Match Preview : PSG vs Inter Milan(UEFA Champions League Final)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

The final for the most prestigious European competition in club football is set to hold this night. Two teams who have featured once apiece in this final in the past 6 years -Paris Saint Germain and Internazionale Milan- will be the teams to vie for this highly prized trophy. 

For the French champions, PSG, this would mark a second UEFA Champions League final in the club's history, and also an opportunity to win the trophy for the first time. 

Inter Milan, on the other hand, would be aiming to add a fourth UEFA Champions League title to their cabinet, having won three already in 1964,1965 and 2010.

MATCH VENUE

Allianz Arena is the host stadium for the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League final. This stadium is located at the heart of Munich, a metropolitan in Bavaria, Germany. It is home to renowned German club, Bayern Munich, and has been their home since 2005. It is named after one of the world's financial service giants - Allianz- and has answered the name since the stadium was officially opened in 2005. 

The Exterior view of Allianz Arena 

Interior view of Allianz Arena

Munich during the day 

   Munich at night 

Both clubs have had trips to the Allianz Arena in four occasions each in the UEFA Champions League before. 

The Nerazzurri have experienced more joy from these trips to this stadium. Out of the four matches they played there, they secured 2 wins (1-2 ,which occurred recently on the 14th of April 2025, and 2-3 victory on the 15th of March 2011), 1 draw (1-1 score line on December 5, 2006) and 1 lost (2-0, which happened on the 1st day of November 2022). 

Le Parisien, on the other hand, do not have good experience in the Allianz Arena. From these four fixtures in this stadium, they only have 1 win (2-3 in April 2021) and 3 losses(3-2, 2-0 and 2-1, which took place in December 2017, March 2022 and November 2024, respectively). 

PERFORMANCE IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

To begin with, Inter Milan have had good performance in this competition so far. The Nerazzurri played 14 matches in total prior to this final : 6 in the knockout stage and 8 in the league phase, out of which they won ten times (4-3 against Barcelona, 1-2 against Bayern Munich, 0-2 and 2-1 against Feyenoord, 4-0 against Crvena Zvezda, 0-1 against Young Boys, 1-0 against Arsenal, 1-0 against Leipzig, 0-1 against Sparta Praha, and 3-0 against AS Monaco) , drew thrice(3-3, 2-2 and 0-0, against Barcelona in the semifinal, Bayern Munich in the quarter final and Man City in the league phase, respectively)  and lost only once (0-1 against Leverkusen in the league phase) .They scored a total of 27 goals in this competition so far this season, while recording an average expected goal ratio of 1.70 per game. Although they rank above average in terms of goals scored, they fall below average in terms of ball possession - which is understandable for a club like Inter Milan, whose footballing philosophy has always favored defensive rigidity and swift transitioning. Defensively, Milan have been somewhat outstanding, conceding only 11 times and boasting an impressive 8 clean sheets - the highest in the competition so far, while frustratingly limiting their opponents to an average expected goal ratio of 1.24 per game. 

   

Paris Saint Germain have also been in good form in this season's Champions League campaign. They are, arguably, one of the best attacking sides in the competition so far, with an average expected goal ratio of 2.07 per game, which goes a little above that recorded by the opponents they faced in those games: 1.13.  Additionally, they scored an impressive 33 goals this season, while coinciding 15.  In terms of ball possession, PSG boast a whopping 61.9% on average per game, thus solidifying their stand as one of the most decorated sides in the competition this season. 

PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR 

PSG  

 

Les Parisien have various talented players at their disposal. 

Here are some of these players who have been pivotal for them so far in this season. 

1) Ousmane Dembele

The French Forwarder has been, disputably, PSG's best player this season, having scored the most goals for them this season - 29- in all competitions. 

In the Champions League, he still remains their highest goal scorer, with 8 goals. He also has 4 assists to his name in this competition. 

Dembele has proven to be an improved version of himself. Naturally a winger, he has featured in several roles this season for PSG, where he played with top quality. He has been deployed as a striker, winger, and even in-field forwarder, this season. 

His versatility alongside his competency with both foots and pace would be of great relevance for PSG at the attacking end in this tie.  

2) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 

The Georgian International is another top player for Paris Saint Germain. So far in the Champions League, he has 2 goals and 2 assists from 8 appearances. 

A versatile and technical winger, he is most notably for his shooting ability especially from long range. 

3) Desire Douie 

The young French forward is another player to look out for in this game. He is versatile, fast, strong player who has eyes for goals. After making 15 appearances in the Champions League so far, he has registered 4 goals and 3 assists. 

4) Bradley Barcola 

Bradley Barcola is a pacy and skillful forwarder. Traditionally a winger, he can also be deployed as a false 9.

He currently has 3 goals and 3 assists from 16 appearances so far in the Champions League. 

INTER MILAN 

The Nerazzurri is a team of really experienced personalities.  

Here are some of their key players: 

1) Lautaro Martinez 

El Toro has been in hot form for Inter this season. He is currently Inter Milan's highest goal scorer with 22 goals from all competitions. As of now, Inter's captain has registered 9 goals in 13 appearances during this seasons Champions League campaign. 

He a prolific striker whose playmaking ability sets him aside from most strikers. 

2) Marcus Thuram

The huge French striker is Inter's second highest goal scorer, having found the back of the net 14 times this season. In the Champions League, has registered 3 goals so far this season. Him and his striking partner, Lautaro Martinez, have been a good blend upfront for Inter Milan, working side-by-side to cause danger for their opponents. 

 

3) Nicolo Berella

Berella is tagged the power horse of Inter's midfield due to his tremendous energy and work ethic. The young Italian international has been influential for the Nerazzurri this season. He has 2 assists so far in the Champions League. 

4) Henrikh Mkhitaryan 

The Almeriense has a wealth of experience playing as a midfielder. He is one of Inter's key players in the midfield, thanks to his ball playing ability and mobility. He helps his team retain possession and control the game adequately. 

Mkhitaryan only has an assist from 7 matches in the UEFA Champions League this season. 

5) Hakan Calhanoglu 

Another important figure for Inter Milan in the midfield, Hakan is a technically gifted player whose versatility allows him to play deeper in the holding midfield position or take on attacking role as a midfielder. Calhanoglu is one of those midfielders who isn't afraid of trying out his shooting ability, and he does that often in games. He is also a notable set piece taker.  

Calhanoglu currently has 2 goals from 6 appearances in the Champions League in the 2024/2025 season. 

      

Pre-match Analysis: Chelsea vs Real Betis(UEFA Europa Conference League final)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

The fourth ever UEFA Conference League final is set to go down on today's night in Wroclaw, Poland. This tie would see English club, Chelsea FC, go up against Spanish sides, Real Betis Balompie.

Both teams' fate for next season's UEFA competitions have been sealed, with the Blues guaranteed to play in next season's Champions League for the first time since 2022/2023 season, and Betis' securing a spot in the UEFA Europa League for next season. So, for these two sides, it's not a quest to win the Conference League in order to participate in UEFA's competition next season. No, it's not. 

It's something different.

 

For Chelsea, it's a quest to make history by becoming the first club to win all three of UEFA's competitions, given the fact that they already have both the Europa League and the Champions League in their cabinet. 

Conversely, for Real Betis, it's a quest to lift their first ever UEFA competition. 

Therefore, this tie is a clash of two immensely ambitious teams. So, we are set to witness a very intriguing final. 

So, a succinct analysis of both teams is given below.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Real Betis and Chelsea have only encountered each other once, and it occurred in the group stage of 2005/2006 campaign of the UEFA Champions League.  The first leg played in Stanford Bridge ended in a 4-0 trashing of Betis by the home side. In this tie, the Blues had 4 different goal scorers in the persons of Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Hernan Crespo and Jole Cole. The second leg at Betis' turf ended in a 1-0 win for the Andalusian side.  

PERFORMANCES IN THE CONFERENCE LEAGUE 

Chelsea have had an excellent spell in this competition so far. They played a total of 14 matches prior to this final :2 in the League phase playoff 6 in both the league and the knockout phases. Out of these fixtures, they won a whopping 12 games, while only losing twice. In these ties, they had very impressive stats. Per game, they recorded an average percentage of 64.57 of ball possession, 16.14 total shots with 7.5 shots being on target and 2.36 expected goal (EX) ratio.  

Real Betis on the other hand also had good performance in this competition. They played 16 matches in total: 2 in both the league phase and knockout stage playoffs, and 6 in both the league and knockout phases. Out of these matches, they won 9, lost 3 and drew 4.  Also, their average stats per game are given: 54. 43% of ball possession, 17. 19 total shots on goal, 6.31 shots on target and 1.64 expected goal ratio. 

After comparing both teams' stats given above, we arrived at a conclusion that Chelsea have had slightly better performance than their Spanish opponent so far in this competition. Although Chelsea happens to have a better overall performance, the stats says that Real Betis have created more chances than them, given their higher total shot ratio, but they do come short in terms of conversion rate, given their lower EX ratio compared to Chelsea's. 

TEAM NEWS 

Based on the squad list released by Chelsea on their official social media handle, the Blues have a complete squad going into this tie, with only few of their first team players ruled out for this final. Only Romeo Latvia, who wasn't registered with the team for the Conference League, Wesley Fofana, who is still injured, and Mykhailo Mudryk, who has been ban from professional football since November 2024 after he was tested positive of having unlawful substance meldonium in his body system. 

Real Betis would be without some key players like Hector Bellerin, Chimmy Avilla, Diego Llorente, William Carvalho, Marc Rocca and Cucho Hernandez. These absentees could pose some difficulties for the Andalusian based outfits in this final.   

  

CONCLUSION 

From the stats given above, it could be said that Chelsea are the favourites to win this final. But, as we've witnessed in countless occasions in the past, football can produce some shocking results. And this is just one special nature of the sport, a cachet that we all love to witness.   

            

Post-match Analysis: Manchester United vs Tottenham (2024/2025 UEFA Europa League Final)

Written by Paul Micheal Ezeoha

Tottenham Hotspurs became the latest side to lift the Europa League trophy, thanks to Brennan Johnson's goal in the night. 

With this fit, the White Lilys have guaranteed a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League, while their opponent, Man United, will have to grapple with the distressing fact of losing out on European competitions next season.

 

Accordingly, Tottenham's victory over United means that they now extend the number of wins against them this season to 4 good times. 

 

The score line doesn't give a good account of this tie, as United were far away the dominant side. In terms of ball possession, Man United had the highest value with 73%, while Tottenham managed to secure only 27%, thanks to overly defensive oriented tactics which later paid off. Also, when we look at the shot metrics, United still pipped their opponents with a large margin. They had 16 attempts with only 6 being on target. Tottenham on the other hand made only 5 attempts, and only 2 were on target.

 

Spurs had the highest XG ratio of 1.01, and United, 0.97, even though they made the least number of attempts. This fact is simply a reflection of United's blunt attacking line - a major catalyst for a poor season, one to which the head coach and his coaching staff must proffer solution(s) to come during next season's pre-season period, if they are to count themselves as one of the major competitors in the English league. 

In this analysis, we shall look at how both teams played in this game. Plus, emphasis shall be made on what went wrong for Manchester United.    

              

MANCHESTER UNITED 

Line up 

Ruben Amorim made only one change to the squad that started against Chelsea last week Friday. Leny Yoro, who has just recovered on time for this game, comes in place of Lindelof at the central back position. 

On paper, the Portuguese lined up his men in their idiosyncratic 3-4-2-1 formation. 

Here is the starting 11 for this game: Andre Onana, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Chinazamekpere, Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Ahmad Diallo and Rasmus Hojlund.  

 

In the course of this game, 4 substitutions were made: Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund were replaced by Alejandro Gernacho and Joshua Zirzee, respectively, in the 71 minutes period, as the coach intend to augment the somewhat ineffective attacking line. Also, Mazraoui and Dorgu came off for Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo in the 85-and-90-minute mark, respectively. 

In-possession Structure 

Just to make clear: by the term in-possession structure, it implies Man United's shape and tactics during the possession phase of the game. So, these would be acknowledged here. 

This been said, we shall delve into business.

 

For most of this game, Manchester United maintained their default formation of 3-4-2-1. The three central backs consist of Harry Maguire, who played as the sweeper defender, and at his sides were Leni Yoro, the right central back, and Luke shaw, who operated in the left central back position.  Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro paired as the two holding midfielders, staying in proximity, working in tandem and positioning themselves relatively close to the three central backs during build up phase, especially when they build up in their own half. The remaining personnels who made up this midfield line alongside these two holding midfielders, were the two wingbacks: Dorgu and Mazraoui.

Ahead of this midfield line were the two number 8s namely Mason Mount, who is no stranger in this role, as he had featured there to great effect during his spell in Chelsea, Amad Diallo, who has adapted to this role under Amorim this season.  These players had the freedom to either drop deeper into the central region of the pitch to create passing options in this region or pushing higher up the pitch to occupy Tottenham's defence. 

Rasmus Hojlund was the sole number 9. 

So, when Man United build up play from their own half in this shape- which they did to a great extent during this game - any of, or both of, the wingbacks would take deeper position(s), depending on the position of the ball during this build up phase. This is so in order to provide passing outlet(s) on the flank(s) during situations when there happen to be no space in the central region of the pitch to advance play. 

 

Furthermore, when the Red Devils advance play higher up, this shape did change into a 3-2-5. Here, the two wing-backs would take advance positions, providing the attacking width for the team, thus forming the front 5 alongside the double number 8s and the striker.

In this way, Tottenham players would be forced to retreat in order to provide defensive support. This would in turn give Man United players the freedom to better retain possession, therefore, they can be able to dictate the tempo of the game and possibly hurt their opponents.     

Below, we shall see United in this 3-2-5 shape.

Here, only the front five consisting of the wingbacks, the two number 8s and the striker, and Bruno, one of the holding midfielders, are within sight. 

Amad in the left half space chips in a cross for Hojlund, whose header went off target.  

There were several occasions where this shape in this phase turned into a 3-6-1or 3-1-5-1 shape, as Bruno Fernandes would leave his holding midfielder role to take on more advanced role. In this role, he could shift to any of the half spaces to combine with the wingbacks and other players close by to set up attack from these wider regions, or whip in crosses into Tottenham's box from those areas. Another behaviour of Fernandes when in this advance role is that he could join the front line, operating more as a forwarder. 

We've seen United display this all too offensive oriented shape in several of their Europa League matches this season. But during this game against Tottenham, they maintained this shape to a great extent from the 60th minute mark, when they were dire need of an equalizer.

Here is an instance where Man United are seen maintaining a 3-6-1 or a 3-1-5-1 shape.

Mazraoui, who now plays in the number 8 position after swapping sides with Ahad, puts in a cross for Bruno Fernandes, who now occupies the striker role. 

 

Unfortunately for United, Bruno's header went wide. 

 

Although United couldn't score a goal, we could see how Amorim's fearlessness in committing many players to attacking duty occasioned several goal scoring opportunities for his side, irrespective of Tottenham's bus.    

We shall now look at United's tactics in these shapes.

A noticeable tactical trend in this game - one we've come to see them execute during several games this season - is the direct link up play from the central backs to the forward players. 

Man United are not totally reliant on short passing sequences during build up play, as they could transition into attacks by launching the ball directly to the forward players from deeper regions.

 

By switching from short passes to long direct passes, the team becomes quite unpredictable as opponents may be caught unprepared to deal with such quick transition of play. This could lead to several goal scoring situations for them. 

In the scenario below, we shall see this direct approach led to a goal scoring opportunity for them: 

Man United build up play in Tottenham's half. Here their 3-2-4-1 in-possession shape is visible. 

Maguire, who is usually the one tasked with the responsibility of initiating these long balls from the defence line because of good ball playing ability, spots the space behind one of Tottenham's defenders. He then loops a through ball behind him for Dorgu the left back to chase. 

Dorgu reaches to this pass from Maguire; he plays a cross, but it was blocked by a Tottenham player.

  

      

Flaw

   

Lack of productivity at the final third is a prevalent flaw of United's during this fixture. As pointed out earlier, they had a total of 16 shots, out of which only 6 were on target. Additionally, their XG ratio was a figure of 0.97. 

In fact, this is a major cause of their bad form this campaign.

Man United forward-oriented players do not have that killer instinct to finish off several chances created by their teammates, a flaw which eventually caused them the trophy.      

   

 

TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS

Line Up 

Tottenham Hotspurs lined up in a 4-3-3 formation on paper. 

Vicario, Pedro Porro, Van de Veen, Christian Romero, Udogie, Bissouma, Sarr, Bentancur, Brennan Johnson, Dominick Solanke and Richarlison - were the first 11 for this game. 

Given the absence of key midfielders, in the persons of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, who could play as a winger and midfielder, two of their most creative players, who are vital to their attacking play - Tottenham were short on attacking personals. 

Being aware of this fact, Ange Postecoglou had a clear plan for his players - which is to become rigid and discipline defensively, while seeking to hit Manchester United on the counter.

So, they allowed Manchester to retain much of the ball, while being very mindful defensively. 

After the goal, they became overly defensive - committing nine to ten players behind the ball during their defensive phase.  

In the picture below, Tottenham have all of their outfield players participate in defensive duty when Man United were threatening.    

      

     

Although the outfield players deserve accolades for their defensive efforts, many credits should be given to their Italian shot stopper, Vicario, who made 5 important saves to prevent Man United from scoring the goal.   

 

 

CONCLUSION

       

Ruben Amorim's men displayed quite cogent structure during the possession phase of the game, but they couldn't convert the chances that were necessitated because of it. This lack of clinicality in front of goal he must deal with if his team is to compete for silver wears next season. 

  

Tottenham of the other hand relied greatly on the defensive capabilities of the outfield players and, mostly, on the goalkeeping brilliance of Vicario, to emerge winners of the Europa League for the first time in the club's history.   

  

     

Pre-match Analysis: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspurs (UEFA Europa League FInal)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

Estadio de san Mames, Bilbao, in the Basque region of Spain - is the venue for today's all English Europa League final, as Manchester United face off against Tottenham Hotspurs.

 

With both teams currently in the bottom 10 berth of the English Premier League, they would battle tooth and nail for this prestigious prize as it's a one-way ticket to next season's Champions League. 

Whereas the Red Devils are no new faces in the final of the Europa League - having featured twice in 2016/17 and 2020/2021 seasons, where they won it once - Tottenham make their first appearance in the final of this competition since it was rebranded in 2009.

So, this final presents an opportunity for Spurs to take home their first major trophy since 2008 - a fit that could prove advantageous to their under-fire head coach, Ange Postecoglou's future at the club.   

Manchester United on the other hand would be seeking to put smiles on the frowning faces of their fans by winning a trophy against the backdrop of a horrible season. 

In this article, attention shall be given to several facts as it relates to both teams. Also, using these facts, the analyst shall give prediction on the outcome of this fixture.   

HEAD-TO HEAD 

These two teams have never played against each other in any UEFA competition. But they have quite ample number of encounters in English competitions. 

In total, they have faced off against each other 204 times, with Man United winning 96 of these fixtures, Tottenham, 57, while 51 of these encounters have ended in draws. 

This season, they've played 3 matches, and in all, Tottenham were victorious. 

These are the scorelines for these games: 

* 1-0 victory at home 

* 4-3 victory at home 

* 0-3 victory away at United's 

 

PERFORMANCE IN THE EUROPA LEAGUE     

Man United have been in hot form in the Europa League this season. They are in fact the only team without any lose in all three of UEFA's competitions this season. 

In the knockout phase, they played quite challenging opponents in the persons of Real Sociedad in the round of 16, Olympic Lyonnais in quarter finals and Atletico Bilbao in the semi-finals. 

For the fixture against Real Sociedad, they played out a 1-1 draw at San Sabastian to then pip them 3-0 at Old Trafford. This was a similar circumstance to the tie against Lyonnais, where they drew 1-1 in France, to then defeat the French side 5-4 in England. Their encounter against Atletico Bilbao was way too easy than expected, as they thrashed the Spaniards 3-0 in the first leg and 4-1 in the return leg tie. 

Tottenham, although are not in excellent form like Manchester United, can be given a ranking slightly above average in terms of performance so far in this competition. 

In the knockout phase, it could be said that they played against less tougher opponents compared to that of Man United.  

This claim is so because, among the three teams they played against, two of them - AZ Alkmaar and Sturm Graz - play in leagues outside the top 5 European leagues namely Germany, France, England, Spain and Italy, while the remaining one, Frankfurt, who play the German league, fall under the top 5 European league. 

They played AZ Alkmaar in the round of 16, with both legs ending in 1-0 lose away and 3-1 victory at home. Frankfurt was their opponent in the quarter final. The first leg of their encounter at the White Heart Lane ended in a 1-1 draw, while the second leg in Germany saw them vanquishing their opponents 0-1. Against Sturm Graz in the semifinal, they ran riot with 4 goal difference in both ties, winning the first leg at home 3-0 and the second leg 1-2.   

  

                                  TEAM NEWS                                               

Both teams have dissimilar degrees of injury scares and worries going into this final. 

For Manchester United, they only have few important names ruled out for this final, with players like Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Light being confirmed to be absent from this tie. Also, there seem to be good news for them, as Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee and Diogo Dalot, who were side-lined for some while because of injury, were spotted training alongside their teammates in Manchester United's Carrington training ground on Tuesday in preparation for the final. So, this means that these players could be listed in the squad for the final. 

Conversely, Tottenham face great injury crisis. They are currently without 6 of their first team player: Dejan Kulevsevski, Dragusin, Timo Werner, James Maddison, Bergvall and Scarlett. 

                 

CONCLUSION

To wrap things up, this fixture between these two clubs would make it the second all English final in the history of Europa League.  

Both teams would look set to go all out for this prestigious European prize as it's their only chance for a place in next season's UEFA Champions League competition. 

Giving a prognosis on the winners of this final won't be an easy task. But certain facts are clear to us: firstly, given both teams encounter in the league this season, Tottenham have more wins. Secondly, United have excellent record in this competition, as they've never lost any game - although Tottenham have also been in fairly good form in the competition. Lastly, both teams experience somewhat of a different degree of injury crisis, with Tottenham having more key players side-lined for this tie than Manchester United. 

So, from the above stated facts, it could be said that United have an edge over Tottenham going into this final. 

Let's not forget United's experience in this competition, having already played in two finals within the 2010's period. So, this is an added advantage for them. 

With these, United have are rated to have 60% chance of winning this final, while Tottenham are given 40%. 

While statistics can tell us one thing, we should bear in mind that anything can happen in the game of football. 

This being said, this tie is as good as open for any team to emerge winners.        

                                      

                                          

     

   

Pre-match Analysis/ Review: Chelsea vs Manchester United (English Premier League)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

The media have been talking about this rivalry for over 3 decades. It is arguably the most iconic fixture in English football involving two of  Premier league's mainstays - Chelsea FC and Manchester United. 

In this tie, the former shall be the host, with United making a trip to London to face them at Stanford Bridge. 

The Blues head into this fixture knowing fully well that a place in next season's Champions League is on the line. And so, they shall look set to put in all out efforts so as to come out with a positive result. A draw in this game might prove not sufficient. So, it's a matter of win or run the risk of losing out on Champions League football next season for the third season in a row - the first time in the club's history. 

Both teams are in the finals of European competitions. For the Red Devils, this could be a good opportunity for some of the first team players to get rest against the Europa League final coming up next week Wednesday, as they apparently have nothing to vie for again in the league.

While this fixture may not necessarily pose serious concern for Man United, it is of great importance for Chelsea owing to their pursuit for a place in next season's Champions League competition. So, there is every possibility that their regular staters would feature in this match, thus putting these players at risk of sustaining injuries or even becoming fatigued, which would necessitate their absence against a pretty tough La Liga opponent in Real Betis. 

Although one might say that Chelsea wouldn't want to risk trading a spot in the Champions League - which has greater financial benefits compared to winning the Conference League- by resting their regular starters for this tie. This mightn't be the case. 

The Blues may seek to make history by becoming the first team to win all three UEFA competitions by lifting the Conference League. So, the final might as well be important to them as a place in Next season's Champions League.  

But, irrespective of what their intention is, one thing that is quite certain is that this match is paramount for them. 

In this pre-match analysis, we shall look at both teams' head-to-head, recent performance in the league, team news. Also, predictions on their starting line ups shall be given.  

HEAD-TO-HEAD

In total, Man United and Chelsea have played against each other 60 times in the Premier League. Out these matches, Chelsea have the highest number of wins with 18, while Man United have 17.  The total number of goals scored in these games is 143, and the number of draws is 25(the highest recorded in Premier League history). These stats reflect the highly competitive nature of these fixtures.

Going by their last 6 encounters in recent time, Man United have two wins to their name, a 4-1 scoreline on May 25, 2023, and 2-1 on 3rd day of December of the same year. Chelsea only have one win, 4-3, happening on 4th of April 2024.  While three of these fixtures have ended in draws. 

PERFORMANCES IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE SO FAR 

The Blues seat in 5th berth in the Premier League with point tally of 63. They've had quite good results from their last 5 Premier League games, recording 3 wins,1 draw and 1 lose from these games. 

Man United on the other hand - as we all know- have been far from their best this season. They are currently in 16th position in the league with 36 points. They've had poor results from their last 5 league games, recording lost 4 and 1 draw. 

 TEAM NEWS 

Chelsea will be without key players for this game. They will be without defenders Wesley Fofana and David Fofana. Also, they are dealt with some absentees in the forward positions. Nicolas Jackson is suspended, Sancho is out due to escape loan inhibiting him from playing against his mother club, Mac Guiu and Nkuku are still yet to fully recover from injuries. 

Man United will also be without key players like Zirkzee, De Light, Heaven, Martinez, Dalot, Collyer, and recently, Yoro. 

                                                                   

POSSIBLE LINE UPS

With the absence of striker figures for Chelsea, Enzo Maresca would have to figure out a way to have his team cope without these players. So, he might probably fix either Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fenandez or even Tyrique George in that position. But Cole Palmer is more likely to feature there, since he has good history playing in that position. 

So, they could line up in their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation on paper. Sanchez between the sticks, Chalobah and Colwill may partner at central back as they've played there together for 4 matches at a stretch. Cucurella and Reece James may play in the full-back positions. Caicedo may start in his natural holding midfield position instead of the right back where he had featured for 3 consecutive games. He may partner with either Latvia or Hall. Enzo Fernandez may be given a free role, playing behind the number 9. The front three may include two of these players: Neto, George or Madueke - with both operating in the two flanks; and a false 9 which probably could be Cole Palmer. 

As emphasized earlier, Man United would look to rest couple of their key players for the Europa League finals, so some of their non-first team starters may be given opportunity to start today. This notwithstanding, they may also stick with their usual 3-4-2-1 formation on paper. 

Either Heaton or Beyindir may start as the goalkeeper. Academy graduate, Fredricson, may be given a place in the starting 11, he could play alongside Luke Shaw who may start in order to gain match fitness, and either Mazraoui or Victor Lindelof or any other academy products. Ahmad who needs to start in order to become fully fit against the final, may start as the right wing-back, Urgate and Mainoo may both start at holding midfield positions, while Amass may also begin at the left wing-back position. At the attacking midfield positions, Mason Mount and Fernandez may start. While at the number 9 position, we might see young Academy graduate, Obi, play in that position.

These line ups are simply predictions of mine as both teams could decide to opt for totally different formations.  

Irrespective of what may be the outcome of the game, as deep lover of the sport, good game of football is all I hope to witness today.             

  

                                                              

                                              

       

 

   

Pre-match Analysis: Real Madrid vs RCD Mallorca (La Liga)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

Later this night Real Madrid will face RCD Mallorca in match day 36 of La Liga.  

They know the title race is as good as being over after the defeat to Barcelona away at the Estadi Lluis Olympic Companys last Sunday, which did increase the point gap between both teams to 7 points with only 3 games left to play.  So, mathematically it simply means that Real Madrid would have to win all their remaining La Liga matches while Barca lose all of theirs- something that might need a Jupiter to be realized- if they are to claim the La Liga title and avoid going trophyless this campaign. 

Conversely, RCD Mallorca are going into this tie fully bent on securing a place in Europe next season- having last played in a European competition since more than two decades ago.

So, this might prove to be quite a tough challenge for the Los Blancos as Mallorca would aim to come out of this tie with at least a point in order to keep their European dreams alive. 

                                              

     

HEAD-TO-HEAD 

Below is the scoreline for their last five La Liga encounter.

In these ties, Real Madrid have the most win - 3: 23rd of April 2024(0-1), January 3,2024 (1-0), September 11(4-1). Mallorca on the other hand have only one win, happening on February 3, 2024 (1-0). One of these ties ended in a 1-1 draw which was at the Estadio Campo de Futbol de Son Moix on the 18th day of August last year. 

                                            

RECENT PERFORMANCES IN LA LIGA 

To ascertain this, we shall consider both team's performances in their last 5 La Liga games. 

Real Madrid is in great form so far. They had 4 wins and only a lose - which was in their last match against Barcelona. 

RCD Mallorca haven't really been in good form so far. They only have 2 wins, 2 lose and a draw. Prior to their victory at home against Real Valladolid last week Saturday, the last time they won a match was almost a month ago against Real Sociedad.  

                                                            

ABSENTEES 

Real Madrid have been plagued with a lot of injury crisis. More than 11 senior players are absent for this match, with Lunin, Vinicius Jr, Lucas Vasquez and Brahim Diaz being the recent players to be included to this list. 

With this, Carlo Ancelotti would be forced to introduce couple of academy players into the team in order to balance things up with the few remaining senior players. 

This is a serious problem for Real Madrid, as some of these players have been key to Real Madrid's performance so far this season. 

Mallorca do not have serious injury crisis like Real. They are only without Nevarro, Morlanes, Chiquinho and Prats.

So, this is an area where Mallorca are at the vantage. 

                                                             

CONCLUSION 

Finally, based on the statistics, Real Madrid can be said have the edge over Mallorca as they've been in good form prior to this game and, also, they've had more wins against them in their past five encounters.   

They also play at home. So, this is another vantage point for them. 

Although the stats say that Real Madrid are the favourites to emerge victors, their injury crisis could pose serious problem for them in this tie - something Mallorca could take advantage of - and maybe, really maybe, the result could skew against statistics.  

 

                                            

 

   

Pre-match Analysis: Atalanta vs AS Roma (Italian Serie A)

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

Monday night football in the Italian Seria, will have two of the league's big dogs, Atalanta and AS Roma, battle things out in the Gewiss stadium in Bergamo. They both seek to secure a spot in the league's top 4 berth - and invariably securing a place in next season's Champions League. 

For the home side, this will serve as a good opportunity to seal a 7th consecutive participation in European competitions. 

A win for Roma would catapult them to 4th position in the league. On the other hand, this tie could also be an opportunity for revenge against Atalanta, as they lost 0-2 lost at home in the first leg tie back on the second day of December 2024. 

So, this blog post will include an analysis of both teams, so as to stare curiosity in our minds football fans in terms of expectations for this tie. 

      

                                          HEAD-TO-HEAD                                                         

Here are the scoreline for both teams past 5 fixtures in the Italian Serie A: 

December 2, 2024 : 0-2 (Atalanta won)

May 12, 2024 : 2-1 (Atalanta won)

January 7, 2024: 1-1

April 24, 2023: 3-1(Atalanta won)

September 18, 2022: 0-1 (Atalanta won)

From the above, it is clear that Atalanta have had very good results against AS Roma- winning 4 and drawing only one.

So, they would probably come into this game with an air of confidence knowing fully well that they've always done well against AS Roma. 

They are playing at home- so this could serve as another form of confidence booster for them. 

                                                

PERFORMANCE IN THE LEAGUE 

  

Atalanta in their last 5 league matches, have had quite good results. They won 3- against Monza, AC Milan, Bologna - lost one- against Lazio- and drew one -Lecce. 

Roma's results have been outstanding. In their last 5 league games they've won 3 - against Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Hellas Verona - and drew two - Lazio and Juve. 

When we take a look at both teams' opponents in those games, we would discover that in as much as Roma had encountered tougher ones compared to Atalanta, they did slightly better compared to Atalanta against their opponents. 

                                                          

CONCLUSION 

From the stats highlighted during this analysis, Atalanta have had a greater edge over capital club, AS Roma, in their past 5 meeting in the league. They also play at home - their fortress- a place where  AS Roma have never won since 2021. So, it could be said that they possess a higher confident level. 

This is simply an aspect where Atalanta are at the vantage, as AS Roma based on their past 5 games had produced more outstanding results. Therefore, they also have their own confident booster at their disposal.

So, in summary, Atalanta can be said to have a slight edge over AS Roma going into this game- based on statistics. 

But stats are not always right. It's football and anything could happen.       

     

  

Match Analysis: PSG vs Arsenal(UEFA Champions League Semi Final)- A Look at Mikel Arteta's Men - What the Gunners Did Right and What Went Wrong for them

Written by Paul Michael Ezeoha 

Paris Saint Germain piped Arsenal 2-1 at home to secure a spot in the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League final in Munich. 

This makes it a second UEFA Champions League final for the club in their history- one they would be so much optimistic of wining for the first time given their superb form so far in this competition. 

For Arsenal, with this loss comes a feeling of dismal, as it brought to an abrupt end what seemed like a euphoric European dreams- and invariably, deadening their only opportunity for a silverware this season. 

But we can all agree that they've had quite a remarkable journey in this season's Champions League. Notably, Arsenal played 14 games, where they won 9,drew 2 and lost only 3 of those matches. 

So, with a pat on the back, they are being encouraged to try even harder next season. 

This tie - much like the first leg at the Emirates last week- is somewhat of an equal performance from both sides, with the only difference being the one-goal advantage of the home side. 

The stats can corroborate this claim: in terms of ball possession, the Gunners were superior, with 54%, while PSG had 46%. The total amount of passes completed were 355 and 310 for Arsenal and PSG, respectively.

For the total number of shots, Arsenal were also the leading side- with a total shots of 19, with only 4 being on target, thus translating to a 2.91 Expected Goal ratio.  PSG on the other hand had 11 shots in total, with 6 being on target, which provide explanation for their 1.74 Expected Goal ratio. 

So, in this analysis, Arsenal FC is the focal point. The analysis shall bring forth Arsenal's tactical trend(s) and flaw(s) during this match- thus giving credence to predictions and other notions pointed out in the pre-match analysis of this match. 

(Just a reminder : check the pre-match analysis in this link below if you didn't read it. 

https://thespectrumfootballanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/05/pre-match-analysis-psg-vs-arsenal-uefa.html )

                           

                             LINE UP

As predicted, Arsenal's formation on paper was 4-3-3. 

David Raya started in between the sticks. The 4-man back line includes:  Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kiwior, Saliba and Timber- ahead of him to provide defensive cover. The midfield trio of Thomas Partey, who returns to the squad after missing out in the first leg due to suspension, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. Higher up the pitch, Gabriel Matinelli, Moreno and Bukayor Saka formed the forward line. 

Arsenal's Line up on paper(Photo Credit: Canal +) 

Mikel Arteta made only two changes in the course of this game, bringing in Ricardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli, respectively in the 68th minutes. 

    IN-POSSESSION STRUCTURE          

When in possession of the ball- precisely in the opponent's half- Arsenal did maintain two idiosyncratic shapes: 3-2-4-1 and  4-1-5. But they maintained the former for most of the game. 

When in any of these shapes, several key tactical ideas remained constant. Firstly, it was the forward positioning of the double attacking midfielder in the half spaces. Secondly, it was the width provided by the wingers in most occasions, and the fullbacks  infrequently. Thirdly, is the overload of the right flank by a winger, midfielder(Odegaard in most cases) and the right back. And lastly it was the fluid behaviour of the players- interchanging positions frequently. 

This structure we shall see playing out in the scenario below. 

Here, we see Arsenal in a 4-1-5 shape: the two central backs and the full-backs are not visible in this scenario, the sole holding midfielder, Thomas Partey, the two box-to-box midfielders who are now in advance positions- Odegaard in this scenario has drifted to the right half space to combine with Saka and the right back, Timber,who is not within view, and the three forwarders- Saka and Martinelli who provided the width for the team and Moreno operating in the number 9 position. (Photo Credit:Canal+) 

Again, this shape is seen. But in this scenario, only the front 5- the three forwarders and the two box-to-box midfielders- and the right full-back, Timber, are within view.  

Arsenal build up play again from the right hand flank, where the winger,Saka, Odegaard,who has now swapped position with Timber, operates in Timber's inverted full-back position, while Timber himself takes his place in the right half space. These three players form a triangle in this flank. Odegaard makes an overlapping run ahead of Saka, and this distracts Mendez,PSG's left back. Also, Timber's positioning in the right half space pins one of PSG players. Saka now has space to shoot. He then curls one but it wasn't enough to beat the inform Donnarruma in the post for PSG. 

With this, we can see the benefit of wide overload in football, a tactical trend that is part and parcel of Arteta's playing style. 

(Photo Credit:Canal+) 

         

Below, we will see their shape turn into a 3-2-2-3.  

Arsenal 3-2-2-3 in-possession shape (Photo Credit: Canal+)

Fluidity is also another amongst the players is also another phenomenon visible here: 

Surprisingly, Moreno who has been playing as the false 9, somehow finds himself in a defender position- forming a back 3 with Saliba and Kiwior. 

Trossard who is supposed to operate in the left wing, now partners with Partey in holding midfield. 

The front 5 now includes Calafiori who now plays as the left winger, Declan Rice and Odegaard who retained their box-to-box midfielder roles, Saka who is now in the number 9 position and Timber who is in the right flank. 

It is important to take note of the relevance of the box-to-box midfielders in this structure. In this scenario, their positioning in the halfspaces force PSG to defend centrally, as they aim to nullify the danger that these players might pose there. Because PSG were defending very narrowly, this meant that Arsenal wide players, in this case Calafiori and Timber, would be free. 

So, Trossard in the holding midfield role plays a pass to Calafiori on the left flank. Calafiori swings in a pitch perfect cross for Saka, but he allowed the ball go begging ! 

(Photo Credit: Canal +) 

    

DEFENSIVE FLAW

Defensive ineptitude has become one of Arsenal's major problems lately- a phenomenon that was also pinpointed in the pre-match analysis/review of this game. 

This defensive woes was what led to Hakimi's goal, which will be highlighted below, thereby sealing Arsenal's defeat. 

Kvaratskhelia plays a pass for the forward running Hakimi, who has Declan Rice close by his side, but Declan Rice fails to take note of his run.

Hakimi receives the ball, plays it to Dembele, who plays a one-two with him -meanwhile, we can see 3,4...7 Arsenal players watching them make these passing combinations- before he(Hakimi) places the ball comfortably at the back of the net.  

(Photo Credit: Canal +) 

CONCLUSION 

Although Mikel Arteta's statement during his post-match interview that Arsenal were the best team in the night, can be opposed to a great degree,because, mathematically, the best team is the one who wins the game, even if they do so with only 30 percent possession of the ball - Jose, does that ring a bell ? Still, it was good game of football by the Londoners who can only get better, and hopefully one day they will vie in the finals of Europe's most prestigious competition.