Neither club are in especially stellar form at the moment, with Chelsea having won just four Premier League games in 2025 so far and Spurs having won just three and both clubs having been eliminated early from both the EFL and FA Cups. Chelsea’s only recent wins have come against relegation fodder in the form of Leicester City and Southampton, while Spurs have failed to win any of their last three Premier League matches.
History
Chelsea have long had the upper hand in this fixture, with Spurs having won just two of their last sixteen meetings, going back more than six years. They’ve won more Premier League matches against Spurs – 36 – than any other team, while earlier this season Chelsea won 4-3 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Going back a little further, both sides have some degree of reason to be a little cheerful. Spurs won their last major trophy against Chelsea, the EFL Cup in 2008, and beat them in the 1967 FA Cup final. But the last time the two clubs met in a cup final, Chelsea beat Spurs 2-0 to win the 2015 EFL Cup.
The earlier meeting this season
Key players
Southampton aside, Chelsea haven’t scored more than a single goal in a Premier League match since the start of February. Enzo Maresca will, therefore, likely be pleased to see the return of Nicolas Jackson from injury. Jackson is Chelsea’s second highest goalscorer so far in the Premier League this season behind Cole Palmer with nine goals. But will Maresca throw him straight back in?
With the pressure starting to build on Ange Postecoglou, the Spurs manager needs big performances from his available big name players for this match. James Maddison scored the goal that finished off AZ in their recent Europa League last 16 match. Spurs will be needing his creativity in midfield if the Chelsea defence is to be unlocked.
Team News
Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson all returned to training for Chelsea during the international break, but Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu both remain sidelined. The injury situation is worse for Spurs, who will be missing Radu Drăgușin and Dejan Kulusevski, while Kevin Danso, Richarlison and Lucas Bergvall all remain doubtful, though could be due to return after their combined international and FA Cup break.
Prediction
Ange Postecoglou needs a result, and while Chelsea away is a bit of a nightmare fixture for Spurs – they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in seven years – another defeat would only continue to build the narrative that the manager will be on his way come the end of this season. Chelsea may still be patchy themselves, at times, but they have the necessary institutional arrogance to get through a game like this without too many worries. I’ll go for a comfortable 3-1 Chelsea win and the agony to continue to pile up for their London rivals.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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If you made a bullet-point list to describe yourself, how far would you get before you wrote down your football team? You might live and breathe it, travelling home and away. Perhaps you’re an exile and your club ties you to home. You could be a fan from afar, dreaming of seeing your team in the flesh.
What if it was taken from you? How would you cope? One minute it’s part of your identity and the next it’s in the past tense. This is the scenario that Reading fans are dreading.
“I’m terrified.” Ji-Min Lee, a Reading fan and fellow sports journalist tells me.
“Football is such a stabiliser in people’s lives. It’s that constant. You go to watch the games and it’s part of your routine. It helps you build relationships and friendships with people you will have gone and watched the football with for decades. It’s a bonding experience for parents and their kids. The thought of the club, that I’ve gone to watch since I was seven, not existing is terrifying.”
This isn’t hyperbole. I’ve lived this. I took my son to one single match before my own team, Bury FC, were expelled from the EFL in August 2019. For 125 years Bury were members of the Football League. Two-time FA Cup winners from a different era and north of Manchester’s footballing powerhouses, we would punch above our weight as part of the football family, until we weren’t.
When the EFL were unsatisfied that our owner had the funds to allow us to compete in League One, we were suspended and then expelled. 200 miles away and six years later, there is another club with its fans fretting over the nuclear option.
Reading have a deadline of Friday 4th of April to have a new owner in place. Thankfully, there are enough steps to mean expulsion is a way down the track. Even suspension would put the entire League One competition into disarray. All clubs know, however, that there is a brink. Bury went beyond it and Reading are the next club drifting towards its edge.
What’s gone wrong at Reading?
Reading weren’t always a crisis club. The John Madejski-owned side reached a record 106 points in the Championship back in 2006. Following that, their first ever top flight campaign ended with them in eighth place and although they were relegated the following season, by 2012 they were back in the Premier League. Having bought Reading out of receivership in 1990, built a new stadium and turned them into a sustainable football club, John Madejski sold up that May.
Five years later and on the eve of the Championship play-off final, Dai Yongge became the latest custodian of the side formed on Christmas Day, 1871. Reading would go on to lose on spot-kicks to Huddersfield Town at Wembley.
“We were two penalties away from the Premier League and we had this billionaire takeover. We were all very positive about it. We were almost there. The dream looked very much on, but sadly, since then, it’s been a downward spiral.”
Yongge has spent around £200m of his own money in his attempts to get Reading back to the big time. This isn’t the tale of an owner who didn’t have the cash. Ji-Min says Yongge, with no knowledge of football, leaned on the wrong people for advice. Poor player recruitment and overspending saw the club falling foul of the EFL’s Financial Fair Play rules and they were deducted six points in November 2021.
“We signed players for extortionate amounts of money, which killed the football club’s financial operations. Around 200% of what the club was bringing in was being spent on wages. It was completely unsustainable, and the proof is in the pudding now. He’s very much washed his hands of the football club and we’re very much a shell of what we once were”, concludes Ji-Min.
With limited investment, the club continued to stumble into points deductions and winding up orders and were relegated to the third tier, by the end of the 22/23 season.
Now, things have come to a head after it was revealed in court last week that Yongge, due to proceedings against him in his native China, has been disqualified as an owner under the EFL’s ownership regulations. Therefore, a deadline for him to divest is now in place.
What next for Reading?
Sell Before We Dai have been waving the red flags since their inception in June 2023. They’ve marched, dressed as clowns, halted matches with tennis balls and even forced an outright abandonment in their attempts to shed light on what’s been happening in Berkshire.
“We’ve never heard from Dai Yongge. He’s never spoken to the local or national press; he’s never even given an interview to club media. He’s the invisible man and that’s why so many fans are concerned about the club. We don’t know his intentions”, says campaigner and supporters trust board member, Adam Jones.
With Yongge disengaged, the group know that any boycott would achieve little and have changed tack for this weekend. There are at least two interested parties, including Casa Pia owner, Robert Platek. The American is in an exclusivity period to buy Reading and as a result, Sell Before We Dai are pulling out all the stops for Wycombe’s visit on Saturday to try for a capacity crowd.
“Filling the ground makes us a more attractive option for investors, and that’s a key reason why we’re going with this plan. The players deserve our backing and have pulled off some remarkable results this season. This is something we can do and definitely influence, controlling the controllables has been quite a rewarding experience.”
Defying the odds
On the pitch, somehow, the second-youngest squad in League One, full of academy graduates and ex-Premier League youngsters, are doing the business. It’s even more impressive given manager Ruben Selles left for Hull City in December, with ex-striker Noel Hunt keeping them on course for a tilt at a Championship return.
25-year-old Harvey Knibbs has excelled since his move from Cambridge and is flying in his second season with 15 goals across all competitions. Lewis Wing’s player trait chart speaks for itself. He has been the division’s outstanding player in the middle of the park.
Lewis Wing’s player traits
Without the money for overnight stays for away trips, unsurprisingly, their away performances place them 18th in the table. At their own place though, they’ve channelled all that uncertainty into a siege mentality, losing just three at home all season in League One.
Women’s team turmoil
Not all of Reading’s teams have been quite so lucky. Fran Kirby is Reading’s home-grown heroine. The Euros-winning Lioness may be Chelsea Women’s all-time leading scorer and regarded as one of the best footballers of her generation, but she came through the ranks at Reading from 2001 aged 8 to fire them into the WSL by 2015.
With no funds forthcoming Reading Women were forced to resign from the Women’s Championship, despite a 10th placed finish last season, dropping into the fifth tier.
“Last weekend, they lost 10-0 to Oxford City in the Southern Region Women’s Premier Division. I don’t think there’s any greater indictment of how drastic the demise has been at the club than that.”, says Ji-Min.
An entire generation has lost their pathway to senior football. The next Fran Kirby will not be turning out for Reading Women any time soon.
Whatever happens, stick together
What happened to Bury precipitated the formation of the UK government’s Football Governance Bill which is snaking its way through Parliament. Lessons should and have been learned. It means that Reading will be given every opportunity to be saved. Bury are now fan-owned and in division nine. Now, I don’t know where Lower Brek is, other than being three points behind us in the race for promotion from the North West Counties Football League. But we have a team, I get to take my children to Gigg Lane and that’s enough.
To Reading fans: whatever happens, it’s you that make the football club. So long as you’re together, you will still have a team to support somewhere, somehow.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Less than 24 hours after Kylian Mbappé had scored twice in Real Madrid’s 3-2 win over Leganés, Robert Lewandowski responded with a brace of his own. It’s been like this all season. While Lewandowski and Mbappé started the 2024/25 campaign with question marks against them for different reasons, both forwards can’t stop finding the net.
It’s an individual duel that is reminiscent of the peak Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo days when the pair dominated Spanish and European football. The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid was defined by the goalscoring exploits of the two best players in the world for years. They drove each other on.
Between 2010 and 2021, the Pichichi (the award handed to LaLiga’s top scorer every season) was shared exclusively between Messi and Ronaldo. Now, Lewandowski and Mbappé are the ones scoring goals for fun, certainly in the case of the former who remains one of his generation’s best finishers even at the age of 36.
Lewandowski’s shot map, LaLiga 2024/25
Lewandowski and Mbappé aren’t quite putting up peak Messi or Ronaldo numbers – it’s worth remembering Messi scored 60 goals in all competitions in the 2011/12 season while Ronaldo scored over 50 for three seasons in a row around the same time – but they are very much providing the cutting edge as this season’s Spanish title race comes to a head.
There’s just three points between Barca and Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga. Until recently, Atlético Madrid were also part of the title equation. A run of just three wins in 10 leagues match, however, has seen Diego Simeone’s team drop off the pace. It would take a monumental effort for Atleti to claw back a nine-point deficit at this stage.
LaLiga top scorers, 2024/25
And so the race between Spain’s top two could come down to goals – who can score the most. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are far stronger in the attack than they are at the back. They have made the bet that no matter how defensively vulnerable they are, Lewandowski and Mbappé will get them out of trouble.
As a strategy, it’s working out well for both. Lewandowski is currently leading the Pichichi pursuit with 25 goals in just 28 games. Impressively, the Polish striker is only slightly out-performing his Expected Goals (xG) of 24.0 for the season, suggesting he is converting at a sustainable rate. His goalscoring stands a good chance of continuing until the end of the season.
Mbappé’s xG for the season stands at 19.5 from which he has found the back of the net 22 times. There were questions over how Carlo Ancelotti would integrate the Frenchman into his forward line, but Mbappé has provided an emphatic answer time and time again. He is now Los Blancos’ main man in the final third.
Mbappé shot map, LaLiga 2024/25
“It’s difficult to compare different players,” said Ancelotti when asked if Mbappé could become one of Real Madrid’s best-ever players after matching Ronaldo’s tally of 22 goals in his first season at the club. “What I can hope for is that Mbappé can achieve what Cristiano Ronaldo achieved at Real Madrid. I think he has the possibility to do it. If he does that, he’ll be a legend at Real Madrid like Cristiano Ronaldo is.”
Of course, Mbappé and Ronaldo are very different players, as are Mbappé and Lewandowski. While the Frenchman likes to make cutting runs across the pitch from a starting position on the left, the Pole is more of a penalty box poacher. Either way, Lewandowski and Mbappé are perfect for their respective teams.
Barca are quite simply the most exhilarating team in Europe right now. Between Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Pedri and the rest, the Catalans boast an electric frontline. Hansi Flick has reinvigorated a team that had lost its way under Xavi Hernández. Barcelona play on the edge at times, but the results speak for themselves.
Real Madrid aren’t quite so clear in their identity, but have the talent to decide a match at any given moment. Mbappé has found his best form despite missing more Big Chances (22) than any other player in LaLiga this season. As good as 26-year-old has been in his first season in Spain, it’s scary to consider he could get even better as he grows more comfortable.
Ultimately, the finale of the 2024/25 campaign won’t be remembered for the player that lifts the Pichichi, but the team that clinches the title itself. That’s what really matters to Barcelona and Real Madrid. Nonetheless, Lewandowski and Mbappé are providing the firepower in the never-ending war between Spain’s two biggest clubs.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table is now down to single digits. Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday night means the Reds find themselves just nine points clear at the summit, albeit with a game in hand over their title rivals.
The Merseyside derby presents Arne Slot’s side with the opportunity to, once again, move 12 points clear with just eight games left to play.
Everton have already dented their neighbour’s title hopes this season. They’ll be hoping to repeat the trick at Anfield on Wednesday evening.
The last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park
Are the Liverpool wheels falling off?
Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League since September. They have the best home record in the English top flight with 11 wins from 14 matches and that sole defeat against Nottingham Forest. They’ve varied dominant showings with grinding out results when it matters. They’ve shown they have the resilience of champions.
Their healthy lead at the top should be enough to get them over the line and if they fail to lift the Premier League title in May, it will have been a dramatic decline never seen before.
All things point to the Reds claiming their 20th league title. But there’s something niggling away in the background.
The Reds lost back-to-back matches prior to the international break. Paris Saint-Germain, at Anfield, knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League on penalties. Newcastle United then ended a 70-year wait for a trophy by beating Slot’s men in the Carabao Cup final.
The last time Liverpool put in a performance of champions was back in February when they swept Newcastle aside at Anfield. The longer the poor performances last, the smaller their lead at the gap will become.
This is a big one for the Reds. Bigger than people realise.
Sticky Toffees
If you’re a glass half full type of person, you’ll say that Everton are unbeaten in six.
If you’re a glass half empty kind of person, you’ll point out the Toffees have just one win in their last six in the Premier League.
David Moyes’ side are draw specialists. They’ve drawn three of their last four 1-1. During this six game spell, they’ve also picked up two 2-2 draws – this includes the game against Liverpool at Goodison Park.
Everton have been difficult to beat. With a bit more quality in attack, a number of these draws would likely have been turned into wins. The Blues are without key attackers in Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye.
Here’s the thing though, they don’t need a win at Anfield. Everton are well clear of the dropzone – 17 points to be exact. They aren’t going to claim a European spot either. They have the luxury of just existing for the final nine matches and ruining the hopes and dreams of other teams, starting with Liverpool.
If they avoid defeat, they, once again, dent Liverpool’s title hopes. And that will be seen as a win by the blue half of Merseyside.
Mo Salah farewell tour continues
Latest reports seem to suggest Salah is interested in moving to Saudi Arabia when his contract expires at the end of the season.
If this is to be his last campaign in the English top-flight, he’s going out on a high.
He’s currently tied for the most goal involvements (44) in a 38-game season and there are still nine matches remaining. He’s just three goal involvements shy of the all-time Premier League record of 47 (recorded by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole back when it was a 42 game season).
The Liverpool No. 11 looks destined to shatter that record. He could also become the first player since Thierry Henry to record 20+ goals and 20+ assists in a single campaign. And he’s doing this at the age of 32 while his time at Anfield is supposedly winding down.
If this is to be his last Merseyside Derby, he’s going to want to go out on a high.
The battle of the injuries
Liverpool are without a host of defenders for this clash.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is still ruled out with an ankle injury. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are both missing with hamstring injuries, though the latter is back training but this game has, according to reports, come too soon for the Northern Ireland international.
Slot’s options are limited, so Jarell Quansah will likely operate as a makeshift right-back once again.
Everton, meanwhile, are without attackers. Calvert-Lewin, Ndiaye and McNeil will all miss out, meaning Moyes can’t exactly tinker with his final third options. Will he be able to put out an attack to trouble Liverpool’s weakened backline or will the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté be enough to nullify whatever Everton can put together?
Prediction
If Liverpool want to win the title, this is a game they have to win. They’re going to want to put in a good showing as a reaction to the disappointments prior to the international break, so we’re going with a 2-1 win for the hosts.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Sérgio Conceição has only been at AC Milan for three months, but there is already a sense that the 50-year-old is losing his grip of the job. The Rossoneri are struggling badly for consistent form and everyone associated with the San Siro club is under pressure.
Sunday’s defeat to Napoli exposed many of the issues being suffered by Conceição’s team. AC Milan are struggling to get the best out of their attack. Christian Pulisic was anonymous against Napoli. So too was João Félix.
Defensively, AC Milan were all over the place and struggled for any sort of structure or shape in transition. This is something Inter could lay bare such is the speed and directness they have in attack.
Inter have no such problems. Simone Inzaghi’s side are on a five-game winning run in all competitions. They are top of Serie A and are shaping to be Champions League contenders. The Nerazzurri are currently the dominant force in the rivalry.
A place in the Coppa Italia final is on the line and Wednesday’s first leg will set the tone for what could be a memorable tie.
AC Milan are unbeaten in the three previous derby games played
Key players
Conceição has a number of decisions to make with his lineup. Santiago Giménez came off the bench against Napoli to make an impact and could start ahead of Tammy Abraham.
Luka Jović is another who could be rotated into the team with Álex Jiménez a possible option at right back over Kyle Walker who has still to find his best form since making the January move to San Siro.
Pulisic could be a difference-maker for AC Milan. However, the USA international has recently been a shadow of the player he was in the first half of the season.
With Lautaro Martínez out through injury, it will be on Marcus Thuram to lead the line for Inter in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final. The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in all competitions this season.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek underwent appendix surgery over the weekend and will miss Wednesday’s derby encounter while Emerson Royal is still sidelined with an injury.
Yunus Musah missed Sunday’s league match against Napoli through suspension and is available again to face Inter in the Coppa Italia. The American could come into the midfield unit to provide some energy.
Martínez suffered a hamstring string on international duty with Argentina. In his absence, Inzaghi faces a choice between Joaquin Correa, and Marko Arnautović alongside Thuram with Mehdi Taremi struggling with illness.
Prediction
For all their struggles this season, AC Milan have been able to step it up in the derby games against their city rivals, so we expect a cagey encounter in this first leg. Late goals have also been a feature in both league matches this season, plus their meeting in the Super Cup. With that said, Simone Inzaghi’s side have been in brilliant form recently, so we’ll settle on a narrow ‘away’ win: AC Milan 1-2 Inter.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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This season hasn’t been what Manchester City wanted it to be, but Pep Guardiola’s team are at least trying to salvage something after making the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.
City’s comeback win away to Bournemouth showed there is still life left in the Etihad Stadium outfit and victory over Leicester City on Wednesday night would boost their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester could hardly be in any worse form than they are right now. The Foxes have lost their last six league games in-a-row and have failed to score a single goal over the course of that run.
If Leicester can play on the counter-attack and use their speed in the final third, they could cause Manchester City issues. Guardiola’s high line will give the visitors something to target. Otherwise, City will likely stroll to three points.
Key players
Omar Marmoush will almost certainly lead the line for Manchester City after the injury suffered by Erling Haaland in the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth. The Egyptian is most effective as a second striker, but Guardiola doesn’t have many other options in the number nine position.
Nico O’Reilly made a strong case to start against Leicester after changing the game against the Cherries off the bench. The teenager could start at left back with Matheus Nunes potentially at risk of losing his spot.
With Leicester expected to sit deep and play on the break, it will be on City to find ways to break them down. This will place a creative onus on Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden. Jérémy Doku and Savinho could provide dynamism and directness on the wings.
Leicester City have the second worst goalscoring record in the division
Jamie Vardy is past his peak, but the 38-year-old will still be Leicester’s most potent threat, particularly if Leicester are able to play through the Manchester City press at speed.
Mads Hermansen will face a busy evening at the Etihad Stadium, as will the defensive line of Conor Coady, Wout Faes and Luke Thomas in front of him. Leicester will bend, but can they stop themselves from breaking?
Team news
While Manchester City have yet to reveal the true extent of Haaland’s knee injury, he will miss the home fixture against Leicester. The fear for City is that this will be the start of a prolonged absence for the Norwegian striker.
Rodri is still sidelined, although there has been some speculation that the Spanish midfielder could return from injury before the end of the season. Nonetheless, Wednesday’s match will come too soon for him.
Abdul Fatawu is a long-term absentee for Leicester, with Ricardo Pereira another player who has recently missed matches through injury. The full back will be assessed before the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
Odsonne Édouard hasn’t featured much for the Foxes lately while Harry Souttar is still sidelined through with an injury.
Prediction
While Leicester might not snap their current string of defeats, we do think the Foxes have got a good chance of at least ending their barren run in front of goal. But with Man City’s creative players beginning to find their stride again, City will find a way to break down the visitors to the Etihad: Man City 3-1 Leicester.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The Copa del Rey first leg between Barcelona and Atletico was one of the games of the season, ending 4-4 at the Estadi de Montjuïc thanks to a late equaliser from Alexander Sørloth. Its winner take all and a place in the final up for grabs in the second leg on Wednesday.
Hansi Flick’s side will be hoping their legs aren’t too tired just yet as their hectic few weeks continue, while Atlético, with just one win in their last five games across all competitions, need to put their recent hiccup behind them.
Shot map and xG for that epic first leg
Barca left to sweat over Raphinha
Speaking of tired legs, Raphinha asked not to feature in Barca’s 4-1 La Liga win over Girona just a few days ago, saying he wasn’t feeling 100% fit having flown in from Brazil around 72 hours earlier.
You can’t blame him really, that’s a hell of a trip, especially when you just got battered 4-1 by Argentina. It didn’t matter, whoever Flick plays up front they can’t seem to stop scoring, going three points clear of Real Madrid thanks to the win over Girona.
Flick refused to say whether the red-hot winger would feature against Atlético, though he will doubtless want him to. With 27 goals and 18 assists in his 42 games across all competitions, he’s gone from unwanted to a genuine Ballon d’Or candidate.
The current situation back in LaLiga
Antoine Griezmann is a certified LaLiga legend
The Frenchman broke one of Lionel Messi’s many LaLiga records in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Espanyol, becoming the Spanish top flight’s most capped foreign player with an almost ridiculous 521 appearances.
Of course, not all of those came for Atlético, he featured for Real Sociedad and Barcelona too, but his best days have come in those famous red and white stripes, in fact, he scored in the first-leg.
He’s out of contract at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether his story in Spain will continue, especially with several MLS side reportedly circling. The Copa del Rey may be his last chance to win another trophy with Atlético, he just needs to get past Barcelona first.
Robert Lewandowski simply doesn’t age
There aren’t many 36-year-olds who could do what Lewandowski is doing at the moment. A brace in the 4-1 win over Girona marked his 35th and 36th goals in 42 appearances and sent him three clear of Kylian Mbappé, who is a whole decade his junior, in the race for the golden boot.
At a time when Barcelona have had transfer flop after transfer flop, bringing the legendary Polish forward in from Bayern Munich may just be their best piece of business of the past five years.
He’s got another year on his contract at Camp Nou, and he doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. Top quality forwards are hard to come by nowadays; Barca are lucky to have a man like Lewandowski on their books.
Lewandowski’s shot map in LaLiga, 2024/25
Julián Alvarez loves the Copa del Rey
The Argentinian has been kinda hit and miss in the league for Atlético this season, but in cup competitions he’s flourished, two-touch penalty (depending on who you ask) in the defeat to rivals Real Madrid aside.
Alvarez is the top scorer in this season’s Copa del Rey, bagging five goals in his six appearances. He also has the most goal contributions as a whole, providing two assists on top of his goals.
He’s not quite the main man at the Metropolitano, but he’s not far off. Dragging Atlético to their first piece of silverware since 2020-21 will go a long way to silencing some of the doubters.
Copa del Rey top scorers
Prediction
Don’t expect to see another 4-4 in this one. Atlético have been poor, but Barca’s priorities lie elsewhere. We’re going to go with a 2-1 win for Diego Simeone’s side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Heading into April, it’s do-or-die time for clubs as they look to sign off the season with silverware. For Real Sociedad, Tuesday night is a huge opportunity. For Real Madrid, it’s step two of a possible quadruple this season.
With the Uefa Super Cup already in the bag, Real Madrid lost out on a chance to make it two trophies from two with the Spanish Supercopa over the winter. However, they are in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, the quarter-finals of the Champions League and in the top two of LaLiga, it can still be a massive and historic season for Los Blancos if they keep momentum and stay fortunate with fitness.
With so many games still to play it hasn’t been a surprise to see Carlo Ancelotti shuffle his pack a little – Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo were all used off the bench at the weekend. Following this match though it’s Valencia and Arsenal coming up so chances to rest or rotate further might become more sparse – but in the cup there’s no margin for error.
A reminder of how we stand after the first leg of this semifinal
All or nothing for La Real
While Madrid are chasing everything, Real Sociedad have let their season drift and this is last-chance saloon for it to be a worthwhile one – or to play in Europe next term. A six-match winless streak was at least ended at the weekend but La Real are out of the Europa League and lost the first leg of this tie 1-0 at home a month ago. Sat in tenth in the league, they must go all-in to cause a huge shock here or else their campaign effectively ends in early April.
Recent form
Five wins in a row for Madrid, and one “home team” defeat since 5 November – but even that was actually a neutral venue used to host the Supercup final against Barcelona. The only teams La Real have beaten away from home in 2025 are Ponferradina in the cup and Midtjylland in Europe. This will be tough.
Team news
Three long-term injuries and two doubts for Real Madrid. Dani Ceballos probably won’t play anyway, but Thibaut Courtois could in theory be pushed if he’s deemed close enough, given it’s a semi-final. However since Andrii Lunin has played in the Copa so far it would be a surprise to see any risks taken in goal.
Real Madrid don’t have to go all guns blazing here and can bide their time, which means Antonio Rüdiger keeping the ship steady will be priority number one at the back while the attackers await their moment to pounce. The German doesn’t necessarily win a whole lot of his duels (2.8 per 90 on the ground and only 57% of his aerials) so he may need an improvement on the night there, but it’s really his recovery running and organisation of others where Los Blancos benefit most.
Prediction
Home advantage and a first-leg lead skews the tie hugely in Real Madrid’s favour and Los Blancos are unlikely to let this moment slip. Real Madrid 2-1 Real Sociedad (3-1 agg).
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Both Nottingham Forest and Manchester United go into their meeting at The City Ground in decent form. United are four games unbeaten in the Premier League and through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while Forest have taken seven points from their nine and got through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1991 at Brighton last weekend.
H2H History
In January 1990, Alex Ferguson famously went to The City Ground in the FA Cup needing a win to stay in his job. He got it, and the rest of that story writes itself. Things aren’t quite that bad for Ruben Amorim. Not yet.
More recently, Forest have won two of their last three against Manchester United and beat them 3-2 at Old Trafford last September. But United did win on their last trip to The City Ground, in the FA Cup Fifth Round last February, and it is also worth remembering that prior to these last three games United had won the last eleven in a row, a record stretching back to 1995/96.
Key players
What an evening it would be for Anthony Elanga to show United what they gave away. They sold him to Forest for £15m in the summer of 2023. Since then, Elanga has made 65 Premier League appearances for Forest, scoring ten goals, and managed a hat-trick of assists in Forest’s recent 7-0 demolition of Brighton.
Whichever way you cut it, Manchester United continue to be heavily dependent on their captain, Bruno Fernandes. His hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the Europa League made it five goals in his last three games in all competitions, while he has three goals and three assists in his last five Premier League matches.
Team News
Manchester United’s early FA Cup elimination gave them a break, and Amorim can welcome back Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Altay Bayındır and Tom Heaton. Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu has now served his suspension, but Lisandro Martínez, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans will all be absent.
Nuno Espírito Santo has a couple of significant doubts. Chris Wood ran into problems with his hip while on international duty with New Zealand, and is a major doubt for this fixture. And there was a fresh worry on Saturday, when Morgan Gibbs-White collided with a goalpost at Brighton. He’ll be in need of assessment before starting.
Prediction
This match does feel like something of a summit. Forest are where United may feel they should be, and with both teams in decent form this does have the vibe of a pretender to the throne staking their claim. But we should believe the evidence of our own eyes. Forest are A Good Football Team, and winning this fixture would be confirmation of what we already know. I’ll go 3-2, though in the full knowledge that anything could happen tonight.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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