A big derby clash in LaLiga is always an enjoyable affair but there’s more at stake than usual with Real Madrid chasing a title and Atlético Madrid starting a defining run of five fixtures where they face Real or Barcelona four times.
For Real Madrid there’s nothing unusual about the run-in which starts here: they want to win the Champions League and the Spanish title, they are in the hunt for both and the push for silverware is utterly expected. What’s different is the manager, with Álvaro Arbeloa fewer than 20 games into his senior side managerial career, and the fact that they are not considered favourites for either competition as things stand. To catch Barcelona in LaLiga they’ll need an upturn in consistency, especially at home where they have suffered two defeats this term – but there’s a four-point gap and ten to play, so it’s far from insurmountable.
Simeone caught between ideals?
Atleti were the posterboys for rock solid defences under Diego Simeone during the prime era of Gabi, Koke, Diego Godin and Diego Costa. Koke remains, but the side is very different now, trying to be more expansive but not quite hitting the elite heights of some other teams in attack while also not being as tough to break down as their former selves. There’s little between Atleti and Real these days in defensive terms, with los rojiblancos seeing an xG against them of 30.5 to Real’s 30.8, conceding 25 to Real’s 24 and keeping 12 clean sheets to Real’s 11.
This really shows up as fixture where Atlético have to outperform themselves by a wide margin in the attacking third if they want to complete a league double over their local rivals this term – as they did earlier in the campaign by stomping Real 5-2.
Recent form
Real have won four in a row including two wins over Manchester City recently, while it’s nine wins from ten at home in all competitions. Atlético lost in midweek to Tottenham but won on aggregate, with six victories in their last eight all told – but only three wins in their last ten on the road.
Neither side will have their first choice keeper, with Thibaut Courtois ruled out for Real and Jan Oblak a huge miss for Atlético. Matteo Ruggeri could miss out too.
Key player
It’s tough to second guess Simeone at times but Julián Alvarez must surely play – he’s key to any hopes for Atlético to shock their rivals. Relentless and talented but super creative too; Alvarez is LaLiga’s best forward for expected assists, creates 2.3 chances and 1.3 accurate crosses per 90 minutes. In Europe over the past year, he’s ahead of 99% of all forwards for chances created too – yet he last completed a league 90 minutes on 25 January. Simeone loves to sub him.
Alvarez’s player traits comparison with other strikers in Top 5 Leagues
Prediction
Home form will be telling for Los Blancos in the title fight and this one has to start by being three points: Real Madrid 3-1 Atlético Madrid.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The stakes could hardly be any higher for Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest ahead of Sunday’s encounter. Their status as a Premier League club could be on the line.
One point is all that separates the two teams in the table with Spurs and Forest perched precariously above the relegation zone. Depending on how West Ham fare against Aston Villa, either side could end the weekend in the bottom three.
The relegation battle – prior to Saturday’s games
Spurs have reason for optimism after Wednesday’s encouraging showing against Atlético Madrid. While Igor Tudor’s team exited the Champions League, their 3-2 win lifted the mood around the North London club. It might prove to be a turning point.
Forest also found encouragement on the continent during the week, overturning a 1-0 deficit to beat FC Midtjylland on penalties and make the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Tottenham are without a win in their last 12 league outings while Forest are winless in their last seven league games. Sunday’s meeting is a massive match for all concerned. Survival is at stake.
Key players
Xavi Simons produced his best performance as a Spurs shirt against Atlético Madrid, scoring twice and giving Tudor the sort of creative spark he has linked since taking over as the club’s interim manager.
Mathys Tel was also impressive in the Champions League and so Tudor could hand the Frenchman a starting role against Nottingham Forest while Randal Kolo Muani may keep his place as Tottenham’s number nine.
Archie Gray caught the eye against Atleti and could be deployed in central midfield again to get Tottenham on the front-foot. Gray was exceptional at winning the ball in the middle of the pitch in the Champions League. His energy could be useful against Forest.
On their day, Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven are two of the best centre backs in the Premier League. Those days, however, have been too few and far between this season.
Morgan Gibbs-White came close to joining Spurs last summer and is pushing Nottingham Forest away from relegation danger more than any other player, scoring eight times in the league this season.
Box-to-box midfielder Elliot Anderson will be the driving force for the visiting team through the centre of the pitch. Only Omari Hutchison has created more Big Chances than the England international has for Forest this season.
Team news
While Tottenham’s injury woes have eased in recent weeks, Tudor is still without a number of important players for the visit of Nottingham Forest to North London this weekend.
It’s been a calamitous season for both clubs but we suspect the relegation picture will be no clearer following a result here that helps neither side: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Nottingham Forest.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Are Arsenal about to pick up the first leg of a 2025-26 quadruple? Manchester City might have something to say about that in this weekend’s Carabao Cup final.
Arsenal look serene, while Manchester City are having an uncharacteristic wobble
It might have been a chastening week in the Champions League for English clubs, but it wasn’t for Arsenal. A comfortable 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen saw them through to the quarter-finals of the competition to round off a satisfying few days for the Gunners, on top of the previous weekend’s results allowing them to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League still further, to nine points (albeit City have a game in hand).
Manchester City, meanwhile, have continued to wobble. A 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in their Champions League midweek match completed a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate win for Los Madridistas, and they’ve only won one game in five since the start of March, a figure all the more surprising because by this point of the season they’re usually into a relentless rhythm of winning which has, in the past, seen them pick up shedloads of silverware.
Arsenal are unbeaten in six vs City, but their League Cup final record is terrible
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six games against Manchester City in all competitions, going back to the start of the 2023/24 season. The two clubs still have to play each other at the The Etihad, and their meeting earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw.
Yet Arsenal’s recent record in the Carabao Cup isn’t good. They’ve won it twice, in 1987 and 1993, but they’ve lost the final six times, to Leeds United in 1968, Swindon Town in 1969, Luton Town in 1988, Chelsea in 2007, Birmingham City in 2011, and Manchester City themselves in 2018.
Manchester City’s record is far better. They’ve won it eight times in total; in 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and they’ve only lost the final once, to Wolverhampton Wanderers way back in 1974.
Declan Rice could tip the balance in favour of the Gunners
When looking at the players most likely to win matches for Arsenal this season, it’s difficult to look much further than Declan Rice, who could be on his way to lifting his first piece of silverware since West Ham’s Europa Conference League win in 2023. Rice’s consistently excellent performances for Arsenal this season may just have been the most fundamental difference between them and the rest of the Premier League.
Erling Haaland hasn’t looked like quite as much of a cheat mode in the Premier League season as he has in previous years. He’s still the top goalscorer on 22 in all competitions, but that’s only three ahead of Igor Thiago, and he’s been doing his business for Brentford. His goal against Real Madrid in midweek was his first in five games, and only his fifth in 2026, in all competitions.
Arsenal face late tests for three, but City should be more or less at full strength
Arsenal are definitely missing Mikel Merino, who’s out for the season, while there are question marks surrounding Eberechi Eze, Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber. Eze limped off against Bayer Leverkusen and will likely be subject to a late test, while the same will be the case for the other two, with Timber having picked up an ankle injury against Everton which kept him out of the Leverkusen match and Ødegaard having not played since their North London Derby win against Spurs last month.
Manchester City are relatively light on the injuries front. Joško Gvardiol will be out for the rest of the season, while Marc Guéhi is cup-tied, having played for Crystal Palace in the competition earlier in the season.
Arsenal’s form and quality leave no reason to predict anything but for them to win
If Arsenal are to win this quadruple, this is the day that they have to start. The good news for them on this front is that they couldn’t really be going into it in a much better state of mind, having pulled clear at the top of the Premier League and with their place in the Champions League assured. It’s fair to say that their record in this competition isn’t particularly good, but it’s equally fair to say that this Arsenal team isn’t the same as they’ve had before.
Having dropped four points from what should have been eminently winnable games against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, and with their elimination from the Champions League having been achieved with some degree of comfort by Real Madrid, the same cannot be said for Manchester City at the moment. Something just hasn’t clicked at The Etihad this season, in the same way that has become so familiar in recent years.
But their record in this competition is good – although it’s been five years since they last reached a final – and one-off matches can see form books go out the window. City’s experience in these finals might prove an effective counterbalance to Arsenal’s squad being stronger on paper.
On this occasion, though, the head says Arsenal. They’re the better team at the moment, and they’re in considerably better form than their opponents. 2-1 to the Arsenal has got a bit of a ring to it.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Hansi Flick’s side also have the advantage of playing before rivals Real Madrid, which means a victory will see them stretch their advantage at the top to seven points.
Barcelona peaking at precisely the right time
The Spanish title race has been topsy-turvy this season, no doubt about that. At one stage, Real Madrid led the way as Barcelona lost two and drew one of their opening ten matches.
Since then, however, the Catalan outfit have won 16 of the next 18 league matches to overtake their rivals and edge towards yet another LaLiga title.
Loses to Real Sociedad and Girona have been the only blemishes this year, with the club scoring 26 goals across just ten games in 2026.
The top of the table prior to Saturday’s games
Hansi Flick wont just be determined to defend the league trophy either, especially given Barcelona’s recent demolition of Newcastle in the Champions League.
An 8-3 aggregate thrashing of the Magpies sets up a quarter-final clash against Atlético Madrid. With Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Fermín López all in superb form, plus the fact Robert Lewandowski looked back to his best in midweek, Flick has plenty of options at his disposal in a quest to win the double.
Rayo Vallecano eyeing an upset
Earlier this season, Fran Pérez scored an equaliser against Barcelona which secured a point for Rayo and they will be hoping for something similar on Sunday.
Rayo enjoyed their own European success in midweek, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Turkish side Samsunspor to move into the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
Rayo’s leading scorers in LaLiga
That result marked just the second time the club have reached the quarter-final stage of a European competition and this should give them confidence heading into the Barcelona clash.
Flick will need to be wary of the threat posed by wingers Álvaro García and Jorge de Frutos, who have each scored 12 goals this season (all comps).
The club haven’t lost in LaLiga since February 1, winning two and drawing four of their last six domestic games, including a 3-0 win over Atlético.
On a more positive note, both Joan García and Eric García should be ready to feature, despite going off against Newcastle.
Diego Méndez is the only injury absentee for the away side this weekend. Elsewhere, Nobel Mendy is suspended and will therefore be unavailable.
Prediction
Rayo showed their mettle when the two clubs met back in August, but Barcelona have been operating on a different level since then.
Buoyed by making it into the Champions League quarter-finals, the home side should seal three point comfortably on Sunday. They must be wary of complacency, however, especially considering the goalscoring threat of both García and De Fruto for Rayo.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Everton host Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday evening, as the Toffees look to take advantage of Liam Rosenior’s side’s recent struggles.
Chelsea secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton the last time the two sides met earlier in the season under Enzo Maresca, ending a winless run to defeat the Merseyside club.
Everton have lost just once in their previous eight home games against Chelsea, winning five of those meetings.
Team news
Once again, Everton will be without Jack Grealish and Charly Alcaraz due to injury, while Tyrique George will be unable to face his parent club, having signed on loan from Chelsea in the January window.
David Moyes confirmed that Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski could both return after missing the game against Arsenal last time out, but he failed to report any fresh injury concerns.
Chelsea suffered another injury blow in their previous game, with Trevoh Chalobah stretchered off, meaning he misses out this weekend.
Everton have conceded just 1.2 goals per game in the Premier League this season, a figure only bettered by Manchester City and Arsenal. Finding the back of the net at the other end of the pitch has been their Achilles’ heel, and they find themselves sitting in eighth place in the Premier League table thanks to their resolute defence.
The Merseyside club will have to improve their home record if they want to qualify for Europe, however, winning just five times on their own turf in the league this term, and securing more victories on the road.
Chelsea devoid of confidence
After a strong start to Rosenior’s tenure, Chelsea have taken a few steps back in recent weeks. The Blues have lost their last three games in all competitions, suffering a hammering 8-2 defeat on aggregate against PSG in the Champions League.
Chelsea need to get back on track as soon as possible if they want to rescue their chances of finishing in the top four. Rosenior’s men sit three points off of fourth heading into the weekend, and they’ll have to put a stop to their disappointing run away at Everton.
Dewsbury-Hall to haunt his former club
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left Chelsea for Everton in the previous summer transfer window, and it’s a decision he won’t regret. The English midfielder already has nine goals and assists combined for the Toffees, while he struggled for game time during his spell at Stamford Bridge.
Dewsbury-Hall will be out to prove a point against his former club, especially after he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half when the two sides met earlier in the season. This game will mean more to him than most, and he could be the one to watch in this clash.
Prediction
Given Chelsea’s injuries and their record away at Everton, we’re going for a 1-0 home win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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A win for Liverpool on Saturday afternoon would, momentarily at least, lift them into fourth spot in the Premier League. A win for Brighton, however, could see the Seagulls leapfrog four teams and move into eighth position. There’s still an outside chance they claim a European place this season.
Liverpool kicked off the campaign in good form, winning five from five and this was before the new-look attack had clicked. Retaining their Premier League crown appeared to be a formality. And then the wheels fell off.
Since then, it’s been a case of being consistently inconsistent. A good performance here and there turned out to be nothing but false dawns. The Reds, now too scared to lose, set up in a way to make the game as boring as possible. The result? A lot more draws than you probably expected.
Despite their inconsistent results, Arne Slot’s side are still well placed to claim a top five finish. But, at some point, they’re going to need to put together a few wins to guarantee this.
Saturday presents them with a good opportunity to get a win on the board before the international break. Brighton also happen to be consistently inconsistent. It’s why they find themselves in 12th position. They’re fifth in the form table right now, though, with three wins and two defeats in their last five outings. Only Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have taken more points across this period.
Before this turnaround, the Seagulls had a winless run of five in the English top-flight. See, consistently inconsistent.
They’ve lost twice to Liverpool already this season, 2-0 in the Premier League and 3-0 in the FA Cup. However, in both instances, Fabian Hürzeler’s side deserved better. At Anfield in December, the visitors actually finished with a higher xG haul while in the FA Cup loss, it felt more like a 2-1 defeat than a 3-0 one.
Brighton are due some luck against Liverpool. Perhaps they cash in on Saturday.
Recent H2H results
Key Players
For the hosts, all eyes will be on Yankuba Minteh. He scored the winner against Sunderland last time out and could be up against Joe Gomez this weekend. He’ll fancy his chances against the versatile defender. He’ll also want to impress Liverpool with the Reds reportedly keen on him as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah.
For the Reds, and with Salah now injured after impressing against Galatasaray in the Champions League in mi-week, the focus will be on Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman also scored in that game but will be looking to break a three-game goalless streak back in England’s top flight.
Team News
Liverpool are still without the services of Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak. Salah was subbed off after 74 minutes on Wednesday and Slot said they’d have to see how the No.11 is, and consequently ruled out his involvement.
Brighton, meanwhile, are without Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas. There are doubts over whether or not Karou Mitoma will be fit for the visit of the champions. The Seagulls will be hopeful of his availability as he has a good record against the Reds.
Prediction
We’re going with a narrow 2-1 win for the away side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The 2025 World Happiness Report has Denmark as the third happiest country on the planet. If they speak to FC København fans this year, they’ll probably fall ten places. Some of the best healthcare, education, and social programs around don’t mean much when your club is in crisis.
At a time in which we live through unprecedented events seemingly every day, it’s been a miserable 2025/26 for Denmark’s most successful and richest club. For the first time in their history, FC København are in the Superligaen’s relegation phase (and they’re not even top of that!).
This was unimaginable just seven/eight months ago. Jacob Neestrup had just led København to a record extending 16th league title, qualifying for the Champions League league phase, in which they earned respectable draws against Napoli and Bayern Leverkusen.
FCK’s current league position
Now, they look bereft of ideas, and in danger of losing their identity. Many of the numbers point to a side that dominates games – they average 54.4% possession, have the third highest xG (40.8), and have the most touches in the opposition area (747).
So, why isn’t this translating to points on the board? Danish football expert Sebastian Stanbury told FotMob, “I am not sure anybody knows. You can still see what København want to do. There is still structure in their performances.
“But when they dominate matches – as they have done a couple of times in 2026 – they don’t create big enough chances, and if they do they squander them. And in every match they collapse towards the end.”
“FC København have conceded 10 goals in their last five league games, with the goals coming on ’85, ’72, ’80, ’45, ’46, ’17, ’90, ’79 and ’87 minutes.”
That implies a worrying level of mental fragility. Looking at their recruitment last summer, perhaps they tried to change too much too quickly. As it turns out, letting leaders like Rasmus Falk, Kevin Diks, and Lukas Lerager leave, along with Nicolai Boilesen’s retirement has certainly had a negative effect.
All of those players are on the older side, so, again, it’s easy to see what they were trying to do, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The loss of midfielder Victor Froholdt to Porto for €20 million was justified even if Neestrup was against it, they just needed to make sure they replaced him.
“They didn’t bring in enough players, and the ones they did buy, have not been good enough. Froholdt was a revelation last year, the best player in the league, and he was sold – against the wishes of his coach and many others at the club,” said Stanbury.
“Neestrup wanted a replacement, and when another central midfielder, Magnus Mattsson, injured his knee and they qualified for the Champions League, Neestrup wanted two.”
“He only got one central midfielder, Mads Emil Madsen from AGF in Aarhus, and he hasn’t exactly reached the heights København hoped for. Ironically his former team AGF is now fighting to win the league.”
The signing of Football Manager favourite Youssoufa Moukoko garnered a lot of attention. Could he finally live up to the hype? Well, so far, with three goals in his 19 Superligaen games, simply isn’t good enough.
“The former Dortmund wunderkind was seen as a steal, but it turns out there was a reason a Danish club could get him. He has a problematic first touch and wastes too many chances even though he has scored some goals,” Stanbury told us.
It’s not all doom and gloom, Junnosuke Suzuki, signed from Japanese side Shonan Bellmare has impressed. He’s an impressive ball carrier for a centre back, completing nine dribbles, winning 69 duels, and having 33 touches in the opposition box. Perfect for a back three system.
“Suzuki has been a star signing and will soon play in a much better league than the Danish,” said Stanbury, and we agree, it feels like just a matter of time before a side in a top five league comes sniffing.
On the pitch issues can be fixed, it may take a little time, and a few million Euros, but uninterested owners? That’s a little trickier. Fans are not happy with the club’s leadership, and they’ve voiced that in the stands and beyond.
“The board hasn’t helped. FC København’s majority owners are not interested in football. Not at all. They judge every decision based on finances,” said Stanbury. “The club has the biggest budget in Denmark and have spent a lot of money. But the feeling is that more needs to be spent. FCK’s training ground is not good enough when compared to the best in Denmark.”
In January, the club even received a warning from the Danish Working Environment Authority to improve conditions at their training facility when mould was found in the ceiling, which was so bad it posed a health risk for the employees.
Neestrup has a mountain to climb. The former player who returned to Copenhagen to win two league titles no longer looks like the man to take the club forward, even if the issues aren’t entirely his fault.
Injuries haven’t helped, two ACL injuries for Mattsson and Rodrigo Huescas is absolutely rotten luck, while striker Andreas Cornelius has not been available on a consistent enough basis to make a difference.
There has been the odd individual error too. Goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski received threats from ‘fans’ following his performance in their 3-2 Champions League win over Kairat Almaty when Dastan Satpaev dispossessed him and went on to score into an open net.
“I think he [Neestrup] will leave in the summer. But København have qualified for the cup final and that might have saved his job right now. Also, he has a long contract. It will be expensive to let him go.”
We don’t want to end this on a sour note, though. FC København are a club with a reputation for bringing through remarkable talents, and 17-year-old striker Viktor Dadason may well be the next.
He has seven goals in his 21 games across all competitions, and although none of them have come in the league, his performances in the Champions League have been nothing short of fantastic.
“Dadason has been a breath of fresh air, especially in the Champions League, but Andreas Cornelius’ many injuries and lack of competition for the number 9 spot meant that too much responsibility was put on him way too soon.
“He has been left out of the squad for the last couple of matches because he was close to invisible in the Superliga this spring and needed a break. But he is still only 17 years old and will bounce back. I really like his composure in front of goal. It is remarkable for such a young striker,” Stanbury told us.
The reality is, a club can be too big to fail. FC København aren’t having a good season, in fact it’s a terrible one, but it won’t last. This is an outlier, an anomaly, and 2026/27 will be a new chapter. Expect them to come out swinging.
(Images from IMAGO)
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As a safe pair of hands, Michael Carrick has been the antidote to everything Manchester United suffered from under Ruben Amorim. He has simplified things. Players are being used in their natural positions. The former midfielder has helped to put United’s season back on track with Champions League qualification now likely.
Initially hired to keep the seat warm until Manchester United could make a permanent appointment this summer, Carrick must be taken seriously as a candidate in his own right. If the 44-year-old has fixed many of the Old Trafford outfit’s problems, why would they risk breaking everything again by hiring someone else?
There’s no doubt many of the names linked with the United job have better managerial records than Carrick. Julian Nagelsmann, for example, is a Bundesliga-winning coach. He could be a World Cup-winning coach by the time he finishes his stint as Germany national team boss this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino has managed some of the biggest clubs, and best players, in the world. The Argentine is another candidate who could be available after the 2026 World Cup with Pochettino currently in charge of the USA national team. There’s good reason to believe he would be successful at Old Trafford.
Nothing is certain, though. Amorim was widely considered one of the best young coaches in Europe before he took the Manchester United job. In one of the sport’s most demanding environments, though, he floundered. Is the C.V of a prospective manager worth more than the actual evidence of being a good fit for the job Carrick is currently providing?
Carrick has managed Manchester United like he played for them. He hasn’t complicated matters. Carrick has untangled the convoluted dogmatism of the Amorim era, adopting an uncomplicated 4-2-3-1 formation that appears to suit the group of players he inherited from his predecessor.
Several of United’s squad have found new levels in their individual performances, highlighting Carrick’s man-management skills. Is anyone in the Premier League playing better football than Bruno Fernandes is at this moment in time? Now operating in his favoured number 10 role again, the 31-year-old is a formidable creative force.
Under Amorim, Benjamin Šeško struggled for any sort of consistency. With Carrick at the helm, though, the £74m striker has scored five goals in his last seven games including winners against Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace. His goals have been worth seven points on their own.
Šeško’s shot map in the Premier League this season
Casemiro has looked more like the Casemiro of old while Kobbie Mainoo has been reintegrated after Amorim froze him out of the first team. Mainoo still has flaws to his game, but his mobility and willingness to rotate possession has given Manchester United some much-needed connective tissue in the centre of the pitch. His return has also been timely for his career, given he has just received a recall to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming international break.
On and off the field, Carrick has taken the job of being United manager in his stride. While Amorim frequently caused problems for himself by making ill-advised comments to the media, Carrick has barely said anything of note since taking over. When Paul Scholes’ Instagram posts could have created a distraction, the United interim manager brushed off the controversy with ease.
At the time, the loss to 10-man Newcastle United at St James’ Park was a big blow. However, it gave Carrick and his team the opportunity to show they could bounce back from adversity, which they did by dismantling Aston Villa on Sunday to take another important step towards a top-five finish.
United’s results under Carrick have been better than their performances. The 1-0 win over Everton last month was somewhat fortunate as was the 2-1 home victory against Crystal Palace when an opposition red card gave Manchester United an advantage they possibly didn’t deserve.
Nonetheless, Carrick has undeniably made a positive impact over the last two months, His United team is playing well and Champions League qualification would give the club a platform to strengthen further ahead of next season. For the first time in a long while, the Old Trafford outfit is moving in the right direction.
“This place means a lot to me, so to have so much positivity, with everyone enjoying coming to the games and obviously for me to have an influence on that, of course it feels good, I’m not going to lie,” said Carrick when asked about his impact as interim manager. “The players have to take a lot of credit for that in terms of what they put on the pitch.”
The Champions League picture with eight games to play
Manchester United have a big decision to make. Two months ago, the idea of appointing Carrick permanently was farfetched. It would have been criticised as being unambitious. Now, the former midfielder is making a strong case for his continued employment. If it ain’t broke, don’t hire another manager.
(Images from IMAGO)
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The Cherries have drawn each of their previous four Premier League matches, with the club currently occupying 10th place.
United, on the other hand, sit third and are well on course to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Draws have been Bournemouth’s downfall this season
Bournemouth have drawn nearly 50% of their Premier League matches this term (14/30), securing just nine wins in the process.
Indeed, only six clubs have registered fewer victories than the Cherries and they occupy 15th-20th in the standings.
Despite that, Andoni Iraola’s side remain only eight points adrift of Liverpool in eighth and a winning run could see them vault up the table.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in 10 league games but haven’t won a league game since February 10, drawing their four subsequent matches heading into this clash.
Having scored just twice during those games, Iraola will need his men to step up in order to break down a stubborn United side.
They did score four at Old Trafford in December, yet, only took a point from the game.
Michael Carrick has Manchester United dreaming of the promised land
Not even the most ardent United supporter would have believed a third place finish was possible a few months ago, but here we are.
Michael Carrick has done a wonderful job since arriving on an interim basis following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
Seven wins from nine has the Red Devils dreaming of the Champions League. Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all been defeated during this wonderful run of form recently.
The loss to Newcastle has been the only blemish, but with just eight matches to go this season, a return to the promised land of Champions League football is looking increasingly likely.
If so, will Carrick be appointed as permanent manager? That remains to be seen.
Those are the only four injury issues, however, for the Cherries as they seek a first win since mid-February.
Carrick’s main injury absentees concern the defence. Lisandro Martínez remains out for the foreseeable future due to a calf issue.
Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs De Ligt won’t return until the middle of April due to hamstring and back injuries respectively.
Recent H2H results
Prediction
United have only won once at the Vitality since 2018, with that victory coming in May 2023.
Incidentally, that was the last time the Red Devils managed to get the better of Bournemouth and Carrick will be keen to end this three-year winless drought against the south coast side.
As such, expect the United boss to unleash a strong starting XI, especially as a win will put pressure on those around them in the table.
Bournemouth will provide a threat and wont want to end their ten-game unbeaten run. Expect the away side to emerge with all three points though.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Real Madrid had Vinícius Júnior to thank as they ended Manchester City’s Champions league ambitions on Tuesday evening, but the real damage was done last week.
The Brazilian opened the scoring with a penalty after Bernardo Silva was sent off for handball in the first-half.
With just minutes remaining, he then slotted home Madrid’s winner to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Despite City’s dominance during the game, Madrid’s chances improved after Silva was sent off, but the damage had already been done in the first leg.
Indeed, the star of the show was Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan maestro delivered one of the finest modern day Champions League performances as he scored a stunning hat-trick at the Bernabeu in the 3-0 win.
Vinícius Júnior may have stolen the plaudits on Tuesday, but the foundations of success were laid by Valverde.
Federico Valverde was sensational against Manchester City
Prior to the first leg against City, Valverde had scored three Champions League goals across 75 matches in the competition for Madrid.
That all changed at the Bernabéu. Valverde opened the scoring after 20 minutes, perfectly controlling a pass from Thibaut Courtois before rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma and slotting the ball home from a tight angle.
Seven minutes later, the midfielder was at it again. He popped up with another fine finish, taking advantage of a sleepy City defence to make it 2-0.
Shot map for Valverde’s hat trick, with third goal highlighted
Valverde saved the best for last. Brahim Díaz chipped a pass into the box which the Uruguayan controlled perfectly by flicking it over the head of Marc Guéhi before firing a shot into the net to seal his first ever career hat-trick.
It was a first half of dreams, not only for Madrid, but for Valverde. FotMob awarded him a match rating of 9.7, while L’Equipe – famed for their distinction of rarely giving out perfect ratings – awarded Valverde a 10/10 for his display. As such, he became only the 20th player to receive the highest possible rating.
While he will be remembered for his goal scoring exploits in that first leg, the midfielder also made nine defensive contributions, the most throughout the game, along with winning 11 duels and playing four passes into the penalty area.
Former Arsenal and France icon Thierry Henry summed up his display perfectly, saying: “Fede Valverde was not only Bergkamp today.
“He was Thuram, Bergkamp, Makelele. He was everybody.”
Valverde’s heat map vs. Man City, first leg
High praise indeed and certainly well deserved given his efforts, both defensively and going forwards.
Valverde may not have scored during the second leg, yet he did end the game with a 92% pass success rate while registering seven defensive actions during the 2-1 victory.
Those performances could go a long way to rejuvenating Madrid, especially with a LaLiga and Champions League double still very much within reach for Los Blancos.
Valverde is delivering when it really matters
His performance against Man City will be eulogised for years to come, yet Valverde has been producing for Madrid when it matters since the start of 2026.
He scored the opener against Atlético Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, before providing the assist for Rodrygo to net the winner.
A month later, Valverde scored against Real Sociedad before registering two assists against Benfica in the Champions League.
Perhaps more importantly, the 27-year-old scored a vital late winner against Celta Vigo in LaLiga at the start of the month and this was the first of his five goals in the space of just eight days.
Valverde’s passing stats in LaLiga this season
Domestically, Valverde has been a key factor in Madrid’s title challenge. Not only does he rank in the top 1% compared to his peers for chances created (39) and shots on target (13), but the midfielder also ranks in the top 5% for touches (1891) and in the top 7% for recoveries (117), showcasing his class across a range of metrics.
It is in the Champions League, however, where Valverde has truly shone. The midfielder ranks seventh among all players in the competition for top speed (35.8 km/h) and sixth for assists (four) this season.
Valverde is very much at the peak of his powers right now and while Madrid’s season has endured its rocky moments, he appears to be the fulcrum in this star-studded side.
Valverde’s physical metrics in the Champions League this season
He offers the perfect balance between attack and defence, allowing others such as Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé to focus purely on the opposition goal.
This was something Luka Modrić excelled in and it is evident that Valverde is following in his footsteps this season.
His ever-increasing influence is becoming more apparent under the leadership of Álvaro Arbeloa, who is clearly bringing the best out of him.
“He’s such a talented guy that he could excel in any position,” Arbeloa said about Valverde.
“He’s a fantastic captain, as he’s shown in recent months. He offers us so much in a range of roles. Fede is Real Madrid through and through, and an outstanding ambassador for the club.”
Mbappé and Vinícius may be the jewels in Madrid’s crown, especially with their attacking output, but there is no doubt Valverde is the player that holds everything together.
The next few months might well turn out to be the most important of his career. First up, he will look to fire Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League titles, bolstering his medal collection in the process.
If that isn’t enough, Valverde will be looking to take Uruguay as far as possible in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
Perform like he has done over the next few months and might we be talking about Valverde being a contender for the Ballon d’Or?
Only time will tell.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every Real Madrid game with FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
