Rome Derby with the two sides level on points, with goal difference putting Lazio in third and Roma in fourth.

Relegation worries and promotion hopes headline England. With just a handful of matches remaining, there are realistically eight teams fighting for EPL survival: Brighton, West Ham, Swansea, Huddersfield, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Stoke, and West Brom. Two of those squads go head-to-head this weekend as Crystal Palace host Brighton to begin a difficult run-in for the Seagulls. Below them in the Championship, Wolves could seal promotion to the EPL this weekend with a win over Birmingham City, should Fulham drop points against Brentford.

Back at the top, champions-elect Manchester City will look to stop a slide in which they’ve lost three massive matches in a row as they visit Spurs.

Barcelona could claim the first undefeated season in La Liga history. They’ll risk that record this weekend as third place Valencia travel to Camp Nou. A win would put Valencia level on points with second place Atletico Madrid.

Schalke are chasing a runners-up finish in the Bundesliga. At just 32 years old, manager Domenico Tedesco has them one point above Dortmund, who they’ll welcome to the Veltins-Arena on Sunday.

Portugal is home to the tightest title race in Europe. FC Porto are one point behind Benfica as they two sides face off on Sunday. Benfica have won the last four Primeira Liga titles.

Paris is the scene for first vs. second in France. But with PSG holding a 14 point lead over Monaco, it’s simply for bragging rights.

Holland also features a top of the table matchup. PSV hold a seven point lead over Ajax in the Eredivisie title race, as Mexican winger Hirving Lozano had led them with 15 goals and 8 assists.

Dec

2017

World Cup 2018 draw

World Cup Draw: First Reactions

Finally, we have the eight groups determined for next summer in Russia. Which group your nation was lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to be placed in can completely change your hopes, with six months still to wait. With that in mind, here are our first reactions to what the draw could mean. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter – which group are you most looking forward to? We’re at @FotMob.

Favorites that could be in trouble

It could be the last time we see Messi at a World Cup, and Argentina were not gifted a kind draw. They’ll have to get past the mettle of Iceland, the craft of Croatia, and Nigeria was maybe the last team they wanted to see emerge from Pot 4.

France might just bring the most talented squad to Russia next summer, but we still haven’t seen them hit the heights they’re collectively capable of. Their qualification campaign included goalless draws against minnows Belarus and Luxembourg, which are nowhere near the dangers of Denmark and Peru.

Belgium have Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Dries Mertens going forward, with Thibaut Courtois and Jan Vertonghen at the back, and yet they suffer from the same condition as France. England and Panama could be frustrating opponents this summer, treating Belgium to an early exit.

Surprises to watch out for

Sweden made headlines for getting past Italy in a playoff (or rather, Italy made headlines for failing to qualify), but overall, they flew a bit under the radar. They managed to qualify despite a group containing France and the Netherlands, and the subsequent playoff. Despite their reputation as a well organized side with a stingy defense, they scored the 6th most goals out of 54 UEFA nations in qualifying. Their group features the current world champions Germany, a Mexico side that easily qualified from a chaotic CONCACAF, and South Korea, but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise for them to come second.

Nigeria came out of Pot 4 to land in Group D alongside Argentina, Iceland, and Croatia. Looking at their roster, they boast the talent capable of causing headaches in Victor Moses, Alex Iwobe, Kelechi Iheanacho, and John Obi Mikel. And while it was only a friendly, they did manage a 4-2 win over Argentina in November.

You wouldn’t bet against any side containing Mohamed Salah at the moment, making the Pharaohs a potential spoiler. They’re unlikely to make a deep run in the tournament, but they could be capable of a result that ruins Russia or Uruguay’s plans in a relatively weak Group Aalso including Saudi Arabia.

Best group for neutrals

If you’re looking for the best soccer next summer (we’re thinking of you, US fans) Group F is the one you’ll want to be sure you adjust your schedules around. Featuring Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea, every match will be worth watching. The seemingly only certainty here is that Germany will get out of the group, but every other possibility is up for grabs. We’ll be treated to a fantastic match-up to begin the group, as Germany take on Mexico on Sunday, June 17.