Preview

Apr

2026

Preview: De Zerbi takes charge for the first time as Spurs visit Sunderland

Spurs continue their battle to avoid sliding into the Championship with a long journey north to play a Sunderland team who are still playing for a place in Europe next season.

By Ian King

It’s been a busy three weeks off for crisis club Spurs

A combination of the international break and the FA Cup mean that it’s been three weeks since Spurs capitulated at home to Nottingham Forest, but that’s not to say that the club haven’t been busy in the meantime. Igor Tudor has now departed the head coach’s position and, in true Tottenham Hotspur style, have gone for a replacement who may prove divisive among the club’s fans in the form of Roberto De Zerbi.

A long trip north to Sunderland is probably the last thing that De Zerbi will have wanted. The Black Cats have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League season, and although they’re down in 11th place in the table, they come into the match off the high of having beaten Newcastle United away from home in their last league match, while they’re still chasing a place in Europe for next season.

Sunderland haven’t beaten Spurs in a competitive match in 16 years

It’s been 16 years since Sunderland last beat Spurs in a competitive match, with that win coming by three goals to one at The Stadium of Light in April 2010. When the two clubs met earlier in the season at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they drew 1-1, and curiously this was also the score between the two teams when they met at White Hart Lane during Spurs’ last relegation season, 1976/77. For those looking for omens for this weekend’s match, Sunderland won the return match at Roker Park 2-1.

Archie Gray has been one of the few Spurs players to emerge from this season with much credit

Few Spurs players have impressed this season, but one of those who has is midfielder Archie Gray, who’s played in several different positions over the course of this season but who is, at heart, a defensive midfielder. Gray has shown notable maturity under difficult circumstances this season, and he would be a big loss, should he decide that his development as a player would be served better elsewhere during the summer.

The £20 million that Sunderland paid Roma for the 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Le Fée is already starting to look like a bargain. Le Fée has been a consistent performer for the Black Cats in recent weeks, and he’s also their second-highest goalscorer behind Brian Brobbey in all competitions, with five, while he’s also contributed four assists in the Premier League.

Kudus setback is the latest in a long line of Spurs injuries

The latest in the epic saga that Spurs’ injury woes throughout the 2025/26 season has become is the news that Mohammed Kudus has not, as had been hoped, recovered from his injury and has now had a setback which may keep him out for the remainder of this season. He joins Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in their very congested treatment room.

Sunderland could welcome back Robin Roefs and Dan Ballard from thigh injuries, though both remain doubtful for this match. Jocelin Ta Bi, Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo remain longer-term absentees.

Spurs need strength of character from their team for a tough trip north

Reports from the training ground at Spurs have been that there’s been a positive reaction to the arrival of the new head coach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to be the quick success that the club needs if they’re to retain their Premier League status. And given his previous comments while at Marseille, his appointment has already been a deeply divisive one which has upset many supporters.

There is no manager that would get a great deal of patience at the moment, but the decision that the senior management of the club have made may get less than most. And the Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told the Telegraph in 2023 that De Zerbi’s early meetings with players were “baffling” and that his first fortnight at the Amex were “a carnage two weeks.”

Sunderland have had an excellent season, They were pre-season favourites to go down, but Régis Le Bris has done a superb job of keeping his team organised and picking enough points for relegation not to have been a major concern for the team all season. With seven games to play, they’re three points off a place in next season’s Europa Conference League, and five off a Europa League position. That’s quite an incentive to keep going until the end of the season.

Time is running out for Spurs to save their season, and with West Ham winning on Friday night, they will be sitting in the bottom three when they kick off at The Stadium of Light. The problem is that matches like this are a test of character, and they’ve shown precious little of that, this season. I’m going to say a 2-0 win for Sunderland, and any new manager bounce to be so slight as to be unnoticeable.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Chelsea set for Man City clash without key man Enzo Fernandez

There is a lot on the line for both clubs in this one – as former Chelsea man Joe Cole helps us explain. City are just about still in the title race, and Chelsea’s hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are hanging by a thread. They face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea ended their four-game losing streak with a 7-0 FA Cup win over bottom of League One Port Vale. Don’t read too much into that, their last clean sheet came in the 4-0 win over Hull, and Man City are an entirely different kind of opposition.

Pep Guardiola’s side appear to have entered their end of season flow state. Their elimination from the Champions League at the hand of Real Madrid lit a fire under them, going on to beat Arsenal in the League Cup final, and then dominate Liverpool.

Unsung hero

City have some tremendously talented players on their books, but do you know who not enough people are talking about? Matheus Nunes. He has gone from being a fringe central midfielder to one of the best right backs in the league.

Of course, a Guardiola right-back isn’t a typical right back, but his numbers speak for themselves. 20 chances created, 23 successful dribbles, 48 tackles, and 134 recoveries. Simply put, he’s taken his game to a level few thought he had.

Erling Haaland and Rodri, who happen to be FotMob’s top two rated Man City players, still get all the plaudits, and rightly so, they’re great, but Nunes, who is third, deserves his flowers, and we’re here to give them to him.

“I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club“

Enzo Fernández spent the international break flirting with Real Madrid, although he never mentioned them by name. Chelsea then decided to suspend him for two games, and he has since apologised to the squad and manager Liam Rosenior.

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t need him against Port Vale, and in all honesty, it was probably pretty unlikely he would have started in the first place. Fans called for his suspension to be lifted for the City game, but Rosenior has now confirmed that it stands.

It’s a huge call from a manager that is yet to win the supporters over. If Chelsea go on to lose this game, questions about how they would have performed with Fernández in the line-up are inevitable.

For Chelsea legend Joe Cole, who was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power during the week, the situation reflects badly on both parties:

“It’s a difficult one, it’s not so much the punishment’s right, it’s the fact that it’s the second time this has happened now [with Enzo Fernández]. The club has got to take a stand.

“For players like Enzo, this wasn’t the Chelsea he was sold at the start when he joined. I don’t think it’s right coming out and saying you’d leave the club, but I do understand his frustration.

“Then you get to the question of whether the punishment is right. The rubber is going to hit the road at some point where if he does want to leave, he’s going to have to put a transfer request in.

“We don’t know how long this has been going on for, but if it’s got to the point where Chelsea have had to ban him for a crucial match (against Manchester City), I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club.

“If you’re the club, you say to Enzo ‘You’re contracted with us for five more years. You carry on with this rubbish and we’re happy to throw away whatever we’re paying a week and your career’ [by not playing him].

“I must admit, I don’t know if this is the right model. I haven’t thought of a better way [of dealing with Fernandez], so it’s a mess, it really is.”

Team news

Man City don’t have any self-imposed suspensions to deal with, but they do have a few injuries. John Stones (calf) and Joško Gvardiol (broken leg) are both out.

Guardiola confirmed that Rúben Dias (hamstring) is close to making his return as we head into the final few games, but the trip to West London has come a little too soon for him.

The hosts have a few more worries. Reece James (hamstring), Trevoh Chalobah (ankle), Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Filip Jörgensen (groin), and Levi Colwill (ACL) are all out.

With Fernández suspended too, Chelsea are without their captain and vice-captain, leaving a major leadership void. Cole Palmer wore the arm band against Port Vale, but his performance wasn’t the best, so it remains to be seen who will get it against City.

Prediction

We’re not expecting much from Chelsea in this one, City are a far better side, and that should show. So, we reckon it’ll be 3-0 win for Guardiola’s lads.

(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.

Joe Cole was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power.

Apr

2026

Preview: Barcelona set for derby day meeting with Espanyol

Barcelona will be looking to go 10 points clear at the top of LaLiga this weekend as they host Espanyol, their struggling cross town rivals.

By Matt Smith

Hansi Flick’s side could make it seven victories on the bounce in the league, while they’ve also won every single game at home so far this season.

Espanyol are on a dismal run, failing to win in their last 13 matches, losing to Barcelona at the start of that run.

The Catalan giants secured a 2-0 victory over Espanyol in the last meeting, scoring twice in the final five minutes to take the three points.

Team news

Barcelona will be without Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Marc Bernal who are all out injured for the home side in this one, but Frenkie de Jong is edging closer to returning to action.

The Dutch midfielder remains a doubt, but he could make the squad.

Espanyol will, once again, be without Javi Puado, who won’t play again this season.

Clemens Riedel is going to be unavailable due to suspension after he was awarded his fifth yellow card of the season in Espanyol’s previous game.

Home fortress to deliver the title

Barcelona are cruising to the Spanish title at the moment, and they’ll secure the accomplishment with games to spare if their form continues. Flick’s side now have a seven-point lead over Real Madrid in LaLiga, with Álvaro Arbeloa’s side dropping off, but Barcelona are showing no signs of slipping up at the minute, especially at home.

Barcelona have won every single game on their own turf this season, conceding just eight goals in 15 games. The Catalan side need just four more wins to go the whole campaign without dropping a single point at home.

Barcelona are Espanyol’s bogey team

It’s perhaps a harsh statement, considering the strength of Barcelona over the years, but they are undoubtedly one of Espanyol’s bogey teams. They haven’t beaten Barcelona in LaLiga since FotMob started tracking the league data, with Barcelona winning the last four meetings in a row.

They were close to securing a point when the two sides last met, with Barcelona not finding the back of the net until the 85th minute. Only two sides have had less possession than Espanyol this season, and they’ll be seeing little of the ball against one of the most dominant sides in Europe.

Rashford’s time to step up

With Raphinha on the treatment table once again, Barcelona need someone to step up on the left-hand side of attack. The Brazilian winger scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory just before the international break, but he’s now set to watch from the sidelines due to injury.

Marcus Rashford looks set to start in his place after being in the XI against Atlético Madrid in their last LaLiga meeting, and it’s time for him to step up once again.

Prediction

It would be wild to predict against a Barcelona home win considering their form this season, so we’re going for a 3-0 victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Liverpool aiming to turn a page with home game vs. Fulham

Time really is running out for Liverpool to keep their European dreams alive. A 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in mid-week likely means their run in the Champions League this season is ending at the quarter-final stage. The Reds host Fulham on Saturday evening looking to cling onto the final Champions League berth in the Premier League.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Arne Slot’s side enter this weekend looking to halt a run of three successive losses. The Reds suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, followed by a 2-0 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday. Prior to the international break, Brighton claimed a 2-1 win.

Liverpool trail fourth placed Aston Villa by five points and are just three points ahead of eighth placed Everton. A bad weekend for the Reds could genuinely see them end matchday 32 in eighth position, just two points clear of ninth-placed Fulham.

Slot’s men last won a Premier League game back in February. To say things aren’t going well would be a bit of an understatement.

Fulham, meanwhile, have proven to be a tough nut to crack this term. Marco Silva’s men have already taken points off Liverpool this season, salvaging a 2-2 draw in added time at Craven Cottage when the two sides faced off in January. They’ve also beaten Chelsea and narrowly lost to Manchester United (3-2) and Manchester City (5-4). They make life difficult for teams.

The Cottagers will fancy their chances against a Liverpool team lacking any real identity and struggling for goals. A positive Fulham result wouldn’t actually be a surprise right now.

Key Players

Expect Mohamed Salah to start after he watched on from the bench against PSG in the Champions League. The four-time Golden Boot winner sat out the last Premier League match for the Reds, the 2-1 loss to Brighton, and struggled against Manchester City in the FA Cup. He’ll want a performance on Saturday in a bid to force his way in to the XI for PSG’s trip to Anfield. After all, It could well be his final European appearance for the Reds.

For the away side, the main man is Harry Wilson. The former Liverpool youngster netted when the two teams faced off in January and he’s in the form of his career, with 10 goals and six assists in the Premier League this term. He’ll be determined to add to that haul at Anfield.

Team News

The hosts are slowly welcoming back key players, with Alexander Isak now back but remain without Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, and Giovanni Leoni.

Fulham have some concerns of their own, with Kenny Tete and Kevin Santos sidelined.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a 2-1 win for Liverpool on Saturday evening. With the Anfield crowd behind them and a host of attacking options, the Reds should have just enough quality to overcome a disciplined Fulham side and keep their top-five charge on track. They need momentum heading into the PSG clash.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Arsenal face Bournemouth in first league fixture in four weeks

Arsenal have had their ups and downs across different cup competitions over the last month, but they remain in pole position to claim the Premier League title

By Neel Shelat

Arsenal looking to bounce back after consecutive domestic defeats

Arsenal’s quadruple dreams came crashing down in the space of two matches, as their first back-to-back defeats of the season knocked them out of both domestic cup competitions. The EFL Cup final against Manchester City was always going to be a tough fixture, so the FA Cup defeat to Southampton is the more disappointing result.

A small upside of that is that it enables the Gunners to turn full attention to the two biggest competitions — the Premier League and Champions League. They showed good character to come away with a one-goal win against Sporting in Lisbon in midweek, but even bigger tests will come now as they have a tough run of fixtures coming up.

The nine-point gap at the top of the table is somewhat inflated as Manchester City have a game in hand, and with a head-to-head between the top two up next, getting a good result here will be crucial for Arsenal.

Bournemouth’s streak of draws

Bournemouth aren’t easy opponents for anyone. They haven’t lost any of their last 12 matches, meaning their previous defeat was against none other than Arsenal in the reverse fixture. Even so, the Cherries have slipped down the table lately amidst a run of five consecutive draws against all sorts of opposition.

Indeed, this tendency to draw games is what has kept Bournemouth on the fringes of the European battle rather than in the thick of it. Nearly half of their league fixtures have ended with the spoils shared as they have drawn 15 of 31 games, with only one other team (Leeds United with 12) managing more than 10.

That said, they surely wouldn’t mind coming away from London with a point on this occasion.

Team news

Arsenal are sure to be without Piero Hincapié and Mikel Merino, while Martin Ødegaard’s status is doubtful after he had to limp off in Lisbon in midweek. There’s some positive news as well, as both Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze are in contention to return to the squad at least.

Bournemouth will be without Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook and Julio Soler, while Tyler Adams’ condition is uncertain.

Key players

Kai Havertz came off the bench to score the stoppage-time winner against Sporting, so he’ll be quite keen to score in consecutive matches for the first time since January 2025. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will hope that top-scorer Eli Junior Kroupi can produce another moment of brilliance for them.

The battle down the Cherries’ right wing between lively winter signing Rayan and Arsenal left back Riccardo Calafiori is sure to be crucial going both ways. More broadly, the visitors will look to make this an end-to-end game and hope to see someone like Alex Scott get time and space on the ball, while Martín Zubimendi will have a key role to play in preventing that for Arsenal.

Prediction

Bournemouth definitely aren’t a pleasant team to face on their day, but Arsenal should have enough quality to eke out a hard-fought victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Madrid face Friday night test against Girona

Real Madrid host Girona in LaLiga as they look to desperately cling on to their chances of lifting the title come the end of the season.

By Matt Smith

Álvaro Arbeloa’s side suffered a disappointing defeat away at Mallorca last time out, meaning they sit seven points behind Barcelona.

The last time the two sides met back in November, Girona held their own with a 1-1 draw on their own turf. Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring that night, with Kylian Mbappé getting a second-half equaliser.

Team news

Federico Valverde will be available again following his suspension, but it’s Franco Mastantuono’s turn to miss out due to a ban.

Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo will also be unavailable, with the duo out injured.

Girona have a host of injury problems heading into this one.

Juan Carlos, Donny van de Beek, Portu, and Marc-André ter Stegen all remain out injured, while Daley Blind is a doubt for the away side.

Defence doesn’t win titles

Madrid can see their title hopes slipping away from them after some disappointing results in recent weeks. Despite their array of attacking talent, Madrid are drifting away from Barcelona, with their production in the final third not what it should be.

No side has conceded fewer goals than Madrid this season, while only Getafe have conceded fewer expected goals. It perhaps proves that defence doesn’t win titles, with Arbeola’s men likely to miss out on first place this term.

Girona’s low-block incoming

Especially against sides as powerful as Madrid going forward, Girona like to sit in deep and absorb the pressure, looking to hit the opposition on the counter-attack. Only Real Oviedo have won possession fewer times in the final third per 90 minutes than Girona, with Michel’s side implementing their low block.

We’re likely to see a similar style when the two sides meet this weekend, with Girona having just 40% of the ball when they went head-to-head earlier in the season.

Madrid need more from Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé has enjoyed a phenomenal season for Real Madrid, scoring 40 goals in 40 appearances. The French forward has carried the Spanish giants at times, but he’s failed to hit the same levels over the last few weeks.

In LaLiga, Mbappé has failed to produce in his last three appearances, with Madrid losing twice during that period. Mbappé is undoubtedly one of Madrid’s most important players, and when he struggles, they struggle.

Prediction

Although Madrid dropped points last time they faced Girona, they’ve been comfortable at home this season for the most part. They desperately need to turn things around, and we’re going for a comfortable 3-1 home victory in this one.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: PSG and Liverpool set for another Champions League showdown

A little more than a year on from their last meeting, the French and English league champions go head-to-head once more – but while PSG are fancied for another European title, Liverpool are barely treading water enough to qualify for the competition next season.

By Karl Matchett

Sprint finishes

Rewind the clock to the start of January 2025 and Paris Saint-Germain were top of Ligue 1, but only by seven points. They’d also stuttered in Europe in the first half of the campaign, sitting outside the top 24 with two to play – but mighty wins over Manchester City and Stuttgart sent them through and put Luis Enrique’s team into overdrive for the season run-in. By the time they hosted Liverpool in the last-16 first leg, their domestic lead had almost doubled and the front three in particular were in relentless form. Of course the quirk of that first leg is that PSG battered Liverpool but were denied by Alisson Becker – and lost the game late on. Still, a shootout saw them through back at Anfield and PSG went on to lift the European Cup, Ligue 1, and the Coupe de France, backing it all up with the Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and very nearly the Club World Cup in what was one of the great sprint finishes to a season in recent years.

This time they meet Liverpool one round further along, but there’s no doubt PSG eyes are on a similar prize haul: the league is a closer affair and they are only fourth favourites to retain the Champions League, but they retain the attacking quality to make the final two months of the campaign yet another memorable one.

Dutch courage

Meanwhile, Liverpool have floundered since last year’s exit. They wrapped up the Premier League title, true, but already form had stuttered and since going out at Anfield on penalties they’ve won just 50 per cent of their matches in all competitions across the last 13 months. Arne Slot is under huge pressure as fans vote with their feet, but add to the list under scrutiny captain Virgil van Dijk, among others, after a succession of poor games and soundbites the fans have no appetite to hear, about the squad giving up in defeat against rivals Manchester City.

Recent form

Five wins in six and seven in nine for PSG – the only side who have stopped them during that run was Monaco, twice. Liverpool have won just two in seven, against bottom club Wolves and last-round opponents Galatasaray. They’ve only won four away from home this year.

Team news

Bradley Barcola and Fabián Ruiz are the big misses for PSG while the visitors are without goalkeeper Alisson and right-back Conor Bradley – but striker Alexander Isak could return to the bench after well over three months out.

Key player

Giorgi Mamardashvili will likely need to repeat Alisson’s heroics of last year. He wasn’t at his best at the weekend as four flew past him and in four Champions League starts this term, the Georgian ranks in the bottom 13% for save percentage.

Prediction

If PSG’s visitors play anything like they did at the weekend, this tie will be over. Slot needs a huge response from his side just to make the second leg at Anfield a non-event: PSG 2-1 Liverpool.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Barcelona gear up to face Atlético Madrid for the fifth time this season

An all-Spanish Champions League quarter-final sees Barcelona take on Atlético Madrid.

By Neel Shelat

Barcelona on fire at Camp Nou

Although the delays to Camp Nou’s renovations have cost Barcelona many millions in missed revenue, they’ve certainly made the most of their return to the big venue since its partial reopening in mid-November. The Blaugrana have won all 14 of their home matches since then, including the recent 7-2 thrashing of Newcastle United in the second leg of their last Champions League tie.

All in all, Barcelona have by far the best attack in LaLiga with 80 goals scored in 30 games, while they’re a close second behind Bayern Munich in the Champions League with 30 in 10.

*Goals per match in the Champions League*

Despite some key injury-enforced absences, the reigning Spanish champions should be quite confident of being able to score enough goals to win this tie.

Atleti have the keys to unlock Barcelona’s high line

The main concern for Barcelona, as is often the case, will come at the other end of the pitch. Atlético Madrid have put 14 goals past them in their eight meetings in Hansi Flick’s tenure, including a recent 4-0 home win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.

Diego Simeone’s side are comfortable going direct and can be quite effective with their long balls. Clever runners like Julián Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone have proven themselves capable of consistently breaching Barcelona’s back line, with the latter scoring the opener in the two sides’ league encounter last weekend.

Team news

Barcelona have a few absences to contend with for this tie, most notably including star forward Raphinha who suffered a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil. Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen are also out, while Marc Bernal is a doubt after going off injured on the weekend.Atlético have a couple of returnees for this match as Jan Oblak is expected to start after sitting out on the weekend, while Marc Pubill and Rodrigo Mendoza have also returned to training. Midfielder Pablo Barrios is out, while Johnny Cardoso and José María Giménez are both listed as doubtful.

Key players

Considering the high likelihood of Barcelona’s defensive line being breached, Joan García will have to be on his A game both in terms of sweeping and shot-stopping in order to limit and thwart Atleti’s chances. Pedri is always a crucial figure in midfield thanks to his exceptional on-ball quality and ability to control tempo, while Lamine Yamal will be a key attacking threat as ever.

Julián Alvarez has been the key attacking contributor for Atlético Madrid this season, with a particularly impressive record in the Champions League as he has registered 12 goal involvements in 11 appearances. Giuliano Simeone will have a dual role to play between his attacking threat and defensive work rate tracking back, while Jan Oblak will need to bring out the best of his shot-stopping ability as his goal is sure to come under fire.

Prediction

An open and at times end-to-end encounter is to be expected between these two sides, so something like a 2-2 draw may well be on the cards.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, physical metrics, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Arsenal look to bounce back in Sporting first leg

And then there were two. Arsenal face a trip to Lisbon in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with the tension starting to mount, at the end of a season which has promised a lot.

By Ian King

Sporting are not an opponent that Arsenal can afford to take lightly

Defeat at Southampton in the FA Cup at the weekend was probably the worst preparation that Arsenal could have had for their Champions League trip to play Sporting. But while the domestic trophies were the less important aspect of their much talked about – and now extinct – quadruple and treble chances, the two pieces of silverware they really want are still up for grabs.

But while Sporting aren’t the most difficult opponents that they could be facing this week, it would be a fool’s errand to take them lightly. They’ve only lost once in the Primeira Liga all season, and that defeat came at the end of August, while their Champions League run has already seen them beat holders PSG in the group stage, while they came from 3-0 down to beat Bodø/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate in the last sixteen.

Sporting had the upper hand by the slimmest of margins, the last time these two met

It is a curious quirk of tournament football that, even though Arsenal have never lost in open play to Sporting, the last time the two sides met in the Champions League they were eliminated by them. In 2022/23, they met in the last 16 of this competition and, after a 2-2 draw in Lisbon and a 1-1 draw in London, Sporting won the resulting penalty shootout 5-3 to progress.

The two sides have only met twice, otherwise. Drawn together in the group stage of the 2018/19 Champions League, Arsenal won 1-0 in Lisbon, while the two teams played a goalless draw in London. And there was another goalless in their first ever competitive meeting, in the 1969/70 Fairs Cup, with Arsenal winning the return match 3-0.

Viktor Gyökeres has hit a good run of form at a vital time for Mikel Arteta

With 17 goals in all competitions now this season, including their equaliser at the weekend, the decision to sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting last summer is starting to bear fruit. Gyökeres’ 68 goals in 66 league appearances for them were the reason they paid so much money for him in the first place.

He also scored four in two games over the international break for Sweden – including the winning goal in the 3-2 win against Poland which sent his country to the World Cup finals – so he could be the form player that Mikel Arteta needs at a time when his team is starting to fray at the edges, a little.

The obvious danger man for Sporting is Luis Suárez (no, not that one), the Colombian striker who’s scored 33 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for them this season, including 24 in 25 appearances in the Primeira Liga. Only two other Sporting players have reached double-figures in front of goal all season. Keep Suárez quiet, and you’ve gone a long way towards keeping Sporting quiet.

Gabriel doubts have added to Arsenal’s injury woes

There was more bad news on the injury front for Arteta at the weekend, when Gabriel Maghalães limped from the pitch. He’s now a major doubt for this match. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber all missed Saturday’s match and may return. Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapié and Mikel Merino are all confirmed absentees.

Sporting have injury problems of their own. Fotis Ioannidis, Geovany Quenda and Nuno Santos are all injured, and Luis Guilherme and Ivan Fresneda are also doubtful. They’ll also be missing captain Morten Hjulmand, who’s suspended for this leg.

A trip to Sporting is no walk in the park, but Arsenal need to repeatedly show their strength of character now

Given recent results, perhaps the most important thing for Arsenal to bear in mind ahead of this fixture is that it’s only the first leg. Even if something goes wrong at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, there’s plenty of time to put things right in the return leg in North London.

But this is a test of character. No-one has ever suggested that winning silverware is easy, and Arsenal are going to face test after test over the next few weeks, and their reactions to results such as that which they suffered at St. Mary’s on Saturday are what really matter, at this point of the season.

An away match against Sporting is no walk in the park. This is, after all, a team which has only failed to score in two matches in all competitions this season – their Champions League first leg match in Norway and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, which they lost 1-0 to Benfica at the end of July – and who’ve already beaten the holders of the competition in the group stages.

In a bear-pit of a stadium, that breezy talk of them having an easy draw may not feel quite as comfortable if Sporting start on the front foot against them. I’m going to go for a 2-1 Sporting win in this first leg, and for the second leg to be another of those tight evenings in which it feels as though everything is balanced on a knife-edge.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Apr

2026

Preview: European royalty Madrid and Bayern meet in Champions League quarterfinals

No clubs have met more times in the Champions League than Real Madrid and Bayern Munich (28).

By Filip Mishov

Bayern tie turning into all-or-nothing moment for Álvaro Arbeloa

Real Madrid’s impressive five-match winning streak came to an end over the weekend with Álvaro Arbeloa‘s squad leaving Mallorca empty-handed and allowing LaLiga leaders, Barcelona, to strengthen their lead at the top (they are now seven points clear). One might argue, the March international break disrupted their momentum, but the reality is different, as Kylian Mbappé & co. created only a couple of big chances against the relegation-threatened Pirates, continuing a season long patter that has seen them produce over 35 less big chances than title rivals Barcelona. With the Champions League trophy possibly the only chance of winning silverware for Álvaro Arbeloa left this season, a failure to progress from the quarter-finals might force President Florentino Pérez in to making another coaching change over the summer.

Opponents Bayern München are on course for a treble, with Vincent Kompany boasting the highest-scoring squad (100 goals) among Europe’s top 5 leagues and moving closer to defending the Bundesliga title after mounting an incredible last-gasp comeback at Freiburg. However, despite Bayern’s exquisite season, a trip to the Bernabéu will pose a different challenge for the German champions who have not won a game in Madrid since 2001 (1D, 7L). The Bavarians have been eliminated in each of the past four knockout ties against the 15-time European champions.

Key players

Federico Valverde was sorely missed in the defeat to Mallorca with the Uruguayan’s absence felt both in terms of quality and character on the pitch, as the fearless vice-captain is setting the standard for his teammates this season. The 27-year-old scored a hat-trick in the Champions League round of 16, sending Real Madrid to the quarter-finals, and once again, the versatile midfielder’s presence and performance will be crucial, regardless of whether he’s deployed in defence or midfield.

If it were not for Harry Kane‘s extraordinary season, Michael Olise‘s performances and form would definitely receive much more deserved recognition, as the super-talented Frenchman is on 19 goals and 26 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions, which is quite remarkable. The 24-year-old is the second-highest-FotMob rated player (averaging 8.15) in the Bundesliga, only behind the England captain (8.30). No one has created more big chances (25) and recorded more league assists (18) as well as Champions League assists (5) than him this season. Álvaro Carreras has one have a hell of a task on his hands to stop the in-form winger.

Team news

Valverde will return in the starting XI after serving a one-match suspension in LaLiga and Vinícius Júnior should follow suit, but whether Éder Militao and Jude Bellingham will join them, is a conundrum for the coach. Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo remain injured.

Harry Kane missed the comeback win over the weekend and although the prolific striker travelled with the squad to Madrid, his availability is described as touch-and-go, with a final decision to be made ahead of kick-off. Aside from that issue, almost everyone else is available for the visitors.

Prediction

Real Madrid suffered a major setback in the title race back home and Arbeloa’s main focus could now be on winning a 16th Champions League title, in a bid to keep Florentino Pérez’s trust. But the fact remains, the Kings of Europe are struggling this season, and with or without Harry Kane, I expect Bayern to secure at least a draw in the first leg and improve their poor record at the Bernabéu.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.