Page 8 – The Pulse of Football

Mar

2025

Real Sociedad: Underachieving at home but still on the hunt in Europe

Real Sociedad welcome Rúben Amorim’s struggling Manchester United on Thursday with the Basque side suffering many of their own troubles.

By Graham Ruthven

Every match is an ordeal for Manchester United right now. Rúben Amorim’s side are currently at a lower ebb than any other United team in modern history, meaning Real Sociedad have a genuine shot at knocking out the Red Devils when they meet in the Europa League. La Real, however, have some troubles of their own.

In fact, there is overlap between the issues being experienced by Manchester United and those that have dragged down Real Sociedad this season. Most notably, both teams are struggling badly for attacking firepower. This is something that could make Thursday’s clash at the Anoeta a cagey one between two teams lacking in confidence.

La Real come into the match on the back of a 4-0 defeat too Barcelona. Of course, a loss to the team leading LaLiga isn’t exactly something to be ashamed of, and Aritz Elustondo’s early red card also tilted the game towards the Catalans, but the toothlessness of the visitors to Montjuïc was reflective of their season as a whole.

Only Getafe and Real Valladolid have scored fewer goals in the Spanish top flight this season than Real Sociedad. La Real are underperforming their Expected Goals (xG) of 29.1 having scored just 23, but not by enough that it would make a meaningful difference to their league position had their attackers been sharper in front of goal.

It should be noted that Real Sociedad have never been known for their attacking exploits with Imanol Alguacil at the helm. Even when Alexander Isak was at the club, La Real were known for being among the best at winning duels and competing all over the pitch, not for putting the ball in the back of the net.

Even still, La Real have been criticised for being too predictable in their attacking play this season. In Take Kubo and Mikel Oyarzabal, they boast two players who, on their day, are among the best natural creators in La Liga, but Real Sociedad have become one-dimensional in their possession play into the final third.

Real Sociedad are one of just six teams in LaLiga not to have scored a goal from a passing sequence of more than 10 passes this season. They have drawn a blank in three of their last five matches in all competitions and could struggle to find the back of the net against Manchester United on Thursday.

Manchester United have toiled in a similar way. Against low defensive blocks, Amorim has been unable to find a possession structure capable of opening up space in the attacking third. Alguacil has encountered the same issue despite boasting Martin Zubimendi, one of the best midfield pace-setters in Spain.

These issues have been even more acute in the periods when Kubo has been injured. Oyarzabal has also suffered injury troubles over the course of the campaign, playing 1,400 minutes in the league when Real Sociedad would ideally be able to call on the Euro 2024 winner in every match possible.

Last summer, Real Sociedad lost two key players in the shape of Mikel Merino and Robin Le Normand. Alguacil publicly pushed for the club to sign replacements who could deliver immediately in their place, but instead La Real focused on the future, spending the best part of €50m on players under the age of 23.

Luka Sučić, Javi López, Sergio Gómez, and Orri Óskarsson all arrived at the Anoeta and while all four have received regular game time this season, there is a sense that Real Sociedad are looking to the future rather than competing in the present. This has been frustrating for Alguacil whose physical approach requires experienced players to function at its best.

In past seasons, Real Sociedad have positioned themselves high up the pitch to win the ball and create opportunities from those situations. Now, though, their pressing structure isn’t coherent enough to do this with opponents regularly forcing them to play long. La Real have struggled against man-to-man marking systems.

After seven largely successful years with Alguacil in charge, Real Sociedad have reached a crossroads. Currently sitting ninth in the table, they are a long way from where they want to be and are being shown up by their Basque rivals Athletic Club who are on course for a place in the top four. As things stand, they will be in the Champions League next season.

La Real’s transfer model has sustained them at the top level of Spanish football for a long time, but with Zubimendi believed to be next on his way out of the Anoeta the San Sebastian club has put a lot of pressure on itself to self-renew once again. Manchester United are at the start of a rebuild and they’re aren’t the only ones.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2025

Preview: Chelsea visit Copenhagen in the Conference League

The odds-on favourites for the Europa Conference League have been struggling domestically, but they should still be too strong for FC København.

By Ian King

Recent form

Losing to Brighton in the FA Cup made the Europa Conference League Chelsea’s only hope of silverware this season, and they’re still the odds-on favourites to win this tournament overall. But recent form has been mixed, with West Ham, Wolves and Southampton (15th, 17th and 20th in the Premier League respectively) the only teams they’ve beaten in the League since before Christmas.

FC København are top of the Superliga by a point and haven’t lost domestically since the 14th September, though it should be added that the Danish season has a two and a half month winter break. They finished 18th in the Europa Conference League megagroup, winning 2, drawing 2 and losing 2.

European pedigree

These two have only met once in European competition before. In the 2010/11 Champions League Round of 16, they played a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea won the return match 2-0 in Copenhagen. FC København got through to the Round of 16 of the Champions League last season too, qualifying alongside Bayern Munchen while eliminating Galatasaray and Manchester United. They were beaten by Manchester City. Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021. How they got from this to being in this competition in the space of four years is a long and complicated story.

Key players

Cole Palmer has been the glue that has held this Chelsea team together this season. He’s their joint-highest scorer, but he was left out of their squad for the group stages. He’s back in now. Christopher Nkunku is the other joint-top scorer with Palmer because he’s scored seven in this very competition. He’s been coming in for a lot of criticism, perhaps a big performance in a higher profile European match might silence some of that.

FC København have an English connection in the form of goalkeeper Nathan Trott, who is on loan from West Ham. He played six games for England’s U20s, and also represented Bermuda at youth level.

Team News

Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and Benoît Badiashile are all close to returning from injury, but may not quite be ready in time. Enzo Maresca may well err on the side of caution for a winnable-looking European match such as this. Their other injuries are longer term.

Andreas Cornelius, Lukas Lerager, Nicolai Boilsen and Roony Bardghji are all injury doubts for FC København, while Jordy ‘Son of Henrik’ Larsson missed their last match at Aalborg, and it’s not known whether he’ll be back for this one.

Prediction

Chelsea have been struggling in the Premier League since before Christmas, but the Europa Conference League has been their happy place. With six wins out of six in the megagroup, they’re clear favourites to win this tournament. FC København beat Manchester United 4-3 at home in last year’s Champions League, but the gulf is huge and the inclusion of Cole Palmer alone a potential game-changer. 2-0 Chelsea, and a reasonably uneventful evening.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Europa Conference 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.

Mar

2025

Preview: Manchester United face Real Sociedad in the Basque Country

After losing to Fulham in the FA Cup on penalties, the Europa League means more than ever to Manchester United this season.

By Ian King

Two sides with little else to play for

Elimination from the FA Cup on penalty kicks has hit Manchester United hard. The Europa League is now their only chance of silverware this season, but it’s not just that. They also now need to win this tournament to qualify for any form of European football next season, and considering the state of their finances the revenue from that is something they need more than ever. Real Sociedad have been up and down all season but their recent form hasn’t been great, with five defeats from their last seven matches in LaLiga as well as a recent elimination from the Copa Del Rey against Real Madrid.

Previous Meetings

The good news for Rúben Amorim is that Manchester United have only lost once in six previous matches against Real Sociedad. This was a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford in September 2022. United won the return match in San Sebastian by the same score. That win also marked the only time that Real Sociedad have ever scored in a competitive match against United, with United having won three previous meetings with a clean sheet and two goalless draws.

Key players

Nayef Aguerd has been a rock at the centre of the Real Sociedad defence this season since joining on loan from West Ham They’ve been dependent on this. With just 23 goals in 26 league matches, they’re the third-lowest scorers in the whole of LaLiga despite being 9th in the table. As for Manchester United… is it cheating to mention Bruno Fernandes again? It’s felt as though he’s been the bolt that has stopped them from completely falling apart in recent weeks.

*LaLiga 2024/25 stats – Real Sociedad don’t score many, don’t concede many*

Team News

Harry Maguire is another fresh injury doubt for United after limping off against Fulham. Patrick Dorgu is suspended from domestic competitions after being sent off against Ipswich, but could return for this match. Seventeen-year-old Chido Obi is ineligible after they failed to register him in their revised Europa League squad list that was submitted last month.

Real Sociedad have a number of injuries. Jon Pacheco remains injured and isn’t expected to return until later this month, while Arsen Zakharyan has joined him. Star players Sheraldo Becker, Takefusa Kubo and Aguerd are all available after missing their recent defeat at Barcelona through suspension.

Prediction

Manchester United looked as flaccid as ever against Fulham at the weekend and even their recent wins have looked some distance short of impressive, but they really do need a result from this match to take back to Old Trafford for the second leg. Considering Real Sociedad’s issues in front of goal this season and the fact that they’ve only ever scored once in six previous meetings – which would be no more than a statistical anomaly were it not for the fact that four of these meetings have been in the last four years – a goalless draw and a tense second leg feels realistic.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Europa 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.

Mar

2025

Preview: Spurs go to Alkmaar in repeat of League Phase fixture

AZ Alkmaar host Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League Round of 16 first-leg tie at the AFAS Stadion.

By Matt Smith

Ange Postecoglou’s side are facing their final opportunity to win a trophy with the Premier League out of reach and them being out of every other competition. AZ have already reached a domestic final this season, but the Europa League is the real test for them.

Spurs will have confidence heading into this game having faced AZ earlier in the campaign, securing a 1-0 victory thanks to a Richarlison penalty.

Alkmaar without attacking quartet

Alkmaar are expected to be without attacking quartet Mexx Meerdink, Ruben van Bommel, Jayden Addai and Sven Mijnans for the home leg against Tottenham in the Europa League.

Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott has been in and out of the side over the last few months, but with fewer options going forward, he could cement a regular place in the starting XI for the time being.

Former Spurs man flying for Alkmaar

Tottenham sold young striker Parrott to Alkmaar in the summer transfer window, and they could live to regret that after being drawn against them in this competition. The Republic of Ireland international has struck 17 times in all competitions this season, and he’s been a key provider in the Europa League.

Parrott has struck four times in Europe this term, providing a singular assist, scoring three times in his last four games in the competition. The 23-year-old may have a little extra motivation on Thursday night, looking to prove a point against his former club.

Tottenham dealt Kulusevski blow

Reports emerged earlier this week that Dejan Kulusevski had suffered a foot injury, with Postecoglou dealt yet another blow. Later confirmed by the club, the Swedish international had already posted a picture online wearing a protective boot.

In better news, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Dominic Solanke appear to be edging closer to full fitness, with Postecoglou’s squad starting to get back in better shape overall.

Maddison to step up again

If Kulusevski is unavailable, Tottenham will need James Maddison to step up once again in the attacking midfield position. The England international scored and provided an assist against Hoffenheim in the final League Phase match.

No player has produced more assists than Maddison for Spurs in the Europa League this season, and with Kulusevski potentially unavailable, the pressure will be on him to be the creative option in the middle of the park for Postecoglou’s side.

Prediction

Playing away from home in the opening leg, a draw wouldn’t be the worst for Spurs. The north London outfit have plenty of games to play before the international break, so we could see some rotation.

We’re going for a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Mar

2025

What can the San Francisco 49ers bring to Glasgow Rangers?

The owners of the San Francisco 49ers are set to complete a takeover of Rangers with the Glasgow club in desperate need of a new direction.

By Graham Ruthven

Barry Ferguson’s honeymoon as Rangers manager didn’t last long. Less than a week, to be precise. This was all that was between the former club captain’s interim appointment and the 2-1 defeat to Motherwell in his home managerial debut. The home fans who were still inside Ibrox for the full time whistle booed. Loudly.

The boos weren’t necessarily for Ferguson, but for the situation Rangers find themselves in. The Govan outfit are a long way from title contention, trailing Celtic by 16 points at the top of the Scottish Premiership. On top of this, last month’s home defeat to second-tier Queen’s Park in the Cup was one of the most embarrassing results in Rangers’ modern history.

Amid the doom and gloom, though, Rangers fans have allowed themselves to dream of better times as reports of an imminent takeover have emerged. Indeed, the owners of the San Francisco 49ers are set to purchase a controlling stake in the Glasgow club which a deal reportedly to be ratified by the summer.

49ers Enterprises already own Leeds United, raising the prospect that Rangers could be placed into a multi-club ownership group. This might make some supporters nervous of becoming a feeder team to another club down south, but Rangers desperately need some new ideas – and investment – to catch Celtic.

Any takeover would have to be a long-term project. It might be years before Rangers can even think about challenging for the title again such is the gap that has opened up at the top of the Scottish game. How the 49ers would square this with the relentless desire for trophies at Ibrox is unclear. A realignment of expectations at the club might have to happen.

Rangers are still paying for a series of bad decisions made in the transfer market. After winning the Scottish title under Steven Gerrard in 2020/21 and reaching the Europa League final the following season, the club had a number of valuable assets. There was interest in the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara and Borna Barišić who could have brought in £50m or more.

Rather than moving them on, though, Rangers kept most of their best players until they stagnated. Kent, Morelos and Barišić left as free agents while Kamara was sold for just £8m when clubs had been prepared to offer double that when the Finnish midfielder’s stock was highest. This left Rangers to rebuild their squad without anything to re-invest.

Celtic, on the other hand, have continued to sign young, develop and sell on. This has been their transfer model for over a decade and it has seen the club collect over €100m in fees over the last two seasons. And yet Brendan Rodgers’ side are strolling to a fourth straight title having made the knockout rounds of the Champions League this season.

To compound the mistakes made post-Gerrard, Rangers have bought poorly. Over £15m was spent at the start of Michael Beale’s ill-fated tenure only for almost every signing to be a dud. Last summer, another £15m was spent and while the hit rate was slightly better with Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande showing potential, Rangers still aren’t getting bang for their buck.

If the 49ers’ takeover pushes Rangers towards a more coherent transfer strategy, this can only be a good thing for the club. Supporters might be impatient to get back to winning ways, but new foundations must be built before Rangers can truly start to target titles and trophies. This process will take some time.

The upside in buying Rangers, however, is clear. This is a club with an estimated support of nine million fans around the world. Rangers might not have access to the Premier League as Leeds United do, but they play in European competition virtually every season. It’s much easier for the 49ers to get Rangers into the Champions League than Leeds.

Scottish football in general is attracting a lot of outside investment at the moment as multi-club groups recognise the potential north of the border. Hibernian are part of the same multi-club network as Bournemouth while Hearts have a partnership with Brighton owner Tony Bloom which could lead to an injection of £10m.

Rangers need more than £10m to get on the straight and narrow again. The Ibrox club registered losses of £17m last year and clearly need a new direction on and off the pitch. Multi-club ownership comes with its own challenges, and Rangers should be wary of losing any autonomy, but the 49ers’ takeover could be the ladder they need to get out of the hole they dug for themselves.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2025

Liverpool vs. PSG shows the new Champions League format has a serious flaw

Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain may be dream opponents for UEFA in the first knockout round of the inaugural Champions League expansion, but it is a draw that leaves the Reds hard done by.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

“It could have been a Champions League final.”

PSG manager Luis Enrique summed it up in his assessment of a tantalising tie between his side and Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Heading into the first leg at the Parc des Princes both sides are 13 points clear at the top of their respective leagues and considered champions-elect. PSG need six wins from 10 games to guarantee the title, Liverpool need seven.

It is undoubtedly one of the toughest fixtures in the tournament’s first proper knockout stage and one that UEFA, presiding over the first Champions League with 36 teams and a new format, will have been rubbing their hands together over when the draw was completed.

This is, after all, the purpose of expanding the Champions League and introducing a new league phase to replace the traditional group stage: more high-profile ties, earlier in the tournament, and more eyes on the product.

But for Liverpool, who stormed to the top of the table with seven wins from eight, drawing the reigning French champions and a side, like themselves, on a 24-game unbeaten streak is little reward for their efforts over those league games.

Not that Arne Slot and his players will let on, with every challenge embraced in a remarkably strong season, including resounding wins over the Spanish, German and English champions Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City already.

They head to Paris on the back to comfortable victories against Manchester City and Newcastle and with few injury problems to contend with, largely due to careful squad management and the eye for detail of lead physical performance coach Ruben Peeters.

Liverpool boast the world’s current best player in Mohamed Salah and the best centre-back in Virgil van Dijk, along with a number of others operating at elite form, such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konaté and Cody Gakpo.

Bookmakers place the Reds as favourites to progress to the quarter-finals, aided by the second leg being held at Anfield, which they earned by virtue of avoiding the playoffs with a top-eight finish.

But the inclusion of a playoff round, pitting the sides who finished ninth to 24th against each other to determine the other eight sides to reach the last 16, has clouded any reward for a near-perfect league phase.

It meant Liverpool and second-placed Barcelona knew they would play one of the winners of two playoffs between PSG, Benfica, Monaco and Brest, the sides who finished 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th respectively.

Drawn against domestic opposition, PSG battered Brest 10-0 over two legs to reach the last 16 and make a mockery of their league placing after facing Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City among their eight opponents.

Speaking in January, after a 2-1 win over Lille in the penultimate round of the league phase, Slot admitted even he wasn’t sure of the advantages of finishing top of the table, with the subsequent knockout draw so dependent on other teams’ performance.

“In tennis, when you are No. 1 seeded you know it’s always better to face the No. 24 than the No. 8 or the No. 12, because this is a ranking that is done for years,” he told reporters.

“But now we are in a new format where some teams are high in the league table because they had a lucky draw or some teams are low because they had a very difficult draw. So it’s far off to say that it’s an advantage to be one or two, we still don’t know yet if that’s an advantage or not.

“You might be lucky, you might be very unlucky, and ending up eighth can mean that you are maybe lucky. So for me, it doesn’t tell me anything.

“What’s, for me, the most important thing is that we’ve managed to skip a round, and that is definitely worth a bit.”

After the postponement of the December trip to Everton and a rescheduling due to their progress to the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool did not even enjoy the benefits of skipping the playoffs, with two midweek league games taking their place.

Either way, the fact remains that Aston Villa, who finished eighth, landed an objectively easier last-16 tie, with opponents Club Brugge finishing 24th in the league phase and only advancing after a defiant playoff win over Atalanta who finished ninth.

Again, this is exactly what UEFA will cherish when they look back on the first iteration of this new Champions League, but there is certainly a question over whether this is entirely fair.

Scrapping the playoffs and establishing a straightforward seeding for the knockout stages – first vs. 16th, second vs. 15th and so on – would surely serve as more justified reward for excelling in the marathon of an eight-game league phase.

Whether that will come into consideration when the European Club Association weigh up the pros and cons of this new format remains to be seen.

But it could lead the likes of Liverpool to alter their approach to the league phase in future, as ultimately five wins out of eight for Villa resulted in a better draw than their own seven wins and one dead-rubber defeat.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

To keep up to date with everything Liverpool, make sure you click follow on the team profile in the FotMob app. Download the free app here.

Mar

2025

Luis Enrique’s ‘proper’ PSG team pose a threat in the Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain are no longer pretenders to the crown.

By Sam McGuire

For years, they were labelled as one of the best teams in the world. This wasn’t ever really true. They may have had some of the best players in the world, but they didn’t operate as a team. They had too many egos to massage with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar all vying to be the King of Paris.

They’d attack as a team but would they defend as a team? Absolutely not.

Even after Messi and Neymar left, it felt like Mbappé plus 10 others on the pitch. They reached the Champions League semi-finals last season but, objectively speaking, weren’t great. They finished second in their group on eight points having won just two of their six matches. They only qualified for the knockout stage due to having a superior head-to-head goal difference against AC Milan.

They beat Real Sociedad in the round-of-16 and then lost the first-leg of their quarter-final clash 3-2 to Barcelona, at home. They did hammer Barca at the Camp Nou, 4-1, after an early red card to Ronald Araújo.

PSG then lost 2-0 on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final.

Given their spend over the years and the squad at their disposal, performances should’ve been better in European competition, right?

Domestically, they dominated last season.

They finished nine points clear of Monaco to win Ligue 1 and also beat Lyon in the final of the Coupe De France.

Mbappé finally departed in the summer, leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer. PSG didn’t go big in the market to replace their poster boy. The highly-rated Désiré Doué joined from Rennes for €50million to bolster their attacking options. Other areas of the team were strengthened but it was sensible business rather than moves you’d associate with FIFA Ultimate Team.

Their Champions League campaign didn’t get off to the best of starts this season – they lost to Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich. They also drew with PSV. However, three successive wins helped them make it to the play-offs. This included a 4-2 victory over Manchester City having been 2-0 down. They then destroyed Brest in the play-off game, racking up an aggregate 10-0 win.

They head into their game against Liverpool on a 10-match winning streak. In fact, they’re unbeaten since their 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in November.

During this winning run, Luis Enrique’s side have scored 40 goals and conceded just seven. Ousmane Dembélé is in the form of his career. He’s currently the leading scorer in Ligue 1 with 18.

PSG dominate the FotMob average player ratings too with Achraf Hakimi, Dembélé and João Neves making up the top three this term across Ligue 1.

Bradley Barcola has found his feet too, despite there being some concerns over his role within the squad following the arrival of Doué, and has 12 league goals to his name. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a threat. The Georgian international joined from Napoli in January and has seamlessly slotted in to Enrique’s XI.

Doué is chipping in with goals and assists now and was the star of the show in the recent 4-1 win over Lille.

After that particular game, the manager added fuel to the fire, saying: “We’re not going to change much, today was a test, Liverpool and Lille have similar things, we put them under such pressure that they could no longer play from the back, they had to play long.

“It will be different, it will be very complicated of course, but we are in the best period of the season. We will play against the best team in Europe, qualified brilliantly, but it is not in our mentality to speculate, protect ourselves, stay defensive, we will attack and we will try to turn that in our favour.”

“I know Liverpool very well, without a doubt they are the team in the best form in Europe both in terms of results and play. It could have been a Champions League final, we’re going to try to do it with our weapons.”

Things are now just well balanced. Enrique has a team rather than a collection of players. And it is pretty evident when looking at the stats too.

They top Ligue 1 for goals scored, averaging 2.9 goals per 90. They have the highest xG – 63.9 (66 goals). They’ve carved out 131 big chances – the only team in France to be in triple digits. They’re robust defensively too, conceding 23 goals from an xG Against of 23.2.

In Europe, their record is alright too. They have the fourth highest xG and rank second for big chances created with 48. The games against Brest boosted these numbers but their output is still impressive when you consider they faced off against Arsenal, Atlético, Bayern and Manchester City.

PSG look well equipped. They have a fluid front three with a Plan B option in Gonçalo Ramos if needed. They can stack their midfield in a variety of different ways to either dominate the ball or dominate space. Defensively, they look fairly solid these days with Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho rotating alongside Marquinhos. Nuno Mendes is back at left-back and Hakimi is owning the right-flank.

This is no longer a FIFA Ultimate Team XI. This is a proper team with multiple ways to win a match. And that is why they’re a concern. PSG of yesteryear wouldn’t have worried me at all. Arne Slot’s ruthless Reds would’ve done a professional job on them. This iteration, however, could be more of a problem for the Premier League leaders.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2025

Preview: Heavyweights collide as PSG host Liverpool

Two of the most in-form teams in Europe are set to square off in the UEFA Champions League’s Round of 16 as French champions PSG face Premier League leaders Liverpool.

By Neel Shelat

An entertaining open game in the offing

Especially in recent years, clashes between Europe’s very best teams have often been fairly cagey affairs. However, both Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool’s performances this season suggest that their meeting will really live up to the billing. They are the top scorers in their respective leagues by sizable margins and have also averaged over 2 goals scored per game in the UEFA Champions League.

One of the keys to Liverpool’s success under Arne Slot has been their ability to deal serious damage in transition, so they certainly will not mind an end-to-end affair at the Parc des Princes. Although Luis Enrique is generally thought of as a more control-oriented coach, he too has shown a willingness to let things open up in big games of late, so both sides could well go at it with hammer and tongs.

Dembélé and Salah: two of the world’s most in-form attackers

A big reason why both teams won’t mind letting the game open up is that they will back their star attackers to make the difference when given the opportunity to run at goal. Ousmane Dembélé and Mohamed Salah are arguably the two most in-form players in the world right now, and will surely be competing for the next Ballon d’Or at this rate.

*Domestic league stat comparison, Dembélé vs. Salah*

Although Salah’s numbers look better over the course of the season, the French forward has been on an absolute tear of late after being deployed in a central role as the answer to PSG’s striker issues. He has scored a whopping 21 goals in his last 18 appearances across all competitions, just a few more than the Egyptian international’s 17 in the same period.

PSG’s scintillating form

Paris Saint-Germain are the most in-form team among the Champions League’s last 16. They have won 19 and drawn the other two of their last 21 matches across all competitions, with the list of results including a 4-2 triumph over Manchester City, three wins over Monaco including one in the French Super Cup and a 10-0 aggregate thumping of Brest in the UCL playoff that got them to this tie.

Could this be the season PSG break their UCL curse?

Paris Saint-Germain have famously never won Europe’s premier continental competition despite billions of Euros’ worth of investment in recent years under Qatari ownership. They faltered on the final hurdle in 2020 and subsequently looked to assemble an all-star squad including an attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, but the iconic trophy remained elusive.

With each of those players having now left the club, this season marks the beginning of a new era for PSG. Indeed, Luis Enrique is among many who believe that they are a better team now, but only time can tell whether they will miss some star power in the Champions League knockouts.

Prediction

With little to separate the two sides, this tie should be expected to go down to the wire. A score draw will set up an equally exciting second leg at Anfield.

(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.

Mar

2025

Preview: Benfica and Barcelona go again in the Champions League

Benfica and Barcelona meet for the second time in this season’s Champions League with a place in the quarter-finals on the line this time.

By Graham Ruthven

High expectations

Nine goals were shared between Benfica and Barcelona the last time they met in this season’s Champions League with the Catalans leaving Lisbon with a famous 5-4 win which saw them score three goals in the closing stages.

The Portuguese side have made a habit of generating such excitement in the Champions League this season having made the last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate win over Monaco. Bruno Lage would surely settle for something calmer on Wednesday.

Barcelona, however, aren’t involved in many calm games. They were the top scorers of the league phase, netting 28 goals in just eight matches, and come into Wednesday’s fixture against Benfica having scored eight goals in their last two outings.

Benfica also enter the last 16 tie in strong form, winning seven of their last eight in all competitions. They have also scored in all but one of their home games this season. Barcelona will be tested.

Key players

Vangelis Pavlidis has scored an impressive seven goals in nine Champions League matches, making him one of the most prolific forwards in the competition so far this season. The Greek will be a big threat in behind Barcelona’s high defensive line.

Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Ángel Di María will also carry a threat in the wide areas, although the latter is carrying a knock and might have to start Wednesday’s game on the bench.

At the back, Nicolás Otamendi and Anatoliy Trubin will have to be in top form to keep Barcelona’s incredible attacking line at arm’s length. Benfica might need some fortune on their side to get through the game.

Barca have an array of attacking talent, most of whom could make the difference at the Estadio da Luz. Two of the top four scorers in this season’s Champions League are Barcelona players with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha combining for 17 goals.

Lamine Yamal continues to get better and better with the teenage sensation set to start on the right side of the Barcelona attacking. His dribbling ability and natural creativity makes him so difficult to play against.

Ronald Araújo is expected to keep his place in central defence alongside Pau Cubarsí, but can Barca keep things together at the back when so many opponents have been able to expose them defensively this season?

Team news

Florentino Luís will miss out through injury for Benfica with Alexander Bah, Manu Silva, Tiago Gouveia and Renato Sanches also sidelined for the Portuguese side. Di María could also miss out.

Bruma, however, will return to the fold after a three-game ban carried over from the Europa League when he was a Braga player. The Portuguese international could start in the attacking line if Di María is absent.

Gavi missed the weekend win over Real Sociedad due to illness, but should be available to start against Benfica on Wednesday. The 20-year-old could come into Barca’s midfield unit for the match.

Andreas Christensen is injured again after suffering another calf strain while Marc-André Ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are still working their way back from long-term injuries.

Prediction

We think there will be goals, again, and that Barca will take home a narrow advantage to defend in next week’s second leg: Benfica 2-3 Barcelona

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Mar

2025

Preview: Arsenal travel to PSV in the Champions League Round of 16

The ‘new’ Champions League moves into its ‘old’ format now: two legs, no do-overs, win and in or give up the ghost and wait until next year. The one intriguing alteration: teams can already map out their route to the final from this point on, and Arsenal might feel aggrieved at their potential path.

By Karl Matchett

Tough side of the draw

Flip a coin as to whether you see foresight as a motivational factor or a mood-killer – it’ll probably depend on your own team and their possible options. For Arsenal, that means if they come through a last-16 tie against PSV, they know lying in wait will be either giant from Madrid, then probably Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain. None of those are easy, but it’s the Champions League: it’s not supposed to be easy!

Focus on the job in hand

For Mikel Arteta and his underperforming squad, there’s a different response too: your so-called easy game is this one. PSV are not just in one of the weaker top leagues in Europe, they’re also wildly out of form themselves.

But it’s time for the Gunners to forget about visions of glory right now; instead, they need to concentrate on the “one step at a time” approach, the methodology of just getting the job done which lies ahead of them – especially considering they haven’t done that in three of their last four matches, beating only relegation certainties Leicester since that thumping 5-1 win over Man City. Until consistency is back on the agenda, forget talk of trophies.

Recent form

PSV still sit second in the Eredivisie, but they have fallen to eight points off Ajax following a run of one win in seven in the league, and just two wins in eight in a packed fixture list across all competitions since the start of February. Arsenal played only five times in that period, winning twice, while in Europe their record was strong in the league phase: six wins from eight saw them finish third.

Team news

Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi are the big absentees for PSV, but they’re also without Serginio Dest and ex-Arsenal striker Lucas Pérez, now a 36-year-old veteran who has just joined on a short-term deal. On-loan Man United man Tyrell Malacia may also be left out.

Arsenal are missing forward foursome Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is still absent for the long haul too. Mikel Merino seems set to continue up front.

Key player

If Arsenal want any chance at real success this year, they need Martin Ødegaard to step up again and rediscover top form. Naturally for a player as creative as him, he needs great movement ahead of him to really maximise his talent, but the captain simply has to find a way. Compared to Europe’s other midfielders he’s 91st percentile for shots, 98th percentile for chance creation. Make it count.

*Ødegaard player traits – comparison against similar players in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues*

Prediction

Over two legs, this is an Arsenal victory all the way – there’s an argument to say it’s the most one-sided tie of the last 16: PSV 1 Arsenal 2.

(Cover image from IMAGO)