Preview

Nov

2024

Preview: Celta hoping to prove a tough nut to crack for visiting Barcelona

LaLiga returns this weekend after a lengthy international break, and Celta Vigo host Barcelona in what is a meeting of one of the league’s biggest xG underperformers against the biggest overperformer – and more relevantly, the league leader.

By Karl Matchett

Celta languish in 11th, three points fewer on the board than the underlying numbers suggest they should have – only Getafe, with a whopping ten fewer, have fared worse in that regard. But Barcelona are not just tough opponents this term, they are one of those who Celta struggle with constantly. They’ve won just twice in nine attempts in the post-pandemic era, or once in the post-Messi era. One was courtesy of a last-minute winner after a Barcelona red card, highlighting the infrequency with which points are accrued in this clash. Can they hope to change that this time?

Barca looking to get over their most recent blip

It was seven straight wins in all competitions for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona before the international break – until they went to Real Sociedad and lost. Plenty of possession but zero penetration was a shock turnaround for the table toppers, who have been largely excellent in the final third but offered little to trouble Álex Remiro in La Real’s goal. An improvement on that is needed, but is also usually present, and all teams in rebuild mode have off-days. Outside of the odd shocker, they’ve been a well-oiled machine this term. Celta’s own form is something of a mirror: one win in six to almost the end of October, but unbeaten in three since then including a draw at Betis last time. It’s also worth noting only Atlético and Real Madrid have won at Balaidos this term.

Clean bill of health for Celta, not so much for Barca

Celta are, impressively, clear. It’s a full squad to choose from for Claudio Giráldez, which may just mean an unchanged lineup from the win over Getafe. For Barcelona, there remain a host of absentees for the long haul, including Marc-André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ansu Fati and Marc Bernal. In addition, Ferran Torres remains a doubt, Lamine Yamal could miss out with ankle trouble and Ronald Araújo will be eased back in after another hamstring injury.

Key players

Celta will be focused on trying to tighten up defensively, perhaps inspired by La Real shutting Barcelona out prior to the break. For Barcelona, that therefore means Raphinha – a massively improved and creative force for them this term – will be key to finding a way to break them down. An xG per 90 of 0.58, 14 big chances created in league play, 13 goals or assists so far this term and even the Barcelona captaincy on occasions shows just how much he’s thriving under Flick. Wherever he has played in that attacking supply line behind top scorer Robert Lewandowski, the Brazilian is finding a way to shine. Even in a low-key outing in the defeat to Sociedad, no Barcelona attacker had more touches in the box, created chances or completed dribbles than Raphinha.

Prediction

Barcelona could reasonably be seen as being on the cusp of getting even stronger, with a few important returns from injury of late. Another three points for Flick’s side – 2-1 to Barca.

(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.

Nov

2024

Preview: Manchester City desperate to get back on track against bogey team Tottenham

Manchester City’s shock run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions kicked off with a loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup. About 25 days later, the defending champions will be desperate to get back to winning ways in the two sides’ first Premier League meeting of the season.

By Neel Shelat

Key returnees for Manchester City

There are various factors that explain Manchester City’s rotten run of recent results, but ultimately their long injury list which included a host of key players was the big problem in the short term. As many as five first-team players could make their return this weekend, so the defending champions can reasonably expect to see a much-improved performance.

The defensive department was especially affected by this injury crisis with four key players out of action. John Stones and Rúben Dias have both been out since City’s last match against Spurs, while neither Manuel Akanji nor Nathan Aké were fully fit before the international break. The Dutchman will still be out of action after picking up another hamstring injury, but the rest could all start or be on the bench. In all likelihood, Kyle Walker will not need to continue playing at centre-back and teenager Jahmai Simpson-Pusey will be taken out of the starting lineup.

In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne may well make his first start since September. The Belgian creator has been riddled with injuries of late, but he should be good to go now having made a couple of appearances off the bench earlier in the month before sitting out the international break.

Tottenham looking to continue troubling City

Tottenham Hotspur have famously been Manchester City’s bogey team in the Pep Guardiola era. Apart from Liverpool, Spurs are the only side who have prevented the Catalan tactician from winning more than half of the games played between them during his reign. Since joining City in 2016, Guardiola has come up against them 21 times but only managed to win 10, with Spurs victorious on eight occasions.

City finally managed to break their curse at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium earlier this year, but their recent history against Spurs at the Etihad is also quite interesting. They have won just one of their last three meetings, which was a memorable 4-2 victory in January 2023. Both other matches also had goals galore, as the 3-3 draw last season and the dramatic 2-3 defeat in 2022 contributed to a total of 17 goals across this run.

Ange Postecoglu’s side are certainly not boring as their attack-minded style of play tends to yield goals at both ends. Their last three games have seen 13 goals go in, though they conceded more than they scored both against Ipswich Town and Galatasaray most recently. So, Spurs are also not in the finest of form going into this fixture.

Prediction

Manchester City will be raring to get a win not just to end their losing streak but also to celebrate Guardiola’s two-year contract extension. With key players returning, they should just about have enough to manage a narrow victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Maresca makes his return as Chelsea travel to Leicester City

The international break is finally over, not to be seen again until March 2025. Club football takes precedence once again as Leicester and Chelsea kick off the Premier League’s hectic schedule in the run up to the festive period.

By Alex Roberts

Enzo Maresca returns to the King Power Stadium for the first time since guiding Leicester back to the to the promised land last season as pressure builds on his predecessor Steve Cooper.

Neither club is in particularly good form. Chelsea are winless in three games domestically while Leicester have lost three of their last four across all competitions. Unlike Cooper’s side, however, Chelsea have had luck on their side as clubs around them falter.

Enzo Fernández finally finding some form

It’s been a tough start to the season for the Argentinian, losing his place in Maresca’s preferred league XI to Roméo Lavia and his fellow £100millon+ man Moisés Caicedo starting to show exactly why Chelsea spent the big bucks.

Fernández replaced Lavia in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal before the break after the youngster picked up a knock, providing the assist for Pedro Neto’s equaliser. Lavia remains a doubt going into the game on Saturday, just as Fernández was seemingly finding his feet.

With five assists in his last four games for club and country, the central midfielder may have turned a corner. Even if three of them were in the 8-0 thrashing of FC Noah.

Pressure growing on Steve Cooper

Given his history with rivals Nottingham Forest, winning over the Leicester faithful was always going to be tricky for Cooper. The best way to get them on his side would be to win games, unfortunately that’s not happened.

All the momentum earned from their consecutive victories over Bournemouth and Southampton seems to have gone out the window. Star man Jamie Vardy was heavily missed in their 3-0 defeat to Man United as Leicester failed to convert any of their five shots on target while conceding all three of United’s.

We’re heading into the time of year where Chairmen and women up and down the country start to look at their club’s season and evaluate. Cooper’s job won’t depend on results against clubs like Chelsea, but a point wouldn’t hurt.

A selection headache for Enzo Maresca ahead of his return

Maresca has one of those ‘good problems’ people like to go on about. The wealth of talent available to him makes him the envy of managers everywhere but it’s a problem none the less.

The likes of João Félix and Christopher Nkunku have barely featured in the Premier League so far, despite the latter being the club’s top goal scorer. Both have impressed with the limited opportunities they’ve been handed and keeping them happy will be at the top of Maresca’s to-do list.

There has been little evidence to suggest it will happen, given the manager’s seemingly stringent two-squad system, but a game against opposition like Leicester is the perfect opportunity for Maresca to give a few other players a run out.

Prediction

Chelsea are seemingly better than Leicester in every area so football logic dictates that this has a 1-1 draw written all over it!

(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.

Nov

2024

MLS Cup Playoffs: This weekend’s Hudson River Derby is a battle for New York supremacy

New York is a soccer city. Other cities like Atlanta, Portland and Seattle might be more obvious hotbeds for soccer in the USA, but there is passion for The Beautiful Game in The Big Apple. That will shine through when New York City FC host the New York Red Bulls in this weekend’s MLS Eastern Conference semi-final.

By Graham Ruthven

Of course, the focus of this year’s MLS playoffs was meant to be on South Florida. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had dominated the agenda until Atlanta United produced arguably the biggest shock in league history, knocking out the Herons over three games. Messi and co. will watch the rest of the playoffs on TV.

The Columbus Crew were a popular second pick to retain the MLS Cup they won last year. However, they too suffered a shock early defeat to the New York Red Bulls who made it beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018. NYC FC also upset the odds to topple FC Cincinnati.

Saturday’s meeting between the two New York rivals will be the 30th in MLS history, but never before has there been so much riding on a Hudson River Derby. The stakes of a do-or-die elimination game will lift the stakes to a whole new level. A place in the Eastern Conference final is on the line. So too is New York soccer dominance.

New York City FC have won MLS Cup once before. The Bronx outfit lifted the trophy in 2021, beating the Portland Timbers in a thrilling final at Providence Park. NYC FC have been a regular fixture in the latter stages of the playoffs over a number of years, most recently reaching the conference semi-finals in 2022.

For the New York Red Bulls, it’s been a different story in the playoffs. While RBNY boast the longest active playoff streak in American sports, their 15 years in the post-season have yielded nothing. Indeed, the Harrison-based club have never won a MLS Cup despite being a founding member of the league.

Both New York franchises have struggled to carve out an identity for themselves. NYC FC have had star players and lifted silverware, but they are still splitting home matches between Citi Field and Yankee Stadium – two baseball stadiums. The City Football Group-owned club’s new 25-000-capacity stadium won’t be completed until 2027.

RBNY have a modern soccer-specific stadium, but have struggled to fill it. The fanbase feels marginalised by an ownership group that considers MLS an afterthought. “MLS is developing, but it’s developing far too slowly and is still far away from the standard we would imagine for a country like the USA,” said Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull CEO, in a recent interview.

Mintzlaff might have a point, but many would argue the New York Red Bulls are part of the problem. Ambition has been in short supply at Red Bull Arena in recent times. The days of Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill have faded in the memory. Marquee signings are more likely to end up in Los Angeles or Miami than Harrison.

Under Sandro Schwarz, though, RBNY have made genuine progress. The former Hertha Berlin coach has moved his team away from the pure Red Bull identity and has turned RBNY into a more proactive outfit that can now control matches through their use of possession. The quick transition threat is still there, but the Red Bulls are a more rounded outfit under Schwarz.

Emil Forsberg and Lewis Morgan have the ability to decide a match in the attacking third while the likes of John Tolkin, Dylan Nealis and Noah Elie have continued to develop over the course of the campaign. After sweeping the Columbus Crew in Round One, RBNY could feasibly make the conference finals for the first time since 2008.

NYC FC also have talent, although most believed this season’s playoffs would come a year too early for Nick Cushing’s team. By seeing off FC Cincinnati in Round One, though, the Bronx outfit proved they have the talent to beat the strongest opponents with NYC FC’s defensive solidity getting them through three matches with three clean sheets.

To make it past RBNY, attacking difference-makers like Santi Rodríguez, Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf will have to step up for New York City FC who have yet to score a goal in the playoffs. The hope for NYC FC is that they have an even higher level to reach in Saturday’s Hudson River Derby.

With Messi and Inter Miami no longer consuming all the oxygen around this year’s MLS playoffs, Saturday’s meeting between New York’s two teams will be a defining moment in the 2024 season. No matter the outcome, NYC FC and RBNY will produce a spectacle unlike anything else seen in this rivalry before.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the MLS Cup Playoffs on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2024

Preview: England take on Ireland in Nations League promotion bid

Two months on from their last meeting in Dublin, the two nations face each other again, at Wembley, for the first time since 2020.

By Ian King

This one has a bit of history

Well, you could say that. On the 21st September 1949, Ireland beat England 2-0 at Goodison Park to become the first foreign team to do so away from home. And they had been a thorn in their side from Euro ‘88 on, when they beat them 1-0 in Stuttgart, and two years later, when they held them to a 1-1 draw in Cagliari during the 1990 World Cup. England didn’t beat Ireland at all between March 1985 and November 2020, although Ireland didn’t beat them either; they played out five draws during this time.

Form

Ireland are, by pretty common assent, not in a great shape at the moment, but they did at least beat Finland 1-0 on Thursday night to ensure that they won’t finish bottom of their Nations League group. England were much improved upon their shambolic home defeat against Greece in their return match in Athens, running out comfortable winners, despite doing without a huge number of withdrawals (9 at the last count). A win against Ireland will promote them back into the top tier of seeds and may make future qualifications a smoother passage, so England have an incentive to win.

Key players

It’s now been two years since Evan Ferguson made his Ireland debut. He missed five months with injury earlier this year, but the Brighton forward has now scored four in seventeen games and he bagged the crucial winning goal against Finland.

He wasn’t the only young player to impress in this match, either. The Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher saved a penalty kick with the score at 0-0, another sign of a country emerging from recent football doldrums.

The England captain Harry Kane was critical of players who withdrew from this round of fixtures, only to find himself on the bench on Thursday night. The key question that Lee Carsley has to answer in his last game in charge of the team is whether he starts Ollie Watkins, who started against Ireland and scored the opening goal after just seven minutes, or the record goal scoring captain.

*Kane vs. Watkins player comparison, 2024/25 league stats only*

Team News

For Ireland, Shane Duff, of Norwich City and Seamus Coleman, of Everton both withdrew from injury last week alongside former Celtic forward Adam Idahm, while England are missing Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill, John Stones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka, all injured.

Prediction

Ireland have improved since earlier this year, and their historical record against England demonstrates that they have the potential to put one over on their rivals. But England’s comfortable win in Athens on Thursday night indicated that their previous home defeat was a blip rather than a sign of anything longer-term. With Lee Carsley’s team needing a win to top the group, there is enough of an incentive there for the home team to be able to win this match, but Ireland always have an extra incentive to go for it against the Three Lions, so it might not be completely straightforward.

Prediction: England 2–0 Ireland

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: The USMNT face Jamaica in Mauricio Pochettino’s competitive debut

The first of this season’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals is sure to attract a fair bit of interest, as it marks Mauricio Pochettino’s competitive debut in charge of the United States Men’s National Team. Away in Jamaica, they should expect a decent test.

By Neel Shelat

McClaren looking to get the Reggae Boyz on song

Former Manchester United assistant coach Steve McClaren has been in charge of Jamaica since the summer. He has overseen four matches so far, including two wins, away in Honduras and Nicaragua, and two goalless draws on home soil against Cuba and the Hondurans.

The Reggae Boyz were the clear favourites in each of those matches, so while those results are not bad, they are not particularly inspiring either. Indeed, Jamaica’s attacking play under McClaren has been subpar so far given the quality in his squad, so he will need to fix that if his side are to advance.

The good news is that he will get some reinforcements in terms of personnel. Most notably, star attacker Leon Bailey has accepted his call-up and should return to national team action for the first time in about a year, having gone on a self-imposed exile after a fallout with the previous head coach and federation. Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden will likely make his debut after completing the process to switch nationalities, but the suspended Michail Antonio will be a big miss.

USMNT favourites with a strong head-to-head record

The USMNT have quite an impressive record against Jamaica, having lost on just three occasions in 33 meetings. They are unbeaten in competitive action since 2015, most recently scoring a dramatic turnaround victory in the last Nations League semi-final.

Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure did not get off the best of starts as his side suffered a 2-0 defeat in Mexico in the last international window, so he will aim to register his first away win in charge of the USMNT in the first leg of this quarterfinal. He was without a good few key players last month, so this tie should give us a first glimpse into what his first-choice line-up will actually look like.

One aspect that will likely remain up in the air is the striker position. The USMNT have consistently rotated between Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargeant and Haji Wright of late, but all three of them are out injured in this window. So, PSV striker Ricardo Pepi will likely lead the line, while one of the three Mexico-based forwards – namely Chivas’ Cade Cowell, Monterrey’s Brandon Vázquez and Club América’s Alejandro Zendejas – could well join Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah if Pochettino uses a front four.

Prediction

The USMNT’s superior squad quality and head-to-head record means they have to be the clear favourites for this tie. Both sides have relatively new coaches and are bringing some new players into the mix, so their performances may well turn out to be a little disjointed – particularly in the first leg.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Lee Carsley’s England out for revenge in Greece

Until last month, England had never lost a match against Greece in men’s football.

By Karl Matchett

History lesson

History heavily favoured the Three Lions in results and in storylines; even when they didn’t win, they still did in effect, such as with David Beckham’s injury time equaliser to send England to the World Cup. Even in club-level meetings the most memorable occasions tend to see the Premier League outfits beat the Super League ones: Liverpool thrashing Panathinaikos in the ‘85 European Cup semi-final; Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester United all knocking out Olympiacos at the same stage in the space of a decade; Liverpool and their infamous late comeback to beat the same Greek side in the group stage, en route to winning the Champions League. It was all so heavily one sided – until it wasn’t, a month ago, with Greece triumphing at Wembley with a poignant celebration of their efforts and the memory of George Baldock. The Nations League might not have the same standing as some of those other games, but for Greece it was a night to rival most in their history; for England, lessons must be learned.

Form

These Nations League games are the last under Lee Carsley before Thomas Tuchel takes charge for England, so while form isn’t of much importance, impressing for places is – and they want promotion back to League A of course. That means there’s no choice but to win this game to try and top the table, with second spot only offering a playoff. If Greece even draw, they are up.

Who’s left in the England squad?

England suffered eight injury withdrawals from the initial squad, the most notable of which were Trent Alexander-Arnold – man of the match three times in four games for Carsley – along with Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. There will be first caps on offer across the fortnight, but whether any come in this game will depend largely on the type of midfield the interim boss wants. Greece will likely look very similar to during their Wembley win, with all 11 starters from October included in this squad – though the likes of Kostas Tsimikas and Fotis Ioannidis may hope to come in.

*Possible England XI built with the FotMob lineup builder – try it yourself at FotMob.com!*

Key players

For the hosts, Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals at Wembley and is an obvious standout for inspection – at Benfica he’s actually more facilitator than scorer, with 2.1 chances created per 90 this term being better than any other similar forward in the Primeira.

As for England, injuries make a lineup tough to predict but Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon look good shouts to start on the flanks and need to produce big games to improve their chances of nudging ahead of Saka, Phil Foden and the like. The Chelsea man’s non-penalty xG of 0.33/90 puts him ahead of 82% of similar players this term and 3.67 shots/90 is ahead of 93%. That’s a nice balance to Gordon’s crossing and creativity from the left.

Prediction

England to be somewhat more solid and disciplined than last time these sides met, enough to earn a win in a low-scoring game. 2-1 to the Three Lions.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2024

Preview: Chelsea and Arsenal provide the Sunday headliner at Stamford Bridge

Enzo Maresca’s young Chelsea side seek to throw another spanner in the works for Mikel Arteta as they prepare to take on Arsenal in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Arsenal are winless in their last three league games and risk falling further behind Liverpool and Man City in the race for the title, sitting in sixth, level on points with Chelsea after ten games.

As for Chelsea, a drab draw with Man United in game week ten could have been a lot worse given the circumstances, but Maresca will no doubt still feel disappointed they were unable to make the most of some favourable results around them.

Life without Cole Palmer

Chelsea have been lucky; they’ve rarely had to think about a game without talismanic forward Cole Palmer. That might be about to change after he picked up a knock in their draw with Man United.

Palmer has played almost every Premier League minute for Chelsea so far this season, his only respite coming after being substituted in their 3-0 win over West Ham having scored their third goal.

Maresca’s side have a wealth of talent, summer signing João Félix is their second-choice number ten. He’s a similar type of player to Palmer, but without his end product, Chelsea will be worried if Palmer is not fit to start at the Bridge.

*Cole Palmer shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Martin Ødegaard’s timely return

The Arsenal captain has been out of action since early September after picking up a serious ankle injury in Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Austria but is set to return to the fold.

In desperate need of his creativity, Arteta’s side have the second-worst Premier League scoring record amongst the traditional ‘top six’ with 17 goals, eight more than struggling Manchester United.

Ødegaard’s return will restore balance to Arsenal midfield. His close control and innate ability to pick out a pass with no doubt give the likes of Moisés Caicedo lots to think about.

Moisés Caicedo starting to justify his price tag

A successful £100 million+ player is rare, especially at Chelsea, however, after an underwhelming start to life at the club last season, Caicedo is starting to buck the trend.

His volley against Man United got all the headlines, but his overall performance was as good as we’ve seen from him in a Chelsea shirt. Ending the game having won eight ground duels, made four recoveries, and four passes into the final third.

Partnered alongside Romeo Lavia, he has given the club a totally different dynamic to their midfield, adding more physicality while still maintaining a creative outlet, he’s managed to provide two assists too.

The Ecuadorian may be the N’golo Kanté replacement Chelsea thought they were signing all along.

Prediction

It’s hard to look beyond Arsenal for this one. Arteta has a ridiculous record at Stamford Bridge, winning three and drawing one of his previous four Premier League games at the ground.

Not only does he have a history, he has a cause. Determined to turn their faltering title challenge around, expect Arteta to pull out all the stops to secure victory.

(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.

Nov

2024

Preview: High-flying Barcelona travel to Real Sociedad

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, the Estadio de Anoeta was one of the most daunting stadiums for any FC Barcelona player.

By Zach Lowy

Between September 2007 and December 2016, Barcelona failed to win any of their eight trips to Real Sociedad, before finally breaking the duck in a 1-0 win in the Copa del Rey. Since then, Barcelona have prevailed in six of their last seven trips to San Sebastián, and they’ll be looking to continue that streak on Sunday.

Barça’s Attack Clicking on all Cylinders

After starting the Hansi Flick era with three straight 2-1 victories, Barcelona headed into the September international break with a 7-0 thrashing of Real Valladolid, a momentous result that has set the tone for the opening weeks. 10 of Barcelona’s last 13 matches have featured at least four goals, with the Blaugranas scoring 3+ goals in each of their last seven. They are blowing away the competition, sitting six points clear of Real Madrid and 10 above Atlético Madrid thanks to a sensational attacking output that has seen them rack up 40 goals and win 11 of their first 12 league matches under Flick.

Raphinha the Man to Watch

Raphinha isn’t the kind of man who forgets. When Barcelona fans took to social media to post doctored images of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams wearing the #11, Raphinha used that disrespect as fuel and has quickly emerged as one of the most in-form players in world football. Since beginning October with a goal and an assist vs. Young Boys, the Brazilian has racked up at least one goal contribution in each of his last six matches for Barcelona, including a hat-trick vs. Bayern Munich, a brace of assists vs. Alavés, and a goal and an assist vs. Real Madrid.

After setting up both of Barcelona’s first two goals in Serbia, Raphinha stretched Barcelona’s lead to three en route to a 5-2 drubbing of Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday. The signs are promising as he looks to find the back of the net for the fifth match in a row.

Can La Real Shake off Recent Woes?

It has been just over a year since Real Sociedad finished fourth and ended a decade-long Champions League drought. Today, however, the Basque side find themselves in 11th place in LaLiga. What’s more, after losing 2-1 to Viktoria Plzeň on Thursday, they are currently outside of the 24 Europa League knockout playoff spots.

So far this season, Imanol Alguacil’s side have actually done better on the road than at home. Whilst they’ve won four away matches this season, their sole home win out of seven attempts came on September 28 in a 3-0 thrashing of Valencia. The odds are not in their favour as they take on a Barcelona side that seems to be cruising to a second LaLiga title in three years.

Prediction

Barça have won seven of their last eight matches vs. La Real, and there’s no reason to believe that pattern will not continue on Sunday.

(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.

Nov

2024

Preview: Man United face Leicester with Van Nistelrooy aiming to sign off with a win

The last match of the short-lived Ruud van Nistelrooy era at Manchester United takes place on Sunday and ends as it started: at home to Leicester City.

By Karl Matchett

The Foxes visited Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup a few weeks ago and the Red Devils managed to shrug off the long-overdue exit of Erik ten Hag with a win; that fixture sparked a three-game unbeaten run so far and Van Nistelrooy will be eager to sign off by making it four, ahead of Rúben Amorim joining during the international break. With just two places and two points between the teams ahead of kick-off though, that’s still easier said than done for a United side which is set for yet more upheaval.

Inconsistent at home against poor travellers

Despite the recent improvement in results, United can’t exactly point to a body of work which screams “home three points”. A few weeks ago we noted here about their historical home form; it’s now more than 11 months since they won back-to-back league fixtures at Old Trafford in the same season. They’ve won just one of the last four on home soil in the Premier League and three of the last 11 in all competitions.

Leicester are without a win in three themselves, but rescued an injury-time draw last weekend at Ipswich following defeat to two of the Premier League’s top three beforehand. Wins are hard to come by on the road for the Foxes though; even dating back into last term in the Championship, it’s only three wins in 13 across all competitions.

Team news

No real change for Man United in terms of injuries means a continually stretched defence, with Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia sidelined. Kobbie Mainoo is also out and Amad Diallo needs a fitness check after scoring twice and being subbed off in midweek. Leicester are missing Patson Daka and Jakub Stolarczyk but should otherwise be at full strength.

Key players starting to fire?

There’s no doubting United’s key pair at the moment, with André Onana remaining in fine form at one end and Bruno Fernandes finally having more impact at the other. It remains incredible that nobody other than Alejandro Garnacho (two goals) has scored more than once for United in the league this term, but Fernandes netted his first of the campaign from the penalty spot last time out and claimed an assist against Brentford two games prior. As he’s top of United’s charts for xG (3.8), big chances created (7), chances created (15) and xA (1.8) he’s the one they need to maximise when confidence is flowing. That said, he only ranks in the top dozen Premier League players in one of those areas (big chances) which only underlines how poor United have been.

While Leicester’s must be a team-wide approach to earn a result, Facundo Buonanotte is the one to watch, being first or second for chances created (14), big chances (4), goals and assists (5), shots per 90 (2.8) and possession won in the final third (1.3).

Prediction

United might feel they’re on the cusp of a new dawn and scraping a win here will add to the momentum.

United 2-1 Leicester.

(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.