Preview

Jan

2025

Preview: Nottingham Forest aiming for elusive double over Liverpool

High-flying Nottingham Forest will host Premier League leaders Liverpool in what promises to be a thrilling Tuesday night fixture.

By Neel Shelat

Forest’s sensational winning streak

Many Nottingham Forest fans must be having the time of their lives right now. Their side is on a seven-match winning streak – their longest in nearly two decades. Six of those victories have come in the Premier League, making this their longest top-flight winning run since 1979. A seventh in the league would equal their all-time record.

This incredible run of results has propelled Nuno Espírito Santo’s side all the way up to third in the Premier League standings, level on points with Arsenal and just six off the leaders (who have a game in hand). As we are now in the second half of the season, the Forest faithful are increasingly believing in their team’s chances of returning to Europe after nearly three decades away.

Liverpool keen to preserve impressive double record

No team has done the league double over Liverpool since Manchester United managed it in 2015/16. Jürgen Klopp preserved that record for the entirety of his nine-year spell at the club, while his successor Arne Slot has only tasted one defeat to date.

That loss did come against Nottingham Forest on matchday four in the Premier League, when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored from outside the box to stop Slot’s party at Anfield.

Of course, that also means the Dutch tactician has yet to lose an away match in charge of Liverpool so that too could change at the City Ground.

Potentially favourable matchup for Forest

Liverpool have been the best team in England (and arguably the world) by some margin so far this season, but they are not absolutely perfect. Their scintillating attack – which has scored by far the most goals in the Premier League and accumulated the highest xG tally – has at least partly been helped by the fact that fewer teams are looking to defend with discipline in low blocks for long spells. Instead, most sides are looking to either start higher to selectively apply some pressure to push their opponents back, but both of those approaches leave their back lines a little more vulnerable.

Slot’s side have taken advantage of that by striking a fantastic balance between patient possession and direct attacking, thus luring their opponents out and springing forward at the best possible time. Opponents would like be better served by remaining in a compact low block against them, but the few sides that have tried to do so have been the relegation battlers for whom the difference in player quality proved great.

Nottingham Forest, however, have decent player quality along with the ability to absorb pressure for long spells. The likes of Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood enable them to pose a serious counterattacking threat from deep, which they have used to great effect so far. So, the hosts could well frustrate Liverpool and hurt them on the break.

Prediction

We should have a cracking game on our hands as both squads are near full strength; only Joe Gomez and Ibrahim Sangaré are out injured while Darwin Núñez is suspended. This may well result in a hard-fought draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Upwardly mobile Bournemouth visit Chelsea at the Bridge

Just three points separate Chelsea and Bournemouth as the two sides face off at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Defeat would likely see Enzo Maresca’s side all out of the top four, while Bournemouth could establish themselves as genuine Champions League contenders.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea were smash and grab 1-0 victors in the reverse fixture, thanks to Christopher Nkunku’s fancy footwork and some Robert Sánchez heroics. Bournemouth have learnt a lot since then, beating four of the traditional ‘top six.’

Both sides scored five goals in their weekend FA Cup third round triumphs, although Bournemouth’s came against stronger opposition. Winless in their last four Premier League games, Chelsea need to get back on the right track.

Enzo Maresca’s impossible task

The Chelsea boss has confessed it’s ‘impossible’ to keep all of Chelsea’s superstars happy in his pre-match press conference, with many clamouring for a move in the January transfer window in pursuit of regular minutes.

As has been the case all season, most of Chelsea’s preferred league eleven got a rest in the 5-0 win over Morecambe. Only Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, and Marc Cucurella of Maresca’s preferred side featured in the FA Cup.

It remains to be seen what the Chelsea squad will look like come the end of January, but one thing remains certain, Ben Chilwell won’t get any minutes.

Bournemouth’s striker injury crisis

Both Enes Ünal and Evanilson are set for lengthy spells on the sideline, with the Turkish star tearing his ACL and the Brazilian breaking his leg. Luis Sinisterra, although a winger, is capable of playing up top, but yep, he’s also out.

Bournemouth have recalled Daniel Jebbison from Watford, but with zero goals in his ten games for the Hornets, expectations are low. Of course, that means we’ve jinxed it. Sorry Chelsea fans, he’s going to bag a hattrick!

Both of Bournemouth’s top two goal scorers, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo are wingers, so Andoni Iraola’s side do still have some firepower, but the lack of a focal point may be an issue.

Is Reece James finally back!?

Oh Reece James. It’s a story that’s been written time and time again, like a high school depiction of Romeo and Juliet set in gangland Chicago. He started against Morecambe, but as history has told, that doesn’t mean he’ll be starting against Bournemouth.

The Chelsea captain impressed in the FA Cup, providing the easiest assist of his life for Tosin Adarabioyo’s first goal, as well as winning 100% of his tackles, 100% of his aerial duels, and making three recoveries.

Malo Gusto replaced him at halftime, so Maresca is clearly still airing on the side of caution. Let’s hope THIS is the time James truly makes his comeback.

The Premier League’s best left-back… maybe

Milos Kerkes is fantastic; it’s no surprise the vultures are starting to circle. The Hungarian isn’t just solid defensively, making 23 interceptions, 90 recoveries, and winning possession in the final third seven times, he’s a genuine attacking threat.

With three assists, he’s Bournemouth’s joint-second provider, alongside Lewis Cook and Dango Ouattara. Whoever Chelsea play opposite him, they’re in for a busy night, that’s for sure.

*Kerkez passing stats, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

Bournemouth’s recent record against bigger sides and Chelsea’s recent record might just swing it for the South Coast club, we’re going to go with 2-1 for the visitors.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Brentford take on a City side in recovery

Brentford and Manchester City had very differing results in the FA Cup at the weekend, but this will be a far greater test for the champions than Salford City.

By Ian King

Recent records

Have Manchester City turned a corner? It might be arguable that you can’t read too much into their 8-0 win against Salford in the FA Cup, but this was another positive result, following on from successive Premier League wins against Leicester City and West Ham United.

Brentford, meanwhile, had ended a run of one win in six by beating Southampton 5-0 away from home last time out in the league, but their 1-0 home Cup defeat to Plymouth may have indicated that they might not be out of this slump just yet.

History

City have won every game between the two clubs going back to September 1989, except for the 2022/23 season, when the Bees did the double over them, beating them 2-1 at The Etihad and 1-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium. When the two clubs met earlier this season City won 2-1, though they had to come back from a goal behind after Yoane Wissa had given Brentford a first-minute lead.

Key players

It’s entirely possible that he may not start, but there may be eyes being directed towards Kyle Walker following news that he could be open to leaving City to play abroad. The same goes for Jack Grealish, who converted a penalty against Salford but still needs to start delivering again. Might Pep Guardiola be tempted to give James McAtee a run out? After all, he scored a hat-trick in less than twenty minutes last weekend.

There are two key figures in the Brentford squad. Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo have scored 17 of Brentford’s 27 Premier League home goals between them this season, and if Brentford can exploit what is still a slightly improvised Manchester City defence there could yet be rewards to be had.

Team News

Rico Lewis will stand in for City should Walker have played his last game for the club, though this remains unconfirmed for now. None of City’s recent absentees are expected to return. Brentford’s injury list, meanwhile, is starting to look worrying, with Josh Dasilva (knee), Ethan Pinnock (thigh), Kristoffer Ajer (ankle), Ben Mee (unspecified), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Igor Thiago (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back) and Ryan Trevitt (achilles) all likely to be missing.

Prediction

Brentford’s recent dip in form was masked by an easy win at Southampton, as their performance against Plymouth seemed to confirm, and while they’re comfortable in mid-table, they’ve been inconsistent all season.

For Manchester City, this will feel like a winnable test of recent progress made. Both Leicester and West Ham were poor against them, and the Salford result can’t really be held as a comparison for what they might need to do in the Premier League. But City normally come good in the second half of the season and that’s where we are right now, so I’m going for them to edge this 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.

Jan

2025

Preview: English giants Arsenal and Man Utd face each other in the FA Cup

Rúben Amorim has failed to get Man United firing on all cylinders since replacing Erik ten Hag, and despite a decent draw at Anfield, Arsenal will go into their FA Cup tie at the Emirates knowing they can beat his side.

By Alex Roberts

Arsenal came out 2-0 winners the last time these sides met in December, with both goals, of course, coming from corners. United haven’t exactly acknowledged their defensive frailties since then, failing to win in their last five games across all competitions.

Mikel Arteta will doubtless be intent on making up for their midweek League Cup woes, having lost the first-leg of their semifinal 2-0 to Newcastle United on Tuesday.

It’s a cliché for a reason

In the defeat to Newcastle, it had never been clearer just how much Arteta’s side were in dire need of a ‘traditional’ number nine. Alexander Isak tore them apart, while Kai Havertz was largely ineffectual at the other end.

Arsenal’s ongoing struggles to clinch the Premier League title in the last two seasons have often been attributed to their lack of a player like Isak. It’s no surprise, then, that the Swedish international has been linked with a move to the club.

Yes, Havertz has had his moments, and could very well score a hattrick against Man United on Sunday, but in the long run, it’s a position Arsenal need to address.

A rare bright spark

Amad Diallo has rightfully been awarded a new contract at Man United, keeping him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2030, with his previous deal set to expire at the end of this season.

After scoring the winner in the Manchester Derby win over Man City, a goal in the 4-3 defeat to Tottenham, and now the equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool, Diallo has become Amorim’s man for the big occasions.

Both Diallo and United have saved their best performances for the ‘big six’ this season, and Arsenal should be wary.

Hale End’s latest Starboy

Left-back has been an issue for Arsenal this season. Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been in and out of the side due to various injury issues, and despite his return, Keiran Tierney doesn’t seem to have a future at the club, looking set to leave the club on a free at the end of the season.

Up stepped Myles Lewis-Skelly. His performance in the defeat to Newcastle was typical of an 18-year-old defender, maybe a little naïve, but willing to put the work in and learn from those around him.

He’s already made 13 appearances across all competitions this season, seemingly earning the trust of Arteta. Ethan Nwanari may be getting all the headlines, but Lewis-Skelly may be the next big thing.

An interesting goalkeeping decision

Amorim has confirmed Altay Bayındır will be playing between the sticks instead of first-choice André Onana, raising a load of concerns among the fans who saw his performance in the recent defeat to Tottenham.

Beyond the biggest statistic of all, the four goals he conceded, the Turkish shot-stopper had one error that led to a goal, a 61% pass accuracy rate, and a dismal 17% long ball accuracy rate.

It may well be a long day for Bayındır.

Prediction

It’s going to continue to get a lot worse before it gets better for Amorim at United, if it does at all, this season at least. We’re going to go with a 3-1 Arsenal win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid meet Barcalona in a bonus edition of El Clasico

Another Clásico, another trophy. Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah on Sunday night, the Spanish Supercopa on the line – and for the third straight year it’s the two biggest clubs in LaLiga who will contest the final.

By Karl Matchett

New format, same old same old

Starting in 2020, the powers that be in Spain decided that there wasn’t enough variety in the Supercopa, not enough fans getting a chance at seeing their team lift the trophy. Or, perhaps, they decided there wasn’t enough money in the national game, or not enough fixtures. Either way, the outcome was an outsourced competition: four sides, semifinals and then a final, played (except in the Covid campaign) in Saudi Arabia.

In the 14 years prior to the change, the winners were Real Madrid or Barcelona 11 times – or 79 per cent. After this final, the sixth edition of the new format, it’ll be one of those sides who triumph for the fifth time, or 83 per cent of the time. Perhaps the original intentions were good, but the more things change, the more they seem stay the same.

Still, El Clásico is a much-watched event whenever it occurs and no wonder given the stars on show. Barca’s shone in autumn to rampage at the Bernabéu and win 4-0; prior to that Madrid had won three in a row. More intriguingly, the fixture is currently on 15 consecutive matches without a draw; one more and it will equal the all-time record in the rivalry, set between 1948 and 1954.

Recent form

Real Madrid sit top of LaLiga after winning six of their last eight, while across all competitions it’s six wins in seven (Atlético could leapfrog them today, as they play a league fixture vs. Osasuna). That includes a Copa del Rey win over minnows Minera though, as well as the semi-final of this competition in midweek. Between October and December, Real had endured a run of four defeats in seven.

As for Barcelona, they’ve been the reverse: immense earlier, stuttering lately. A seven-match win streak was halted in mid-November and since then it’s only five wins from 11, seeing them drop from first to third in the league just before Christmas.

Team news

Injuries for Real give Carlo Ancelotti some concerns, with Jude Bellingham suffering a muscle injury late on in the semi-final and Federico Valverde going off injured earlier in the game. Aurélien Tchouaméni has been filling in at centre-back but he also went off after a head injury. Barcelona have long-term absences including Marc-André ter Stegen and Andreas Christensen, while Dani Olmo can play after being given a temporary licence.

Key player

Eduardo Camavinga might have a dual role on Sunday, with the midfielder a potential stand-in defensively and a necessary runner centrally if Valverde or Bellingham miss out. Fortunately he’s excellent in both areas of the pitch, ranking in the top ten per cent Europe-wide for his role in touches of the ball and the top two per cent for defensive actions.

Prediction

Real Madrid to simply find a way, which would make them 14-times winners of the trophy, jointly the most alongside their rivals. Madrid 2-1 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Non-league Tamworth host Spurs in dream FA Cup tie

Coming off the back of a win against Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semifinal first leg to lose to Tamworth in the FA Cup would be to achieve actual peak Spurs; but it might be a step too far.

By Ian King

Recent form

Tottenham Hotspur, eight time winners of the FA Cup, continue to bewilder and baffle. Their 1-0 win against Liverpool in midweek came straight out of the blue, in a sense a particularly Tottenham thing to do.

Tamworth are currently 16th in the National League – England’s fifth tier and the top division of the non-league game. They’re freshly installed at this level following two successive league titles, the National League North and the Southern League Premier Division Central, over the last two years.

First ever meeting

Obviously, these two have never met before. Tamworth do however have history in the Third Round of the FA Cup. In 2005/06 they beat Bournemouth en route to losing to Stoke City on penalties. The following season they got that far again before losing at home to Norwich City, while in 2011/12 they did it again before losing 2-0 to Everton.

Famously, Spurs were the last non-league club to win the FA Cup, as members of the Southern League all the way back in 1909. They’ve also played non-league opposition at this stage of this competition before. In 2021 they beat Marine 5-0, while in the mid-1990s they played two similar ties in three years; Marlow in 1993 and Altrincham in 1995. Altrincham took them to a replay in 1979, before Spurs won 3-0 in a replay that was switched to Manchester City’s Maine Road.

Key players

Spurs are now missing enough players for their first team to effectively be everyone who’s left standing. It’s difficult to get too precious about resting players when you’ve got ten of them out injured, though this would be a good opportunity for Richarlison to return, should he be fit.

There is little celebrity around the Tamworth dressing room, no names that would be familiar to any beyond avid National League watchers or a handful of supporters of lower division EFL clubs with pretty long memories. Striker Dan Creaney is their top scorer this season, with eight goals in the league.

Team News

Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to be absent following his injury on Wednesday night. But both Fraser Forster and Richarlison could be available. Having said that, the debut put in by new goalkeeping reinforcement Antonín Kinský on Wednesday night may put paid to any involvement from Forster. There was no indication of fresh injuries in the Tamworth camp from their 1-0 loss at Sutton United in the FA Trophy last weekend.

Prediction

The biggest battle that Spurs face at Tamworth is the unfamiliar. They’ll be on an artificial pitch in front of a crowd of 5,000. It’s a different world to the padded seats of North London. And, well, it’s Spurs, isn’t it? The clown princes of the Premier League; the team most likely to slip on this type of banana skin and land flat on their faces. But we have to be somewhat realistic, here. The gulf is massive and Tamworth aren’t even a particularly strong team at their level of the game. The away side should really run away with this. I’ll say 3-0 Spurs, though it could be more.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Man City face Salford City in local FA Cup Clash

Manchester City host Salford City in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad Stadium. It’s a game that could be considered a local derby, with just five miles separating their respective grounds.

By Matt Smith

This will be the first time the two teams have met in their history, with Salford only recently climbing up the football pyramid over the last few years. Ties like this are what the FA Cup is all about, as League Two Salford City prepare to take on the Premier League champions.

Oscar Bobb nearing a return

Pep Guardiola confirmed in his press conference before the game that Oscar Bobb is back training with the group after his long-term absence, but the Spanish manager hinted that this game could come too soon.

Ederson is now ‘fine’ after a recent leg problem, but John Stones remains unavailable for the Manchester club.

Savinho finding his feet

Man City are enduring a difficult season by their immense standards, with some of their key stars struggling to hit the heights expected of them. Guardiola’s side have looked blunt in attack at times, but Savinho has shown in recent weeks why he could quickly become a key player.

The Brazilian has been given a run of three starts in a row, providing four goal contributions in that time. With the likes of Jack Grealish and Jérémy Doku not pulling up any trees of late, Savinho may have cemented himself as a regular starter.

Four players ruled out for Salford

Kelly Nmai, Dan Chesters, Josh Austerfield and Frankie Okoronkwo will all be unavailable for the League Two side as they make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.

This will be Salford’s first game without Stephan Negru after the defender was re-called from his loan spell by Oxford United earlier this week. Finally, Ben Woodburn is a doubt for Karl Robinson’s side.

Cole Stockton the danger man

Cole Stockton has been a key player for Salford this season in attack, helping them in their push for promotion up to League One. The English striker has scored seven goals and provided two assists in just 16 League Two starts, while also finding the back of the net in the previous round of the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town.

Salford also carry a bit of a threat from left-back, with former Everton defender Luke Garbutt creating 34 chances in League Two this season, ranking him eighth in the division. The 31-year-old regularly takes set pieces for Robinson’s side, and that could be their best route to finding a goal against Man City.

Prediction

It’s difficult to see past a Man City win in this one. The Premier League side are at home, and despite a disappointing campaign in comparison to the last few years, they should have too much quality for League Two Salford.

Guardiola could rest some of his key stars, but we’re going for a comfortable 4-0 victory for the Citizens at the Etihad Stadium.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Chelsea play League Two Morecambe in the FA Cup

Minnows (or should that be Shrimps?) Morecambe travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Premier League giants Chelsea, hoping to pull off one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in the history of football’s oldest competition.

By Alex Roberts

The West London club have had some rotten FA Cup luck in recent years, making the final in three of the last five seasons, losing all of them against Arsenal, Leicester City, and Liverpool as they head into their first game of the 2024/25 edition.

It’s the kind of record Morecambe fans would kill for, a side that have only been above League Two twice in the last 15 years and are struggling to stay in the football league this season.

Chelsea have a history

The task seems insurmountable for lil ol’ Morecambe, but Chelsea have lost to lower league opposition in the FA Cup before, notably losing 4-2 to League One Bradford all the way back in 2015.

It’s been a decade since the defeat to Bradford, and Chelsea are no longer have a chiselled Gary Cahill or a Russian oligarch to rely upon, now it’s young Levi Colwill and a consortium of American venture capitalists.

Just like pundits up and down the nation like to say, ‘anything can happen’, and it’s happened before, Morecambe beat Bradford in the previous round after all, but the odds are certainly in Chelsea’s favour.

A goal scoring defender

Morecambe have a secret weapon in Jamie Stott. A defender who happens to be their second top league goal scorer, boasting the best xG in the side, but in true centre-back style, also having the most missed big chances.

He’s not the type of player who should be fight against relegation in League Two and has been a driving force in the two wins they have from their last five games, scoring in the 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers and showing his ability at the back in the 1-0 victory against Carlisle.

Of course, Chelsea are a completely different beast, but it’s a game in which Stott could impress potential suitors.

Give the kids a chance

One of the most positive things Enzo Maresca has done is give Chelsea’s kids hope after a summer of upheaval for their famed youth conveyer belt. Both Neil Bath and Jim Fraser stepped down as academy directors.

Players such as Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, and Lewis Hall, just to name a few, were shipped out for ‘pure profit’, leaving genuine question marks regarding a clear pathway for the current academy stars.

Chelsea will be hoping despite all the change, more players will commit to the club and do a Josh Acheampong rather than a Rio Ngumoha, and games like this are the perfect chance to show them they’re wanted.

Prediction

It’s easy to get carried away with the romance of the FA Cup and giant killings etc. but it’s important to remain realistic.

Morecambe winning this would arguably be the biggest thing to happen to the club, but it would take a miracle, so we’re going to go with 4-0 to Chelsea.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Liverpool face Accrington Stanley in nostalgic FA Cup tie

Tempting as it is to start a look at this fixture by listing out why milk is the drink of football heroes of yesteryear*, there’s a somewhat more serious undertone to the game now for Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders, who have just shown the slightest wobble of form of late.

By Karl Matchett

*Before we go any further, and if you’re weren’t alive in the UK during the 1980s, here’s a link to the TV advert that will forever link these two clubs – watch here.

Top of everything, winless in two

Liverpool’s midweek League Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, contentious as it was, means Slot’s side are two without a win in all competitions, following a surprise home draw to Manchester United. For most teams that would be nothing of note; for the Merseyside club it’s their worst run of the campaign.

Yet, as we’re told every year, the magic of the FA Cup means it’s not always about form, favourites or even footballers. Fourth tier Accrington Stanley visit the top side in the country and the storylines write themselves, not the least of which is Josh Woods being likely to lineup for the away side, when he can frequently be found in the stands instead, supporting the Anfield club. This is only the second-ever time the teams have met, after the Reds won 2-0 in the FA Cup third round in 1956.

Recent form

Prior to losing at Spurs it was 24 in a row unbeaten for Slot’s team, so there won’t be panic buttons being pummelled just yet. Accrington have actually won their last two, so come into this game as the in-form team…though if we want to add context, which we should, victories over Grimsby and Colchester don’t move the needle much – particularly coming after a winless run of eight beforehand. Bottom line: they’re 19th in League Two, away to the Premier League leaders.

Team news

Liverpool should be able to call upon the previously ill Dominik Szoboszlai, while Jarell Quansah went off in the first half midweek. Joe Gomez is the only other definite absentee after some recent returns to fitness for Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konaté, but Slot will probably also start the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Darwin Núñez, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo.

Accrington have a full squad available and will likely go with a full-strength side in a bid to cause the biggest shock of the third round.

Key player

Tough to know exactly where Slot will go with his lineup, but given the Forest game is three days away, rotations in some areas are a necessity, including full-back. That gives Conor Bradley another chance to shine, particularly on the back of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s poor showing against Manchester United and the ongoing contract talks there. While Bradley’s 250-odd league minutes are nowhere near enough to be truly telling, his per-90 stats are alarmingly high across the board in shooting, passing, dribbling, recoveries and touches. The more we see of him, the more idea we’ll have of just how sustainable that is…and whether he could really be a long-term answer for the Reds.

Prediction

No cup shock this time around; Liverpool’s second string will ease aside Accrington and continue their domestic cup adventures. Liverpool 4-0 Accrington…exactly.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Madrid and Mallorca meet in the second Supercopa semifinal

Real Madrid are hoping to make it back-to-back Spanish Super Cup triumphs as Carlo Ancelotti’s team look to continue a run of five wins in six games.

By Graham Ruthven

Real momentum

After an uncertain start to the season, Real Madrid are building momentum having won five of their last six matches in all competitions with last week’s victory over Valencia a classic comeback by Los Blancos.

Jude Bellingham’s stoppage time winner at Mestalla continued his scoring run of six goals in seven games and came with Real Madrid down to 10 men after the sending off of Vinícius Júnior. The Spanish champions backed this up with a 5-0 Copa del Rey win over Minera on Monday.

Three games in under a week could make fatigue a factor for Madrid against Mallorca, but the talent advantage will be in the favour of the Spanish champions.

Mallorca enter the Spanish Super Cup after making last season’s Copa del Rey final. More recently, though, Jagoba Arrasate’s team suffered an embarrassing cup exit at the hands of fourth tier Pontevedra as the defending Copa champions.

The Balearic Islands outfit will have to rediscover the magic of last season’s Copa del Rey run to stand any chance against Ancelotti‘s side in Riyadh.

Key players

Bellingham has been pushed forward into a more advanced role in recent weeks which has seen the England international score a number of important goals, including the late winner at Valencia.

Kylian Mbappé will lead the line for Real Madrid with Vinícius available despite being sent off on Monday night. The suspension only applies to LaLiga and so the Brazilian will likely line up on the left wing.

However, there are still questions over Ancelotti’s integration of Mbappé and Vinícius into the same forward line with Real Madrid recently playing better without the latter.

After naming a much-changed team for that Copa upset, the likes of Pablo Maffeo, Vedat Muriqi, Cyle Larin, Dominik Greif and Sergi Darder could come back into the lineup for Thursday’s match.

Muriqi scored against Real Madrid in the opening game of the season and will pose a physical and aerial threat with Mallorca’s game plan designed to get service into the 30-year-old centre forward.

Goalkeeper Greif should expect a busy evening against one of the most formidable frontlines in European football.

Team news

Madrid remain without Dani Carvajal who is expected to miss the rest of the season through injury, explaining why Los Blancos are reportedly keen to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold to fill the vacant right back spot.

Éder Militão and Jesús Vallejo will also miss Thursday’s match against Mallorca, although David Alaba is now back in training after a year on the sidelines. This game, however, will come too soon for the Austrian.

Defensive midfielder Samu Costa is the only Mallorca player expected to miss the Spanish Super Cup semi-final with Arrasate otherwise boasting a fully fit squad despite knocks to Antonio Raíllo and Antonio Sánchez.

Prediction

As one of the most successful clubs in world football, Madrid don’t often miss out on the opportunity to collect more silverware. We’re therefore predicting that they will make it safely through to Sunday’s final: Real Madrid 2-0 Mallorca

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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