Preview

Apr

2025

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

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

By Graham Ruthven

Champions League heritage

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

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

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

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

Key players

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team news

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

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

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.

Apr

2025

Preview: Arsenal and PSG kick off the Champions League semifinals

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

By Ian King

Premier League runners-up vs. Ligue 1 champions

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

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

History

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

*The League Phase meeting between the two*

Key Players

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

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

Team News

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Apr

2025

Preview: Back to league action for Inter Miami

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

By James Nalton

Messi remains MLS’s best

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

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

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

*Top average FotMob ratings in MLS this season*

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

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

Canadian continental hangover

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

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

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

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

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

Preparation for that begins with this game against FC Dallas.

Dallas Stars

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

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

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

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

Prediction

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

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

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

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

By Sam McGuire

History favours Liverpool

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

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

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

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

Tottenham’s defensive woes

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

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

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

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

Are Liverpool stumbling over the line?

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

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

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

The current state of play

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

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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: Bournemouth take on Manchester United at Dean Court

Will it be a case of, “Oh, we don’t like to be beside the seaside” for Manchester United at Bournemouth?

By Ian King

Work to do

Neither Bournemouth nor Manchester United come into this game in great form. Bournemouth have won just one of their last eight and have seen fleeting aspirations of European football fade from view, while United have only beaten Ipswich and Leicester in the League since the end of January. United had the dopamine hit of that last-gasp win against Lyon in the Europa League, but that didn’t seem to have had many lasting effects, if their performance against Wolves the following weekend was anything to go by.

*The earlier meeting at Old Trafford this season*

History

In 1957, when AFC Bournemouth were still Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, these two met in an FA Cup quarter-final at Dean Court. United won 2-1 that day, but 27 years later the Cherries got revenge, winning 2-0 in the Third Round under the leadership of a promising young manager called Harry Redknapp. Curiously, they were drawn together three times in six seasons in the 1980s. United won 3-0 at Old Trafford in 1985 and 2-1 after a replay in 1989. United haven’t won any of their last three meetings, and Bournemouth won the corresponding fixture in December, 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Key Players

Of all the most impressive cogs in the machine built by Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth this season, one that has really stood out has been Justin Kluivert. When he’s on his game, he brings an extra dimension to any attacking position as well as an air of unpredictability. Manchester United’s occasionally supine defence may look like something of an open invitation.

There haven’t been many bright spots to United’s season, though the growth of Kobbie Mainoo has stood out. His injury was a big blow, and his return is just about the only bit of good news to have come from Old Trafford these last few weeks. He demonstrated why he was missed with the equalising goal in that extraordinary 5-4 win against Lyon.

Team News

The latest addition to the Manchester United treatment room is Joshua Zirkzee, who won’t play again this season. Toby Collyer is understood to be close to returning, but isn’t quite there yet. Altay Bayındır missed the Wolves game, and whether he will start this one or whether Andre Onaná remains in goal is an open question. Bournemouth are definitely missing Enes Ünal and Ryan Christie and, while there’s been talk that Luis Sinisterra could return before the end of this season, there’s been no actual sign of it yet.

Prediction

Manhcester United may be distracted by their upcoming Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club, and Bournemouth are just the sort of team to be able to pick off opponents who aren’t paying attention. Their own form has been patchy, but they remain a fluid, organised unit of a team. United’s Premier League season is fading from view early, just like the last time around. 3-0 Bournemouth, with everything resting on Europe for their 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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Nottingham Forest and Man City clash at Wembley

Nottingham Forest and Manchester City meet on Sunday with a place in this season’s FA Cup final on the line. The winner will face Crystal Palace.

By Graham Ruthven

History beckons

No matter what happens over the final few weeks of the season, the 2024/25 campaign has been a memorable one for Nottingham Forest. Sunday’s match, however, could make it legendary.

The City Ground outfit are just one win away from their first FA Cup final in over three decades. Nuno Espírito Santo’s team have already beaten Manchester City once this season. Another victory over the same opponents would arguably be Forest’s biggest single result in a generation.

*This season’s league meetings between the two*

City won’t remember this season fondly, no matter what happens at Wembley this weekend. Nonetheless, winning the FA Cup would at least be something for Pep Guardiola and his players to celebrate.

Last season’s surprise defeat to Manchester United might still be lingering in the minds of the City squad and so this is an opportunity for redemption, especially after a season which has caused many to question the Citizens.

Key players

Few could have predicted that Chris Wood would become one of the most potent centre forwards in English football this season, but the numbers speak for themselves. Indeed, the 33-year-old has scored 19 league goals and will lead the line against City.

Elliot Anderson will be important to giving Forest dynamism through the centre of the pitch. If Nuno’s team are to counter attack effectively, they’ll need the former Newcastle midfielder to act as a valve.

Nikola Milenković and Murillo will need to be at their defensive best to keep City’s forward line at arm’s length, as will Matz Sels in between the posts.

Kevin De Bruyne could start in an advanced position once again with Omar Marmoush the attacker who will give Manchester City some verticality. The Egyptian has scored three goals in his last six games.

*Marmoush’s season summary at Frankfurt and City*

Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes could be key to Guardiola’s game plan. They have been pushed into central midfield from the full back areas in recent weeks and this ploy could give City control of the match, certainly in terms of possession.

Team news

Ola Aina is Nottingham Forest’s biggest absentee. The right back has been a big miss in recent weeks and could force Nuno to start Neco Williams in his place with Àlex Moreno at left back.

Nuno also faces a decision over his attacking lineup with Callum Hudson-Odoi potentially a casualty of Forest’s need to have more defensive organisation against the ball in the centre of the pitch.

Erling Haaland and Rodri remain sidelined for Manchester City while Nathan Aké and John Stones are also injured and will miss the rest of the season including Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at the national stadium.

Ederson is another absentee for City, meaning Stefan Ortega will start. Manuel Akanji has featured from the bench in his last two games following injury and could receive more game time this weekend.

Prediction

This is a big occasion for Forest, the 12th visit to Wembley in their history, and only their second since the famous old stadium was rebuilt. So perhaps City’s greater experience on the big stage will see them qualify for a third straight FA Cup final: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Man City.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Palace and Villa meet in Wembley semifinal

It’s the first FA Cup semi-final of 2024-25 as Crystal Palace and Aston Villa face off at Wembley on Saturday. One of these sides will earn the honour to play either Nottingham Forest or Man City under the famous arch once again next month.

By Alex Roberts

We’ve reached the point where there are no dark horses, every side still in the tournament has earned the right to be here. It’s been 29 years since Villa last won a trophy, while Palace have never won a piece of ‘major’ silverware.

Both Unai Emery and Oliver Glasner will need to put that out of their respective minds, however. In order to make history, they need to focus on the present.

Trouble in paradise?

Star striker Ollie Watkins has found himself dropped for some of Villa’s biggest games of the season, including Tuesday’s defeat to Man City. Emery decided to go with Marcus Rashford in the number nine spot, a decision that paid off to an extent considering he scored, albeit a penalty.

Watkins recently admitted he was left ‘fuming’ after missing out on a starting place in both of the Champions League quarter final games against Paris Saint Germain, and although Emery brushed off any notion of a bust-up, things don’t appear like they once were.

Top quality number nines are hard to come by nowadays, and Watkins is certainly one of them. Emery is risking unsettling the England international. Despite what many may think, Rashford is not an out and out striker. Dropping Watkins in yet another massive cup tie would be risky business from Emery.

Daniel Muñoz is a star

The right-wingback is absolutely thriving under Oliver Glasner at Palace. Solid defensively as well as a consistent attacking threat, Muñoz has already scored twice in his four FA Cup games, playing a key role in getting them here.

In the league, he’s proven to be their best tackler with 2.2 successful tackles per 90 minutes and a 64.2% success rate. He’s genuinely hard to get past, and some of the best wingers in the country have tried and failed to get the better of him.

He fits Glasner’s system like a glove but of course links with a move away have started to circulate despite the recent signing of a new contract. Palace are a side on the up under the Austrian, reaching the FA Cup semi-final is testament to how far they’ve come. Showing that kind of ambition will keep players like Muñoz at the club.

An ex-wonderkid living up to the hype

For those of us who are old enough to have played FIFA 16, we all saw this Youri Tielemans renaissance coming from a mile away. It’s been a roundabout journey, from Anderlecht, to Monaco, and then Leicester City but now he’s finally the main man for one of the best sides in England.

Aging like fine wine, he’s arguably the best midfield general in the Premier League right now. Sitting just ahead of the defence or a little further forward, he has an impressive 88.3% pass accuracy rate, created five chances, and 12 accurate long balls in his previous four FA Cup appearances. A true midfield orchestrator.

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

He’s what every club in the world wants and needs, a player who turns up in the big games, and this may be the biggest of his Villa career… so far. Tielemans starred in the 3-2 win over PSG and then the 4-1 victory over Newcastle. We’ve now reached the business end of the season, it’s time to reach that 88 potential rating.

Prediction

To quote almost every pundit in the country, it’s going to depend on “who wants it more.” This is the type of game where form goes out the window but one of them needs to win. We’re going to go with 2-2 after extra time and then Villa on penalties.

(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.

Apr

2025

Preview: Chelsea take on Everton in battle of the blues at the Bridge

Chelsea host Everton at Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca’s side remain in the fight to finish in the Champions League places.

By Matt Smith

The game means very little to the Toffees, who are now mathematically safe and are simply playing to finish as high in the league as possible.

The last time the two sides met, a 0-0 draw was played out at Goodison Park. Everton won’t want to remember their previous trip to Stamford Bridge, with the Merseyside club losing 6-0 under Sean Dyche.

Team news

Maresca‘s Chelsea have received a recent injury boost, with Roméo Lavia slowly making his way back to full fitness. Unfortunately, Malo Gusto has suffered a muscle injury, meaning we could see Reece James come into the starting XI at right-back.

James Tarkowski, who has started every Premier League game for Everton this season, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury last time out. The English defender missed training this week, so he’s likely to miss out.

Neto the man of the moment

Chelsea’s attacking options haven’t been firing on all cylinders of late, but Pedro Neto was the man to step up last time out. It’s been a difficult season for the Portuguese international, but he struck late on against Fulham to secure the victory in their previous game.

Maresca will be hoping the goal is what he needed to start producing regularly for Chelsea. There’s no doubt Neto has plenty of talent, and the supporters at Stamford Bridge will be looking to see the player who was on fire for Wolves before they signed him.

Tarkowski will be a huge miss

Everton’s defensive solidity has undoubtedly been a key reason why they have comfortably escaped the drop this season. The Toffees have conceded just 1.2 goals per game, with only three sides in the Premier League managing fewer.

*Tarkowski’s defensive numbers, Premier League 2024/25 – ranking against other Premier League centre-backs*

The partnership of Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite has been imperative for David Moyes’ side, but that could be broken up on the weekend. With Tarkowski likely unavailable due to injury, it will be interesting to see whether Everton can maintain their stubbornness at the back.

Ndiaye v James

Iliman Ndiaye has been a bright spark in an underwhelming season for Everton, providing a real threat on the left-hand side of attack. His mazy dribbling and eye for goal make him a nightmare to play against, and Reece James could have a difficult afternoon on his hands.

The Chelsea right-back has struggled with fitness issues over the last few years, and he’s going to have to be at 100% to deal with Ndiaye at Stamford Bridge. James hasn’t played a lot of football in recent months, so it could be an area for the Toffees to target.

Prediction

With Everton having little to play for, Chelsea supporters will be hoping Maresca’s side will be more up for this one. The west London club are just three points off fourth, so a win would be crucial in their race for the Champions League. We’re going for a 2-1 victory to Chelsea.

(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: Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey Final

Spain’s biggest two clubs are head-to-head for Spain’s biggest two trophies; this weekend the first will be decided as the Copa del Rey final hopes to see another dramatic edition of El Clásico.

By Karl Matchett

The one team you can’t lose to

While the meeting of Barcelona and Real Madrid is neither a new phenomenon nor an infrequent one when it comes to dishing out silverware, it does remain one of the game’s great spectacles. Midweek lineups from both teams attests to such, with some changes in place as each secured a narrow win in LaLiga.

It’s Barcelona who will feel they have comfortably the upper hand when it comes to enjoying the better 2024/25 season, but that may only mean Real go all out here to ensure this cup goes back to the capital. With the Supercopa won, top spot in the league being held and European success still a possibility, it could prove an incredibly memorable campaign for Hansi Flick and his side. For Carlo Ancelotti, then, the next month or so must be about trying to secure a domestic double before a potential exit – starting with this final.

Both sides have elite attacks, yet look precarious in defence at times. Playing to their strengths may just then see Saturday’s 90 minutes be one of the most attractive of the year – if tempers or officiating don’t get in the way.

Recent form

Aside from a second-leg defeat in Europe to Dortmund, Barcelona have been relentless: 27 games since the turn of the year, four draws and just that one loss. Otherwise, it’s wins all the way to put them in the driving seat in league terms and favourites elsewhere. Real Madrid have lost three and won three in the last six, on the other hand. Big games have too often passed them by when in previous years, form meant nothing and they’d raise their game. It won’t have gone unnoticed by Barcelona, who trounced them in the Supercopa final of course.

*Barcelona have won the three competitive and non-competitive Clásicos played this season*

Team news

Barcelona’s big recent miss is Robert Lewandowski, who has a hamstring injury. Alejandro Balde and Marc-André ter Stegen remain out too.

Kylian Mbappé faces a race to be fit after an ankle injury for Real Madrid, with Ferland Mendy also still on the comeback trail but pushing for involvement soon. Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga are all out.

Key player

With Lewandowski out, look to perhaps player of the season Raphinha to take the lead for Barca in a scoring and a creating capacity. The Brazilian has been excellent and in his last nine appearances has six goals and five assists. On a longer-term capacity he ranks higher than 97% of similar players in Europe’s top leagues over the last year for chances created, than 98% for shots taken and than 99% for goals scored. A magnificent campaign regardless of whether he’s playing right, left or centrally behind the No. 9.

Prediction

Barcelona to make it two trophies from two in an event-filled encounter: Barcelona 4-2 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

Messi and co. meet Vancouver, the best in the west

The best teams from Major League Soccer’s eastern and western conferences in 2025 are set to meet in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. After a Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami knocked out Los Angeles FC in the quarters, they’ll be hoping he can help them overcome an impressive Vancouver Whitecaps outfit to reach the final.

By James Nalton

Though it’s important to have stayed in touch with the top of the table in MLS, progressing in the Champions Cup will have been the main focus for new head coach Javier Mascherano and his Inter Miami team during this early stage of the season.

Having lost the first leg of the quarterfinal against LAFC 1-0, and having gone a goal down at the beginning of the second leg, Messi stepped up to help his team back into the game, contributing to goals that eventually saw them win 3-1 and book a place in the semis.

His goal to get Miami back in the tie involved a nice bit of linkup play with Luis Suárez and an emphatic finish, before he assisted the equaliser for Noah Allen and went on to win the tie for Miami from the penalty spot.

Messi’s impact in league play this season has not been as headline-grabbing as his first season and a bit for the club, but there have been some steady contributions. His underlying numbers remain very good despite a slightly lower profile of performance so far this year, and he still boasts the highest average FotMob rating of any player in the league.

*Top three best rated players in MLS, 2025*

Suárez has not been as eye-catching this season, either, but it was his expansive cross-field pass that created the opening for Inter Miami to score the goal to win an important game against the Columbus Crew last weekend, and he’s second in the assist charts.

These players can still change games.

It could also be said that Inter Miami’s play on the whole under Mascherano has not been the most spectacular, but they have still managed to pick up wins. They are currently the only unbeaten team in MLS and also have a game in hand on the teams around them in the Supporters’ Shield standings. An additional three points, supposing they won that game in hand, would put them top.

In the league so far this season Miami have only won one game by more than a single goal (a 4-1 win at Houston Dynamo in which Messi didn’t play), but the manner of these hard-fought wins has been encouraging for a team whose aim is to win the MLS Cup — something they failed to do last year.

Inter Miami topped the overall MLS standings to claim the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking fashion in 2024, but were knocked out in round one of the MLS Cup playoffs in a shock defeat to Atlanta United.

The winner of the MLS Cup, not the Supporters’ Shield, is considered the champions in MLS, so this is undoubtedly the goal for Miami during their Messi era. A team getting over the winning line despite not firing on all cylinders is an encouraging sign when it comes to cup competitions.

A cup competition that is just as important, if not more so than the MLS Cup is the Champions Cup. MLS sides have only won this continental tournament three times in its varied history, and only once in the current format. Inter Miami will have their eye on becoming the next club to do so.

So will their opponents, Vancouver Whitecaps, who would be looking to become the first Canadian winner of the tournament, and are the team currently sitting at the top of MLS’ Supporters’ Shield standings.

*MLS Supporter’s Shield 2025 – as it stands*

While Inter Miami have faced two MLS teams and a Jamaican side (Cavalier) in the Champions Cup so far, the Whitecaps have impressively eliminated two notable Mexican clubs, Monterrey and Pumas UNAM. It’s the first time the Whitecaps have defeated Mexican opposition in this tournament, and they’ve managed to do so twice.

Such an impressive start to the season was not predicted. Having sacked popular head coach Vanni Sartini at the end of 2024, there was some uncertainty going into 2025. This was made even more perilous by the franchise being put up for sale in December.

Despite pre-season worries, new head coach Jesper Sørensen has come in and made the team more difficult to beat while switching to a 4-3-3 formation which also seems to have re-energised their attack.

This is shown by the fact that striker Brian White is just one behind the league’s top scorer Tai Baribo on six, and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka has the joint-most clean sheets in MLS so far this season. The Whitecaps have conceded the joint-fewest goals in the league (alongside St. Louis and Miami themselves on six) and are the second-highest scorers behind San Jose. There is an ideal combination of things happening at one end of the pitch and things not being allowed to happen at the other.

Inter Miami and Messi will be Vancouver’s biggest test yet. These sides are not due to face each other in the league during the regular season due to being in separate conferences and the way the cross-conference fixtures have panned out this year, but facing each other in such a big competition as arguably the best teams in MLS at this moment in time, is fitting.

Sørensen spoke about Messi shortly after joining the Whitecaps, while also revealing some things about the style of play that would be so successful early in 2025.

“[Possession] is important,” Sørensen, whose team now have the third highest average possession in the league, told The Province. “When you have the ball, you can control the game. When you don’t have the ball, you can affect the game, but you cannot control what’s going to happen.

“In this league, there’s a guy called Messi. You cannot control him when he has the ball, but you can try to affect him.”

Faced with the prospect of coming up against Messi and co, perhaps unexpectedly so, Sørensen stated that his team are here to defeat Miami, not celebrate Messi.

“It’s not Vancouver against Messi, it’s Vancouver against Miami,” he said. “We’re not here to celebrate Messi, we’re here to do whatever we can to see if we can move on, and that should be our task.”

It promises to be the biggest MLS matchup of the season so far, in the region’s biggest tournament.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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