Preview

Dec

2024

Preview: Bournemouth looking to repeat last season’s trick at Old Trafford

Manchester United host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday as Rúben Amorim’s side look to build some momentum after an impressive victory over rivals Manchester City last time out.

By Matt Smith

The Cherries have been a bit of a surprise package this season, currently sitting in eighth place in the table, and United are still getting used to a new era under Amorim.

The Cherries got the better of United last season

In this fixture last season, also played in December, Bournemouth came away with a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. The last time the two sides met, a 2-2 draw was played out at the Vitality Stadium, with Bruno Fernandes grabbing a brace for the Red Devils away from home.

In the Premier League era, United have nine wins against Bournemouth. They’ve drawn on two occasions, while the Cherries have picked up three victories.

Mount set for a spell on the treatment table

Amorim has confirmed that Mason Mount is set for a spell on the treatment table after picking up an injury against Manchester City, with the former Chelsea man likely to be out for ‘several weeks’.

Marcus Rashford was omitted from United’s last two fixtures due to a technical decision from Amorim, so it will be interesting to see whether he makes this one.

Amad the star of the show

Amad Diallo’s form has picked up drastically under Amorim, with the Portuguese manager showing immense faith in the youngster. After stealing the limelight against Man City, Amad picked up another goal and an assist against Tottenham in the EFL Cup this week.

The 22-year-old has been a standout star under Amorim so far, quickly becoming undroppable in the Premier League. Amad has produced eight goals and assists combined in the Premier League this season from just nine starts.

No fresh injury concerns for Iraola

Andoni Iraola has confirmed that it’s likely to be a ‘very similar’ squad to face United as we saw against West Ham United on Monday.

Enes Ünal came off the bench to score a superb equaliser against the Hammers, so he could be pushing for a starting place on Sunday.

Bournemouth creating chances at will

Bournemouth have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League this season, creating 32.9 expected goals (xG), with only Chelsea managing more.

The Cherries have been producing chances all over the pitch, with the front three behind Evanilson – Dango Ouattara, Justin Kluivert, and Antoine Semenyo last time out – all providing a strong threat in the final third. Keeping the Bournemouth trio quiet will be Amorim’s biggest task on Sunday afternoon.

Prediction

Amorim’s side have shown signs of inconsistency and teething problems since his arrival, as expected, and Bournemouth will be looking to capitalise.

United’s last four games have seen both teams score, while Bournemouth have hit the back of the net in every match since early October. We’re going for a lively score draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

(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.

Dec

2024

Preview: Chelsea’s Blues visit the blue half of Merseyside

Chelsea travel to Merseyside knowing a win over Sean Dyche’s struggling Everton will see them go top of the Premier League, temporarily at least, with Liverpool facing Tottenham in the late game on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Enzo Maresca remains adamant Chelsea aren’t ready to compete for the Premier League title, however, despite winning their last five league games, making them the most in-form side in the English top-flight.

Everton will have had over a week’s rest after their dogged 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the previous round of fixtures, taking them three points above Ipswich in 18^th, although the relegation zone’s skeletal fingers still grasp at their heels.

Everton’s tough run continues

The Toffee’s easily have the hardest run of fixtures throughout the festive period. A point against Arsenal was a good start but upcoming games with Man City, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth after the Chelsea game, means Dyche needs to get something out of this one.

Dyche is the Ronseal of managers, he does exactly what it says on the tin. Everton’s defence is solid, failing to concede in four of their last five league games, but with that comes a worrying lack of goals.

Dwight McNeil remains their top league goal scorer with three, but he hasn’t bagged in seven games and Everton don’t seem to have many other ideas.

Title race? Not a chance!

At this point last season, eventual Premier League champions Man City were on 34 points after 16 games, the exact same as Chelsea. Maresca has taken one of the hardest jobs in football in his stride, but don’t you dare call them title contenders.

Not only are they winning game after game, but they’re also doing it in style, scoring 37 goals, making Chelsea the most potent side in front of goal in the league, with Cole Palmer leading the way having scored 11 goals.

The last time the West London club played Everton, they ended up as 6-0 winners, with Palmer scoring four goals, which is remarkably not the last time he’d do that.

Where would Everton be without Jordan Pickford?

In the Championship probably. Yes, there has been the odd high-profile error, but the England goalkeeper has been key to Everton’s continued survival in the Premier League over the last few seasons.

That became abundantly clear in their 0-0 draw with Arsenal. Pickford ended the game having made 10 recoveries, five saves, and had 49 touches, keeping Dyche’s side in it as they faced wave after wave of Arsenal attack.

Enzo Fernández is worth every penny

It’s taken nearly two years, but Enzo Fernandez is finally starting to show exactly why Chelsea spent the big bucks to secure his signature after his impressive 2022 World Cup campaign.

The central midfielder scored seven goals and provided three assists throughout the entirety of last season (40 appearances); he’s managed to beat that goal contribution tally in his last seven games across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing seven assists.

Prediction

Chelsea are doing a much better job of dispatching teams they should be beating this season. Everton’s defence full of man mountains won’t make it easy, but we’re going to go with 2-0 to Maresca’s side.

(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.

Dec

2024

Preview: Liverpool face Spurs trip while aiming to be top at Christmas

In a surprising turn of events, Tottenham Hotspur could do Arsenal a huge favour on Sunday afternoon when they host Premier League leaders Liverpool.

By Sam McGuire

The season so far

The Reds arrive in North London looking to top the Premier League on Christmas Day.

Come kick-off on Sunday, Arne Slot’s men could find themselves in second position. Chelsea are two points behind Liverpool but play Merseyside neighbours Everton in the 2pm kick-off. A win for the Blues against the Toffees would see them move one point clear, albeit having played two more games.

Liverpool have been almost perfect this season across all competitions. Slot has guided his side to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. They’re the only team in the Champions League with a 100% record after six games and their record in the Premier League currently stands at played 15, won 11, and lost one.

The Dutchman has Mohamed Salah firing with the No.11 currently the joint-top scorer in the league with 13 while Bukayo Saka (10) is the only player able to surpass his nine assists.

However, they’ve struggled in their last few outings in the Premier League. Newcastle United held the Reds to a 3-3 draw at St James’ Park while Fulham claimed a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Spurs, by comparison, have been the definition of hot and cold this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s men currently find themselves in 10th position. Only Chelsea (37) have more goals than Tottenham (36) but while the Blues have 10 wins to their name, Spurs have just seven.

It has very much been a case of feast or famine this season.

Postecoglou watched on as his side scored four in games against Everton, West Ham, Aston Villa and reigning champions Manchester City. They hit five against Southampton and found the back of the net on three occasions in wins over Brentford and Manchester United.

Simply put, in every win this term, they have scored a minimum of three goals. In their nine other English top flight matches though, they have just nine goals. That seems to be the problem. There’s no middle ground here and that is why they have been so inconsistent.

When they’re on form, they’re incredible. When they aren’t at their best, they struggle massively. Postecoglou isn’t under pressure just yet but if results don’t improve, he could well be.

Recent history favours the Reds

Liverpool have an impressive record against their Sunday opponents.

Following a 4-1 loss to Spurs in October 2017, the Reds went 12 unbeaten. This run included seven wins on the bounce. The streak ended last season in the controversial game in which Luis Díaz had a valid goal ruled out due to a VAR misunderstanding. Liverpool won the return tie at Anfield 4-2, having taken a 4-0 lead just prior to the hour mark.

The Injury situation

Liverpool’s injury crisis appears to be over. Federico Chiesa returned to the first-team picture against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and Diogo Jota was given another run out, as was Kostas Tsimikas. With Alisson also now back it means the Reds are only missing Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konaté. The cavalry really has arrived for the Premier League table toppers and just at the right time too.

Spurs, on the other hand, have a threadbare squad. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended while Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Guglielmo Vicario and Wilson Odobert are all ruled out with injury. Destiny Udogie is currently touch and go whether he’ll be fit for the game.

Postecoglou is going to have to get creative with his starting XI.

Prediction

Liverpool have depth and momentum. Spurs are scrambling for consistency and just looking to control a game for 90 minutes right now. We’re going with a 3-1 win for the away side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Real Madrid need Sevilla win to keep up with title rivals

It hasn’t been as plain-sailing a season as Real Madrid might have wanted or expected so far, coming off the back of a Champions League and LaLiga double-winning campaign and then signing Kylian Mbappé.

By Karl Matchett

Instead of sweeping all before them, they have at times stumbled and looked an ill-fitting combination of too many central characters, not enough facilitators. Despite that, they’re still in touch at the top – a point down on Barcelona with two games in hand, four points down on new leaders Atlético.

Real against Sevilla has over the past decade or two felt like a meeting of relative heavyweights in LaLiga, the nation’s favourite against a cup specialist capable of causing an upset. Except, in this particular head to head, they rarely do. In the last eight meetings Sevilla have won precisely none of them. There used to also be the possibility of former players from one side lining up for the other; that’s less of a factor now given how far and fast Sevilla have fallen domestically over the past few seasons.

Form

Real Madrid are chugging along, keeping tabs at the top…but not excelling. It’s three months since they’ve managed to string four wins in a row together in all competitions, while in LaLiga they’ve won one from three recently. A dramatic draw at Rayo Vallecano last time out in the league highlighted both the good and the bad from Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 3-0 win over Pachuca, to claim the Intercontinental Cup during midweek was expected, albeit not guaranteed for the continental football specialists, so they’ll be happy to add that silverware to the bulging trophy cabinet at the Bernabéu.

As for Sevilla, it’s predictably mixed. Their inconsistency is wild, in particular away from home where they won none of five initially, beat Espanyol and then lost the next two. Home form alone won’t get them closer to the European spots they crave once more though and defensive resilience needs to improve significantly to trouble Real this time out.

Team news

Real Madrid’s long-term absentees are still sidelined, including defenders David Alaba, Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. They also have Vinícius Júnior suspended and Ferland Mendy likely to miss out, so Mbappé and Rodrygo should pair up in attack once more. Sevilla are missing Djibril Sow, Tanguy Nianzou and Adria Pedrosa, but their key winger Dodi Lukebakio is fit.

Madrid’s key man

Real Madrid will be looking to Jude Bellingham to continue his great form of late, but with other key attacking performers out it’s Rodrygo who has been stepping up too. He scored and assisted last week and ranks above 93% of similar forwards for creating chances, 83% for winning duels, 95% for pass accuracy and 90% for cross accuracy. He’s an all-round talent and threat and they need that against this defence, which has been porous and susceptible to movement, pace and runs in behind.

Prediction

Real Madrid simply shouldn’t have any trouble in taking the three points. They could in fact rack up a heavy scoreline. Real 4-1 Sevilla.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: First vs. second as Barcelona meet Atletico in LaLiga

A potentially season-defining encounter for both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid looms on Saturday with the two rivals separated by only goal difference at the top of LaLiga.

By Graham Ruthven

A title duel

Not so long ago, it appeared Barcelona might run away with the Spanish title. Hansi Flick’s team started the season strongly, winning their opening seven league fixtures, blowing away opponents in the process.

Since then, though, the Catalans have lost their way. Barca have won just one of their last six league games, opening the door for Real Madrid and a resurgent Atlético Madrid to make their presence felt at the top of LaLiga.

Atleti’s season has had the opposite arc with Diego Simeone’s team currently on an 11-game winning run in all competitions after a difficult start to the campaign which even had many questioning the Argentine manger’s future at the club.

An away win for Atlético Madrid at Montjuïc would lift them above Barcelona in the table and could make them title favourites such is the run of form they are on right now.

Key players

Raphinha has been the surprise package of the season so far, registering an astonishing 17 goal contributions (11 goals and six assists) in just 18 league appearances. The Brazilian has been unstoppable and will be a goal threat this weekend.

Robert Lewandowski is also enjoying an excellent campaign having notched 16 goals in 17 league games. Around the Polish striker, the likes of Dani Olmo and Pedri will give Barcelona invention through the midfield and into the forward line.

In central midfield, Marc Casadó will be charged with holding it all together for Barcelona as their number six. The youngster could face a difficult evening up against the dynamic Atleti midfield pairing of Pablo Barrios and Rodrigo de Paul.

Atlético Madrid will hope to cause some attacking problems of their own with Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann forging a strong partnership as a front two in recent weeks. They will have plenty space to exploit in behind Barca’s high defensive line.

*Griezmann and Alvarez stat comparison, LaLiga 2024/25*

Giuliano Simeone’s work ethic will be key to Atleti’s chances of stopping the threat of Raphinha down the left side. At the back, José Giménez and Clément Lenglet will need to keep it tight to give the visitors a solid defensive foundation.

Team news

Lamine Yamal will be unavailable for Saturday’s match with the teenager set for another period on the sidelines after sustaining ligament damage in the home defeat to Leganés. Without the Euro 2024 winner, Barca sometimes lack creativity in the attacking third.

Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen and Marc-André ter Stegen will also be missing for the home side as long-term absentees. Otherwise, Flick has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Reports in Spain claim Simeone experimented with a 4-5-1 shape in a training game during the week, hinting at a potential tactical shift by the longterm manager for Saturday’s showdown.

Prediction

With the weight of expectation around this match, we’re expecting goals, and for both teams to perform. But we also think that the home side may reassert their title credentials: Barcelona 2-1 Atlético Madrid.

(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.

Dec

2024

Preview: Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal Take Two

The Eagles and the Gunners go at it for the second time this week, this time in a Premier League clash at Selhurst Park.

By Ian King

Very recent history

Well, we do have something extremely recent to go on here, though how much practical application that might have this weekend is open to question. These two met in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, Arsenal scraping through to the semi-finals of the competition with a 3-2 win. Of course, because this was the League Cup neither team was at full-strength, but Arsenal may have gained a psychological edge as a result of it all.

Form

Wednesday night’s EFL Cup match has to be treated with a little caution as a predictor for what might happen at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Matches in this competition feature changes to teams and may not be treated with quite the intensity that a Premier League fixture might be.

And this was a curate’s egg of a performance for both teams. Arsenal were behind for fifty minutes before coming back to win by a margin somewhat more comfortable than the final scoreline suggested, with changes made at half-time switching the balance of play decisively throughout the second half. Palace played well throughout those opening stages, but Arsenal did create a lot of chances throughout.

Key players

The key player for this weekend’s match is one who hasn’t featured much so far this season. Gabriel Jesus has only been a fringe player, with just two Premier League starts and no League goals, but his hat-trick on Wednesday night, coupled with Arsenal’s inability to find a way past Jordan Pickford last weekend, might make starting him up front feel like a gamble worth taking for Mikel Arteta. It’s a crazy plan, but it might just work.

Team News

For Arsenal, Declan Rice is expected to return this weekend while Martin Ødegaard, who was substituted early against Everton last Saturday, returned on Wednesday night and will be expected to play again this weekend. Neto may return to the bench after being cup-tied, but Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain absent and Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko both remain doubtful.

For Palace, Joel Ward was on the bench as an unused substitute on Wednesday night and may return, but Adam Wharton wasn’t and will not be expected to feature in this match.

Prediction

For Arsenal, last weekend was without question a missed opportunity. With almost everybody else near the top of the table dropping points they could have made up some ground on Liverpool, but instead they fired blanks against Everton and it turned out, if anything, to be Chelsea’s weekend. How much of that will have been forgotten as a result of Wednesday night’s win?

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have blown extremely hot and cold this season, though it should be remembered that their 3-1 win at Brighton last weekend was their best performance of the season so far and that Selhurst Park can be a bearpit on a good night. On this occasion, I feel safer going for the draw, at 1-1, though this really does feel like one of those games in which anything could happen.

(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.

Dec

2024

Preview: Villa meet City with both sides in need of a win

Champions League football secured last year, a home match offering the chance to go above Manchester City this year…

By Karl Matchett

In theory that’s magic progression for Aston Villa under Unai Emery, but as ever, context is king: Villa have fallen away from last year’s consistency, won only three of their last 12 in all competitions and have won only half of their home league games this term. And yet, improbably, that’s far better than the champions are faring right now.

In the same stretch of a dozen matches, Pep Guardiola’s side have won only twice. Yet a dozen games precisely reaches back to the start of their recent malaise: a 1-0 home win over bottom club Southampton was 12 games ago, and since then it’s a single win in 11. Home or away, domestic or Europe, Guardiola is going through a spell he never has before as a coach, and certainly this group of players haven’t either.

Heading into the match there’s one more potential item of context to note: almost a full week of training ground time for Man City since their last defeat, that late one to local rivals Man United, which is a first full week of tactical and organisational work Guardiola has been able to do since mid-August. The downside of that is, Villa have also had a full week to prepare.

Form

Narrowing the lens to more recent matches, Villa broke their winless streak by claiming three victories on the bounce against Brentford, Southampton and Leipzig. None are outstanding results but should certainly have boosted confidence, before Nottingham Forest ruined the rebuild with two late goals a week ago. For City, the same team proved a false dawn: they finally picked up a first win in eight against Forest and most expected them to simply pick up again; instead they drew at Palace, lost at Juventus and were utterly shocked by United last week. Confidence will have been at rock bottom right then – how much can it change in six days?

Team news

Jacob Ramsey is the only definite absentee for the hosts, but Leon Bailey is also a doubt. Tyrone Mings could miss the game too but wouldn’t start anyway. For Man City, it’s just the same long-term absentees as has been the case of late: Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Manuel Akanji and now Nathan Aké. John Stones is back though and probably starts.

Key player?

This match hosts the players with the best goals per 90 rate (Jhon Durán) and the best xG (Erling Haaland) but surely victory comes from which defence stands firm for once, after so many errors. No team has missed more big chances (37) than Villa in the league this term, with Ollie Watkins (15) the prime culprit. We’ll make Joško Gvardiol the one to watch as he has most interceptions and tackles per 90 of any City defender, but also has impact going forward.

Prediction

An error-fest of two teams desperate for wins but riddled with anxiety, and in the end, nobody wins: Villa 2-2 Man City!

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2024

Preview: Spurs meet United in the last of the Carabao Cup quarter-finals

A trophy would mean a lot to both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United with the two rivals going head-to-head for a place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

By Graham Ruthven

Chance to make a statement

There has been a lot of overlap between the respective seasons of Tottenham and Manchester United. Indeed, both teams have struggled for consistency and could use a deep run in the Carabao Cup to prove they are making progress.

Spurs have stood by Ange Postecoglou, but the Australian has come under pressure as his team have suffered a series of damaging results. Sunday’s win over Southampton was Tottenham’s first in five matches.

United, meanwhile, changed manager by swapping Erik ten Hag for Rúben Amorim with the Old Trafford outfit still absorbing the ideas of the Portuguese coach.

Sunday’s Manchester Derby victory was Amorim’s biggest result as Manchester United boss to date. A win over Spurs on Thursday would add to the sense that United are building momentum.

A tale of two attacks

Tottenham are best when they have open space to attack. The likes of Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski all thrive in quick transition and so Spurs will attempt to create as many rapid attacking moments as they can.

Manchester United are similarly set up to attack open space with Amad Diallo in particular thriving under the stewardship of Amorim who has installed the Ivorian as a key figure. He could keep his place for the away game at Spurs, although Amorim has hinted at rotating Diallo.

Rasmus Højlund has scored five goals in his last five outings and has given United the attacking focal point they need to make Amorim’s system work. Around the Dane in the final third, Diallo and Bruno Fernandes have been favoured.

Thursday’s match could be a high-scoring affair with Tottenham scoring two or more goals in each of their last four matches against Manchester United in all competitions.

Team news

Yves Bissouma could return to the Tottenham lineup after serving a one-match suspension against Southampton. He could replace Lucas Bergvall in the side.

Postecoglou has a long injury list to contend with. Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison are all currently sidelined for Tottenham Hotspur.

Destiny Udogie is also a doubt for the North London outfit after sustaining a knock in the first half of Sunday’s thumping of Southampton. This could push Djed Spence over to the left side of the defence.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho could return after being omitted from Manchester United’s matchday squad for Sunday’s win over City, although Amorim clearly has an issue with the pair’s commitment levels.

Mason Mount is a doubt after coming off with a fresh injury against Manchester City, although it’s unclear just how long the midfielder will be out of action for.

Jonny Evans and Noussair Mazrouai are injury concerns ahead of the quarter-final meeting with Tottenham. Luke Shaw is a long-term injury and will be missing.

Prediction

With inconsistency cursing Spurs this season and Manchester United’s burgeoning confidence levels, we could be looking at an away win here; Tottenham 1-2 Manchester United.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Shamrock Rovers go to Chelsea in dream Conference League clash

Chelsea host Shamrock Rovers in the Europa Conference League on Thursday as they aim to make it six wins from six games, and secure qualification to the knock-out rounds.

By Alex Roberts

The two sides have never met in European competition before, with Enzo Maresca’s B-team needing just a point to ensure they’re in the next round, so long as Vitória do not beat Fiorentina by a 10-goal margin!

Shamrock Rovers won’t be pushovers, however, not only do they boast the third best defensive record in the competition, but the Dubliners are also one of three unbeaten sides remaining, alongside Chelsea and Vitória.

Missing Mykayhlo Mudryk

Chelsea will be without the rapid Ukrainian winger for the game against Shamrock Rovers and the foreseeable future after he was provisionally suspended for failing a drugs test. He, of course, denies the allegations.

Mudryk had managed to find some form in the Europa Conference League before his latest setback, making six goal contributions in their previous five games, including a stunning strike against FC Heidenheim.

Maresca remains adamant that the winger still has a future at the club but don’t expect to see him in a blue shirt any time soon.

Johnny Kenny scores goals

The young Irish striker has been in outstanding form, netting 13 goals in 29 matches during the 2024 League of Ireland season and adding five goals in five European appearances.

Kenny’s brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Borac Banja Luka puts him on level terms with Chelsea’s £55 million man Christopher Nkunku in the race for the golden boot, while they both have a single assist each too.

No matter who Chelsea play at centre-back, it will likely be the toughest night of Kenny’s short career, but he certainly has it in him to cause problems.

Back in from the cold, Josh Acheampong

Acheampong had previously been frozen out at Chelsea, banned from playing for either the first team or the youth sides until his contract situation was sorted.

The right-back has since made his return, earning his first start for the senior team in Chelsea’s comfortable 3-1 win over FC Astana in the previous round and ended the game as one of the club’s stand out performers.

With a 94% pass accuracy rate, nine recoveries, and six ground duels won, it’s easy to see why Chelsea were so keen to tie the youngster down to a new deal.

Now that he’s committed his long-term future to the club, expect to see more from Acheampong.

Doing Irish football proud

Sitting in sixth with 11 points from their opening five games, Shamrock Rovers face the very real possibility of qualifying for the next round, marking the first time a League of Ireland club has featured in knock-out European football.

They may have lost out on the league title to former Chelsea winger Damien Duff and his Shelbourne FC side, but the Rovers may well get the last laugh.

Prediction

Shamrock Rovers shouldn’t be judged on their performance against the Premier League giants. That been said, we’re going to go with 4-0 to Chelsea.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Real Madrid meet Pachuca for the Intercontinental Cup

Pachuca have made their way to the final of the newly-rebranded FIFA Intercontinental Cup, where they face a certain Real Madrid. Exactly two years on from the culmination of the 2022 World Cup, a new champion will be crowned at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

By Neel Shelat

History beckons for Pachuca

This is Pachuca’s fifth appearance at a FIFA-organised international tournament. Most recently, they qualified for the 2017 Club World Cup, in which they won third place.

*Third place playoff, 2017 Club World Cup*

This time, they have managed to go at least one better by reaching their first final. Guillermo Almada’s side will be firm underdogs, but they will have the chance to become the first non-European winners of this tournament in 12 years and the very first to come from CONCACAF.

Record champions Real Madrid looking to lift another trophy

Real Madrid have more UEFA Champions League trophies in their cabinet than anyone else, so they unsurprisingly also are the record champions of the FIFA Club World Cup. They’ve won the title in each of their last five appearances – including three times in succession between 2016 and 2018. They also won the old Intercontinental Cup – the annual showdown between the European and South American club champions – thrice before it made way for the Club World Cup.

Los Blancos have been far from their best this season, but they should have more than enough quality to get the job done here. The new format makes it so that they only have to play one match instead of two, so they need just one result to make sure of avoiding their second trophyless season since 2010.

Pachuca fresh after a shortened season

Pachuca are a pretty successful club in their own right with seven Liga MX titles and six CONCACAF Champions Cup crowns to boot. Of course, they too tasted success earlier this year by winning the continental championship in the summer to qualify for this tournament, but the second half of the season went very poorly for them.

Tuzos recorded their lowest-ever finishing position in the 2024/25 Liga MX Apertura, finishing 16th of 18 teams with just 13 points.

Having failed to qualify for the Liga MX playoffs, Pachuca did not see any competitive action for a month leading up to the Intercontinental Cup. They seemed to benefit from that freshness, though, getting the better of stronger but more tired opponents in Botafogo and Al Ahly to reach this final.

A chance for Real Madrid to continue experimenting

Despite picking up an injury last week, Kylian Mbappé is fit enough to make the squad for this match. So, Carlo Ancelotti might get another opportunity to find a formula that gets the best out of him alongside attacking stars like Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, though he has bigger issues to contend with elsewhere in the side. Defenders Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy are all out injured, so the Italian tactician will have to fashion a second-string back line once again.

Prediction

As is often the case in these tournaments, the gulf in squad quality is big enough for the European side to come out on top even with a subpar performance.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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