Page 7 – The Pulse of Football

Feb

2025

Randal Kolo Muani, set to star in Sunday’s Derby d’Italia

Randal Kolo Muani’s January arrival has breathed new life into the Juventus attack as they face a pivotal stretch in their season.

By Graham Ruthven

Randal Kolo Muani hasn’t even been a Juventus player for a month, but he’s already breaking records. By notching against Napoli, Como and Empoli, the Frenchman became the first player to score five goals in their first three Serie A games. This is exactly the sort of impact the Bianconeri wanted from their new forward.

*Kolo Muani’s ruthless Serie A shotmap to date*

Juve’s attacking deficiency was clear. While it took until late January for Thiago Motta’s team to suffer their first league defeat this season, they have drawn an incredible 10 times, also drawing a blank in matches against AC Milan, Empoli, Napoli and Roma. The Old Lady needed a difference-maker in the final third.

That’s exactly what Kolo Muani has been since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. He has given Juventus another dimension with his dynamism and is performing the centre forward position in a very different way to Dušan Vlahović who has effectively been cast aside as Motta’s first-choice number nine.

Three years ago, Juventus paid €70m to sign Vlahović from Fiorentina in the belief that the Serbian would be their striker for the foreseeable future. Under Max Allegri, Vlahović struggled for consistent goalscoring form, but many attributed this to the conservative, stodgy style of play favoured by the former Old Lady head coach.

The hope was that Motta’s more expansive approach would get more out of Vlahović, but the 25-year-old’s struggles continued. By the time the January transfer window opened, Motta had made his mind up that he wanted a new striker.

Kolo Muani was linked with several clubs in January. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both reportedly weighed up a move for the French forward. Arsenal were also mentioned as possible suitors. One wonders if the Gunners regret not firming up their tentative interest now that Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are both injured.

It wasn’t just that Juventus needed a new forward, Kolo Muani also needed a fresh start. His career had stalled at PSG after making the €80m move to the Parc des Princes from Eintracht Frankfurt two years ago. Having played just 351 league minutes this season, Kolo Muani had to leave.

He also needed a manager to understand his game. Kolo Muani’s physical and technical attributes have been clear for some time. Less clear, however, has been how those qualities lend themselves to a certain position on the pitch. Is the Frenchman a centre forward? A winger? A secondary forward? Luis Enrique didn’t seem to know.

So far, Motta has deployed Kolo Muani through the centre as a straight replacement for Vlahović, although Juventus’ set-up allows Nico González to drift inside off the right wing to form a front two in possession. Juve did this to good effect in their Champions League win over PSV this week.

Kolo Muani’s first goal in the recent 2-1 win over Como demonstrated the dynamism and directness he now offers Juventus, picking up a pass in quick transition, driving at the opposition defence and firing high into the net from a tight angle. Vlahović never would have scored this sort of goal.

“He’s in good form, he scores goals, but he is sure he can do better,” Motta said, highlighting the expectation Kolo Muani is placing on himself to succeed in Turin. “He needs to keep his feet on the ground and continue to work. There are other things, apart from goals, that a forward needs to do. He is helping, like all the others, everyone had their moment and their characteristics. The squad will keep getting better.”

This season has been a transitional one for Juventus. There have been growing pains. Lots of them. Motta has a specific way of playing and certain players haven’t been able to absorb his methods, Vlahović being chief among them. Juve are a long way from being the finished product under their new manager. Heading in to the weekend they were 12 points off the top of Serie A and somehow feel even further adrift.

January, however, was proof that the Old Lady has fully bought into Motta and his ideas. They have continued to mould their squad in his image, adding Lloyd Kelly and Renato Veiga on loan from the Premier League. Both defenders started against PSV most recently and have sharpened Juve’s ability to play out from the back.

The loan signing of Kolo Muani, however, has been the most impactful. Juventus have won their last three games in all competitions, something they hadn’t done before the arrival of the Frenchman. A Champions League run might be on the cards. A top four finish in Serie A certainly is. Kolo Muani is providing the attacking threat to make it happen.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Preview: Liverpool looking for return to winning ways vs. Wolves

Liverpool host Wolves on Sunday afternoon as the Reds look to get back on track after throwing away a late lead against Merseyside rivals Everton last time out.

By Matt Smith

Vítor Pereira’s side have been on a difficult run of form, but they picked up an impressive win against fellow Midlands outfit Aston Villa in their previous game.

When the two sides met earlier in the season, Liverpool secured a 2-1 victory at Molineux, with Mohamed Salah scoring the winner from the penalty spot. Wolves haven’t won at Anfield in the Premier League since 2010 – Stephen Ward scored the winner that day.

Curtis Jones picks up suspension

After the final whistle against Everton, Curtis Jones received a second yellow card and was subsequently sent off for his involvement in a scuffle with Abdoulaye Doucouré. As a result, the English midfielder will be unavailable due to suspension.

Arne Slot didn’t give much away in terms of team news in his pre-game press conference, but Joseph Gomez is likely to be out after picking up an injury against Plymouth.

Salah remains inevitable for Liverpool

By Mohamed Salah’s lofty standards, the Egyptian forward was fairly quiet against the Toffees, with David Moyes’ side producing an impressive defensive display. Despite that, Salah still came away with an assist and a goal to his name, showing his inevitability even when the Reds aren’t at their best.

The two contributions takes Salah to a whopping 36 goals and assists combined in the Premier League this season. Considering he’s only played 24 times, the former Chelsea man is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues his deadly run of form.

Vítor Pereira keeps his cards close to his chest

In his pre-match press conference, Pereira failed to provide an injury update for his side, perhaps keeping his cards close to his chest on this occasion.

Jørgen Strand Larsen recently returned to training, so it will be interesting to see whether he’s back and available for the Wanderers. Hwang Hee-chan came off injured in the FA Cup last time out and was set to be assessed this week.

Cunha can’t be stopped

Matheus Cunha has been the obvious threat for Wolves so far this season, and his ability to score goals from anywhere has saved Pereira’s side on multiple occasions. The Brazilian attacker has struck 11 times in the Premier League, with four goals from outside the box.

*Cunha shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Cunha has the ability to score goals from nothing, even finding the back of the net with a corner. Wolves are likely to have minimal possession at Anfield, so they will be relying on Cunha to produce his magic once again on Sunday.

Prediction

Liverpool will be expecting to bounce back after their draw in the week, and considering they have lost just once at home this campaign, you’d expect them to secure the three points. Wolves have won just twice on their travels, conceding 28 goals during that time.

We’re going for a comfortable 3-0 victory to Liverpool.

(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.

Feb

2025

Preview: Barca and Rayo will close the latest round in LaLiga

Last weekend Barcelona took full advantage of the 1-1 draw between the two Madrid sides, beating Sevilla 4-1 and cutting the gap between themselves and the top of LaLiga to just two points (at the time of writing). They host high-flying Rayo Vallecano next.

By Alex Roberts

Rayo have won their last three consecutive league games, but they haven’t been pretty. Álvaro García’s 71^st minute goal was the decider in their previous fixture against Real Valladolid, earning them a four-point gap between themselves in sixth and Real Sociedad in seventh – as things stood heading in to the weekend.

Barca can’t seem to stop scoring goals under Hansi Flick, and now they’ve closed the gap on Real Madrid at the top, there will be an almost insatiable desire to make a real statement.

A wealth of attacking options

It doesn’t matter who Barca play in their front three right now, they’re almost guaranteed to score a real bagful of goals. Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal were the main protagonists in the 5-0 Copa del Rey over Valencia, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha were the main men in the win over Sevilla.

Flick’s side are unbeaten across their first 11 games of 2025 across all competitions, scoring a remarkable 41 goals – the most the club has ever recorded at this stage of a new calendar year since 1943.

Barca have scored five goals OR MORE on five separate occasions since the start of the year. There are worse jobs that been a Rayo Vallecano defender, but it’ll probably be pretty dire on Monday night.

The blue haired bandit

It takes a brave man to dye his hair blue, and an even braver one to do it when they’re in the public eye. Romanian right-back Andrei Rațiu has backed his hair style with some impressive performance for Rayo, earning the reported interested of none other than, you guessed it, Barcelona.

Rațiu has been almost ever present for Rayo so far this season, starting 20 of his 21 LaLiga games, scoring once, and providing two assists, playing a key role in their charge for European football.

He didn’t make it off Rayo’s bench in the reverse fixture, which Barca won 2-1 thanks to goals from Pedri and Dani Olmo, so he’ll be wanting to prove a point in a potential audition.

Ronald Araújo can’t catch a break

The centre-back had just signed a new deal, keeping him at the Camp Nou until the summer of 2031 amid serious interest from Italian side Juventus, but now, he’s picked up another injury.

Araújo was brought off after just 22 minutes in the 4-1 win over Sevilla, replaced by youngster Pau Cubarsí, with that appeared to be, a thankfully not so serious ankle injury, keeping him out of action until the end of the month at least.

He had only started featuring regularly in the new year having picked up a hamstring injury while playing in the 2024 Copa America, forcing him to miss the first half of the season.

Just as things were looking up the Uruguay international suffered yet another setback.

Prediction

Barcelona have been seriously impressive so far this year. While Rayo are punching about their weight, this one doesn’t seem like a bout they can win. We’re going to go with 3-0 to Barca.

(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.

Feb

2025

Preview: Juve and Inter set for Derby d’Italia clash

Sunday’s Derby d’Italia has the potential to be a pivotal match for both Juventus and Inter in their respective Serie A campaigns.

By Graham Ruthven

Italy’s derby

Serie A isn’t short of its historic and passionate derbies. The Derby della Capitale is fierce while the Derby della Madonnina is iconic. And yet the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus is the fixture that possibly reflects Italian football best of all.

It’s in the name – this is Italy’s derby. It pits the two most successful clubs in the country against each other with Juventus hosting Inter in the latest episode of this historic rivalry on Sunday.

There is plenty on the line for both sides. For hosts Juve, this is an opportunity to build further momentum after three straight wins in all competitions. The Old Lady haven’t won four matches in-a-row all season and so a victory over Inter would add to the sense that they have turned a corner.

Inter, meanwhile, are chasing Napoli at the top of the Serie A table. Depending on their result away to Lazio, on Saturday, the defending champions may have the opportunity to claim top spot over Antonio Conte’s side.

Juve are unbeaten in 31 of their last 32 league games while Inter are unbeaten in 18 of their last 19. Sunday’s match could be a cagey encounter between two rivals who don’t want to give away too much.

Key players

Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram have a combined 22 league goals this season, giving Inter the second most dangerous and prolific forward line in Serie A (Atalanta’s Retegui and Lookman have a staggering 30 between them). Indeed, no team has scored more goals than the Nerazzurri.

Behind the front two, Inter also boast arguably the strongest midfield unit in the division with Nicolo Barella the two-way operator who will conduct their attacks in quick transition while also providing cohesion in the middle.

Federico Dimarco is a key player for Inter in the way they funnel attacks down the left wing. Juve will need to find a way to stop him if they are to prevent the Nerazzurri from leaving Turn with a win.

Randal Kolo Muani has made an instant impact after joining Juventus on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring five goals in his first three Serie A games against Roma, Como and Empoli. The Frenchman will lead the line for the hosts this weekend.

Weston McKennie scored against PSV on Tuesday and could keep his place in attacking midfield having filled in as a full back in recent matches. Renato Veiga is also expected to start in the backline after joining on loan from Chelsea.

Team news

Inter might be the fresher of the two teams on Sunday given they have had a full week’s rest whereas Juventus faced PSV in a testing Champions League match on Tuesday night. This could give the Nerazzurri an advantage.

Bremer is a long-term absentee for Juventus with Pierre Kalulu also sidelined. Andrea Cambiasso missed the match against PSV with a knock, but could make the bench against Inter this weekend.

Denzel Dumfries will be available again for Inter after missing the recent win over Fiorentina through suspension. With the exception of Raffaele Di Gennaro, Inzaghi will have a fully fit squad to choose from.

Prediction

We’re going to play it safe but considering Juve’s draw record this season, maybe a 1-1 draw is the most realistic scoreline prediction.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

All change at Conceicao’s Milan

The appointment of Paulo Fonseca didn’t work out, it was pretty obvious he was doomed after the first few games. He has since been sacked and replaced by fellow Portuguese boss Sérgio Conceição, with the club seriously backing him in the January transfer window.

By Alex Roberts

Led by ‘senior advisor’ Zlatan Ibrahimović, AC Milan signed a massive six players, addressing several problem positions in what has to be regarded as one of the more interesting winter windows in Europe.

*The Serie A table heading into the weekend*

Milan recognised what they needed and acted. With Davide Calabria out of contract at the end of the season, and no real sign of him signing a new deal, a right-back was required, even if it was temporary.

Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze had fallen out of favour after failing to establish themselves as regular starters or make any genuine impact coming off the bench, so a reshuffle at the top end of the pitch was in order.

Finally, central midfield. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is still on the books but he doesn’t start as many games as he’s probably like. Ismaël Bennacer had fallen down the pecking order and was shipped off to Marseille on loan.

Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana have proven themselves over and over again, but outside of those two, depth in the centre of the park was needed. Should either of those two pick up an injury, it would be a worry.

The most high-profile signing was João Félix’s loan move from Chelsea. Milan saw that he was struggling for minutes in West London, although that was no fault of his own, it’s hard to get in ahead of Cole Palmer at the moment.

Félix is 25 now. In normal human terms, he’s still a kid, but football isn’t for normal humans, and the playmaker is running out of time if he’s hoping to find a home after unsuccessful spells at Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and now Chelsea.

It didn’t take long for him to make an impression, coming off the bench to bag a debut goal in their 3-1 Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Roma, and impressing again in his first start, helping ten-men Milan beat Empoli 2-0.

He’s probably not even unpacked yet and he’s already going on about staying at the club beyond the end of the season. It took him six months to realise Cheslea aren’t the club for him, and, honestly, who can blame him.

One of the most interesting things to happen at AC Milan in recent years is their dipping into the English market. Fikayo Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, and Tammy Abraham have now been joined by veteran right-back Kyle Walker.

It was the right time for Walker to leave City, he could no longer keep up with the pace of the Premier League, and his relationship with the fans was starting to turn toxic despite all he had helped the club achieve over his seven and a half seasons in Manchester.

Walker was thrown in at the deep end, making his debut against arch-rivals Inter. All that did though was prove the England international is a damn good swimmer, taking to one of the biggest games in Europe like a duck to water.

He’s played every minute for Milan since joining, his experience on football’s biggest stage has already proven to be invaluable. There is reportedly an option to buy in his loan contract, he may not be a long-term solution, but temporary ones don’t get much better.

Okafor joined Napoli on loan, leaving a big ol’ gap in the number nine position. The Switzerland international never really took his chance at the San Siro by the scruff of the neck, so Milan went out and got the Eredivisie’s best striker.

Santiago Giménez had been prolific for Feyenoord, scoring 16 goals and providing three assists in his 19 games for the Dutch giants in the first half of the season. Like Félix, Giménez made an almost immediate impression.

He didn’t score on his debut, but he did provide the assist for Félix to score on his. The Mexican then scored in his second game, coming off the bench to secure the the win over Empoli, cutting inside to curl past the ‘keeper.

Giménez made an unhappy return to his old stomping ground in Milan’s Champions League play-off first leg against Feyenoord, losing 1-0. Thankfully they have a game at the San Siro to fix it.

Milan haven’t had a certified bagsman since Ibrahimović, Olivier Giroud was their top goal scorer when they won the 2021-22 title with just 11 league goals. If his time in the Netherlands is anything to go by, Giménez has the ability to get a lot more than that.

Warren Bondo was chosen as Milan’s Bennacer replacement, snatching the young Frenchman away from Monza. A box-to-box midfielder with bags of energy, Bondo not only has the potential to be a future superstar, but he could also provide more than adequate cover.

He’s yet to make his Milan debut, but since he only joined on deadline day, that’s not something that should be read into. Expect to see a lot of Bondo in that famous red and black soon.

Finally, two loans from fellow Serie A clubs round off Milan’s incomings. Both Nicola Zalewski and Riccardo Sottil joined from Roma and Fiorentina respectively. They’re unlikely to be nothing more than squad options, for now at least, but that’s exactly what Milan needed. They’re both relatively young with bags of Serie A experience. It’s smart business.

Milan are no longer the club they used to be, they’re not as prominent in Europe or domestically as they once were. This January proved one thing, however, they want to hang out with the big boys once again.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every AC Milan game on FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2025

Premier League to League One? What’s gone wrong at Luton Town?

With a little over half an hour gone, Luton were a goal down at Sunderland but had the perfect opportunity to pull level. A floated freekick from the right, a sprawling save from a header and there it was. A bouncing ball, an open goal, a panicked swing of a left boot. Sliding Sunderland legs surrounded Milli Alli as he absorbed what had happened, before he was remonstrating with the referee. The officials, however, had saved him. His impossible miss from one yard out, erased from the xG annals by an offside flag. A perfect encapsulation of a diabolical Luton Town campaign.

By Sanny Rudravajhala

Heading into this weekend, Luton are bottom of The Championship. For the longest time I saw their slide as a blip. ‘Rob Edwards will turn it around’, I’d tell myself and all who’d listen. ‘They can stick with him, and go again next season, especially with the Premier League parachute payments.’

From the outside looking in, it seemed quite simple but with Edwards gone, their wretched run is yet to abate. For the 307 travelling fans the Sunderland game was their 14^th winless away watch in a row. Luton’s last victory was at Kenilworth Road before Christmas. That foreboding sense of deflation is now part of the pre-match routine.

“We’re turning up expecting a defeat, and that’s sad.” Dave Gregory, presenter of the Oh When The Town Podcast, tells me.

“In the Premier League, you can have that because the players that we were playing against were world class. And the budgets and everything else, you didn’t expect to beat Arsenal and Liverpool, but we’d give them a good run. But we’re turning up now thinking ‘well, we’re just going to play the same formation. We’re going to play the same way, with no gusto, no guts.’ And I go, expecting to lose.”

It’s just over a year since Luton had their peak Premier League moment. A 4-0 demolition of Brighton, taking the lead after just 19 seconds after stealing the ball from kick-off, with Elijah Adebayo nodding home, under the lights at a ferocious Kenilworth Road. He would leave with the match ball but looking at that XI, it’s the ones that haven’t returned, that have really hit home.

“We didn’t really commit too much to the Premier League in the transfer window. The 1^st January [window] was where we could have made an impact and maybe stayed up. We had some good footballers last season. But we lost Ross Barkley, Sambi Lokonga, Chiedozie Ogbene and Gabe Osho and I think, we’re missing those players more than we thought we would.”

Diving deep on the departed

Looking at the data, Dave is spot on. Luton lost the spine of their side, and it shows. Ross Barkley arrived in Bedfordshire with his reputation in tatters. Before a failed move to Nice, he was the latest promising English midfielder to be chewed up and spat out at Chelsea. But after five goals and four Premier League assists and pulling the strings in the middle of the park and a 7.3 FotMob rating in a team finishing 18^th, it’s no surprise he’s ended up in the Champions League with Aston Villa.

Could Luton have done any more to secure Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal? Injury has hampered his impact at Sevilla but when, last May, he described joining Luton as ‘the best decision’ of his life. Perhaps they could have shelled out for the 25-year-old Belgian. But, Luton, along with my own club Bury, know all about what happens when finances aren’t under control. Whilst I’m watching my side in division nine these days, Luton had successive relegations out of the EFL entirely before their triumphant return and meteoric rise to the Premier League. Under fan ownership, the club have plans for a new stadium, but that work means that cash for new faces hasn’t been all there and that will continue even if they’re trying to re-build again if they suffer another relegation.

“It’s imperative that we stay up because all your bigger players, all those transfer records we’ve broken since being in the Premier League and coming back from it, paying £5 – 10m for a player – Luton Town have never done that up until last season. We could lose those players and then we have to re-build on a budget and a shoestring to get back up, even though we’ve got the payments from the Premier League because they’re going to be put aside for other things.”

League One beckons?

The last side to suffer the fate that Luton fans are fearing, was indeed Sunderland. It’s taken the best part of a decade for them to get the feel-good factor back. Now they’re at the right end of the second tier and dreaming of their own Premier League return. It’s a situation that Luton’s new man in the dugout can dream about, if he keeps them up.

Matt Bloomfield arrived at The Kenny off the back of a sterling second season at Wycombe Wanderers. For me, it felt like the right man at the wrong time. Bloomfield has traded a promotion push with a side where he’s a club legend to one in the mire, where he’s an unknown. His status at The Chairboys afforded him time to turn around a team that had struggled following relegation from The Championship. At Luton he has had little time so far to get his methods in to practice and their listless midweek performance in the North East shows a lot more work is needed.

“When we talk about Matt Bloomfield, has he got time to turn things around? Well, yeah, clearly. But in his first five games, he has no wins. It’s unusual for a manager to come in and not get that new manager bounce. We got some new signings in this January window and they look quite exciting, so it’s not all doom and gloom at this stage. However, it does feel like we’ve appointed a manager just in case we get relegated to League One.”

Divided we fall…

If there’s one thing that you’d say has defined Luton since their return to the EFL, it’s been that desire and fight that gets everyone on their feet. That has been lacking and it’s something Dave says, has had a massive impact on all aspects of the club.

“The togetherness has totally gone from the fans and the club. All that good work we did going into the Premier League and getting people on our side, has gone. There’s a lot of backbiting between the fans. We just don’t look like we’ve got a clue in any department. I thought the tide had turned when we had better showings against Watford and Sunderland at home, but we’ve been absolutely abysmal in every area.”

Next up is Sheffield United. I was at the reverse fixture and even then, Luton looked lost. Given where each side is, it feels like a write-off.

And then, there’s the real test. Lose in the week to a resurgent Plymouth Argyle and I cannot imagine how bad it will be at Kenilworth Road. After those two, it’s the small matter of travelling to Hertfordshire to face Watford. Two pivotal weeks for Matt Bloomfield and Luton but I’m an optimist, so let’s end on a positive: Hatters fans, imagine how you’ll feel if you’re celebrating at least back-to-back wins after victory at Vicarage Road.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

Endrick: Playing the waiting game at Real Madrid

Real Madrid faced off against Manchester City on Tuesday in a battle between the last three UEFA Champions League winners. It was a breathless, end-to-end encounter that saw Real fall behind on two occasions, only to prevail with a 3-2 victory and take a slender advantage into the second leg of the knockout round playoffs.

By Zach Lowy

Whilst Brahim Díaz and Jude Bellingham scored late goals to complete an improbable comeback in Manchester, Endrick watched on from the bench. It was the third time in his last four matches that he remained an unused substitute, and it was yet another disappointing result for a teenager whose debut season at Real Madrid hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

Born in Taguatinga, Brazil, Endrick is the son of Douglas de Sousa Silva Ramos, who left his family when Endrick was 11 to pursue a playing career. His mother was left unemployed and homeless, forcing Endrick and his siblings to reside in an orphanage until his father returned after six months of bouncing around various small clubs in Brasília. With his parents struggling to put food on the table, Endrick vowed to achieve footballing success that had eluded his father and lift his family out of poverty.

He did just that, scoring 165 goals in 169 matches for Palmeiras’ youth teams, and prompting Palmeiras to hire Douglas as a janitor. On October 6, 2022, Endrick became the youngest player to appear for Palmeiras’ first team at 16 years, 2 months, and 16 days old; 19 days later, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian top-flight. He scored three goals in seven appearances as Palmeiras claimed their 11th Série A title, and on December 15, he reached an agreement to join Real Madrid for €35 million and €25m in add-ons upon turning 18 in July 2024.

Endrick validated the hype in 2023 by emerging as a vital cog in Abel Ferreira’s system, a self-sufficient forward who could operate on the flanks or as a centre forward or a second striker, drop deep to receive the ball, create space for himself with his acceleration and dribbling skills, and who was becoming a nightmare for most seasoned defenders in Brazil. Endrick led Palmeiras for both Expected Goals (8.1) and goals (11) in the Brasileirão, none more important than on 1 November, when he grabbed a brace and an assist to erase a 3-0 deficit and beat Botafogo 4-3. Palmeiras moved within three points of league leaders Botafogo, and one month later, Endrick scored a goal on the final day vs. Cruzeiro as they narrowly won the championship.

The hype continued to build as Endrick became the youngest player in 57 years to play for Brazil, before scoring in friendlies against England and Spain in March. After playing in each of Brazil’s four matches in the Copa América, Endrick headed across the Atlantic and fulfilled his boyhood dream of playing for Real Madrid, where he grabbed his debut goal within 10 minutes of coming on vs. Real Valladolid. He needed just 16 minutes to open his UEFA Champions League account on September 17 with a long-distance firecracker against Stuttgart, becoming the youngest Brazilian to score in Europe’s premier competition. But when he was given his first start for Real Madrid on October 2, he failed to take advantage of the opportunity and was hauled off after 57 minutes in a 1-0 defeat to Lille. Since then, Endrick has registered just two starts and three goals – all coming in the Copa del Rey.

He’s played just 31 minutes in LaLiga since the start of December, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact off the bench; Endrick leads all LaLiga players for Goals per 90 (1.00) and Shots on Target per 90 (4.0), whilst he’s currently averaging 11.0 Shots per 90, more than twice as many as anyone else in Spain’s top-flight. However, it does seem that at times he’s been overly eager to impress in his limited game-time, whether that’s racing to win the ball and committing an ill-advised tackle (three bookings already) or undertaking an audacious solo dribble rather than dishing it off to a teammate. We saw this in the 88th minute of September’s Madrileño derby when, instead of passing it to the overlapping Bellingham, he wasted a 3v1 opportunity by firing an injudicious shot from 30 yards out, which trickled out for a goal kick. Seven minutes later, Ángel Correa equalised for Atlético Madrid.

However, perhaps Endrick’s biggest issue is none other than the fact that he’s competing against one of the best footballers on the planet: Kylian Mbappé.

After years of unsuccessfully pursuing the French striker, Real Madrid finally signed Mbappé to a five-year deal that, between his salary and his signing bonus, will see him accrue $36 million per season. Following a slow start to life in Spain, Mbappé is delivering the scintillating form that we’ve grown accustomed to with 23 goals in 35 appearances. He is in the prime of his career at 26 – he doesn’t have time to be gradually eased in like his 18-year-old Brazilian teammate. He’s going to start just about every match and play every minute under Carlo Ancelotti, and there’s nothing that Endrick can do about it.

For all of Ancelotti’s strengths, rotation isn’t one of them: The Italian has been reticent to deviate from his first-choice line-up or make changes to his team during matches. By the time that Ancelotti made his first substitution in the weekend’s draw to Atleti, Diego Simeone had already made four changes. By the time he made his first substitution vs. City, Pep Guardiola had already made three.

*Endrick’s LaLiga stats comparison vs. Mbappé*

“The main reason why Endrick isn’t getting more minutes is that his position is already well-covered,” stated Canal Sur Almería director Salva R. Moya. “In contrast to Raúl Asencio, who has become a starter due to the other centre backs getting injured, Endrick has a lot of competition to deal with. He’s competing with Mbappé for a starting spot, but he’s also competing with the likes of Brahim Díaz and Luka Modrić for the opportunity to come off the bench. It’s complicated for him, but it’s also to be expected as a young kid from Brazil who is coming to fulfill a role like his predecessor Joselu, who began as a benchwarmer and gradually started to impact games more. This has been a transitional season for Endrick, but I have no doubt that he will have more protagonism next season, whether or not Ancelotti stays.”

These past few months have pumped the brakes on Endrick’s meteoric rise for club and country and forced him to play the waiting game. So far, he has shown no inclination to depart on loan and push for more minutes, instead preferring to buckle down and patiently bide his time in the Spanish capital. However, with Mbappé locking down a starting spot in attack, Endrick could very well be forced to depart Madrid in order to secure regular minutes ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Feb

2025

FPL tips from the reigning champ: GW25

Get ahead of the Group Chat thanks to our new regular column from FPL expert Jonas Sand Låbakk.

By Graham Ruthven, in conversation with Jonas Sand Låbakk

Introducing our expert

Jonas is a 21 year old student who, like FotMob, hails from Norway. He was Fantasy Premier League champion for the 2023/24 season, finishing ahead of 11 million other managers. So who better to provide expert advice?

Read his expert advice every week.

*Don’t forget the FPL deadline for this round – make your transfers and get your team sorted before 18:30 GMT on Friday 14 February*

The Eye Test vs. The Stats

Bournemouth have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the Premier League season so far.

Indeed, Andoni Iraola’s team are flying high in the table, chasing European football from their current position of seventh. There’s just three points between Bournemouth and Chelsea in fourth place.

From a FPL point of view, this is a good time to buy Bournemouth assets with the Cherries set to face Southampton and and Wolves in the next two gameweeks. In fact, their favourable run of fixtures could stretch until GW28.

Antoine Semenyo (5.7m) has registered five goal involvements in his last five league appearances while Justin Kluivert (5.9m) and Dango Ouattara (5.1m) are also viable options. Semenyo, however, edges it due to the number of minutes he is likely to secure in the longer term.

*Semenyo’s shooting numbers per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

Bournemouth suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in GW24, but were competitive against the Premier League leaders. The Cherries are capable of holding their own against the very best.

Semenyo posed a threat against Liverpool and was a handful for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Ghanian recorded 0.77 Expected Goal Involvements (xGI) and contributed two goals and two assists in the three matches prior to meeting the Reds.

Averaging 4.1 shots per game, Semenyo is a prolific shooter. This ranks him above any other player receiving regular minutes in the Premier League this season (see graphic above).

Southampton face the Cherries in GW25 with the Saints the worst defensive team in the division, conceding an average of 2.3 goals per game this season. Wolves, who have the third-worst defensive record, await in GW26. Bournemouth assets could be extremely valuable.

Ollie Watkins (8.9m) should be another player on your radar ahead of a double gameweek in GW25.

Short term, Aston Villa have some challenging fixtures to come with games against Liverpool and Chelsea on the horizon. They will also blank in GW29 due to Liverpool playing in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Watkins could still be a good differential if you have the budget to afford him with Aston Villa at home to Ipswich Town this weekend.

This season, Watkins hasn’t reached the heights of the 2023/24 campaign when he notched 19 league goals, but the England international still has 10 goals and five assists from 12.6 xGI. He is still delivering as Villa’s first-choice centre forward.

Watkins is yellow-flagged for the GW25 match against Ipswich, meaning he has only a 75% chance of playing due to injury. Unai Emery will hopefully provide more information on the fitness of his striker in his press conference on Friday. If fit, Watkins would be a good pick for the double gameweek.

Long shot

Ethan Nwaneri (4.5m) has shown glimpses of his ability for Arsenal this season, but he might now become a key figure.

Injuries have hit the Gunners hard. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all sidelined at the moment, opening up a spot for Nwaneri who has caught the eye with his sporadic performances.

Nwaneri found the back of the net in the six minutes he received off the bench against Manchester City in GW24, beating Stefan Ortega with an excellent strike from outside the box. Arsenal would take another one of those this weekend.

Arsenal have two favourable fixtures upcoming with games against Leicester City and West Ham in their next gameweeks. The Gunners also have a fixture in GW29 (unlike some of their rivals) and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Nwaneri play regularly until them.

Only 0.7% of FPL managers owners have Nwaneri in their team, making the teenager a potentially valuable differential.

Upcoming games to follow

There are several interesting games worth following in GW25 from a FPL perspective.

First up is the meeting between Leicester City and Arsenal in the early kick-off on Saturday with the Gunners hoping to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table. I expect Arsenal to perform well, making Leandro Trossard (6.8m), Nwaneri (4.5m) and Gabriel (6.3m) worth monitoring.

Southampton host Bournemouth at 3pm on the same day with the aforementioned midfielders and left back Milos Kerkez (5.0m) on my radar. Kerkez could pose an attacking threat against the basement boys.

Liverpool have a double gameweek against Wolves and Aston Villa in GW25. Both matches will be interesting to watch with the game against Wolves one that could produce some big points hauls.

Mohamed Salah (13.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.4m), Cody Gakpo (7.6m) and Virgil van Dijk (6.4m) are players to target.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Premier League Preview, Matchday 25

For the first time since December, it is a level playing field in the Premier League. Liverpool and Everton played out their game in hand on Wednesday evening meaning all teams now have 14 games remaining.

By Sam McGuire

We know Liverpool have a seven point lead at the summit following the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park while the Toffees are now 10 clear of the drop zone following an upturn in form under David Moyes. So, now we know the state of play, we can look forward to the action this weekend and how it could impact things.

The Seagulls look to complete the double

Brighton stunned Chelsea in the FA Cup last weekend, coming from a goal down to knock Enzo Maresca’s side out. The two sides face off in the Premier League on Friday. The Seagulls, once again, have home advantage.

Fabian Hürzeler’s men have been consistently inconsistent this term, so it’ll be interesting to see which side turns up this evening.

The Seagulls have drawn with both Arsenal and Aston Villa and also beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. However, they lost to Everton at home and then suffered a humbling 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest before their 2-1 win against Chelsea last time out.

They blow hot and cold. That is why they’re mid-table. However, a win would move them to within six points of their opponents.

The Blues are another team struggling for consistency right now. Maresca’s men haven’t had the best start to 2025. In fact, this poor form bleeds into December too. Across their last 10 in all competitions, they have just three wins. And one of these arrived against Morecambe in the FA Cup.

They’re currently clinging onto the final Champions League place but competition is so fierce that they could end this weekend as low as seventh.

It is a corker of a game to kick off this weekend.

Arsenal’s injury woes worsen

Kai Havertz has been added to Arsenal’s ever-growing injury list. The versatile German attacker is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn hamstring. The Gunners are already without Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Mikel Arteta’s options are limited. But they’re still in the title race. The gap between themselves and Liverpool stands at seven points and the two teams face off in May. If Arsenal can remain within touching distance of the Reds, there’s a chance that game at Anfield could be key in where the title ends up.

To stay within touching distance, the Gunners need to be winning the bankers. The clash with Leicester City on Saturday afternoon should be viewed as a banker.

The Foxes are in dire form. Following their 3-2 win over Southampton in mid-October, Leicester have won just three of their 19 matches across all competitions.

Their last Premier League outing was a dismal 4-0 defeat to Everton. A result that saw them slip into the drop zone.

They’re two points off 17th-placed Wolves and 10 behind 16th-placed West Ham. A loss here could leave them with an uphill struggle to avoid relegation. They’re at home against Arsenal but it still should be an easy three points for Arteta and his injured squad.

The battle for a top four finish

Manchester City and Newcastle United are level on points.

A win for either side could well see them leapfrog Chelsea into a Champions League place depending on how the Blues do against Brighton on Friday. It is very much a must-not-lose for either side at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

And both sides have been losing recently.

Newcastle knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup but have lost two of their last three in the Premier League. They fell to defeat against Fulham and were stuffed by Bournemouth at St James’ Park, losing 4-1 against the Cherries.

City, meanwhile, lost 5-1 against Arsenal in their last Premier League outing and gave up two leads against Real Madrid in the Champions League in an eventual 3-2 defeat.

Both teams need a performance on Saturday. Both need a win. Not only to strengthen their chances of a top four finish but also to weaken a rival. This should not be a 3pm kick-off. This should be getting top billing this weekend as it has the potential to be a season-ender for one of these teams.

Can Ange Postecoglou save his job?

Tottenham host Manchester United on Sunday in a game many would’ve looked at the start of the season as one that could have an impact on the Champions League places. Now, though, both teams are struggling in the bottom half of the table. Just two points separate them and a win wouldn’t lift either side into the top half.

That is how terrible things are for both teams at the minute.

Manchester United have already sacked their manager this term, replacing Erik ten Hag with Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese tactician didn’t exactly turn things around at Old Trafford but his job isn’t under threat.

Ange Postecoglou, however, should be worried. The Aussie coach has been backed in the transfer market and though injuries have had an impact on their season, his job is under threat. Spurs crashed out of the Carabao Cup despite taking a 1-0 advantage to Anfield and then they followed that up with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

If they can’t muster a response here, in front of their home fans against an out of sorts United, his time as Tottenham boss may be coming to an abrupt end. He’s looking to save his job. Can he do it?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2025

Preview: Real Madrid travel to draw specialists Osasuna

It’s all going well for Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti once more. Following a midweek victory over Manchester City in the Champions League, they’re well-placed to start their usual assault on the knockout stages there – and domestically they sit top of LaLiga ahead of a trip to win-shy Osasuna.

By Karl Matchett

Always a crisis, always a way out

It’s not uncommon for headlines around Los Blancos to focus on things they’re doing badly, players they need to sign and anything else which could or should be improved, in the eyes of those commentating. But the truth is usually rather less remarkable: Real Madrid are an exceptional team, but don’t win every single game. And, the size of the club being what it is, every non-victory is held up as proof that Things Must Change. So are some of the victories, actually.

Here’s a stat to show that’s probably not really true: more teams have had a player sent off against Real Madrid in 2025, than Real Madrid have actually lost fixtures. The only sides to beat them since early December are Barcelona and Espanyol – hardly “Ancelotti out” territory, nor an example of why they need six summer reinforcements, despite what some headlines will have you believe.

Having drawn the derby last time out in the league they still lead the table by a point and have a reasonable run of league fixtures coming up – nobody in the top six in their next four – which starts at El Sadar on Saturday.

Recent form

Here’s a riddle for you: which three Spanish teams have lost fewer matches than Real Madrid (four) across all competitions in the past three months? Obviously part of the answer is easy, because it’s their next opponents. The other parts of the riddle are their last opponents, actually (Atlético Madrid, one), and Athletic Club (three). Osasuna have tasted defeat just three times too since 9 November, yet ridiculously have won only four. Seven draws in that time explain how they have only lost once more than Barcelona in LaLiga this term, yet sit ninth in the table. Real have won seven of their last nine.

Team news

Enzo Boyomo is suspended and Ante Budimir will probably miss out for Osasuna – a big blow if he does as that’s starting centre-back and striker both then out. Real Madrid are without Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Lucas Vázquez and David Alaba. The latter two could return at the end of this month, though Alaba has been sidelined for months so certainly won’t be rushed back.

Key player

After a slow start to the campaign, Kylian Mbappé is now behind only Robert Lewandowski (19 goals) in the scoring charts, with 16 from an xG of 15.3. He’s averaging 2.3 shots on target per 90, the best of any starter in the league, but also ranks in the top 90 per cent-plus for touches in the box, dribbles, accurate long balls and shots. All-round threat now, which you’d expect for his hype and cost.

*Mbappé player traits – just don’t ask him to track back!*

Prediction

Another three points for the visitors, in a fairly low-key game: Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 2.

(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.