Caleb Porter believes the New England Revolution are only "scratching the surface" of their true potential, with several key players back in form ahead of their visit to Real Salt Lake.
The Revs trounced CF Montreal 5-0 on the road last time out in a triumphant return to MLS action after the Leagues Cup break, moving within two points of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Former league MVP Carles Gil and winger Dylan Borrero both returned to action in that game after dealing with injury problems, and Porter senses his team have turned a corner at an ideal time.
"I don't think it is a coincidence when [Borrero] and Carles left, we were not quite as fluid," Porter said.
"We hung in, we hung around, we did it in different ways, we got a few draws and a win in the Leagues Cup. But you can see our level.
"That's what we want it to look like, and better. We are just scratching the surface. We’ve got to keep pushing and stay really hungry.
"We've got to go back to work and work even harder next week. We've got a very difficult game against Salt Lake on the road."
Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, sit third in the West but were beaten 2-0 by the struggling San Jose Earthquakes on their return to MLS action last week.
Coach Pablo Mastroeni believes his side tried to force the issue too much in that match, saying: "There are two sides of the coin, we looked like a side that hadn't played for a few weeks, and what that does to the psyche is it doesn't allow us to reset.
"That was the story. We weren't sharp with the ball and we tried to force it. You have to build confidence in your attack."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Arango (17 goals) and the since-departed Andres Gomez (13 goals) are the first pair of Real Salt Lake team-mates to combine for 30 goals in a single regular season in club history.
With Gomez now in France with Rennes, it is now up to Arango to fire RSL to the postseason.
New England Revolution – Emmanuel Boateng
Six of Boateng's 19 career MLS goals (including playoffs) have been scored against Real Salt Lake. The only other opponent he’s scored against more than once is FC Cincinnati (also three goals).
MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN
This will be the first meeting between New England and Real Salt Lake in Utah since October 2018. RSL have not lost any of their last eight home matches against New England (six wins, two draws) dating back to 2008.
That may not change this weekend. RSL have only lost one of their last 24 home matches against Eastern Conference opponents (14 wins, nine draws), including going unbeaten through their last six (four wins, two draws).
New England have lost two of their last three MLS road games, with their last two ending in a 5-1 defeat (to the Philadelphia Union) and a 5-0 victory (at Montreal).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake – 51.4%
New England Revolution – 23.9%
Draw – 24.7%
Barcelona can still improve despite great start to LaLiga, says Flick
Despite winning all three games in LaLiga so far, Hansi Flick believes Barcelona still have room to improve ahead of their clash with Rayo Valladolid.
With rivals Real Madrid struggling to fit new signing Kylian Mbappe into their stellar squad, and winning only one game so far, Barca have opened up a lead at the top of the league standings on nine points, two ahead of second-placed Villarreal and three from Celta Vigo in third.
"It's going to be a long season, and I'm not focused on the opponents. I'm focused on Barca, we've done well in the first three games and hopefully tomorrow we'll be victorious," Flick told a press conference on Friday.
"The players are fit and rested, they are training really well, and I'm pleased. We believe in our strength and in our idea of the game.
"Of course, there are many things we need to improve, like being focused from the start of the matches and not wait 10 minutes to get going. To be confident from minute one, that's what I expect from the players.
"It sounds like something basic, but it's part of the hard core of our idea of the game. The quality of this team is sky-high, fantastic."
Barcelona had to fight back to win after conceding first-half goals at Valencia and Rayo Vallecano, and needed a late Robert Lewandowski winner to break the deadlock at home against Athletic Bilbao.
Flick said he was delighted with the strength of character in the team.
"We have a special atmosphere and a very good mentality. They are very professional players with a great attitude. They are acting as one. The attitude, the mentality, the teamwork... I love it. This is the only way to win, in unison," Flick said.
Kompany urges Bayern to cut out errors against Freiburg
Vincent Kompany has urged Bayern Munich to stop making mistakes ahead of their Bundesliga match against Freiburg at home on Sunday.
Bayern narrowly secured a 3-2 victory against Wolfsburg last time out, courtesy of a late goal from Serge Gnabry, after conceding twice early in the second half.
"We observe everything, delve into details to find solutions and strive to create a perfect picture. We performed very well in the first half against Wolfsburg but lost momentum just after half-time," Kompany told reporters on Friday.
"Such lapses often occur due to mistakes. However, we fought back and persevered. The mentality was commendable. We need to address these issues as a team."
Freiburg claimed an impressive 3-1 win against last season's runners-up, Stuttgart, in their first match and Kompany acknowledged that Sunday would pose a different challenge.
"It's a difficult game for us but our objective at home at the Allianz Arena is always clear," Kompany said.
Despite injuries to defensive players, including Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanisic, who are out for the start of the season, Kompany was unconcerned about the overall squad situation.
"We're close to having everyone available. I don't want to exert too much pressure. We don't have many worries. I hope we’ll have everyone fit soon," he said.
Kompany said he was excited about the new-format Champions League after Bayern found out their fate in the competition in Thursday's draw, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona among their adversaries.
"It feels new and exciting. I'm looking forward to it because it'll be different. You have eight opponents in very different situations. Previously, it was often clear who would advance after four games," Kompany said.
"I’m excited about the fixtures. An away game in Rotterdam is always nice; playing at home against Paris and away in Barcelona. The key is to keep the players fit, then we can relish the games."
Fonseca confident Milan will bounce back against Lazio
Paulo Fonseca says Milan have been working hard in training after a poor start to the Serie A season and will be prepared to bounce back when they face Lazio.
The newly appointed head coach is already under pressure after a lacklustre start to the campaign, with a 2-2 draw against Torino on matchday one being followed by a disappointing 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Parma.
"We are aware that we haven’t started well. But we are all united and we want to find solutions. That’s what we’ve been doing this week," Fonseca told reporters.
"We are united so it’s easier to work. It was a good week and I think we understood where we really need to improve. I expect a different Milan tomorrow."
The Portuguese coach denied that some players were having trouble adapting to his tactical vision, with the Rossoneri's defensive efforts attracting particular criticism so far this season.
"I am as confident as I was during my unveiling press conference," he added.
"I am convinced these two games won’t diminish our ambition to become the team we aim to be."
Milan also discovered their opponents for the Champions League's new league phase this week and are set to face Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid and Liverpool after a daunting draw.
Fonseca, though, is pleased to have the chance to face top opponents, saying: "It was a balanced draw. All games will be competitive.
"It’s true we have Madrid, Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, who are top sides, but there are other strong teams as well. It seems like a balanced draw and format.
"I really like the format because there are more games among top sides but it’s also an opportunity to bring these top sides to countries that are not traditionally strong in football."
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