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Kylian Mbappe has accused his Real Madrid team-mates of lacking “desire”, with the Blancos looking anything but a “team of champions” when suffering a costly European defeat at Benfica. An “embarrassing” goal was conceded there, to the home side’s keeper, and the Liga giants will now have to navigate their way through the Champions League knockout play-offs.

Manchester United have decisively ended speculation linking them with a record-breaking swoop for Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer, with Old Trafford chiefs deeming the move financially unviable. Despite reports suggesting the England international is unsettled in the capital, the Red Devils have ruled out a summer approach, opting instead to prioritise a replacement for Casemiro over another marquee addition to their forward line.

Conor Coady has seen his spell at Wrexham cut short after just six months in North Wales. The former Everton and Wolves defender, who has plenty of Premier League experience to his name, joined the Red Dragons from Leicester for £2 million during the summer of 2025. He will now be spending the remainder of the current campaign with Charlton Athletic.

Joe Cole has hailed Liam Rosenior’s immediate impact at Stamford Bridge as "superb" after the new Chelsea boss guided his side to a dramatic Champions League victory over Napoli. The former Blues midfielder believes the 41-year-old has rapidly transformed the squad's mentality, pointing to a run of five wins in six games as proof that the decision to replace Enzo Maresca is already paying huge dividends.

Steven Gerrard claims Arne Slot’s comments on Liverpool’s 2024-25 Champions League campaign will be a “body blow” to the club’s fans, as they enjoy another European adventure this season. The former Reds skipper is also being billed as a potential successor to Slot in the Anfield hot-seat, despite enduring a tough time in management before taking a break.

Harry Maguire has jokingly admitted that interim manager Michael Carrick is still putting the Manchester United squad to shame in training, claiming the 44-year-old remains the best passer at the club. The defender opened up about the new coaching setup at Carrington, praising the "hands-on" approach of Carrick and his assistant Steve Holland, while admitting he has been unsurprised by the seamless transition the 44-year-old has made into the dugout.

So there we have it! After a mammoth 144 games that included plenty of goals and drama, the curtain has been drawn on the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League. Arsenal finished top of the table with a perfect record, while Manchester City secured automatic qualification to the round of 16 by the skin of their teeth. But three historic European giants have been eliminated already, in the form of Napoli, Marseille and Ajax.

Alexandre Pato is, amid shock talk of a takeover bid being lodged at Colchester United, being urged to take inspiration from Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at Wrexham. Another famous face may be joining the ranks of EFL co-owners, while more documentary footage could be captured after seeing a serious trend started in North Wales.

The Premier League is firmly on course to gain a fifth Champions League place for next season after a dominant display in Europe. With five English clubs storming into the last 16 and all nine representatives still active across the three competitions, the coefficient rankings show England miles clear of rivals Italy and Spain, sparking a frantic domestic battle for the lucrative extra berth.

Joao Pedro shared a wholesome moment with Liam Rosenior after helping to fire Chelsea into the last 16 of Champions League competition. The Blues secured a top-eight finish in elite European competition after seeing off Serie A champions Napoli in Italy. Rosenior secured another notable scalp there, with the affable Englishman endearing himself quickly to players and fans in west London.

Antonio Conte launched a scathing attack on football’s "genius" fixture schedulers after his injury-ravaged Napoli side were dumped out of the Champions League by his former club, Chelsea. The Italian giants surrendered a half-time lead to lose 3-2 in Naples, a result that sees the reigning Serie A champions finish 30th in the table and exit Europe completely.

Kylian Mbappe has seen a Premier League move speculated on for some time, and fellow Frenchman Bacary Sagna has told GOAL why Arsenal could be the perfect landing spot if ties are ever severed with Real Madrid. Mbappe is living his professional dream in Spain for now, but a day might come in which he fancies packing his bags for the English top-flight.

Chelsea have reached a full agreement to send teenage sensation Kendry Paez on loan to River Plate after cutting short his spell in Ligue 1. The 18-year-old has been recalled from Strasbourg to join the Argentine giants immediately, with the Blues sanctioning the move to ensure their prized asset secures regular first-team football under Marcelo Gallardo.

Crystal Palace are closing in on a blockbuster deal to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, a move that may trigger a major transfer merry-go-round in the Premier League. The Eagles have moved ahead of Leeds in the race for the Norwegian, paving the way for Jean-Philippe Mateta to leave Selhurst Park before the window shuts.

Pep Guardiola has announced that he will be sending a thank you message to former Clasico rival Jose Mourinho. Two highly-decorated coaches once found themselves operating on opposing sides of the fierce divide that separates Barcelona and Real Madrid. They are now at Manchester City and Benfica respectively, with Champions League progress being enjoyed in 2025-26.

Raheem Sterling's hopes of a swift return to elite European football have hit an early stumbling block after Napoli's sporting director cast doubt on a potential move. The England international is searching for a new club after ending his three-year spell at Chelsea by mutual consent, but his "significant financial expectations" could prove a major hurdle for suitors in Serie A.

Virgil van Dijk has made history by recording an unlikely Champions League first. The Dutch defender etched his name into the record books when lining up for Liverpool in their European encounter with Qarabag. Despite marshalling the Reds’ back line in that game, Van Dijk made a stunning contribution in the final third of the field as he helped Arne Slot’s side to a crushing 6-0 win.

A total of five Premier League clubs secured automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City all finishing in the top eight while Newcastle United missed out. The Magpies must now navigate a treacherous play-off round alongside giants Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain after a chaotic final matchday.

Marcus Rashford joined Manchester United legend Sir David Beckham in an exclusive goal club after scoring a stunning Champions League free-kick for Barcelona. The England international forward is continuing to enjoy a productive loan spell with La Liga giants. His latest strike for them allowed the 28-year-old to match a record held by Three Lions icon Beckham.

The Champions League league phase drew to a predictably chaotic conclusion on Wednesday, with all of the matchday eight fixtures kicking-off at the same time. The net result was numerous positional changes over the course of 90-plus minutes of madness, though the highlight was undoubtedly Anatoliy Trubin scoring a last-second header to keep Benfica in the competition.

Jose Mourinho admits he was initially unaware that Benfica required a fourth goal against Real Madrid in order to reach the Champions League play-offs, before seeing goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin score in the 98th minute. Mourinho has also revealed that he apologised to Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa for his wild celebrations that accompanied a dramatic header.

Fans have been left in disbelief after Anatoliy Trubin scored a sensational 98th-minute header to keep Benfica in the Champions League. The goalkeeper was sent up for a last-gasp free-kick against nine-man Real Madrid by head coach Jose Mourinho and, amazingly, powered a stunning header beyond Thibaut Courtois and into the bottom corner.

Barcelona booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 4-1 over Copenhagen on Wednesday. While Hansi Flick's side would eventually run out comfortable winners thanks to second-half goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford, they suffered through a frustrating opening 45 minutes after they went behind to a fourth0minute goal from teenager Viktor Dadason.

GOAL takes a look at how American soccer's stars fared on a chaotic final day of the group stage

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a remarkable 98th-minute goal to send Jose Mourinho's side into the Champions League playoffs after beating Real Madrid 4-2. The Portuguese giants were heading out of the competition on goal difference but the keeper's last-gasp effort sparked wild celebrations at Estadio da Luz on Wednesday. The result also meant nine-man Los Blancos face a two-legged playoff in February.

An improbable Anatoliy Trubin header in second-half stoppage time capped off a remarkable 4-2 win for Benfica over a listless Real Madrid on Wednesday. Los Blancos had no answers for the Portuguese side and were thoroughly beaten on the road, meaning Alvaro Arbeloa's side will now face a play-off to secure a place in the Champions League last-16.

Joe Willock's powerful header on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Vitinha's opener as nothing could separate Newcastle and Paris-Saint Germain in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. The result suited neither side as the Premier League outfit and their French counterparts dropped out of the top eight and into the play-off round in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland remembered what it was like to score a non-penalty as Manchester City overcame Galatasaray 2-0 to make it into the last 16 of the Champions League, albeit only by a hair's breath. Haaland missed a clear chance but soon made amends by netting with an ice-cool dink in the first half, scoring for the first time in 10 matches from open play.

Kai Havertz marked his first start in almost a year with a goal and an assist as Arsenal made it eight wins from eight in the Champions League with a 3-2 success over Kairat Almaty to seal their spot as league phase winners. Havertz, whose last start came 357 days ago, showed the Gunners exactly what they had been missing when he set up Viktor Gyokeres for an early opener before adding a second himself with a fine run and finish after Jorginho had equalised for the visitors from the penalty spot.