Europa League
Predicted Spurs starting XI: Mourinho to make seven changes; 23-year-old to start
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Budapest to face Wolfsberger in the Europa League round of 32, and Jose Mourinho is expected to make a raft of changes to the side. The Austrian outfit currently sit sixth in the Austrian Bundesliga, nine points behind third-placed LASK who were beaten by Spurs in the group stage. The game will be hosted in the neutral Puskás Arena, home of the Hungary national team, as COVID-19 regulations in Austria mean Spurs won’t be playing at the Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt. Spurs are going through a wretched run of form at the moment, having won just once in their last six games in all competitions. They are heading into this game on the back of a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, and desperately need a win to get their season back on track. Sergio Reguilon, S...
Why Arsenal need to win the Europa League this season
Arsenal and the Champions League. The marriage between the two was a loyal one which continued from 1999 to 2017. And the one guy who made it happen was none other than the legendary Arsene Wenger. But the failure to drive the team into Europe’s most elite stage in the 2016/17 season resulted in him not getting the nod ahead of the 18/19 season. Since then, Arsenal have seen three head coaches (including Freddie Ljungberg’s brief term), but are still in the same position as when Wenger left his post at the end of the 2017/18 campaign. Even though they came the closest in Unai Emery’s first season in charge, the signs were clear that Arsenal were further away from the most prestigious competition than what they had hoped for. Chelsea cruised past them in Baku in the 2018 Europa League final...
Vardy and Under start, Predicted Leicester City Line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Slavia Prague
Leicester City make the trip to the Sinobo Stadium for Thursday’s Europa League round of 32 first-leg tie against Slavia Prague. The Foxes are unbeaten in the last four games across all competitions and recently registered a stunning 3-1 comeback win over Liverpool in the Premier League. They will be without as many as seven players for the midweek European tie but are still favourites to come on top against Slavia, who are top of the Czech First League. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: Kasper Schmeichel is set to start in goal against Slavia. He will also take up the leadership duties with Wesley Morgan out injured at the moment. In the backline, there will be one guaranteed change with Ricardo Pereira unlikely to travel with the team to the Czech Republic. The Portuguese has just re...
Pepe and Holding start, Predicted Arsenal Line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Benfica
Arsenal make the trip to Stadio Olimpico for Thursday’s Europa League round of 32 first-leg tie against Benfica. The north London side recently ended a three-match winless streak with a convincing 4-2 Premier League victory over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium. The victory should boost the confidence of the squad and manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping that his side can replicate the performance against Benfica. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: Arteta handed Alex Runarsson with four appearances in goal during the group stage of the Europa League but the 25-year-old has not been registered for the knockout phase. Mat Ryan is now the deputy goalkeeper for the Gunners but the manager should go with the first-choice in Bernd Leno between the sticks. In the backline, there may be a so...
Bailly and Greenwood start, Predicted Man United Line-up (4-2-3-1) vs Real Sociedad
Manchester United make the trip to the Juventus Stadium in Turin for the first-leg of the Europa League round of 32 tie against Real Sociedad. The Red Devils have a poor record against Spanish opposition over the past few years and they are winless in the last nine encounters (three draws and six defeats). They have the chance to end the dismal record on Thursday night but will need to step up with their performance after managing just two wins in the previous six games. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: United’s back-up goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been a regular in the cup competitions for United but he was handed just a solitary appearance in the Champions League group stage. We anticipate David de Gea will keep his place in goal. In the backline, there could be a solitary change f...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms key Man United star is out injured until March
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided an injury update on midfielder Paul Pogba ahead of the Europa League round of 32 first leg tie against Real Sociedad. Pogba has been sidelined with a thigh injury since the 3-3 Premier League draw against Everton on February 7 and it appears that he won’t return to action until the end of February. Speaking in a press conference earlier today, Solskjaer said that the Pogba is recovering well from the problem, but he won’t be returning to the playing field for the next few weeks. “Paul he is recovering well, starting treatment – still a few weeks, so he won’t be playing in February that’s for sure,” he was quoted as saying by Manchester Evening News. Alongside Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek are unavailable for the game...
Penalty Kings Part II: The Bruno bounce
The art of penalty-taking is certainly not as easy as most people make it out to be. The fact that the xG assigned to a spot-kick is only 0.76 clearly indicates that the taker has a lot to do if they are to convert their big chance from 12 yards out. While most penalties are centred around mind-games between the shooter and goalkeeper where they both try to pre-empt the other’s move, two players have been changing this. They are Jorginho and Bruno Fernandes, who have extremely unconventional penalty-taking techniques, which involve a jump just before the ball is kicked. Jorginho was the inventor of this technique, and we analysed his penalties in the first part of this series, which you should read before getting stuck into this piece. Now, onto Bruno Fernandes’ penalty technique. The Brun...
Manchester United boss backs one-leg Europa League ties after venue change for Sociedad clash
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for the Europa League knockout rounds to be played over one leg after Manchester United’s away game at Real Sociedad was moved to Turin. The first of United’s two-legged tie against the Liga side has been moved to Italy due to current travel restrictions imposed by the Spanish government over Covid-19, preventing the team from flying in for the game without the need for quarantine. Real Sociedad’s director of football Roberto Olabe hit out at UEFA over the ruling which saw the Spanish side have to find an alternative venue for next week’s game, claiming Manchester United had an unfair advantage – and Solskjaer agreed, adding that he would have backed it being a one-legged occasion. Solskjaer said: “With Europe, we hope it’s going to be sustainable. Different...
Paul Pogba limps off injured in Manchester United’s clash vs Everton
Manchester United have been dealt a blow as Paul Pogba limped off injured after 39 minutes of the Premier League clash with Everton. The France international has been in excellent form in recent weeks, but he looks set for a spell on the sidelines. He was on the ball and played a simple pass towards Victor Lindelof, only to immediately pull up in discomfort. He pointed to his right thigh as he received treatment before being replaced by Fred and limping down the Old Trafford tunnel. Midfield is one area of strength for Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Nemamja Matic and Donny van de Beek ensuring there are ample options to choose from. However, in what is a congested season any absence will be keenly felt. Following the clash wi...
Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil completes Fenerbahce move
Mesut Ozil has finally completed his move to Fenerbahce on a free transfer from Arsenal – and penned an emotional farewell message. The outcast playmaker, 32, sealed his return to homeland Turkey on Sunday and insisted the club’s supporters would ‘forever remain’ in his heart. Ozil said goodbye to his former team-mates at the Emirates last week and has now brought an end to his seven-and-a-half-year stint in the Premier League. In a statement released on Arsenal’s website, Ozil said: ‘I’d like to thank the club for this amazing journey over the past seven and a half years. ‘The support I have felt from the team and fans during my time here has been truly incredible and something I will always be grateful for. ‘Together we won trophies for the first time in years and created memories that w...
Will Leipzig and Leverkusen mount an effective title challenge to Lewandowski and co?
After a curtailed winter break, the Bundesliga is back. The story of the season so far has been one of fairy-tale overachievement for some, spectacular underachievement for others, teams struggling to score, scoring at will and drama on and off the pitch. The Rückrunde is set to be no different. Here’s a preview to whet the appetite. The title race: new challengers? Despite Bayern Munich going into the Christmas break top of the Bundesliga table by two points and looking to win their ninth consecutive Meisterschale, this year could very well see other clubs knock them off the top spot. The Rekordmeister have certainly not been fully firing this term when you look at last season’s treble-winning campaign. Worries over Bayern’s pre-season squad depth have only intensified throughout th...
Leicester City Eyeing Up £35m Centre-Back
Leicester City are reportedly looking to sign Braga centre-back David Carmo, according to a report by Portuguese outlet O Jogo. Carmo is a 21-year-old defender from Portugal who broke into the Braga first team back in January. Renowned for his commanding presence, athleticism, and ability on the ball, he has earned comparisons to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk. Carmo has attracted attention for his performances this year O Jogo is reporting that the Foxes are interested in bringing the Portugal youth international to the King Power Stadium, having impressed when the two sides met in the Europa League group stage. Despite being on the wrong end of a 4-0 thrashing, Carmo was the subject of high praise from Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. Speaking after the game, Rodgers said (via HITC): “...
