Preview

Aug

2025

Preview: Real Oviedo host Real Madrid on LaLiga return

Real Oviedo welcome Real Madrid to the Estadio Carlos Tartiere for their first Spanish top flight game at home in over 24 years.

By Graham Ruthven

Back in the big time

The spectacle of Sunday’s home opener against Real Madrid is the sort of thing Real Oviedo have missed. It’s been 24 years since Los Azules last hosted a LaLiga match. This sort of occasion was a world away when Oviedo nearly went bankrupt in 2012.

Real Oviedo suffered defeat to Villarreal on opening weekend, but will fancy their chances of turning home advantage into a more positive result against Los Blancos. Estadio Carlos Tartiere could produce an intimidating atmosphere to rival any other in the league.

Xabi Alonso started his LaLiga managerial career with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Osasuna secured thanks to a Kylian Mbappé penalty kick. Real Madrid must improve quickly.

Barcelona’s strength means Real Madrid can’t afford to drop any points on Sunday even this early in the 2025/26 season. Anything less than three points for the visitors would increase the scrutiny on Alonso.

December 1998 was the last time Real Oviedo beat Real Madrid in a league fixture. A home win would be truly historic.

Key players

Salomón Rondón missed a penalty for Oviedo in their first LaLiga game for 24 years last weekend. The experienced centre forward is expected to keep his place in the lineup, but must be more clinical in front of goal.

Goalkeeper Aarón Escandell made a number of saves to prevent Oviedo from conceding more than twice. The 29-year-old will likely need to be at his shot-stopping best against Real Madrid’s formidable forward line.

Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior will almost certainly feature from the start for the visitors, although questions remain over the pair’s capability in an Alonso system. Can they press from the front in the way their new manager wants?

Dean Huijsen has enjoyed a positive start to life as a Real Madrid player and will most likely start in central defence alongside Éder Militão with Álvaro Carreras in line to start once more on the left side of the backline.

Fede Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Arda Güler could feature in central midfield with the latter already earning himself a reputation as one of Alonso’s favourites in an unfamiliar deep role.

Team news

Alberto Reina saw red against Villarreal and will be suspended for Sunday’s meeting with Real Madrid as a consequence. 40-year-old Santi Cazorla could be in line for a start.

Álvaro Lemos and Jaime Seoane are expected to miss this weekend’s match. Otherwise, Veljko Paunović has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Alonso is without a number of key players through injury. Jude Bellingham is currently unavailable after undergoing a shoulder operation with Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick also on the sidelines.

Tactically, Alonso has a decision to make. He used an orthodox 4-3-3 formation against Osasuna, but could switch to a back three after utilising the shape during the Club World Cup.

Prediction

Real Oviedo 1-2 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.

Aug

2025

Preview: Inter Miami visit the Capital

It’s back to Major League Soccer for Inter Miami, whose hectic schedule continues as a result of their progress in the Leagues Cup and the fact that they’re still playing catch-up in the league following the Club World Cup.

By James Nalton

However, they could not have asked for a better opponent coming off the back of a difficult Leagues Cup tie against Tigres, as they face the bottom team in the Eastern Conference and the worst team in MLS on current form, DC United.

Messi misses out again

Lionel Messi’s availability is an ongoing storyline this season, especially following the injury he picked up in the Leagues Cup group stage and subsequent uncertainty around his recovery.

The hamstring injury appeared to be affecting him at the end of his return to action in the recent MLS game against LA Galaxy, in which he came on for the second half and won the game for his side with a goal and an assist, but looked uncomfortable as he exited the field.

Head coach Javier Mascherano originally suggested his compatriot would be OK for the game against Tigres, but in the end, Messi didn’t even make the bench because of the injury.

It seems he was rushed back too soon, so Inter Miami should be aiming not to make the same mistake again, meaning he might miss the game against DC United in order to be saved for the Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando.

Scheduling issues mount up

Following their involvement in the Club World Cup, in which they reached the knockout stages, Inter Miami have now gone far in another mid-season competition, this time the Leagues Cup.

They progressed against one of the toughest teams remaining in the Liga MX vs MLS tournament, Tigres, on Wednesday night.

Luis Suárez dispatched two penalty kicks following controversial handball decisions in Inter Miami’s favour, where in both instances the distance before the ball hit the arm was very small.

It gave the Herons a 2-1 win and saw them progress to the all-MLS semifinals next Wednesday night, where they will face fellow Floridians Orlando City for the second time this month.

Miami’s intense schedule and Messi’s injury problems will give their DC United opponents some hope despite their recent poor form.

Opposition watch: DC United

DC United sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, have conceded the most goals in the entirety of MLS, and have scored the fewest.

Despite this, striker Christian Benteke is always a threat. In the previous two seasons in MLS, he has been in the top three for expected goals and won the league’s Golden Boot in 2024, scoring two more than Messi and Suárez.

Even his output has dipped this season, though, as DC United struggle to create chances. They have the second-lowest team xG in the league, having been sixth in their conference for this stat last year, and are in the bottom five in MLS for the number of big chances created.

Prediction

Given the quick turnaround following their Leagues Cup game and the uncertainty around Messi, the opposition should fancy their chances, especially on home turf, but DC United inspire little confidence, and even a tired, depleted Inter Miami should have too much for them.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Preview: Barcelona visit Segunda champions Levante

While renovation work continues at Camp Nou, Barcelona will not play a home game until after the first international break of the season. So, they are on the road again for the second matchday in LaLiga, this time to face newly-promoted Levante.

By Neel Shelat

Registration issues remain for Barcelona

Once again, it was not all smooth sailing for Barcelona in the summer transfer window. Despite parting ways with as many as 10 players and only making two permanent signings in addition to a loan deal, they are yet to register all of their squad members. Summer signings Joan García and Marcus Rashford were barely registered in the nick of time for the season opener, only after all the issues around Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury were resolved. A few players will still have to stay in the stands, including Gerard Martín and Marc Bernal.

Elsewhere, uncertainty continues to surround the Blaugrana’s ever-delayed plans of returning to Camp Nou. The club reportedly signed an agreement to keep the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc available to them until February, though playing there would have some negative financial ramifications. Cost-cutting at the club has continued, with the women’s team facing significant departures through no fault of their own.

Levante adapting to survival bid

Like almost all newly-promoted teams in any league, Julián Calero’s Levante look prepared to change their approach as they transition from being one of the strongest teams in their division to now competing at the other end of the table. The Segunda División holders might not have to make a lot of stylistic changes as they finished the last season with a possession average of less than 50%, but their LaLiga opener (a 2-1 defeat at Alavés) indicated a shift from a four-player defence to a back five.

Barcelona hoping for another comfortable win

Keeping all the off-field issues aside, Barcelona could not have asked for a much more straightforward start to the season than their 3-0 win over Mallorca. The Spanish champions opened the scoring within seven minutes, going on to add a second around the midway point of the first half. They were also two players to the good before half time as their hosts received two red cards, making it extremely easy for them to see out the win.

Although they are not yet in the busiest part of the season, these less taxing days at the office will be very valuable for a squad that is already relatively thin in many places.

Levante’s impressive home record

Levante will back themselves to put up a better fight than Mallorca, and they can take some heart from their recent home record. The Granotes are unbeaten at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia since early February in a run that spans nine competitive fixtures. They have not done half badly when hosting Barcelona in recent times either, winning half of the last six games.

Prediction

Barcelona should have enough quality to overpower their newly-promoted opponents, so another three-goal win could well be in the offing.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Statement: Physical Metrics feature outage

We know many of you enjoyed seeing our new physical metrics feature during the opening round of the Premier League last weekend.

By FotMob staff

We were just as excited – after purchasing the official data and spending the summer building this feature, it was great to see all the positive responses after the launch.

However, we were informed this evening that the physical metrics data is temporarily unavailable due to factors outside our control. This affects all score providers, not just FotMob.

That means we’re currently unable to display physical metrics for Premier League matches.

We want to stress that FotMob has followed all official processes and agreements in bringing this data to you, and we remain committed to providing it as soon as the feed is restored.

We sincerely apologize to everyone who was excited to see this new feature continue.

Thank you for your patience and for being part of the FotMob community that drives us to keep innovating for football fans everywhere.

(Cover image via IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: Man City meet Spurs in lunchtime kickoff

Thomas Frank has had a decent start as the new Spurs head coach, but he’s about to run into a Manchester City team with a point to prove.

By Ian King

Early season expectations

There isn’t much to go on this season, but both teams got off to convincing starts to their 2025-26 campaign, with City thrashing Wolves 4-0 at Molineux and Spurs brushing Burnley aside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both teams went into the new season not quite knowing what to expect. City’s 2024-25 agony didn’t ease any at the Club World Cup, while Spurs start under the highly Spursy contradiction of having had their worst league season in 48 years, but having also won their first trophy in 17.

History

Spurs have developed a reputation as City’s bogey team in recent years, and true to form they beat them in two of their three meetings last season, including a 4-0 win at The Etihad last November. City’s last home win against them came in January 2023, when they beat them 4-2.

Key Players

If there’s one player in the Manchester City team with a point to prove in this match, it’s winger Jérémy Doku, who was barely involved at Wolves and was hoicked off midway through the second half, having achieved little of note. With the rest of his team having put in an outstanding shift, Doku’s relative absence means that he’s going to need to improve to keep that place in their first team.

Manchester City have a wealth of attacking options, so whether Spurs can get anything from this will come down to the competence of their defence. Step forward, then, Cristian Romero, whose agreement to a new contract with the club was a big deal, with rumours all summer that he could be on his way to Atlético Madrid. It was Spurs’ Champions League quality defence that got them so far in the Europa League last season, and they may need a similar level of performance from him on Saturday.

Team News

Phil Foden could return for City, though this match is likely to be a week too soon for the Spurs-linked Savinho, Joško Gvardiol, Claudio Echeverri or the long-awaited full-time return of Rodri. Mateo Kovačić is likely out until October.

Spurs have no new injury concerns this week, but they’ve got enough on their plate with the serious injury picked up by James Maddison in the Super Cup final and the ongoing absence of Dejan Kulusevski. Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma could return, though at the time of writing there’s no word on whether either will be ready in time.

Prediction

Playing against two of this season’s expected Premier League flotsam and jetsam last weekend, it was difficult to tell just how much these two teams have improved on last term, but Manchester City’s new signings have bedded in well and their team performance on the opening weekend was seriously impressive.

There’s been little from their two competitive games so far to suggest that Spurs haven’t significantly improved, but if Manchester City have got their mojo back it’s difficult to see how that would be enough to take much from this match. With so many goal-scoring options at their disposal, I’ll go 3-1 City, but the Frank effect coupled with Spurs’ decent record in recent years makes this slightly more difficult to call than it should be.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Statement: Physical Metrics feature outage

We know many of you enjoyed seeing our new physical metrics feature during the opening round of the Premier League last weekend.

By FotMob staff

We were just as excited – after purchasing the official data and spending the summer building this feature, it was great to see all the positive responses after the launch.

However, we were informed this evening that the physical metrics data is temporarily unavailable due to factors outside our control. This affects all score providers, not just FotMob.

That means we’re currently unable to display physical metrics for Premier League matches.

We want to stress that FotMob has followed all official processes and agreements in bringing this data to you, and we remain committed to providing it as soon as the feed is restored.

We sincerely apologize to everyone who was excited to see this new feature continue.

Thank you for your patience and for being part of the FotMob community that drives us to keep innovating for football fans everywhere.

(Cover image via IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob. Download the free app here.

Aug

2025

Preview: Graham Potter leads West Ham against former club Chelsea

There’s more optimism on one side than the other in the early knockings of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but London derbies can skew all and reset hopes. Any chance for the Hammers?

By Karl Matchett

Firepower vs. intent

Neither West Ham United nor Chelsea managed to score in their opening match of the season, though at least the Blues managed to keep a clean sheet thanks to a lesser-remembered rule and a VAR shout in their favour. West Ham were battered by newcomers Sunderland.

*Graham Potter’s coaching history expressed as win percentages and points per game*

While a one-off result in isolation should never be considered too much of a problem, the worry for Hammers fans will be the issues in evidence which are holdovers from last season. After a pre-season and a transfer window under Graham Potter, they would have hoped for better. An xG of less than 0.6 against a newly promoted team isn’t ideal and conceding two big chances against them is also notable – given that the Black Cats didn’t actually score either one. It could have been worse.

Which means, an increased focus on getting the ball forward and creating chances at the other end has to be the focus. Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen together should guarantee vision, movement and technical quality, but neither one registered a key pass last time out. Potter’s side needs to be more proactive as they kick off at home.

Rotation considerations

There aren’t many more-stocked squads in the top flight than Chelsea’s – as you’d expect, given the level of spending. But for all Enzo Maresca’s recent wailing at needing another centre-back, it’s further forward where he needs to find the right blend – winning matches by outscoring teams might have to be the way forward for a while.

So when does the centre-forward debate ignite? How many chances for last week’s trio behind the No. 9 – Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens and Pedro Neto – to gel, to have cohesion, to be a go-to combination?

Youngsters, expensive signings and new arrivals all want to earn those spots, with more still to come it appears. Maresca needs those in the side to make their mark rather than juggling potential starlets until something sticks.

Recent form

One game in there’s not much to take for the Hammers – fans would have been hoping for continuity after ending 24/25 winning two of the last three. Chelsea of course won the Club World Cup only a few weeks back, but 0-0 at home to Crystal Palace was a sluggish start.

Team news

Crysencio Summerville is back in training but won’t play after missing preseason. Otherwise West Ham are fine. Chelsea are missing Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile but Nicolas Jackson is back from suspension – presumably he won’t feature regardless?

Key player

If we’re looking for early season stardust it’s about time Palmer remembered why he’s so highly-rated: his last Premier League goal in open play was in mid-January. In seven months since he has one penalty and three assists – that’s not enough a player of his quality.

Prediction

West Ham to struggle in front of goal again and leave the fans wondering when the season really starts: West Ham 0-1 Chelsea.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Preview: Inter Miami take on Tigres in Leagues Cup last eight

Inter Miami resume their Leagues Cup campaign on Wednesday night when they face Mexican side Tigres in the quarterfinals.

By James Nalton

This is the last round of the tournament that still guarantees MLS versus Liga MX matchups, and the winner of this tie will face the winner of Toluca and Orlando City.

Messi match fit

Inter Miami defeated LA Galaxy in their most recent outing, after two Lionel Messi-inspired second-half goals gave them a 3-1 win.

He entered the field at halftime alongside Rodrigo De Paul and led his team to victory with a world-class assist for Luis Suárez and an equally impressive goal.

Messi left the pitch immediately as the full-time whistle was blown, though, suggesting some kind of discomfort or unhappiness.

He was only just back in the picture following a hamstring injury picked up in the second Leagues Cup group game against Necaxa, which caused him to miss the final group game against Pumas and the MLS match versus Orlando City.

His hasty exit led many to believe that all was not well, either with the injury or some other issue, but Javier Mascherano has assured fans he will play: “Leo is fine,” Miami’s head coach said on Tuesday. “He has been training with the team, and unless something strange happens, he will be in the squad for the match.”

Cremaschi causes a stir

De Paul looks set to return in midfield for Miami against Tigres, likely in place of Benjamin Cremaschi, who has had a public falling out with Mascherano.

It will be interesting to monitor the involvement of the 20-year-old American attacking midfielder in the coming weeks after he exchanged words with his coach via the media, which is never a good idea.

“I’m frustrated, I want to play,” Cremaschi said last week. “I think the most important thing for me is to be at a very high level, and to get there, I need minutes and experience. I’ve played very little in these recent games, and I don’t think it’s because of my level. I go to the games and I have no idea where I’m going to play.”

Mascherano responded: “I understand he likes to play as a central midfielder. I also liked to play as a central midfielder, but when I went to Barcelona, I had to play as a centre-back because otherwise I had no chance to play.

“The door to my office is always open for anyone who may be mad or doesn’t want to play a certain position to come and tell me. I haven’t heard any complaints face-to-face. This is professional football. I decide where I think each player can give me their best.”

Telasco Segovia and Tadeo Allende could keep their places, with De Paul and Messi coming into the team.

With the increased competition at Inter Miami, Cremaschi might be wise to offer the hard-working versatility and availability this team needs around those star names.

Opposition watch: Tigres UANL

Tigres’ own Argentine attacking midfielder, Ángel Correa, leads the Leagues Cup goalscoring charts with four.

He scored a brace in games against San Diego and Houston Dynamo, and currently has the highest FotMob rating of any player in this year’s Leagues Cup.

Ozziel Herrera, Diego Lainez, and Juan Brunetta all provide an attacking threat, while 39-year-old Frenchman André-Pierre Gignac is the club’s all-time top scorer and still going strong.

*Tigres’ best rated players in the Leagues Cup*

Expect defender Romulo Zwarg to be heavily involved from centre-back. Also able to play in midfield, he keeps things ticking over in possession while being equally able to win the ball back on the defensive side of the game.

It will be a tough test for Inter Miami.

Prediction

Tigres might have too much quality for Inter Miami in a standout quarterfinal matchup that would be worthy of the final itself.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Preview: Xabi Alonso takes charge of first Madrid game in LaLiga

Real Madrid are unbeaten on the opening matchday in LaLiga since 2008/09 and their 16-match record looks likely to stay intact when they take on Osasuna this evening.

By Filip Mishov

New coaches in both dugouts

Xabi Alonso‘s maiden, but curtailed pre-season at the helm of Real Madrid was perceived as far from ideal preparation after the hurtful defeat to PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup and ahead of the new season, although LaLiga’s runners-up comfortably won their friendlies, putting four past Leganés in Spain and four past WSG Tirol in Austria, respectively.

Furthermore, the Madrid’s squad is yet to be finalised with Rodrygo‘s future far from certain and Florentino Pérez always on the lookout for fresh additions.

In the away dugout at the Bernabéu, Alessio Lisci is set to make his debut as Osasuna’s head coach after the Italian replaced Vicente Moreno, who led Los Rojillos to a ninth-place finish in Spain’s top-tier last season. However, the newly-appointed tactician endured a difficult start to life as the Basque club lost three matches, drew twice and won only once during pre-season, which does not spark confidence ahead of the trip to the capital.

Key players

It is hard to look past by Kylian Mbappé as Real Madrid’s main man after the lethal Frenchman took over the iconic no. 10 shirt upon Luka Modric‘s release and amid Vinicius Junior‘s long-term uncertainty. Also, France’s captain scored incredible 44 goals in all competitions last season and claimed the Pichichi Trophy as LaLiga’s top scorer with 31 goals in the league alone. Additionally, the 26-year-old scored an impressive brace, recorded an assist, and earned a match high FotMob rating of 9.4 in the final pre-season test against Tirol a week ago.

Alessio Lisci’s Osasuna squad is in desperate need of creativity in the final third after Bryan Zaragoza left Pamplona at the end of last season, and interestingly, Osasuna tapped up Real Madrid Castilla to find a replacement and have consequently signed Victor Muñoz. The 22-year-old forward was Castilla’s second top scorer last season with 11 goals only behind Gonzalo García (25), and the Spaniard was also part of the squad at the Club World Cup over the summer. With that being said, Raúl’s protegee is expected to play an important role in Osasuna’s first team this season and beyond.

Team news

Los Blancos’ four new signings (Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Franco Mastantuono) are fit and available, although the Argentinean prodigy only joined a few days ago and he might have to wait before making his debut. Antonio Rüdiger is carrying over a suspension from last season, while Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Endrick are all injured. Unlike Xabi Alonso, Alessio Lisci has been given a clean bill of health at Osasuna and has a full squad to pick from.

Prediction

Given Osasuna’s last win at the Bernabéu dates back to 2004 and the corresponding game last season finished 4-0 to the hosts, anything other than a winning start for Xabi Alonso & co. would be a big surprise.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Aug

2025

Preview: Manchester United meet Arsenal in opening round headliner

The summer break is already over, and the 2025/26 season is underway. The English Premier League looks set for a thrilling campaign, for which we should get a nice teaser when Manchester United and Arsenal face off at prime time on Sunday.

By Neel Shelat

Shiny new forwards on both sides

Both Manchester United and Arsenal have spent close to £200 million on transfer fees this summer, making some big moves in the process.

The Red Devils have set about revamping their entire front line, spending north of £60m on each of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and most recently, Benjamin Šeško. While they are all quality forwards, many have questioned United’s allocation of resources at a time of cost-cuts and clear needs in other areas of the squad. So, each of the trio will be under pressure to deliver from the get-go.

Arsenal took a fair while to decide their summer striker signing, eventually landing on Viktor Gyökeres. The Swedish striker has returned to England on the back of an incredible 54-goal season with Sporting, but the big question is how his qualities will translate to the Premier League. Besides him, the Gunners also spent around £50m on Noni Madueke.

Will United’s unchanged midfield hold them back?

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Carlos Baleba, who Brighton value at a nine-digit fee. The Red Devils might just be tempted to break their transfer record on him as his arrival would address a gaping hole in the squad in defensive midfield.

For the moment, though, Manuel Ugarte is expected to partner Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. The former’s lack of security on the ball and the captain’s risk-taking nature, in addition to other defensive absences, make it quite likely that United will have trouble building out from the back and establishing control in this game.

A need for improved intent from Arsenal

Arsenal are expected to be locked in a three-way title race with Liverpool and Manchester City. Both of their rivals are expected to look quite different from last season after some big changes in the summer, but the Gunners have preserved the core of their squad and only added a couple of additional pieces.

Continuity may well give them an edge, but they will need to seize the initiative to make the most of it. Mikel Arteta’s side were only sixth in the league for expected goals last term, at least partly due to excessively cautious tactics.

Fans will hope that the new forwards and added security in midfield (thanks to the arrival of Martín Zubimendi) embolden the side a bit more.

Arsenal aiming to extend head-to-head unbeaten streak

Although Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United last season, that game went down as a draw in the record books since it was decided on penalties. As a result, the Gunners are (sort of) on a six-game head-to-head unbeaten streak, one away from the fixture record in the Premier League era.

They have also won four and drawn one in the last five league meetings, matching their best run against United in the competition.

*H2H results, last five Premier League meetings*

Prediction

Arsenal are the favourites for good reason, so a relatively comfortable win is pretty likely.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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