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Champions League news

FBL-EUR-C1-REAL MADRID-BAYERN MUNICH

Diaz insists leaving Liverpool for Bayern was 'right choice'

Luis Diaz has expressed his absolute conviction in his decision to swap Liverpool for Bayern Munich last summer following a match-winning performance at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Colombian forward opened the scoring as the Bundesliga leaders secured a 2-1 first-leg advantage over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final tie, taking his remarkable season tally to 41 goal involvements.

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Vinicius Junior

Van der Vaart tears into 'horrible' Vinicius

Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has launched a stinging attack on Vinicius Junior, labelling the Brazilian winger's behaviour on the pitch as "horrible". The Dutchman did not hold back after watching the forward's antics during a high-stakes Champions League clash against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu.

FC Bayern

Why Real Madrid were ‘at the mercy’ of Bayern Munich In a commanding display of collective precision and clinical finishing, Bayern Munich left Real Madrid chasing shadows and expo

The “Bestia Negra” is back. That ominous nickname, meaning “Black Beast”, has long haunted Bayern Munich’s opponents, and after the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final it feels very much alive. Yet the return of this psychological bogeyman is only part of the problem for the Bavarians’ rivals. Bayern’s underlying form is equally alarming. Prior to this match, they had won five consecutive league games, outscoring their opponents 17–3 in the process. Their attack, spearheaded by a fit-again Harry Kane and supported by the creative brilliance of Jamal Musiala, is now operating at full throttle. Defenders who once feared only Robert Lewandowski now face a whole team of clinical finishers. Then there is the tactical flexibility provided by Thomas Tuchel. The coach has rotated his midfield diamond with a 4–3–3, keeping opponents guessing while maintaining intense pressing and ball circulation. This adaptability was on display in the first leg, when Bayern recovered from an earl

FBL-EUR-C1-REAL MADRID-BAYERN MUNICH

Real 'gifted' two goals to Bayern as Rudiger bemoans missed chances

Antonio Rudiger has hit out at Real Madrid’s uncharacteristic defensive sloppiness after the Spanish giants suffered a 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Germany international expressed his frustration at the manner in which the goals were conceded, suggesting that individual errors handed a significant advantage to the visitors.

Real Madrid CF v FC Bayern München - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg

Mbappe joins CR7, Messi & Van Nistelrooy in elite UCL club

Kylian Mbappe joined the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ruud van Nistelrooy in an elite Champions League club after scoring in Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. The Frenchman brought up his 14th goal in Europe for the 2025-26 campaign to give Real hope of a comeback in the second leg at Allianz Arena.

FBL-EUR-C1-SPORTING-ARSENAL

PL secures fifth UCL spot again after Arsenal's win at Sporting

The Premier League has officially guaranteed a minimum of five entrants for next season’s Champions League following a decisive set of European results. Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Sporting CP provided the final coefficient points required to ensure England finishes amongst UEFA's top two performing nations for the second year running.

Tah-Mbappe

Arbeloa rages after Tah tackle leaves Mbappe with nasty gash in leg

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa was left fuming after seeing his star forward Kylian Mbappe subjected to a late challenge during Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg clash with Bayern Munich. The Spanish coach insisted that Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah should have been sent off for a studs-up tackle that left the Frenchman with a visible gash on his leg.

FBL-EUR-C1-SPORTING-ARSENAL

Arteta praises 'magic' subs Havertz & Martinelli after Sporting win

Mikel Arteta has hailed the impact of his Arsenal substitutes after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli combined to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Sporting CP. The Gunners looked set for a frustrating night in Lisbon before the duo entered the fray to hand the Premier League side a vital edge in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Paris Saint-Germain GFX

How PSG game-changer 'Kvaradona' left Liverpool red-faced

On January 9 of last year, the always-reliable David Ornstein reported that Liverpool were closely monitoring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's situation at Napoli and might make a mid-season move for the winger were he to become available before the close of the winter transfer window. Nobody was in the least bit surprised by the news, given the Premier League club's longstanding interest in Georgian.

Kompany-Vinicius

Kompany praises Vinicius after Bayern's UCL win over Real

Vincent Kompany hailed the character of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior after his Bayern Munich side secured a vital 2-1 Champions League victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Belgian manager insisted that protecting unique talents like the Brazilian forward remains more important than any result, especially following recent alleged racial abuse aimed at the Madrid star.

Frequently asked questions

Spanish dark horses Sevilla are currently the most accomplished club in Europa League history, winning the competition seven times. Los Nervionenses won their maiden title in 2006, beating Middlesbrough 4-0 in the final. They defended their crown in the next season, before completing a hattrick of wins in 2014, 2015, and 2016 under Unai Emery.

The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams. Traditionally, all games were two-legged knockout ties. From 2004 to 2009, 40 teams competed. In the 2009-10 season, when the UEFA Cup was rebranded as the Europa League, a total of 48 teams featured.

Inter Milan legend Giuseppe Bergomi, with 96 appearances, holds the record of making the most Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) appearances in history.

If we consider goals scored in qualifying games and when it was the UEFA Cup, then Swedish icon Henrik Larsson leads the charts with 40 goals. However, without qualifying games taken into account, it's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is Europa League's top goalscorer ever with 34 goals.

Sparta Prague legend Borek Dockal has the most assists in Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) history. Dockal made an impressive 24 assists in 62 games in the competition.

Ratko Svilar is the oldest player to ever have featured in the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup), with the former Antwerp man taking to the pitch at the age of 44 years and 130 days.

Former Swedish striker Roger Lindevall is the youngest player to ever appear in a Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) game. Lindevall was just 15 years and 335 days when he came on as a substitute for Djurgardens IF in their 2-1 win over Feyenoord on September 29, 1976.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cristiano Ronaldo, Granit Xhaka, Rui Patricio, Giuseppe Bergomi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Mesut Ozil, Dimitri Payet, and Florian Wirtz are among the most famous players to have featured in the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup).

Unai Emery, Jose Mourinho, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Giovanni Trapattoni, Franz Beckenbauer, and Diego Simeone are some of Europa League's (formerly the UEFA Cup) most famous managers ever.