Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will rely on his experienced players as the Blaugrana navigate an injury crisis early on in his first campaign at the helm.

A perfect seven wins from as many matches in LaLiga this season means Barca could match the best start in their league history on Saturday, when they visit Osasuna.

Only once have Barca won their first eight matches to start a league campaign, doing so in 2013-14 under Gerardo Martino but ultimately finishing second to Atletico Madrid that season.

Flick's impressive start at Camp Nou has come despite injuries biting at his squad, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the latest casualty as he underwent knee surgery this week.

He has joined Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen in the treatment room, while Inigo Martinez is doubtful after suffering an injury against Getafe on Wednesday.

De Jong and Gavi are closing in on returns, but Flick is confident in his team's ability to cope in their absence.  

"This is about quality of the players. They are very well prepared and train with so much passion and mentality," Flick said. "Evidently, as we did before, there will be some rotations.

"But also it's important the experienced players are with us, like Raphinha and [Robert] Lewandowski. Inigo received a blow, so we will see how that is.

"From what I see in training, [De Jong] is in good shape, also Gavi picking up the pace. 

"Frenkie is very close to returning. Tomorrow he will have a rest because he needs it, he trained a lot."

The return of De Jong, who last played in April, could be a major boost for Barcelona as they brace for a tough October, when they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days before visiting Real Madrid in LaLiga.

"De Jong is an experienced player and he can help us greatly, even if he plays 20 minutes, but we will see what happens next week," Flick said.

Flick was also asked what it would mean to equal Barca's best start to a season, but the German is focused purely on the task of overcoming Osasuna.

"It's always great to win though we aren't focusing on the record," he said.

"From 11 points, Osasuna have won 10 points at home, where the crowd really gets behind them and I like that atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Barca have been banned from selling tickets for their next Champions League away game, at Red Star Belgrade on November 6, after their supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour during their match against Monaco. 

Sandro Schwarz is treating New York Red Bulls' meeting with New York City FC as a blank slate but is looking forward to the "special atmosphere" of the derby.

The Red Bulls are winless in five matches since their return to MLS action after the Leagues Cup, alternating between draws and losses – they drew 2-2 with Atlanta United last time out – leaving them fourth in the Eastern Conference.

They lost the reverse fixture back in May 2-1, but Schwarz is adamant that history will not dictate the result of this meeting.

"It's a derby and that means a special atmosphere in our stadium, which is necessary for us," Schwarz said. "This is good to have this game now against New York City.

"It's a new situation, and now we have to show we are in a good spot and show our whole quality and energy, which we need to get three points.

"We don't think too much about the results in the past, we just need to focus on right now to get the three points."

Meanwhile, NYCFC are seventh in the table, three points behind their opponents, but they are on a 10-match winless streak in MLS, with their last win coming in early July.

They snatched a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Inter Miami last time out and head coach Nick Cushing is hopeful their fans can spur them on once again.

"Our fans were incredible in the Miami game,” he said. "I'm really proud of that.

"When I speak to our players, that was a huge factor in fighting and continuing to push [against Miami].

"Having the hunger and the desire to get something was, of course, for our league position and for our push toward the postseason, but it was also for our fans."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York Red Bulls – Julian Hall

Julian Hall recorded his first career assist against Atlanta to go along with his two goals.

At 16 years, 181 days, Hall is the second-youngest player in MLS history to record at least two goals and an assist, after Freddy Adu (14 years, 355 days).

New York City FC – James Sands

James Sands scored at 94:40 to earn NYCFC a point against Inter Miami last Saturday.

It was the third-latest result-changing goal in regular season play in club history and the latest that was not from the penalty spot.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

The Red Bulls have won 12 of their 16 home matches against New York City FC (D2 L2) in all competitions, including the last two in a row. The Red Bulls have limited NYCFC to eight goals in those 16 matches, allowing multiple goals only once (2-0 defeat in 2017).

However, 11 of the Red Bulls' last 15 matches in all competitions have ended in draws (W2 D2). They have not won in over two months, since a 3-1 victory over FC Cincinnati on July 20.

Meanwhile, New York City FC are winless in 11 straight away matches in all competitions dating back to June. NYCFC lost the first three of those but have managed to draw six of the last eight away from home (L2).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York Red Bulls – 48.4%

Draw – 25.8%

New York City FC – 25.8%

Two players from Dinthill Technical High School have been banned from taking part in any Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) competition for one year, while a third was suspended for three games following an incident involving match officials at the end of a daCosta Cup match against McGrath High last Saturday.

In a release on Thursday, after a meeting of its disciplinary committee, ISSA revealed that Maalick Whyte and Shamair Hutchinson have been banned from participating in any ISSA-run competitions for one year, effective September 26, 2024, while Tyrese Gowe, was hit with the three-match suspension.

The Linstead-based school was also placed on a three-year probation and faces the possibility of suspension should its players breach the disciplinary code of conduct within the period of probation.

Reports are that players were involved in a confrontation with the referee after the game, and it was alleged one of them physically assaulted the official.

ISSA pointed out that the decision represents its commitment to ensuring that all rules are adhered to and the actions of the student athletes were unacceptable.

“The Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association reminds all its various stakeholders that we are committed to ensuring that all our student-athletes display the requisite decorum befitting their status as ambassadors of our schools and the various competitions in which they compete. We strongly condemn any acts of indiscipline and more so acts of physical aggression and/or assault on any match official,” ISSA's release said.

Thiago Motta is relishing the chance to end Juventus' three-match winless run in Serie A against former club Genoa this weekend. 

Motta, who has taken nine points from his first five games as Juventus head coach, returns to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after playing and managing the Grifone. 

The 42-year-old made 27 appearances for Genoa in all competitions, scoring six goals in the 2008-09 season before moving to Inter the following campaign. 

Motta then returned as their head coach in 2019, replacing Aurelio Andreazzoli, but managed just two wins from his 10 games in charge (D3 L5) before being sacked. 

"I've experienced so many good moments. It was a privilege. I enjoyed it both as a player and as a coach. I'm always happy to return there," Motta said.

While Juventus come into the encounter unbeaten, and the only team yet to concede in Europe's major top five leagues, they have struggled at the top end of the pitch.

The Bianconeri have drawn each of their last three league matches against Roma, Empoli and Napoli with a score of 0-0. 

Juventus could draw four goalless games in a row for the first time in their history in Serie A, but Motta was not worried about his team's goal-scoring form. 

"The offensive phase is not just one player, but the whole team," Motta said.

"We took an important step in the game against Napoli. We took the ball away from a great team.

"We have to put attackers and midfielders in a position to do well. We have to create as a team.

"They always want to win. I always want to win too. But there are many things behind a win.

"In the end, our goal is to win with our game. I have never perceived anxiety in my team. We always want the positive result." 

Unai Emery is not satisfied with Aston Villa's performance levels despite their impressive start to the Premier League season, demanding a step up when they go to Ipswich Town.

Villa have won four of their five Premier League games this season to sit third in the table, just one point adrift of pacesetters Manchester City.

Emery's team fought back to beat Midlands rivals Wolves 3-1 last week before overcoming Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup in midweek, while they also started their Champions League campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win at Young Boys.

Despite seeing his team win three straight Premier League games ahead of their trip to Portman Road, Emery wants more.

"Ipswich will be different but difficult, like the match before. We are trying to build a team. We have to try to get stronger tactically with our players," Emery said.

"We want to increase our levels individually and collectively through them and the process has been positive because we are getting points in this way.

"But of course, we have to improve a lot of things. The match we played against Wolverhampton was very good to analyse deeply how we were playing.

"We are winning but we are needing to change something to improve because maybe, in our matches, it is not enough to get to the other side like we are."

Ipswich, meanwhile, are one of six teams yet to register a Premier League victory this season, though they did deny fellow promoted club Southampton last time out, Sam Morsy netting a stunning 95th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Boss Kieran McKenna has hailed his captain's tendency to pop up with crucial goals, though he feels the Egyptian needs to work on his celebration.

"It was one of the shortest knee-slides I've seen so I think there's a bit of work to do on the technique of the slide!" McKenna said.

"He's scored a few big goals for us to be fair and he's always come up with a slightly different celebration so maybe he isn't a regular enough scorer to have a stock one.

"If he can keep popping up with big goals, he can do whatever he wants!"

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Ipswich Town – Arijanet Muric

Although he only has one Premier League clean sheet in 14 games for Burnley and Ipswich, according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model, Muric has prevented 9.4 goals in the competition (21 goals conceded from an xGoT of 30.4).

That is the best prevention rate of any goalkeeper in the Premier League since he made his debut on March 16. He may have a busy game ahead of him this weekend.

Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins

Since Emery's first Aston Villa game in November 2022, only Erling Haaland (66) and Mohamed Salah (59) have been involved in more Premier League goals than Watkins (53 – 35 goals, 18 assists).

Watkins has five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) to his name in all competitions this season and could get some joy against an Ipswich defence that has given up 11.09 expected goals against (xGA) this season – the sixth-worst figure in Europe's top five leagues.

MATCH PREDICTION – ASTON VILLA WIN

Ipswich have only won one of their 10 previous Premier League games against Villa (two draws, seven defeats), triumphing 1-0 at Villa Park back in March 1994.

The Tractor Boys are winless through their first five games of the campaign, drawing three and losing two. They last had a longer winless run at the start of a top-flight season in 1982-83, failing to win any of their first six but ultimately finishing in the top half.

Ipswich have actually drawn their last three league matches, last drawing more successive games as a Championship club between February and March 2017. They last had a longer run of draws as a top-flight side in 1992 (five between August and September).

Villa come in as favourites, as they look to win their first three away games in a Premier League season for just the second time, previously doing so in 2020-21.

Emery has won nine of 10 league games against newly promoted clubs as Villa boss, including all four to take place on the road. Overall, he has a win percentage of 78% (14 wins, two draws, two defeats) in 18 meetings with Premier League new boys.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich Town – 26.2%

Aston Villa – 49%

Draw – 24.8%

Miscellaneous Police FC and Mount Pleasant FA played to a scoreless draw in Group A of the 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Kevon Woodley had a shot off the volley in the 25’, but his strike rebounded on the outside of the left post.

Mark Ramdeen had a strike across the face of goal in the 30’, but his attempt sailed wide of the right post.

Kyle Ming was denied by the left post himself in the 47' after a lob from the right side of midfield nearly surprised Police FC.

Kwesi Allen attempted a header from close range in the 80’ but was wide of the mark as Shaquille Dyer provided the personal marking.

Xavier Rajpaul tried his luck from the top of the box in the 83’ but could not capitalize on a corner kick attempt.

Adrian Foncette had a crucial save in the 88’ to deny Nicholas Nelson from the edge of the six-yard box.

Miscellaneous Police FC is unable to advance to the semifinals with the draw. The Trinidad and Tobago side played its final encounter and will finish no higher than third place when the group stage concludes next week.

Mount Pleasant will host Real Hope FA next Thursday and can advance to the semifinals with a victory.

Wilfried Nancy insists that Columbus Crew’s Campeones Cup final defeat in midweek will not deter his side from achieving their goals in the MLS playoffs this season.

The Crew were edged out on penalties by Mexican side Club America after Malte Amundsen’s opener was cancelled out by Victor Davila before losing 5-4 in the shootout.

But attention now turns to league action with a trip to Audi Field to face D.C. United, and head coach Nancy believes the defeat in that showpiece match will only spur on his players.

"We lost the game. I told them when we won the MLS Cup, we learned from that. And we lost the Concacaf Champions Cup final in Pachuca. We also learned from that,” Nancy said.

“So, at the end of the day, the fact that we win, or we lose, we learn. And for me it was the message.

“And the message also for them was to tell them that I was proud of them. And we need two or three days to move forward and are already."

Meanwhile, D.C. were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing against the Philadelphia Union in their last encounter, denting their feint hopes of making a late push for the playoffs.

The Black-and-Red sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with four games of the regular season remaining, but are just three points behind the Union, who are in the final playoff position in the division.

Head coach Troy Lesesne lamented his side’s unacceptable display at Subaru Park but acknowledged the enormity of the task awaiting his team ahead of facing the Leagues Cup winners.

“I think urgency is the right word. I want to see more urgency out of our side than what we saw last week against Philadelphia,” Lesesne said.

“That’s not the type of performance want to display, but at the same time we have to move on quickly. We want to take the game to Columbus as much as we can.

“They are extremely talented, and they’ve had lot of success. We know they are a tough opponent. We’re going to try and have the mindset – it is critical against an opponent like this.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

D.C. United - Christian Benteke

Benteke has won 271 aerial duels this season, the most in a single season since Opta began detailed data collection of the MLS in 2010.

The Belgian has won 51 more aerial duels than the entire Crew team, who have won an MLS-low of 220 aerial duels this season.

Columbus Crew – Cucho Hernandez

Hernandez came off the bench to record a goal and an assist in the Crew’s win over Orlando on Saturday, his second such game as a substitute this season.

The Colombian is one of six players in MLS history to record multiple games with a goal and an assist off the bench in a single season.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Crew are unbeaten in six straight meetings with D.C. (W4 D2), though the Black-and-Red did manage a 1-1 draw in Columbus in April. This is the longest unbeaten run by either team against the other since the Crew went on an eight-match unbeaten run over D.C. in 2005-06.

Nancy’s side’s win over Orlando City last time out took them to 56 points on the season after totalling 57 points in the 2023 campaign. Prior to last season, Columbus had never earned more than 54 points in a single campaign before.

D.C. have won only one of their last 10 regular-season home matches (D4 L5) dating back to the beginning of May. No team has collected fewer points at home than the Black-and-Gold (seven, tied with San Jose Earthquakes) over that time.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

D.C. United – 19.8%

Draw – 20.9%

Columbus Crew – 59.3%

Manchester City will face Champions League holders Barcelona in their first group-stage appearance in the competition after the draw was made on Friday. 

City, who were knocked out in first-round qualifying in the 2022-23 season by Real Madrid, will also face SKN St Polten of Austria and Swedish side Hammarby. 

Women's Super League champions Chelsea, who finished as runners-up in the 2020-21 edition, have been handed a tough draw to reach the knockout stages. 

Sonia Bompastor's side will face Celtic, who have reached this stage of the competition for the first time in their history, along with Real Madrid and FC Twente. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal, who sealed their spot in the group stage with an emphatic 4-1 aggregate win over Hacken, have also been dealt a difficult group. 

The Gunners will compete against German champions Bayern Munich, Italian giants Juventus and Norwegian side Valerenga in Group C. 

Lyon, who have won the competition a record eight times, have been placed in Group A alongside Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray. 

Group A

Lyon, Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray. 

Group B

Chelsea, Real Madrid, Twente and Celtic. 

Group C

Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Juventus and Valerenga. 

Group D 

Barcelona, Manchester City, SKN St. Polten and Hammarby. 

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The Spaniard limped off in the first half of City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal after turning awkwardly in a tussle with Thomas Partey on a corner.

Reports soon claimed Rodri could be out for the rest of the season with the serious-looking injury, and he later visited a specialist in Barcelona.

Guardiola had said on Tuesday that Rodri was facing a long spell on the sidelines, describing him as "irreplaceable", with the club confirming it was a ligament injury the following day.

Now, speaking ahead of their Premier League trip to Newcastle United on Saturday, the manager explained the extent of the midfielder's injury.

"[Rodri had] surgery this morning [on his] ACL and next season he will be here. This season is over," Guardiola told reporters.

"Unfortunately, we got the worst [news] but these things happen. We will be there to support him in his recovery step-by-step.

"What he gives us, we don't have a similar player. But the others can all together replace what Rodri has given since his arrival to us.

"We will have to do it as a team and find a way to play a lot of matches without an important player for us.

"If we don't win, then it is because of Rodri. We are stronger with him and stronger with [Nathan] Ake and [Oscar] Bobb and Kevin [De Bruyne] but that is what it is. We don't want it, but it is football.

"As a club, we have magnificent players, and we will find a solution."

Each of City's last four Premier League defeats have all come when Rodri has not featured in the side. Indeed, the 28-year-old is unbeaten in his last 52 Premier League appearances (W42 D10), a run stretching back to February 2023.

City only lost one of the 50 matches in which Rodri appeared across all competitions last season – the FA Cup final against Manchester United – and their win percentage dropped from 76% to 55.6% in the nine games they played without him.

Asked if City would bring in a replacement for the midfielder in the January transfer window, Guardiola added: "We will talk, we will see what is going on. We have time to see."

Josh Wolff remains optimistic that Austin FC can improve on their play in the final third when they face Real Salt Lake in MLS on Saturday.

Wolff is under some pressure with Austin failing to win any of their last four league matches, scoring just two goals in that run.

They still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference, but the head coach knows that will not happen if they do not score.

"The main thing is you've got to go out and win the next game," Wolff told reporters.

"We've got to have the same ideas that we've had and the same performances that we've had, we've just got to take our opportunities.

"I keep echoing that we've been one of the better-performing teams at both ends, but it's all for nought if we can't score goals and win games and that's the only part that's been lacking."

Meanwhile, RSL booked their place in the playoffs last weekend after a 3-3 draw with Portland Timbers, and currently sit second in the table.

That is partly down to their impressive home form, as they have failed to win their last four on the road.

With that in mind, head coach Pablo Mastroeni is still targeting improvements, especially in defense.

"The last two performances were spirited, were gritty," said Mastroeni, "and that comes from the players' mindset.

"This group is really coming into its own at the right time, and now we just have to minimize silly situations that we have complete control over.

"In the last two games we've given up three poor set pieces. What can we do more in those moments and in training? Life doesn't tell you when you're at risk."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austin FC – Diego Rubio

Diego Rubio has scored six career goals against Salt Lake (incl. playoffs), tied for his most against any MLS opponent (also vs. Houston Dynamo & Minnesota United).

Only Jesus Ferreira (eight) and Sebastian Blanco (seven) have scored more against RSL since Rubio made his MLS debut in 2016.

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

Cristian Arango has scored six career goals against Austin (incl. playoffs), tied for his most against any MLS opponent (also vs. FC Dallas & LA Galaxy).

No player has scored more than six goals against Austin in MLS play (regular season and playoffs).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Real Salt Lake have won back-to-back meetings with Austin, including a 5-1 victory when the sides met in Sandy on June 1. This is the first two-match winning streak by either team over the other.

However, RSL have lost four of their last five away matches in all competitions (D1), including the last three in a row. Salt Lake had lost only three of their previous 17 on the road in all competitions (W6 D8) prior to this run.

And Austin have struggled in recent home games, losing back-to-back matches after losing just two of their previous 14 matches at Q2 Stadium in all competitions (W8 D4). Austin have failed to score in two straight at home for the first time since July 2021 (three straight).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Austin FC – 37.4%

Draw – 26.4%

Real Salt Lake – 36.2%

Bayer Leverkusen will need a perfect performance if they are to earn a result against Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday, according to Xabi Alonso.

Leverkusen became the first team to go unbeaten through a Bundesliga campaign as they clinched their first title last season, ending Bayern's 11-year reign in the German top flight.

Bayern are determined to bounce back under new boss Vincent Kompany, though, and they sit three points clear of Leverkusen ahead of the teams' huge meeting at the Allianz Arena.

With four wins from four games and a goal difference of +13 (16 scored, three conceded), they have made the joint-best start to a season in Bundesliga history – only Bayern themselves in 2016-17 and Stuttgart in 1996-97 have matched that record.

Alonso is expecting a huge challenge against his former club, telling reporters: "The anticipation is great and we want to show a good game. 

"We need a perfect performance to take something home with us. FC Bayern have made a good start to the season, it will be a challenge tomorrow. 

"We need to play at our highest level, with and against the ball for 90 minutes. Bayern will go full throttle, we have to be ready for that."

Leverkusen have already conceded nine goals in the Bundesliga this term, the most they have allowed at this stage of a season since 2014-15 (also nine).

The last reigning champions to ship nine goals in their first four games of a campaign were Kaiserslautern in 1998-99, while the last holders to concede more were Bayern in 1974-75 (11).

After a rollercoaster 4-3 win over Wolfsburg last time out, Alonso is desperate to see his team tighten up at the back.

"The team has to be compact, we have to defend together as a team. We have a clear gameplan, we can't be too soft and we can't allow large gaps," Alonso said.

"We have a clear gameplan as to how we want to play. We will give everything... If we don't defend well, it's hard for the players to win. We want to be consistent. We don't want to be up and down."

Following their trip to Bayern, Leverkusen host Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich are relishing the prospect of facing champions Bayer Leverkusen as they look to re-assert themselves as top dogs in the Bundesliga.

Bayern have won all six of their matches in all competitions under Kompany, scoring 20 goals in their last three games, and sit top of the Bundesliga with a 100% record.

On Saturday, they host second-placed Leverkusen, who last season became the first team to finish a Bundesliga campaign unbeaten and lifted the trophy to end Bayern's run of 11 straight titles.

"It's good that everyone's excited about the game," Kompany told reporters. 

"Obviously, it'll be an important game, against the best team from the last 12 months. We're looking forward to the game. It won't be easy.

"We want to test ourselves against a good opponent at the Allianz Arena. Bayern are always the favourites. We're looking forward to playing against the champions and want to win.

"The next game is what counts in football. If you've performed well, you need to keep going.

"We've scored 20 goals in the last three games, but it's my job to show what we can do better. Anything is possible in a game like against Leverkusen. We'll prepare the team to perform to their max on Saturday. Then we move on."

While Bayern's attack has made headlines in recent weeks, their early-season success has also been founded on defensive solidity, with two clean sheets in their four league matches.

In their 5-0 win over Werder Bremen last week, Bayern did not allow their opponents to record a single shot. Bremen also had just 10 touches in the opposition box and entered the final third just 29 times across the 90 minutes.

Kompany hailed the team's collective defensive effort, adding: "We didn't allow a single chance against Bremen. That's not just down to the defence.

"We need to do everything as a team. We've done that very well in the last few games. I have a lot of trust in the squad."

Graham Potter says he is ready to return to management and "hasn't ruled out" the possibility of managing England.

Potter has been out of work after being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, leaving the club with the joint-lowest points-per-game return of any manager to take charge of 20+ Premier League games for the club (1.27).

He took charge of 31 games in all competitions in his seven-month spell with the Blues, losing 11 of those, and leaving when they were 11th in the top-flight.

Despite taking a break from the public eye following his dismissal, Potter has still been linked with high-profile jobs, including the England position following Gareth Southgate's decision to step down after Euro 2024.

The 49-year-old was reported to be among the favourites, along with Eddie Howe and Pep Guardiola, and he admitted that he would be open to the position if it came along.

"I've felt ready to return for a little while," Potter told The Telegraph. "But it still has to be the right thing.

"I'm excited to hear what the opportunities are, and I'll take each one and judge it on its merits."

When asked how he would feel about the England job, he added: "I like the day-to-day and the building process of club management. International management is a different rhythm, and there are pluses for that. It's more intense when it's on, but you've got a bit more breathing space in between.

"It's nothing that I've ruled out, but at the same time, I do like the day-to-day bit of working with the players and being in at the club and trying to build and make a difference.

"Making a difference to people is why you do this. When you look back at the players you've helped in some way. That's the most rewarding part."

Having fallen short last term, both Manchester United and Tottenham started the 2024-25 season with Champions League qualification their primary aim.

However, five games into the new campaign, neither side has exactly marked themselves out as the team to beat in the race for a top-four finish.

With just seven points apiece, United and Spurs sit 11th and 10th, respectively, in the early-season standings ahead of their headline clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United's woes deepened as they were held to a Europa League draw by Twente on Wednesday, while Spurs eased the pressure somewhat by beating Qarabag on Thursday.

Both Erik ten Hag and Ange Postecoglou have come under pressure already this season, and should either taste defeat on their return to league action on matchday six, the criticism will only be amplified.

But what should we expect at the Theatre of Dreams, and what does the data say about both teams? Here's our Opta-powered match preview.

What's expected?

United have won 24 Premier League home games against Tottenham – only Arsenal have beaten an opponent more often at home in the competition's history (25 versus Everton).

With that in mind, it is perhaps not a surprise to see the Opta supercomputer make the Red Devils favourites, albeit not comprehensively.

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, United were victorious in 41.1%, with Spurs winning 34.6% and the other 24.3% finishing level.

Tottenham are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against the Red Devils, however, winning one and drawing two after losing four straight against them between 2021 and 2022.

Postecoglou's team twice fought back to recover a 2-2 draw when they last visited Old Trafford in January, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison cancelling out goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford.

United have not lost at home to Spurs since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer oversaw a dismal 6-1 defeat in October 2020, winning two and drawing one of their three home matches against them under Ten Hag.

Lack of firepower costing United

United's season to date has been defined by an inability to make the most of their chances in front of goal, and it was the same old story at Crystal Palace last week.

Ten Hag's side dominated for long periods at Selhurst Park but could not make the breakthrough, failing to take any of their five big chances and seeing their former goalkeeper Dean Henderson make seven saves for Palace in a goalless draw.

With a hamstring injury preventing Hojlund from featuring this season and Bruno Fernandes yet to open his account for 2024-25, United have too often looked toothless.

Their total expected goals (xG) figure of 9.6 for the season is the third-highest in the Premier League, behind only title contenders Manchester City (11.46) and Liverpool (10.1). However, United have only hit the net five times, giving them an xG underperformance of 4.6. 

Only Southampton (two goals from 7.1 xG) have posted a larger negative differential in the competition this term, though United have also been unfortunate to face some in-form goalkeepers, with their expected goals on target (xGoT) figure only slightly lower than their xG at 9.08.

How, then, can Ten Hag get his team firing? New arrival Joshua Zirkzee led the line last week but struggled, only attempting one shot and managing three touches in the box. Zirkzee has amassed more xG (2.19) than any other United player this season, despite only starting three of their five league matches. 

Marcus Rashford, who replaced him just after the hour mark, did not register a single effort at goal or a touch in the Palace area. Ten Hag's decision to drop Rashford for that match, just days after declaring the forward was getting back to his best, gave rise to rumours of a rift between the duo, which the Dutchman was forced to describe as "crazy".

Rashford appears likely to return to the lineup on Sunday, having scored six previous Premier League goals against Spurs – only against Leicester City (eight) has he netted more. 

Since Postecoglou joined the club last year, only Newcastle United (53) and Brighton (47) have allowed opponents more fast breaks than Tottenham (44, level with United). In what could be an open, watchable affair, Rashford may have a major role to play.

Ange targets end to away-day struggles

Tottenham responded to back-to-back Premier League defeats with a much-needed 3-1 victory over Brentford last week, with Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison netting after Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring within 23 seconds.

Since the start of last season, only Man City (31) have gained more points from losing positions in the Premier League than Spurs' 28. It is just as well that Postecoglou's men showed their powers of recovery in that game, with rumblings of discontent starting to emerge in the early weeks of the season.

Postecoglou's team needed another fightback to beat Coventry City in the EFL Cup just a few days earlier, after which he said there would be no "easy or quick fix" to make Spurs competitive at the top level.

The Australian is determined to make the "Spursy" tag a thing of the past, but their soft underbelly has continually cost them on the road since he took charge. 

They took 14 points from their first six away Premier League games under Postecoglou (four wins, two draws), only to garner just 14 from their next 15 on the road (three wins, five draws, seven defeats). 

Among ever-present Premier League teams across the last two seasons, no side has won fewer away games since the start of November 2023 than Spurs (three), with Bournemouth (24), Nottingham Forest (19) and Crystal Palace (15) among the clubs to better their 14 away points won in that span, a figure that puts them level with Everton.

If Tottenham are to contend for a top-four place or better, they simply must improve their away form, starting with Sunday's clash with a direct rival.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

United captain Bruno Fernandes has had more shots without scoring than any other Premier League player this season (17). Meanwhile, only Southampton's Cameron Archer (2.3) and Bournemouth's Evanilson (2) have amassed a higher xG figure without finding the net so far than Fernandes (1.9).

The Portugal international has, however, been involved in at least nine more attacking sequences (30 – 17 shots, six chances created, seven build-ups to a shot) than any of his team-mates this term (Diogo Dalot is second with 21).

Tottenham – Son Heung-min

Son's involvement in this game has been called into question after appearing to suffer an injury against Qarabag, but Postecoglou was understandably quick to play it down.

The South Korean is likely to be key, having created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season (13). 

Son has also had a hand in five goals in his last seven league appearances against Manchester United, scoring four and assisting one.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was pleased with his team's defensive performance as they beat Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Thursday, but he knows they must create more chances.

Atletico managed to keep another clean sheet to consolidate their status as the best defensive side in the competition, conceding only three goals in seven games this season.

At the other end, Simeone's men only managed two shots on target and generated just 0.62 expected goals (xG) to the hosts' 1.53 xG, but Julian Alvarez's late goal inflicted Celta's first home defeat in seven months.

"Today we took the three points with great defensive patience against opponents who haven't lost since February," Simeone told reporters.

"We've been working well, but we need to improve our attacking. In the first half we performed well in defence but we didn't create opportunities to put our players in front of goal.

"There's a defensive performance that is much better, we still haven't found that area where we can play better offensively."

The Argentine was, however, delighted with the performances of Alvarez, Angel Correa and midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme, all of whom made an impact off the bench.

"In the second half the substitutions made us better, Rodrigo Riquelme, Julian, Correa... they were feeding us more in a game where both sides looked like they were going to have chances," Simeone said.

"Luckily, in the end [Antoine] Griezmann and Julian found each other."

Atletico host city rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga on Sunday, having taken 15 points from seven matches to trail Los Blancos by two points and leaders Barcelona by six.