Page 5 – The Pulse of Football

Nov

2024

Preview: Inter and Arsenal put their spotless defensive records on the line at San Siro

Huge clubs on the face of things, reluctant attackers with a slightly closer look. Inter Milan and Arsenal is probably one of those fixtures that Uefa imagined would spark excitement, a big-game feel and all the razzmatazz they wanted to be front and centre in a new-look Champions League every single gameweek.

By Karl Matchett

In reality, we’ve got another match where the outcome won’t be a tell-all for progression, leaving less enticement than usual to go all-in on a win with key domestic matches on the horizon: Napoli and Chelsea at the weekend represent more important three points than these ones do.

A battle between impressive defences

Inter have home advantage and by far the better form of late, being unbeaten across their last eight in all competitions and keeping five clean sheets in the last seven. That certainly points to them being a side who can trouble the Gunners – plus they drew 0-0 with Man City back in September – but Arsenal will hope for a return to their own formidable defensive ways. At the start of the season the Gunners kept four clean sheets out of the first five – and they’ve managed three shutouts from three in Europe. With two wins and two defeats in their last five, though, they are not anywhere near the relentless level right now that they need to be to be among title contenders in all competitions.

Possible return for Arsenal skipper?

The influential Martin Ødegaard is back in training but this game is surely too soon for him, while Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also out. It likely means more of the same from Mikel Arteta, but a lack of impact from Leandro Trossard of late could see him lose his starting spot to either a third central midfielder or perhaps Gabriel Jesus. Inter are missing Carlos Augusto but otherwise have a full squad to choose from, so Federico Dimarco – the leading chance creator in Serie A this season (with 27) – should line up at left wing-back.

Key players

While Simone Inzaghi might have a full squad, it might not mean full strength. Lautaro Martínez for example has five goals in ten in Serie A and strike partner Marcus Thuram has seven in 11 – but they’ve made one Champions League start between them. Inzaghi has rotated for this competition, so Nicolo Barella – as one of the few regulars in both teams – is a must-perform player for the hosts.

He’s creating at a rate of 2.5 chances per 90, plays 4.5 accurate long balls and makes seven recoveries in Europe so far this term, highlighting his impact the entire length of the pitch. Arsenal meanwhile could do with a return to form for Kai Havertz, who has just one goal in his last five…and that came against lower league Preston in the cup. At the moment, it’s Bukayo Saka or nobody for chance creation.

Prediction

Unless Arsenal find a way to raise their game, they’ll struggle to break down Inter, who themselves don’t need to go all-out to find a win. A solitary strike on the night will decide the points and we’ll side with the home team. Inter 1-0 Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Barcelona looking to stay on song in Belgrade

Serbian champions Crvena zvezda (or Red Star Belgrade if you prefer) will host Barcelona for their first meeting in the UEFA Champions League era. The hosts will want to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in Europe, but the visitors will be the overwhelming favourites.

By Neel Shelat

Red Star outmatched in the Champions League

Crvena zvezda have been absolutely dominant in Serbia in recent times. They have won each of the last seven Super Liga titles, also winning the Cup to complete domestic doubles in each of the last four seasons. Since 2020, their final points tallies have been quite something: 108, 100, 97 and 96 last term. They have completed two invincible seasons and lost just four league games in those four seasons.

Despite such dominance, Red Star used to be pushed to a decent extent by city rivals Partizan in the past. The 10-time Super Liga winners have been plagued by massive financial and management issues in the 2020s, so they have fallen off to a significant extent. This has left Crvena zvezda without any serious domestic competition, which hasn’t seemed to have helped them in Europe either.

In 2022/23, the Serbian giants finished at the bottom of their four-team group in the Europa League. Last term, they only managed to come away with one point from six games in the Champions League, and their current record is even worse as they have lost all three games in the league phase so far.

A chance for Barcelona to rotate?

Injury issues have been a major concern for Barcelona in recent years. At the moment, they are the only blot on an otherwise fantastic start to the season under Hansi Flick, as three defenders and three others are unavailable.

With an international break coming up after the weekend’s fixtures, Barcelona’s schedule isn’t too congested for the next couple of weeks, but of course, many of their stars will be quite busy as they go on international duty. So, they might want to use this opportunity to give some of them a bit of rest.

The trouble for Flick is that his first-team squad is pretty thin, so he does not have a great deal of senior options. Among them, the likes of Gavi and Frenkie de Jong have just returned from long injury layoffs and will need to be carefully handled. The Spanish teenager hasn’t started a game in all of 2024, while the Dutchman’s last full 90 was all the way back in February.

The swarms of talent coming through La Masia have been pivotal to Barcelona’s recent success, so a good few of them should be spotted in this match. At the same time, some key youngsters such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí could also do with some rest, though the lack of alternatives will make it difficult for them to get it.

Prediction

Crvena zvezda 1-4 Barcelona

Even if they rotate the team as much as reasonably possible, Barcelona surely have the quality to overwhelm Red Star. The Serbian champions’ domestic dominance means that their defence isn’t very solid as they have already shipped 11 goals in three Champions League match days so far.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Patience pays off as the big results are starting to come for Iraola’s Bournemouth

To say Andoni Iraola had a slow start to life as Bournemouth manager would be a bit of an understatement. The Basque-born tactician had to wait until the end of October last season to register his first victory in charge of the Cherries. It was the 10th game of the season.

By Sam McGuire

Iraola and Bournemouth turned it around, winning 12 more games in the English top flight to equal a club record of 13 wins in the Premier League on their way to a 12th-placed finish.

Their good form didn’t go unnoticed. Iraola was linked with jobs elsewhere, Milos Kerkez was rumoured to be a target for a host of top clubs and teams were sniffing around top scorer Dominic Solanke. In the end, the latter was the only one to depart the club, leaving for Spurs in what was a club-record sale for the Cherries.

Losing Solanke changed how Bournemouth were viewed heading into the new campaign. He was responsible for 35% of their goals last term. If he wasn’t adequately replaced, the Cherries would no doubt struggle.

The Bournemouth boss acknowledged the difficulty of replacing his former No. 9.

“I trust the club, definitely. “I think they have a very difficult job right now, because to replace Dom Solanke, who is the most expensive sale we’ve done in club history, is going to be very, very difficult.

“But I know they are working hard. They are trying hard and I trust them. I am sure they will give their best and they will sign a number nine, definitely.

“I hope they make the right call. Definitely we are going to sign a striker, this is for sure. What we have to be sure is that he is the right profile for us, that comes with the right mentality and can give us a lot of things. Sometimes it is not about finding the most similar player to Dom Solanke. It is the best number nine, who also can adapt to our system well and that is what we are going to try to do.”

To say this worked out would be yet another understatement.

Evanilson was the surprise signing from FC Porto. The Brazilian forward has been linked to a host of Champions League clubs over the years but was chosen as the man to inherit the vacant No. 9 jersey at the Vitality stadium.

And while he’s not the goal machine that Solanke was during his final season with the club, he has had an immediate impact on the team. He won a penalty against Arsenal, scored a stoppage-time equaliser against Aston Villa and scored what turned out to be the winner in the historic victory over reigning champions Manchester City.

The 25-year-old has had a positive impact on the other attackers in the team.

Instead of there being a reliance on Solanke, Bournemouth have multiple ways to score goals. They have a number of threats.

That is likely why, now, 10 games into the 2024/25 campaign, the Cherries are 10th in the Premier League but find themselves just three points off of fourth-placed Chelsea and five points off third-placed Nottingham Forest.

Antoine Semenyo, named as a Liverpool transfer target recently, has stepped his game up this term. He’s on four goals for the season following his strike against Manchester City. The 24-year-old has seen his Expected Goals average almost double this season to 0.36 per 90 up from 0.2 last term. He’s averaging more shots (4.3 up from 2.98), is having more touches in the opposition box and he’s creating more chances. The former Bristol City winger is more of a threat. He capitalised on the vacuum created by Solanke’s departure.

The South Coast club didn’t replace the one-time Chelsea youngster with a like-for-like player. They replaced him in the aggregate. And this has allowed others to flourish.

*Semenyo shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Evanilson has impressed. Semenyo has caught the eye. Justin Kluivert looks to be at home in the 4-2-3-1 system. Marcus Tavernier and Dango Ouattara have both been bright for the Cherries. It is very much a team game.

Bournemouth, as a result of this, are much more of a threat.

In their recent win over Manchester City, Iraola’s men had a higher xG haul. They also carved out six big chances against the champions. Cutting through Pep Guardiola’s side almost at will. They had almost triple the Expected Goals total of Arsenal in their 2-0 win over the Gunners.

The Cherries also won the xG battle in games against Chelsea (1.78 to 0.78) and Newcastle United (2.26 to 1.69) but only managed to claim a single point from these two games.

Iraola has Bournemouth playing brilliant football and their results, largely, match their performances. That is why they have 15 points and an Expected Points (xP) haul of 16. Their xP for the season is on par with Chelsea and Arsenal, two teams with hopes of a title challenge. That is the level the Cherries are playing at.

It has been an incredible 12 months for Bournemouth and highlights why patience pays off.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Analysis: Rodri’s injury has exposed deeper issues at Manchester City

As Manchester City prepare to face Sporting CP tonight, they will aim to avoid suffering three consecutive competitive defeats in the same season for the first time in well over six years. 2-1 defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth have seen them knocked out of the EFL Cup and drop away from the top of the English Premier League standings in the last week, and they clearly do not look as strong as they were earlier this year.

By Neel Shelat

There has been a lot of debate in recent weeks about whether Rodri deserved the Ballon d’Or or if Vinícius Júnior was hard done by, but the Spaniard’s case has been made even stronger this season. While his exceptional performances led Manchester City and Spain to many titles last term, the impact of his absence on the English champions has perhaps spoken the loudest.

City’s results did not immediately drop off after his season-ending injury in September, but their performances in most matches had significant causes for concern. Of course, any team will naturally drop off a notch after losing the best player in the world, but the extent to which Rodri’s absence has affected Manchester City indicates that some deeper problems have been unmasked.

Subpar squad-building

Quite simply, Manchester City would not be in the position they currently find themselves in if they had a like-for-like replacement for Rodri. Their tactical system depends on having an exceptional defensive midfielder who can control proceedings, and while no one in the world can do that to the same level as the Spaniard, there are a good few players who can still do a decent job. However, none of them are in Manchester City’s current squad.

In fact, City do not have any natural lone number six in their ranks other than Rodri. They have been forced to fashion a makeshift solution for the time being from what is an already thin midfield contingent.

So far, Pep Guardiola has used Mateo Kovačić in Rodri’s position and attempted to keep the overall tactical system unchanged. However, the Croatian international is relatively weak when it comes to winning duels and defending in transition, which is a huge drop-off from the elite-level work that Rodri did week in and week out.

*Kovačić defensive stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

Kovačić also has certain deficiencies when it comes to his possession-play going forward, so all things considered, he is not a good Rodri replacement. Of course, it is not his fault that his weaknesses are being exposed in an unfamiliar position, so Manchester City’s squad-building is the real issue here.

This is quite surprising given how generally excellent City have been in this respect. Undoubtedly, their massive budgets are a big plus, but the key to their recent success has been their smart and sensible investment to bring in the right amount of players in the right positions and have adequate depth to challenge on multiple fronts. They seem to have weirdly taken a turn in the wrong direction this summer as their squad has been left too thin with other key positions such as striker also lacking any clear backup. The Premier League champions must now hope that incoming director of football Hugo Viana can bring them back on track ahead of the next season.

Besides restoring some squad depth, Viana will also have to think about Manchester City’s ageing squad. Their average squad member age this season is the highest it has ever been under City Football Group ownership. Of course, part of this can be attributed to ageing stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker who are both well into their 30s, but their recent transfer business has been the main factor as their average age jumped by two years from 25.7 last season to 27.7 currently.

This summer, for example, City sold Julián Alvarez to Atlético Madrid for a club-record €75 million – a good deal in isolation. However, effectively replacing him by bringing back a 33-year-old İlkay Gündoğan and not restoring any depth in the striker position was a very questionable move, and could well hurt them if something were to happen to Erling Haaland.

All things considered, the chief underlying issue affecting Manchester City this season is their subpar squad-building.

Concerning performances

As aforementioned, Manchester City’s performances tailed off right after Rodri’s injury even if results took a while to catch up.

For instance, Guardiola’s side were quite lucky to get away with a 3-2 win over Fulham in early October as they conceded lots of big chances on the break. Ultimately, it was the exact same issue that cost them in the latest loss to Bournemouth.

As detailed above, the root of the issue on the pitch stems from the absence of Rodri and Kovačić’s weaknesses in the position. As a result, Manchester City are conceding transitions and counterattacks far more often than they used to, thus allowing opponents to create more and better chances. They can also fall into a bit of a vicious cycle this way as they are forced to commit more bodies in attack if they concede, making themselves even more vulnerable to counterattacks.

Some other issues have also been exposed to a greater extent. Guardiola’s pressing schemes can tend to be flawed occasionally, but this largely does not hurt his side too much as his exceptional defenders buy him enough time to work on a fix. Without a solid defensive midfielder, though, his side can be instantly punished as they were against Tottenham last week.

*Match momentum vs. Spurs, Carabao Cup 2024/25*

Despite all of these issues, Manchester City are only two points off the top of the league. Although their underlying numbers haven’t been great, the good news is that Liverpool have not been much better and Arsenal have been even worse, so the title remains more than up for grabs.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Manchester City game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2024

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 10

We have new Premier League leaders in Liverpool, the last unbeaten record in the English top-flight has fallen following Bournemouth’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, and there’s now just two winless teams left in the league after Southampton’s victory against Everton.

By Sam McGuire

A lot happened and a number of players managed to catch the eye. But who made the FotMob Team of the Week and why?

Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale

The Southampton shot-stopper was named the FotMob Player of the Match with a rating of 8.5 The former-Arsenal goalkeeper made five saves and played a pivotal part in the Saints keeping a clean sheet, their first of the season. Russell Martin’s side also claimed their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Everton.

Right-Back: Ola Aina

The Nottingham Forest full-back continued his fine form this season with another eye-catching performance against West Ham United. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are now up to third in the table.

The 28-year-old completed 91% of his passes and created one chance. Defensively, he was brilliant too, winning three of his four tackles, 100% of his aerial duels and 71% of his ground duels.

Centre-Back: Jan Bednarek

The Southampton centre-back joined his goalkeeper in the FotMob Team of the Week. Bednarek completed 93% of his passes against Everton. He also completed 80% of his long passes and 100% of his attempted dribbles. The 29-year-old made seven clearances, nine recoveries and triumphed on two of his three aerial duels. It was a solid showing.

Centre-Back: Marcos Senesi

Bournemouth picked up their first ever win over Manchester City this weekend and Senesi more than played his part in the 2-1 victory. The 27-year-old won 80% of his ground duels, 100% of his aerial duels and two of his three tackles. The centre-back also made seven ball recoveries and five clearances.

Left-Back: Milos Kerkez

Kerkez was a revelation down the left for Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon. The Hungary full-back completed 97% of his passes and claimed two assists in the win over the champions. The 20-year-old also completed two of his three dribbles in a showing that proved he could impress against the best.

Midfield: Moises Caicedo

Caicedo almost joined Manchester United a couple of years ago. Instead, he was at Old Trafford on Sunday scoring the equaliser for Chelsea. The 23-year-old bossed it for the Blues, with and without the ball. He completed 83% of his passes and created one chance. He also completed two of his three dribbles and won 67% of his tackles. Caicedo was successful in 100% of his aerial duels and involved himself in 16 ground duels. It was a busy performance.

Midfield: João Gomes

Gomes thought he’d won the game for Wolves when he scored in the 72nd minute. However, Gary O’Neil’s side couldn’t hold on against Crystal Palace and they’re now the only team in the Premier League without a victory. That doesn’t detract from Gomes’ performance though. The Brazil international was the FotMob player of the match having completed the most dribbles (four), he also created three chances and was fouled on three occasions.

Attack: Antoine Semenyo

The 24-year-old has been incredible for Bournemouth this season. He went up another level against Manchester City this weekend though. Semenyo had the highest FotMob rating of the match (9.0). He scored a goal, created three chances, completed the most dribbles of any player in the match (six) and won the most duels (14). Pep Guardiola’s men just couldn’t deal with the versatile forward.

Attack: Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes impressed for Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Manchester United. The Portuguese playmaker was pulling the strings, creating four chances and two big chances for the Red Devils in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea. He scored from the spot, completed 100% of his dribbles and triumphed with 75% of his attempted tackles. He was also heavily involved out of possession, competing in 19 duels.

Attack: Callum Hudson-Odoi

Hudson-Odoi put in an attacking clinic for Nottingham Forest against West Ham United. The former Chelsea youngster scored a goal and carved out four chances, the most of any player. The 23-year-old was also the most accurate passer, finding a teammate with 96% of his attempted passes. His showing earned him an 8.7 rating.

Attack: Dominic Solanke

Solanke has rediscovered his goalscoring touch. The Spurs forward netted a double in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday to take his tally to four goals in eight appearances. The former Bournemouth forward was barely involved in play, attempting just five passes, but made his presence felt in the final third, with four shots. He also won 60% of his duels in what was a proper centre-forward’s performance.

(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.

Nov

2024

Preview: Ruben Amorim’s Sporting take on City with the world watching on

Rúben Amorim knows how Tuesday’s Champions League meeting between Sporting CP and Manchester City will be viewed. In the next Manchester United manager’s own words, a home win would have some label him the “new Alex Ferguson” before his arrival at Old Trafford later this month.

By Graham Ruthven

Context and form

The way Sporting are faring right now, victory over the Premier League champions isn’t out of the question. Indeed, Rúben Amorim’s team have won two of their three Champions League matches this season and will face a City team that has looked shaky in recent matches, particularly Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth.

Even as Manchester City have won games recently, opponents have been able to cause them problems in attacking transition – see Brentford, Fulham and Wolves. Against a Sporting team that has scored an incredible 35 goals in just 10 league games this season, Pep Guardiola and his players could be set for an uncomfortable evening.

The two hottest strikers in Europe meet

This game will see two of Europe’s most potent centre forwards face each other – Viktor Gyökeres and Erling Haaland. The former has 20 goals in 14 games this season while the latter has 14 goals in 13 games. At a time when goalscoring strikers are increasingly difficult to find, Sporting and City have two Scandinavians that find the back of the net for fun.

It could be argued that Gyökeres is a more rounded centre forward than Haaland. The Swede is comfortable taking the ball into his feet and linking up play. However, Gyökeres is more dangerous when attacking open space – as he did for his sensational solo goal against Estrela da Amadora last week – and there could be plenty of that behind City’s backline.

By Haaland’s ridiculously high standards, a run of three goals in his last five games represents something of a lean streak. It’s also somewhat unusual that Manchester City have failed to score more than once in each of their last three games in all competitions – against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth.

*Gyökeres vs. Haaland comparison, league stats only*

Nonetheless, City have several attackers capable of producing something out of nothing with Jérémy Doku, Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes and Savinho all in contention to start on Tuesday evening. Similar could be said of Sporting CP who have Pote and Trincão to provide attacking threat in the half spaces around Gyökeres.

This could be a match ultimately decided by which team can hold things together best in defensive transition. Amorim will hope that his back three formation allows Sporting to outnumber City in the attack while giving Morten Hjulmand and Hidemasa Morita the chance to control possession in midfield.

City’s injury headaches

Manchester City are still figuring out a way to cope in Rodri’s absence with the Ballon d’Or set to miss the rest of the season through injury. Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Rúben Dias, John Stones and Oscar Bobb are also currently sidelined for the Premier League champions.

Meanwhile, defender Eduardo Quaresma is the only player Sporting CP have unavailable through injury, giving Amorim a full squad to choose from. Geny Catamo missed Friday’s match against Estrela da Amadora, but is expected to return at right wing back for Tuesday’s game.

Prediction

Sporting 2-2 Man City – a respectable score draw for both sides, given current goalscoring form.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Liverpool welcome Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen to Anfield

Liverpool are looking to extend their 100% record in the Champions League on Tuesday as they welcome Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield.

By Sam McGuire

For the neutrals, it is one of the group games you aren’t going to want to miss. The potential is there for it to be one of the matches of the tournament so far.

The season so far in Europe

The Reds are one of just two sides to have won all three of their matches in Europe this term. Arne Slot has guided his team to wins over AC Milan, Bologna and RB Leipzig. He comes up against the man many felt would be the perfect Jürgen Klopp replacement, Xabi Alonso.

Had the former Spanish playmaker decided to leave B04 after their unlikely title success last season, he could have been in the home dugout on Tuesday. He instead opted to remain in Germany.

Despite many claiming Alonso wouldn’t be able to recapture the lightning in the bottle that was the 2023/24 campaign, Leverkusen have started well in Europe. They have claimed seven points from a possible nine having beaten Feyenoord and AC Milan. Their last outing, however, was a disappointing 1-1 draw with Brest in a game they took the lead in.

Interestingly, both Liverpool and Leverkusen have scored six goals and conceded one in Europe.

The not so recent history

It’s been almost two decades since these two sides faced off.

Liverpool have met the Bundesliga side on four occasions. There have been two two-legged match-ups and despite the Reds winning three of the four games, the aggregate scoreline of ties won stands at 1-1.

Leverkusen knocked the Merseyside club out of the Champions League in 2002 after overcoming a 1-0 first-leg deficit, winning 4-2 at home.

A Rafa Benítez-led Liverpool romped to a 6-2 aggregate scoreline win over Bayer on their way to success in 2005.

Back to the present day

Liverpool are top of the Premier League table having won eight of their opening 10 fixtures. The Reds came from behind on Saturday to beat Brighton at Anfield just one week after twice coming from behind to draw with Arsenal at the Emirates.

Slot’s side have the mental resilience this term and the defensive resilience required to really be a problem in every single competition. They have the best defensive record in the Premier League and lead the Expected Points table. The praise going their way is more than justified. It is fully deserved.

Leverkusen, on the other hand, have had a strange start to the season in the league. They’re currently fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points off of the top.

An issue for Alonso’s side this term has been the defence. B04 have conceded 15 in the league. For context, this is more than 13th-placed Mainz and 15th-placed St Pauli. When looking at the Expected Points table, Leverkusen have, performance-wise, done enough to be second. They have an Expected Points haul of 18. The reason they aren’t riding high in the league is because they’ve conceded four more goals than they should have, which points to poor goalkeeping.

The Injury situation

Both teams are missing players for this clash.

Liverpool are without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott but Ibrahima Konaté should be available after coming off at half-time against Brighton with a hand injury.

The visitors are expected to be without Martin Terrier, though he could be fit enough to make the bench, while both Amine Adli and Nordi Mukiele are definitely missing from this game at Anfield.

Prediction

It’ll be a tactical battle but with momentum on their side and the backing of Anfield, a Liverpool win should be on the cards. It is an ideal opportunity for Slot to make a statement too, proving he was the right man for the job by picking up the win over someone many had at the top of their Klopp replacement list.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Holders Real Madrid face AC Milan in the Champions League

Carlo Ancelotti welcomes the side for whom he has both played and managed, with distinction, to Madrid for this meeting between European giants in the Champions League

By Ian King

The Considerable History

Well, how long have you got? Real Madrid and Milan are, after all, the two most successful clubs in the history of this competition. They’ve won it 22 times between them and have played in 28 finals, though curiously only one of these was against each other in 1958, when Real won 3-2 in Brussels. But they haven’t played each other recently. Their last meeting in this competition came fourteen years ago, when the two sides drew 2-2 at the San Siro and Real won the return match 2-0.

Have Madrid got over their Clásico nightmare?

Real’s away match at Valencia was understandably postponed last weekend, but their last home match brought their first league defeat of the season, and quite a defeat it was. There’s no way of sugar-coating a 4-0 loss at the Bernabéu to Barcelona, but will the ten days between that match and this have allowed insecurities to fester or a desire to prove a point to flourish?

Milan won their last game at Monza on Saturday, but form has been patchy, with two defeats in their last four games – to Napoli and Fiorentina – and a somewhat underwhelming current position in Serie A of seventh. They haven’t been much better in the Champions League, with only one win and two defeats from their first three matches.

Key players

For Real Madrid, the key player going into this match is probably Vinícius Jr., who was the subject of the club’s weird and not entirely dignified recent decision to not bother to turn up to the Ballon d’Or awards. Such behaviour turns the heat up under him. Will he go out to show the award voters what they could have voted for?

The key player for Milan is Christian Pulisic, who has been their star performer so far this season. His seven goals in all competitions from midfield is more than have been scored by all of Milan’s attacking players between them, and he jointly leads their assists table alongside Rafael Leão.

Team News

Both teams have injuries. Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo and David Alaba are all expected to miss out for Real, though there is hope that Antonio Rüdiger and Lucas Vázquez will be fit again after picking up knocks against Barcelona.

Milan also have injuries, with Luka Jović, Matteo Gabbia, Ismaël Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi all expected to be absent. But there is some good news for them. Tammy Abraham is expected to return, while Rafael Leão also a possible returnee after having missed their trip to Monza.

Prediction

Real Madrid could be considered vulnerable. They roared back to life against Borussia Dortmund in their last CL game, but that Barcelona defeat was chastening and showed how they can be beaten. But the problem with this is that Milan are a pretty limited team at the moment. They haven’t really impressed much in Serie A or this competition yet at all this season, so consequently it’s difficult to see past a comfortable win for the defending champions.

(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.

Nov

2024

Preview: Van Nistelrooy looks for another uplifting win as Man United host Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Manchester United take on Enzo Maresca’s in-form Chelsea side in their first Premier League game of the post-Erik ten Hag era at Old Trafford on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co finally read the writing on the walls and decided to part ways with Ten Hag after the Dutchman led the 20-time champions to their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

Sporting boss Rúben Amorim will be taking over once he’s got his pesky contract obligations out of the way, but for the time being, former-United striker Van Nistelrooy is the man who has been entrusted with the responsibility of guiding 14^th placed United to a win over fifth placed Chelsea.

Expect a totally different Chelsea side

Since taking over in the summer, Maresca has implemented a two-squad system at Chelsea, utilising their immense depth and favouring certain players for certain competitions.

The Italian made eleven changes for their 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle in midweek and will likely do the same against Manchester United as they seek to keep their good league form going.

Enzo Fernández is the latest casualty to Maresca’s methods, after captaining Chelsea in their first league game against Man City, the central midfielder has been dropped with his manager preferring a double pivot of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in the recent games against Liverpool and Newcastle.

Ruud van Nistelrooy gets Manchester United scoring

United scored more goals in their 5-2 League Cup win over Leicester than they had in their previous four games across all competitions under Ten Hag.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has scored in consecutive games for the first time since joining the club, netting in their 2-1 Premier League defeat to West Ham, and bagging a beautiful brace in midweek.

With just eight goals from their opening nine league games, United have the second worst-scoring record in the league, two more than strugglers Crystal Palace and Southampton.

If there’s one thing Van Nistelrooy knows, however, it’s how to find the back of the net.

Cole Palmer set to haunt Man United again?

The last time these two faced off, Palmer stole the show, clutching victory from the jaws of defeat with a remarkable added time winner to round off a hattrick and secure a vital three points for Chelsea in their 4-3 win.

Chelsea aren’t quite as chaotic under Maresca as they were under Mauricio Pochettino last season, but the England international has continued to thrive at the club.

Not even robotic goal machine Erling Haaland or the Egyptian king Mohamed Salah have had more goal involvements than Palmer so far this season. His goal in their 2-1 win over Newcastle on matchday nine has him top of the tree with 12 goals and assists.

Prediction

This one could go either way. United are somewhat of an unknown quantity now that Ten Hag has been given the boot, and despite their impressive start to the season, Chelsea have lost 100% of their games against the traditional ‘top six’ so far this season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Nov

2024

Preview: Spurs continue search for consistency against Emery’s Villans

After being pipped to fourth place last season and denied the subsequent entry to this season’s Champions League by Aston Villa, Tottenham have now established a newfound rivalry with Unai Emery’s men – one that sees the next chapter penned on Sunday.

By Dan Tracey

With the hosts missing out on fourth by two points back in May, Spurs already found themselves five behind the visitors as we headed in to the weekend and Ange Postecoglou will be fully aware that he can’t afford for that margin to get any greater.

The Form Guide

Tottenham’s last six league outings have seen them record three wins and just as many defeats. The only consistency they have of late is their ability to be painfully inconsistent and if they are to surge their way up the table, they must start stringing victories together in succession.

As for Aston Villa, they arrive in London having not lost any of their last six league outings, and perhaps more importantly, they have only suffered one league defeat since the start of the campaign – the one blot on their copybook being the 2-0 reverse at home to Arsenal in the second round of the season. Villa fans would also like to remind you that they are top of the Champions League league phase table.

The potential keys to proceedings

Tottenham’s talisman Heung-min Son has missed the last two games (all comps) but is reportedly winning the race to be fit for Sunday and although Timo Werner scored in the midweek Carabao Cup win against Manchester City, the South Korean forward is expected to join top scorer Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke in attack.

An attack that Emi Martínez, the now two-time Yashin Trophy winner, will look to foil in the Villa goal as the base of a very solid spine that also includes the likes of Ezri Konsa and Amadou Onana. With that spine in place, England’s Ollie Watkins will have licence to take the game to the opposition.

Who’s in and who’s out?

After suffering a hamstring injury in that midweek cup tie, Tottenham look set to be without defender Micky van de Ven for at least a couple of weeks and although bad news for the Dutchman, it does mean Romanian international Radu Drăgușin will likely get a start instead.

Villa boss Unai Emery currently has a clean bill of health and although forward Jhon Durán started in the League Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, he is likely to return to the role of super sub on Sunday.

Prediction

Although Tottenham’s propensity to blow hot and cold in equal measures has made any recent predictions difficult, their midweek win over Manchester City, coupled with impressive home form could prove to be the difference on Sunday.

Boosted by that progress in the Carabao Cup, Spurs will now look to return to winning ways in the Premier League and although Villa won last season’s corresponding fixture in North London, this time I expect the hosts to exact some form of revenge.

(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.