Preview

Oct

2024

Preview: Chelsea host a Newcastle side searching for form

This time last week the discussion surrounding Chelsea was about their potential to be this season’s Premier League dark horse. Fast forward to the final whistle, at Anfield last Sunday, and that discussion felt like it had been put to bed for a while.

By Dan Tracey

Enzo Maresca’s men came out second best in an enthralling meeting on Merseyside and although they picked up nothing in the way of points, they still managed to take back some positives to West London.

Positives that come with going toe-to-toe with the current league leaders and with Nicolas Jackson’s strike soon after the break cancelling out Mohamed Salah’s penalty, there was a sense that the pendulum was swinging in the direction of the Blues.

However, a game that had plenty of ebb and flow would see another swing towards the hosts when Curtis Jones put Liverpool back in front. The goal sucked the life out of Chelsea’s fightback and was one that would go on to prove to be the difference between the two sides.

There was a huge gulf in quality on Thursday as Chelsea travelled to Panathinaikos for Matchday two in the Conference League and the Blues bounced back with a well deserved 4-1 win at the Athens Olympic Stadium.

With a European win behind them, focus now pivots back to the Premier League and the visit of a Newcastle side who have failed to win any of their last four outings in the competition – a run that sees them start the weekend lying ninth in the table.

That run was extended last Saturday and although Eddie Howe’s men huffed and puffed at home to Brighton, they failed to break down the Seagulls and a goal from the in-form Danny Welbeck continued Newcastle’s recent misery.

Large portions of the Magpies’ fanbase have been left rather frustrated this season, with the club itself finding equal frustration in the summer transfer window. A lack of world-class arrivals to continue the Tyneside project is quickly seeing Newcastle operate in reverse.

Which means they must avoid defeat at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, not only because their European aspirations cannot take another dent so early in the campaign, but also because manager Howe cannot afford to oversee another defeat.

That is not to say that the former Bournemouth manager is under any immediate pressure regarding the security of his job but with the lack of transfer activity, it’s believed in some quarters that he has been set up to fail this season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Arne Slot’s Liverpool face their toughest test yet at they play Arsenal at the Emirates

The Emirates hosts a top of the table clash this weekend as Liverpool make the trip down south to take on title rivals Arsenal.

By Sam McGuire

Mikel Arteta‘s side bounced back from their loss to Bournemouth last weekend with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

They did, however, add to their ever growing injury list. Riccardo Calafiori twisted his knee and is expected to miss the visit of the Premier League leaders. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber are already doubts for the game, captain Martin Ødegaard is definitely missing while William Saliba is suspended following his red card against the Cherries last Saturday.

A potentially depleted Arsenal side are going to be put to the test. Liverpool may feel as though this is karma. The Reds went to the Emirates last term without a host of names. Andrew Robertson and Darwin Núñez were only fit enough for the bench. Kostas Tsimikas, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah were all missing with injuries. Trent Alexander-Arnold was carrying a knock and had to be replaced at halftime.

Jürgen Klopp’s men were overwhelmed by their title rivals in a 3-1 loss.

Revenge might be on the agenda for the current league leaders. Under Arne Slot this term, Liverpool have been ruthless. They’ve won 11 of their opening 12 matches. They have a 100% record in the Champions League and are a point clear at the top of the Premier League with 21 points from a possible 24.

This is an opportunity for Slot and his team to make a real statement. It is a chance to show they’re real title contenders with some still believing they’re nothing but pretenders having come up against inferior opposition in games they’ve been expected to win.

Victory at the Emirates would see a lot of people sit up and take note. Of course, Liverpool shouldn’t need to win here to be taken seriously.

The Reds have been the real deal this season. They lead the way for clean sheets with five. They’ve have the best defensive record in the English top-flight having conceded just three goals. Their underlying numbers support their claim of having the best defensive unit in the Premier League too. The Reds have given up chances worth just 6.2 Expected Goals.

For comparison, Arsenal, who built their title challenge last season on solid foundations, have kept just three clean sheets. They’ve conceded eight goals this term and have an Expected Goals Against total of 9.2 – a figure that five teams can better. They aren’t as resilient defensively while their attack isn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders just yet.

The pressure is on the Gunners. How will they deal with that and an injury crisis?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Southampton head to Champions City in search of a change in fortunes

One of the biggest gaps in the Premier League in financial, quality and in terms of points haul will be attempted to be bridged on Saturday, with Manchester City hosting Southampton in a battle of the established elite and the idealistic but possibly naive.

By Karl Matchett

Second and 19th respectively, City undefeated and Saints winless, the differences in the stories of their season so far are profound and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see many predict one of the bigger scores of the campaign.

And yet, there are similarities, or at least the attempt to have them. Saints’ style of play has cost them so many goals already this year, but playing out from the back and attempting to dominate matches is their method and it’s no secret where that style stems from. Saints and City, indeed, make up a third of the top six in the Premier League this year by average possession. By accurate passes per match, they are half the teams in the top four. Sadly for Southampton, however, look even marginally deeper at what they both do with all that time on the ball and the paths quickly diverge.

City have had the most touches in the opposition box (404), won the most corners (76), average the most shots on target (7.0) and have scored the most goals (19). Respectively in each of those categories, Saints rank 13th (195), 12th (41), 17th (3.8) and 19th (six). Erling Haaland alone has netted not far off double that tally, already on ten.

If that’s the mark of having spent hundreds of millions on the most creative, dominant and efficient final-third players in the game, Saints’ defensive numbers therefore show the folly in trying to play the same way all over the pitch without the players to do so: the second-highest xG conceded (17.3) shows they are not stopping chances against them, and the second-lowest save percentage (59%) of any goalkeeper in the league shows Aaron Ramsdale isn’t stopping those efforts going in. His cumulative goals prevented this term stands at 1.07, which isn’t going to move the needle if Saints continue to be as lax at the back.

Or, it might be argued, if they face Haaland on even a half-decent day.

The Norwegian tops the per 90 charts on total shots and those on target while of course doing so in goals, xG, non-penalty xG and touches in the box. Sometimes, football really is this simple: a bad defence has to try and stop an elite striker.

*Erling Haaland shooting stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Real Madrid and Barcelona are set for the first Clásico showdown of the season

Years after the end of the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo era, the fierce and historic rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is moving into a new generation.

By Graham Ruthven

Saturday’s El Clásico will be Kylian Mbappé’s first taste of Spanish football’s biggest fixture while Barcelona have a new crop of La Masia prodigies now making their mark at the top level, Lamine Yamal being chief among them.

Last season, Real Madrid ran away with the Spanish title. This season, though, it’s Barca setting the early pace with Hansi Flick’s team playing a brand of high-risk, high-intensity football that has caught the imagination.

Barcelona come into the first Clasico of the season on the back of a statement victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The 4-1 dismantling of the German giants highlighted just how far Flick’s team have come this season.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, are still searching for their best form. Carlo Ancelotti has experienced trouble integrating Kylian Mbappé into his forward line with the absence of Toni Kroos being acutely felt in central midfield.

Ancelotti surely watched the way Barca picked off Bayern Munich in transition with interest. It’s possible the Real Madrid boss could set up his team to sit deeper and deny their rivals any opportunity to attack open space.

Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo are expected to miss Saturday’s match at the Santiago Bernabéu through injury while Dani Carvajal is sidelined, meaning Lucas Vázquez will likely start at right back for the hosts.

Injuries have similarly hit Barcelona hard with Marc-André Ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo and Marc Bernal all out for the long-term. Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are also working back to full fitness at the moment.

However, there will still be plenty talent on the pitch to make Saturday’s Clásico a spectacle. Barca have the highest Expected Goals (xG) of any team in LaLiga this season with Real Madrid ranked second behind them. There should be goals at the Santiago Bernabéu.

With just three points between the two rivals in the table, the outcome of Saturday’s match could have a big bearing on this season’s Spanish title race.

A Barca win could signify a shift in the balance of power at the top of LaLiga. A Real Madrid victory, however, would draw the defending champions level with the Catalans. Clásicos always matter, but this one will have extra meaning.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Chelsea face Panathinaikos in an early Conference League kick-off

The path to Chelsea’s redemption leads to Athens

By Filip Mishov

Recent Form

The Blues are travelling to the Greek capital in a bid to get back to winning ways and to reinstill some of the lost confidence within the squad over the past few weeks, which resulted in Sunday’s narrow 2-1 defeat at Liverpool. Enzo Maresca was criticized by some at the start of the month when the Italian coach said, “I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal,” and now the list might include Liverpool too, as it became evident that Chelsea perhaps lack the experience and team cohesion of the sides who’s squads have been together for an extended period of time.

However, Chelsea are still the team with most chances created (26) in the Premier league and the learning curve is all part of the process for Maresca’s fledgling side. But they will face another difficult challenge in Athens tonight.

Chelsea have started their Conference League campaign in style by securing a win (4-2) against Gent at Stamford Bridge and after the club’s decision to leave Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer out of their European squad, the UECL matches can’t come soon enough for their fringe players. With that being said, Maresca has plenty of options to choose from, but given Panathinaikos’ passionate supporters and the inevitable hostile atmosphere at Olympiako Stadio Spyros Louis, the tactician is expected to mix things up in order to counter the surroundings.

*Possible Chelsea XI, built with the lineup builder at FotMob.com*

Team news

After the vice-captain, Enzo Fernández missed out on a place in the starting XI over the weekend, the fiery Argentinean is expected to lead out the team in Athens with most of the other players like Mykhaylo Mudryk, Joao Félix and Christopher Nkunku desperately waiting for a chance to impress and earn a starting spot. The captain, Reece James is set for a rest after returning from long-term injury, but Robert Sánchez should keep his place between the posts given Filip Jörgensen‘s concussion issues.

Tough times for Panathinaikos

The Greek club have endured a turbulent start of the season both on and off the pitch with the football world recently rocked by the tragic passing of their defender, George Baldock.

Former Uruguay national team coach Diego Alonso has had a lot to contend with and the Green and Whites are currently sat in sixth place in the Greek Super League 1 ahead of this, their first-ever meeting with Chelsea. Last season’s top scorer Fotis Ioannidis is injured and will miss the clash, but the former Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri is among the forwards aiming to leave their mark on proceedings.

Predictions

Chelsea have been bragging about the so-called “positives to take” from their defeat at Anfield as the Blues dominated in shots, possession, passes and take-ons, among other stats, but the trip to Athens presents another test for the strength of their squad in depth. As for Panathinaikos, the Green and Whites boast an abysmal record against English opponents in European competition as they have recorded just a single win in 18 attempts, but that was against another London-based club (Arsenal) back in 2001.

Obviously, Maresca’s young guns are favourites to go far in the UEFA’s third-tier club competition and given the reputation of some of the players, Christopher Nkunku, for example, who has already shone in the Champions League, anything other than a victory in Greece will be looked on as a failure for the Blues.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Manchester United’s reunion with Mourinho in Türkiye

Wayne Rooney was on the scoresheet the last time Manchester United faced Fenerbahçe, though he only scored a late consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat. Having won just one of their last six fixtures, the Red Devils will be keen to avoid a similar result eight years on.

By Neel Shelat

A shaky start for the Special One

There was a lot of fanfare when José Mourinho’s move to Fenerbahçe was announced this summer. He was amply supported in the transfer window too with new arrivals including loan deals for Allan Saint-Maximin, Sofyan Amrabat and Filip Kostić, and the Süper Lig’s most expensive player, Youssef En-Nesyri. The expectation, then, was no less than the club’s first league title in a decade.

So far, things are not going smoothly, Fener were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers at the hands of Lille, failed to win their domestic season-opener against newly-promoted Göztepe and worst of all, lost to city rivals Galatasaray in what was their first meeting of the season.

There already are murmurs of a negative environment in the dressing room, so the Portuguese tactician seems to be under pressure already. Especially in recent years, Mourinho has developed into much more of a cup expert, so he may well have to rely on his exploits in the Europa League to protect his position as long as possible.

United looking for their first UEL win of the season

The new format of the Europa League makes it so that two-thirds of the teams that enter the group stage will advance to the knockouts. So, it would take quite a catastrophic campaign for Manchester United to fail to advance, but they will be keen to register their first win of the season after drawing both their matches so far – against FC Twente and Porto. The Red Devils should aim for a top-eight finish to skip the first knockout round, which will be held in February, on what would be the Thursdays either side of a Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.

United have had incessant injury issues dating back to last season, so the less congested they can make their fixture schedule, the better their chances will be of achieving something at the end of the season. At present, they will be without as many as seven first-team players for this fixture, so it will be a depleted squad that travels to Türkiye. They will also be without the suspended Bruno Fernandes.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Manchester City looking for an improved performance against Sparta

Can Haaland rediscover his goalscoring instinct without De Bruyne’s help?

By Filip Mishov

Even though the Cityzens snatched a last-gasp win (1-2) at Molineux through John Stones‘ clinical header over the weekend, Pep Guardiola surely is not too happy with his squad’s overall performance and especially the offensive line as the defenders stole the goalscoring show. Additionally, Erling Haaland was isolated in attack, barely touching the ball, and extended his personal goalscoring drought to a couple of matches.

Something which speaks volumes about Kevin De Bruyne‘s importance and the flamboyant Belgian is back in training ahead of Sparta Prague’s visit to Etihad, although it is difficult to see him go straight into the starting XI given his recent injury record.

With Sparta, the reigning Czech champions coming to Manchester as complete strangers but boasting an identical European record (1W, 1D) in the Champions League this season as the hosts, City might need a creative spark in this, the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. And for Pep, actions speak louder than words, and Jérémy Doku and Savinho‘s unconvincing performances might sprung the Spaniard into making changes with Jack Grealish and Phil Foden coming into the side.

*Possible Man City starting XI, made with the FotMob lineup builder*

Unlike the Blues’ forwards as of late, their versatile centre-backs are flourishing on both sides of the pitch as Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, and John Stones all registered a shot on target against Wolverhampton Wanderers and furthermore, Manchester City’s defence has yet to concede a goal in Europe, being one of only six clubs to keep consecutive clean sheets. The Croatian defender, Gvardiol is at the heart of everything City do, both defensively as well as offensively and the ever-improving 22-year-old scored another scorcher from distance with his weaker foot at Molineux.

On the other side, the Iron Sparta(ns) are travelling to England on the back off a 1. Liga win after the international break, sitting in second place in the standings, just like Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Lars Friis-led squad upset the odds in Europe as they recorded a home win (3-0) against Salzburg and a respectable away draw (1-1) against VfB Stuttgart in the opening two rounds of the Champions League. Kaan Kairinen is one Sparta’s main trump cards and the Finish midfielder is their top goalscorer in the Champions League with two goals scored.

Obviously, Manchester City’s undefeated start this season is more likely to be extended than cut short, but Pep Guardiola is fully aware that the Cityzens’ performances must improve and Sparta Prague have already shown resilience to secure positive results on the European stage. Lastly, don’t be surprised if the loud Czechs outsing the home supporters at Etihad as the visitors enjoy passionate support from the stands as their loyal fans follow their team everywhere.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Liverpool defence set for Leipzig test

It has been a tale of two competitions for RB Leipzig this season.

By Sam McGuire

Die Roten Bullen are currently joint-top of the Bundesliga alongside Bayern Munich with an identical record to the German juggernauts. Marco Rose’s men have taken 17 points from their opening seven matches.

They have the best defensive record in the German top-flight having conceded two goals while keeping six clean sheets.

*Leipzig keeping pace in the Bundesliga*

It is a completely different story in the Champions League.

RB Leipzig have lost both of their outings in Europe this term.

Against Atlético Madrid, the German side scored after four minutes but conceded a 90th minute goal to lose 2-1. Against Juventus, they, again, took the lead before ultimately suffering a 3-2 loss.

In-demand forward Benjamin Šeško is the only player to score in the competition for Rose’s men. He’s on three goals across his two outings. Only Harry Kane (four) has found the back of the net with greater regularity in the Champions League this term.

Rose and his team welcome Liverpool to the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday hoping to kickstart their European adventure.

They’re up against one of the most in-form sides in Europe this term. The Reds are just one of seven teams to have a 100% record in the Champions League this term having picked up wins over AC Milan and Bologna.

Arne Slot’s men have also won seven of their eight games in the Premier League. Unlike RB Leipzig, Liverpool’s impressive defensive record extends beyond their domestic league. The Reds have conceded just five goals across 11 matches in all competitions this term.

They are yet to concede more than one goal in a game.

*Liverpool sitting pretty in the Premier League*

Liverpool are potent in the final third too, scoring 25 goals in their 11 outings. For added context, this term, RB Leipzig have 17 goals in 10 outings.

On paper, this should be a routine win for the Reds. But this is the sort of game that could cause Liverpool problems, especially if Slot looks to rotate to keep things fresh ahead of the high profile trip to the Emirates on Sunday.

The greatest threat to Liverpool’s 100% record in the Champions League could well be Liverpool. RB Leipzig could take advantage of Slot and his team potentially having one eye on Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Hansi Flick faces former club as Barca and Bayern go head-to-head

Headline-makers are storylines from yesteryear are everywhere in the Champions League this midweek, as Barcelona host Bayern Munich in the third matchday.

By Karl Matchett

Both teams are looking dominant domestically, but with matters to prove on the continent. The biggest factor is set to be in the dugout, though, with Hansi Flick facing his former club having shown a capacity to deal with setbacks at his new side already – as well as make them look a formidable attacking outfit once more.

Flick has Barcelona top of LaLiga, free-scoring as a team but led by a re-energised Robert Lewandowski. The Pole already has two in two in Europe, but also 12 in ten domestically. He has his killer touch in front of goal back, but the buildup play around him is arguably the biggest improvement Flick has made on the team.

*Follow @FotMobapp on IG for more like this*

Despite a host of injuries to contend with, a string of youngsters and rejuvenated senior players have raised their game considerably – perhaps none more so than Raphinha. The Brazilian has even worn the captain’s armband this term, such has been his impact: only Lewandowski has scored more, only Lamine Yamal has assisted more than him. He has created a team-high 13 big chances – nobody in the Bayern side has fashioned more than four in the Bundesliga, albeit they’ve played fewer matches thus far.

Bayern themselves have been attacking at will and scoring plenty – 3.4 per league game is slightly above Barca’s 3.3 – but it’s still hard to see them troubling Barcelona quite as frequently, if nothing else because of how they struggled to really break down Aston Villa last time out in Europe.

Vincent Kompany has yet to prove himself on a tactical level as being among the game’s finest, and Flick will be backed to come up with a game plan to keep the best of Bayern away from dangerous areas. The returning Gavi and Frenkie de Jong give the Catalan outfit more options to control the game in midfield, and if it turns into a shootout…well, Bayern are scoring lots, but they’ve created 26 big chances so far in the league – 3.7 a game. Barcelona are at 50, equating to five a match.

*Bayern are back dominating the Bundesliga*

Ultimately, this new format is set up so that the biggest and best teams – certainly the best attacks – have all the chance in the world of progression, be it in the top eight or with a playoff later. Both sides will surely then progress – but Flick might be looking to put a marker down now for later in the competition regardless.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Oct

2024

Preview: Madrid take on Dortmund in a re-run of last season’s Champions League Final

The nature of the new group stage in this year’s Champions League means that this likely won’t stay the same for long, but Real Madrid will take to the pitch for their third match of the series against Borussia Dortmund in an unfamiliarly low position in the table.

By Ian King

Few were anticipating defeat in their second group match in Lille, but having comfortably beaten Stuttgart in their first match they came unstuck in the north-west tip of France, losing to a penalty converted by Jonathan David in first half stoppage-time.

It was their first defeat of the season in any competition and it left them in 17th place in the Champions league table, but there hasn’t been a slump since, with two wins in LaLiga – against Villareal and Celta Vigo – keeping them on the coat-tails of Barcelona’s explosive start to the season.

Kylian Mbappé returned from injury at the end of last month and is expected to start. Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Brahim Díaz will all be absent. Mid-table is not where they’ll have expected to be after two games, though the six remaining games offer plenty of opportunity to set that straight.

Of course, Real beat Dortmund 2-0 in last year’s final and there is a case for saying that their opponents haven’t quite recovered from that yet. They’re currently 7th in the Bundesliga having already been beaten 5-1 by Stuttgart and 2-1 by Union Berlin.

They arrive in Madrid off the back of a nervy 2-1 against St-Pauli with injury worries. Karim Adeyemi scored a hat-trick in their last Champions League match against Celtic, but he suffered a severe hamstring injury at the start of the second half and won’t be back until the end of next month.

Other injuries Julien Duranville, Giovanni Reyna and Yan Couto, while Pascal Gross and Niklas Süle are both doubtful. Gross was replaced at half-time in the St-Pauli game, and it is not clear whether he will be fit to play. Süle missed the game ill and will be travelling, though it’s also doubtful he’ll be in a condition to play.

With such players missing and form patchy, there’s little to indicate that Dortmund will pose more of a threat to Real than they did on the 1st June, but a lot of people wrote off Lille’s chances against them too. This is their chance to get back on track and maintain their lofty top spot in the Champions League.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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