UCL: The return fixtures of the UEFA Chmpions League fixtures start today at Arsenal will be hosting Atletico Madrid at The Enirate stadium. The 1st leg finished in a 1-1 draw and with the home advantage, Arsenal will be hoping to make their first Champions League final since 2006 when they lost to Barcelona 2-1. Arteta in his press conference confirmed thatg both Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are both available for selection which is an added boost for the team. After having lost to PSG in last year's semis, Arteta and his boys will be hoping to go one better and qualify for the final. In the 2nd game, Bayern Munich will trade tackles with PSG at the Allianz arena where they will be looking for an outright win to qualify for their first final since winning it in 2020. The first leg was the highest scoring semi=final gam in the competition's history. There are no injury update on both sides so they are both expected to field a very strong team which is billed to be an exciting affair.
UCL RECAP: It was an avalanche of goals, drama and pure attacking football at the Parcs De Prince as Holders PSG defeated German giants Bayern Munich 5-4 which is the highest scoring Semi-Final game in UCL history. Bayern Munich opened the scoring when Bayern were awarded a penalty after a foul on Luiz Diaz which Harry Kane buried for his 13th goal of the Champions League this season. Kvara Kvaratskhelia equalized after dancing past Josip Stanisic before Joao Neves headed hime a Ousmane Dembele corner. Micheal Olise restored parity after dancing last 2 PSG players. PSG were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half time after Alphonse Davids was penalize for handball. Which Dembele buried for a 3-2 PSG lead heading into half time. PSG replaced Davids with Konrad Lanier and switched to a back 3 which opened the game for PSG and they responded with 2 quick fire goals from Dembele and Kvara. A few PSG changes was a catalyst that Bayern needed as goals from Dayot Upemecano and Luiz Diaz saw Bayern try to crawl back into the game but it was too late and they couldn't score one more to draw the match.The return leg is next week and Allianz Arena promises to be very loud as Bayern will be seeking to take advantage of scoring away from home and will want to qualify so that they get to face the winners of the game between Arsenal and Athletico Madrid. The 2nd Semi-final fixture of the UEFA Champions League between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano. Chances were far in between I. The first half as it was a very cagey affair till the 42nd minute when Arsenal were awarded a penalty to Arsenal after Viktor Gyokores was fouled in the box. The big Swedish striker picked himself up to dispatch the penalty and dive Arsenal a 1-0 lead heading into the half time. Atletico started putting pressure on the Arsenal's gol and from a corner kick, Marcos Llorente's shot strick Ben White's outstretched arm which was awarded as a penalty after VAR check. Julian Alvarez converted the spot kick for his 10th goal in the UCL. Arsenal thought they had another penalty after Jancko was believed to have tripped Eberechi Eze but the judgement was overturned after consultation with VAR. The 2nd leg will take place next week after both team would have played their league matches.
UCL: The Semi-Finals of the UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday when current holders PSG host German giants Bayern Munich to the Parcs Des Prince. Bayern had earlier defeated Paris Saint-German in the group stage of the competition where Bayern were 2-1 winners in france thanks to a Luiz Diaz double before he was sent off for a reckless challenge. Vitinha has an injury scare but has been training and may likely feature for them but Sergio Gnarby is out for the Germans after his injury which has also ruled out of the World Cup English side Arsenal will be travelling to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano. The English side are looking to qualify for their first Champions League final since 2006 when they lost to Barcelona. Atletico will also be looking to make their first final since losing to Real Madrid in 2017. Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz and probably Noni Madueke who both came off during their weekend game against Newcastle. Arsenal were eliminated by OSHA at this same stage during last years Champions League competition.
UCL RECAP: Holders PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 at A field and 4-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Champions League. Ousmane Dembepe scored 2 goals in the 72nd and 91st minute to give PSG the win. Slot started both Isak and Ekitike up front and were able to get a few chances. Ekitike pulled up with an injury that looks serious and was replaced by Mohammed Salah. Milos Kerkez point blank shot was saved by Safonov. In the second half, Liverpool increased the pressure and generated lots of chances but their execution was their greatest undoing. Dembele gave the Parisans the lead after finding space in front of the Liverpool box and slotting past Marmardashvili. He got his second when he scored from close range after a beautiful assist by Bradley Barcola. Atletico Madrid knocked out their arch-nemesis Barcelona out of the Champions League after losing to Barcelona 2-1 but winning 3-2 on average. Lamine Yamal gave Barcelona an early lead after 5 minutes after pouncing on a Le Nomand error. Ferran Torres doubled Barcelona lead on 24th minute before a nice counter attacking goa which was converted by Nigerian attacker, Ademola Lookman. Barcelona had a goal ruled out for offside before another red card to Eric Garcia. This is the 3rd time that Simeone's Atletico will be knocking Barcelona out of the UEFA Champions League at the knockout stages. It was an avalanche of goals, drama and intrigue at the Allainz Arena as Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 4-3 to qualify 6-4 on aggregate and progressive to the Semi-Finals. Madrid took an early lead when Arda Guler scored in the 3rd minute but Aleksandar Pavlovic restored parity for the German giants. Guler grabbed his second shortly to hide Madrid a 2-1 lead only for the in-form Harry Kane to equalize for Bayern Again. Kylian Mbappe scored again to give Madrid the lead heading into half time. 2nd half substitute Eduardo Camavinga came in the 67th minute and still got sent off in the 84th minute. Bayern took advantage and Luiz Diaz scored in the 87th minute before Micheal Olise rounded up the win with a goal in the 94th minute. Arsenal and Sporting CP played an absolute drab match that saw few chances in between. They played out a goaless draw which sees Arsenal win 1-0 on aggregate. Noni Madueke was forced off with injury which spells bad news for Arsenal as they prepare to face Manchester City on Sunday with both Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke likely to be out with injuries. The Semi-finals sixture is set and will see Arsenal take on Atletico Madrid while German giants and 6 times winners Bayern Munich will face current holders PSG who they beat in the group stage earlier this season.
UCL: The 2nd leg fixtures for the Quarter-Final of the UEFA Champions League starts today at Barcelona travel to the Wanda Metropolitano to face Athletico Madrid and will be seeking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg at Camp Nou in a controversial game which saw Pau Cubrasi sent off and Barcelona were denied a stonewall penalty. Lamine Yamal has started with the mind game begging Atletico manager Diego Simeone to let him play 1-v-1 instead of double marking him. Barcelona also made a complaint to UEFA concerning the length of the grass on the pitch to which UEFA has laughed off. In the other Tuesday game, Liverpool will also be looking to overturn a 2 goal deficit from the 1st leg when they face current holders PSG. Liverpool were totally dominated in the first half but will be looking to put PSG on pressure right from the blast of the whistle. On Wednesday, Arsenal will be welcoming Portuguese side Sporting CP to The Emirate for the return leg of the Champions Leagur Quarter-Final fixture. Arsenal won the 1st leg 1-0, thanks to a 91st minute winner from Kai Havertz and would be playing like wounded lions after losing to Bournemouth over the weekend which saw their lead at the top of the table trimmed to 6 points. Bukayo Saka will be missing the game while Declan Rice is a game time decision. Real Madrid will be travelling to the Allianz Arena to face an in-form Bayern Munich as they look to overturn a 2-1 1st leg defeat at The Santiago Bernabeu. The Spanish giants will be attemting to do all they can to win as the Champions League is their last resort for a trophy this season so as to avoid going 2 years without any major trophy won.
UCL RECAP: German goalie Manuel Neuer produces a man on the match display to help Bayern Munich take a 2-1 lead into the second leg. Neuer produced multiple world class saves as Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Goals from Luiz Diaz on the stroke of half time gave Munich a 1-0 lead heading into the half time. An Harry Kane goal 40 seconds into the second half gave Munich a 2-0 goal lead. Kylian Mbappe halved the deficit after slotting home Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross home. Munich had multiple opportunities to increase he lead late in the game but failed to take advantage. The second leg takes place at the Allianz Arena next week. Kai Havertz's 91st minute winner helped Arsenal beat Sporting CP in Portugal 1-0. It was a cagey affair but Arsenal had David Raya to thank after his numerous saves helped keep the scores level. Martin Zubimendi thought he had given the gunners the lead but his goal was ruled out for offside. Substitutes Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli combined to give Arsenal the lead and the advantage heading into the second leg in London next week. The remaining fixtures for the first leg of the Quarter-Finals produced some scintillating performances as well as some disappointing ones. Diego Someone won his first game at Camp Nou in 25 attempts as Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona at home 2-0 to take a first leg advantage to the Wanda Metropolitano for the second leg. Pau Cubrasi was sent off for stopping a clear scoring opportunity as the last man and was given his matching orders. Julian Alvarez converted the resulting Freekick to give Atletico a 1 goal lead heading into the 2nd half. Alexander Sorloth scored the second goal in the 77th minute and condemn Barcelona to a shock defeat at home. Holders PSG produced and assured and commanding display as they beat English side Liverpool to a 2-0 thanks to a deflected strike from Desire Doue as well as a fantastic solo effort by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool could not record a single attempt on target in the game as they were 2nd best all through the night. Manager Arne Slot took the bold step of benching Mohammed Salah which backfired as the teàm couldn't create anything of note throughout the game. The second leg of these fixtures take place next week and both Liverpool and Barcelona would be looking to overcome 2 goals deficit to qualify for the Semi-Finals of the UEA Champions League.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL FIXTURES: The Quarter-Final stage of the UEFA Champions League kicks off tomorrow when a battle of giants take place at the Santiago Bernabeu when Real Madrid takes on German giants Bayern Munich in the first leg fixture. Madrid eliminated English side Manchester City while Munich eliminated Atalanta in the previous stage, Madrid will be welcoming Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham back into the line-up after they both missed the games against City. The other game of the day sees Sporting CP take on English side Arsenal. Arsenal will be hoping that the injury bug that has beaten their team will have subsided after seeing Gabriel get substituted over the weekend over fear for injury. On Wednesday, it's an all Spanish affair as Barcelona play host to Atletico Madrid . The two teams met over the weekend and Barcelona had to come from a goal down to win the game 2-1. Raphina is still out for the Catalan Side while Atletico will be welcoming back goalkeeper Jan Oblak after missing the past few weeks. Then, it is a repeat of the Round of 16 fixture from last season as current champion PSG will trade tackles with English giant Liverpool who are in the middle of a bad run of form which culminated in a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City. Last year fixtures had to be settled with penalties and Liverpool will be missing influential goalkeeper Allisson Becker through injury.
FIFA 2026 WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS QUALIFIER: Italy would be missing out on its 3rd successive World Cup tournament after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Penalties. The 4 time champion took and early lead when Moise Kean slotted home but were later pegged back when Andrea Bastoni was sent off for a reckless challenge late in the 1st half. Bosnia equalized in the 79th minute and the game went into extra time and penalties. Francesco Esposito and Bryan Christante both missed the penalties that knocked Italy out of qualification. The game between Czech Republic and Denmark also had to be determined by penalties after 120 minutes. Czech took a 4th minute lead after a wonderful volley from Pavel Sulc. Denmark restored parity through Fulhalm defender Joachim Andersen. The game went into extra time and Czech took the lead again in the 100th minute before Denmark equalized in the 111th minute which took the game into penalties. Denmark proceeded to lose 3 penalties in the shootout and were eliminated. Turkey defeated surprise team Kosovo 1-0 thanks to a strike from forward Kerem Akturkoglu in the 53rd minute to book their qualification for the World Cup' Viktor Gyokores was the star man as his 88th minute strike was all Sweden needed to beat Poland and qualify for the World Cup. The Swedes coached by former Chelsea manager Graham Potter took the lead in the 19th minute through Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga before Poland equalized through Zalewski. Sweden took the lead again late in the first half before Poland restored parity again in the 2nd half and Gyokores' goal settled the game. This follows his the hattrick which he scored in the earlier round of play-offs qualifier. DR Congo have beaten Jamaica 1-0 to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada. Manchester United academy graduate and Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe scored the only goal of the game in extra time after the match finished 0-0 during normal time. Their qualification makes it 10 African participants at the World Cup., the highest number of participants from the continent since the inception of the tournament. Iraq has sealed the last qualifying spot for the 2026 World Cup after beating South American qualifier Bolivia 2-1 in the last qualifying match. Iraq took the lead early in the first half before Bolivia equalized. Iraq then took the lead again early in the second half and were able to see the game out. This is the first World Cup tournament that both Iraq and Iran have qualified for.
FIFA WC PLAYOFFS: The final round of the European playoff round for the FIFA 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada is now set after the conclusion of the Semi-Final rounds. Italy defeated Norther Ireland 2-0 thanks to goals from Newcastle's Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean. A Victor Gyokores hattrick helped Sweden dispatch Ukraine 3-0. Kosovo came from a goal deficit at half time to beat Slovakia 4-3 with an inspired 2nd half display which saw Kosovo score 3 goals in the half. Denmark also beat North Macedonia 4-0 in a very comfortable and assured display while Czech Republic needed penalties to beat Republic of Ireland 3-2. Ireland raced to a 2 goals lead early in the game before the Czechs equalized late into the game to take it to extra time. There was no separation between both teams and penalties was needed to decide a winner. Wales and Bosnia & Herzegovina also ended with penalties after the two teams couldn't be separated during normal time and extra time. Dan James gave Wales the lead with a wonderful finish before long-term captain Edzin Dzeko equalized with a header from a corner. Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu scored the only goal of the game as Turkey beat Romania 1-0. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski helped Poland come from a goal down to beat Albania 2-1 to progress to t he final round. The fixture for the final round of qualifying play-offs for the European qualifiers sees Italy take on Bosnia and Herzegovina while Turkey will face Kosovo. Sweden will trade tackles with Poland and Czech Republic will face Denmark for a place in the World Cup.
UCL RECAP: Sporting CP became just the 5th team to overturn a 3 goals first leg deficit in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League after beating Bodo/Glint 5-0 after extra time. The Portuguese side needed to win by more than 3 goals to advance, The got their first goal through Goncarlo Inacio, Pedro Goncalves doubled their lead in the 61st minute before an handball deep into injury time gave Sporting the opportunity to tie on aggregate, Luis Suarez converted from the spot to give Sporting a lifeline. Sporting scored immediately from the start of extra time to give them a 4-3 on aggregate before another goal in injury time of the Extras put the game to bed. Sporting qualifies for the Qaurter-finals and will be facing Arsenal Arsenal put in a commanding display as they dispatched German side Bayer Leverkusen 2-0. The German side were a bit difficult to break down for Arteta's men before a wonderful volley from Eberechi Eze gave Arsenal the lead. The game was put to bed after Declan Rice controlled a high clearance and slotted past Leverkusen goalkeeper. PSG absolutely dismantled Chelsea at Stamford Bridge beating the English side 3-0 at home.. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia opened scoring in the 6th minute before a amix-up between Felipe Caicedo and Andrey Santos allowed Bradley Barcola to double PSG 's lead. Mayulu put the game to bed in the 62nd minute and put Chelsea out of their misery. Real Madrid put up an assured display as they beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad stadium and knockout Pep Guardiola's men out of the Champions League. Vini Jr opened the scoring from the spot after Bernado Silva was sent off for handball in the penalty box and stopping a goal scoring opportunity. Erling Haaland restored parity in the 41st minute for his 57th goal in UCL but a Vini Jr goal in the 93rd minute was the final nail in the coffin for City. Barcelona put 7 goals past Newcatle United beating them 7-2 (8-3 on aggregate)' It was a keenly contested 1st half which saw a total of 5 goals scored. Raphina gave Barcelona the lead only for Anthony Elanga restored parity for Newcastle. Marco Bernal restored Barcelona's lead only for Elanga to restore parity for the 2nd time in the first half. A Lamine Yamal penalty deep into 1st half injury time gave Barcelona a 3-2 going into the half. Barcelona absolutely bamboozled Newcastle in the 2nd half as Fermin Lopez, a Robert Lewandowski double and another goal from Raphina gave the Spanish side a 7-2 win. Liverpool put 4 goals past Galatasary to defeat them 4-1 on agrregate. Goals from Dominik Szoboslai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and a 50th UCL goal for Salah which makes him highest scoring African in the competition. Bayern Munich also defeated Italian side Atalanta 4-1 to win 10-2 on aggregate. Harry Kane scored 2 goals as well as Leimart Karl and Luiz Diaz all scored to push Bayern into the Quarter-finals. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Atletico Madrid 3-2 but lost 7-5 on aggregate. Randal Kolo Muani gave Spurs the lead but Julian Alvarez restored parity. Xavi Simmons gave Spurs the lead before Hanko leveled the scores again. A penalty in the 92nd minute converted by Xavi Simmons ensured Tottenham's lead but it was not enough to qualify for the next around. This is the first time that 4 teams from the same country all get eliminated at the same round (Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Newcastle United).
UCL: The return leg of the Round of 16 fixtures kicks off on Tuesday as Sporting CP are looking to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg. Bodo/Glint have been the surprise team of the season after beating Manchester city, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan. Chelsea would be looking to overturn a 3 goal deficit after the first leg ended 5-2 in favour of the French side. Another English side, Manchester City will host Real Madrid at the Etihad looking to win with a margin of at least 4 goals to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg. Arsenal will be looking to continue their Quadruple dream when they host German side Bayer Leverkusen. The first leg ended 1-1 in Germany and the English side would be looking to put their opponent away. Barcelona welcomes Newcastle United to the Olympic stadium looking to better last week result which ended 1-1 after a last minute Lamine Yamal penalty. Struggling English side Liverpool would be looking to put away Galatasary after the Turkish side won the first leg 1-0. The English side have been struggling to put teams away and would not want a repeat of what happened against Tottenham. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich who won the first leg against Atalanta in Italy 6-1 would be looking to make their qualification a formality after amassing a 5 goal advantage from the first leg. Finally, Tottenham Hotspur would be looking for a miracle to overturn a 5-2 deficit from the first leg that saw a lot of costly mistakes bite Spurs in the leg. They would be trying to avoid those costly mistakes and try to score 4 or more goals to qualify for the Quater-Finals.
UCL RECAP: It was a repeat of the groups stage game between Galatasary and Liverpool as the Turkish side were a 1-0 winner over the 6 times UCL champion. A 7th minute header from Mario Lemina was all that was needed by Galatasary to win the game Victor Osihmen thought he had given Gala a 2 goals lead but it was chalked off for infringement on Andy Robertson. Liverpool also thought they had scored but it was called off for handball By Ibrahima Konate. Tottenham endured one of their worst night in European football as they were beaten by Atletico Madrid 5-1 at the Wanda Metropolitano. 3 goals in the first 15 minutes was the recipe for disaster as multiple errors by Tottenham allowed Atletico to score these 3 goals. A substitution by spurs replacing the goalkeeper didn't change much as Atletico added another one. Pedro Porro pulled one back for Spurs before Atletico scored a 5th goal through Julian Alvarez. Dominic Solanke scored a consolation goal for Spurs late in the game. Bayern Munich were at their mercurial best as they beat Atalanta 6-1 with a Micheal Olise double as well as goals from Josip Stanisic, Segre Gnarby, Nicholas Jackson and Jamal Musiala ensured that their Italian opposition were soundly beaten. Newcastle played out an impressive 1-1 draw with Barcelona. It was a cagey affair up until Harvey Barnes thought he had given Newcastle the win after scoring in the 86th minute before Bracelona were awarded a penalty deep into extra time which was converted by Lamine Yamal. Real Madrid inflicted the joint highest defeat om a Pep Guardiola coached team as they beat Manchester City 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeau. A Fede Valverde first half hattrick was enough as Real Madrid absolutely outclassed The Citizens. Madrid also had a penalty that was saved by Gianluigi Donarunma. Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen played out a 1-1 draw in Germany. Robert Andrich gave the German side the lead after heading in a corner before Arsenal were awarded a corner late in the game after a foul on Noni Madueke. Kai Havertz converted the spot kick on the night he returned to his boyhood club. It was an avalanche of goals and more goals as PSG beat English side Chelsea FC 5-2 to win the first leg. Bradley Barcola gave PSG the lead before Malo Gusto equalized after finding himself all alone at the near post. Ousmane Dembele restores the lead for the french side before Enzo Fernandez equalized again for Chelsea. further goals from Vitinha and a double from 2nd half substitute Kvira Kvaratskhelia sealed the win. Surprise team of the tournament Bodo/Glint continued their Cinderella story after comfortably beating Portuguese side Sporting CP 3-0 at home. Goals from Fet, Blomberg and Kasper Hogh gave the Norwegian side the comprehensive win.
UCL: The Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday as Galatasary plays host to 6 times winner Liverpool while Atalanta host German superpower Bayern Munich. Atletico host a struggling Tottenham Hotspur who has had a respectable UCL campaign so far. Newcastle and Barcelona will have a rematch of their game form the group stage when the Catalan giants travel to St. James park to battle the English side. German outfit Bayer Leverkusen will play host to the League leaders from the group stage Arsenal in Germany while surprise team of the competition Bodo/Glint play host to Sporting CP. UCL holders PSG face English side Chelsea in a rematch of their Club World Cup final game which Chelsea won 3-0. The game of the round will see Real Madrid welcome English side Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeau. This would be the 5th consecutive year that the 2 teams have met each other in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
UCL: The Round of 16 fixtures for the UEFA Chmpions league has been released by UEFA. Current holders PSG will face English side, Chelsea, While Galatasary face 6 times winner Liverpool. The top fixture of the round will see Manchester City will battle 15 times winner Real Madrid. Atalanta will battle German giant Bayern Munich while it's going to be a rematch of the group stage fixture as Newcastle will battle Spanish giants Barcelona. Atletico will trade battle with English side Tottenham Hotspur who have had a solid European campaign despite a terrible PL record this season. Surprise package of the season Bodo/Glint will trade tackles with Portuguese side Sporting CP while the leader of the group stage phase Arsenal will hope to continue their impressive campaign as they face German side, Bayer Leverkusen. the first leg of the fixtures takes place on 10th & 11th of March 2026 while the 2nd leg takes place on 17th & 18th March 2026.
UCL RECAP: Bodo\Glint produced one of the major upsets of the UEFA Champions League in recent memories after knocking out last year's finalist Inter Milan beating the Italian giants both home and away. After defeating Milan 3-1 last week, the Norwegian side travelled to the San Siro and totally out fought Inter beating them 2-1. Jens Petter Hauge gave them the lead in the 58th minute before Even double the lead to put the game beyond the reach of the Italians. Alessandro Bastoni pulled a consolation goal but the damage had been done already. Newcastle beat Qarabag 3-2 to win 9-3 on aggregate, the Geordies took a 2 goals lead in the first 6 minutes of the game with goals from Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Duran pulled one back for Qarabag before Sven Botman scored a minute later to put the away before Qarabag scored again but the damage was irreversible after such a heavy defeat in the first leg. Alexander Sorloth scored an hattrick as Atletico Madrid beat Belgian side Club Brugge 4-1 to record an aggregate score of 7-4. Sorloth opened the scoring in the 23rd minute but Brugge pulled one back through Ordonez. Johnny Castro restored Atletico one goal lead before 2 late goals from Sorloth put the game to bed. Bayer Leverkusen played out a drab 0-0 draw with Greek side Olympiacos. After winning the first leg 2-0, the German side were jus content to control the game and not take any unnecessary risks which saw them win 2-0 on aggregate. Atalanta and Borrusia Dortmund produced one of the best games of the UEFA Champions League when Atalanta beat Dortmund 4-1 to win 4-3 on aggregate and progress to the Round of 16. Gianluca Scamacca strike and Davide Zappacosta deflected shot erased Dortmund's 2 goals lead from the first leg. Mario Pasalic added a third before Karim Adeyemi scored to make the scores 3-3 on aggregate. Nico Schlotterbeck committed a foul in the penalty box in the 97th minute for which Atalanta were awarded a penalty, Lazar Samardzic converted the ensuing penalty to send Atalanta through tithe next round. Real Madrid best Benfica 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to qualify 3-1 on aggregate. Rafa Silva gave Benfica the lead but Madrid equalized through Aurelien Tchouameni two minutes later. Vini Jr scored the winning goal in the 80th minute after running through on goal from a Federico Valverde through ball.PSG and AS Monaco played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, a results which sees PSG go through with a 5-4 aggregate score. Maghnes Akilouche gave Monaco the lead before PSG captain Marquinhos equalized for them and Kvicha Kvarastskhella gave them the lead only for Monaco to equalize in the 91st minute through JordanTeze. Monaco tried to get another goal but it was a futile effort. Juventus almost pulled of one the the biggest comeback in recent history after beating Galatasary 3-0 during normal time to force extra time. Goals from Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie gave them a 3 goals lead and they also had Lloyd Kelly sent off in the 48th minute. In extra time, Galatasary pulled one back through Victor Oshimen and Alper Yilmaz ensured that Juventus comeback effort was in vain winning 7-5 on aggregate and advance to the Round of 16.
UCL: The return legs of the UEFA Champions League play-offs round kicks off on Tuesday and teams would either be looking to consolidate on their first leg results or overturn their first leg deficits. Atletico Madrid would be hosting Club Brugge at the Wanda Metropolitano after playing out a 3-3 draw in the first Leg. Leverkusen will be hosting Greek side Olympioacos after winning the first leg 2-0 in Greece. Inter Milan would be looking to overturn their two goals deficit from the first leg as the host surprise package of the competition Bodo/Glint after losing the first leg 3-1. Newcastle is expected to qualify after already beating Qarabag 6-1 in the first Leg, Atalanta would be looking to overturn a 2 goals deficit after losing the first leg to Borrusia Dortmund 2-0. PSG would be looking to put away fellow French side AS Monaco after coming from 2 goals down to win 3-2 in the first leg. Last year's winner have really struggled in this years's competition. Juventus have a 3 goals deficit to erase as they host Galatasary after losing the first leg 5-2. Real Madrid would be hosting Portuguese side Benfica at the Santiago Bernabeau looking to consolidate on their first leg results in Portugal. It promises to be a tense match after the alleged racist incident that took place in the first leg. Benfica would be without manager Jose Mourinho who was sent off in the first leg.
UCL RESULTS: The conclusion of the first leg of the UCL Knockout Play-offs has produced drama, goals, intrigue and an ugly case of Racism. Galatasary came from a goal down to beat Juventus 5-2 and take a 3 goals advantage heading into the 2nd leg. Real Madrid dug deep and defeated Benfica 1-0 but the game had to be stopped for 10 minute after Vini Jr reported a Benfica player for making racist remarks at him. PSG game from 2 goals down to beat AS Monaco 3-2 with Desire Doue the star of the show, the Frenchman came in for the injured Ousmane Dembele and scored 2 goals as he helped his team secure the win. Borrusia Dortmund beat Atalanta 2-0 with goals from Guirrisay and Max Beier. Newcastle absolutely drubbed Qarabag 6-1 with Anthony Gordon scoring 4 goals to take his total in the UCL to 10 goals. Bodo/Glint beat last years finalist Inter Milan 3-1 thereby repeating the scoreline with which they beat Manchester City im the group stage. Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid produced a 3-3 thriller as there was no victor and no vanquished. Patrick Schick score 2 goals in 3 minutes to help Bayer Leverkusen beat Olympiacos in Greece.
UCL: The first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-offs round begins tomorrow as Galatasary welcomes Juventus to the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex for the first leg while Borrusia Dortmund welcomes Atalanta to the Signa Iduna Park. Real Madrid will travel to Portugal to face Benfica in a rematch of the last round of matches in the group stage where Benfica goalkeeper Anatoily Trubin scored a late winner to get Benfica into the play-offs round. Real Madrid would be trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in that game as it cost them automatic qualification for the round of 16. Last year's winner Paris Saint-Germain will be battling AS Monaco in a battle of French teams while surprise team Qarabag will be hosting English side Newcastle who has had a wonderful competition so far. Last year's beaten finalist Inter Milan will battle Bodo/Glint while Atletico Madrid will face Belgian side Club Brugge. Lastly, German side Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Greece to take on Greek side Olympiacos.
UCL: The fixtures for the Playoff round for the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League has been released and it promises to be exciting. Top among the fixtures is the rematch between Benfica and Real Madrid, Benfica defeated Real Madrid to qualify for the Playoff round with the last kick of the game and have been rewarded with a rematch against them in the playoffs. Other fixtures sees holders Paris Saint-Germain facing off against another French side AS Monaco, Borrusia Dortmund were handed a tricky fixture as they will face Italian side, Atalanta. Club Brugge will face Spanish side Atletico Madrid while English side Newcastle will face the suprise team in the Champions League in Qarabag. The fixtures are; Monaco VS PSG Benfica VS Real Madrid Qarabag VS Newcastle Bodo/Glint VS Inter Milan Galatasary vs Juventus Borrusia Dortmund VS Atalanta Olympiocos VS Bayer Leverkusen. Club Brugge VS Atletico
RECORD: Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe has broken Cristiano Ronaldo's record for highest number of goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Kylian Mbappe has scored 13 goals in the 2025/2026 UCL group stage, two (2) goals more than Ronlado's 11 goals which he scored in 6 games during Real Madrid UCL title winning season of 205/2016. Mbappe set his record after playing in 7 games. Mbappe has been in a scintillating form this season scoring 34 goals in all competition (21 La Liga goals and 13 UCL goals) as at the time of reporting and still has a chance to pass Cristiano Ronlado's record of total goals in a season.
UCL RECAP: The final day of the UEFA Champions League was filled with drama, intrigue, absolute suspense and of course, loads of goals. Chelsea came from a goal down to defeat Napoli 3-2 an the Diego Armando Maradona stadium to knock Napoli out of the Champions league. Chelsea took the lead through Enzo Fernandez before 2 quickfire goals from Antonio Vergara and Rasmus Holjund gave Napoli the lead. Joao Pedro replied with 2 excellent and well taken goals to give Chelsea the lead and win which knocks Napoli out of the Champions League. Manchester City defeated Galatasary 2-0 at the Etihad with Erling Haaland and Rayan Chekri with Jeremy Doku producing both assists. Benfica defeated 15 times winner Real Madrid 4-2 to progress to the playoff round in a results which also knocked Madrid out of automatic qualification for the next round. The highlight of the game was when Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored the goal that qualified his team for the playoff round. Liverpool embarrassed Qarabag 6-0 with goals from Alexis MacAllister (2), Mohammed Salah, Florian Writz, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa. Barcelona beat Copenhagen 4-1 with Yamal, Raphina and Rashford among the goalscorers, Bayern Munich beat PSV 2-1, PSG and Newcastle played out a 1-1 draw, Inter Milan beat Borrusia Dortmund 2-0 while Bayer Leverkusen beat Villareal 3-0 and Arsenal beat basement team Kairat Almaty 3-2 to have a perfect record in the group stage of the Champions League. Teams that have qualified automatically for the Round of 16 include Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City. Teams going to play the playoff are Real Madrid, Inter Milan, PSG, Atalanta. Newcastle, Juventus, Athletico madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Borrusia Dortmund, Galatasary, AS Monaco, Bodo/Glint, Benfica, Club Brugge, Olympiacos and Qarabag
Historic Exchange Under Istanbul Agreement In the largest prisoner swap since the full-scale war began, Russia and Ukraine have each released 390 prisoners—comprising 270 military personnel and 120 civilians—as part of an overall 1,000-for-1,000 agreement negotiated during direct talks in Istanbul earlier in May. BBC+4www.ndtv.com+4Deutsche Welle+4Anadolu Ajansı+15Reuters+ Departures and Arrivals Ukrainian returnees arrived in the Chernihiv region, many visibly frail with shaved heads and draped in national flags, greeted by emotional reunions with relatives amid cheers and tears. Reuters+4 The Washington +4 The Daily Star +4. Some had been held in captivity for nearly two years. Russian returnees, including soldiers and civilians captured during a Ukrainian incursion into Kursk region, were first transported to Belarus for medical and psychological evaluation before being repatriated ussia. BBC+3Reuters+3 The Guardian +3. Emotional Homecomings and Lingering Uncertainty Families crowded the exchange sites, clutching photographs of missing loved ones, hoping for a clue from those stepping off the buses. One Ukrainian newly freed veteran, held for more than 830 days, encouraged others not to lose hope: “In every prison there are many guys who had no contact with their relatives. I was the same,” he said The Guardian+10The Washington Post+10The Guardian+10. But for many, the reunion came with heavy uncertainty about family members still unaccounted for. Political Messages and Future Prospects President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the swap as the only tangible outcome of the Istanbul talks and emphasized continued efforts to bring all detainees home. Hromadske The Washington PostThe Guardian. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised that Moscow would submit a draft peace proposal following the exchange but reiterated refusal of a ceasefire unless certain conditions were met—terms Ukraine has rejected, according to Reuters The Guardian. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped push for the Istanbul negotiations, congratulated both parties via his social media platform, calling the swap a possible step toward broader peace, though no ceasefire has been agreed upon, according to Reuters and the New York Post. Humanitarian Milestone Amid Ongoing Conflict This first phase swap underscores a rare moment of cooperation in a conflict that has otherwise deepened across Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions. While a few hundred lives have been restored to families, thousands remain in captivity, and both sides show no signs of halting hostilities. Negotiations may continue in coming days as both governments prepare for the next instalment of releases under the "1,000-for-1,000" agreement. For now, the tranche of 390 each represents the largest exchange of its kind since the war began.
It is the year 2025, and the frontrunner to win the Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembele, forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. The road to this point has been far from smooth, but this is the end point nonetheless. PSG are the undisputed and unquestionable kings of Europe, winning the European Cup in any format for the first time in their history - a significant feat not just for a team only founded in 1970, but one for the Qatari Sports Investment project which has been hell-bent on continental domination since their takeover in 2011. Luis Enrique's side will be remembered for years to come for their tiki taka-lite style based on fluidity and slick possession football, and at the forefront of their success has been Dembele. With the Ballon d'Or now judged on a seasonal basis - as should have always been the case, thank you, France Football - it is a campaign that should end with Dembele lifting the prestigious Golden Ball in his home country.
Arsenal and Manchester City played out a dramatic 1-1 draw on Sunday, with the two Premier League rivals unable to be separated through 98 or so minutes. Erling Haaland had given the visitors an early lead, before Pep Guardiola remarkably decided to park the bus to try and sneak the win. Those efforts went up in smoke in added time as Gabriel Martinelli scored to clinch a point for the Gunners. Having both slipped up domestically already this season, this wasn't quite a 'must win' affair for either side, but definitely more of a 'must not lose'. In the end, perhaps a draw in which neither team showed much attacking endeavour will please both parties. City seemed content to sit in and create chances on the break, while Arsenal didn't exactly throw the kitchen sink at their visitors in order to force the leveller. It was a pretty just outcome and neither can really have any complaints about how it ended.
North Korea has begun an investigation into an accident that occurred during the launch of a new warship this week, state media said Friday, assessing the damage as "not serious". North Korea said Thursday that "a serious accident occurred" at the Wednesday launch ceremony for the newly built 5,000-ton naval destroyer, in which sections of the bottom of the vessel were crushed -- with leader Kim Jong Un calling the mishap a "criminal act". North Korea has begun an investigation into an accident that occurred during the launch of a new warship this week, state media said Friday, assessing the damage as "not serious". North Korea said Thursday that "a serious accident occurred" at the Wednesday launch ceremony for the newly built 5,000-ton naval destroyer, in which sections of the bottom of the vessel were crushed -- with leader Kim Jong Un calling the mishap a "criminal act". Technology stocks led the gains in the U.S., with Apple (AAPL) up 1.8% and Nvidia (NVDA) jumping 2.4%, as demand for AI and semiconductors remains strong. Tesla (TSLA) also rebounded, rising 3.1% after announcing better-than-expected Q2 vehicle deliveries. Global stock markets showed a mixed performance as investors weighed persistent inflation concerns against a wave of corporate earnings reports. While strong results from major tech companies helped lift some indexes, uncertainty surrounding central bank policies and the future path of interest rates kept others in check. In the U.S.,
Crystal Palace Vs Manchester United Preview By: Babatunde Ajibade (Manchester United correspondent) Facebook: Babatunde Olatunji Ajibade Twitter: ollyzjinx01 Instagram: sir_ajirowo01 Manchester United head to Selhurst Park under heavy pressure and even heavier scrutiny after a disastrous showing at Old Trafford against Everton. The boos that echoed around the stadium said it all. Losing 1–0 to a 10-man Everton side — and conceding after they went a man down — was embarrassing on every level. From the touchline to the pitch, it was shambolic. Many fans are asking the same question: How much more can the board tolerate before admitting the Amorim experiment has failed? United have not scored against Crystal Palace in their last four meetings — and after the lifeless performance against Everton, confidence isn’t exactly flowing. Starting a match with five defenders against a team reduced to ten men was baffling. Shifting Amad into unfamiliar positions didn’t help either. The tactical confusion is becoming a weekly theme, and now they travel to a stadium where their recent record is terrible. The international break may have come at the worst possible time. United had built momentum with 11 points from five Premier League games, but that form now looks like it was papering over deeper cracks — cracks that were fully exposed on Monday night. The Red Devils are barely hanging on to a top-half spot. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in five straight matches and continue to struggle away from home. Their London record is even worse: 16 losses in their last 26 Premier League games in the capital — the worst of any top-flight side during that period. A painful stat surfaced recently: Amorim: 9 wins in 35 Premier League games, Ten Hag (same period last year): 23 wins. The numbers speak for themselves. Poor in-game management. Poor structure. Poor identity. United ended the Everton defeat with 25 attempts — but scored none — while conceding from the only shot they faced. Their xG tells the same story: xG For: 20.1 → actual goals: 19 (two were own goals) Conversion rate: 10.4% — 7th worst in the league They create chances, but they can’t finish them. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, are flying. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer Premier League goals this season. Oliver Glasner’s side sit fifth and have kept three straight clean sheets against Wolves, Brentford, and Brighton. Their defensive confidence is sky-high, and recent history backs it up: Three wins in their last four league games vs Man United (D1) Two wins in their last four at Selhurst Park vs Man United Opta supercomputer predictions says Palace to win is 54.1% United aren’t just underdogs, they’re clear underdogs. So here we are again, asking what has become a weekly question for Manchester United supporters: Will this team finally show 90 minutes of concentration and courage or will they crumble, invite pressure, and rely on another desperate comeback attempt? Comment below with your score predictions! Manchester United record against Crystal Palace: Games won: 41 Games drawn: 14 Games lost: 13 Team News: (As of today 29/11/2025,) Crystal Palace: Caleb Kporha, Borna Sosa, Cheick Doucoure , Chadi Riad and Rio Cardines are out for this game. Manchester United: Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Harry Maguire are out for this game. Prediction: United sometimes deliver when everyone has written them off, and they should have more energy than Palace. But this team has a habit of sleeping through the first half, and Selhurst Park is a brutal place for a team low on confidence. Crystal Palace 1-1 Manchester United.
