The game means very little to the Toffees, who are now mathematically safe and are simply playing to finish as high in the league as possible.
The last time the two sides met, a 0-0 draw was played out at Goodison Park. Everton won’t want to remember their previous trip to Stamford Bridge, with the Merseyside club losing 6-0 under Sean Dyche.
Recent H2H results
Team news
Maresca‘s Chelsea have received a recent injury boost, with Roméo Lavia slowly making his way back to full fitness. Unfortunately, Malo Gusto has suffered a muscle injury, meaning we could see Reece James come into the starting XI at right-back.
James Tarkowski, who has started every Premier League game for Everton this season, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury last time out. The English defender missed training this week, so he’s likely to miss out.
Neto the man of the moment
Chelsea’s attacking options haven’t been firing on all cylinders of late, but Pedro Neto was the man to step up last time out. It’s been a difficult season for the Portuguese international, but he struck late on against Fulham to secure the victory in their previous game.
Maresca will be hoping the goal is what he needed to start producing regularly for Chelsea. There’s no doubt Neto has plenty of talent, and the supporters at Stamford Bridge will be looking to see the player who was on fire for Wolves before they signed him.
Tarkowski will be a huge miss
Everton’s defensive solidity has undoubtedly been a key reason why they have comfortably escaped the drop this season. The Toffees have conceded just 1.2 goals per game, with only three sides in the Premier League managing fewer.
Tarkowski’s defensive numbers, Premier League 2024/25 – ranking against other Premier League centre-backs
The partnership of Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite has been imperative for David Moyes’ side, but that could be broken up on the weekend. With Tarkowski likely unavailable due to injury, it will be interesting to see whether Everton can maintain their stubbornness at the back.
Ndiaye v James
Iliman Ndiaye has been a bright spark in an underwhelming season for Everton, providing a real threat on the left-hand side of attack. His mazy dribbling and eye for goal make him a nightmare to play against, and Reece James could have a difficult afternoon on his hands.
The Chelsea right-back has struggled with fitness issues over the last few years, and he’s going to have to be at 100% to deal with Ndiaye at Stamford Bridge. James hasn’t played a lot of football in recent months, so it could be an area for the Toffees to target.
Prediction
With Everton having little to play for, Chelsea supporters will be hoping Maresca’s side will be more up for this one. The west London club are just three points off fourth, so a win would be crucial in their race for the Champions League. We’re going for a 2-1 victory to Chelsea.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Spain’s biggest two clubs are head-to-head for Spain’s biggest two trophies; this weekend the first will be decided as the Copa del Rey final hopes to see another dramatic edition of El Clásico.
While the meeting of Barcelona and Real Madrid is neither a new phenomenon nor an infrequent one when it comes to dishing out silverware, it does remain one of the game’s great spectacles. Midweek lineups from both teams attests to such, with some changes in place as each secured a narrow win in LaLiga.
It’s Barcelona who will feel they have comfortably the upper hand when it comes to enjoying the better 2024/25 season, but that may only mean Real go all out here to ensure this cup goes back to the capital. With the Supercopa won, top spot in the league being held and European success still a possibility, it could prove an incredibly memorable campaign for Hansi Flick and his side. For Carlo Ancelotti, then, the next month or so must be about trying to secure a domestic double before a potential exit – starting with this final.
The current situation back in LaLiga
Both sides have elite attacks, yet look precarious in defence at times. Playing to their strengths may just then see Saturday’s 90 minutes be one of the most attractive of the year – if tempers or officiating don’t get in the way.
Recent form
Aside from a second-leg defeat in Europe to Dortmund, Barcelona have been relentless: 27 games since the turn of the year, four draws and just that one loss. Otherwise, it’s wins all the way to put them in the driving seat in league terms and favourites elsewhere. Real Madrid have lost three and won three in the last six, on the other hand. Big games have too often passed them by when in previous years, form meant nothing and they’d raise their game. It won’t have gone unnoticed by Barcelona, who trounced them in the Supercopa final of course.
Barcelona have won the three competitive and non-competitive Clásicos played this season
With Lewandowski out, look to perhaps player of the season Raphinha to take the lead for Barca in a scoring and a creating capacity. The Brazilian has been excellent and in his last nine appearances has six goals and five assists. On a longer-term capacity he ranks higher than 97% of similar players in Europe’s top leagues over the last year for chances created, than 98% for shots taken and than 99% for goals scored. A magnificent campaign regardless of whether he’s playing right, left or centrally behind the No. 9.
Raphinha player traits
Prediction
Barcelona to make it two trophies from two in an event-filled encounter: Barcelona 4-2 Real Madrid.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
The best teams from Major League Soccer’s eastern and western conferences in 2025 are set to meet in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. After a Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami knocked out Los Angeles FC in the quarters, they’ll be hoping he can help them overcome an impressive Vancouver Whitecaps outfit to reach the final.
Though it’s important to have stayed in touch with the top of the table in MLS, progressing in the Champions Cup will have been the main focus for new head coach Javier Mascherano and his Inter Miami team during this early stage of the season.
Having lost the first leg of the quarterfinal against LAFC 1-0, and having gone a goal down at the beginning of the second leg, Messi stepped up to help his team back into the game, contributing to goals that eventually saw them win 3-1 and book a place in the semis.
His goal to get Miami back in the tie involved a nice bit of linkup play with Luis Suárez and an emphatic finish, before he assisted the equaliser for Noah Allen and went on to win the tie for Miami from the penalty spot.
Messi’s impact in league play this season has not been as headline-grabbing as his first season and a bit for the club, but there have been some steady contributions. His underlying numbers remain very good despite a slightly lower profile of performance so far this year, and he still boasts the highest average FotMob rating of any player in the league.
Top three best rated players in MLS, 2025
Suárez has not been as eye-catching this season, either, but it was his expansive cross-field pass that created the opening for Inter Miami to score the goal to win an important game against the Columbus Crew last weekend, and he’s second in the assist charts.
These players can still change games.
It could also be said that Inter Miami’s play on the whole under Mascherano has not been the most spectacular, but they have still managed to pick up wins. They are currently the only unbeaten team in MLS and also have a game in hand on the teams around them in the Supporters’ Shield standings. An additional three points, supposing they won that game in hand, would put them top.
In the league so far this season Miami have only won one game by more than a single goal (a 4-1 win at Houston Dynamo in which Messi didn’t play), but the manner of these hard-fought wins has been encouraging for a team whose aim is to win the MLS Cup — something they failed to do last year.
MLS Supporter’s Shield 2024 season
Inter Miami topped the overall MLS standings to claim the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking fashion in 2024, but were knocked out in round one of the MLS Cup playoffs in a shock defeat to Atlanta United.
The winner of the MLS Cup, not the Supporters’ Shield, is considered the champions in MLS, so this is undoubtedly the goal for Miami during their Messi era. A team getting over the winning line despite not firing on all cylinders is an encouraging sign when it comes to cup competitions.
A cup competition that is just as important, if not more so than the MLS Cup is the Champions Cup. MLS sides have only won this continental tournament three times in its varied history, and only once in the current format. Inter Miami will have their eye on becoming the next club to do so.
So will their opponents, Vancouver Whitecaps, who would be looking to become the first Canadian winner of the tournament, and are the team currently sitting at the top of MLS’ Supporters’ Shield standings.
MLS Supporter’s Shield 2025 – as it stands
While Inter Miami have faced two MLS teams and a Jamaican side (Cavalier) in the Champions Cup so far, the Whitecaps have impressively eliminated two notable Mexican clubs, Monterrey and Pumas UNAM. It’s the first time the Whitecaps have defeated Mexican opposition in this tournament, and they’ve managed to do so twice.
Such an impressive start to the season was not predicted. Having sacked popular head coach Vanni Sartini at the end of 2024, there was some uncertainty going into 2025. This was made even more perilous by the franchise being put up for sale in December.
Despite pre-season worries, new head coach Jesper Sørensen has come in and made the team more difficult to beat while switching to a 4-3-3 formation which also seems to have re-energised their attack.
This is shown by the fact that striker Brian White is just one behind the league’s top scorer Tai Baribo on six, and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka has the joint-most clean sheets in MLS so far this season. The Whitecaps have conceded the joint-fewest goals in the league (alongside St. Louis and Miami themselves on six) and are the second-highest scorers behind San Jose. There is an ideal combination of things happening at one end of the pitch and things not being allowed to happen at the other.
Inter Miami and Messi will be Vancouver’s biggest test yet. These sides are not due to face each other in the league during the regular season due to being in separate conferences and the way the cross-conference fixtures have panned out this year, but facing each other in such a big competition as arguably the best teams in MLS at this moment in time, is fitting.
Sørensen spoke about Messi shortly after joining the Whitecaps, while also revealing some things about the style of play that would be so successful early in 2025.
“[Possession] is important,” Sørensen, whose team now have the third highest average possession in the league, told The Province. “When you have the ball, you can control the game. When you don’t have the ball, you can affect the game, but you cannot control what’s going to happen.
“In this league, there’s a guy called Messi. You cannot control him when he has the ball, but you can try to affect him.”
Faced with the prospect of coming up against Messi and co, perhaps unexpectedly so, Sørensen stated that his team are here to defeat Miami, not celebrate Messi.
“It’s not Vancouver against Messi, it’s Vancouver against Miami,” he said. “We’re not here to celebrate Messi, we’re here to do whatever we can to see if we can move on, and that should be our task.”
It promises to be the biggest MLS matchup of the season so far, in the region’s biggest tournament.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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Arsenal have only lost once in the Premier League since the first weekend in November, but their lack of a number nine has hurt them in recent weeks, with four of their last seven matches having ended in draws. Their title race will be over should they lose this match. Palace’s goalless draw against Bournemouth at the weekend will have been a relief after having conceded five in two successive matches against Manchester City and Newcastle United. They are 12th in the Premier League, because Crystal Palace are always 12th in the Premier League.
Palace also conceded five the last time they met Arsenal
History
Arsenal have been victorious in the last six matches between these two sides in all competitions, with Palace’s last win in it coming at Selhurst Park in April 2022. Palace’s record against Arsenal doesn’t really improve with age. That win was one of just three against Arsenal in 31 meetings in all competitions in just over thirty years. Arsenal beat Palace 5-1 in the corresponding fixture at The Emirates Stadium just before Christmas.
Key Players
Bukayo Saka has had an eventful week, missing a penalty but then scoring as Arsenal knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League and then getting booed by Leicester supporters as his team relegated them back to the Championship last weekend. He’s not the number nine who might have kept them closer to Liverpool in the title race, but his return from injury has given their attacking options an extra dimension again.
Palace haven’t even scored in their last two Premier League matches, so all eyes will be on Eberechi Eze to try and do something to reverse that. Eze remains one of the Premier League’s most sought-after players, with a tug-of-war between Manchester United and Aston Villa for his services currently being played out in the background to this match. This would be an appropriate venue to add a few pounds to his transfer value.
Team News
Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber should all return to the Arsenal team, but Jorginho, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori all remain injured. Mikel Arteta will have one eye on their upcoming Champions League semi-final against PSG next week. Chris Richards is suspended for Palace following his sending off against Bournemouth at the weekend. Nathaniel Clyne should deputise. Adam Wharton may be rested as he continues to return from injury.
Prediction
Arsenal could be forgiven for having their attention elsewhere this week. The Premier League title race is pretty much over, and their Champions League chase continues next week against PSG. But Palace aren’t in great form at the moment and they have a pretty terrible record against Arsenal going back decades. They also recently conceded five in two straight games. All signs point to a comfortable win for the home side and for Liverpool’s champagne to remain on ice until this weekend at the earliest. 3-0 to the Arsenal.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Real Madrid are down to the prospect of a domestic double after a desperately disappointing exit in the Champions League – and a make-or-break week for them starts at Getafe.
Carlo Ancelotti won’t be adding to his tally of European Cup triumphs this year after Los Blancos were dumped out of the competition by Arsenal – and if the latest media rumours are to be believed, it might be his last attempt to do so for a while. Real Madrid are considering the likes of Xabi Alonso to be head coach next season, while Brazil may well make another tilt at convincing the legendary Italian boss to take on the Seleção instead.
If he’s to make another exit from the Santiago Bernabéu, he’ll want to go out with some silverware. The Copa del Rey final lies ahead at the weekend against Bareclona, but Real Madrid remain in battle with the same opponent to win LaLiga too – there’s seven points between them, Real chasing, with six left to play.
An obliging opponent
What could be better-timed, then, than an opponent who regularly roll over when Madrid come to town?
Getafe are neatly placed in 12th, not quite an irrelevance for the rest of the season given how tight-packed the bottom half of the table is, but surely good enough to claim the points they need for another season of survival. Meanwhile, they have lost the last six league meetings of these two teams, scoring precisely two goals in the process. In fact, it’s 13 matches between them and just the two goals – goalless draws in 2019 and 2021 boosts Getafe’s points tally from these encounters to five points in seven years.
Recent form
The hosts have lost three of their last four including against two teams lower in the table than them. At home, it’s one win in seven, dating back to before Christmas. Real lost in midweek and have now taken only two wins in six themselves across all competitions – but it’s still three wins in four away from home, the exception being the trip to Arsenal.
Some rotations might be on show for Real ahead of the final but Rodrygo may start due to absences – he’s five without a goal or assist so needs an upturn in form. Given across the past year he’s ranked higher than 74% of similar players for chances created and 78% for goals, he’s certainly due one or two.
Prediction
Nothing to deviate too far from the norm in this meeting, with Madrid staying in the title hunt as a result:Getafe 1 Real Madrid 3.
(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.
Manchester City host Aston Villa in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as both sides battle to finish in the Champions League places. Two of the most in-form sides in the league, City and Villa, will be hoping to continue the momentum gathered over the last few weeks.
Unai Emery’s side will be hoping to complete a double over City after picking up an impressive 2-1 victory earlier in the season, with Jhon Durán and Morgan Rogers helping defeat Pep Guardiola’s men.
Team news
Phil Foden and Manuel Akanji both returned for City at the weekend, with Guardiola naming the duo on the bench against Everton. Rodri and Nathan Aké remain out, while goalkeeper Ederson was also unavailable at Goodison Park.
Emery has just one injury concern heading to the Etihad, with Pau Torres missing from the squad to face Newcastle on Saturday evening. Leon Bailey and Ross Barkley are both fit and available after their recent fitness troubles.
Man City almost back to their best
Man City are currently unbeaten in their previous six games, with five of those coming in the Premier League. It’s been a disastrous season by their own standards, but they are still in the battle to finish in the Champions League places.
Guardiola’s side have looked impressive going forward as usual, but defensively they’ve struggled this term. City have conceded 43.8 expected goals this campaign, more than the likes of Everton, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa the in-form side in the Premier League
Villa have shown signs of inconsistency this season, perhaps due to their participation in the Champions League, but they’ve been unstoppable in recent weeks domestically. In their last five games in the Premier League, Emery’s side have secured maximum points, scoring 13 times while conceding just two. Champions League qualification looked out of reach for Villa just a few weeks ago, but they are now firmly in the fight to finish in the top five. A win against Man City will see them climb above Guardiola’s men, and they could climb as high as third if results go their way.
Rogers could haunt his former club
Man City may be living to regret offloading some of their stars who have come through the academy, with Cole Palmer an obvious example. Another will be Morgan Rogers, with the English attacker undoubtedly one of the best-performing players in the Premier League this season.
Rogers has provided 16 goals and assists combined in the league this term, an impressive contribution in just his second season of Premier League football. Creating 45 chances, Rogers has been a creative and goalscoring threat in attack for Villa and is a key cog in Emery’s system this campaign.
Prediction
City vs. Villa is a tricky game to call, with both sides in impressive form of late. It’s difficult to see either side failing to score, so we’re going for a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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If ever there was a match to encapsulate the inherent chaos of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, it came in the 4-3 win over Celta Vigo when the Catalans had to fight back from 3-1 down to claim three crucial points.
As many opponents have done this season, Celta exploited the space behind Barca’s extremely Hugh defensive line. This gives Mallorca hope that they could do the same, although Los Piratas have drawn a blank in two of their last four games.
However, Barca also demonstrated their unmatched attacking firepower by ultimately beating Celta Vigo 4-3 with Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo impactful off the bench. They could start on Tuesday.
Barcelona can open up a seven-point advantage at the top of LaLiga before Real Madrid take on Getafe 24 hours later. This is another opportunity for the Catalans to pile the pressure on their fiercest rivals.
Key players
Flick has openly spoken about the fatigue being suffered by his Barcelona players who are facing their fifth match in just over two weeks. This could be a factor in his lineup decision for Tuesday’s match.
Lamine Yamal, however, will surely play some part against Mallorca. The teenager is Barca’s creator in-chief and has forged a strong understanding with Raphinha – no two players have combined for more goals (four) in LaLiga this season.
Ferran Torres is in line to lead the line for Barcelona after Robert Lewandowski suffered an injury at the weekend while Gavi may start alongside Pedri and Frenkie de Jong having come off the bench in the second leg on Saturday.
Cyle Larin has netted six league goals this season and will have the opportunity to add to this with Mallorca’s top scorer Vedat Muriqi out injured. Jagoba Arrasate will set up his team in a back three with Toni Lato and Mateu Morey providing the width.
The reality is that Dominik Greif will need to find top form to keep the Barcelona forward line at arm’s length. The Slovakian goalkeeper kept a clean sheet in his last outing against Leganés.
Team news
Lewandowski’s hamstring injury will keep him out for the next three weeks, meaning the Polish striker will miss Tuesday’s match against Mallorca as well as Saturday’s Copa del Rey final.
Marc-André Ter Stegen, Marc Casadó, Alex Balde and Marc Bernal remain sidelined for Barcelona. Balde’s absence means Gerard Martín will continue at left back after a difficult game against Celta Vigo. Mallorca could target the 23-year-old and the space around him.
Martín’s player traits – comparison against similar players in top five leagues
Muriqi is sidelined through injury and will be a big miss for Mallorca who are strongest when they have the Kosovan striker to play into and off. Manu Morlanes is also injured while Robert Navarro and Takuma Asano will late fitness tests before the match at Montjuïc.
Prediction
In keeping with Barca’s form since the turn of the year, we have to go with a home win. And by multiple goals: Barcelona 3-1 Mallorca.
(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.
In their biggest game of the season so far, Inter executed their game plan to perfection. Away to a Bayern Munich team many expected to make the Champions League semi-finals, the Italian champions counter-attacked their way to a 2-1 victory.
It was a classic Inter performance. Simone Inzaghi set up his side to be resolute in defence and razor sharp in attack. While Bayern struggled to find a way through, the visitors had no such issues in the other direction.
Shot map and xG from the first leg
Lautaro Martínez’s opener was one of the goals of the season as Inter went from one end of the pitch to the other in a matter of seconds. Davide Frattesi’s late winner was another instance of Inter’s quick transition threat.
No team has averaged more possession per 90 minutes in the Champions League this season than Bayern Munich. Vincent Kompany will want his team to control the ball at San Siro, but can the Bavarians translate this into chance creation? They failed to do so in the first leg.
Both Inter and Bayern Munich are in a strong position to win their respective domestic titles, but their season could be defined by what unfolds on Wednesday night in the Champions League.
Key players
Martínez and Marcus Thuram demonstrated their understanding in the attacking third by putting Bayern Munich to the sword in last week’s first leg at the Allianz Arena. They will be a threat once more in the second leg.
Nicolo Barella is key to the way Inter get forward in quick transition with the Italian international a valve in the centre of the pitch. Alessandro Bastoni is also an important figure for the Nerazzurri such is the quality of his distribution out from the back.
Only Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Serhou Guirassy have scored more goals in the Champions League this season than Harry Kane who has netted 10 goals in 12 games. The English striker is still one of the best goalscorers of his generation.
However, Kane lacked service in the first leg against Inter. This is where the likes of Michael Olise, Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané must step up. With Jamal Musiala out injured, Bayern Munich have become too predictable as an attacking outfit in recent weeks.
Team news
Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zieliński will miss Wednesday’s match against Bayern for Inter with Bastoni, Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan expected to come back into the lineup after being rested for the win over Cagliari.
Musiala is still sidelined for Bayern Munich. The German international has been desperately missed in recent matches with Kompany using Müller and Raphaël Guerreiro as a number 10 in his absence. This is a choice he will face again.
After the goal-driven drama of Tuesday’s second legs, perhaps we’re due a calmer evening? We’re expecting Inter to do enough to pull through on aggregate: Inter 1-1 Bayern Munich
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Three goals down from the first leg, the reigning European champions have a whole lot of work to do if they are to continue their recent continental dominance – though their situation is not without precedence.
Not that Real Madrid often want to take inspiration from the likes of their biggest rivals Barcelona, but they are one of the few teams to have been involved in this type of comeback before; from an even worse situation in fact, the famous remontada comeback, beating PSG 6-1 after losing 4-0 in the first leg. Real are only 3-0 down here by comparison, though Barcelona have experienced that scoreline too, in reverse: they lost 4-0 to Liverpool in 2019 are being three up from the first leg, and a year earlier gave up a 4-1 lead to go out on away goals at Roma. Plenty for Madrid to realise, then, that big leads can work both ways – and of course Los Blancos have their own history of comebacks to point to as evidence that the tie isn’t all over just yet.
Shot map and xG from the first leg
All or nothing for Arsenal
The Gunners could scarcely have dreamed of being in a better position after the first leg, but it also reinforces the fact all their eggs for this season are in a Champions League-shaped basket. While Real have a Copa del Rey final and a LaLiga title battle to contend with, it’s just this competition for Mikel Arteta’s men. Another weekend draw leaves them 13 points off the pace in the Premier League – it’s European glory or another empty-handed year therefore. The path ahead is still tough, with PSG likely semi-final opponents, but there’s no use being concerned about one tough challenge when, too often, they’ve shown themselves capable of collapsing when the pressure is really on. With this three-goal cushion, they have to start to show they can shed that tag at last.
Domestic season comparison
Recent form
Not stellar from either side in truth, but Arsenal are unbeaten in nine – five draws in that time – and haven’t lost a game by three or more all season long. That’s all they have to do, with the pressure very much on the hosts. Real won at the weekend despite a Kylian Mbappé red card, but that was their first win in four. At home this season they’ve won by three or more on eight occasions.
David Raya has been largely impressive for the Gunners this season, not just with shot-stopping but also his concentration and ability to sweep through balls. His 82% save rate is third-highest in the Champions League, but 3.9 goals prevented is top. Arsenal may need that form.
Not much to separate Raya and Courtois in the Champions League this season
Prediction
Real to win the night, but Arsenal to win the tie. That third goal may prove all-important: Madrid 3-1 Arsenal
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.
Barcelona have one foot in the Champions League semi-final after comprehensively beating Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg. There is little to play for other than the opportunity to make it respectable for the Germans.
The atmosphere at the Signal Iduna Park will be as electric as ever, the Yellow Wall has had little to celebrate domestically this season, it’s just a shame it’s going to take a genuine footballing miracle for them to go through.
Hansi Flick’s side are on the other end of the spectrum. Sitting at the summit of LaLiga as well as being favourites to win the Champions League, it’s a good time to be a Barca fan.
Shot map and xG from the first leg
Jamie Gittens has disappeared
Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho 2.0 has struggled of late, scoring just one goal in his last 19 games. That wouldn’t be so bad if he was creating but he’s also failed to register a single assist in that time.
It’s quite the drop off. Gittens registered 14 goal contributions in his previous 25 games, earning him links with some of the biggest clubs both back home and on the continent. Those links are still there, for now at least.
Niko Kovač’s side had little to no attacking threat in the first leg, Barca took control of the game from the first whistle. They’re going to need more than Gittens but when he’s in form he can certainly make a difference.
Aging like a fine wine
Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski has been getting all the headlines, and rightly so, bagging 40 goals in 46 games across all competitions, but he isn’t the only elder statesman ripping it up for Barca this season.
Lewandowski’s best numbers since the 2021/22 season
Iñigo Martínez may well be Barcelona’s best centre-back at the moment. He’s exactly what Flick wants, calm under pressure, able to play out from the back, and most importantly, hard to get past.
He won 100% of his tackles in the reverse fixture. He also won 50% of his duels and was dribbled past zero times. With young Pau Cubarsí beside him, Barca are set for the present and the future.
Finally finding his feet
A lot was expected from Maximilian Beier when he joined from Hoffenheim last summer. It’s taken a little while, but he’s starting to look like the player Dortmund thought they were getting.
Eight goal contributions in his last ten games across all competitions, including the opener in Der Klassiker on Saturday, makes him their chief attacking threat over the past couple of months.
Beier still has a little way to go if he’s going to be the next big thing at Dortmund. Football is a confidence game, an impressive performance against Barca would likely do wonders for him.
Alejandro Balde will be a big miss
The Catalan club’s hectic schedule has claimed its first victim. Balde will likely be out of action for the next few weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in their edgy 1-0 win over Leganés on Saturday.
Balde is Hansi Flick’s undisputed favourite in the left-back position, making 43 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal, and providing eight assists. Fellow La Masia graduate Gerard Martín is currently their only other option in that position.
Barca will certainly be without a pretty potent attacking threat now that Balde is out but thankfully they have plenty of those at the moment.
Prediction
Barcelona should go through to the semi-finals without getting out of first gear thanks to their massive first-leg win. Having said that, we don’t predict them to take their eye off the ball. We’re going to go with a 2-0 win for Barca.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.
