Page 44 – The Pulse of Football

Dec

2024

FotMob Profile: Borussia Dortmund’s flying English winger Jamie Gittens

First there was Jadon Sancho. Then there was Jude Bellingham. Now, it would appear, there is Jamie Gittens. Not for the first time in recent years, Borussia Dortmund are providing a platform to a young English talent with the potential to reach the top. Anyone who has watched Gittens of late knows just how good he is.

By Graham Ruthven

The 20-year-old has scored in each of his last four Dortmund appearances. His goal in Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich was particularly eye-catching and made a statement about the match-winning ability of a player increasingly seen as the Black and Yellows next superstar. Gittens has made himself undroppable.

His development at the Westfalenstadion has been rapid. Signed from Manchester City in 2020, he was viewed differently to other young English players who joined Dortmund around the same time. Sancho was a star in the City academy while Bellingham had been publicly courted by Manchester United and cost £25m. Gittens’ arrival flew under the radar.

He was raw. The talent was there, but Gittens needed moulding. He made his Bundesliga debut as a teenager in the 2021/22 season, but only started one match. The following season, he started four times. Then 14 times the season after that. This season, he is a key figure for Nuri Şahin’s side.

Comparisons to Bellingham and Sancho are unavoidable, but Gittens’ game is very different to either of his compatriots. Bellingham, of course, is a central midfielder, but even Sancho – a fellow winger – operates differently. While Sancho wants plenty touches of the ball, Gittens is all about bursting into open space. He is a more explosive threat.

This was evident in the way Gittens found the back of the net against Bayern Munich, breaking down the left wing before finishing across goal and into the far corner. Konrad Laimer is probably still having nightmares about the way the 20-year-old left him for dead with an incredible dummy which opened up the space for Gittens to exploit.

Dortmund fans have seen Gittens produce this sort of moment several times this season. It’s ‘The Gittens Goal,’ as it’s becoming known. There are even clips of the young Englishman practicing this exact move – an explosive run down the left side followed by a cut inside and finish – on the training pitch. Gittens has put the work in.

“You need one-on-one players who have speed,” said Dortmund manager Şahin when asked to explain what makes Gittens so dangerous. “He’s maturing in his game. We talk a lot about risk and reward. When do I go into the one-on-one, when do I prepare for it? When he gets rolling, he’s a fantastic player. He’s also made huge strides defensively.”

While the Champions League has once again brought the best out of Borussia Dortmund this season, winning four of their five league phase fixtures so far, their inconsistent Bundesliga form has seen Şahin scrutinised. Sitting in sixth place, 12 points off Bayern Munich at the top of the table, the title race is already gone for the Black and Yellows. There never was one.

Gittens, though, has been a highlight for a club currently retooling for the future. Borussia Dortmund need new stars and the 20-year-old is certainly shining brightly with Wednesday’s match against Barcelona another opportunity to make an impact. Barca’s high line under Hansi Flick will give Gittens plenty space to expose in behind. It could be a good match-up for him.

Statistically, Gitten’s skill set is clear in the numbers he is currently charting. He is in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons that lead to an attempt on goal per 90 minutes. He also ranks in the 94th percentile for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. In terms of progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, Gittens is similarly up there.

*Gittens possession stats, Bundesliga 2024/25*

On his current trajectory, it won’t be long until Gittens is being called into the England squad. Thomas Tuchel is surely looking at his former club and the eye-catching performances of their young winger with the German coach set to take over as The Three Lions’ new manager at the start of 2025.

Competition is stiff in the wide areas of the England squad. Gittens would be up against the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Sancho, but his skill set could give the national team a different dimension. Of the aforementioned bunch, only Rashford has the explosiveness of Gittens and that hasn’t been seen for a long time.

For club and country, the future is bright for Gittens who chose an alternative path to further his development just as Bellingham and Sancho did when they were at a similar age. Dortmund are still a work-in-progress under Şahin, but they have another English star to illuminate the way forward.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 15

Storm Darragh threatened Matchday 15 but in the end, just one game was postponed. It meant league leaders Liverpool weren’t in action, the Merseyside derby is to be rearranged, and rivals had the opportunity to eat into the advantage the Reds had at the summit.

By Sam McGuire

That didn’t necessarily pan out for Arsenal or Manchester City, with both teams only managing to draw. Just one player from the title hopefuls made it into the FotMob Team of the Week. Who was it though and who joined them in the XI?

Goalkeeper: Mads Hermansen

For a second successive matchday, the Leicester City shot-stopper makes it into the FotMob XI.

The 24-year-old played his part in the Foxes picking up a point against Brighton on Sunday. Hermansen made five saves and faced shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of 3.14. It meant his exploits between the sticks prevented 1.14 goals. The point meant Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s side are now five clear of the drop zone.

Centre-back: William Saliba

Saliba is another to retain his place in the FotMob Team of the Week. The Arsenal centre-back made it two goals in two games as he scored the equaliser for the Gunners in the 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old also completed 93% of his passes, recovered the ball on five occasions and won 50% of his duels against Marco Silva’s side. He did well without Gabriel, his usual partner in crime, beside him at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence.

Centre-back: Illia Zabarnyi

Zabarnyi was a standout for Bournemouth as they came from 1-0 down at Portman Road to claim a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town. The centre-back completed 83% of his attempted passes and 100% of his dribbles. He won all six of his tackles and made 10 ball recoveries. The Ukraine international won 90% of his ground duels and four of his six aerial duels in what was an utterly dominant showing.

Centre-back: Maxence Lacroix

Lacroix caught the eye in Crystal Palace’s surprise 2-2 draw with Manchester City. The former Wolfsburg defender scored the second goal for the Eagles but his overall performance was enough to warrant a place in this team. The 24-year-old handled the Man City press well, finding a teammate 83% of the time. He completed 100% of his dribbles and made five headed clearances. He also triumphed in 100% of his ground duels at Selhurst Park.

Right wing-back: Bryan Mbeumo

Deployed in a tweaked role, Mbeumo still managed to shine for Brentford as the Bees made it seven wins from eight at home. The versatile forward, deployed at wing-back, scored and assisted in the 4-2 win over Newcastle United. The 25-year-old created three chances on the day. He also attempted three dribbles and had a total of three shots. Mbeumo caused the Magpies a host of problems and even missed a big chance. He capped off an impressive showing with an 80% win rate in duels.

Left wing-back: Pervis Estupiñán

Estupiñán will feel unlucky not to have been on the winning side this weekend. The Brighton full-back created two chances against Leicester and did finish the game with an assist. He completed 100% of his dribbles, won two of his three tackles and five of his seven ground duels. He did his job, both defensively and offensively, but the Seagulls couldn’t fend off the Foxes in the 2-2 draw.

Midfield: Will Hughes

Hughes was busy in Crystal Palace’s draw with the reigning champions. The 29-year-old carved out three chances at Selhurst Park, the same number as City maestro Kevin De Bruyne, and claimed two assists in the 2-2 draw. The midfielder also completed 100% of his dribbles and won 80% of his ground duels.

Midfield: Cole Palmer

It was the Cole Palmer show on Sunday evening as Chelsea cut Liverpool’s lead at the top to just four points. The Blues came from 2-0 down against Spurs to record a 4-3 win. Palmer confidently dispatched two penalties. He was involved in four chances for Enzo Maresca’s side and had a key part in Enzo Fernández’s goal too. The former Man City youngster completed four of his five dribbles and won 80% of his duels. He was the main man for the surprise title challengers.

Attacking midfield: Morgan Gibbs-White

Gibbs-White claimed a goal and an assist as Nottingham Forest secured a shock upset at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. The versatile midfielder bamboozled André Onana with an effort just moments into the second half before assisting the in-form Chris Wood just seven minutes later. The 24-year-old attempted four dribbles and was involved in 13 duels against Manchester United, proving himself to be effective in and out of possession. The win moved Forest to within two points of fourth-place Man City.

Attacking midfield: Matheus Nunes

Pep Guardiola’s greatest achievement might be turning Matheus Nunes into a genuine attacking threat. The former Wolves midfielder created four chances against Crystal Palace, the most of any player on the pitch. He also claimed an assist, completed three of his four attempted dribbles and involved himself in five tackles as well as 12 duels on the day. It was an all-action display and his 8.8 FotMob rating was more than justified.

Striker: Jarrod Bowen

West Ham won the must-not-lose match against Wolves on Monday evening. The Hammers are now nine points clear of the dropzone, largely because of Bowen. The forward assisted the opener and then scored the winner as Julen Lopetegui got one over on his former employers. The 27-year-old was the only player on the pitch to claim a FotMob rating of over 8.3, proving himself to be the real difference maker on the night.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

This Championship season could be tighter than ever

There remains no league quite like the EFL Championship this season, with such deep financial inequality yet still this feeling that anything could happen.

By Ian King

Four teams have pulled clear at the top of the table, but the gap isn’t huge and anybody down into the bottom half could still consider themselves to have half a chance yet of reaching the play-offs. Swansea City are 13th, but are only seven points off 6th-placed Blackburn.

This tightness starts at the top. Sheffield United lead the way with 39 points, with Leeds on 38, Burnley on 37, and Sunderland on 36. There’s then a five point gap down to Middlesbrough, and they’re level with Blackburn. To say that there’s all to play for would be something of an understatement. And with the Blades out of action this evening but the other three all playing, it could be even tighter by ten o’clock tonight.

Furthermore, Leeds have the trickiest fixture of them all. They’re at home to Middlesbrough after having bounced back from a 1-0 reversal at Blackburn with a 2-0 win against Derby County. They’ve also been in sticky form recently, with a defeat at Millwall which was followed by a slightly stodgy 2-0 win against struggling QPR and an extraordinary game at Swansea, in which they conceded an equaliser in the 90th minute only to score a minute later to take the match 4-3.

If Leeds do slip up against a Middlesbrough team who came away from Turf Moor on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Burnley, the teams below them could be poised to strike. Burnley themselves are at home to Derby County, who were only promoted back from League One at the end of last season and who are hardly setting the division alight this time around. Burnley’s greatest strength this season so far has been an extremely miserly defence. They’ve conceded just seven goals in nineteen games, and the goal they conceded in their 1-1 draw with Boro at the weekend was the first they’d conceded since 3 November, ending a run of five consecutive clean sheets.

All three of these clubs have the substantial advantage of Premier League parachute payments, but this doesn’t apply to fourth-placed Sunderland, who have had the worst form of the top four over the last few weeks. Their 2-1 win against Stoke City on Saturday was their first in six games. Had they taken anything like maximum points they’d be comfortably clear at the top of the table – indeed, they were from 1 October to 9 November – but that recent stumble has left them in fourth place, three points off the top of the table. Sunderland’s recent form gives a hint as to why this year’s division is so tight. Sunderland may have gone six games without a win, but five of those were consecutive draws before a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough the week before the Stoke win.

And there have been a lot of draws in the Championship this season; 73 of them in 224 matches, or 32.6%! That compares with 24% over the course of the whole of the 2023/24 season, an increase of more than a third. Two teams – West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End – have drawn more than half of their matches, West Brom leading the way with 11 draws from just 18 matches. Fourteen of the 24 teams in the division last season didn’t manage more than that in 46.

What this says about the Championship this season is that there may be very little between the teams this season at both a macro and micro level. Draw the lens back and yes, there are just seven points between 6th and 13th in the table. But zoom back in and that tightness seems to also exist on a match-by-match basis. The number of West Brom’s draws isn’t even their only statistical anomaly. They’ve also lost just twice in the league all season, the sort of performance that you might expect to see from a team at the top of the table, except they’re 8th. It doesn’t end there, either. Norwich City are in 10th. They’re the division’s top scorers with 35, and they’ve also conceded the joint-most, with 30.

And the reason for this is fewer goals. There have been 2.46 goals per game in the division so far this season in comparison with 2.68 over the course of last season. Fewer goals mean a higher likelihood of more draws, and more draws means a tighter league table. Sheffield United, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland may be leading the way at the moment, but as the 46-game slog continues and wear & tear start to show, the final destination point of those two precious automatic promotion places seems unlikely to become any clearer for a while yet.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

Preview: Atalanta meet Real Madrid in Super Cup rematch

It was only four months ago that Atalanta and Real Madrid met each other in the UEFA Super Cup with Los Blancos emerging 2-0 winners in a game that was defined by Kylian Mbappé’s first competitive goal in all-white.

By Graham Ruthven

A European rematch

At that time of that Super Cup triumph, many anticipated that Mbappé’s debut goal would accelerate his integration into Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but the Frenchman has struggled to find a role in his new side despite scoring 11 goals in all competitions.

Having won just two of their five fixtures so far in this season’s Champions League, Real Madrid need points on the board to be certain of their place in the next round. Those points will be hard to come by in Bergamo.

Atalanta are currently leading the way at the top of Serie A and are growing into genuine Scudetto challengers. Gian Piero Gasperini has been Atalanta manager for eight years, but La Dea look stronger than ever under his stewardship.

Friday’s 2-1 victory over AC Milan was Atalanta’s ninth successive win in all competitions. They have also dropped points in this season’s Champions League just twice – against Arsenal and Celtic.

Key players

Real Madrid might have a team of Galacticos, but Atalanta have some stars of their own, particularly in the attack where they have the talent to put the defending European champions to the sword.

Mateo Retegui is the top scorer in Serie A this season with 12 goals in 15 appearances while Ademola Lookman is a consistent threat off the left wing with his dribbling ability and eye for goal.

Charles De Ketelaere is in exceptional form having registered 12 direct goal contributions in his last eight games (all comps) including a goal in the 2-1 win over former club AC Milan that sent Atalanta top of Serie A.

Jude Bellingham has looked like his old self in recent outings for Real Madrid, scoring in each of his last three games. Meanwhile, Mbappé has been more comfortable recently with Vinícius Júnior on the sidelines through injury.

Fede Valverde will likely start in Real Madrid’s midfield unit after filling in at right back recently with the Uruguayan’s energy and work ethic important in the centre of the pitch.

At the back, Raúl Asencio is expected to partner Antonio Rüdiger. The former Castilla defender has eased Real Madrid’s defensive injury crisis and has looked the part at the back recently.

Team news

Juan Cuadrado, Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta will all be unavailable for Atalanta’s home match against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Otherwise, Gasperini has a fully fit squad to choose from. Retegui could come back into the lineup after starting the win over AC Milan on the bench, although Mario Pašalić could keep his place after impressing.

Vinícius could make a return from injury, but David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Éder Militão remain unavailable for Real Madrid. Ancelotti will have no choice but to once again use a makeshift backline.

Prediction

It could be revenge time for the impressive Serie A leaders, so Atalanta 2-1 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.

Dec

2024

Preview: Arne Slot’s Liverpool looking to continue Champions League run at Girona

Liverpool are looking to make it six wins from six in the Champions League on Tuesday as they travel to Spain to take on Girona.

By Sam McGuire

Arne Slot’s men have a 100% record having beaten Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Bologna so far this season in Europe. The Reds are already into the knockout phase of the competition and this puts them in a fairly unique position for their final three group stage fixtures.

Will they look to keep momentum going in a bid to return to winning ways or will the former Feyenoord boss look at this game as an opportunity to rotate?

The season so far in Europe

Girona have found it difficult in Europe.

There’s no beating around the bush. Michel’s side find themselves in 30th position (of 36) in the new-look Champions League format.

The LaLiga side have lost four of their five matches in the competition. They were expected to lose to Paris Saint-Germain but defeats against Feyenoord and Sturm Graz came as a bit of a surprise. A heavy loss to PSV Eindhoven also dented their hopes of progression while their only victory arrived against Slovan Bratislava.

They have scored just four goals across their five outings and have conceded on nine occasions.

Liverpool, by comparison, have been perfect in Europe.

The Reds have 15 points from 15, they’ve scored 12 goals and have conceded just once. Inter Milan are the only team to have a better defensive record having kept clean sheets in all five of their games this term.

Current form

The Spanish side haven’t been able to replicate the heroics from last season. Girona claimed an unlikely third-place finish having amassed 81 points. Right now, they find themselves in ninth position, four points behind fifth and four points ahead of 14th.

They are winless in four and have conceded six goals across these four outings across all competitions, all while scoring just two goals.

Their home form in LaLiga hasn’t been great. They have played eight, won four and lost three this term. They’ve scored 15 and conceded 13 in these games. So no home comforts for the Blanquivermells.

Their top scorer in the league is 38-year-old Cristhian Stuani. You might remember him from his stint with Middlesborough. They also boast a former Liverpool transfer target too in Arnaut Danjuma.

Liverpool dropped points in their last outing against Newcastle United. The Magpies scored a late equaliser to halt the seven match winning run the Reds had been on. Still, Slot and his side are unbeaten since their shock defeat to Nottingham Forest in September. The Merseyside club had an unexpected break over the weekend after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to Storm Darragh. It hasn’t eased their injury crisis but the players that are fit had a bit of an extended break, so should be fit and firing.

The Injury situation

The 2019/20 Premier League champions are still without Alisson, Ibrahima Konaté, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota. Federico Chiesa was expected to play following his return to the first-team squad after a mini pre-season but he missed training on Monday with illness. He’s now a doubt for the match while Alexis Mac Allister is suspended.

Girona are expected to be without two key players in Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsygankov. Other than that though, Michel has a full squad to pick from.

Prediction

Even if the Reds opt to go with a weaker XI, they should have enough quality at their disposal to pick up the win in Spain. We expect Liverpool to make it six wins from six in Europe.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Dec

2024

The FotMob Team of the Season for MLS

The 2024 Major League Soccer season came to an end on Saturday as LA Galaxy defeated New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final. There have been some standout performances across the regular season and the playoffs, but who has been good enough to make our best XI?

By James Nalton

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina, Charlotte FC (7.18 FotMob rating)

There was one obvious standout goalkeeper in MLS this season: Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina.

The Croatian topped the charts for the goals prevented stat by some distance, ahead of Matt Freese who still deserves a mention for his performances with New York City this season.

This more advanced stat, based on xGOT faced, is linked to expected goals and assigns a number between zero and one to each shot on target faced based on its likelihood of finding the net.

The number of goals conceded is then subtracted from the total xGOT faced to give an idea of how many shots a goalkeeper is saving that they might not be expected to — hence “goals prevented”.

Kahlina also topped more traditional goalkeeping metrics such as save percentage (76%) and clean sheets (13) even though the latter is more of a team defensive stat.

The Charlotte goalkeeper was named Goalkeeper of the Year in this year’s MLS awards, receiving 35% of the votes. If anything, it’s surprising this percentage wasn’t higher.

Right-back: Steven Moreira, Columbus Crew (6.96)

Moreira was named Defender of the Year for his performances on the right of the Crew’s back three.

Though this means he’s classed as a centre-back, his job is as much about what Columbus does with the ball as it is defending without it.

Playing right-back for much of his career before joining the Crew has helped his adaptation to this fairly specific role.

One could imagine him playing effectively as a right-back in a back four who also contributes to build-up play, as he will do in our imaginary XI.

Centre-back: Yeimar Gómez, Seattle Sounders (7.29)

When it comes to pure defensive work, Yeimar remains one of the best central defenders in MLS.

Seattle conceded the fewest goals in the league during the 2024 season, and Yeimar’s partnership with Jackson Ragen in the middle of the Sounders’ backline played a big part in that.

His proactive defending also takes some burden off the midfield, and he led MLS for interceptions in 2024 with 63.

Centre-back: Miles Robinson: FC Cincinnati (7.05)

Robinson has played as part of a back three for Cincinnati this season, and showed he is still among the most highly regarded centre-backs in the league even while not being at his absolute best.

Robinson ranks well in FotMob’s season performance data for duels, both from tackling and aerial ability.

Cincinnati had the third best defence in the Eastern Conference behind the already mentioned Charlotte and Columbus.

Left-back: Jordi Alba, Inter Miami (7.54)

Alba’s availability and consistency made him one of the more reliable members of Inter Miami’s star cast.

He was third in the team for total minutes played and finished the season having scored five goals and made 11 assists.

His retirement from international duty in 2023 increased his availability in a league which plays through international breaks and he played a big role in his team’s record-breaking regular season.

*Alba’s player traits – check those attacking metrics!*

Defensive midfielder: Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami (7.35)

Busquets, like Alba, was one of the strongholds of this Supporters’ Shield-winning Inter Miami season.

There was the odd shaky moment as the defensive side of Inter Miami’s team was often left in the lurch by the understandable focus on attack, but overall he was a steady, important presence.

A combination of defensive nous and link-up play in possession meant he was often the player that made the whole thing work for Miami.

Midfielder: Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy (8.17)

The veneration of Puig during the MLS Cup final showed how important he has been to LA Galaxy this season, despite an ACL injury keeping him out of the MLS Cup final itself.

The Spaniard is the best footballer in the league not named Messi, and has been instrumental in LA Galaxy’s turnaround this season, orchestrating their play from midfield.

Attacking midfielder: Ryan Gauld, Vancouver Whitecaps (7.79)

The outgoing Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini once said of Gauld: “In the last 5, 6, 7 games he’s almost MVP level. Some other guys are more flashy, maybe. He’s what I call a working-class DP.”

It sums up Gauld’s contributions in Vancouver where he has always been up among the best players in the league since joining in 2021.

There was more of the same from the Scottish attacker in 2024 as he scored 15 goals and made 12 assists across MLS regular season and post-season in 2024 this year.

Attacking midfielder: Evander, Portland Timbers (8.06)

Despite finishing 15th in the overall standings, Portland scored the fourth-most goals in MLS in 2024, partly because Evander was one of the league’s most productive attacking players.

Only Luciano Acosta registered more assists than Evander across the regular season and playoffs, and only Messi had more goals plus assists combined in the regular season.

Forward: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami (8.30)

Having missed a large part of the season through a combination of injury and international call-ups, there was plenty of debate around whether Messi had played enough games to be considered for the MVP award, but on a per-game basis, his stats broke MLS records.

He was voted the league’s MVP in 2024 on the back of votes from the media and his fellow players, and his stats and performances in the 22 MLS appearances he did make in 2024 make it difficult to argue against them.

Forward: Cucho Hernández, Columbus Crew (7.85)

While Puig is the second-best footballer in the league after Messi, Cucho has been the second-best player in terms of performance levels in 2024, so much so that he led the MLS MVP vote among technical staff at MLS clubs.

His defensive work is almost as impressive as his attacking numbers, as he’s one of the best in the league at winning the ball in the attacking third.

He led the league for shots per 90 in 2024, scored 19 goals, and made 11 assists.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

FotMob Profile: Antonio Nusa is the next player coming of age at Leipzig

If there’s one thing that RB Leipzig know how to do, it’s buying raw, young prospects and molding them into bonafide stars who can thrive at the apex of European football.

By Zach Lowy

From Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea) to Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) to Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City), more and more players are earning lucrative moves to the biggest clubs in Europe after impressing in Saxony. At 19 years of age, it’s only a matter of time before Antonio Nusa does the same.

Born in Langhus, Norway to a Nigerian father and a Norwegian mother, Nusa joined Stabæk‘s youth academy in 2018 and ascended the ranks before eventually making his Eliteserien debut on 30 May 2021. Over the next three months, Nusa would register 3 goals in 13 appearances, including a brace on his full debut vs. Viking, before joining Club Brugge on the final day of the summer transfer window. While his first season abroad mainly took place with Club Brugge’s U19s, Nusa did play once in the Croky Cup, once in the regular season, and twice in the Jupiler Pro League Championship Play-Offs, where he opened his account in Belgium. Union Saint-Gilloise had led the table for 200 days until losing twice to Club Brugge in the playoffs, with Nusa scoring in a 2-0 victory vs. USG and leading them to their first league championship hat-trick since the 1970s.

“Nusa is one of the youngsters who’s reminded me the most of Kylian Mbappé in recent years,” said Jacek Kulig of the Football Talent Scout website. “I already spotted his incredible motor skills, bravery, and verticality while watching him for Stabæk. He’s able to combine his elite motor skills with a great amount of bravery, and most importantly, his decision-making is improving so that he won’t be just a speedster in the future.”

Nusa built on this momentum by grabbing an assist in his first league match of the 2022/23 campaign before finding the back of the net on 13 September 2022 in a 4–0 away win against Porto. In doing so, Nusa became the youngest Norwegian player to feature in the UEFA Champions League and the second-youngest player to score in the Champions League behind Ansu Fati (both Lamine Yamal and George Ilenikhena have since surpassed him). Despite registering just 3 goal contributions in 31 first-team appearances, Nusa’s performances attracted the attention of Ståle Solbakken, who gave him his Norway debut on 7 September 2023: Nusa quickly repaid his trust with a goal and an assist in a friendly vs. Jordan before grabbing a brace of assists vs. Georgia and an assist vs. Cyprus in his first two competitive matches. It wasn’t long before the Premier League came calling, with Brentford preparing to launch a €33m plus €4m bid in January 2024, only to pull out due to underlying medical issues with the player’s back and knees.

Although Nusa’s 2023/24 season was marred with injuries and a lack of productivity in front of goal (4 goals and 4 assists in 46 appearances), he nevertheless finished joint-third in Club Brugge’s squad for shots per 90 (2.9) and joint-first for possession won in the final third per 90 (0.9), while only Royal Antwerp’s Chidera Ejuke (4.0) completed more successful dribbles per 90 than Nusa (3.8) in the entire Belgian top-flight. It’s why RB Leipzig decided to sign Nusa to a five-year contract, paying €21 million plus €7 million for the teenager. Nusa seamlessly adjusted from Belgium to Germany with a goal contribution in each of his first three appearances, scoring on his debut – a 4-1 win vs. RW Essen in the DFB-Pokal – grabbing the winner vs. VfL Bochum within minutes of coming off the bench, and assisting Loïs Openda’s decisive goal to end Bayer Leverkusen’s 43-match domestic unbeaten run. He was back at it again in October, slicing through Heidenheim’s defense like butter and carving a through ball towards Openda, who cooly finished the sole goal of the match, whilst he also put the seal on a 4-2 victory against St. Pauli in the cup and grabbed a goal and an assist in their 4-3 loss to Hoffenheim on 23 November.

“Nusa started off as a pure No. 10 because Leipzig wanted him to provide exactly what Xavi Simons offers,” said German football consultant Adam Khan. “He’s mobile between the lines and quite athletic for a traditional central player, but Leipzig have recently recognised that his best qualities are as a true winger.”

“Leipzig would potentially fear that the left-sided pairing of David Raum and Nusa could be too offensive, but with Raum out injured, they have been more comfortable playing Nusa in a true winger role. Initially, Nusa was often only coming on late in fixtures, but since Xavi Simons got hurt on October 23, he has become a talisman in attack, and he’s probably been Leipzig’s most consistent and impressive attacking weapon since the start of November.”

Leipzig’s injury crisis has seen key figures like Simons, Raum, Xaver Schlager and Yussuf Poulsen miss significant periods, and it has also taken a toll on their form. After a run of five losses and a draw – the latest being a 5-1 home drubbing vs. Wolfsburg – Leipzig needed a win on Wednesday to save Marco Rose’s job. Once again, Nusa delivered the goods with a hat-trick of assists en route to a 3-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal, whilst he also completed the most dribbles in Leipzig’s 2-0 victory at Holstein Kiel on Saturday.

It doesn’t get any easier for Rose’s side, who will host Aston Villa and Eintracht before closing out the year with a trip to Bayern Munich, but in Nusa, they have a rising star who looks set to play not just a vital role for Leipzig, but Norway as well. Having grabbed a brace vs. Slovenia and a goal and assist vs. Kazakhstan in their final two matches of 2024, Nusa is quickly emerging as a key figure in attack for Løvene, and alongside the likes of Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, and Alexander Sørloth, he may just have what it takes to spearhead Norway to their first major tournament since 2000.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the action from the Bundesliga on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Dec

2024

Valencia’s troubled season: Fear and loathing for Los Ches

Amid mismanagement from an uninterested Peter Lim and ongoing fan unrest, Valencia, one of Spain’s biggest and most storied clubs, face the very real threat of relegation come the end of the season.

By Alex Roberts

A lot has happened since the Singaporean businessman purchased the club back in 2014. From the disastrous appointment of friend and former Man United defender Gary Neville, to amassing a reported €400 million worth of debt, fans have had enough of the man they once hailed as their saviour.

The billionaire made unsuccessful bids for Liverpool and Atletico Madrid before ultimately settling on Valencia, becoming the club’s first foreign owner. Initially, he was celebrated, with thousands of fans taking to the streets to mark the purchase.

Over the first five years, despite fan frustrations regarding a few decisions, including the aforementioned appointment of Neville and Lim’s close relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes, it wasn’t too bad.

Valencia were still a major European club, qualifying for the Champions League three times, as well as beating Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona side 2-1 in the 2019 Copa de Rey final to secure their eighth title.

Now, yellow signs exclaiming “Peter Lim, go home” are commonplace, as are the protests. Every game, home or away, sees some sort of fan gathering, urging the incumbent owner to leave and never come back.

It’s gotten so bad, a Spanish couple were recently arrested while trying to leave Singapore after breaking country’s strict laws on public assembly having held stickers and signs outside of Lim’s house, protesting his ownership.

Manager Rubén Baraja was given a threadbare budget over the summer, only 30-year-old winger Luis Rioja came in for a fee, a relatively paltry €1.2 million, while the other seven incomings were either free agents, or loans. The kind of summer transfer window that would make UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves proud.

Goalkeeper and arguably their best player, Giorgi Mamardashvili, will depart for Liverpool at the end of the season after Arne Slot’s side purchased and subsequently loaned the Georgian back to Valencia in the summer.

Some teams are able to put whatever is happening in the background to one side, Valencia aren’t one of them. With any future investment looking unlikely, thing will get worse before they get better.

Since taking over in February 2023, Baraja has focused on regaining defensive stability at the club, defending in a 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1/4-5-1. Last season it was a success, Valencia conceded the sixth fewest goals in LaLiga.

They remain relatively solid defensively this season, conceding 22 goals, the least among the bottom three, but the club’s struggles in front of goal are starting to take a serious toll. It’s not like they’re missing chances, Baraja’s side are simply not creating anything.

Ranked 18th in big chances created with just 20, as well as xG at 12.1 across their first 14 league games, they also sit second from bottom for touches in the opposition box, managing only 243.

Hansi Flick’s revitalised Barcelona were up first, and they faced an early scare when Hugo Duro powered in a header just before halftime to give Valencia a shock lead at the Mestalla.

Robert Lewandowski wasn’t too happy with that and the legendary Polish striker quickly took the game by the scruff of the neck. Ten minutes after the restart, Barca were 2-1 up, going on to secure all three points.

Valencia went over a month without a win, before finally securing their first victory against Girona in game week six thanks to an own goal from Juanpe and a stunning long-range effort from striker Dani Gómez.

After that came another five-game LaLiga winless streak, consisting of three draws, two defeats and only three goals scored.

In late November, a shock 4-2 over Real Betis in game week 14, gave Baraja’s side a reprieve, lifting them off the bottom of the table and into nineteenth, one point ahead of fellow strugglers Real Valladolid. Since then, they’ve won two games against lower league opposition in the Copa Del Rey. But they have also reverted to type in LaLiga, losing to Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano.

There is still hope for Valencia fans, however, the club is officially on the market, although the price remains a point of contention. Lim is reportedly asking for €350-400 million to relinquish his 91.5% stake in the club.

Lim’s limited investment has had an unintended yet positive side effect, reviving Valencia’s reliance on their renowned academy, which once produced talents like Juan Mata and David Silva, as they look to develop a new generation of stars.

Valencia have the second youngest squad in the Spanish top-flight with an average age of 24.1 years, just 0.4 more than Barcelona with the likes of defender Cristhian Mosquera and midfielder Javi Guerra leading the way. Hopefully Lim is able to sell the club before stripping them of their future by selling off these valuable assets.

It’s still early in the season and Los Che have time on their side. The next few months will be crucial in their fight to avoid relegation, and they can take solace in the fact that Lim won’t be around forever.

After a devastating year for both the club and the city of Valencia, brighter days are undoubtedly on the horizon.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

FotMob Review: LA Galaxy are back on top in MLS

From being the second-worst team in their conference in 2023 and not making the playoffs, LA Galaxy went on to win the 2024 MLS Cup on Saturday night defeating New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the final at their home in Carson, California.

By James Nalton

It’s a turnaround built on shrewd work in the transfer market and the building of a team that works. This much was on show in the final itself for which the Galaxy were without their talisman Riqui Puig, through whom all of their football usually flows.

Puig picked up an ACL injury in the Western Conference final win against Seattle Sounders, and it immediately raised doubts as to the Galaxy’s ability to win the MLS Cup final without him, but their team have coped on the few previous occasions the Spanish midfield orchestrator has been missing.

As important as Puig is, they have difference-makers throughout, each performing on the back of and as part of a team unit.

The Galaxy didn’t leave it long to answer the question of how they would cope without Puig.

There is no replacement for Puig, but the player who came into the XI, Gastón Brugman, sent a perfectly timed pass through to Joseph Paintsil to open the scoring with just nine minutes played.

Four minutes later they added a second when Mark Delgado fed Dejan Joveljić who carried the ball forward and finished as he has done so well throughout the season, despite being off balance as he shot.

After scoring the Serbian attempted the classic Robbie Keane celebration in honour of the former Galaxy striker and three-time MLS Cup winner.

“I don’t want to sound arrogant but I knew I was going to score and do Robbie Keane’s celebration,” said Joveljić on Apple TV after the game. “It wasn’t that smooth but next time will be smoother!”

Brugman’s only other assist in 2024 came way back in March in the third game of the season against St. Louis City and the middle of his season was interrupted by injury, but this pass for Paintsil for the opener was that of a practised creative midfielder fully in their groove. The timing of the run from the Ghanaian matched the pass to perfection.

In those early stages of the game, the Red Bulls looked at a loss as to how to deal with the Galaxy attack.

The Red Bulls were out of sorts and lacked defensive organisation. This wasn’t helped by the news ahead of kick-off that dental defender Andrés Reyes was taken ill and had to be replaced at the last minute by Noah Eile.

The mistakes for the goals weren’t individual errors as such, even though man-for-man the Galaxy attackers should get the better of the Red Bulls’ defence, but had more to do with the defensive organisation required from the team as a whole to stop the likes of Paintsil, Joveljić, and Gabriel Pec.

The Red Bulls recovered and settled into the game. It took the concession of two goals before they were able to do so, but it was important for them and the spectacle as a whole that they eventually did.

Eile’s improvement epitomised this increased stability in the Red Bulls and they actually finished the game having had more possession than their opponents.

This was a reverse of the two teams’ usual styles as the Galaxy are normally the possession team while the Red Bulls like to soak up pressure and catch teams on the break or catch them out with high pressing.

Maybe this was part of the Galaxy’s game plan, but without Puig, they lack that world-class midfield controller and only dominated possession in one of the other five games he’s missed this season.

The Red Bulls moving Eile to left centre-back in a swap with Sean Nealis was another simple tweak that helped them improve. It was Nealis who scored the goal that got the Red Bulls back into the game in the first half with a composed finish following some chaos in the box following a corner kick.

Right until the end of the game, the Red Bulls looked like they had a chance to get back into it. Emil Forsberg missed a great opportunity to make it 2-2 after he set Lewis Morgan free down the right and eventually received a ball back from Elias Manoel but sent his shot wide.

The Galaxy held on and were deserved winners. Marco Reus came on with 15 minutes to help see the game out and add an MLS Cup to the two DFB Pokals he won with Borussia Dortmund.

By that time the game had been won by the contributions of the players mentioned earlier plus quality displays in defence from 23-year-old Colombian Carlos Garcés and the man to the right of him, steady 30-year-old Japanese right-back Miki Yamane.

Yamane also contributes in midfield up and down the pitch from his position on the right and is an underrated part of the Galaxy’s turnaround this season.

From the pressure applied by the supporters last season to the team-building of general manager Will Kuntz to sign the majority of the names mentioned in this article, the Galaxy have produced an almost perfect turnaround from 2023 to 2024 that saw them become one of the best teams in the regular season and then win the MLS Cup playoffs at the end of it.

This season was built up to be about the league’s latest headline club Inter Miami and the new global profile they’ve achieved on the back of signing Lionel Messi, but in the end, the final came down to a game between two original teams who were present in the first season of MLS back in 1996, and resulted in another trophy for the original MLS Galacticos.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Spurs meet Chelsea in a London Derby

Tottenham’s inconsistency has left them with no win in their last three games across all competitions and Thursday’s defeat at Bournemouth has once again heaped pressure on the shoulders of manager Ange Postecoglou.

By Dan Tracey

There’s no such weight on the shoulders of Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca and after an emphatic victory at Southampton, on Wednesday, the Blues may just have been thrust into this season’s Premier League title race.

The Form Guide

Tottenham have won just two of their last six league matches and have picked up only seven points from the last 18 on offer. Due to that defeat at Bournemouth, they start the weekend lying tenth but could find themselves in the bottom half of the table before Sunday’s game begins.

As for opponents Chelsea, they make the short trip across the capital having not only won each of their last three league outings but also unbeaten in each of their last six – a run of form that sees them sit second in the table with a seven-point deficit between Liverpool and themselves (at the time of writing, before Saturday’s games).

Who Are The Key Players

If Tottenham have key players, they have struggled to unlock their talents over the course of the past seven days and although Dominic Solanke made his return against Bournemouth on Thursday, the club’s record signing will need to add to his current return of four league goals as soon as possible.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have been the stand out men in Chelsea’s mammoth squad (although Christopher Nkunku is on a rich run of goalscoring form as well). The aforementioned Palmer and Jackson have scored 17 league goals between them this season and the former has also had time to make three league goals for the latter.

*Chelsea goals + assists, Premier League 2024/25*

Injury crisis in the Spurs defence

The Tottenham treatment room is looking rather busy at present and with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero already absent, Ben Davies’ injury against Bournemouth means that Ange Postecoglou has just one senior centre back available for the visit of Chelsea on Sunday (Radu Drăgușin).

Chelsea have their own defensive injury issues with both Wesley Fofana and Reece James out until the end of the year at the earliest but with these two already being considered as long-term absentees, there are no new concerns to trouble manager Maresca.

Prediction

Although Tottenham are more than capable of turning it on against the teams that are perceived as the biggest outfits in the Premier League, their showing against Bournemouth on Thursday suggests that a good performance on Sunday is not as simple as flicking the switch back to on.

Especially as the visitors will be keen to continue their positive momentum. Last season’s clash in North London saw the first real cracks in Postecoglou’s methods, the same outcome on Sunday could turn those cracks into a chasm.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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