Preview

Jan

2026

Preview: Madrid take on third placed Villarreal with one target in mind

Two of LaLiga’s top three are set to face off in this weekend’s headline fixture, which sees Real Madrid visit Villarreal.

By Neel Shelat

Goals galore in recent meetings

Villarreal have consistently been one of the most entertaining teams in LaLiga in recent seasons. They have been among the league’s top three scorers for three straight campaigns, and have not dropped out of the top five since 2019/20. Unsurprisingly, then, they have partaken in a few goal-fests against a Real Madrid side that hasn’t always been the most defensively solid.

33 goals have been scored in these teams’ last seven meetings, the most dramatic of which was an eight-goal draw in May 2024. Their styles of play, strengths and weaknesses haven’t changed a great deal since then, so another high-scoring affair may well be in the offing.

Real Madrid’s opportunity to build pressure on Barcelona

Although Real Madrid changed coaches very recently, they remain firmly in the title race. In fact, they are now just a point off the top following Barcelona’s loss to Real Sociedad last weekend.

Los Blancos have a favourable run of fixtures coming up after this one; their next match against a team in the current top six is about two months away when they host a Madrid derby. So, winning this match will be crucial for Álvaro Arbeloa’s side as they seek to keep the pressure on the defending champions.

Team news

Both sides are depleted in the defensive department for this match.

Real Madrid have been plagued with injury issues at the back all season, and they will have to continue contending with them for the time being. A full back four of Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are currently on the treatment table. Worse yet, defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is also out through a yellow card suspension.

Villarreal have been without centre-back Willy Kambwala all season due to an ACL injury, while Santiago Mouriño will miss this game through suspension. The hosts will also have to make do without a midfielder in Santi Comesaña, who saw red in last weekend’s match against Real Betis.

Rodrygo has not featured in Real Madrid’s last few matches after the Super Cup, and although he has now returned to training, his participation in this fixture remains doubtful.

Team News

Despite contending with some niggles around the turn of the year, Kylian Mbappé’s incredible form has not slowed down at all. With support from a seemingly rejuvenated Vinícius Júnior, he could well add to his season’s tally of 33 goals.

Villarreal’s top three scorers combined have fewer league goals than Mbappé this season, but that is not to diminish their threat. Alberto Moleiro is a silky operator as he likes to drift inside from the left wing, while Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze offers clever movement ahead of him. This duo will likely cause problems for a weakened Real Madrid back line.

Prediction

An entertaining match is to be expected, so both sides should be backed to score. In the end, Real Madrid might just have the individual quality to come away with all three points.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: Liverpool head to Dorset for Cherries test

You wouldn’t think it following the boos at the end of their last Premier League outing, but Liverpool are now 13 unbeaten across all competitions.

By Sam McGuire

A win on Saturday evening away at Bournemouth would ensure that they maintain possession of fourth position in the Premier League as we head into the final few months of the season.

The story so far

The Cherries started the season well, losing just one of their opening nine in the Premier League. That defeat was away at Anfield in a game they levelled up at 2-2 for a period having been 2-0 down. They eventually lost 4-2 but it was a positive showing and they carried that into their next eight matches, winning five of those.

However, they’ve won just three Premier League matches since October and are currently on a run of one win in 13 in the English top-flight. Their wheels have eventually fallen off following a summer exodus of talent. To compound the situation, top scorer and star player Antoine Semenyo left for Manchester City earlier in the month.

The underlying numbers for Andoni Iraola’s side aren’t great either, though they do rank fifth for goals per 90 (1.6). They’re 17th for goals conceded, ninth for Expected Goals, 11th for big chances while only two teams have given up a higher Expected Goals Against tally.

If results don’t go their way this weekend, they could find themselves just seven points clear of the drop zone.

Liverpool, meanwhile, haven’t been at their best this season, especially in attack, but they’ve done enough to claim fourth position and if this unbeaten run is extended, they could easily displace an out of form Manchester City (second) or an inconsistent Aston Villa (third) in the near future.

The Reds rank sixth for xG, seventh for big chances and have a surprisingly good defensive record, with only Newcastle United and Arsenal having a lower Expected Goals Against total this term.

Key Players

For Liverpool, the key players in this game could be Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah. The former leads the way for the Reds in goal involvements this term with 10 while the latter returned to the starting XI for the trip to Marseille as Arne Slot’s side romped to a 3-0 win. Neither got on the scoresheet but both had chances and looked comfortable in the 4-2-2-2 shape utilised by the away side in France.

For the hosts, all eyes will be on Eli Junior Kroupi. The young forward is now the team’s top scorer following the departure of Semenyo and he’s been a bit of a revelation for the Cherries this term with seven goals across just 646 minutes in the Premier League. The versatile forward is a real threat for Iraola’s side and has an xG per 90 average of 0.52.

Team News

Bournemouth are without a host of names. The Cherries can’t call upon the likes of Justin Kluivert, Tyler Adams, Julio Soler, Ben Gannon Doak, David Brooks and Enes Ünal.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are ruled out for the season for Liverpool while Stefan Bajčetić and Alexander Isak are out for the foreseeable future. Ibrahima Konaté is expected to miss the match after the passing of his father.

Prediction

We’re going with a 2-1 win for Liverpool.

(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

2026

Preview: Man City out to redeem themselves against Wolves

Manchester City will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat in all competitions when they host Wolves in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

By Ross Kilvington

City lost 2-0 to Manchester United last weekend to slip further behind Arsenal in the race for the league title, before losing 3-1 to Bodø/Glimt north of the Arctic Circle in midweek.

Wolves have improved of late, but the Old Gold are still favourites to suffer relegation. A few weeks ago, the outcome of this tie would have been a foregone conclusion. But perhaps not anymore.

Is Pep Guardiola’s magic running out?

After a slowish start to the campaign, City won eight successive matches between November 29 and December 27 to establish themselves as Premier League title contenders.

Since the turn of the year, however, the club have won only two matches. One of those was a 10-1 victory against Exeter City in the FA Cup, while the other was a 2-0 win over Newcastle in the League Cup.

It certainly feels as if the old Guardiola magic is beginning to wear off. Of course, the club could still win four competitions this season, but the Spaniard is relaying heavily on several players, most notably Erling Haaland. That said, the Norwegian has scored just once in his previous eight games.

Another defeat this weekend could see the pressure amplified on the manager.

Wolves eyeing the great escape

Wolves remain bottom on the Premier League table on eight points, but the club are currently on their best run of form this season.

Since a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on December 27, the Molineux side have won their first league match of the season, as well as sealing draws against Manchester United, Everton and Newcastle.

Add in an FA Cup thrashing of Shrewsbury and Rob Edwards is finally getting a tune out of his players.

At the time of writing, Wolves are still 14 points adrift of safety. A couple of wins, though, could give them plenty of momentum.

The great escape? It might be on you know.

Team news

City’s defensive crisis might be alleviated with the signing of Marc Guéhi. The £20m defender will likely start his first match for the club.

Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and John Stones are all unavailable over the coming weeks for Guardiola. Elsewhere, Savinho, Oscar Bobb and Mateo Kovačić are all absent for the clash against Wolves at the Etihad.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Toti Gomes and Leon Chiwome will all miss the trip to Manchester due to injury issues. Tawanda Chirewa is a doubt for the game, and a decision will be made on him at the last minute.

Prediction

Both sides need all three points, for differing reasons, which could make this match an exciting one to watch.

City will be aiming for their first Premier League win in 2026, but they wont have it all their own way against a resurgent Wolves outfit looking to cause an upset.

Man City 2-1 Wolves.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the Premier League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2026

Preview: Spurs get back to the Premier League grind at Burnley

After an evening’s respite of a Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund, it’s back to the torment of the Premier League for Spurs, with a trip to Turf Moor to take on relegation-threatened Burnley.

By Ian King

Dortmund offered Spurs some light relief, but Burnley could be another accident waiting to happen

Fourth in the Champions League and 14th in the Premier League, it’s been a season of two very different halves for Spurs. After last weekend’s debacle against West Ham, they bounced back with a comfortable win against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, but four straight Premier League games without a win is a run that needs to end, if Thomas Frank isn’t to be plunged back into CRISIS again.

Burnley have taken just four points from their last thirteen Premier League games and haven’t won in the League since the 26th October. Now eight points short of safety, Scott Parker’s team may well consider that a visit from Doctor Tottenham could cure what ails them, but they’re going to need another big performance, following on from their 5-1 rout of Millwall in the FA Cup and their 1-1 draw at Anfield last week if they’re going to secure a win.

*Follow @fotmobapp on Instagram for more news and topical stat graphics*

Burnley’s recent record in this fixture is wretched

Burnley fans hoping that they can start turning their season around in this fixture should probably avoid looking at the head-to-head record between the two sides. They’ve only won twice in their last 21 meetings, a record which stretches back 16 years, while Spurs won the previous meeting between these two teams this season 3-0 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They’ve won just once there in the league since.

Dominic Solanke is back from injury again… but for how long?

Dominic Solanke returned with a goal for Spurs on Tuesday night, the post-goal celebrations for which indicated that the player was fully aware that he’d got a little lucky. But his overall performance demonstrated the sort of movement and link-up play that his team have been missing in his absence. The problem is, of course, that we’ve all been here before with Solanke. The hope is that he’ll stay fit this time, but… will he?

Spurs academy product Marcus Edwards scored his first Burnley goal of the season at Anfield last week in his 12th League appearance of 2025/26 for the Clarets, though the first eight of those came from the bench. Scott Parker will likely start him again, since there has been a marked improvement in the team’s performances since he made his first start of the season against Everton at the end of last year.

The Spurs injury crisis has deepened still further, but Burnley also have plenty of absentees of their own

Spurs’ injury list continues to grow, with Lucas Bergvall joining it yet again after picking up an injury against Dortmund. Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees.

Yves Bissouma is back from AFCON duties with Mali and may even get a start, such is the state of the injury list, but Pape Sarr was taken to hospital after falling ill during the final between Senegal and Morocco, and won’t be available. João Palhinha is touch and go. Wilson Odobert may start against his former club.

Burnley have a fairly extensive injury list of their own. Josh Cullen, Zeki Amdouni, Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer and Mike Tresor are all medium or long-term absentees, while Joe Worrall and Zian Flemming have both trained this week, but may not be available to start.

Spurs need to turn their form around to avoid slipping into a relegation fight for which they seem particularly ill-equipped

Beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League may have offered Spurs some light relief from their recent calamities in the Premier League, but that doesn’t alter the fact that the team have been showing signs of sliding towards a relegation battle for which they seem particularly ill-equipped. Wolves have started picking up points at the foot of the table, and unless Spurs can start to do so themselves, the gap between them and the bottom three only seems likely to shrink.

Although they remain without a league win since October, Burnley are improving. They’ve picked up four draws from their last six matches, and that included games against Manchester United and Liverpool. The supine nature of some of their performances this season has started to morph into something more solid; most of the media attention last weekend was on Liverpool, but the Clarets’ performance at Anfield was a substantial improvement. Their battle to avoid the drop certainly isn’t quite over yet.

But Spurs’ away form is substantially better than their home form. They’ve only lost three away Premier League games all season, as though playing in front of their own supporters has been more traumatic for them than going on their travels. Both teams need a result from this match, and I suspect that they will end up cancelling each other out.

I’ll go for a 1-1 draw; another glimmer of light for Burnley, and yet another sign that the end could soon be coming for the still-embattled Spurs head coach.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jan

2026

Preview: Czech league leaders Slavia host Barca in the Champions League

Barcelona will be hoping to climb into the top eight of the Champions League this week, as they travel to Slavia Prague, who are yet to win in the competition this campaign.

By Matt Smith

This is the first meeting between the two sides since 2019, when Slavia pulled off an impressive 0-0 draw in the Champions League group-stage.

*The Barcelona side last time they faced Slavia Prague*

Team news

Slavia Prague have enjoyed a lengthy break of late, not playing a competitive game in over a month. As a result, there are no fresh injury concerns for the home side, but they will be without both Matous Srb and Dominik Javorček.

Meanwhile, Barcelona will be without a host of players ahead of this game. Gavi and Andreas Christensen remain out, while Raphinha is in a race against time to be fit. Lamine Yamal is unavailable due to suspension after his yellow card last time out.

Slavia Prague dismal in front of goal

It’s been a disappointing European campaign for Slavia Prague so far. Back home they remain unbeaten after 19 games and top the Czech league by seven points but they are still searching for their first win in the Champions League. The Czech outfit have scored just twice all campaign, fewer than any other side.

It’s hardly a coincidence that Slavia are struggling to find the back of the net, struggling from a creativity standpoint. They’ve created just five big chances all campaign, once again, fewer than any other team in the competition.

Barcelona must sort it out defensively

Barcelona’s attacking options have bailed them out on a host of occasions in the Champions League this season. Defensively, Hansi Flick’s side haven’t been good enough, conceding 1.8 goals per game on average, ranking them 20th in the competition.

Barcelona will be desperate to finish in the top eight of the league phase of the Champions League, and a win against Slavia will give them a great chance. Thankfully for them, they might get away with their defensive frailties this week, with the home side struggling in front of goal.

Rashford’s time to shine

With Yamal unavailable for this one, Flick will be looking for someone to make the difference in the final third. Marcus Rashford has started on the bench in Barcelona’s last two Champions League matches, but he could be given the opportunity to impress in the XI this week.

The England international has provided six goals and assists in just four starts in the competition this term, and there’s a good chance he could be the difference for the away side heading into this game.

In fact, only three players have provided more goals and assists combined in the Champions League this campaign than Rashford, despite his lack of starts in the competition.

Prediction

Given Slavia Prague’s struggles in front of goal, it’s difficult to see them scoring against one of the best sides in Europe on their day. Barcelona have plenty of quality in the final third, so we’re going for a 3-0 victory to the Catalan giants.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Liverpool head to the Velodrome for Marseille clash

Liverpool, somehow, find themselves on a 12 match unbeaten run ahead of their Champions League match against Marseille. The Reds, however, have drawn half of these games and aren’t exactly playing the best football right now. The trip to France to face Roberto De Zerbi’s in-form team is going to be a big test for the reigning Premier League champions.

By Sam McGuire

Match context

t’s been all or nothing for Liverpool this term. They went from winning every single game, seven across all competitions, to losing nine of their next 12. Arne Slot then switched things around in an attempt to make his side a little more robust defensively. The result? Six wins and six draws. At a glance, the Dutch coach has managed to turn things around. However, this run has been underwhelming, with the Reds dropping points to Leeds United (twice), Burnley, Sunderland and Fulham while managing narrow wins over Spurs and Wolves.

On paper, this was supposed to be when this team got their season back on track. Instead, they’ve taken 18 points from 30 and find themselves 14 points off of leaders Arsenal.

By comparison, Marseille are just eight points behind leaders Lens in Ligue 1. The Expected Points table actually has them in second position, five points off of PSG. De Zerbi has his side playing decent football. They’re the top scorers in the French league, rank second for Expected Goals and are second for xG difference (+12). They are title contenders.

In the Champions League though, they’ve been a little more inconsistent. OM have won three and lost three of their six so far, losing to Real Madrid, Sporting and Atalanta while managing to defeat Ajax, Newcastle and Union St.Gilloise. There have been question marks over Marseille’s mentality in the big games, so it’ll be interesting to see how they do against the Reds on Wednesday.

Key Players

For the hosts, Mason Greenwood has been their standout performer this term with 12 goals in Ligue 1 and three assists. He has five goal involvements in the Champions League but trails Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the competition with the former Arsenal man scoring three and assisting four in his appearances this term.

For the Reds, the man in form is Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old continued his goalscoring run on Saturday with a goal against Burnley. He now has four goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Liverpool. Hugo Ekitike continues to be a bright spark in the forward line alongside the German playmaker. Though with Mohamed Salah now back from AFCON, the focus will be on whether the No. 7 retains his position as the key cog in the attack for Slot’s side or whether he adopts more of a second in command role.

Team News

Benjamin Pavard isn’t expected to make the cut for the game on Wednesday evening for the Ligue 1 side while Liverpool are without long-term absentees Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Stefan Bajčetić for the trip.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a 1-1 draw.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Chelsea host Pafos in penultimate Champions League game

Cypriot champions Pafos FC head to Stamford Bridge for one of the biggest games in the club’s history on Wednesday. Could a monumental Champions League upset be on the cards, or will Chelsea prove to be too strong?

By Alex Roberts

Enzo Maresca was in charge the last time Chelsea played in the Champions League, overseeing a really disappointing and impotent 2-1 defeat to Italian side Atalanta. It was one of the games that had fans starting to turn.

Pafos also faced Italian opposition in the previous round of fixtures, and although they certainly had their chances against Juventus, they couldn’t take them, and Luciano Spalletti’s side ended up as 2-0 winners.

A cruel twist of fate

David Luiz has bounced around since leaving Chelsea for a second time back in 2019. First, joining Arsenal, then heading back to Brazil to play for Flamengo and Fortaleza, and now finding himself with Pafos at the ripe old age of 38.

His time in West London was endearingly erratic, his long curly hair bouncing as he either made a mistake or scored a sensational goal to win a game. It’s unfair to label Luiz as a cult hero, he was much better than that.

The veteran defender has been a fine addition since he joined Pafos, he even managed to bag a goal in their 2-2 draw with Ligue 1 side Monaco. He will unfortunately miss this one after picking up an injury in their 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos Nicosia over the weekend.

Another first for Liam Rosenior

Rosenior’s first four games as Chelsea manager have all come in different competitions, winning his Premier League and FA Cup debuts, but falling to a 3-2 defeat in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Losing to Arsenal would have been disappointing, but Rosenior hasn’t really put a foot wrong since he joined. A game against Pafos as his first in Europe’s elite club competition is kind, but still important to help build momentum.

Chelsea currently sit in the play-offs, two points off the top eight with just two games left to play, so it’s not impossible for them to avoid a potentially devastating and totally avoidable two-legged clash. Finishing in the automatics would be a major success.

Team news

Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernández is the latest player to catch the illness bug that’s been affecting Chelsea players over the past week or so, but Estêvão and Jamie Gittens are back and could feature.

Tosin Adarabioyo was substituted in the 2-0 win over Brentford with an apparent hamstring injury and is now a doubt for this one. Malo Gusto (knock) is also expected to miss the game, while Roméo Lavia (thigh) and Levi Colwill (ACL) are still nowhere to be seen.

As we mentioned, Luiz is very unlikely to feature and it got even worse for Pafos in their most recent defeat, when his replacement David Goldar was also substituted due to a physical issue.

Pafos’ central defender injury crisis means they’re also going to be without Pedrao (knee), with Derrick Luckassen and Kostas Pileas the most likely players to feature at the heart of their defence. Winger João Correia is also a doubt.

Prediction

Anything other than Chelsea win here would be a major shock, especially considering Pafos’ defensive injury crisis, so we’re going with a 3-0 home victory.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Underfire Frank prepares Tottenham for Dortmund clash

Tottenham host Borussia Dortmund in their seventh game of the Champions League group phase, with Thomas Frank desperately attempting to turn things around to try and save his job.

By Matt Smith

The two sides sit on the same number of points heading into this one, and they face each other for the first time since 2019, when Spurs secured a 1-0 victory away from home in the Champions League.

Team news

Spurs are set to be without a host of players for this one, with Frank recently confirming that João Palhinha is the latest to join the lengthy injury list. Micky van de Ven also misses out due to suspension, while Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pape Sarr are among those also sitting on the treatment table.

As for Dortmund, Marcel Sabitzer should be the only injury concern for the away side, with the midfielder not set to return until next month.

Tottenham struggling in attack in Europe

Spurs have struggled to create in the Champions League so far this season, which is not too dissimilar to their Premier League form. The north London outfit have created just 10.7 expected goals, ranking them in 17th place in the competition.

Although their last game in the competition saw them win convincingly 3-0 against Slavia Prague, the result on paper lacks plenty of context. Two of Tottenham’s goals came from the penalty spot, while the other was an own goal by Slavia Prague defender David Zima. Frank’s side will have to step it up against stronger opposition this week.

Dortmund free-flowing in attack

On the flip side to Tottenham, Dortmund have looked lethal in the final third in the Champions League this campaign. The German outfit have scored 3.2 goals per game on average, with no side managing more this season.

The defensive side of their game has let them down, conceding 2.2 goals per game, ranking them 26th in the league phase. Their last victory on the road against Spurs came all the way back in 2016, beating them 2-1 in the Europa League.

Solanke’s time to shine

Spurs have recently been boosted by the return of Dominic Solanke this month, and with Richarlison out injured, he could have a strong chance of leading the line. The English forward is yet to feature in the Champions League this term, but the game against Dortmund could be an opportunity to kickstart his campaign.

*Solanke’s season summary since joining Spurs*

In the Europa League last season, Solanke contributed with nine goals and assists in just eight starts as Spurs went on to lift the trophy. Whether he can replicate that in Europe’s elite club competition, remains to be seen.

Prediction

Tottenham’s home form has been their Achilles heel this season, giving Dortmund a real opportunity to come away with the three points. We’re going for a narrow 1-0 victory to the Bundesliga side.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: The Premier League leaders travel to the team top of Serie A in the Champions League

Two of the Champions League’s top six meet in the penultimate gameweek – yet there’s still a lot of jeopardy around Inter Milan in particular to reach the last 16.

By Karl Matchett

With six wins from six it’s a perfect scenario for Arsenal to resume their European campaign from, but they’ll know from this time last year – domestic rivals Liverpool having a perfect run before going out in the last 16 – that it’s far from conclusive over potential glory come May. Even so they head to Milan with some security in their pocket, which is more than can be said for their hosts.

Two-game turnaround

Inter look well-placed on the face of things. Sixth in the table, ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool on goal difference…but it’s far from outrageous to suggest last year’s beaten finalists might take nothing at all from their final two games. They’ve already been beaten by Liverpool on home soil, so Arsenal could feasibly do the same; fast forward to the final round of fixtures and Inter are away to Borussia Dortmund, just one point further back in the table and who have only lost once at home all season.

As such, 12 points now is nowhere near enough to guarantee passage to the last-16, and was in fact only just about enough to manage top 24 last year (11). It’s imperative they find something from this clash then, if only to settle qualification nerves.

Free hit

By contrast, there’s no real pressure on Arsenal to go all-in on keeping up the 100 per cent record. Home to bottom club Kairat in the last match, the Gunners are already all-but-assured of finishing first in the league stage barring any shocks. It might, therefore, be a game Mikel Arteta opts to rotate a little as they battle on four fronts – especially given the senior depth available in some positions.

Recent form

Ignoring a penalty shootout defeat which was a draw in normal time, Inter are unbeaten in eight in all competitions since losing to Liverpool in early December. It’s 11 since Arsenal lost to Aston Villa around the same time. The Italians have kept three clean sheets in their last four; the Gunners have failed to score twice in the same period.

Team news

Denzel Dumfries and Hakan Çalhanoğlu are the big absentees for the hosts, both missing until after the league phase is finished.

Arsenal will be without Piero Hincapié but otherwise have a big squad available to Arteta to choose from – Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will both be hoping for a start in attack after injuries, given Viktor Gyökeres’ ongoing indifferent form.

Key players

Lautaro Martínez might be one of the few capable of unlocking either one of these notoriously tight defences; he has four goals in Europe this term placing him above 93% of forwards for non-penalty xG, and above 92% for shots on target.

Prediction

A hard-fought game which neither want to lose…and which neither will: Inter 1-1 Arsenal.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Manchester City head to Arctic Circle for Bodø/Glimt test

Manchester City can take a huge step to the Champions League knockout rounds if they win in North Norway on Tuesday – but they’ll have to mount a much-improved display from the weekend defeat in the Derby.

By Karl Matchett

Pep Guardiola’s side were utterly railroaded by their local rivals in the Premier League on Saturday, physically and outmatched – not often an assessment laid at the doorstep of that team, under this manager. In the end, though, they were lucky it was only a 2-0 defeat and a big step up in application will be demanded by the manager – especially given the uncertainty around their opponents.

Fresh or frozen?

Bodø/Glimt have only failed to win four of their last 13 home games, holding Tottenham to a draw but losing to Juventus and Monaco in Europe this term. However, Guardiola will be wondering if they are undercooked or raring to go – the summer calendar means Norwegian teams are out of season right now, with Glimt having ended their 2025 campaign by finishing one point behind title winners Viking at the end of November. There has only been one further game since then in Europe, so they are without a competitive fixture in 40 days. The new league season doesn’t start until March, so fatigue certainly won’t be a problem to start – but might be to finish.

Mid-season stutter

The last time Man City beat a team in the Premier League placed higher than 17th was over a month ago. They have had decent cup wins since – Newcastle in an EFL semi-final and ten past minnows Exeter – but in league terms it’s four without a win, losing ground in the title race, and in Europe the shock home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen isn’t out of memory yet either. It’s a bad time for silverware hopefuls to be losing their consistency and cohesion, and while a spate of injury issues doesn’t help, they also have one of the best pools of talent to call upon anywhere in the continent – as well as adding Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi for an £85m mid-season boost. It’s time to deliver.

Recent form

There has been no ‘recent’ competitive action for Glimt, as mentioned, but they need to pull off a win here to have a prayer of reaching the playoffs. They are 32nd with three points and no wins. City have won two of the last six but competitions are muddled right now. In Europe they are fourth and a win here will almost guarantee the last 16.

Team news

Haitam Aleesami has a hamstring issue and Jostein Gundersen is suspended for the hosts.

City are without Savinho, John Stones, Mateo Kovačić, Joško Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, Nico González and Oscar Bobb. Bernardo Silva is suspended and it’s unclear if Omar Marmoush will be in the squad after AFCON duty finished at the weekend.

Key players

City have to get Erling Haaland firing again for any chance of success in this competition or domestically. He has scored one goal since 20 December, a full month ago. The competition’s worst defence by xG conceded (17.2) may help remedy that. Haaland has six goals in five starts in the Champions League.

Prediction

Nothing spectacular but City should get the job done: Bodø/Glimt 0-2 Man City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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