Page 138 – The Pulse of Football

Jan

2025

Preview: Arsenal face Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb

The Gunners are almost there; one more win in the Champions League and they’ll look all-but assured of an automatic place in the last 16. Standing in their way: embattled Dinamo Zagreb, fighting for their lives to stay in the hunt for a play-off spot.

By Karl Matchett

Kindly fall of the fixture list?

It remains tough to tell as clubs get to grips with the new league version of European competition, and across the board it feels as though playing the strongest available team may be the approach. But, it might just be that the final two rounds of fixtures – and these teams’ respective points – play nicely into Arsenal’s hands.

Mikel Arteta will of course want to wrap up matters at home; win here and they probably don’t have to be too concerned with their last away day in Girona. And that might have the added knock-on effect of allowing them to rest some players before the Premier League match immediately afterwards, home to Man City. So, the reasons mount up for the Gunners to claim three points, hit 16 overall and be all-but-certain to finish in the top eight.

And, while opponents Zagreb won’t exactly roll over and accept defeat, the lingering suspicion is they are more likely to be accepting of putting all their eggs into a final-night basket, given they’re at home to Milan. That said, Dinamo’s two wins so far in the Champions League have come on the road, while they’re without a victory on home soil, so a sturdy rearguard will still be their approach at the Emirates. Hope for Arteta’s men comes in the shape of Bayern thrashing the Croatians 9-2 earlier this season – they are far from unbreachable.

Recent form

Arsenal have been sketchy at best. It feels only a week ago there was bullish talk of reigniting title hopes domestically, only for them to yet again slip up next time out. Arteta has overseen just one win in the last five in all competitions, three wins in the last seven at home and their last clean sheet against a team ranked above 16th in a league was six weeks back. Better is required.

Dinamo would almost welcome that kind of run, mind. While this match will be their first for exactly a month following a winter break, their win on 22 December snapped a seven-game winless streak that included a home draw to Celtic and a hammering by Borussia Dortmund.

Team news

Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are all out, as is Ethan Nwaneri. Riccardo Calafiori needs a fitness test.

Dinamo are missing Bruno Petković, Josip Mišić and Petar Sučić as first-team options.

Key player

Scored one and was denied another at the weekend – Kai Havertz remains Arsenal’s biggest goal threat and has the all-round penalty box play to both create and take chances against a determined defence. In Europe this term though he’s been more about build-up play than getting shots away: he averages 1.9 per 90 minutes with an average xG of 0.39 each game.

Prediction

Arsenal will get the job done but it might not be a pretty watch all night. Arsenal 2 Dinamo 0.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid in must-win territory against struggling Salzburg

Defending UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid are hovering precariously close to the bottom 12 with just two league phase matches left. Anything but a win against Salzburg will set the alarm bells ringing.

By Neel Shelat

Salzburg’s shocking season so far

After Sturm Graz ended their decade-long Bundesliga-winning streak last season, RB Salzburg were expected to come back strong this term. Instead of competing for another title, though, they are currently on course for their worst league finish in two decades.

Ahead of the season, they hired former Liverpool assistant coach Pep Ljinders to lead the squad. He won less than half of the competitive matches he took charge of, so he was sacked back in December. The team has been away on a winter break since then, so new head coach Thomas Letsch will make his debut in charge of the club at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Real Madrid’s shaky league phase campaign

Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League title defence has been anything but convincing so far. Even each of their three victories was far from straightforward as they needed a late winner to beat Stuttgart, had to stage a dramatic turnaround in the second half against Borussia Dortmund and just about got the better of Atalanta in a five-goal thriller. On the other hand, their three losses to Lille, Milan and especially Liverpool were not undeserved.

With two games to go, the defending champions will almost certainly fail to finish in the top eight to earn a direct spot in the Round of 16. At the moment, though, their biggest concern has to be sealing a knockout spot as they are barely in the top 24.

Of course, injuries have been a big factor behind Real Madrid’s struggles (though there are other issues too). The situation is not much better for this match as defensive midfielders Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga have joined Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal on the treatment table, albeit for a shorter period of time. Lucas Vázquez’s suspension for accumulating three yellow cards means Federico Valverde will be forced to join Raúl Asencio on the right side of the defence, so Dani Ceballos and Luka Modrić will likely start behind Jude Bellingham in midfield.

Los Blancos looking to avoid creating unwanted history

Real Madrid have an unmatched reputation for being serial winners and record-breakers. Their 15 European Cups and Champions Leagues are over twice more than any other team’s tally, and they also have a record nine FIFA Club World Cups in their sprawling trophy cabinet.

However, they are fairly close to creating an unwanted piece of history this term. Chelsea’s group stage elimination in 2012/13 was the only time that the UEFA Champions League holders have not progressed to the knockouts, but that might well change if Los Blancos fail to win their last two games.

Prediction

The Santiago Bernabéu is hardly the best place to try out a new head coach’s tactics, so Real Madrid should get the better of Salzburg pretty comfortably.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Jan

2025

Preview: Crunch time for PSG and Man City in Europe

The champions of France and the champions of England meet in a crucial Champions League clash in Paris on Wednesday, with both sides in serious danger of falling at the first hurdle.

By Alex Roberts

Luis Enrique’s side are fresh off the back of an edgy 2-1 win over RC Lens, the side City recently signed Uzbek centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from – a player we recently profiled here. He didn’t feature in that game, but he did score his one and only goal of the season against the Parisian club back in December.

City’s most recent victory was a little more comprehensive. Pep Guardiola’s lads travelled to Ipswich and pumped them 6-0, temporarily re-entering the top four. Are they finally back after a dismal first half of the season?

2 Phil 2 Foden

One player who does appear to be back to his best is Phil Foden. Two consecutive Premier League braces against Brentford and then Ipswich earned him two back-to-back Player of the Match awards.

Up until now, the winger had struggled domestically, but found some solace on the continent, providing four goal contributions in his five Champions League games. That’s more than in his previous 16 Premier League games before the 2-2 draw with Brentford.

The past six months marked his first real dip in form since breaking into the Man City first team, which is quite a remarkable feat. It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes the sequels are better. Just ask Vin Diesel.

A shift in policy

Since the departures of Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé, PSG have seemingly avoided big name signings, instead opting to build what is quite possibly one of, if not the, best young squad in Europe. And they remain unbeaten after 18 rounds of the Ligue 1 season.

New signing Khvicha Kvaratskhalia won’t feature on the left-wing against City or their next Champions League game against Stuttgart later in the month as they won’t be able to register him until the league phase is over.

Up steps 19-year-old Désiré Doué. The youngster has impressed since joining from Rennes in the summer and started in PSG’s 2-0 defeat to fellow Premier League side Arsenal back in October. With one goal and two assists in 706 Ligue 1 minutes, he has the ability to be a difference maker.

Kyle Walker’s farewell tour

The veteran right-back looks set to depart Man City imminently, with AC Milan the most likely destination according to reports. He’s a player who has saved City time and time again. Tracking back has become his trademark.

Guardiola has never been particularly sentimental, and Walker has been left out of City’s last three squads entirely, but for what he’s done for the club, he deserves a proper send off.

City started Matheus Nunes at right-back in the win over Ipswich, and he performed well, and although Walker hasn’t been particularly impressive this season, ongoing defensive injury issues at the club mean he may well get the chance to say bye.

Marquinhos will be a big miss

Speaking of defensive injury issues, PSG have them too. Not quite to the extent that City do, but they will likely be without captain and central defensive stalwart Marquinhos for the clash.

He’s been out of action since PSG’s 1-0 Super Cup final win over Monaco at the start of January with a groin injury, and, despite his standing at the club and in the game as a whole, he won’t be rushed back.

Lucas Hernández, Willian Pacho, and Lucas Beraldo formed a back three in the win over Lens, and they impressed, but it will take some serious effort to fill the void left by the legendary Brazilian against a side like City.

Prediction

Neither side have been in particularly good form in Europe, sitting in 22^nd (Man City) and 25^th (PSG) respectively. For the amount of talent on display, and the importance of a win for both sides, we predict a relatively quiet game, 2-1 to Man City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Jan

2025

Analysis: How Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth have set course for their best-ever Premier League season

A decade ago to this day, Bournemouth were locked in an incredibly intense Championship title race which they would go on to win by just one point. With that, they sealed their first-ever promotion to the English top flight. Of course, they have had their ups and downs since, but they are now on course to seal their continental debut with what would be their best-ever Premier League finish.

By Neel Shelat

A good few eyebrows were raised when Bournemouth sacked Gary O’Neil in the summer of 2023 despite his efforts in leading them to a great escape. As a result, his successor Andoni Iraola was always under some pressure to prove himself. A 12th-placed finish with top-half-level underlying numbers in his first season was not bad at all, but the Spanish tactician is really showing his full potential this term.

Bournemouth are currently up in seventh place with 37 points from 22 games. With that, they are well on course to register over 50 points in the top flight for the very first time in their history. At their current rate, the Cherries will also qualify for their first-ever continental tournament, so they certainly merit closer inspection.

Debilitating press

Iraola’s Bournemouth are arguably the best high pressers not just in the English Premier League but all around the world of football. They have not only generated the most high turnovers in the league but also lead the way in terms of midfield turnovers.

Their relatively low possession average of about 45% is one factor, but Iraola’s exceptionally well-planned and well-drilled press is undoubtedly the biggest reason. His Rayo Vallecano side were just as good in LaLiga a couple of years ago, so this should come as no surprise to those who have been closely following the 42-year-old tactician’s work.

The key to the Cherries’ success is their meticulous coordination. Pure intensity is no longer enough for a successful high press, as the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have learned the hard way in recent years. So, Bournemouth have a very clear trigger-based pressing approach which analysts call a hybrid press.

The basic idea behind hybrid pressing is to get the best of both worlds of the two dominant out-of-possession approaches – zonal and player-oriented. A fully player-oriented system is almost bound to fail at the elite level today as the opponent can easily utilise their numerical advantage in the build-up (created by the presence of the goalkeeper). A zonal approach ensures the pressing team is not dragged out of shape, but it can be beaten through overloads.

A hybrid pressing system tends to start more zonally, ensuring that all areas of the pitch are covered. Then, a pressing trigger (often a specific type of pass by the opponent or a movement by a key player) leads to the team switching to player orientation as they clamp down on all potential passing options and apply pressure on the ball. When executed spotlessly, such a press is incredibly difficult to play out against.

Bournemouth, of course, have executed their hybrid press brilliantly so far. They tend to start in something of a 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 shape, with one midfielder often stepping up to trigger the press. Ryan Christie has been that player for the overwhelming majority of Bournemouth’s matches so far, and he has done an exemplary job.

*Christie’s defensive stats per 90, Premier League 2024/25*

Recoveries are defined by Opta as “when a player recovers the ball in a situation where neither team has possession or where the ball has been played directly to him by an opponent, thus securing possession for their team.” Teams that press successfully do not necessarily win the ball through tackles as their opponents do manage to boot it away, so they tend to generate a lot more recoveries by picking up loose second balls. Clearly, it is no coincidence that Christie and Bournemouth are the league leaders this season for recoveries among players and teams respectively.

Besides generating a lot of high turnovers, the Cherris’ measured pressing approach has ensured that their back line has not been breached too often. The fact that they have maintained one of the better defensive records while defending quite high up the pitch is another testament to their excellent out-of-possession work.

Dangerous direct attack

Bournemouth fans will surely not begrudge us for saying that their squad is far from the best in the league, when it comes to player quality on paper. By market value, for example, their squad ranks 15th in the division. Their cohesiveness is the key to their success far more than any players, so their attacking approach mostly stems from their out-of-possession work rather than looking to platform any individuals.

For one, Iraola’s side obviously utilise their high turnovers by looking to get at their opponent’s unstructured defence as quickly as possible. They also try to create somewhat similar chaos when building out from the back, mostly playing a long ball forward for their attackers to contest instead of trying to play through a press.

The hard work of their willing attackers has enabled the Cherries to register the third-highest xG tally in the league, but their lack of clinicality has held them back a little. They have scored about seven goals fewer than their xG tally, so they could go even higher up the table with better chance conversion.

*The Premier League xG table, or ‘Justice Table’ from FotMob*

Should Iraola take up a big job?

Bournemouth’s success combined with the struggles of some big-hitters like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season have naturally led to Iraola’s name being brought up as a potential candidate for those jobs. The Spanish head coach would certainly be unwise (and extremely unlikely) to jump ship mid-season, but he should carefully consider his options even if presented with an offer in the summer.

Both at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, Iraola has put together teams greater than the sum of their parts by making the most of total commitment from his players. His tactics have remained quite similar, creating chaos to beat stronger teams by making them uncomfortable. His sides certainly did not control matches to a great extent as most elite teams like to do, so this kind of job might well be best suited to his style of play.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2025

Abdukodir Khusanov is paving the way for Uzbek football

Manchester City appear to have beaten several of Europe’s elite clubs to the signing of Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov in what has to be regarded as one of the most remarkable transfers in history, and he may well be the first of many Uzbek players to make big moves.

By Alex Roberts

The reported €40 million fee makes him far and away Uzbekistan’s most expensive player in history, more than double the €19.6 million price tag Roma paid Genoa for Eldor Shomurodov back in July 2024.

When Khusanov makes his debut the 20-year-old will become the first Uzbek player in Premier League history and the deal will be pound for pound, quite literally, one of the most profitable ever, having joined RC Lens from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU for a measly €100,000 back in the summer of 2023.

It was a deal that not many paid much attention to at the time, for obvious reasons, but there was method to the madness. Not long after moving to Minsk, Khusanov enjoyed his first major international success as Uzbekistan won the 2023 Under-20 Asian Cup on home soil, conceding just one goal in the process.

The only way was up from there. Khusanov starred for Uzbekistan once again just two months later, playing every minute for Uzbekistan in the Under-20s World Cup before being knocked out by Israel in the round of 16.

There will be plenty of differences between playing for RC Lens and Man City. The most obvious is Lens play a back three, while City, in transition at least, usually stick with a back four.

Pep Guardiola, furious after their 2-1 Manchester derby defeat to Man United, claimed “We have no defence”, and he’s not wrong. Even when they’ve not had to contend with injuries, City’s aging back line have not been up to par in the first half of the season.

Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Kyle Walker are all entering the twilight of their incredible careers, to a different degree, with Walker looking set for a move after catching flak from his own fans for multiple high-profile mistakes.

It’s an area they’ve addressed and are working towards fixing; not just bringing Khusanov to the club, but Palmeiras wonderkid Vitor Reis set to join him as City seek to spend their way out of trouble.

City’s recruitment team know what they’re doing, and that makes the move for Khusanov all the more interesting. In many ways, he’s not the usual type of centre-back Guardiola would go for.

In the Uzbek language Khusanov means ‘mighty’, which is pretty apt. He never stops, he’d slide tackle his grandma if it meant preventing an attack, and that’s why he’s been nicknamed ‘the train.’

When you close your eyes and think of the archetypal Guardiola centre-back, you see Rúben Dias. An impressive ball carrier, passer, and annoyingly handsome, Khusanov doesn’t have all of those traits.

Compared to the other two in Lens’ preferred back three, Khusanov has the least number of successful passes with 475 compared to Kevin Danso’s 658, and Facundo Medina’s 818.

He’s also created the least number of chances amongst the three with two, four fewer than Danso, and a whopping eight fewer than Medina. Of course, he will see more of the ball at City, so he will have to adapt quickly.

He carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders. His remarkable rise to prominence is a huge source of national pride in Uzbekistan, but contrary to popular belief, they’ve always had a love for football.

*Khusanov’s defensive numbers in his 13 Ligue 1 appearances this season*

Currently sat in 58^th in the FIFA National Team Rankings, they’re above more traditionally football mad countries like the Republic of Ireland, Ghana, and Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland.

That’s not all down to Khusanov, although he has played a significant role. CSKA winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev is also one of the most exciting young prospects in Asia, never mind Uzbekistan.

Fayzullaev beat Khusanov to the Uzbekistan’s Best Player of 2024 award, as well as the 2023 Asian Young Footballer of the Year and is featuring regularly for the Moscow club, scoring two goals, and providing three assists in his 16 league games.

Obviously, playing in Russia adds an extra level of trickiness should a top European club decide to make a move given political tension we don’t have enough space to write about, but don’t be surprised if one of them decided to risk it sometime soon.

Azizbek Tulkinbekov, a centre-back who can also play wing-back, became the Uzbek First division’s youngest ever player, making his debut at the age of just 15 years, eight months, and 28 days for current club Bunyodkor all the way back in 2022.

The ultimate goal for the Uzbek Football Assosiation is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America, which would be their first ever. They’re currently second in their qualifying group, three points behind leaders Iran who have 16, with their only defeat coming at the hands of 2022 World Cup hosts, Qatar.

There is still a long way to go, and much work to be done if they want to make it to North America, but the talent is certainly there. Khusanov’s meteoric rise is just the first, they may never win a major tournament, but so what, expect to see plenty of Uzbek players across Europe’s top leagues in the not so distant future.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Premier League Team of the Week: Matchday 22

Manchester City dominate the FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday 22 following their 6-0 dismantling of Ipswich Town. The reigning Premier League champions have four players in the XI. Chelsea are the only other team to have multiple players in the team after their 3-1 win over Wolves on Monday evening. But who makes the cut and why?

By Sam McGuire

Goalkeeper: Ederson

The Brazilian shot-stopper made his first start since the Manchester derby defeat in December. He impressed too, making four saves and earning himself an 8.4 rating. He wasn’t overly busy and he didn’t have to be at his brilliant best, but he did what was needed and he did it well.

Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Alexander-Arnold caught the eye as league leaders Liverpool left it late to snatch all three points against Brentford. The right-back assisted the opener, created five chances at the Gtech Stadium and completed the most passes (48). He also won 100% of his tackles, made two interceptions and recovered the ball on six occasions to complete a well-rounded showing.

Centre-Back: Tosin Adarabioyo

The 27-year-old got on the scoresheet for Chelsea as the Blues returned to winning ways after a five-match winless run. Adarabioyo scored the opener at Stamford Bridge and the goal was just the icing on the cake of what was a solid showing. He completed the most passes (89), had a pass success rate of 96%, completed 100% of his dribbles, and won 100% of his ground duels on his way to a FotMob rating of 8.0. Usually, this would’ve been enough to claim the Player of the Match award. However, he was outdone by his defensive partner.

Centre-Back: Trevoh Chalobah

Chalobah returned from a loan spell with Crystal Palace and walked straight back into the Chelsea starting XI. He then bossed it for the Blues against Wolves on his way to an 8.4 rating. The 25-year-old claimed an assist, setting up Noni Madueke. He also created two chances at Stamford Bridge, completed 96% of his passes, 100% of his dribbles and made seven clearances. The centre-back also won two of his three ground duels and four of his five aerial duels. It looked like he’d never been gone. And Chelsea look a little foolish for sending him out on loan for half the season.

Left-Back: Antonee Robinson

Robinson might be the best left-back in the Premier League right now. The Fulham full-back claimed an 8.3 rating for his showing against Leicester City last weekend. There was no assist this time around but he did carve out one chance for Marco Silva’s men. He also completed 85% of his passes, attempted seven crosses and played six passes into the final third. The in-demand defender won two of his three tackles, recovered the ball 10 times and came out on top in seven of his nine duels.

Midfield: Phil Foden

Foden has finally found his groove this season. The England international put in quite the showing against Ipswich Town as the champions romped to a 6-0 win. He earned himself a 9.2 rating after netting two goals and chipping in with an assist. He created two chances at Portman Road and had an 89% pass success as the champions reminded the rest of the league what it is they’re capable of. Foden now has five goals in his last three Premier League appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Midfield: Justin Kluivert

Kluivert netted his second hat-trick of the season as Bournemouth ran riot against Newcastle United at St James’ Park. The Dutch international also assisted a goal as the Cherries claimed a 4-1 win over the in-form Magpies in what was a statement showing and result. The 25-year-old earned a FotMob rating of 9.8, the highest of the gameweek. He scored with all three of his attempts while also carving out three chances for teammates.

Midfield: Mateo Kovačić

Kovacic is another Manchester City player who caught the eye this weekend. He claimed a goal and an assist in the 6-0 win over the Tractor Boys. He was pulling the strings in midfield too, creating three chances and completing 96% of his passes. The former Chelsea man won four of his six duels and completed two of his three attempted dribbles in what was a dominant showing in the centre of the pitch. Only Foden (9.2) could better his FotMob rating of 9.0 in the game.

Midfield: Jérémy Doku

This was probably Doku’s finest performance as a Manchester City player. The flying winger looked unstoppable at Portman Road. He’s another who finished the game with a goal and an assist. He created three chances against Ipswich Town, had nine touches in the penalty area and attempted six dribbles. The Belgium international had an Expected Assists haul of 0.3 in the game, highlighting just how dangerous he was for Guardiola on that left flank.

Attack: Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta made it four goals in three matches with a double against West Ham United. The striker hasn’t been at his prolific best this term following his goalscoring exploits last term but he was pretty much unplayable against the Hammers. He had three shots, scored two goals and created one chance on his way to an 8.8 FotMob rating. The France international was the focal point for the Eagles against Graham Potter’s side and he caused them trouble throughout, even playing a part in the penalty the away side won late on. He was also the reason Konstantinos Mavropanos was given a second yellow card and sent off after catching Mateta with a high boot.

Attack: Chris Wood

Another week, another goal for Wood. The Nottingham Forest striker made it 14 for the season with his effort against Southampton. He claimed an 8.8 rating after also providing an assist at the City Ground. In total, he had four shots and created two chances and Forest kept their hopes of a top four finish alive despite a spirited Saints showing in the second half.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2025

Preview: Barcelona visit Benfica in penultimate Champions League game

Benfica host Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday evening with both teams targeting qualification from the league phase.

By Graham Ruthven

The race for top the eight

Benfica have already demonstrated their quality against one of LaLiga’s big hitters in the Champions League this season, thumping Atlético Madrid 4-0 back in October. This should be a warning to Barcelona.

Bruno Lage’s team are well-placed to qualify for the competition’s knockout rounds after three wins, two draws and just one defeat in the league phase. Another victory would all but secure their place in the top 24.

Barcelona’s Champions League form has been strong this season. Indeed, Hansi Flick’s team have suffered just one defeat in six games, and that came away to Monaco when they played the majority of the match with 10 men.

The Catalans sit second in the 32-team table with only Liverpool ahead of them. However, their recent form hasn’t been so glowing with Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Getafe leaving Barca without a win in their last four league games.

Barca’s last visit to Lisbon to face Benfica resulted in a 3-0 win for the hosts and this will be another test for the Catalan outfit as they struggle for consistency.

Key players

Lage will likely set up in a 4-3-3 shape that will look to exploit the space in behind the Barcelona full backs through Kerem Aktürkoğlu on the left and Ángel Di María on the right, should the latter be fit.

In central midfield, the pressure will be on Florentino Luís to stop Barcelona from finding their passing rhythm. Fredrik Aursnes and Orkun Kökçü are also expected to start in the centre of the pitch where the match could be won and lost.

Barca will field a fearsome starting lineup with a frontline including Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri. Lamine Yamal has three goals in his last three games while Lewandowski has scored seven goals in six Champions League outings this season.

At the back, Ronald Araújo is expected to continue alongside Pau Cubarsí with Iñaki Peña set to be favoured over Wojciech Szczęsny despite the Polish goalkeeper starting the recent Spanish Supercopa games.

Team news

Tiago Gouveia and Renato Sanches are both sidelined through injury for Benfica who could also be without Di María for the visit of Barcelona on Tuesday. Otherwise, Lage has a fully fit squad to choose from.

The absence of Di María would be a significant blow considering the Argentine’s record this season – the former Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid winger has registered 19 goal involvements in 27 games. It’s possible he could start the match on the bench.

While Barcelona’s injury troubles have eased recently, they are still without a number of important players including Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal Iñigo Martínez.

Gavi was a worry following his early withdrawal against Getafe on Saturday, but the young midfielder is believed to be fit and available to feature against Benfica.

Prediction

Barcelona should continue their unbeaten run in Europe’s premier club competition but they won’t find it easy in the Portuguese capital: Benfica 1-1 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Jan

2025

Preview: Liverpool look to make it 7 wins from 7 when they take on Lille

Liverpool only need a point against Lille to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, but others have already underestimated the French club in this year’s competition.

By Ian King

Two strong sides go head-to-head

So, are Liverpool back on the boil? After the blip of draws against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest along with losing to Spurs in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, a semblance of this season’s normal returned at Brentford at the weekend with a 2-0 win, although it took them until stoppage-time and some very tired defending for this to come to pass.

But Lille are no pushovers. They’ve only lost four times in all competitions this season and haven’t lost to anyone since the 17th September. Their five game unbeaten run in the Champions League has included wins against both Real and Atlético Madrid, and a draw against Juventus.

History

These two clubs have only met once before, a two-legged Round of 16 match in the 2009/10 Europa League which came about after Liverpool could only finish in third place in their Champions League group. They won the first leg 3-0 at Anfield, but Lille did win the return match 1-0. Liverpool went on to lose to Atlético Madrid on away goals in the semifinals that year.

Key players

An injury may give an opportunity to a player whose arrival at Anfield hasn’t quite caught light yet. Federico Chiesa has only appeared twice in the Premier League since arriving from Juventus in August, but he scored his first Liverpool goal against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and could be given another opportunity here.

Lille’s main goal threat is the Canadian striker Jonathan David, who’s already scored 17 in 30 matches in all competitions so far this season, including six in ten in this very competition.

Team News

Liverpool’s injury list is pretty short, at the moment. If Chiesa is to get his chance, it’s because Diogo Jota picked up an injury last week which kept him out of the Brentford match and which will likely keep him absent for a few weeks. Joe Gomez is injured, and unlikely to return until the start of February. Lille also have absentees. They’ll be without defender Tiago Santos for the rest of the season, while another defender, Samuel Umtiti, won’t return until the end of January.

Prediction

This is ultimately a match between one of the Champions League’s surprise teams so far and one of the favourites to win it outright. Lille are in eighth place in the 36-team group and a result for them leaves them on the cusp of qualification for the last 16 of the tournament themselves. And while Liverpool are genuine European football royalty, so are Real Madrid, and Lille beat them in a group match in September. But with the Reds needing just a point to seal their own qualification Arne Slot will be after getting the job done, and a narrow 1-0 win would be more than enough to see them through.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Jan

2025

Preview: Monday Night Football sees Chelsea face Wolves

Enzo Maresca’s honeymoon phase at Chelsea is well and truly over, and it’s slowly turning into the type of bitter resentment only really seen at the West London club. Without a win in their last five Premier League games, Chelsea host Wolves on Monday.

By Alex Roberts

Reece James’ late freekick salvaged a point for Chelsea in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from falling out of the Champions League qualification spots.

Wolves haven’t been much better. Vítor Pereira has done well to take them out of the relegation zone, but they aren’t safe yet, sitting level on points (17) with Ipswich in in 18^th.

Enzo Enzo make a sub

One of the biggest points of contention amongst Chelsea fans at the moment is Maresca’s seeming reluctance to trust his bench. The Italian has made just two substitutions before the hour mark across their five-game winless streak.

An asset he had once embraced, Chelsea’s immense squad depth, now seems to be nothing more than an afterthought. It’s not surprising, remembering that many names is a big ask in and of itself.

Now, many are being linked with moves away from the club, and selling would make their ultimate goal of qualifying for the Champions League all the harder.

André is too good for a relegation fight

The Brazilian midfielder’s performance was one of few positives Wolves fans can take from their 3-0 defeat to Newcastle in their previous fixture, keeping hold of him is a completely different story, however.

André was essentially a one-man team against Eddie Howe’s side, ending his game with a 97% pass accuracy rate, having created two chances, and made 11 defensive actions while his side were dominated.

If performances like that continue, the big boys will start to circle, especially if Wolves do end up going down.

Trevoh Chalobah makes his return

Chelsea went back to Chalobah, hat in hand, begging one of their best academy products to save them from potential injury crisis. Of course, ever the professional, he answered the call and could be set to make an appearance against Wolves.

With both Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both out for extended periods, Chalobah was recalled six months into his loan spell at Crystal Palace, having been a key player for Oliver Glasner’s side.

Solid defensively and a goal threat, popping up with three goals during his time in South London, Chalobah has nothing to prove to anyone.

Matheus Cunha is the guy

The forward had been suspended for Wolves’ last three games, it’s no surprise they failed to score against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. Cunha has been their most potent goal threat in the first half of the season, and he will make it hard for Chelsea.

Not only is he consistently scoring goals, 10 in his 20 Premier League games to be precise, but his range of goals is also remarkable. Long-range, close encounters, and even direct from corners, it doesn’t matter, Cunha simply scores goals.

He’s another player that won’t be longed for Wolves should they go down or even have to continue the battle against it. Wolves have a mid-table squad, but Cunha was better than that already.

*Cunha’s varied shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

Last time out, Chelsea battered Wolves 2-6 at the Molineux, things are a little more nuanced now. We’re still going to go with a Chelsea win, although it won’t be anywhere near as comprehensive. 2-1 to the Blues.

(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.

Jan

2025

Preview: Real Madrid get back to league action against Las Palmas

One trophy missed out on; another one firmly in their sights. Real Madrid might have succumbed to Barcelona’s firepower in the overseas-held Supercopa final, but they remain in the hunt near the top of LaLiga and have another big week ahead, starting at home to Las Palmas.

By Karl Matchett

Ancelotti underperforming?

It’s not a conversation you’d usually expect to hear, but there were certainly mutterings about whether Carlo Ancelotti was getting the most out of Real’s expensively-assembled – in wages, if not always transfer fees – squad this term.

The Italian boss did guide his side to seven wins in eight over winter, but slipping behind rivals Atlético in the title race and losing to Barca in Saudi Arabia will only increase scrutiny – and that’s before considering Los Blancos are far from assured of a place in the Champions League knockouts yet, with a play-off place likely needed.

Before thinking of Salzburg on Wednesday, though, Ancelotti and Co must overcome Las Palmas. This has tended to be a one-sided result recently, with Real winning five meetings in a row, scoring 13 and conceding only once in that run, but a 1-1 draw last time they met will give the visitors some hope.

Recent form

Las Palmas might need that hope, in truth – there’s not much else to cling onto, other than if Real rest some players ahead of their midweek Champions League action. The European Cup holders have won eight of nine on home soil this term, losing only El Clásico, scoring 24 in just nine games. Las Palmas are far from the worst travellers in the top flight, but three wins from nine and only 11 netted themselves also won’t mark them out as favourites.

One outlier result will certainly make Real concerned, though. Only a few weeks before Christmas, Las Palmas went to Barcelona and beat them in their own backyard, a 2-1 win coming despite having under 30 per cent possession and only five shots all game. Efficient, they certainly were. Real will expect not to miss the vast haul of chances that Barca did that game – one goal from 27 shots was quite the return. Since the start of 2025, however, Las Palmas have played two, lost two.

Team news

Real will be without suspended pair Luka Modrić and Vinícius Júnior, along with long-term absentees Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. Eduardo Camavinga has joined them on the sidelines, but will be back next month. Las Palmas have Dário Essugo suspended and José Campaña injured, but Marvin Park could make his return.

Key player

With the top two chance creators out, ball progression and finding spaces will fall in part to Fede Valverde. He has 23 chances created this term, fourth in the squad, but he also knows how to find the net from long range – all five LaLiga goals this term are from outside the box. In ensuring Real Madrid don’t replicate Barcelona’s wasteful mistakes, chance creation and ability to finish from all angles could well prove vital.

Prediction

No great surprises and quite a few goals. Madrid 3 Las Palmas 1

(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.