Preview

May

2025

Preview: Inter Miami looking to get back on track against Red Bulls

After Inter Miami and Lionel Messi were unceremoniously knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup by Vancouver Whitecaps, they can now focus solely on retaining their MLS Supporters’ Shield title and timing their season to hit form ahead of the playoffs. They will be looking to get back on track at home to the New York Red Bulls this weekend.

By James Nalton

Bouncing back

It was a disappointing week for Inter Miami as they were defeated 3-1 at home by the Whitecaps in the Champions Cup, losing the semifinal tie 5-1 on aggregate.

They will be looking to bounce back against the Red Bulls, but the continental exit might be difficult to recover from initially.

In addition to the MLS Cup playoffs, which don’t begin until much later in the year, the Champions Cup was one of the big prizes head coach Javier Mascherano, along with Messi and co., were prioritising this season.

They will need to ensure this disappointment doesn’t carry over into their league performances and instead use it as motivation to show their quality in MLS before they break for the Club World Cup in June.

Defensive issues emerge

Inter Miami’s previous MLS game, a 4-3 defeat to FC Dallas, and the 5-1 aggregate defeat to Vancouver, exposed some underlying defensive issues in the team.

It looked like Mascherano had shored them up and made them difficult to beat, but the weaknesses lay beneath the surface, behind the scorelines.

It’s strange that the team with the joint-fewest goals conceded in MLS going into that game against Dallas was still perceived to have a vulnerable defence, but this was often on show during the games themselves.

*Inter Miami have the 16th worst xG conceded figure in MLS*

Their xG-against also goes some way to showing why this is the case. They were conceding chances but those weren’t always converted into goals by the opposition.

Even after conceding four against Dallas, their xG-against of 13.7 is still higher than actual goals conceded (10), suggesting some poor opposition finishing, good Inter Miami goalkeeping, or luck.

What it certainly suggests is Mascherano’s team still need to improve defensively.

Messi contribution expected

Lionel Messi is currently four games without a goal or an assist in all competitions for Inter Miami.

It is his longest such run when starting games since joining the club in 2023, so he will be expected to get back in among the goals, or at least make an assist, in this game.

He has three goals and two assists in the six of Miami’s nine games he has played in this season.

The team and the fans will be looking to him to get them out of this mini slump.

Charging Red Bulls?

The visiting Red Bulls remain one of the most active pressing teams in MLS, which could cause Miami problems during build-up play.

On the whole, though, Sandro Schwarz’s side are yet to convince this season.

Their mid-table position reflects their inconsistent start, and they only scraped past Montréal last week to claim their fourth win of the year. They are yet to pick up a win away from home.

Emil Forsberg could pose a threat to the Miami defence from an attacking midfield position, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is the club’s top scorer with four, despite an indifferent start to life in MLS.

Prediction

Now they only have the league to focus on, Inter Miami should recover from a three-game losing streak in all competitions and get back to winning ways.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

May

2025

Preview: Top vs. Bottom as Barca go to Valladolid

There’s a massive 60 point gap between these two sides. Real Valladolid have had a shocking season and they’re about to host the reigning domestic cup holders, who could soon also be LaLiga and even European champions.

By Karl Matchett

Almost pointless?

Take a quick glance at the squads, the points tallies and the form guide and nothing about this fixture says anything other than away win. Of course football always gives us the potential for an upset – that’s part of the reason to bother having match-ups like Valladolid against Barcelona – but taking one point from the last 42 available won’t see the home side inspire much hope of springing a surprise. And this would be a massive shock indeed, given Barcelona haven’t lost a domestic match this side of Christmas.

Rotation possibilities

But…and there’s always a but…there is more than one prize for Hansi Flick’s team to keep an eye on. Their Champions League semi-final second leg is only three days after this encounter and it’ll be a huge test of physical resilience as much as technical brilliance, if the first leg is anything to go by.

Barcelona are probably running short of options to change things around too, particularly at the back, so while some players will simply have to keep going and keep showing title-winning form as well as fitness, there is no question Flick will be tempted into changing at least a few faces to keep alive his dreams of a quadruple this term, having already won the Supercopa as well as the Copa del Rey. If Barcelona do slip up here, they know they can minimise that damage by beating Real Madrid the following weekend – there are no such second chances in midweek.

Recent form

The form book makes the most horrible of horrible reading for Álvaro Rubio’s side. One draw and 13 defeats since their last win, only four points earned in total for 2025 and only 16 for the entire season. They’ve conceded 16 in the last four matches alone. Barcelona on the other hand have won 11 of the last 12 in LaLiga – the other a draw – and even away from home it’s four wins on the spin.

Team news

Javi Sánchez and Henrique are sidelined for Real, but another worry is first-choice goalkeeper Karl Hein being an injury doubt.

In contrast, Barca No.1 Marc-André ter Stegen is reportedly going to start this game. They did lose Jules Koundé to injury in midweek and Alejandro Balde probably won’t be risked as he looks to make a comeback against Inter Milan. Robert Lewandowski, Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó are also out.

Key player

If Barcelona do rotate, one of those who could come into the XI would be a starter for most other sides on the planet. Gavi might not have featured as much as he’d normally hope this season but he can control a game with the best of them – on a per 90 minutes basis he averages 76 touches, a 54% dribble success, 6.6 duels won and 4.8 recoveries.

*Gavi player traits, comparison against players in Europe’s top five leagues*

Prediction

No chance Barcelona slip up at this stage of the title race, surely with El Clásico coming up next weekend: Valladolid 1-3 Barcelona.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: Arsenal back to league action against Bournemouth

Arsenal host Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners look to cement their place as runners-up.

By Matt Smith

The Cherries are still in with a shout of finishing in the European places, but a defeat against Arsenal will make their task incredibly difficult.

Bournemouth will be looking to complete a rare double after winning their previous meeting earlier in the season. That was their first victory over the north London outfit since 2018, with Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert scoring the goals.

Team news

Arsenal will be without both Jorginho and Riccardo Calafiori for the game against Bournemouth, while none of their longer-term injured stars are expected to return, including Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Mikel Arteta could look to rest some players for this one with the Premier League title race over and a trip to Paris Saint-Germain coming next week.

Bournemouth will be without Ryan Christie, Enes Ünal, and Luis Sinisterra, but Andoni Iraola shouldn’t have any fresh injury concerns heading into the trip to the Emirates.

Arsenal’s defensive solidity could be key

Keeping the ball out of their own net hasn’t been a problem for Arsenal in the Premier League this season, conceding just 0.9 goals per game. No side has conceded fewer, while they’ve only given up 29.2 expected goals in the campaign.

Creating opportunities has been what separates them and Liverpool this term, with the Gunners producing just 97 big chances to Liverpool’s 136. Being without Bukayo Saka for a large portion of the season has certainly contributed to their lack of creativity, and it’s played a part in the Gunners being unable to lift the Premier League title once again.

Bournemouth a surprise package

Bournemouth started the season in sensational form, being somewhat of a surprise package in England’s top flight. Their performances have become inconsistent as the campaign has gone on, but it’s given them something to build on heading into another season under Iraola.

Their high pressing system makes it incredibly difficult for sides to play out from the back, leading to some impressive results against some of the bigger sides. No team in the Premier League has won possession in the final third more times than the Cherries this term (5.9 per game).

Nwaneri’s time to shine

Young attacker Ethan Nwaneri has struggled for game time in recent weeks with Arteta not wanting to apply too much pressure on the teenager in some crucial games. When given the opportunity this season, Nwaneri has flourished, providing six goals and assists combined in just 810 Premier League minutes.

Arteta could look to rotate due to their Champions League clash next week, and it could be an opportunity for Nwaneri to shine, whether that be on the right-hand side of attack or in the number 10 position.

Prediction

With little on the line for Arsenal and changes expected, it could be an opportunity for the Cherries to pick up a result. Their high-pressing system might cause the Gunners some problems, so we’re going for a 2-1 win for Bournemouth.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: Chelsea are in Stockholm for Conference League semi against Djurgarden

We’ve reached the business end of the Europa Conference League campaign, and, as everyone predicted, Chelsea are right there. This time, Enzo Maresca’s side make the trip to Sweden to face Djurgården.

By Alex Roberts

The Swedish side have somewhat overachieved on the continent but that doesn’t mean they haven’t earned the right to be where they are. Wins against more established sides such as Panathinaikos, Legia Warsaw, and Rapid Wien in the quarters have made them a dark horse.

Chelsea are a different beast all together, however. There is roughly £1.3 billion difference between the two sides in terms of squad value, and in this game, money certainly talks.

Cobham have done it again

Tyrique George is the latest Chelsea academy star making a name for himself. Unlike 95% of those that came before him, he’s done it without going on loan first. The youngster has grasped his opportunity and ran with it.

The equaliser against Fulham earlier this month was the moment that put his name on the lips of Chelsea fans across the globe, but in the very next game against Everton, he was only given a few minutes by under-pressure boss Maresca.

He’s got two goals and four assists in just 846 minutes across all competitions so far this season. This is exactly the kind of game that would give George the opportunity to carry on his momentum and fight for a regular place.

The Swedes have problems in front of goal

For those that don’t know, the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top division, is topsy turvy. It turns out playing football in the country’s harsh winters is ill advised, who’d have thought it, so they play through the summer instead.

Djurgården’s domestic season has only just begun, but they’re struggling. Sitting down in 11^th with seven points, they’ve remarkably only scored one goal in their five games, and that came from right-back Adam Stahl.

None of their current crop of forwards have a history of being prolific and coming up against the fourth best defence in the Premier League may just be a bridge too far.

“Play a right-back Enzo”

The Italian coach has come under considerable fire for multiple reasons in recent months, with one of the most confusing being what he is currently doing with the right-back position. Central midfielder Moisés Caicedo was given the nod over Reece James in the 1-0 win over Everton.

At his best, James is one of Chelsea’s most potent attacking threats. That has been nullified by Maresca’s insistence that he inverts into midfield or plays him as a CM from the start.

It’s also impacted Cole Palmer’s form. The playmaker likes to play on the right and drift into the number ten role, without someone overlapping he’s unable to draw out opposition defenders and get into positions that would allow him to score or assist. All this micromanaging has gone too far. Play a right-back Enzo.

Prediction

This may sound a little harsh but we simply can’t see Djurgården getting anything from this one. We’re going to go with a comfortable 3-0 win for Chelsea here.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: Arctic adventurers Bodø/Glimt head to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium

Spurs’ season has become car crash, but can they continue their attempts to rescue something from it in the Europa League against Bodø/Glimt?

By Ian King

Form

Are we talking about Europe or domestically, here? Because Spurs have been the Jekyll and Hyde of the Premier League recently, losing their last three in a row while conceding eleven goals, but also putting in two of their most accomplished performances of the season in their quarter-final win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bodø/Glimt run to a different schedule. Because Norway has a summer league they’ve only just started their domestic season. The two-time defending Eliteserien champions are currently second with three wins and a draw from their opening four matches.

History makers

This is the first time that a Norwegian club has ever reached the semi-finals of a European competition, but Bodø/Glimt’s record against English clubs is pretty bad. They played Arsenal in 2022/23 and lost twice, and played Manchester United in the League Phase of this year’s tournament, losing 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Spurs have a 100% record against Norwegian clubs in Europe. In 1972/73 they beat Lyn 12-3 on aggregate, and they beat Tromsø 3-0 and 2-0 in the group stage of the 2013/14 Europa League.

Key Players

High points have been thin on the ground for Spurs this season, but the form of Dejan Kulusevski remains among them. He remains one of the keys to unlocking any opposing defence and has eight goals and six assists in all competitions this season. Glimt’s main goal threat is striker Kasper Høgh, who’s the joint-top goalscorer in this competition with seven and has started their League season with four in four appearances.

Team News

Spurs made eight changes for their shellacking at Anfield on Sunday, and most will be returning. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero should return to central defence, replacing Ben Davies and Kevin Danso, while Rodrigo Bentancur will return to midfield. But Heung-min Son remains doubtful after having missed the last four matches and will sit this one out, with a return in the second leg looking more likely. They will be without Radu Drăgușin, while Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner are not registered for the knockout stages of this competition.

Bodø/Glimt have Andreas Helmersen, captain Patrick Berg and Håkon Evjen suspended, while defender Odin Bjørtuft and winger Ole Blomberg were injured last weekend and may be missing.

Prediction

The result of this match will come down to whether Spurs bring their European or Premier League form into it. If they play as they have in recent League matches, then a surprise could be on the cards, but if they can replicate what they achieved in Frankfurt a couple of weeks ago a win should be expected. Bodø/Glimt have had an outstanding run to get this far in this competition and have it in them to keep themselves in the tie for the return match. 2-1 Spurs, so all to play for in the second leg.

(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.

May

2025

Preview: Athletic Club welcome Manchester United to the Basque Country

Athletic Club are targeting a Europa League final in their own stadium while Manchester United are looking to salvage their season.

By Graham Ruthven

Home comforts

If all goes to plan for Athletic Club, they will have one more home match in this season’s Europa League. With the final at San Mamés, the Basque outfit are determined to win a continental trophy for the first time in their 126-year history.

Ernesto Valverde’s side have won all six of their Europa League matches at home this season, overcoming AZ Alkmaar, Sparta Prague, Elfsborg, Viktoria Plzeň, Roma and Rangers on their way to the final four.

Manchester United more than earned their place in the Europa League semi-finals by staging a remarkable comeback against Lyon in the last round, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes of extra time.

With the Old Trafford club suffering their worst-ever Premier League campaign, Ruben Amorim and his players have pinned everything on winning the Europa League. This is their only route to redemption.

Key players

Nico Williams has peaked at the right time of the season, scoring in each of his last two starting appearances for Athletic Club including in the Europa League quarter-final win over Rangers.

Iñaki Williams will also pose a threat with the two brothers expected to line up on either side of the Athletic Club forward line. They could expose the space in behind the Manchester United backline.

Oihan Sancet has been exceptional for the Basques this season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, but the attacking midfielder will be sidelined for the first leg through injury. Unai Gómez is in line to start in his place.

Bruno Fernandes will be the player Manchester United look to for some magic on Thursday night. For all that the Reds Devils have floundered badly this season, the Portuguese remains a reliable difference-maker, scoring 17 goals in all competitions.

Rasmus Højlund will lead the line for the visitors to San Mamés and might have more confidence after scoring a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth. The Dane needs to show greater cutting edge on a more consistent basis.

Luke Shaw could be in line to feature after starting his first game of the season at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday with Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire likely to make up the rest of the back three.

Meanwhile, there will be a spotlight on André Onana after the Cameroonian goalkeeper’s mistakes against Lyon. Manchester United need him to be stronger in the semi-final.

Team news

Sancet is sidelined for Athletic Club, leaving a sizeable hope in the number 10 position. Besides the 25-year-old, however, Valverde has a fully fit and available squad.

Manchester United, on the other hand, have a long injury list. Indeed, Amorim will be without as many as five starting players with Lisandro Martínez, Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee, Diogo Dalot and Ayden Heaven missing.

Matthijs de Ligt is also an injury doubt for the trip to the Basque Country while Chido Obi will play no part in the match.

Prediction

Form and that famous football notion of romance dictates a home win for Athletic Club to continue their fairytale run to the final. But with United’s season depending on this two legged tie, perhaps tonight’s result with leave things open for next week’s return game at Old Trafford: Athletic Club 2-1 Manchester United.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Apr

2025

Preview: Crunch time for Barcelona and Inter in Champions League semifinals

Barcelona host Inter Milan with a place in the Champions League final at stake just like it was in 2010 when José Mourinho enjoyed his moment.

By Graham Ruthven

Champions League heritage

In the pantheon of great Champions League moments, Barcelona and Inter Milan produced one that lives long in the memory. Certainly in the memory of José Mourinho whose greatest night arguably came when the two sides met in the competition’s semi-finals.

Mourinho conquered Pep Guardiola that night, and celebrated by sprinting across the Camp Nou turf. Simone Inzaghi might be tempted to celebrate in a similar way should Inter achieve a similar result against Barca such is the Italians’ poor form right now.

Inter are winless in their last three games. They have fallen off the pace at the top of Serie A and are out of the Coppa Italia. Their season will be defined by what happens in the Champions League.

Barcelona’s Treble challenge is in better shape. Hansi Flick’s team won the Copa del Rey by beating Real Madrid in a manic final on Saturday and are leading the way at the top of LaLiga. Champions League glory is also within reach.

Key players

Lamine Yamal shone brightly as Spain won Euro 2024 last summer and the prodigious teenager is also driving Barcelona to continental glory as their creator in-chief. Indeed, the 17-year-old is Barca’s one-man attacking hub, recording four goals and three assists in this season’s Champions League.

Raphinha has frequently benefited from Lamine Yamal’s creativity, but the Brazilian will have to be in sharper shooting form than he was against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final when he was wayward.

Pedri, on the other hand, was in excellent form against Real Madrid, finding the back of the net with a stunning strike. Gavi and Frenkie de Jong will look to control the midfield on Wednesday night.

*Raphinha tops the Champions League for Goals + Assists this season*

Inter will set up to expose Barcelona’s high defensive line with Lautaro Martínez sure to be a threat. The Argentinean forward has scored eight times in the Champions League this season and was key against Bayern Munich in the previous round (we gave him his flowers – here.)

At his best, Nicolo Barella is one of the best two-way midfielders in Europe. However, Inter have looked tired in central midfield in recent weeks, meaning there’s a risk they could be overrun by Barcelona.

To get out from the back, Inter will need direct running and pace in the wide areas which is where Carlos Augusto or Federico Dimarco could be so important down the left side.

Team news

Robert Lewandowski will miss Barcelona’s meeting with Inter through injury meaning Ferran Torres will lead the line for the Catalans as he did in the Copa del Rey final.

Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal are also sidelined with Alex Balde a doubt. Marc-André ter Stegen might be back on the bench after missing much of the season, but Wojciech Szczęsny is expected to start.

Marcus Thuram’s absence has been keenly felt in recent matches. Inter will be made to sweat on the attacker’s fitness before Wednesday’s game. Benjamin Pavard is definitely ruled out, though.

Prediction

Barcelona have been almost irrepressible since the turn of the year, particularly at home, and will have been buoyed by last Saturday’s success in the Copa final. We think that form will probably continue but with Inter another side who’ve been at their best in Europe this season, the away side might be do enough to keep next week’s second leg interesting: Barcelona 2-1 Inter.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Arsenal and PSG kick off the Champions League semifinals

Well at least now they know it’s over. But how do Arsenal react to Liverpool lifting the Premier League against PSG in the competition they’ve had a better chance of winning all along?

By Ian King

Premier League runners-up vs. Ligue 1 champions

Arsenal have reserved their best performances this season for the Champions League, whether the two-legged disembowelment of Real Madrid or rattling seven past PSV in Eindhoven. But the Premier League has been different, recently. They’ve drawn five of their last eight, and those ten dropped points are essentially the reason why Liverpool were celebrating at Anfield on Sunday.

PSG are already the champions of France but finally lost for the first time in Ligue 1 last weekend, 3-1 at home to Nice. They’ve already knocked out two Premier League teams in the Champions League knockout phase this season. They might not be invincible in Ligue 1 but everybody knows the threat they pose.

History

Omens are good for Arsenal, who beat PSG in the Cup WInners Cup semi-finals upon their first meeting in 1994. They drew the first leg in Paris 1-1, and won the second 1-0 at Highbury. They’ve remained unbeaten against PSG throughout three Champions League matches since then, including, of course, winning 2-0 at The Emirates in the MegaGroup last October.

*The League Phase meeting between the two*

Key Players

The key man in that match was Kai Havertz, and without his services this time around attention turns to Leandro Trossard, who is now chasing Havertz down as top goalscorer in all competitions, with his goal against Crystal Palace last week taking him to four short, on eleven. If they’re going to take a commanding lead to Paris, they may need more from him.

The biggest threat to their defence remains Ousmane Dembélé, who’s scored 32 in 44 in all competitions for PSG so far this season, though he now hasn’t scored in his last six. Bradley Barcola has been rather living in Dembélé’s shadow this season, but he’s scored 18 goals and is a threat, though it’s not even certain that he will start this game. If he doesn’t it’ll likely be Désiré Doué, who himself has scored 13.

Team News

Mikel Merino and Ben White have picked up knocks, but both are expected to start. But the bigger news is that Riccardo Calafiori may be returning to their squad for the first time since he picked up a knee injury during the last international break. PSG have no injury concerns at all.

Prediction

It’s easy to start checking out early from a competition that you can see fading from view, and this could be the reason for Arsenal’s patchy Premier League form of late. But they have been uniformly excellent in the Champions League, with only one defeat from twelve games – which came at the start of November – and home and away wins against Real Madrid already under their belt. PSG are good in Ligue 1. Properly good. But they’ve also lost five games in this season’s Champions League already, including one each to Aston Villa and Liverpool, and this contrast is why I’m saying 3-1 to Arsenal, and PSG to be left with much to do in Paris.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Apr

2025

Preview: Back to league action for Inter Miami

Inter Miami return to MLS action this weekend against FC Dallas. It’s a home game sandwiched between two big continental matches for Lionel Messi and co., and getting the balance right between rotation and momentum will be key.

By James Nalton

Messi remains MLS’s best

Inter Miami have not set the league alight this season, and Messi has not stood out as obviously as he did at times last year.

Despite this, Messi remains the biggest attraction in the league, is undoubtedly still MLS’s best player, and Inter Miami are still the best team in the Eastern Conference on points per game.

Being the best player in the league and being the best performer in the league are not always the same thing, and Messi will probably need to do more than he has been doing if he’s to retain his status as the league’s MVP for a second year running.

*Top average FotMob ratings in MLS this season*

At this stage of the regular season, he’s happy to operate in cruise control, and he’ll be hoping that’s enough to help his Miami team maintain their record as the only unbeaten team in MLS this year.

That’s been as much thanks to their defensive record as it has been down to Messi, as head coach Javier Mascherano has arranged a team that boasts the joint-fewest goals conceded this season.

Canadian continental hangover

Inter Miami come into this game on the back of a high-profile defeat in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Thursday.

Messi’s team have reached the semifinals of the region’s version of the Champions League/Copa Libertadores, but were defeated 2-0 in the first leg by an increasingly impressive Vancouver Whitecaps team on Canada’s west coast.

A crowd of 53,837 turned up in Vancouver to watch the Whitecaps (an MLS-era record for the club) and no doubt had an eye on watching Messi, too.

They were treated to another top performance from the home team, typical of their season so far.

For Miami, as one of the favourites to win the tournament, it was a blow, and they’ll be looking to turn things around in the second leg, though it won’t be easy.

Preparation for that begins with this game against FC Dallas.

Dallas Stars

The Texas team swooped for one of the best players in the league, and indeed in MLS history, when they signed Luciano Acosta from FC Cincinnati during the off-season.

The Argentinian feels like an MLS veteran at this stage, having also played for DC United, but is still only 30 years old.

It promises to be a battle of the Argentine No. 10s should he and Messi take to the field.

Inter Miami will be relieved if they don’t have to contend with Croatian striker Petar Musa, who was Dallas’ top scorer last season with 16 and already had three goals and three assists in eight games in 2025 before picking up an ankle injury.

Prediction

FC Dallas have players capable of troubling the Miami defence, and will be looking to catch their opponents off guard as they prepare for a big game in the Champions Cup. It could well be another draw for Miami as they nevertheless retain their unbeaten record.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

Preview: The time is now for Liverpool as Spurs visit Anfield

It is a matter of when and not if the Premier League title makes it to Anfield this season. Following Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening, Liverpool are one point away from being named champions of England for the 20th time. They can win it in front of home fans on Sunday afternoon as they host Spurs.

By Sam McGuire

History favours Liverpool

Ange Postecoglou has faced the Reds five times as Spurs manager across all competitions.

He’s been the victor on two occasions. One was the controversial game in which Liverpool had Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota sent off, as well as a legitimate Luís Diaz goal wrongly ruled out after a VAR miscommunication. The other arrived earlier in the season in the first leg of the Carabao Cup. Again, there was some controversy with the match-winner, Lucas Bergvall, avoiding a red card just moments before scoring the only goal of the game.

Liverpool have won the other three matches. And when the Reds win, they do it emphatically. They romped to a 4-2 win under Jürgen Klopp, a 6-3 triumph in the league under Arne Slot and then a 4-0 victory in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Reds have scored 15 goals in five games against Postecoglou’s Tottenham, averaging three per game. You wouldn’t necessarily be shocked if they manage that again this weekend, with Spurs being a bit of a disaster defensively this season.

Tottenham’s defensive woes

Only six teams are conceding more goals than Spurs (1.5) on a per 90 basis and three of those have been relegated to the Championship.

Tottenham are struggling. They have six clean sheets this term and only four teams have fewer. Again, three of them have already been relegated. Their xG Conceded total of 54.3 is the fourth worst in the English top-flight. Yep, you guessed it. The only teams with a higher xG Conceded total are Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.

Spurs last kept a clean sheet in the Premier League in February. Their inability to defend is why they’re in real danger of finishing 17th this season. It’s why they’ve taken just three points from the last 15 on offer.

Right now, West Ham are occupying that position, one point behind Postecoglou’s men with five games remaining. And the two teams face off next weekend.

Are Liverpool stumbling over the line?

The narrative being pushed recently is that the Reds have struggled over recent weeks and their season has stuttered. Defeats to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League no doubt play a part in this idea. The loss to Fulham won’t have helped either.

But Slot’s men have actually taken 12 points from the last 15 on offer. In fact, they’ve won eight of their last nine in the Premier League. If this is stumbling over the line, what has Arsenal’s title challenge been? The Gunners have taken just 17 points from the past 30 available.

The Reds might not be sweeping teams aside, they’ve scored just nine across their last five outings, but they’re keeping clean sheets and winning games. They’re doing what is required to win the Premier League.

The current state of play

Joe Gomez is going to miss this game for Liverpool. The versatile defender is still out with a hamstring issue. Other than that, the Reds have a full squad to pick from. Trent Alexander-Arnold returned last week to score the winner against Leicester City and he might force Conor Bradley onto the bench for this game.

Spurs, meanwhile, might be without skipper Son Heung-Min while Radu Drăgușin is definitely out with a cruciate injury. Son missed the defeat to Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday and might be saved for the Europa League clashes.

Prediction

Liverpool only need a draw but we think they’re going to win. And we think they’ll do it in style with a 3-0 win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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