Preview

Apr

2025

Preview: Champions-elect Liverpool travel to Fulham

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

By Karl Matchett

Points over performances

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

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

Europe on the agenda

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

Recent form

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

Team news

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

Key player

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

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

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

By Ian King

Red hot form in both dressing rooms

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

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

History

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

Key players

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

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

Team News

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

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

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

By Matt Smith

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

Team news

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

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

Everton rejuvenated under Moyes

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

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

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

The draw specialists still in with a chance

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

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

Merino finding his feet in front of goal

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

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

*Merino shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

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

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

By Graham Ruthven

Searching for balance

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

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

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

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

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

Key players

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

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

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

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

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

Team news

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

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

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

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

Prediction

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

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Preview: Chelsea and Spurs close the midweek round in the Premier League

Chelsea’s form has been patchy since the end of January, but will Doctor Tottenham provide them with a cure for their recent ills?

By Ian King

Two out of form London rivals

Neither club are in especially stellar form at the moment, with Chelsea having won just four Premier League games in 2025 so far and Spurs having won just three and both clubs having been eliminated early from both the EFL and FA Cups. Chelsea’s only recent wins have come against relegation fodder in the form of Leicester City and Southampton, while Spurs have failed to win any of their last three Premier League matches.

History

Chelsea have long had the upper hand in this fixture, with Spurs having won just two of their last sixteen meetings, going back more than six years. They’ve won more Premier League matches against Spurs – 36 – than any other team, while earlier this season Chelsea won 4-3 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Going back a little further, both sides have some degree of reason to be a little cheerful. Spurs won their last major trophy against Chelsea, the EFL Cup in 2008, and beat them in the 1967 FA Cup final. But the last time the two clubs met in a cup final, Chelsea beat Spurs 2-0 to win the 2015 EFL Cup.

Key players

Southampton aside, Chelsea haven’t scored more than a single goal in a Premier League match since the start of February. Enzo Maresca will, therefore, likely be pleased to see the return of Nicolas Jackson from injury. Jackson is Chelsea’s second highest goalscorer so far in the Premier League this season behind Cole Palmer with nine goals. But will Maresca throw him straight back in?

With the pressure starting to build on Ange Postecoglou, the Spurs manager needs big performances from his available big name players for this match. James Maddison scored the goal that finished off AZ in their recent Europa League last 16 match. Spurs will be needing his creativity in midfield if the Chelsea defence is to be unlocked.

Team News

Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson all returned to training for Chelsea during the international break, but Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu both remain sidelined. The injury situation is worse for Spurs, who will be missing Radu Drăgușin and Dejan Kulusevski, while Kevin Danso, Richarlison and Lucas Bergvall all remain doubtful, though could be due to return after their combined international and FA Cup break.

Prediction

Ange Postecoglou needs a result, and while Chelsea away is a bit of a nightmare fixture for Spurs – they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in seven years – another defeat would only continue to build the narrative that the manager will be on his way come the end of this season. Chelsea may still be patchy themselves, at times, but they have the necessary institutional arrogance to get through a game like this without too many worries. I’ll go for a comfortable 3-1 Chelsea win and the agony to continue to pile up for their London rivals.

(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: Everton aim to dent Liverpool’s title hopes in the Merseyside Derby

Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table is now down to single digits. Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday night means the Reds find themselves just nine points clear at the summit, albeit with a game in hand over their title rivals.

By Sam McGuire

The Merseyside derby presents Arne Slot’s side with the opportunity to, once again, move 12 points clear with just eight games left to play.

Everton have already dented their neighbour’s title hopes this season. They’ll be hoping to repeat the trick at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

*The last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park*

Are the Liverpool wheels falling off?

Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League since September. They have the best home record in the English top flight with 11 wins from 14 matches and that sole defeat against Nottingham Forest. They’ve varied dominant showings with grinding out results when it matters. They’ve shown they have the resilience of champions.

Their healthy lead at the top should be enough to get them over the line and if they fail to lift the Premier League title in May, it will have been a dramatic decline never seen before.

All things point to the Reds claiming their 20th league title. But there’s something niggling away in the background.

The Reds lost back-to-back matches prior to the international break. Paris Saint-Germain, at Anfield, knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League on penalties. Newcastle United then ended a 70-year wait for a trophy by beating Slot’s men in the Carabao Cup final.

The last time Liverpool put in a performance of champions was back in February when they swept Newcastle aside at Anfield. The longer the poor performances last, the smaller their lead at the gap will become.

This is a big one for the Reds. Bigger than people realise.

Sticky Toffees

If you’re a glass half full type of person, you’ll say that Everton are unbeaten in six.

If you’re a glass half empty kind of person, you’ll point out the Toffees have just one win in their last six in the Premier League.

David Moyes’ side are draw specialists. They’ve drawn three of their last four 1-1. During this six game spell, they’ve also picked up two 2-2 draws – this includes the game against Liverpool at Goodison Park.

Everton have been difficult to beat. With a bit more quality in attack, a number of these draws would likely have been turned into wins. The Blues are without key attackers in Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye.

Here’s the thing though, they don’t need a win at Anfield. Everton are well clear of the dropzone – 17 points to be exact. They aren’t going to claim a European spot either. They have the luxury of just existing for the final nine matches and ruining the hopes and dreams of other teams, starting with Liverpool.

If they avoid defeat, they, once again, dent Liverpool’s title hopes. And that will be seen as a win by the blue half of Merseyside.

Mo Salah farewell tour continues

Latest reports seem to suggest Salah is interested in moving to Saudi Arabia when his contract expires at the end of the season.

If this is to be his last campaign in the English top-flight, he’s going out on a high.

He’s currently tied for the most goal involvements (44) in a 38-game season and there are still nine matches remaining. He’s just three goal involvements shy of the all-time Premier League record of 47 (recorded by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole back when it was a 42 game season).

The Liverpool No. 11 looks destined to shatter that record. He could also become the first player since Thierry Henry to record 20+ goals and 20+ assists in a single campaign. And he’s doing this at the age of 32 while his time at Anfield is supposedly winding down.

If this is to be his last Merseyside Derby, he’s going to want to go out on a high.

The battle of the injuries

Liverpool are without a host of defenders for this clash.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is still ruled out with an ankle injury. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are both missing with hamstring injuries, though the latter is back training but this game has, according to reports, come too soon for the Northern Ireland international.

Slot’s options are limited, so Jarell Quansah will likely operate as a makeshift right-back once again.

Everton, meanwhile, are without attackers. Calvert-Lewin, Ndiaye and McNeil will all miss out, meaning Moyes can’t exactly tinker with his final third options. Will he be able to put out an attack to trouble Liverpool’s weakened backline or will the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté be enough to nullify whatever Everton can put together?

Prediction

If Liverpool want to win the title, this is a game they have to win. They’re going to want to put in a good showing as a reaction to the disappointments prior to the international break, so we’re going with a 2-1 win for the hosts.

(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: AC meets Inter in a Coppa semifinal edition of the Derby della Madonnina

Wednesday’s Derby della Madonnina will pit two historic rivals against each other with AC Milan and Inter in contrasting form.

By Graham Ruthven

Rivals by name only

Sérgio Conceição has only been at AC Milan for three months, but there is already a sense that the 50-year-old is losing his grip of the job. The Rossoneri are struggling badly for consistent form and everyone associated with the San Siro club is under pressure.

Sunday’s defeat to Napoli exposed many of the issues being suffered by Conceição’s team. AC Milan are struggling to get the best out of their attack. Christian Pulisic was anonymous against Napoli. So too was João Félix.

Defensively, AC Milan were all over the place and struggled for any sort of structure or shape in transition. This is something Inter could lay bare such is the speed and directness they have in attack.

Inter have no such problems. Simone Inzaghi’s side are on a five-game winning run in all competitions. They are top of Serie A and are shaping to be Champions League contenders. The Nerazzurri are currently the dominant force in the rivalry.

A place in the Coppa Italia final is on the line and Wednesday’s first leg will set the tone for what could be a memorable tie.

*AC Milan are unbeaten in the three previous derby games played*

Key players

Conceição has a number of decisions to make with his lineup. Santiago Giménez came off the bench against Napoli to make an impact and could start ahead of Tammy Abraham.

Luka Jović is another who could be rotated into the team with Álex Jiménez a possible option at right back over Kyle Walker who has still to find his best form since making the January move to San Siro.

Pulisic could be a difference-maker for AC Milan. However, the USA international has recently been a shadow of the player he was in the first half of the season.

With Lautaro Martínez out through injury, it will be on Marcus Thuram to lead the line for Inter in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final. The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in all competitions this season.

Inter’s midfield of Nicolo Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will look to control the derby in the centre of the pitch. Meanwhile, Denzel Dumfries is a funnel into the attack down the right side.

Team news

Ruben Loftus-Cheek underwent appendix surgery over the weekend and will miss Wednesday’s derby encounter while Emerson Royal is still sidelined with an injury.

Yunus Musah missed Sunday’s league match against Napoli through suspension and is available again to face Inter in the Coppa Italia. The American could come into the midfield unit to provide some energy.

Martínez suffered a hamstring string on international duty with Argentina. In his absence, Inzaghi faces a choice between Joaquin Correa, and Marko Arnautović alongside Thuram with Mehdi Taremi struggling with illness.

Prediction

For all their struggles this season, AC Milan have been able to step it up in the derby games against their city rivals, so we expect a cagey encounter in this first leg. Late goals have also been a feature in both league matches this season, plus their meeting in the Super Cup. With that said, Simone Inzaghi’s side have been in brilliant form recently, so we’ll settle on a narrow ‘away’ win: AC Milan 1-2 Inter.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2025

Preview: Manchester City face Van Nistelrooy’s out-of-form Foxes

Manchester City can boost their chances of Champions League qualification by beating Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

By Graham Ruthven

Salvaging the season

This season hasn’t been what Manchester City wanted it to be, but Pep Guardiola’s team are at least trying to salvage something after making the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.

City’s comeback win away to Bournemouth showed there is still life left in the Etihad Stadium outfit and victory over Leicester City on Wednesday night would boost their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester could hardly be in any worse form than they are right now. The Foxes have lost their last six league games in-a-row and have failed to score a single goal over the course of that run.

If Leicester can play on the counter-attack and use their speed in the final third, they could cause Manchester City issues. Guardiola’s high line will give the visitors something to target. Otherwise, City will likely stroll to three points.

Key players

Omar Marmoush will almost certainly lead the line for Manchester City after the injury suffered by Erling Haaland in the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth. The Egyptian is most effective as a second striker, but Guardiola doesn’t have many other options in the number nine position.

Nico O’Reilly made a strong case to start against Leicester after changing the game against the Cherries off the bench. The teenager could start at left back with Matheus Nunes potentially at risk of losing his spot.

With Leicester expected to sit deep and play on the break, it will be on City to find ways to break them down. This will place a creative onus on Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden. Jérémy Doku and Savinho could provide dynamism and directness on the wings.

*Leicester City have the second worst goalscoring record in the division*

Jamie Vardy is past his peak, but the 38-year-old will still be Leicester’s most potent threat, particularly if Leicester are able to play through the Manchester City press at speed.

Mads Hermansen will face a busy evening at the Etihad Stadium, as will the defensive line of Conor Coady, Wout Faes and Luke Thomas in front of him. Leicester will bend, but can they stop themselves from breaking?

Team news

While Manchester City have yet to reveal the true extent of Haaland’s knee injury, he will miss the home fixture against Leicester. The fear for City is that this will be the start of a prolonged absence for the Norwegian striker.

Rodri is still sidelined, although there has been some speculation that the Spanish midfielder could return from injury before the end of the season. Nonetheless, Wednesday’s match will come too soon for him.

Abdul Fatawu is a long-term absentee for Leicester, with Ricardo Pereira another player who has recently missed matches through injury. The full back will be assessed before the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

Odsonne Édouard hasn’t featured much for the Foxes lately while Harry Souttar is still sidelined through with an injury.

Prediction

While Leicester might not snap their current string of defeats, we do think the Foxes have got a good chance of at least ending their barren run in front of goal. But with Man City’s creative players beginning to find their stride again, City will find a way to break down the visitors to the Etihad: Man City 3-1 Leicester.

(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: Atletico and Barcelona set for round two of their Copa semifinal

The Copa del Rey first leg between Barcelona and Atletico was one of the games of the season, ending 4-4 at the Estadi de Montjuïc thanks to a late equaliser from Alexander Sørloth. Its winner take all and a place in the final up for grabs in the second leg on Wednesday.

By Alex Roberts

Hansi Flick’s side will be hoping their legs aren’t too tired just yet as their hectic few weeks continue, while Atlético, with just one win in their last five games across all competitions, need to put their recent hiccup behind them.

*Shot map and xG for that epic first leg*

Barca left to sweat over Raphinha

Speaking of tired legs, Raphinha asked not to feature in Barca’s 4-1 La Liga win over Girona just a few days ago, saying he wasn’t feeling 100% fit having flown in from Brazil around 72 hours earlier.

You can’t blame him really, that’s a hell of a trip, especially when you just got battered 4-1 by Argentina. It didn’t matter, whoever Flick plays up front they can’t seem to stop scoring, going three points clear of Real Madrid thanks to the win over Girona.

Flick refused to say whether the red-hot winger would feature against Atlético, though he will doubtless want him to. With 27 goals and 18 assists in his 42 games across all competitions, he’s gone from unwanted to a genuine Ballon d’Or candidate.

Antoine Griezmann is a certified LaLiga legend

The Frenchman broke one of Lionel Messi’s many LaLiga records in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Espanyol, becoming the Spanish top flight’s most capped foreign player with an almost ridiculous 521 appearances.

Of course, not all of those came for Atlético, he featured for Real Sociedad and Barcelona too, but his best days have come in those famous red and white stripes, in fact, he scored in the first-leg.

He’s out of contract at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether his story in Spain will continue, especially with several MLS side reportedly circling. The Copa del Rey may be his last chance to win another trophy with Atlético, he just needs to get past Barcelona first.

Robert Lewandowski simply doesn’t age

There aren’t many 36-year-olds who could do what Lewandowski is doing at the moment. A brace in the 4-1 win over Girona marked his 35^th and 36^th goals in 42 appearances and sent him three clear of Kylian Mbappé, who is a whole decade his junior, in the race for the golden boot.

At a time when Barcelona have had transfer flop after transfer flop, bringing the legendary Polish forward in from Bayern Munich may just be their best piece of business of the past five years.

He’s got another year on his contract at Camp Nou, and he doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. Top quality forwards are hard to come by nowadays; Barca are lucky to have a man like Lewandowski on their books.

*Lewandowski’s shot map in LaLiga, 2024/25*

Julián Alvarez loves the Copa del Rey

The Argentinian has been kinda hit and miss in the league for Atlético this season, but in cup competitions he’s flourished, two-touch penalty (depending on who you ask) in the defeat to rivals Real Madrid aside.

Alvarez is the top scorer in this season’s Copa del Rey, bagging five goals in his six appearances. He also has the most goal contributions as a whole, providing two assists on top of his goals.

He’s not quite the main man at the Metropolitano, but he’s not far off. Dragging Atlético to their first piece of silverware since 2020-21 will go a long way to silencing some of the doubters.

Prediction

Don’t expect to see another 4-4 in this one. Atlético have been poor, but Barca’s priorities lie elsewhere. We’re going to go with a 2-1 win for Diego Simeone’s side.

(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

Preview: Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad, Copa Del Rey semifinal, second leg

Heading into April, it’s do-or-die time for clubs as they look to sign off the season with silverware. For Real Sociedad, Tuesday night is a huge opportunity. For Real Madrid, it’s step two of a possible quadruple this season.

By Karl Matchett

Carlo Ancelotti’s balancing act

With the Uefa Super Cup already in the bag, Real Madrid lost out on a chance to make it two trophies from two with the Spanish Supercopa over the winter. However, they are in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, the quarter-finals of the Champions League and in the top two of LaLiga, it can still be a massive and historic season for Los Blancos if they keep momentum and stay fortunate with fitness.

With so many games still to play it hasn’t been a surprise to see Carlo Ancelotti shuffle his pack a little – Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo were all used off the bench at the weekend. Following this match though it’s Valencia and Arsenal coming up so chances to rest or rotate further might become more sparse – but in the cup there’s no margin for error.

*A reminder of how we stand after the first leg of this semifinal*

All or nothing for La Real

While Madrid are chasing everything, Real Sociedad have let their season drift and this is last-chance saloon for it to be a worthwhile one – or to play in Europe next term. A six-match winless streak was at least ended at the weekend but La Real are out of the Europa League and lost the first leg of this tie 1-0 at home a month ago. Sat in tenth in the league, they must go all-in to cause a huge shock here or else their campaign effectively ends in early April.

Recent form

Five wins in a row for Madrid, and one “home team” defeat since 5 November – but even that was actually a neutral venue used to host the Supercup final against Barcelona. The only teams La Real have beaten away from home in 2025 are Ponferradina in the cup and Midtjylland in Europe. This will be tough.

Team news

Three long-term injuries and two doubts for Real Madrid. Dani Ceballos probably won’t play anyway, but Thibaut Courtois could in theory be pushed if he’s deemed close enough, given it’s a semi-final. However since Andrii Lunin has played in the Copa so far it would be a surprise to see any risks taken in goal.

For La Real, Brais Méndez, Nayef Aguerd, Sheraldo Becker and Arsen Zakharyan are all out, with Jon Pacheco the other doubt in the squad.

Key player

Real Madrid don’t have to go all guns blazing here and can bide their time, which means Antonio Rüdiger keeping the ship steady will be priority number one at the back while the attackers await their moment to pounce. The German doesn’t necessarily win a whole lot of his duels (2.8 per 90 on the ground and only 57% of his aerials) so he may need an improvement on the night there, but it’s really his recovery running and organisation of others where Los Blancos benefit most.

Prediction

Home advantage and a first-leg lead skews the tie hugely in Real Madrid’s favour and Los Blancos are unlikely to let this moment slip. Real Madrid 2-1 Real Sociedad (3-1 agg).

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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