Preview

Dec

2025

Preview: A beleaguered Xabi Alonso takes his Madrid side to Deportivo Alavés

Alaves play host to a Real Madrid side this weekend who have won just two of their previous eight matches in all competitions.

By Ross Kilvington

With Xabi Alonso coming under intense scrutiny following this dismal run of form, a defeat at the Estadio de Mendizorrotza on Sunday evening in LaLiga could spell the end of the Spaniard at the Bernabéu.

Xabi Alonso is on borrowed time at Real Madrid

Following an impressive start to life at Real Madrid, it looked as though Alonso was the right man to lead the club into a new era.

Ten LaLiga wins from his opening 11 matches had Los Blancos top of the league and seemingly cruising.

Since a 1-0 loss to Liverpool at the start of November, however, things have unravelled fairly quickly.

A 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo last weekend was followed by another, this time against Man City in the Champions League.

Two wins from eight. The Real hierarchy have a scattergun approach to firing managers. Remember Vicente Del Bosque being sacked after twice winning the Champions League and LaLiga between 2000-2003?

Defeat against Alavés will likely be the final nail in his coffin, that’s for sure.

Alavés are on a decent run of form

Alavés started the weekend in 11th place in LaLiga after winning five of their 15 league games this season.

The club are currently on a two-game winning streak, defeating Real Sociedad last weekend, just days after securing a passage into the next round of the Copa del Rey.

Carlos Vicente, top scorer this season with six goals, could by a thorn in the side of Real, who have a defence decimated by injuries.

He has scored against Sevilla and Atlético Madrid so far in LaLiga along with registering six goal contributions across just two domestic cup ties.

Team news

The home side will be without the services of midfielder Jon Guridi and defender Nikola Maraš for this clash against Real.

Facundo Garcés is also unavailable, but he is only suspended rather than suffering with any kind of injury.

Alonso, on the other hand, has a severe injury crisis on his hands. Against Man City, he was missing a total of eight defenders.

At the time of writing, 48 hours ahead of the Alavés tie, Kylian Mbappé is a major doubt having been an unused sub in midweek. Dean Huijsen, Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba are also doubts.

Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal are definitely missing.

To make matters even worse, Endrick, Álvaro Carreras and Fran García are all suspended.

It would be impressive if Alonso was able to get a functional starting XI on the pitch this weekend.

Prediction

Surely this dismal run of form has to end soon for Real? Weeks ago, this tie would have been a foregone conclusion, not now, especially with eight players definitely out either via injury or suspension.

If the likes of Mbappé and Huijsen are available, it would be a significant boost for Alonso and Madrid should secure just a second league win since the start of November.

Will it be enough to keep him in the job, however? Time will tell.

Score prediction: Alavés 1-2 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2025

Preview: Barcelona look to press home their advantage vs. Osasuna

Barcelona host Osasuna on Saturday afternoon as they hope to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga.

By Matt Smith

Osasuna will be searching for their first goal away at Barcelona since 2020, when they secured a 2-1 victory.

These two sides met back in March, and it was Barcelona who took the three points with a comfortable home victory. Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo bagged the goals that day.

Team news

Barcelona will, once again, be without Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Ronald Araújo. Other than that, Hansi Flick could have a fully fit squad to choose from for this game, as they look to continue their impressive run of form.

Iker Benito will be unavailable for Osasuna for this one as he continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury. Other than that, there shouldn’t be any fresh injury concerns for the away side.

The best form of defence is attack

Barcelona are sitting comfortably at the top of the table, with a four-point gap over second-place Real Madrid. Flick’s side have been far from perfect, however, with no team in the top half conceding more goals than them this season.

*Barcelona have conceded the 6th highest xG in LaLiga*

Barcelona have conceded an incredible number of chances, considering they are top of the table, but their phenomenal attack has papered over the cracks. The Catalan outfit have scored 2.9 goals per game on average and are one of the most exciting teams to watch in Europe, so I’m not sure Flick will be too disheartened at their defensive record.

Creativity is Osasuna’s Achilles heel

For a side battling towards the bottom, Osasuna have looked resolute defensively, but it’s the other end of the pitch where their difficulties lie. They’ve created just 21 big chances in the league this season, with only Sevilla creating fewer, scoring 14 times along the way.

Defensively, Osasuna have looked solid, conceding just 1.2 goals per game, fewer than their opponents Barcelona. However, as mentioned, they’ve been let down going forward, which means they sit in 15th place heading into the weekend.

Ferran Torres a surprise package

Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Marcus Rashford often get the plaudits for Barcelona’s strong attacking display, but Ferran Torres’ performances have gone under the radar. Of late, the Spanish forward has struck four times in the last three games, taking his goal tally to 13 for the season (all comps).

Torres is currently Barcelona’s top goalscorer with 11 goals in LaLiga, three more than veteran striker Robert Lewandowski. After being in and out of the side under Flick, Torres could now have made the striker position his own.

Prediction

It’s difficult to see past a Barcelona victory, considering their form and their impressive record at home to Osasuna. We’re going for a 3-1 win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2025

Preview: Top meets bottom as Arsenal host Wolves

Arsenal host Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening, as Mikel Arteta’s side look to bounce back from a disappointing result away to Aston Villa. Rob Edwards’ side are still searching for their first victory of the campaign, with relegation a serious threat if their form continues.

By Matt Smith

The last meeting between the two sides saw plenty of drama, with both João Gomes and Myles Lewis-Skelly being sent off. Riccardo Calafiori grabbed a second-half winner to secure a 1-0 victory for the Gunners.

Team news

Providing an update to the media on Arsenal’s current injury situation, Arteta was cautious about confirming whether some of his stars would return. Declan Rice, William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Jurrien Timber all have a chance of making it, but Arteta wasn’t guaranteeing anything.

Wolves boss Edwards has confirmed that Jean-Ricner Bellegarde will be unavailable for the away side, and he’s expected to be out for over six weeks due to a hamstring injury. João Gomes will be available again following his suspension.

Arsenal remain phenomenal defensively

Although the Gunners spent significantly to improve their attacking options during the summer transfer window, it’s still their defensive solidity that is the most impressive. Arsenal have conceded just 9.5 expected goals this season, comfortably fewer than any other side in the Premier League.

The north London club have seen their form dip in recent weeks, picking up just two wins from their previous five games in the Premier League. Considering they face bottom-side Wolves this weekend, they’ll fancy their chances to get back on track.

Not much to shout about for Wolves

There’s no beating around the bush when it comes to discussing Wolves this season, as there’s very little positivity surrounding the club at the moment. To still be searching for their first win when Christmas is only two weeks away is a major concern, and it doesn’t get any easier this weekend against Arsenal.

Wolves aren’t sitting at the bottom by accident, with Edwards’ side conceding more goals and scoring fewer than any other side in the Premier League. Vitor Pereira was relieved of his duties earlier in the campaign, and we’ve seen little improvement under Edwards’ tutelage since then.

Declan Rice in the engine room

Although the defence of Arsenal has received plenty of the plaudits, while attackers also receive a lot of the limelight, Declan Rice has been a key cog in Arteta’s machine this season. An all-action midfielder, Rice has developed into a goalscoring and creative threat for the Gunners.

*Rice’s passing stats in the Premier League this season*

With attacking data that a winger would be proud of, Rice is also crucial for Arsenal defensively, and he’s an incredibly reliable option in the middle of the park for Arsenal. Wolves will have to be wary of his threat from deep this weekend, with his bursting runs and ball-carrying ability.

Prediction

Wolves will eventually find three points, but unfortunately for them, it’s unlikely to be this weekend. 3-0 Arsenal is our prediction.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Dec

2025

Preview: Liverpool host Brighton in key pre-Christmas test for Arne Slot

A 3pm kick-off at Anfield against Brighton in mid-December shouldn’t feel like a make-or-break match for Liverpool. In normal circumstances, it likely wouldn’t be. Right now though, it is.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Liverpool started the season in perfect form, picking up five wins from five. Since then, the Premier League champions have won just two of 10 in the English top-flight. The Reds trail leaders Arsenal by 10 points and find themselves behind the likes of Sunderland, Everton and Manchester United in the table.

It’s safe to say things haven’t gone to plan for Arne Slot’s side. And then Mohamed Salah poured petrol on the bonfire last weekend after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United, claiming he’s been thrown under the bus by the club and someone wants him to leave.

As a consequence, he was dropped from the matchday squad for the Champions League game with Inter. Recent reports have claimed he will be back in the squad for the visit of the Seagulls, prior to heading off to Morocco to represent Egypt at the AFCON.

With Cody Gakpo injured, and with Salah ostracised, the Reds would have been down to the bare bones in attack. Slot was forced into using a 4-4-2 diamond against Inter and he might have to retain that shape against Brighton on Saturday.

Liverpool have struggled at Anfield this season, winning four from seven on home turf and ranking 12th in the home table. The Reds are then 16th in the form table with five points from their last five matches.

Brighton are doing a little better with eight points during this period. The Seagulls have won just two on the road this term but have only lost three times. Fabian Hürzeler’s side have the third best attack in the Premier League, averaging 1.7 goals per 90, though they do rank seventh for xG and eighth for big chances created. Their season has been built on a fairly solid defence, giving up chances worth just 19.5 Expected Goals across their 15 matches.

The Seagulls have been inconsistent, however, in terms of results. They won just two of their opening seven but have won four of the last eight and lost just twice during this period, 4-2 against Manchester United and 4-3 against Aston Villa. They’ve beaten Manchester City and Chelsea this season too, so they can threaten superior teams. But then they’d also drawn with Wolves and West Ham.

You never know what you’re going to get from them.

Key Players

For the visitors, it’ll be Danny Welbeck. The 35-year-old has even Premier League goals for the Seagulls this season, though he has blanked in his last three outings. He doesn’t have the best record against the Reds, with three goals from 26 outings, but one of those did arrive at Anfield in March 2024.

For the hosts, the key player position is up for grabs with Salah missing. If Florian Wirtz returns to the starting XI, expect him to play a big part on Saturday. He’s yet to score or assist in the Premier League but he looked good against Inter on Wednesday and could carry that momentum into this game.

Team News

Liverpool are without Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni, Cody Gakpo and Stefan Bajčetić. Federico Chiesa could well return from illness and there’s still no decision, at the time of writing, over what might happen with Salah.

Hürzeler is without Adam Webster and Solly March. Everyone else appears to be available for the trip to Merseyside.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a narrow 2-1 win for Liverpool. The hosts are unbeaten in four and have a point to prove right now.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2025

Preview: Chelsea and Everton jockey for position in top six

After three away games, drawing one and losing the other two, Chelsea are back at Stamford Bridge for the first time in December, hosting David Moyes’ in-form Everton as they chase a desperately needed win.

By Alex Roberts

The pressure is piling on Enzo Maresca as his side hit their annual festive period slump with Chelsea currently sit in fifth with 25 points, six worse off than they were at this point last season.

Everton, on the other hand, are loving life at the moment, bagging four wins from their last five games, a victory here would see them go above Chelsea and into the top four, for a little while at least.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has a point to prove

The midfielder left Chelsea for Everton in the summer having spent just a single season in West London. Now settled at a club that clearly value him, Dewsbury-Hall is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League.

Three goals and one assist in his last five games, including the decider in their dramatic and narrative filled 1-0 win over Man United has undoubtedly filled him with confidence as he heads to his old stomping ground.

At Everton, he’s become a complete midfielder. Dewsbury-Hall has created 20 chances, a pass accuracy rate of 83.3% but he’s also putting in a shift defensively, winning 25 tackles, winning possession in the final third 12 times, and making 55 recoveries.

Considering the form he’s in; Chelsea will have their hands full against their old player.

*For more graphics like this, follow @fotmobapp on Instagram*

Garnacho could hold the key for Chelsea

The winger has been one of the main victims of Maresca’s constant rotation. Alejandro Garnacho has started just six of his nine Premier League games, but in those games, he’s easily been one of Chelsea’s brightest stars.

Last time out, the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, he lasted 77 minutes before Maresca hooked him. He hit the woodwork and was even the catalyst for Chelsea’s best chance, floating the ball into Malo Gusto, who nodded it down for Marc Guiu, who just wasn’t alert to the situation.

One of the most frustrating things about Garnacho’s time at Chelsea so far is the fact he hasn’t been allowed to truly build any momentum. Perhaps a more settled starting eleven with Garnacho in the side would help settle things down.

Team news

This is Moisés Caicedo’s third and final game of his suspension, and Chelsea will be praying it doesn’t happen again any time soon, the midfielder has been a huge miss for them over the past couple of weeks.

Wesley Fofana suffered a freak eye injury in the 2-1 defeat to Atalanta, but Maresca remains hopeful the Frenchman could feature alongside Trevoh Chalobah here. Reece James may drop to the bench having played the full 90 minutes midweek.

Liam Delap (shoulder), Levi Colwill (knee), Roméo Lavia, Dário Essugo (both thigh) are all out.

As for Everton, Seamus Coleman and Jarrad Branthwaite are both still out with hamstring injuries, while Merlin Röhl (hernia) remains sidelined. Midfield duo Idrissa Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam are both available to return after serving suspensions.

Prediction

Chelsea have a pretty good record against Everton, not losing to them since 2023, but they’re so out of form right now, it’s hard to see them win this one. We’re going with 2-1 to Everton.

(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.

Dec

2025

Preview: Real Madrid and Man City set for meet for fifth successive season in the UCL

One promising Spanish manager could be on the brink of seeing his big job taken away, as Real Madrid demand an overdue win. Standing in his way, perhaps the greatest of all the Spanish tacticians.

By Karl Matchett

On the brink

It was all going so well for Xabi Alonso, but a run of non-victories only ever means one thing at the Santiago Bernabéu: crisis talk. Local headlines suggest the former Leverkusen boss has one match – this match against Manchester City, of all teams – to keep himself in the hotseat. It might have been different had every other Champions League result been more favourable at least, more time allowed for a legend in his playing days to put more of his own emphasis on the side as a coach. But Real have never been known for incredible patience and it already looks like Alonso is on borrowed time. One big issue has been that he has lost the big games: PSG in the Club World Cup, Atlético in the derby, Liverpool in the Champions League. A narrow win in El Clásico isn’t enough for this demanding club.

Resurgence

For his opposite number it must feel surreal; Pep Guardiola saw his City side fail badly last term but has been allowed to restock and rebuild. While they are perhaps still not in completely top gear, the signs are there that consistency is close to returning, the inexorable City machine ramping up for another multi-title tilt.

With all that going on you could be forgiven for being surprised at which team is top eight after four wins in five in Europe, but Real head into the game sixth to City’s 12th. If they don’t end it above them, change is probably in the offing.

Recent form

Two wins in seven simply isn’t Real Madrid form and Xabi Alonso has no credit in the bank at this club, despite 13 wins in 14 across all competitions right before this bad run started. A 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo at the weekend was decidedly not ideal preparation. Man City have won three in a row since back-to-back defeats, while they have three wins and a draw in Europe as well as the loss last time out to Alonso’s former club, Bayer Leverkusen.

*H2H results in the Champions League, including last season’s play-off tie*

Team news

A full defensive line is out for Real with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy injured. Eduardo Camavinga is a doubt too.

City are missing Rodri, John Stones and Mateo Kovačić.

Key player

Let all the attackers do their thing, sure (see below) – but you have to stop the opposition. Aurélien Tchouaméni has been playing at centre-back this term when needed which will skew his stats somewhat but he’s an elite ball-winner all the same back in midfield, with a 71% duel win ratio in LaLiga ranking him top in that regard. He’ll need that trait many times over in midweek.

Prediction

Real will raise their game when the stakes are high but it might only be prolonging the inevitable: Real Madrid 3 Man City 2.

(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.

Dec

2025

Preview: Arsenal head to Club Brugge looking to make it six wins from six

Arsenal will look to continue their perfect Champions League form when they head to Club Brugge in midweek, knowing another win will surely guarantee them a top-eight finish.

By Karl Matchett

A team made for Europe?

Arsenal had a pretty spectacular run of form which makes it feel like they should be runaway champions elect in the Premier League, yet they’ve stuttered when they should have sprinted. As such they’re only two points clear and currently on course for a very middling 84 points – nowhere near enough to land a title if Man City click into gear. But in Europe, it might be a very, very different story.

Mikel Arteta’s team are resolute defensively, experts at set plays and can dominate patiently without breaking their shape, even if they don’t break down an opponent. It might well see this Gunners team perfectly set up to go the distance in the competition this term, though of course top spot – as they had at the start of Matchday 6 – in the league phase guarantees little in the knockouts. Even so, the squad depth is tremendous and there’s already talk of January additions – a first ever Champions League title must be high on the agenda.

Stuck between versions

As for Club Brugge, this may go down as a season of transition. They are not the dominant force of Belgian football who have finished first in four years out of five, and second the other year – after being runners-up last term, they haven’t managed to respond strongly and sit third this time around so far. While not disastrous, especially if they muster enough points together to scrape a top-24 finish in this Champions League phase, many of their young talents clearly need another year or two to develop: Aleksandar Stanković, Carlos Forbs, Joaquin Seys, Joel Ordóñez, Jorne Spileers and Nicolo Tresoldi have all played over 800 league minutes already; all are aged 21 or younger. To add to the uncertainty, they’ve sacked Nicky Hayen and reappointed former boss Ivan Leko on the eve of the clash.

Recent results

Just one win in six has the hosts well out of form, with four defeats in the last five. At home they were near-perfect until the start of November but it has gone wonky since. That said, Arsenal are three without a win away from home and have just two wins in five domestically. All the same, five wins from five in Europe tells its own story.

Team news

Brugge have a horrid list of absentees including both senior goalkeepers, meaning third choice Dani van den Heuvel will continue in net. Ludovit Reis, Spileers and Romeo Vermant are among the other big misses.

For Arsenal it’s still centre-back pairing Gabriel and William Saliba who are the main injury misses, but Cristhian Mosquera has now joined them and Leandro Trossard is also out.

Key player

It’s hard to look past Mikel Merino at the moment, as he keeps popping up with goals. He continues to offer a bizarre collection of all-round traits: above 95% of similar players in the Premier League for expected assists per 90, touches and interceptions, and above a full 100% for tackles. Compared to centre-forwards (since he’s playing there) over the last year he’s above only two-thirds for goals, yet all of them for defensive contributions.

Prediction

Arsenal to get back to winning ways thanks to set-piece prowess in a low-key encounter: Club Brugge 0-2 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.

Dec

2025

Preview: Chelsea visit Atalanta in the Champions League

Atalanta await as Chelsea travel to Italy for the first time in their 2025/26 Champions League campaign, as they seek to put a bad run of domestic form behind them and further cement their place in the top eight.

By Alex Roberts

La Dea have felt the departure of long-term coach Gian Piero Gasperini keenly (he is now at Roma), but their European form hasn’t been too bad. Atalanta sit level on points with Chelsea (10), having already beaten Club Brugge, Marseille, and Eintracht Frankfurt. Enzo Maresca shouldn’t underestimate them.

Love at first sight for Estêvão and the Champions League

His goal against Barcelona in Chelsea 3-0 win last time out made Estêvão just the third teenager to score in his first three consecutive Champions League appearances, alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé. That’s some fine company to be keeping.

The Brazilian has taken to Europe’s premier club competition better than even he would have expected, and with an xG of 2.64, 14 attempts on goal, and a conversion rate of 21.43%, Estêvão is already Chelsea most important attacking threat.

Plenty can be said about how Maresca is performing so far this season, but one of the best things he’s done is manage Estêvão’s minutes perfectly. After coming off the bench in the 0-0 draw vs Bournemouth, we can expect the youngster to be unleashed here.

Ademola Lookman back to his best

It’s been an interesting couple of seasons for the ex-Everton, Fulham, and Leicester forward. Lookman was pushing for a move to Inter in the summer, and it’s taken him a little while to get going since the start of the season.

Now, with three goal contributions in his last five games across all competitions, Lookman is looking like the player we all know and love once again. His performance in the win over Frankfurt was arguably his best, bagging the opener and an assist for Ederson’s goal two minutes later.

Lookman absolutely has the ability to inflict some major damage on the competition’s big boys, and with a point to prove against one of the Premier League’s best, Chelsea will certainly need to be wary.

Team news

Moisés Caicedo has been a massive miss for Chelsea domestically after he just served the second of his three-game suspension after picking up a red card in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, but he is available for this one.

Cole Palmer also made his long-awated first start since September in the 0-0 draw vs Bournemouth, and it’s fair to say he looked a little rusty. Chelsea have decided to leave him at home for this one as they stagger his return.

There was one major piece of bad news that came out of Chelsea’s draw over the weekend. Liam Delap is set to miss six-eight weeks, with a shoulder injury, joining Levi Colwill (knee), and Roméo Lavia (thigh).

Atalanta don’t have quite as many injury worries. Kamaldeen Sulemana (muscle) and Mitchel Bakker (knee) are both out. Manager Raffaele Palladino has decisions to make though, following their awful 3-1 defeat to Hellas Verona over the weekend.

Prediction

Neither side is in particularly good form at the moment, so we’re not expecting a night to remember. We’re going with a 1-1 draw in beautiful Bergamo.

(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.

Dec

2025

Preview: Spurs host Czech leaders Slavia in the Champions League

Spurs return to Champions League action against Slavia Prague with the sense of panic that had threatened to engulf The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the Fulham match having eased a little.

By Ian King

Spurs’ Brentford win has given them a boost, but they need to pay attention to their Champions League campaign

Job done, then. A 2-0 win against Brentford on Saturday afternoon returned Spurs to home-winning ways for the first time since August, a result which lifted a fair amount of the pressure that had been starting to build under head coach Thomas Frank.

But there remains work to be done, not least in the Champions League 36-team mega-group. A 5-3 defeat away to PSG in their last match dropped them to 16th place, and they now need to get back on track with what looks on paper to be a winnable tie against Czech champions Slavia Prague, knowing that they have two difficult games against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to follow.

But Slavia aren’t anybody’s fools. They may be in 31st place in the Champions League group, having drawn three and lost two of their opening five matches, but they’re top of the Czech First League, unbeaten after 18 games and five points ahead of second-placed city rivals Sparta.

They’ve already ground out draws against Bodø/Glimt, Atalanta and Athletic Club in this year’s competition, as well as suffering 3-0 defeats to Inter Milan and Arsenal.

Spurs and Slavia Prague met twice in the 2000s, and Spurs only just edged their way through both times

These two sides have met in European competition twice before, when they were drawn to play each other in successive seasons in the UEFA Cup. In 2006-07, Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane scored the goals as Spurs won both legs of their first round match 1-0.

They met again in the Round of 32 of the competition the following year, after Slavia only finished third in their Champions League group. Spurs won the first leg 2-1 in Prague, with Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane scoring the Spurs goals.

But Spurs were given a bit of a fright in the second leg when, having taken an early lead through Jamie O’Hara, they were pegged back to 1-1 early in the second half by a Matěj Krajčík goal and ended up hanging on a bit to book a place in the next round.

Xavi Simons’ goal against Brentford is something to build on following a disappointing start to his time at Spurs

It may have taken Xavi Simons until December to score his first goal for his new club following his £51 million transfer from PSG at the end of the summer window, but it was worth the wait, with the player carrying the ball forty metres before calmly slotting it in to set the seal on their 2-0 win.

Simons is an exceptionally talented player, and Frank will be hoping that this goal will kick-start a more successful spell at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Slavia Prague have two main goalscoring threats, but the man in form is Mojmír Chytil, who’s scored two in each of his last pair of Czech First League appearances for the club, against Teplice and Slovácko, and also has scored six times in 18 appearances for the Czech national team.

Destiny Udogie likely to miss out, while Spurs also need to watch their yellow cards ahead of Dortmund fixture

James Maddison (ACL), Radu Dragusin (ACL), Kota Takai (thigh), Yves Bissouma (ankle), Dejan Kulusevski (knee) and Dominic Solanke all remain on the Spurs treatment table, while Destiny Udogie missed the Brentford match with a muscle injury and may be rested for this one as well.

Brennan Johnson can return after serving a suspension, but Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani may be rested, as they’re one yellow card each short of suspensions, with Borussia Dortmund to follow in their next Champions League fixture.

Slavia Prague have their injury issues too. Oscar Dorley (muscle), Filip Horsky (ACL), Petr Ševčík (ACL) and Dominik Javorček (knee) will all be missing, while striker Tomáš Chorý – their second-highest goalscorer this season behind Chytil, is doubtful due to illness.

Four points from six should have eased some Spurs nerves, but Slavia Prague are not to be taken lightly

With four points having been claimed from their last two games, Spurs feel slightly less tense than they did this time last week. Their games against Newcastle and Brentford could easily have gone wrong, but they came through them, and good results from games against Nottingham Forest and Crisis Club Liverpool could yet put them back in touch with the top four or five in the Premier League by Christmas.

But Spurs fans are plenty used to false dawns, and it’s not difficult to imagine circumstances under which this match gets treated as something of an afterthought, particularly considering that the game is also being trailed as a homecoming for Son Heung-min following his summer move to LAFC.

And Slavia Prague should not be underestimated. They’re unbeaten in the Czech League, and although they haven’t won in this year’s Champions League yet, they’ve held decent teams to a draw and could be capable of taking something from this match.

On this occasion, though, I’m going to stay optimistic. Their opponents may have been poor, but Spurs’ win against Brentford was extremely comfortable, and following on from coming from behind twice against Newcastle, there are grounds to believe that Thomas Frank is turning a corner at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And just in time, too. With Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to come in their final Champions League group matches, Spurs should be professional enough to understand the extent to which they need a win from this game, so I’ll go for a comfortable-ish 3-1 win for the home side as they seek to continue their recent upswing following what was a fairly dismal autumn.

(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.

Dec

2025

Preview: Barca face Frankfurt with no room for error in the Champions League

The LaLiga winners, wary of Frankfurt’s loyal supporters flooding Camp Nou like they did in 2022, made tickets exclusively available to club members for the clash on Tuesday.

By Filip Mishov

Barça need to start climbing up the Champions League table before it is too late

Barcelona’s free-scoring away win at Real Betis solidified the Spanish champions’ lead at the top of the LaLiga standings and acted as the perfect build-up to their must-win clash against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. With Hansi Flick‘s squad sitting in 18th place and only a point away from the elimination places, Pedri & co. must turn up and translate their domestic three-match winning streak into Europe, especially if they want to avoid the two extra games that missing out on the top eight and going in to the playoff process would mean.

Eintracht Frankfurt endured a weekend to forget, as the Eagles suffered a humiliating defeat to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, extending their three-match winless run ahead of their important trip to Catalonia. The under-fire Dino Toppmöller‘s squad has collected just four points after five rounds in the Champions League, which is only good enough for 28th place, and they are staring at elimination with three matches to go. The only possible silver lining within the SGE ranks are the memories from their last match against Barcelona back in 2022, when the Frankfurters flooded Camp Nou, beat Barca in the quarterfinals, and went on to claim a historic Europa League title.

Key players

Ferran Torres is in undroppable form at the moment having scored four goals, including a hat-trick, in his last two games. The Spaniard is the club’s top scorer with 13 goals across all competitions this season and his goal tally could have been even bigger if it was not for nine big chances missed. With an average FotMob rating of 7.54 in LaLiga, the 25-year-old is expected to feature again.

Fares Chaibi is Eintracht Frankfurt’s main creative force this season, with the Algerian midfielder the squad’s leading assist maker (6) as well as top chance creator (23). Furthermore, the talented 23-year-old is averaging a FotMob rating of 7.35 in the German top tier, or the third most of any SGE player, and it is not a coincidence that his impressive from is attracting scouts from the top European clubs to follow his progress.

Team news

Hansi Flick managed to fully rest both Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski against Real Betis and the attacking duo is expected to slot back in the starting XI in place of Roony Bardghji and Marcus Rashford. Also, the German coach announced the possible return of the captain, Marc-André ter Stegen in the squad, albeit on the bench, but Ronald Araújo, Gavi and Dani Olmo remain unavailable.

Dino Toppmöller is missing his side’s top scorer – Jonathan Burkardt, who is set to be sidelined until the new year, while Michy Batshuayi sustained a serious foot injury in the loss to RB Leipzig, leaving Frankfurt’s attacking options limited.

Prediction

With Barça in scintillating form and Frankfurt missing a couple of strikers through injury and fresh off a shameful defeat in the Bundesliga, it is hard to look past the hosts coming out as winners and avenging that disappointing elimination from 2021/22.

(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.