Page 3 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2026

FotMob Profile: Antoine Semenyo’s flying start at Manchester City

Antoine Semenyo has hit the ground running for Manchester City and could play a big role in the rest of the Premier League title race.

By Graham Ruthven

Before Antoine Semenyo had even played a game for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola was thanking him. “All I can say is thank you to him,” said the City boss after the Ghanaian’s £65m switch to the Etihad Stadium from Bournemouth was confirmed. Guardiola now has even more reason to be grateful for Semenyo’s decision.

In just four games for his new team, Semenyo has registered four goal contributions. Dropped straight into the Manchester City lineup, the 26-year-old has given Guardiola a different dimension to utilise. With Semenyo in the team, City’s forward line has become even more formidable.

*Semenyo’s outstanding 2025/26 season overview so far*

“He uses both feet unbelievably. He can play as a striker too, with his pace,” said Guardiola at Semenyo’s first press conference as a City player. This was a precursor to the instant impact his new winger would make. Semenyo is indeed two-footed. He’s quick. And he can play as a striker. Guardiola knew what he was getting.

Semenyo’s performance against Wolves on Saturday was his best in a Manchester City shirt to date. Deployed on the right side with Rayan Cherki on the left and Omar Marmoush through the middle, the Premier League’s bottom side simply couldn’t handle the level of creativity and attacking threat that came at them.

No City player registered more shots against Wolves than Semenyo. He was a threat coming inside off the wing. He was a handful combining with teammates in the middle to create overloads. He was determined to get into the final third at every possible opportunity to trouble the Wolves backline.

*Semenyo’s player traits compared against similar players in top 5 leagues*

Some wondered if Semenyo might be used as a depth option by Guardiola. Manchester City already boast a number of top-level attacking figures and so it wasn’t immediately clear how their latest signing would fit in. However, just a few weeks into his City career, Semenyo looks right at home.

Guardiola has historically had a difficult relationship with wingers. Jack Grealish, for instance, arrived at Manchester City for a Premier League-record fee as a swashbuckling maverick. By the time he departed on loan for Everton last summer, he had been moulded into a system player more likely to recycle possession than dribble at a defender.

That Guardiola welcomed Semenyo with open arms suggests the Catalan coach has changed his outlook on what wingers can offer his team. It became clear last season that City needed to add invention to their team in the attacking third, a realisation that led to the addition of Rayan Cherki and Tijani Reijnders.

Manchester City are still in the middle of a rebuild. They have spent over £500m on new players in the last three transfer windows, but their inconsistent form this season has highlighted the process that is still taking place. Most expect Guardiola’s team to fall short in the title race.

Nonetheless, there has been a clear increase in the level of talent at the Etihad Stadium in recent times. Cherki is growing in his influence on the ball. Phil Foden looks more like his old self again. Reijnders has filled the void left by Kevin De Bruyne by giving Manchester City more dynamism through the centre of the pitch.

Semenyo, however, may be the most exhilarating thing about City right now. Everything looks so easy for him. His control of the ball is instant. He’s fast, but deceptively so. Semenyo at half-pace is still quicker than the majority of Premier League defenders. He frequently brushes past them as if they aren’t even there.

*Semenyo is in the 94th percentile for successful dribbles in the Premier League*

With Jérémy Doku on one wing and Semenyo on the other, Manchester City can stretch opponents across the pitch to create space in the middle. It was bad enough when defenders had to worry about one natural dribbler driving at them with the ball at their feet – now City have two of them.

Another tactical approach available to Guardiola is the deployment of Cherki and Foden as dual number 10s. Both players are most effective in the half spaces between the lines and Guardiola has more than once emboldened them in this formation by sending his full backs high and wide to maintain width.

At Bournemouth, Semenyo was clearly ready for the next step in his career. He was good enough to play for a team targeting the game’s biggest prizes and his £65m release clause was attractive enough to spark a scramble among some of the Premier League’s most ambitious clubs.

Manchester City won that scramble ahead of many of their rivals including Liverpool and Manchester United and are now showing why they were so desperate to land him. Semenyo is the perfect Guardiola winger. He could be the player who elevates City’s reconstruction to the next level.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

FotMob Profile: Lyon are thriving after avoiding administrative relegation

Ahead of the season, there was a lot of doom and gloom surrounding Lyon. Serious financial mismanagement meant they faced an enforced administrative demotion to Ligue 2, which was eventually overruled.

By Alex Roberts

Now? Everything’s looking alright, actually.

Let’s rewind a little. It all started with John Textor, Crystal Palace fans know him well. An incredibly wealthy American businessman and entrepreneur who bought a 77.4% majority stake in the French club through his Eagle Football Holdings group.

As it turns out, Textor hasn’t been the saviour many heralded him to be. He still owns the club, but their overturned relegation forced him to take a backseat as fans made their feelings known that they would no longer abide by the American.

On June 24^th, The DNCG, a French football authority, sanctioned Lyon and relegated them due to financial issues. The club of course appealed the decision, Michele Kang took over as president, and a few weeks later it was overturned.

The main issue was a hefty debt of €541 million owed by the club and a massively inflated wage bill without much cash flow. To earn their place back in Ligue 1, Lyon needed a cash injection of €100m and to bring another €100m to serve as a guarantee for the next two years.

Lyon pulled it off. Aging high earners like Alexandre Lacazette, Saïd Benrahma, and Nemanja Matić were all shipped out, while sales of Rayan Cherki to Man city for around €35 million and Georges Mikautadze to Villareal for €30 million certainly played their part.

Of course, players had to be brought in to replace those that had left, but Lyon made sure to spend shrewdly with the only deal reaching double figures being that of Tyler Morton, who joined from Liverpool for €10 million.

With a backdrop of all these issues, Lyon kicked their Ligue 1 campaign off with a trip to Lens. When the final whistle blew on their 1-0 win, coming courtesy of a goal from Mikautadze before he was sold, Lyon were top of the table… until Monaco beat Le Havre 3-1 a few hours later.

Paulo Fonseca ended up with a solid squad once the transfer window closed, even if it’s some way off the Juninho, Fred and Jeremy Toulalan sides from the 2000s. Not much was expected of them, although anything was better than relegation.

Fonseca took the job in early 2025, blissfully unaware that it would all get a little precarious a few months later. The Portuguese manager proved he can do it in France with Lille, and he’s proven to be an inspired appointment. The Textor regime hasn’t got a lot correct, they nailed it with this.

He could have easily left and probably walked into another job at an elite European club, or perhaps in Saudi Arabia or Brazil, but he didn’t, instead he stayed at the club and is arguably the main reason Lyon have been able to turn things around so effectively.

With 30 wins, four draws, and 13 defeats from his 47 games at the club, Fonseca is a manager that likes to play on the front foot, centring his play around a high-intensity, possession-based system designed for positional fluidity, quick ball circulation, and baiting opposition presses.

One of Fonseca’s best assets as a manager is his ability to get the best out of the players he has at his disposal. On paper, last summer was a fine if slightly uninspiring incoming transfer window, what really matter is on the pitch, though.

This time last season, Morton was hoping and praying for a chance under Arne Slot, now, he looks like one of Ligue 1’s most complete midfielders. He’s a fantastic passer, completing 750 at a success rate of 87.8%, 60 accurate long balls at a rate of 69.8%, and creating 22 chances.

Morton isn’t the only one. Pavel Šulc, a Czech attacking midfielder/striker signed from Viktoria Plzeň may well be the signing of the Ligue 1 season with nine goals and two assists from his 17 games, only ten of which have been starts.

Domestically, Lyon can’t really complain. At the time of writing, they’re in fourth with 36 points from their 19 games, just two off arch-rivals Marseille with a four-game winning run under their belt.

It’s on the continent Lyon are really shining, though. Once their administrative relegation was overturned, the club were free to compete in the Europa League, unfortunately it meant that Crystal Palace would be demoted to the Conference League after a degree of alleged interference from Nottingham Forest.

Heading into the final game of the league phase, Lyon are top, level on points with favourites Aston Villa (18) with six wins and one defeat from their seven games. The only difference is that Lyon have scored more goals, 14 compared to Villa’s 11.

Admittedly, they’ve not had the toughest run of fixtures, but a side can only beat those in front of them, and that’s what Lyon have done. They’re dominating games with an average of 63.5% possession, have the joint most clean sheets (5), and the joint fewest goals conceded per match (0.4).

If it wasn’t for some truly remarkable and ultimately pointless Harry Maguire heroics last season, Lyon would have made it to the Europa League final and would have probably gotten the better of Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham.

There has been a lot of change for Lyon since then, notably they don’t have Cherki running the show anymore, but Fonseca has adapted, and they look like genuine contenders to lift the trophy once again.

Lyon’s last game is against one of the best attacking sides in the league phase, PAOK Thessaloniki. The Greek side have created the most big chances (28), and have the highest xG (15.7).

It’s been one hell of a year to be a Lyon fan. Not so long ago, the world was turned upside down, but now, the club once known as the best run in France appear to have turned it around.

It would be remiss of us not to mention Endrick. The Brazilian wonderkid has hit the ground running at Lyon with four goals and one assist in his three games.

Lyon were missing a prolific goal scorer, and although they’ve not been able to register him for the Europa League so far, he can certainly be the lad that fires them to Champions League qualification once all is said and done.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Ligue 1 on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.

Jan

2026

Estevao: Ready to shine under Rosenior

Estêvão was held back by Enzo Maresca, but could be unleashed by Liam Rosenior as Chelsea’s most exciting attacking talent.

By Graham Ruthven

There was no catching Estêvão. Gifted the ball just inside the Crystal Palace half, the Chelsea winger still had plenty to do to find the back of the net. There was 40 yards for him to make up and an opposition defender to hold off. Yet Estêvão had no trouble converting to put Chelsea 1-0 up and on course for a valuable win.

Estêvão also set up João Pedro for Chelsea’s second goal at Selhurst Park, shining throughout for Liam Rosenior’s resurgent team who have now won four of the five matches they have played since the managerial change. The Brazilian’s talent has never been more obvious than it was on Sunday.

One wonders what Enzo Maresca thought of Estevao’s performance against Palace. While the Italian coach was always publicly glowing about the teenager’s potential, he undeniably held him back for much of the first half of the season. This was a source of frustration for many Chelsea supporters.

Injury and illness also played a part in Estêvão starting just eight Premier League games, but Maresca was careful not to throw the teenager in at the deep end. This was admirable in a sense and might have helped Estêvão acclimatise to his new surroundings after joining from Palmeiras last summer. In another sense, though, it limited Chelsea’s attack.

Chelsea have spent the best part of £400m on new attackers in the last two seasons. Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Pedro and Estêvão all arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer in an attempt to supercharge the potency of the Blues’ forward line. Those new signings, however, have all endured challenges at various points of the season.

The Stamford Bridge club’s model is designed to attract some of the most talented youngsters in the global game. Chelsea had the youngest squad in the Premier League last season and Estêvão is the wonderkid currently at the club with the biggest upside. He has the makings of a superstar.

“He’s a player with special abilities, special talent,” said Rosenior when asked about Estêvão’s sparkling performance against Palace. “He’s been ill, and every time he’s been on the pitch so far with me, I think he’s been outstanding. But I feel if you watch that goal, what makes me so happy is all 11 men are back behind the ball. That’s why he gets the space.”

No Premier League teenager has registered more goal contributions across all competitions than Estêvão this season. The Brazilian has tallied 24 successful dribbles over the course of the 2025/26 campaign so far and has earned a reputation for being single-minded in his determination to get into the opposition box at every possible opportunity.

Chelsea need more forward thrust in the final third. It was a common complaint of Maresca’s approach that the Blues didn’t do enough to force the issue against low defensive blocks, too often choosing to recycle possession when something out of the ordinary was required to break through.

This is where Estêvão could meaningfully move the needle. The teenager only has one thought on his mind whenever he receives the ball – make something happen. He did that more than once against Crystal Palace on Sunday and will be expected to produce on a regular basis to continue his development.

Capable of playing on either wing, Estêvão is two-footed. He is naturally fast and skilful. The epitome of a quintessential Brazilian winger in the mould of Vinícius Júnior or Neymar. It’s easy to see why Chelsea were so eager to pay a reported €34m to sign him not long after his breakthrough at Palmeiras.

Estêvão gets fans out of their seats. It is an inherently exhilarating experience to watch the 18-year-old in full flow, as he was for periods of the win over Crystal Palace. If Maresca-ball was dull, Estêvão might have been the antidote had the Italian trusted the young winger more thoroughly.

Withdrawn 16 minutes from the end against Palace, Estêvão received a standing ovation from the away support at Selhurst Park. He represents the brightest hopes and dreams of a fanbase that wants to believe it will see Chelsea challenge for the biggest prizes in the near future. Estêvão represents the best of Clearlake’s strategy when there is so much else that represents its worst.

*Estêvão’s first season at Chelsea summarised*

Rosenior’s Chelsea is still a work-in-progress. The 41-year-old has enjoyed a positive start to life at Stamford Bridge, but the true measure of his management will be taken in the output he is able to squeeze out of the group of players he inherited. There’s more to squeeze out of Estêvão than most.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Kenan Yildiz: Juventus’ creative heartbeat, who is taking Italian football by storm

On Sunday, the reigning Serie A champions Napoli arrived at Allianz Stadium to face Juventus. The Partenopei’s title defence was dealt an almighty blow as they were crushed 3-0 by the Bianconeri, who were spearheaded by the magical Kenan Yıldız.

By Alex Connor

The silky playmaker was denied two first-half assists. Firstly, he teed up Khéphren Thuram, who crashed an effort against the post, before dribbling at the Napoli backline, attracting the attention of multiple defenders, and slipping in Francisco Conceição. Still, his teammate’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Alessandro Buongiorno.

Nevertheless, Yıldız would eventually receive his crowning moment. Deep into the second half, he doubled Juventus’ lead, courtesy of a composed and clinical finish, after Fabio Miretti pounced on Juan Jesus’ mistake. Filip Kostić added a late third to rub salt in the Napoli wounds, and Yıldız ended with that all-important second goal, two chances created, 89% pass accuracy, and three accurate long balls over 87 glorious minutes.

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti praised Yıldız with his post-match comments, describing the 20-year-old as “not a normal player” and an “alien.”

Yıldız now has eight Serie A goals and is the competition’s joint-second top scorer. He has already surpassed his best-ever tally in a single top-flight campaign, after finding the net nine times across the previous two Serie A seasons.

The youngster appears as either an attacking midfielder, winger or inside forward, and is equally effective on the left or in central areas. Yıldız isn’t the quickest, but compensates for it with his inventiveness, flair and technical ability.

Yıldız’s statistics underline that he is undoubtedly the creative heartbeat of Juventus’ attack, and one of Italian football’s most productive forces. Across his 21 Serie appearances this season, he ranks within the top 10% for goals scored, assists, chances created, successful crosses, successful dribbles, and touches in the opposition box. Yıldız doesn’t shy away from defensive work either, sitting in the highest 8% for duels won, with 97.

Initially, the Turkish International spent most of his youth career in his place of birth, Germany, playing for Bayern Munich, until his contract expired in 2022. He then joined Juventus and has been with the first team since making his Serie A debut in August 2023.

Later that year, in December, on his first Juventus start, Yıldız netted in a 2-1 victory over Frosinone to become the club’s youngest foreign goalscorer in Serie A, at just 18 years and 233 days. He also broke the same Juventus record in the Champions League when he scored against PSV Eindhoven in September 2024, eclipsing Alessandro Del Piero.

Yıldız has continued along the same path of blistering ascendency. After being awarded the Juventus number 10 shirt with a new contract in August 2024, he has blossomed with the added responsibility.

In 2025, the Yıldız was one of only two Serie A players (alongside Inter’s Francesco Pio Esposito) in the 25-man shortlist for the Golden Boy Award.

*Yıldız’ player traits compared with similar players in Europe’s top five leagues*

This new shirt number, versatility and ability to play off the striker mean that Yıldız has drawn some early and slightly generous comparisons to Juventus legend Del Piero. When asked about this, the 2006 World Cup winner said, “he likes it” because of how Yıldız “sacrifices himself a lot” and creates “beautiful goals.” He also says that Yıldız is becoming the “complete player.”

Juventus’ commanding victory over Napoli meant they moved within a point of their opponents but stay fifth. The Old Lady remains ten points behind league leaders Inter. After winning nine consecutive Serie A titles between 2011 and 2020, Juventus have had to watch their most bitter rivals (both Milan giants and Napoli) revel in Scudetto glory in recent years.

The fans are accustomed to success and watching their teams boss Italian football. Former record goal scorer and club president Giampiero Boniperti coined the infamous, iconic motto: “Winning isn’t important, it’s the only thing that counts.” This trailblazing, driven mentality is woven into the club’s identity and has laid the foundations for its success.

The new era has involved a rebuild, since the departures of household names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. The squad which clinched the title in the 2019/20 season is virtually unrecognisable from the current crop. If Juventus are to return to the summit and dominate Italian football again, then Yıldız is the player to assemble around. Backed by frightening natural ability, his confidence, output and quality are all exponentially rising.

With Spalletti at the Juventus helm for the rest of the season, he can play a massive role in Yıldız’s development and mould him into one of the world’s most exciting attackers. When he was the title-winning Napoli manager in the 2022/23 season, the veteran coach astutely channelled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s brilliance. The Georgian winger bears a striking similarity to Yıldız. Both players boast close control and technical prowess, and love cutting inside.

The marquee attacker who bamboozles opponents and excites audiences is the face of the present and the symbol of the future. Yıldız is worth building the project around and could be the player to take Juventus back where they belongs.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: Antonio Conte’s Napoli host Chelsea in crucial UCL decider

It’s the final day of the Champions League league phase and Chelsea head to beautiful Naples for one of the headline fixtures with a place in the top eight on the line. Will Liam Rosenior get the better of Antonio Conte?

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea were poor in their previous fixture against Pafos, needing a 78^th minute Moisés Caicedo header to get past the Cypriot side. They’re just about in the top eight, but anything short of a win here would likely see them drop out.

It could be worse. Napoli have been dreadful throughout their campaign so far and are on the brink of elimination altogether. Their 1-1 draw with FC København leaves them down in 25^th with just eight points from their seven games so far. Conte has a love/hate relationship with the Champions League.

Estêvão uh huh uh huh, I like it

Rosenior has come in and Estêvão has featured heavily in four of his five games at the helm, a slight increase on the minutes he was getting under Enzo Maresca. The young Brazilian was the best player on the pitch in their 3-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.

He remains one of Chelsea’s best attacking threats despite not being a regular starter. In the Premier League, he has the most successful dribbles per 90 (3.2), most shots per 90 (3.2), and the highest xA per 90 (0.29). It’s not an exaggeration to say he’s the future of the club.

On the continent, Estêvão is Chelsea’s top Champions League scorer with three. He’s already shown what he’s capable of against the champions of Spain, there is no reason he can’t do the same against their Italian counterparts.

A little reunion

There are a few former Chelsea men currently plying their trade at Napoli. Billy Gilmour is out with a groin injury, so that leaves Conte and Romelu Lukaku available to rain of their former club’s potential parade.

Conte is still a hero at Chelsea, the last man to win the club a Premier League title before he was unceremoniously sacked by the previous regime. We’re sure the Stamford Bridge faithful are happy things like that don’t happen anymore…

Lukaku, on the other hand, burned every bridge he had at the club with a bewildering interview just a couple of months after joining in which he said he never wanted to leave Inter Milan. The striker has only just returned from injury, so he may not start, but if he does feature, the reception from Chelsea fans will certainly be hostile.

Team news

Both sides will be missing some big names here. The big question is whether Cole Palmer will feature or not. Rosenior has said he SHOULD be fine, but he said that ahead of the Palace game too, and he was nowhere to be seen.

Goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen is also a doubt for the visitors, while Levi Colwill (ACL) Tosin Adarabioyo (thigh), Roméo Lavia (thigh), and Dário Essugo (muscle) are all out.

Napoli have seen their bid to retain the Scudetto take a major hit due to the ongoing injuries they’re having. Vanja Milinković-Savić (thigh), Amir Rrahmani (muscle), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (muscle), Gilmour (groin), Kevin de Bruyne (thigh), David Neres (hamstring), and Matteo Politano (thigh) all won’t be back for some time.

Prediction

Chelsea usually turn up when they need to, but despite Napoli’s poor form, they won’t be pushovers, so we’re going with a 2-1 win for the visitors.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: Liverpool welcome Qarabag to Anfield for final UCL matchday

Liverpool will be aiming to bounce back from defeat against Bournemouth at the weekend to seal a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League on Wednesday.

By Ross Kilvington

Their final opponents in the group stage this season are Qarabağ, who have already faced English opposition earlier this term, drawing with Chelsea back in November.

With both teams looking to finish the group stage on a positive note, this could be an interesting tie.

A realistic chance of silverware for Liverpool?

With a Premier League title defence all but over before Christmas, does the Champions League represent a realistic shot of silverware for Arne Slot?

The Anfield side did suffer defeats against Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven earlier this season, yet they have claimed victories against Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

As such, their five wins in the competition have the club sitting fourth in the table, with only a point needed against Qarabağ to seal a top eight finish.

If so, they will avoid playing the likes of Bayern Munich, Arsenal, PSG, Real Madrid and potentially Barcelona, in the next round.

As good as an incentive as any for Slot and his men ahead of Wednesday evening.

Qarabağ could prove to be tricky opponents

The Azerbaijani side have adapted rather well to the Champions League this season. This is only the second time the club have qualified for the group stages of Europe’s elite competition, but they could seal a place in the knockout playoff round with a positive result at Anfield.

An opening night win over Benfica set the tone for Qarabağ, following it up with a victory over FC Copenhagen.

As mentioned, they drew with Chelsea, while a 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt has them sitting in 18^th place ahead of the last match.

Slot will have to pay particular attention to forward Camilo Durán and winger Leandro Andrade. The duo have scored four and three goals respectively in the competition this season.

The Reds have conceded in four of their seven games, something which Qarabağ will be keen to exploit.

Team news

Slot will definitely be without the services of Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Conor Bradley for this match, while Federico Chiesa could also be absent.

Joe Gomez suffered a head injury against Bournemouth and he could miss out also.

Brazilian midfielder Kady Borges will be missing for the away side, along with Ramil Sheydayev, who is ineligible.

Apart from that, Qarabağ have a fully fit squad to pick from as they look to progress.

Prediction

Liverpool have shown their class in Europe this term, dismantling Real Madrid and Inter, last years finalists, in straightforward fashion.

Another victory is certainly on the cards at Anfield, but Qarabağ should not be underestimated by any stretch of the imagination.

They have scored at least once in six of their first seven matches in the competition this term. Expect them to cause some trouble. In the end, however, Liverpool will seal all three points.

Liverpool 2-1 Qarabağ.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the Champions League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2026

Preview: Barcelona need a result against FC København in final UCL round

Barcelona’s chaotic victory in their last Champions League match leaves them with a big chance of earning themselves a top-eight finish – but they still need a win in their last match to gatecrash the last 16 automatically.

By Karl Matchett

A heavy defeat against Chelsea and a disappointing draw at Club Brugge earlier in the competition means there’s still work to do for Hansi Flick’s side, though they will be overwhelming favourites to beat Danish opponents who are outside the playoff places ahead of the final game week.

Unfinished business?

While Barca might turn out to be too defensively uncertain to go the distance, the fans and players alike will both have hope as well as expectation that they can cause an upset or two along the way and end up European champions. For that to happen – aside from injuries being kinder than they have been – it’s likely that Robert Lewandowski will need to find his firing boots for one more big run of form for the Catalan club.

He’s the third-highest all-time goalscorer in the competition, behind only the big two, and the Pole has a goals per game ratio comparable to both. And yet, he might feel frustrated that his time in the competition hasn’t quite yielded the absolute success his goals might have warranted.

*Lewandowski has one goal in the UCL this season*

Lewandowski does have a winner’s medal, it’s true – but that came in 2020. There were no supporters in place as the quarters, semis and final were played behind closed doors in the aftermath of the pandemic, and Lewandowski didn’t net in the final either. He scored in both quarters and semis – yet they were mere footnotes bordering on irrelevant: an 82nd minute goal in Bayern’s extraordinary 8-2 win over Barcelona, ironically, before an even later goal in the 3-0 semi win over Lyon.

For a man who has been the go-to striker at Dortmund, Bayern and Barca, you’d expect more output in the biggest of games. Perhaps this year, with the expectation he’ll depart Camp Nou in the summer, it’s time for a glorious goodbye?

Recent form

A total of 11 wins and one defeat in their last 12 games across all competitions – the Spanish side are in-form and a point clear at the top of LaLiga domestically.

They are ninth in the league phase table heading into this Champions League game, but one of eight teams on 13 points – a win surely sees them into the top eight. København have won four of their last eight and are unbeaten in three in Europe. They’ve done well to amass eight points in truth but that may be the ceiling. They are 26th, though level on points with PSV in 22nd.

Team news

Frenkie de Jong is suspended, Gavi and Pedri are injured and Andreas Christensen is a long-term absentee.

For the visitors, Thomas Delaney, Kenay Myrie and Amir Richardson are all banned, while Magnus Mattsson is an injury doubt.

Key man

Fermín López has sparkled in Europe this term and will be a creative force in the absence of Gavi and Pedri, whether from No. 10 or deeper. He has five goals and two assists in the Champions League.

Prediction

No big surprises even though Kobenhavn will make a go of it: Barcelona 3-1 København.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Luis Suarez, Sporting’s Gyokeres replacement with the eye for goal and a familiar name

On May 2, 1935, Luis Suárez was born in A Coruña, Spain. Suárez became one of the finest players of his generation, winning the 1960 Ballon d’Or and leading Spain to the 1964 Euros before retiring in 1973. 14 years later, Luis Suárez was born in Salto, Uruguay, and established himself as one of the greatest strikers in football history, winning two European Shoes and becoming Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer. Fast-forward to today, and there’s a new Luis Suárez who’s carving out a footprint in the European game: Luis Javier Suárez Charris.

By Zach Lowy

Born on December 2, 1997, in Santa Marta, Colombia, Suárez moved to Granada’s B team in 2016 before being signed by Watford. Rather than play for Watford, Suárez bounced around on loan from Real Valladolid B to Gimnàstic to Real Zaragoza, where he finished as the team’s top scorer with 19 goals, until moving to Granada in 2020. However, he was unable to justify his £10 million price tag and was shipped out to Marseille after two seasons, lasting just a couple of months before heading back to Spain, this time with Almería.

*Suárez’s player traits comparison, against strikers in similar leagues*

After gradually adjusting to life in Andalusía, Suárez took his game to the next level following Almería’s relegation, racking up 31 goals and 8 assists in 43 appearances and winning the 2024/25 Segunda División Golden Boot award. It’s why, after selling Viktor Gyökeres to Arsenal, Sporting had no doubts about who his replacement should be, signing Suárez on a five-year contract and paying €25 million, including add-ons, for the Colombian centre forward.

At first, Sportinguistas were far from convinced. Replacing the back-to-back Bola da Prata winner with a player who, in addition to being six months older than Gyökeres, had only proven himself in Spain’s second tier? But with the passing of time, Suárez has silenced the critics and proven to be a savvy investment. After bagging a brace vs. Arouca and a brace of assists vs. Nacional, Suárez headed off to South America and became the first player to score four goals in a single CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier since the Uruguayan Luis Suárez back in 2011, before converting in four of his next five matches. Suárez has hit his stride in recent weeks, racking up 13 goal contributions in his last nine in all competitions for Sporting, who sit seven points behind Liga Portugal leaders FC Porto.

*Suárez’s goal-laden last two season’s summarised*

Whilst Suárez will likely never equal the same scoring heroics that Gyökeres provided during his two seasons in Lisbon, he is proving to be an upgrade in terms of his ability to link up play, dribble out of pressure, and break the lines. Whereas Sporting’s attacking gameplan previously gravitated around Gyökeres, a physically imposing battering ram, Suárez is proving to be a far more technically refined cog in the system. He’s someone who can drop deep, attract opponents’ attention, and filter passes in for his attacking teammates to take advantage, but who can also step up and deliver the goods when needed.

Suárez’s growing confidence has meant that his persistent ability to get into dangerous areas is starting to pay off on the score sheet. We saw this last week against Paris Saint-Germain, when he was the first to react to a ricochet and fired in the opener. When Khvicha Kvaratshkelia equalized, Suárez was there at the right place and the right time to react to Lucas Chevalier’s parry, heading home to snatch a 2-1 victory against the European champions. It was more of the same at the weekend, when, despite being tightly marked by four yellow shirts, he deftly pivoted towards his right and smashed in the opener vs. Arouca. And just when Sporting looked headed for a stalemate, Suárez rose to the occasion and timed his run to perfection before obliging Geny Catamo’s cross with a bullet header to secure a 2-1 win at the final second.

“In terms of a fit for Rui Borges’ system, Suárez is better than Gyökeres,” argued Sporting fan Sam Fonseca. “He’s better at linking up play, especially with Pedro Gonçalves, Francisco Trincão, and Geovany Quenda. He’s deceptively strong with his back to goal and very good on the ball. He’s got amazing link-up play and footballing IQ in terms of being in the right spaces and finding players in the right position, and he’s got an engine on him that allows him to run and press for 90% of the game. He’s been good, as is his goal tally, but he should be scoring more. He’s clinical with his first chance, but after that, he really struggles to convert. André Moreira (Moreirense), Patrick Sequeira (Casa Pia), and Gabriel Batista (Santa Clara) have had their best games against us, because Suárez will score once, but then hit three or four at the goalkeeper. If Suárez had Gyökeres’ clinical finishing ability, we might be undefeated.”

All things considered, it has been an impressive start to life in Portugal for Suárez, who, with 24 goals and 6 assists in 31 appearances, is on track for the best goal-scoring season of his entire career. It’s why he’s challenging Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis for the league’s Golden Boot award, and it’s why he looks set to start for Los Cafeteros over Jhon Durán, Rafael Santos Borré, and Jhon Córdoba in this summer’s FIFA World Cup. But if there is one thing that he should improve upon, it’s his scoring efficiency in big-game scenarios: he failed to score in either of his meetings vs. Benfica, as well as his outings against Juventus, Marseille, Porto, and Bayern Munich.

*Sporting are one of eight sides tied on 13 points heading in to the final UCL matchday*

Sporting currently sit 10th in the UEFA Champions League table, and while they are guaranteed to advance past the league phase, they need to beat Athletic Club (in addition to some good fortune) if they are to finish as one of the eight seeded teams and advance directly to the Round of 16. Athletic, in contrast, sit 23rd and are hanging on for dear life to the final knockout spots.

He may not have a fancy nickname like ‘El Pistolero’ or ‘El Arquitecto,’ he may not have a Ballon d’Or or a European Golden Shoe, he may not have a Copa América or European Championship in his trophy cabinet, but right now, Luis Javier Suárez is living up to his billing.

Having blanked in his previous three encounters with the Basque giants (with former clubs), can Suárez continue his red-hot goal-scoring heroics and fire Sporting to victory against Athletic Club on Wednesday?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2026

Preview: Spurs head to Frankfurt for final league phase decider

It’s the last week of the Champions League Megagroup, and Spurs are fortunate to be going into it with a fixture against a team in even worse form than they have been.

By Ian King

The Champions League has offered light relief for Spurs in 2025-26, but this hasn’t been the case for Eintracht Frankfurt

With a point rescued in the 90th-minute from their trip to Burnley at the weekend, Spurs head into their final Champions League group match with nothing having been resolved concerning their misfiring Premier League season so far. Cristian Romero’s extremely late equaliser may have kept Thomas Frank in his job for a while, but the fact remains that his team are now just eight points above the relegation places and continuing to sink.

But the Champions League has been a different matter for them so far this season. They’re in fifth place in the group going into their final round of fixtures, and their trip to play Eintracht Frankfurt sees them take on a team in arguably even worse form than they are. Eintracht have won one of their last eight in the Bundesliga, and their form in Europe is no better. They’re in 33rd place in the group and have already been eliminated from this year’s competition with a game to spare, with just a win and a draw from their seven matches to show for it.

These two sides last meeting in Europe was a highly significant one

These two sides met in the quarter-finals of the Europa League last April, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a superb defensive performance in the second leg resulting in a 1-0 win for Spurs, marking a significant step en route to winning the competition, which resulted in them being in this season’s Champions League in the first place. Frankfurt’s first leg goal was scored by Hugo Ekitike, who they have very much missed this season following his summer sale to Liverpool.

*The sides have met twice in recent seasons*

Wilson Odobert has another chance to prove his value to Thomas Frank

One player who has shown up for Spurs’ last couple of matches has been Wilson Odobert. With excellent performances against both his former club Burnley, in which he provided the assist for the equalising goal, and Borussia Dortmund, the winger is expected to start in this match and has an opportunity to build on his last couple of showings for them.

Eintracht Frankfurt haven’t had too much to smile about themselves recently either, but one potential danger for Spurs to take into account is attacking midfielder Can Uzun. The 20-year-old Turkish international has put in a couple decent performances over the course of January, scoring against both Qarabağ in their last Champions League match and in a 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund. With top scorer Jonathan Berkhardt having been sidelined since the end of November, he currently represents one of their bigger attacking threats.

No new injuries for Spurs, and Eintracht Frankfurt have absentees of their own

One of the small bright spots from Spurs’ trip to Burnley was that at least they didn’t pick up any fresh injuries; Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero were both withdrawn, but Thomas Frank has already played down their chances of missing this match. Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Dejan Kulusevski remain out of action.

Pape Sarr was taken to hospital after falling ill during the AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco, and although Thomas Frank said before the Burnley match that, “he’s ready to train tomorrow and ready for selection on Saturday”, he didn’t make the first team or the bench. He should be back in contention for this match.

Eintracht Frankfurt have injuries of their own, as well. The aforementioned Jonathan Berkhardt is still injured, but their more important absentee is Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga, who signed on loan for them from Nottingham Forest earlier in January, scored in successive Bundesliga matches against Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim, and then promptly got injured and is now expected to be out until the middle of February. A longer-term absentee for them is Michy Batshuayi, who’s broken his ankle and won’t be back until April.

Spurs need to turn their form around to avoid slipping into a relegation fight for which they seem particularly ill-equipped

In some respects, Spurs fans may feel that drawing against Burnley was the worst of all possible worlds. Defeat may have ended Frank’s spell as head coach and offered a little clarity over the future, while a win would have at least given some indication that their unravelling season might be pulling itself back together again. But as things stand, drawing this match felt like a shrug of the shoulders, an extension of the feeling of stasis that has settled over the club over the last couple of seasons.

Progress to the next stage of the competition isn’t quite assured for them. A win would put them through, but a failure to do so would likely see them fall out of the top eight and have to play off for a place in the last 16. There are plenty of teams just below them in the table who’d be happy to replace them in that top eight, and as we’ve seen repeatedly throughout this season in the Premier League, Spurs are plenty capable of stuttering.

But that said, the win against Borussia Dortmund – and, in a broader sense, the performances of all five English entrants in the Champions League this season – have demonstrated that the financial gulf between the Premier League and the rest makes a difference. And on top of that, Eintracht Frankfurt are already out of the competition and, having conceded three goals in each of their last three games, have been struggling in the league themselves. I’ll go for a narrow 2-1 win for Spurs to get them marching on into the next round, though whether this will placate an increasingly incandescent fan base remains an extremely open question indeed.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2026

Preview: Arsenal out to preserve perfect UCL record against bottom-club Kairat

Perhaps the least consequential of the final round of league phase fixtures in the UEFA Champions League sees the two clubs at either end of the table face off.

By Neel Shelat

Both teams’ fates fully sealed

While the small matters of pride and — especially in Kairat’s case — result-based prize money will leave the two sides with something to fight over, they have nothing to play for in terms of the next rounds.

Arsenal’s perfect record of seven wins in as many games means they already have a guaranteed spot in the top two, earning them direct passage to the Round of 16 as well as the higher seed in all two-legged knockout ties that they play. Kairat, on the other hand, are dead last with just one point and a goal difference of -14, so this is sure to be the last match of their debut campaign on Europe’s biggest stage.

A chance for Arsenal to rest and rotate

While Arsenal’s Champions League campaign has been immaculate, fans are growing increasingly concerned over their domestic form; last weekend’s loss to Manchester United has left the Gunners with just two points from their last three Premier League matches.

Fatigue and fixture congestion are always big concerns in this part of the season, so this match represents a great opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side to get an advantage over almost everyone else. While others will have to field strong teams in must-win fixtures, Arsenal can afford to rest all their stars if they so desire.

Team news

Declan Rice and Mikel Merino handily picked up yellow card suspensions at the end of Arsenal’s last Champions League match, meaning they will have to sit this one out and return for the knockouts. The low-stakes nature of the game means that Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori will likely not be risked given their injury concerns, while Max Dowman remains out with an ankle issue.

Teenage striker Azamat Tuyakbayev is the only confirmed absentee for Kairat. Fellow youngsters Olzhas Baybek and Dastan Satpaev did not feature last week, so they have been listed as doubtful for this game.

Key players

Having been benched for the last two matches, Viktor Gyökeres will hope to get a good run out in this one. While a strong performance here wouldn’t be decisive in terms of cementing a starting spot, he certainly should be keen to boost his confidence with some goals.

Something similar could be said of Gabriel Martinelli, who hasn’t registered a single goal involvement against top-flight opposition since the 11th of December. He only has one Premier League goal this season, but has fared much better on the continental stage.

Goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov was the hero when Kairat kept Celtic goalless across two legs and won a penalty shoot-out to seal their spot in the league phase. His shot-stopping will surely get another thorough test at the Emirates Stadium. Experienced forward Valeri Gromyko will likely play a key part in the visitors’ attacking hopes, while Chelsea-bound teenage sensation Dastan Satpaev will surely be keen to impress in his first outing on English soil if he is fit enough to feature.

Prediction

Arsenal’s huge advantage in quality should be reflected in the scoreline regardless of rotation.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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