Preview

Apr

2025

Preview: Spurs meet Eintracht Frankfurt in Europa League last eight

It’s a big night at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs take on Eintracht Frankfurt with, perhaps, their manager’s job at stake.

By Ian King

14th in England up against third in Germany

They stuttered along the way and they were playing arguably the worst team in the history of top flight English football, but Tottenham Hotspur WON A FOOTBALL MATCH against Southampton last weekend. It was only their fifth league win from their last 19, going back to November. After elimination from both domestic cups in the space of five January days and with them still 14th in the Premier League, the only realistic chance of Ange Postecoglou still being with the club by the summer would seem to be winning this competition, which would put them into next season’s Champions League. No pressure, Ange. But then, Eintracht Frankfurt haven’t been impressive recently either. They’ve lost four of their last six Bundesliga matches, though they do remain third, behind Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.

Europa League pedigree

These two have met in European competition twice before. In 1981/82, Spurs won 3-2 on aggregate in the Third Round of the European Cup Winners Cup, while they also met in the 2021/22 Champions League, drawing 0-0 in Frankfurt before Spurs won the return match 3-2 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. These two have also each won this competition twice before; Spurs in 1972 and 1984, and Eintracht Frankfurt in 1980 and as recently as 2022, when they beat Rangers in the final.

Key players

This hasn’t been an especially brilliant season for many Spurs players, but one who’s coming of age is Brennan Johnson, who’s scored 16 this season in all competitions. He’s now their top scorer in both the Premier League and the Europa League.

The main goalscoring threat for Eintracht Frankfurt is Hugo Ekitike, who signed on loan from PSG last season before making his transfer permanent last summer. He’s scored 19 in 40 in all competitions so far this season.

Team News

Spurs remain without Radu Drăgușin, Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso. Drăgușin will be missing for the remainder of the season, and while Kulusevski and Danso could return for the second leg in Frankfurt next week, though it’s touch and go and they may well be held back for the following weekend’s match against Nottingham Forest. Richarlison is understood to be close to returning, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Eintracht Frankfurt have a fairly substantial injury list at the moment, but their big current concern will be the absence of experienced goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. He should be available for the second leg, but his experience – he has 9 caps for the Germany national team – will surely be missed.

Prediction

It’s Spurs, so there’s always going to be some degree of fatalism in the air, but Eintracht Frankfurt haven’t been in stellar form themselves of late and were eliminated in the first knockout stage of last year’s Europa Conference League. In line with their previous European meetings, I’ll go large on this one with a 3-2 win for Spurs, setting up a tight second leg in Germany next week.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Barcelona meet Dortmund in Champions League last eight

Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys. Last year’s finalists Dortmund will be hoping to go one further in the competition this time around, but they’ll have to get past one of the most in-form teams in the world.

By Matt Smith

Considering the two sides don’t play each other too often, it’s not been long since they last faced. Dortmund and Barcelona met earlier in the competition this campaign, with Hansi Flick’s side coming away with a 3-2 victory. Ferran Torres came off the bench to strike twice for the Catalan outfit.

*The league phase meeting between the two sides*

Team news

Barcelona will be without long-term absentees Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and first-choice goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, while Dani Olmo is also on the treatment table. Iñigo Martínez was ruled out of Barcelona’s game against Real Betis at the weekend, but there’s a chance he returns for this one.

Dortmund have been dealt a double blow when it comes to injuries, with Marcel Sabitzer and Nico Schlotterbeck set to miss out for the away side. Pascal Gross will also be unavailable due to suspension.

Flick’s side are free-flowing in attack

Barcelona have undoubtedly been one of the teams to watch in the competition so far this season. Flick’s men have scored 3.2 goals on average, more than any other side. The Blaugrana also lost just once in the League Phase, finishing second behind Liverpool in the 36-team table.

It’s not just in the Champions League where Barcelona have been on fire. Flick’s side have not lost in since the turn of the year in all competitions and currently sit at the top of their domestic league. The attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski is up there with the best in the world at the moment, and Dortmund are going to have a task on their hands containing them.

Tricky season for Dortmund

Although Dortmund managed to qualify through the play-off stage of the Champions League, it’s been a difficult season overall for the Bundesliga side. Niko Kovač’s side currently sit in eight place in the German top tier and face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League ahead of next term.

There’s been a major gulf in class between Barcelona and Dortmund this season, with the latter undoubtedly going into this game as underdogs. Flick’s side will still have to be wary of Dortmund’s attacking threat, with only Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and of course, Barcelona scoring more goals per game than the Germans.

Raphinha battling for player of the competition

There’s an argument to suggest any of Barcelona’s attacking trio are ones to watch in this game, but Raphinha has stolen the show in the competition this season. The Brazilian winger had provided a combined 16 goals and assists in the Champions League this term, more than any other player.

*Raphinha’s shot map, Champions League 2024/25*

Scoring 11 goals from just 4.33 xG shows the variety of strikes Raphinha has produced. Keeping him quiet out wide is one thing, but he’s incredibly dangerous when he drifts into central areas and is afforded time and space to fire at goal.

Prediction

With Barcelona playing at home in the opening leg, we’re going for a 2-0 victory to the side from LaLiga on Wednesday.

(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 host holders Madrid as the UCL quarterfinals get underway

If Arsenal are to win their first Champions League, they first have to get past the competition’s greatest force of nature.

By Ian King

Second in England vs. Second in Spain

Both teams have been having a bit of a domestic wobble recently. Arsenal have only won two of their last six in the Premier League, while Real were somewhat surprisingly beaten at home by struggling Valencia last weekend. In Europe, however, both have shown their strength, with Arsenal destroying PSV 7-1 in Eindhoven in the last round while Real Madrid have already seen off two extremely difficult knockout matches, brushing Manchester City aside with barely a thought in the playoffs and then beating city rival Atlético on penalties in the last round.

History

Somewhat surprisingly, these two clubs have only ever met in Europe once before, and this makes for good omens for Arsenal. In 2006 they won 1-0 at the Bernabéu and then drew the return match 0-0 on the way to their only appearance in a Champions League final. But if we’re talking history, no-one needs much telling about Real’s pedigree. Of the 69 previous iterations of the Champions League and European Cup they’ve won it 15 times. Nice.

Key players

Despite the PSV battering, Arsenal have been struggling a little in front of goal recently. They’ve only scored more than two goals in a Premier League match once since New Year’s Day. But with top scorer Kai Havertz out for the season, where are those goals coming from? Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka are their joint highest league scorers in the league behind Havertz with six each, but Leandro Trossard’s spritely performance and goal at Goodison on Saturday could mean that he starts and he may be their best chance of ensuring that a lead is taken to Madrid for the second leg. Real were concerned that Kylian Mbappé, Dani Ceballos, Antonio Rüdiger and Vinícius Júnior would miss this match due to suspension, but they escaped with fines after a UEFA investigation into their celebrations against Atlético. That would have been quite a quartet to miss.

*Champions League xG leaders, with Arsenal’s figure shown as comparison*

Team News

Saka returned to the Arsenal team with no ill effects last weekend and should start again. Otherwise, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Magalhães are all long-term absentees for Arsenal, while Riccardo Calafiori is injured and Raheem Sterling is suspended. Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended for Real while Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão are long-term injuries. Ferland Mendy, Thibaut Courtois and Dani Ceballos all missed the Valencia game but should all return for this.

Prediction

When you play Real Madrid, you’re playing an entire weight of history. That’s the scale of the task ahead of Arsenal in this quarter-final. It’s now been almost twenty years since they reached their only Champions League final, but home advantage will count for something and recent domestic defeats against Real Betis and Valencia have left a little bit of a question mark over this Real team, so I’ll go for a relatively low-key 1-1 draw and all back to the Bernabéu for a tense second leg.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Apr

2025

Preview: Inter Miami host Toronto in MLS

Inter Miami will face Canadian opposition for the first time this season when they host Toronto in Fort Lauderdale this weekend. Lionel Messi has been back in the team after missing Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers, but will he play on Sunday night?

By James Nalton

Inter Miami re-take their place at the top

It feels like Inter Miami still haven’t hit their stride this season, yet they can return to the top of both the Eastern Conference and the overall standings with a win here. And they’ll still have a game in hand on most of their rivals.

Even at this early stage, they look set to successfully defend the Supporters’ Shield they won last season in record-breaking fashion.

Who can stop them? On this early evidence, it seems no one will, at least not in the MLS regular season…

A Champions Cup hiccup

Most of Inter Miami’s early season MLS games have arrived in the context of their involvement in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

That tournament is reaching the business end as Miami face fellow MLS heavyweight Los Angeles FC in the quarterfinals.

LAFC won the first leg in California last week and take a 1-0 lead to Miami for the second leg this Wednesday night (or the early hours of early Thursday morning for those in a European time zone).

That was Inter Miami’s first loss of 2025 and ended a run of seven consecutive wins — an indication of how well they have started the season not just in MLS, but in the Champions Cup, too.

Messi is back, but will he play?

Messi returned to MLS action last week having missed Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifiers through injury.

He came off the bench in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win against Philadelphia Union, scoring what turned out to be the winning goal.

Messi then played the full 90 minutes in Los Angeles in midweek, but his involvement is never guaranteed.

Indeed, LAFC sent a response to some ticket holders informing them that “LAFC cannot guarantee specific player appearances,” which was clearly a reference to Messi.

There’s a chance he might not start against Toronto, as head coach Javier Mascherano will have the important Concacaf game in mind, but you’d imagine he’d make some kind of appearance to maintain some rhythm.

Do Toronto have a chance?

It’s safe to say that Toronto FC’s much-hyped big-name Italian signings have not lived up to expectations.

Despite this, Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernadeschi did not get their reputations by chance and can still be difference-makers on their day.

Toronto also has a goalkeeper, Sean Johnson, who can also put in a matchwinning performance, or at least one that means his team doesn’t lose.

Like many players TFC have signed, Johnson hasn’t shown the form he did at his previous club, in this case New York City FC where he was a key part of a MLS Cup-winning team, but the American, who has 13 caps to his name, was named Man of the Match in Toronto’s draw with Vancouver last week, and will need to put in another standout display in Sunday Night Football.

Prediction

Inter Miami should navigate this game with minimal fuss compared to many of their others so far this season. If Messi is fit and firing, even only for part of the game, then it could be their biggest margin of victory this season so far.

(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: Brentford host near-neighbours Chelsea in West London

Chelsea remain in the top four thanks to a 1-0 win over Tottenham, even if they have been at their best for the past few months, while Brentford will be hoping for some sort of consistency going into the last few games of the season. It’s the derby that isn’t quite a derby.

By Alex Roberts

Thomas Frank’s side have 12 wins, five draws, and 13 defeats in their 30 Premier League games. They’ve been hot and cold all season, particularly away from home – as evidenced by the 2-1 defeat in the earlier fixture between these two this season.

Champions League qualification is the ultimate goal for Enzo Maresca’s side, and they appear to be on track to achieve just that. Still, inconsistency and defeats to ‘lesser’ sides have frustrated fans. The Italian is in need of a statement win.

Cole Palmer is back baby

It took ten games, but Palmer finally bagged a goal contribution, providing the assist for Enzo Fernández’s winner against Spurs in midweek. That’s not for the want of trying, however, he remains top of the charts for Premier League chance creation.

Brentford have been somewhat of a bogey team for Palmer, he’s provided one assist in his four games against them. Only champions elect Liverpool have managed to keep him quieter since he joined the Blues.

Chelsea will need him at his best for their last few games and Palmer will doubtless be desperate to challenge himself against the best of the best next season.

One of the best duos in the league

Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo have been electric all season, scoring 30 of Brentford’s 51 Premier League goals so far this campaign between them. Integral isn’t a strong enough word to describe how important they are to Franks’s side.

It’s the type of strike partnership that Chelsea would dream of at the moment, only Palmer has similar numbers for Maresca’s side, and they’ve only scored three Premier League goals more than Brentford across their 30 games.

*Brentford top goalscorer, Premier League 2024/25*

The issue for Brentford is the other end, conceding 47 goals. There is still an outside chance of European qualification but they’ll have to sort that defence out for what’s left of the season.

Poor Wesley Fofana

It’s been another season to forget for the French centre back. He was ruled out for the game against Tottenham due to yet another injury, and it remains to be seen exactly when he’ll be back.

Thankfully for Chelsea, Trevoh Chalobah has been arguably their best player since making the return from his loan at Crystal Palace, stepping in like he never even left in the first place.

Chelsea spent a lot of money to bring Fofana to the club and when he’s played, he’s impressed. That injury record is starting to become a worry, however, and the club may be forced to cash in should it not improve in the near future.

Prediction

This is exactly the kind of game Chelsea have struggled in this season. Brentford are no pushovers, that’s for sure, so we’re going to go with a hard-fought 2-0 win for the home 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.

Apr

2025

Preview: The Manchester Derby

It’s been a rough season for both Manchester clubs, although admittedly it’s been a lot worse for the red half than it has been for the blue one. At least City still have something other than pride to play for in the last derby of the season.

By Alex Roberts

Funnily enough, Champions League qualification is still possible for both sides with Pep Guardiola’s side hoping to finish in the top four, potentially five should the Premier League secure an extra spot based on UEFA coefficient rating, while United’s only hope is through the Europa League.

The impetus is on City to win this game, and while they are the favourites, form usually goes out the window in the Manchester derby. It’s a cliché, but it will likely come down to who wants it more.

*Shot map and xG from the last Manchester Derby*

No Haaland, no problem

The big Norwegian will have to watch this, and potentially the rest of the season, from the sidelines after picking up an ankle injury in City’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Bournemouth last month. He will be missed, but his side have options.

Omar Marmoush is already looking like a quality piece of business for the current champions, scoring six goals in his 12 games across all competitions, five of which have come in the league.

He’s a different kind of handful to Haaland, instead of relying on brute strength, it’s smart movement and pace that makes Marmoush such an impressive forward. The United defenders may be glad to see the robot isn’t playing, but they can’t keep their eyes off his understudy.

*Marmoush player traits – comparison made against strikers in big five leagues*

Playing the hand he was dealt

It took Ruben Amorim roughly five months before he stuck Harry Maguire up top. Remarkably he accumulated more xG in added time against Nottingham Forest than Rasmus Højlund has in his last 15 appearances.

Amorim’s attacking options, other than Bruno Fernandes, simply aren’t good enough. Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are so bereft of confidence it’s unlikely they’ll get it back so long as they’re at the club.

He now faces the same dilemma that haunted Erik ten Hag. Does he deviate from his system to help accommodate players that can’t seem to grasp it in hopes of short-term success? Or does he stick with it, knowing it will likely get worse before it gets better? Perhaps he should have insisted on taking the job in the summer.

Going out with a bang?

It’s official, Kevin de Bruyne will be leaving Man City once his contract expires at the end of the season. He’s be departing with one hell of a legacy, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, among others.

So, this WILL be his last Manchester derby, something we’re sure City fans across the globe were dreading. The Belgian has not been up to his own very high standards this season but no one at City has.

He was uncharacteristically invisible in the last derby as Fernandes and Amad Diallo secured a smash and grab win. There is a little more at stake here, and De Bruyne will no doubt be hoping to make at least one more memory for himself and the fans.

Prediction

This is one of the hardest games to predict in the Premier League but that won’t stop us. We reckon bragging rights will go to United, 2-1.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Champions-elect Liverpool travel to Fulham

The title race is inching closer towards a conclusion and this weekend offers up an unusual immediate comparison in fixture terms, as Liverpool face Fulham after beating Everton in midweek – while Arsenal could only draw with the Toffees after seeing off the Cottagers.

By Karl Matchett

Points over performances

For champions-elect Liverpool, the midweek Merseyside derby was all about getting the victory, however it happened. Ultimately, it was narrow and nervy as far as wins go, despite dominating the ball for long stretches – but after losing a cup final and being knocked out of Europe, only the points mattered. And, it’s important to note, they’ve kept doing that.

Those defeats and a long international break meant it was very nearly a month since the Reds had last played or picked up a win in the Premier League – probably contributing to a wider feeling of it not quite being all over yet. But, it’s four straight wins for Arne Slot’s team in the top flight. They’ve actually increased their lead at the top over that period, even if the other competitions gave the atmosphere around Anfield a more nervous and uncertain aura than should really be warranted. With a 11-point lead, they now need just 11 more to seal a first league championship in five years.

Europe on the agenda

But Fulham are not bystanders here. They have an uneven home record this term, true, but they are also still very much in the mix for a place in Europe next season: tenth in the table but just six points off fifth with eight games to play. Marco Silva’s side suffered FA Cup defeat at the weekend though as well as that midweek loss to Arsenal and while they can still spring a surprise, it might be they are running out of steam as the campaign draws towards a close.

Recent form

In all competitions it’s three defeats in the last four for Fulham, while at home they’ve only won three of the last ten. Four of those are draws though, and even that would be seen as a positive against the league leaders. Liverpool themselves have only lost away to Tottenham, PSV and Plymouth this term – a first leg loss which was overcome in the return, and two second-string lineups. More notably, their last two away games have been wins at Man City and PSG.

Team news

Harry Wilson and Kenny Tete should return before season’s end, but not likely for this game, and Reiss Nelson may not play at all again this term. For the visitors, Alisson Becker will be assessed after concussion but the game may be too soon for Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, both in individual training. Trent Alexander-Arnold remains out, so Curtis Jones might play right-back again.

Key player

Diogo Jota finally found the net in midweek and with Mohamed Salah off the boil of late, that’s vital for Liverpool to get over the line. Jota ranks higher than 89% of similar players in assists, 96% in touches in the box and 91% for shots. Up his finishing a little and the Reds get the title in the bag.

Prediction

They might not be at their best but Liverpool found a way in midweek and can do the same again in West London: Fulham 1 Liverpool 2.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Barca play Betis in battle of LaLiga’s form teams

Real Betis will still be holding out hope of snatching a Champions League place, but table topping Barcelona will surely be too much for them.

By Ian King

Red hot form in both dressing rooms

Barcelona, it seems reasonable to say, are back. They had a bit of a disaster between the middle of November and the middle of January, winning just one of their eight league matches, but other than that they’ve dropped just three points all season in LaLiga and are currently on a run of nine straight wins in the league. And they are unbeaten across 21 games in all competitions since the turn of the year.

Real Betis are going pretty well themselves too, though. After an inconsistent season, they’ve now won six in a row, including 2-1 wins against Real Madrid AND arch-rivals Sevilla.

History

Perhaps predictably, Barcelona have a significant historical upper hand in this particular match up. Betis haven’t won in this fixture since December 2021, when they won 2-1 at Camp Nou. The two sides have already met twice this season. In the league, the two sides drew 2-2 at Estadio Benito Villamarín in December, with a stoppage-time equaliser rescuing a point for the home side. Somewhat ominously for the visitors, they also met at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in January in the Copa Del Rey, with Barcelona winning 5-1.

Key players

The extent to which Real Betis have an uphill task on Saturday night is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that both Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have scored in each of their last three matches. Put simply, the attacking threat come from all over the place.

Real Betis feature a couple of names that will be familiar to Premier League watchers, but that which really stands out is Antony, who was loaned from Manchester United during the January transfer window and who’s scored four times and run up four assists since. His value to the squad is perhaps best summed up by the club captain Isco suggesting that “We have to crowdfund so he can stay at least another year.” High praise, from such an accomplished player.

Team News

Andreas Christensen has been out of the Barcelona team since the end of January but could be making his return in this match. Marc Bernal, Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Casado and Dani Olmo remain longer-term absences. The big absentee for Real Betis is Marc Roca, who injured his foot against Real Sociedad in February and is unlikely to return before the end of this season.

Prediction

Real Betis are in their best form of the season, and they won’t be ruling themselves out of the chase for a Champions League place until it’s mathematically impossible. But Barcelona are good. They’re one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, and even though Betis are sixth in the table, Barca have scored more than twice as many goals as they have. This should be a comfortable evening for the league leaders, so a 3-0 home win feels about right.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

Preview: Arsenal travel to Everton clinging on to their title hopes

Everton host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, with the Gunners still trying to hold on to their title hopes. The Toffees have little to play for with safety all but secured, but they’ll be hoping to bounce back after their nine-game unbeaten run came to an end last time out.

By Matt Smith

When the two sides met earlier in the season, they couldn’t be separated, as a resolute Everton performance and an inspired Jordan Pickford meant the points were shared with a 0-0 draw.

Team news

Everton saw Iliman Ndiaye return off the bench in their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool last time out. The Senegalese forward has been on the treatment table for a few weeks, but he could be in line for a start after his cameo earlier this week. Dwight McNeil has also recently returned to training, but he wasn’t fit enough to make the bench against Liverpool.

The Gunners also received a major boost earlier in the week, with Bukayo Saka featuring for the first time this year. It appears to be a one-in-one-out policy at Arsenal, though, with Gabriel now ruled out for the season.

Everton rejuvenated under Moyes

Everton saw their nine-game unbeaten run ended on Wednesday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Merseyside rivals Liverpool. Their performances under the new manager has put fans at ease, with the Toffees creating a huge gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

*Moyes is averaging 1.6 points per game in second spell with Everton*

Moyes has a better win percentage and points-per-game than all other Everton managers since Carlo Ancelotti. Consistency will be key, however, as Everton prepare for life in a new stadium next season. The Toffees will have to avoid going down a slippery slope after the loss against Liverpool, but Moyes has done superbly to keep them on track since his arrival.

The draw specialists still in with a chance

The Gunners currently sit 12 points behind Liverpool, and although they’ll be disappointed that Everton couldn’t cause an upset during the week, they can only have themselves to blame for falling short. Arsenal have drawn a whopping 10 times in the Premier League this season, meaning 33.33% of their league games have ended in stalemate.

There’s still a chance that Arsenal can lift the Premier League title, but Liverpool’s recent league form suggests they should have it sealed with a few games to spare.

Merino finding his feet in front of goal

Mikel Arteta’s answer to his centre-forward problems has been Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino. The former Real Sociedad man came off the bench against Leicester City a few weeks ago, scoring twice from the striker position.

Merino has been deployed in attack in Arsenal’s last two Premier League fixtures, scoring twice for the Gunners. Arsenal are likely to be in the market for a new centre-forward in the summer, but there’s no doubt Merino has been an impressive temporary solution.

*Merino shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

With Everton having nothing to play for and Arsenal still having a slim outside chance of lifting the Premier League title, we’re predicting a narrow win for Arteta’s side. 1-0 Arsenal.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Real Madrid face Corberan’s much-improved Valencia

Real Madrid need three points to maintain their title race pace, but a resurgent Valencia can be hopeful of pulling off a shock.

By Graham Ruthven

Searching for balance

Tuesday’s eight-goal thriller in the Copa del Rey semi-final summed up where Real Madrid are as a team right now. While Los Blancos boast arguably the most fearsome frontline in Europe, their defence always gives opponents a chance.

The 4-4 draw against Real Sociedad was enough to send Real Madrid through to the Copa final, but there is an unease about the performances being produced by Carlo Ancelotti’s side at the moment.

Real Madrid have scored seven goals over their last two games. They have also conceded six with two of those coming at home to relegation-threatened Leganés last weekend. Even as the champions won 3-2, there were whistles from the Santiago Bernabéu crowd at full time.

This should give Valencia encouragement particularly with Carlos Corberán’s team resurgent. Not so long ago, Valencia looked doomed in LaLiga’s bottom three. Now, they are on a run of two wins in their last three games.

Another positive result in the Spanish capital would edge Valencia further away from danger and ease the fear at Mestalla that the season will end in relegation.

Key players

Kylian Mbappé’s goals are keeping Real Madrid on Barcelona’s tail. The French forward has scored five goals in his last five games and is Los Blancos’ most consistent attacking threat with Vinícius Júnior struggling for his best form.

By contrast, Vinícius hasn’t found the back of the net for Real Madrid since his goal against Rayo Vallecano in early March. The Brazilian winger has cut a frustrated figure in recent matches.

Jude Bellingham has picked up some of the slack, scoring in each of his last two outings. Despite operating in a slightly deeper position this season, the Englishman has still reached double figures in goals for the season.

Diego López scored the winner for Valencia against Mallorca, taking his tally for the season to seven goals. While Valencia have struggled for firepower this season, the 22-year-old wide attacker has certainly contributed.

Umar Sadiq has made an impact since joining on loan from Real Sociedad in January. The match, however, could be decided by the midfield battle with Javi Guerra and Enzo Barrenechea capable of holding their own in the centre.

Team news

Ancelotti could rotate his team after 120 gruelling minutes of Copa del Rey action during the week. Bellingham in particular was running on fumes towards the end of the match and went down with cramp more than once.

Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos are all still sidelined through injury although Thibaut Courtois could return to the lineup after missing the Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad with a minor muscular problem.

Thierry Correia is still unavailable for Valencia due to a long-term knee injury with Iván Jaime another player expected to miss the away match against Real Madrid.

However, Hugo Duro could feature after making his return to the Valencia matchday squad for last weekend’s win over Mallorca. The striker might be a good option in attack with his physicality.

Prediction

Valencia will put up a fight, we know that. But even if Ancelotti does choose to rotate, Madrid can’t afford to slip up when title rival Barcelona have won nine league games in a row: Real Madrid 2-1 Valencia.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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