Niclas Füllkrug: Germany’s Cult-Hero Continues His Ascent

Niclas Füllkrug isn’t your archetypal modern German striker. When the Germans warmed up for their 2022 World Cup campaign with a friendly against Oman in mid-November, Füllkrug came off the bench at half-time. In doing so, he became the oldest outfielder to make his debut for Germany in 20 years (29 years, 280 days). Did he make an impact? You could say that. He scored the only goal of the game within 35 minutes of his international introduction with what was only his second shot for the nation
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Bundesliga.com •

Tactical Analysis: How do RB Leipzig's Xavi and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz compare?

Xavi and Florian Wirtz have been among the standout Bundesliga players so far this season, but how do they compare ahead of RB Leipzig's meeting with leaders Bayer Leverkusen? The opening weekend of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season included a blockbuster clash between Leverkusen and Leipzig. A 3-2 victory for Xabi Alonso’s side was the first of a record, on-going unbeaten start to the campaign. It was also the first senior meeting between star men Xavi and Wirtz. Wirtz has bounced back strongly a
The Analyst •

Are Juventus Back?

Juventus finished outside the top three in each of the past three seasons but have started 2023-24 well. Ahead of Sunday’s Derby d’Italia with Serie A leaders Inter, we look at what they’re doing right. Last season’s Serie A campaign wasn’t so much of a title race but a rightful crowning of deserved champions Napoli, who played splendid football under Luciano Spalletti’s guidance. They were the third different champion the Italian top flight had seen in as many seasons, the continuation of a r
The Analyst •

Stuttgart: From Relegation Battle to Title Challenge?

Stuttgart are sitting pretty in second behind Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, but it wasn’t always like this. A calamitous 2022-23 season saw Stuttgart go through four managers, the last of whom steered them to safety. It took a two-legged relegation play-off for Sebastian Hoeneß to keep them afloat but he and the club haven’t looked back since. Six wins from seven in the Bundesliga this season and a point ahead of the usual suspects Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart have been not
Sporting Life •

Aston Villas high-line: Will Unai Emerys tactic continue to reward this season?

*Published before Aston Villa's 6-1 win over Brighton on September 30* Villa are unusual in many respects. The tactical landscape of the Premier League has probably never been more exciting than it is this season. Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool 2.0 and Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham are all setting up in a different manner to any other Premier League season, as are Unai Emery's Aston Villa. Since the Spaniard's arrival, Villa have become famous for consistently deploying a
Breaking The Lines •

Clarence Seedorf and a Tale of a Career Like No Other

The Netherlands is a country of diverse cultures. A country where you can meet people from almost every ethnic group. A country that has become home for a generation that has been born elsewhere but have found their place amongst the Oranje. A country that is famous for being home to Vincent Van Gogh, for sheltering Anne Frank during the Second World War and where the world famous Rijksmuseum also stands. Amongst all the ethnicities, the Surinamese are a prominent people. Suriname, which was on
FotMob •

Exequiel Palacios: The unsung hero in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title challenge

With so much individual brilliance in the side, one player whose contributions may have been overshadowed by others is Argentina international, Exequiel Palacios. What makes him essential for Alonso’s Die Werkself? Now entering his fifth season at the BayArena, 24-year-old Palacios is finally getting a consistent run in the side under Alonso, after previously being in and out of the side due to injuries.
inews.co.uk •

Why Man Utd are signing Wout Weghorst - the tireless runner and 'coat stand' Ten Hag craves

Erik ten Hag has made a career out of being successful with target men strikers. For Marnix Kolder, who played for Go Ahead Eagles in Ten Hag’s first coaching job, his role was clear. “I was the ‘escape,’ when the ball was pressured at the back, the long ball from the keeper or the central defender came to me,” Kolder told The Independent last year. “I don’t know the word in English – a coat stand? The ‘kapstok’. It’s a typical word in Dutch. The big person they can play the balls to, then you
Analytics FC •

Scouting the Primeira Liga: the Next Players to Make the Step Up

Ninad Barbadikar looks at the players who could be the next to make the step up from the Primeira Liga in Portugal This summer, five Primeira Liga players made the move away from Portugal for transfer fees worth a total of £188.5m. Darwin Nunez, the highly coveted SL Benfica forward was signed by Liverpool for £67.50m; on top of that, with add-ons included, his fee could potentially go up to £85m, making him Liverpool’s most expensive player of all time.