The Dutch midfielder remains a doubt, but he could make the squad.
Espanyol will, once again, be without Javi Puado, who won’t play again this season.
Clemens Riedel is going to be unavailable due to suspension after he was awarded his fifth yellow card of the season in Espanyol’s previous game.
Home fortress to deliver the title
Barcelona are cruising to the Spanish title at the moment, and they’ll secure the accomplishment with games to spare if their form continues. Flick’s side now have a seven-point lead over Real Madrid in LaLiga, with Álvaro Arbeloa’s side dropping off, but Barcelona are showing no signs of slipping up at the minute, especially at home.
LaLiga home form table
Barcelona have won every single game on their own turf this season, conceding just eight goals in 15 games. The Catalan side need just four more wins to go the whole campaign without dropping a single point at home.
Barcelona are Espanyol’s bogey team
It’s perhaps a harsh statement, considering the strength of Barcelona over the years, but they are undoubtedly one of Espanyol’s bogey teams. They haven’t beaten Barcelona in LaLiga since FotMob started tracking the league data, with Barcelona winning the last four meetings in a row.
They were close to securing a point when the two sides last met, with Barcelona not finding the back of the net until the 85th minute. Only two sides have had less possession than Espanyol this season, and they’ll be seeing little of the ball against one of the most dominant sides in Europe.
Rashford’s time to step up
With Raphinha on the treatment table once again, Barcelona need someone to step up on the left-hand side of attack. The Brazilian winger scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory just before the international break, but he’s now set to watch from the sidelines due to injury.
Marcus Rashford looks set to start in his place after being in the XI against Atlético Madrid in their last LaLiga meeting, and it’s time for him to step up once again.
Prediction
It would be wild to predict against a Barcelona home win considering their form this season, so we’re going for a 3-0 victory.
(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.
Time really is running out for Liverpool to keep their European dreams alive. A 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in mid-week likely means their run in the Champions League this season is ending at the quarter-final stage. The Reds host Fulham on Saturday evening looking to cling onto the final Champions League berth in the Premier League.
Arne Slot’s side enter this weekend looking to halt a run of three successive losses. The Reds suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, followed by a 2-0 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday. Prior to the international break, Brighton claimed a 2-1 win.
Liverpool trail fourth placed Aston Villa by five points and are just three points ahead of eighth placed Everton. A bad weekend for the Reds could genuinely see them end matchday 32 in eighth position, just two points clear of ninth-placed Fulham.
Slot’s men last won a Premier League game back in February. To say things aren’t going well would be a bit of an understatement.
Fulham, meanwhile, have proven to be a tough nut to crack this term. Marco Silva’s men have already taken points off Liverpool this season, salvaging a 2-2 draw in added time at Craven Cottage when the two sides faced off in January. They’ve also beaten Chelsea and narrowly lost to Manchester United (3-2) and Manchester City (5-4). They make life difficult for teams.
The Cottagers will fancy their chances against a Liverpool team lacking any real identity and struggling for goals. A positive Fulham result wouldn’t actually be a surprise right now.
Screenshot
Key Players
Expect Mohamed Salah to start after he watched on from the bench against PSG in the Champions League. The four-time Golden Boot winner sat out the last Premier League match for the Reds, the 2-1 loss to Brighton, and struggled against Manchester City in the FA Cup. He’ll want a performance on Saturday in a bid to force his way in to the XI for PSG’s trip to Anfield. After all, It could well be his final European appearance for the Reds.
For the away side, the main man is Harry Wilson. The former Liverpool youngster netted when the two teams faced off in January and he’s in the form of his career, with 10 goals and six assists in the Premier League this term. He’ll be determined to add to that haul at Anfield.
We’re going to go with a 2-1 win for Liverpool on Saturday evening. With the Anfield crowd behind them and a host of attacking options, the Reds should have just enough quality to overcome a disciplined Fulham side and keep their top-five charge on track. They need momentum heading into the PSG clash.
(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.
Arsenal have had their ups and downs across different cup competitions over the last month, but they remain in pole position to claim the Premier League title
Arsenal looking to bounce back after consecutive domestic defeats
Arsenal’s quadruple dreams came crashing down in the space of two matches, as their first back-to-back defeats of the season knocked them out of both domestic cup competitions. The EFL Cup final against Manchester City was always going to be a tough fixture, so the FA Cup defeat to Southampton is the more disappointing result.
A small upside of that is that it enables the Gunners to turn full attention to the two biggest competitions — the Premier League and Champions League. They showed good character to come away with a one-goal win against Sporting in Lisbon in midweek, but even bigger tests will come now as they have a tough run of fixtures coming up.
Arsenal’s next five games
The nine-point gap at the top of the table is somewhat inflated as Manchester City have a game in hand, and with a head-to-head between the top two up next, getting a good result here will be crucial for Arsenal.
Bournemouth’s streak of draws
Bournemouth aren’t easy opponents for anyone. They haven’t lost any of their last 12 matches, meaning their previous defeat was against none other than Arsenal in the reverse fixture. Even so, the Cherries have slipped down the table lately amidst a run of five consecutive draws against all sorts of opposition.
Indeed, this tendency to draw games is what has kept Bournemouth on the fringes of the European battle rather than in the thick of it. Nearly half of their league fixtures have ended with the spoils shared as they have drawn 15 of 31 games, with only one other team (Leeds United with 12) managing more than 10.
That said, they surely wouldn’t mind coming away from London with a point on this occasion.
Team news
Arsenal are sure to be without Piero Hincapié and Mikel Merino, while Martin Ødegaard’s status is doubtful after he had to limp off in Lisbon in midweek. There’s some positive news as well, as both Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze are in contention to return to the squad at least.
Kai Havertz came off the bench to score the stoppage-time winner against Sporting, so he’ll be quite keen to score in consecutive matches for the first time since January 2025. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will hope that top-scorer Eli Junior Kroupi can produce another moment of brilliance for them.
The battle down the Cherries’ right wing between lively winter signing Rayan and Arsenal left back Riccardo Calafiori is sure to be crucial going both ways. More broadly, the visitors will look to make this an end-to-end game and hope to see someone like Alex Scott get time and space on the ball, while Martín Zubimendi will have a key role to play in preventing that for Arsenal.
Screenshot
Prediction
Bournemouth definitely aren’t a pleasant team to face on their day, but Arsenal should have enough quality to eke out a hard-fought 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.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s side suffered a disappointing defeat away at Mallorca last time out, meaning they sit seven points behind Barcelona.
The last time the two sides met back in November, Girona held their own with a 1-1 draw on their own turf. Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring that night, with Kylian Mbappé getting a second-half equaliser.
Madrid can see their title hopes slipping away from them after some disappointing results in recent weeks. Despite their array of attacking talent, Madrid are drifting away from Barcelona, with their production in the final third not what it should be.
No side has conceded fewer goals than Madrid this season, while only Getafe have conceded fewer expected goals. It perhaps proves that defence doesn’t win titles, with Arbeola’s men likely to miss out on first place this term.
Girona’s low-block incoming
Especially against sides as powerful as Madrid going forward, Girona like to sit in deep and absorb the pressure, looking to hit the opposition on the counter-attack. Only Real Oviedo have won possession fewer times in the final third per 90 minutes than Girona, with Michel’s side implementing their low block.
We’re likely to see a similar style when the two sides meet this weekend, with Girona having just 40% of the ball when they went head-to-head earlier in the season.
Madrid need more from Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé has enjoyed a phenomenal season for Real Madrid, scoring 40 goals in 40 appearances. The French forward has carried the Spanish giants at times, but he’s failed to hit the same levels over the last few weeks.
In LaLiga, Mbappé has failed to produce in his last three appearances, with Madrid losing twice during that period. Mbappé is undoubtedly one of Madrid’s most important players, and when he struggles, they struggle.
Prediction
Although Madrid dropped points last time they faced Girona, they’ve been comfortable at home this season for the most part. They desperately need to turn things around, and we’re going for a comfortable 3-1 home victory in this one.
(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.
Tottenham Hotspur need someone to save them. That someone wasn’t Thomas Frank and it wasn’t Igor Tudor, but the North London club desperately hopes it will be Roberto De Zerbi otherwise life in the Championship looms. The success or failure of the Italian’s appointment will be determined in just seven games.
That’s all the runway De Zerbi has to get Spurs flying. Starting with this weekend’s away trip to Sunderland, the former Brighton and Marseille boss will begin to remodel Tottenham in his own image. De Zerbi has very specific views on how the game should be played and his new team will be a reflection of that.
Time, however, is against the 46-year-old. De Zerbi might have been handed a five-year contract, but he must deliver in the short-term before anyone at Spurs can even think about the long-term. Might it be wiser for De Zerbi to scale back some of his philosophical ambition to first keep Tottenham in the Premier League?
De Zerbi-Ball is defined through a few key traits. Firstly, it’s a style of play that requires everyone on the pitch to be extremely comfortable with the ball at their feet. This includes the goalkeeper and defenders who are expected to play out from the back under pressure. This has been a hallmark of De Zerbi’s teams everywhere he has managed.
Spurs, however, might not have the players to operate this way. It was only a few weeks ago that Antonín Kinský gifted Atlético Madrid two goals while attempting to play out from the back. Kinský likely won’t feature for De Zerbi, but it was a performance that demonstrated how poor Tottenham have been at constructing attacks from deep.
De Zerbi’s recent track record
Under De Zerbi, Spurs will bait the opposition press, the idea being that they will then be able to play around it and into space at speed. To do this, Tottenham don’t just need defenders who are comfortable in possession, but midfielders willing to take the ball in tight spaces and get turned. Archie Gray and Pape Sarr might not have this in their skill set. Spurs need natural midfield valves.
Tottenham are ranked a lowly 11th for average possession share in the Premier League this season. They are also ranked 11th for long passes per 90 minutes. Under Tudor, they played a possession-light game that focused on getting the ball forward as quickly and directly as possible. To go from this to what De Zerbi envisages in such a short period of time might be impossible.
This is where De Zerbi could be tempted to be more pragmatic than he would ordinarily choose to be. Might the Italian be less demanding in his usual request that defenders take so many risks on the ball at the back? Could Spurs be slightly more direct than De Zerbi-Ball would normally entail to make the stylistic transition slightly easier? Would it make sense to tone down the idealism?
The current relegation picture
“For me, Tottenham, especially in this moment, is maybe the most important challenge in my career,” said De Zerbi ahead of his first match as Tottenham manager against Sunderland on Sunday. “I’m ready to start this challenge and I want to work with my characteristics, with my passion, with my vision of football and with my technologies as well.”
If De Zerbi can get over the hump of the next seven games, he could be exactly what Tottenham Hotspur need. The club’s supporters crave a bold and entertaining brand of football. After taking a step forward in this regard under Ange Postecoglou, they believe more than a step backwards was taken under Frank and Tudor.
Many fans opposed De Zerbi’s appointment on the grounds of his public backing for Mason Greenwood while Marseille manager. The Italian was accused of downplaying the allegations against Greenwood who was arrested in January 2022 on charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust contacted the North London club to state its opposition to De Zerbi’s appointment while other fans have vowed to boycott matches as long as the Italian is in position as Spurs manager. There is more than just football to consider about De Zerbi’s employment.
Premier League survival is clearly all Tottenham have considered in turning to De Zerbi, although there’s no guarantee the 46-year-old’s methods will save them. In fact, they could be the thing that sinks them if Spurs’ players reject them like they did Frank and Tudor’s ideas. All will become apparent in just seven games.
(Images from IMAGO)
You can follow every Premier League game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
It’s the promotion race that keeps on giving. Can Wrexham recover against Birmingham in their efforts for an unthinkable Premier League promotion? Can anyone stop Tonda Eckert’s Southampton? And how the fixture calendar leaves Millwall in a perfect position… We asked sports reporter Sanny Rudravajhala for this thoughts on the Championship run in.
You couldn’t help being blown away by Southampton’s showing at Wrexham on Tuesday. A 5-1 victory saw the Saints players and staff serenaded in the far corner of the Racecourse. Wrexham’s players were sitting in silence in the dressing room. Under the lights, the harsh reality of what it takes to make it to the big time was brought into focus.
That midweek mauling saw Southampton leapfrog Wrexham into the final play-off place but such have been the twists and turns at the top this season, we’re perfectly set up for the final run-in to reach the Premier League.
Wrexham running out of road?
Wrexham’s weekend trip to Birmingham City will inevitably have Hollywood clichés attached but they exist for a reason. Both have had big name investment, but Wrexham sought to sign homegrown players with Championship experience ahead of more glamourous names from further afield. It gave them a host of plug and play footballers in a way that Birmingham couldn’t match. Captain Dom Hyam, arriving in September from Blackburn Rovers, was a perfect example of that. Nathan Broadhead and Kieffer Moore also needed no time to bed in.
The scale of their capitulation at the hands of Southampton was a shock but the defeat was not a surprise. Wrexham have won just two in seven and across 2026, the 27 goals they’ve conceded is the joint third-most in the division. Only Leicester (29) and Sheffield Wednesday (37) have performed worse. By comparison, their play-off rivals have all conceded at least 10 fewer, excluding Hull (21).
Their midfield was completely overwhelmed on Tuesday. As I said on BBC 5 Live Sport, it felt like Southampton had an extra man. They’re desperately missing a midfielder of the quality that could deal with Matsuki and with Finn Azaz, who ran the show on a night where they should have had even more. Ben Sheaf and Matty James have both been long-term absentees but another defensively minded middle man would be a priority signing in the summer.
Phil Parkinson has called for a reaction on Sunday at St Andrew’s. We all know that this is a club that is ready for the big occasion if they can recover. In their remaining games, a trip to Champions-elect Coventry, and a home showdown with promotion rivals Middlesborough could be box office.
An extra season of consolidation, however, would do Wrexham good but they’re the only club in the Championship who could get promoted and have the resource and nous to remodel their squad to be Premier League-ready. Indeed, I was saying the same thing last season!
Whatever happens, this will be the best league finish in their 161-year history and that is to be commended.
Super Saints unstoppable
Tuesday was my 53rd game of the season in the press box and the most impressive showing I’ve seen. Tonda Eckert made six changes from Southampton’s wonderful performance to beat Arsenal and reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
The German had the luxury of not even needing to play Tom Fellows, whilst the introduction of Leo Scienza was ludicrous really. Having ripped into Mikel Arteta’s side, he was quickly giving Phil Parkinson’s team the same treatment. That was not before Ross Stewart had also come off the bench to score a trademark header. The big Scot has had a torrid few years with injury but has scored six in his last 13 appearances. Tellingly, he is averaging a goal every 94 minutes across that period.
If Eckert had been in charge from the beginning of the season, they would be challenging for the title. Their poor start under Will Still means they’re running out of games in the quest for automatic promotion. Eckert also has the small matter of facing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Wembley, before a crunch-tie with Ipswich Town just days later. Just to further complicate matters, that’s their game in hand over their promotion rivals and any hopes of automatic promotion will hang on victory.
Promotion 4D Chess and five ‘six-pointers’
I was at Coventry on Good Friday to see Jack Rudoni power them on to victory over Derby. With that, I thought Derby’s play-off race was done but then you see they face Southampton next and this 4D chess match of a season continues.
Coventry and Hull then cancelled each other out in their late-night Monday stalemate. Hull have been incredibly efficient this season and that’s emphasised by them outscoring their xG (53) by a further 10. I’ve been expecting them to fall off but they just keep going!
Up next, Ipswich have an East Anglian Derby against a resurgent Norwich side under Phillippe Clement before a crucial game with Middlesbrough. It’s unsurprising that, like Southampton, the relegated Premier League side have strength in depth that’s been much-needed during this crunch-period.
For their part, Boro are now winless in five, with just two victories in 11. They’ve missed an outright forward all season. Tommy Conway has nine goals and assisted five more, but he should have 13 (given his xG of 12.6) and is more of a linkman. David Stelec isn’t particularly regarded as a striker in his native Slovakia and one-goal Morgan Whittaker has been missing with injury. Crucially too, their star, the mercurial Hayden Hackney has also been injured. If those two can return sooner rather than later, then Kim Hellberg’s side still have a chance.
And in amongst all this are Millwall. The league’s great disrupters upended Boro before suffering a damaging home defeat to Norwich. Crucially, they face none of their rivals in the run in and each of their games is winnable. In Femi Azeez they have a brilliant creator and despite injuries, they have kept a solid central defensive core which has been vital.
So, what does this all mean? Automatic promotion will hang on Ipswich’s two games in hand and having gone through every Championship fixture on FotMob, there are FIVE games that could legitimately be called ‘six-pointers’. It gives Wrexham hope, if they can right themselves…
Thinking back, again, to the Racecourse on Tuesday night, and long after the songs had ended and the stands emptied, I was struck with just how much the Southampton fringe players were committed to their post-match exercises. There were squat machines, stretch bands and coaches co-ordinating recovery at a level you don’t ordinarily see in the Championship. The details are covered; now comes the chaos and the Saints are primed to pounce.
(Cover image from IMAGO, additional images via the author)
You can follow every game from the EFL on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Zavier Gozo’s best moment in Major League Soccer came on Saturday. Fed the ball on the edge of the box, the Real Salt Lake teenager took a touch and lasered a volley across goal and into the far corner of the Sporting KC net. It was a strike that highlighted the talent of a special 19-year-old.
In just six appearances for RSL this season, Gozo has registered two goals and two assists. His other goal in an away victory over Atlanta United was also a special strike, bending a finish home with his left foot having cut inside off the right wing with ease. The extraordinary is becoming ordinary for one the best young players in MLS.
Gozo’s goal vs. Sporting KC
Gozo wasn’t an unknown coming into the 2026 season. The teenager played 1,881 minutes for Real Salt Lake in MLS last year, firmly establishing himself in the rotation for regular minutes. Gozo was also part of the USA team that made a run to the quarter-finals of the 2025 U20 World Cup.
This season, though, the youngster born to an Ivorian father and American mother with the middle name Didier in honour of Didier Drogba has taken a big step forward in his development. Gozo is now a reliable difference-maker destined for even bigger and better things in the near future.
A place in the US men’s national team squad for the 2026 World Cup would certainly constitute something bigger and better. While Gozo has yet to be capped at senior level, many are now calling for the teenager to be included as a wildcard by Mauricio Pochettino for this summer’s tournament.
In terms of his profile as a player, Gozo would give the USA something they otherwise lack. Besides Christian Pulisic, Pochettino doesn’t have many wide options capable of beating a man on the dribble and getting into space in quick transition and this is exactly the sort of player Gozo is.
Gozo’s early career player traits compared with players in similar leagues
Gozo is leading RSL for successful dribbles per 90 (1.7) this season. He has also created more chances (11) than any other Real Salt Lake player, highlighting his natural inventive qualities. Pochettino has surely taken a look at the 19-year-old and pondered what he could offer the USMNT.
The odds are against Gozo receiving a World Cup call-up. He wasn’t included on the USMNT roster for the recent friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, meaning Gozo would be entering Pochettino’s set-up for this summer’s tournament completely cold. It would be a bold decision by the Argentine.
Pochettino, however, has made bold decisions as USMNT boss before. He used Christian Pulisic as a number nine against Portugal when few predicted he would. He has called more 60 players into the national team since taking over in September 2024. Pochettino could produce one more surprise by taking a chance on Gozo.
Whether or not he features at the 2026 World Cup, Gozo is set for the big time. Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid have already been linked with the 19-year-old who could be the next homegrown talent to make the move to Europe from MLS. Real Salt Lake fans should enjoy watching Gozo while they can.
“He’s nowhere near the final product he will become,” said RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni about Gozo. “He’s a willing learner and often when you have young players come into the first team they think they’ve already made it. He has the character to continue learning and I have great joy working with guys who are willing to listen.”
Many believed Diego Luna would be the next RSL youngster to come off the conveyor belt at America First Field. The attacking midfielder is a good bet to be part of Pochettino’s World Cup squad and has been of interest to Celta Vigo and Espanyol in the past. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Luna finally moves on this summer.
Gozo was being developed as Luna’s natural successor, but he now looks to be the talent with the higher ceiling. Gozo is so special that Mastreoni has gone to extraordinary lengths to fit him into his lineup as a right-sided wing back. The 19-year-old doesn’t have the defensive instincts for that to be his long-term position, but RSL needed a way to get him on the field.
There will be more moments of brilliance by Gozo in MLS this season. Sitting fourth in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake have started the year well and boast one of the most exciting forward lines in the league, of which Gozo is a part of. The number of eyes on the 19-year-old will only increase.
(Images from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from MLS on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Since the introduction of the Serie A Footballer of the Year in 1996/97, only two defenders have taken home the illustrious prize. Exactly two decades after Fabio Cannavaro claimed top honours, and exactly one decade after fellow Juventus centre back Leonardo Bonucci achieved the feat, Federico Dimarco could very well become the first wingback to win the most prestigious individual award in Italian football.
Born on November 10, 1997, Dimarco joined Inter Milan’s academy in 2004 and ascended the ranks for club and country before making his first-team debut in 2014.
Loan spells with Serie B side Ascoli and newly promoted Serie A side Empoli would follow before Dimarco started a new adventure with Sion, but he lasted just one year in Switzerland before Inter triggered their €7 million buyback option and sent him on loan to Parma. It was here where Dimarco, still shaken from suffering relegation at Empoli, started to take his first footsteps towards becoming one of the best players in Serie A and a player who has scored three goals and recorded 10 assists in 38 caps for Italy. And it was here where he scored the first goal of his career, picking up the ball from the halfway line before taking aim from 30 yards out and detonating a thunderbolt past Inter’s Samir Handanović.
He then moved to Hellas Verona, where he established himself as a buccaneering wingback: having registered seven goal contributions in his first six seasons in professional football, Dimarco provided five goals and five assists in 2020/21 before returning to Inter. He took to new manager Simone Inzaghi’s system like a duck to water, helping the Nerazzurri claim the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana and consistently showcasing his fearless determination in physical duels and his willingness to push forward and overlap on the left flank. And with Ivan Perišić departing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2022, Dimarco emerged as one of the first names on Inzaghi’s team sheet, more than doubling the previous season’s tally with six goals and 10 assists in 50 appearances in 2022/23.
Dimarco’s player traits compared to similar players in top 5 leagues
Dimarco brought his A-Game for the biggest occasions, opening the scoring in the Supercoppa Italiana Final vs. Milan and their Coppa Italia semifinal vs. Juventus (winning both competitions) and assisting against Barcelona, Viktoria Plzeň, Benfica and Milan in Inter’s run to the UEFA Champions League Final, where he very nearly equalised vs. Manchester City, only for his header to find the crossbar and his follow-up to find teammate Romelu Lukaku. He didn’t ruminate on that heartbreaking near-miss in Istanbul; instead, he focused on refining his attributes and helping Inter return to the apex of Italian football after three years, racking up six goals and eight assists in 40 appearances, followed by four goals and 11 assists in 52 appearances the following season.
Ultimately, however, he came away emptyhanded in 2024/25 as Inter lost to Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana Final and Coppa Italia semifinal and missed out on the Scudetto to Napoli on the final day. But the most crushing moment undoubtedly came on May 31, as Paris Saint-Germain’s rampant attack laid siege to Dimarco in the Champions League Final, forcing him into a number of careless blunders en route to a 5-0 demolition. Whilst millions across the world lauded PSG’s Nuno Mendes as the best left back in the sport, others turned their attention to his Inter counterpart and questioned: is Federico Dimarco any good?
Instead of wallowing in the misery of Munich, Dimarco has spent the past 10 months delivering the best football of his entire career under new manager Christian Chivu. With his right wingback partner Denzel Dumfries missing a considerable chunk of action with an ankle injury, Dimarco has stepped up in every single facet of the game. His crosses have gotten crispier, his tackles have gotten cleaner, his marking has gotten tighter, and his schoolboy errors have started to dwindle. While Dimarco has reached career-high tallies in both goals (seven) and assists (14), he’s also managed to shore the defensive side of his game: he’s making twice as many successful tackles per 90 as last season (1.2 vs. 0.57) and interceptions per 90 (1.09 vs. 0.57), and he’s also winning more possession (0.78 vs. 0.45) in the final third.
Dimarco’s defensive numbers in Serie A this season
“Dimarco has been the best player in the best team in Italy, and he’s bounced back from the 5-0 loss where many made him the main culprit, which shows incredible mental strength,” stated Swedish journalist Siavoush Fallahi. “He has a special left foot and can both curl it like David Beckham and hit the ball hard. He can shoot from distance and cross it, using both precision and power, and he puts it hard on the ground and precisely in the air. He’s very good in the build-up, his goal-scoring numbers are incredible for a wingback, and his defending has improved a lot these last few years. And whereas Inzaghi used to sub him out, he’s playing a lot more full 90s under Chivu.”
Dimarco’s passing numbers in Serie A this season
Other players would have shrivelled from the disappointment of losing on penalties to Bosnia & Herzegovina and missing out on a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But not Dimarco. Instead, he served up a sensational display at the San Siro, relentlessly winning the ball back in dangerous areas, testing Mile Svilar’s resolve with low, driven shots, and whipping in an array of gilt-edged crosses into the box as Inter thrashed Roma 5-2 on Sunday. He’ll be looking to build on his momentum against Como and Cagliari before hosting Como in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, having drawn the previous fixture 0-0.
Inter find themselves seven points clear in the Scudetto race with seven matches remaining, and perhaps no player has been more influential than Dimarco. He’s provided twice as many assists as any other player in Serie A, whilst only teammate Lautaro Martínez has as many goal contributions (20).
He’s created 29 big chances and 83 chances this season, putting him 13 above second-placed Charles De Ketelaere and Kenan Yıldız, whilst he’s also registering more Expected Assists (9.1) than anyone else.
Dimarco (7.8) is FotMob’s second-highest rated player in Serie A after Hakan Çalhanoğlu (7.82), and his eight Player of the Match awards sit atop the leaderboards alongside Mike Maignan. There can be no more doubt: Federico Dimarco is one of the best left backs in world football, and all signs point to him spearheading his boyhood club to at least one more trophy this spring.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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A little more than a year on from their last meeting, the French and English league champions go head-to-head once more – but while PSG are fancied for another European title, Liverpool are barely treading water enough to qualify for the competition next season.
Rewind the clock to the start of January 2025 and Paris Saint-Germain were top of Ligue 1, but only by seven points. They’d also stuttered in Europe in the first half of the campaign, sitting outside the top 24 with two to play – but mighty wins over Manchester City and Stuttgart sent them through and put Luis Enrique’s team into overdrive for the season run-in. By the time they hosted Liverpool in the last-16 first leg, their domestic lead had almost doubled and the front three in particular were in relentless form. Of course the quirk of that first leg is that PSG battered Liverpool but were denied by Alisson Becker – and lost the game late on. Still, a shootout saw them through back at Anfield and PSG went on to lift the European Cup, Ligue 1, and the Coupe de France, backing it all up with the Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and very nearly the Club World Cup in what was one of the great sprint finishes to a season in recent years.
This time they meet Liverpool one round further along, but there’s no doubt PSG eyes are on a similar prize haul: the league is a closer affair and they are only fourth favourites to retain the Champions League, but they retain the attacking quality to make the final two months of the campaign yet another memorable one.
Dutch courage
Meanwhile, Liverpool have floundered since last year’s exit. They wrapped up the Premier League title, true, but already form had stuttered and since going out at Anfield on penalties they’ve won just 50 per cent of their matches in all competitions across the last 13 months. Arne Slot is under huge pressure as fans vote with their feet, but add to the list under scrutiny captain Virgil van Dijk, among others, after a succession of poor games and soundbites the fans have no appetite to hear, about the squad giving up in defeat against rivals Manchester City.
Recent form
Five wins in six and seven in nine for PSG – the only side who have stopped them during that run was Monaco, twice. Liverpool have won just two in seven, against bottom club Wolves and last-round opponents Galatasaray. They’ve only won four away from home this year.
Team news
Bradley Barcola and Fabián Ruiz are the big misses for PSG while the visitors are without goalkeeper Alisson and right-back Conor Bradley – but striker Alexander Isak could return to the bench after well over three months out.
Key player
Giorgi Mamardashvili will likely need to repeat Alisson’s heroics of last year. He wasn’t at his best at the weekend as four flew past him and in four Champions League starts this term, the Georgian ranks in the bottom 13% for save percentage.
Prediction
If PSG’s visitors play anything like they did at the weekend, this tie will be over. Slot needs a huge response from his side just to make the second leg at Anfield a non-event: PSG 2-1 Liverpool.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Although the delays to Camp Nou’s renovations have cost Barcelona many millions in missed revenue, they’ve certainly made the most of their return to the big venue since its partial reopening in mid-November. The Blaugrana have won all 14 of their home matches since then, including the recent 7-2 thrashing of Newcastle United in the second leg of their last Champions League tie.
All in all, Barcelona have by far the best attack in LaLiga with 80 goals scored in 30 games, while they’re a close second behind Bayern Munich in the Champions League with 30 in 10.
Goals per match in the Champions League
Despite some key injury-enforced absences, the reigning Spanish champions should be quite confident of being able to score enough goals to win this tie.
Atleti have the keys to unlock Barcelona’s high line
The main concern for Barcelona, as is often the case, will come at the other end of the pitch. Atlético Madrid have put 14 goals past them in their eight meetings in Hansi Flick’s tenure, including a recent 4-0 home win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
Barcelona have a few absences to contend with for this tie, most notably including star forward Raphinha who suffered a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil. Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen are also out, while Marc Bernal is a doubt after going off injured on the weekend.Atlético have a couple of returnees for this match as Jan Oblak is expected to start after sitting out on the weekend, while Marc Pubill and Rodrigo Mendoza have also returned to training. Midfielder Pablo Barrios is out, while Johnny Cardoso and José María Giménez are both listed as doubtful.
Key players
Considering the high likelihood of Barcelona’s defensive line being breached, Joan García will have to be on his A game both in terms of sweeping and shot-stopping in order to limit and thwart Atleti’s chances. Pedri is always a crucial figure in midfield thanks to his exceptional on-ball quality and ability to control tempo, while Lamine Yamal will be a key attacking threat as ever.
Julián Alvarez has been the key attacking contributor for Atlético Madrid this season, with a particularly impressive record in the Champions League as he has registered 12 goal involvements in 11 appearances. Giuliano Simeone will have a dual role to play between his attacking threat and defensive work rate tracking back, while Jan Oblak will need to bring out the best of his shot-stopping ability as his goal is sure to come under fire.
Prediction
An open and at times end-to-end encounter is to be expected between these two sides, so something like a 2-2 draw may well be on the cards.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, physical metrics, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
