By Champions League Preview: Premier League vs. LaLiga
The Champions League opening round brings a story with four direct clashes between Premier League and LaLiga clubs. Arsenal face Athletic Club, where Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi know the opponent well, but the real challenge is Arsenal’s defensive wall. Last season, the Gunners conceded just 0.89 goals per game – the 5th-best record across Europe’s top five leagues – while allowing fewer than 10 shots per game. Athletic’s San Mamés will be loud, but breaking Arsenal down will not be easy.
Liverpool meet Atlético Madrid in a tie filled with history. Florian Wirtz, once a dribbling machine at Leverkusen (4.64 dribbles, 7.65 Sofascore Rating), has struggled at Anfield, dropping to just 1.40 dribbles and a 6.48 Sofascore rating. Liverpool’s attack has also slowed, with big chances falling from 3.80 to 2.20 per game and shots from 16.5 to 14.4. The clash becomes a test for both clubs.
Tottenham and Villarreal also meet, both with new faces in the lineup. Villarreal’s signings bring 90 UEFA competition appearances, while Tottenham’s bring 74. The difference comes in goals: Spurs’ new players have netted 20 times in Europe, compared to just eight from Villarreal’s arrivals. Experience lies with Spain, but the finishing touch may lie with England.
Finally, Newcastle take on Barcelona, where the spotlight falls on Lamine Yamal. With him, Barça win 74.6% of matches and average 2.24 points per game. Without him, that drops to 64.3% and 1.93 points. The teenager has already become essential.
All of these battles were broken down in the first episode of Numbers Don’t Lie powered by Sofascore, aired on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Manchester Derby: Amorim’s Struggles
Manchester United’s problems keep piling up. The 3-0 loss to City was another painful reminder of how far they have fallen. Rúben Amorim’s record is the worst of any United manager with 25+ games since the 1940s, averaging just 1.34 points per game. In the Premier League era, he ranks 137th out of 177 managers.
His side scores only 1.16 goals per game (18th in EPL) despite being 4th in shots. Their conversion rate is just 7.4% (22nd) while they underperform expected goals by -8.49 (23rd). Defensively, United concede 1.58 goals per game (15th) and keep clean sheets in only 16.1% of matches (19th). For a club that once prided itself on resilience, the numbers point to a serious crisis in which one coach blindly believes in style that is so obviously not producing.
Manchester Derby: Haaland Making History
On the blue side of Manchester, Erling Haaland continues to rewrite records. His role in the derby took him to eight goals in just six Premier League meetings with United, already matching Wayne Rooney and Sergio Agüero’s numbers but in far fewer games. Since joining City, Haaland has scored 129 goals, averaging one every 95 minutes and needing just 25.7 touches per goal – the most efficient striker in Europe.
In Premier League history since 2015/16, no one comes close. Haaland averages a goal every 93.5 minutes, ahead of Agüero, Isak, Kane and Salah.
Numbers Don’t Lie powered by Sofascore
Numbers Don’t Lie powered by Sofascore is the new CBS Sports Golazo Network show that puts data at the centre of soccer analysis. In a sport often shaped by opinions and debates, numbers bring clarity. The show gives fans an objective view of what really happens on the pitch. Every episode turns statistics into stories that explain the game in a way no highlight reel can. The show is also available for free on YouTube on this link.
The post Numbers Don’t Lie: Champions League Clashes, and Manchester United’s Crisis first appeared on Mediamark Digital.
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