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Champions League news

Valverde Messi Haaland L'Equipe GFX

Valverde & the 20 players in L'Equipe's exclusive 10/10 club

Within a Real Madrid squad that is packed full of Galacticos, Fede Valverde is rarely singled out for what he offers to Los Blancos despite his obvious importance to the team. On Wednesday, though, he was able to hog the limelight after his stunning first-half hat-trick saw off Manchester City in the Champions League. His performance also earned him the rarest of plaudits: A 10/10 rating from L'Equipe.

Federico Valverde Ballon d'Or GFX

📽️ | Valverde 'handed Ballon d'Or' after Man City hat-trick

Federico Valverde produced a masterclass that will go down in Champions League folklore, leading Real Madrid to a dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City. The Uruguayan midfield engine was outstanding, netting a stunning hat-trick to help the Spanish giants put one foot in the quarter-finals. His performance was so good that a reporter in the mixed zone decided to skip the formalities and jokingly crown him with a 'Ballon d'Or' on the spot.

Paris Saint-Germain FC v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

📽️ | Neto slammed for 'disgusting' ball boy clash

Pedro Neto has sparked outrage after shoving a ball boy during Chelsea’s 5-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The ball had just gone out of play down the right in stoppage time when the Portugal winger tried to get it back in play quickly and shoved the ball boy in the chest as he appeared to be trying to hold onto the ball.

Real Madrid CF v Manchester City FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Trent hails Valverde as 'world's most underrated player'

Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold has heaped praise on Federico Valverde, describing him as the "most underrated player" in world football following a sensational display against Manchester City. The Uruguayan international took centre stage as Los Blancos secured a dominant 3-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Bernabeu. Despite the absence of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, Valverde’s first-half hat-trick dismantled Pep Guardiola's side in a rampant 22-minute spell.

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Atalanta BC v FC Bayern München - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Gräfe predicts worst-case scenario for Kimmich and Olise

FC Bayern's gala performance against Atalanta has had a double impact. On the one hand, because of the injured trio of Davies, Urbig and Musiala. On the other hand, because of the yellow card suspensions for Kimmich and Olise. Is a longer suspension looming? The latest news and rumours about the German record champions.

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Valverde is 'everything a Madrid player should be' - Arbeloa

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa showered Fede Valverde with immense praise following a commanding 3-0 win over Manchester City, describing the midfielder as the ultimate "benchmark" for the club. Arbeloa emphasised that Valverde embodies every quality a Real Madrid player should possess and remains the definitive standard-bearer for the modern era after his Champions League masterclass.

Paris Saint-Germain FC v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Fofana rues errors in Chelsea loss to PSG

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has heavily criticised his team's defensive blunders following a devastating 5-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Despite equalising twice, a string of late errors gifted the French champions three late goals, leaving Chelsea with a mountain to climb ahead of next week's crucial second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Paris Saint-Germain FC v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

📽️ | Jorgensen gifts PSG crucial goal with huge blunder

Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen endured a Champions League nightmare against Paris Saint-Germain. With the score locked at 2-2, his catastrophic passing error playing out from the back gifted Vitinha a cheeky lobbed goal. This horrific blunder sparked a late collapse, leaving Liam Rosenior’s side facing a massive 5-2 deficit ahead of the second leg and complicating their season entirely.

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'It's not a penalty' - Leverkusen boss fumes at Arsenal's late equaliser

Bayer Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand blasted the controversial late penalty that allowed Arsenal to escape with a 1-1 draw in their Champions League round of 16 first leg. While the Dane praised his side's disciplined display against the Gunners at the BayArena, he expressed disbelief over the officiating, describing the last-minute setback as a bitter pill to swallow in the tie's opening game.

Jorgensen Fofana Chelsea PSG

Jorgensen clangers cost Chelsea as PSG expose Rosenior

Errors from goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen helped condemn Chelsea to a 5-2 loss in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Goals from Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez looked to have earned the Blues a deserved draw in the French capital, only for Jorgensen to gift the ball to the defending champions on the edge of his own penalty area, which Vitinha took advantage of before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added two further late goals.

Real Madrid Man City ratings GFX

Valverde provides a masterclass - but will Vini miss prove costly?

Federico Valverde turned in a Champions League performance for the ages, bagging a first-half hat-trick to lead Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their last 16 tie with Manchester City. The Uruguay international headlined a classic Madrid knockout performance, but a penalty miss from Vinicius Jr in the second half might have left the door open for a City comeback.

Man City Real Madrid GFX

Pep gets his tactics wrong AGAIN as O'Reilly run ragged

Manchester City have a mountain to climb in the Champions League after slumping to a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 tie at the Bernabeu. Pep Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection in the Spanish capital and saw his team simply swept away by Los Blancos, with Fede Valverde stealing the show for the hosts with a brilliant first-half hat-trick.

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Arteta fuming after Arsenal’s Leverkusen draw

Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration after Arsenal were beaten at their own game during a 1-1 Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen. The manager lamented his team's lack of urgency and attention as they conceded from a set-piece, a tactic the Gunners usually dominate. However, a late Kai Havertz penalty ensured the last-16 tie remains finely balanced ahead of the return leg.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Havertz 'sorry' as Arsenal draw with Leverkusen

Kai Havertz proved to be the protagonist on his emotional return to the BayArena, converting a late, controversial penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Bayer Leverkusen. The German international came off the bench to deny his former side a famous victory in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. While he stepped up to secure the result, Havertz admitted feeling a sense of sorrow for his former teammates after his decisive strike.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Madueke: Instinct won Arsenal penalty against Leverkusen

Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has revealed that pure instinct guided his crucial penalty-winning run in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. After securing a vital 1-1 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen, the dynamic substitute is deeply confident that a roaring Emirates Stadium crowd will push Mikel Arteta’s squad towards the quarter-finals when the two sides meet again next week.

Aston Villa v Chelsea - Premier League

Why Enzo Fernandez could leave Chelsea for PSG

Chelsea face a significant battle to retain midfield maestro Enzo Fernandez if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. Despite holding a massive long-term contract at Stamford Bridge, the Argentine World Cup winner is reportedly attracting serious interest from European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, who are closely monitoring his situation in London.

Atletico de Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg

Kinsky speaks out after Spurs UCL nightmare

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has broken his silence following a disastrous Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid. The young shot-stopper was brutally substituted by interim manager Igor Tudor after making two costly errors in the opening 17 minutes. Despite the harsh treatment and a crushing 5-2 defeat, Kinsky remains determined to bounce back.

FBL-EUR-C1-ATLETICO MADRID-TOTTENHAM

Griezmann explains why he snubbed MLS move

Antoine Griezmann has finally broken his silence regarding the intense speculation linking him with a high-profile move to MLS side Orlando City. Despite heavy interest from North America, the French forward has confirmed his intention to remain at the Metropolitano as he continues to cement his status as an all-time legend for Los Rojiblancos, ensuring he stays as the club’s main focal point.

Newcastle United v Manchester City - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round

Guardiola discusses Man City exit and retirement

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has once again fueled speculation regarding his future at the Etihad Stadium, dropping a fresh hint that his storied coaching career could be reaching its natural conclusion. The 55-year-old, who has transformed the landscape of English football since 2016, is under contract until 2027, but the narrative surrounding an early exit continues to gather momentum.

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Havertz haunts Leverkusen - but Saka & Arsenal defence struggle

Arsenal left it late to salvage a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie as Kai Havertz came back to haunt his former club. The Germany international netted from the penalty spot after Robert Andrich had given the hosts the lead as the Gunners earned a result that their overall performance barely deserved.

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Davies, Musiala and Urbig sidelined for Bayern

Bayern Munich’s medical department confirmed on Wednesday that Alphonso Davies, Jonas Urbig and Jamal Musiala are set for a spell on the sidelines after being forced off during the 6-1 Champions League victory over Atalanta. The news has cast a shadow over Vincent Kompany’s squad, as the club’s official report confirmed that Davies suffered a muscle strain in his right hamstring during the second half of the European encounter in Bergamo, marking a significant setback for the Bundesliga leaders during a crucial period of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League

Is Tudor facing the sack? Spurs make decision ahead of Liverpool clash

Igor Tudor is reportedly set to remain in the Tottenham dugout for Sunday's daunting trip to Liverpool, despite the club's season spiralling into a full-blown crisis. Since replacing Thomas Frank last month, the Croatian has overseen a catastrophic run of four consecutive defeats, leaving the north London outfit languishing just one point above the Premier League relegation zone and facing a round of 16 Champions League exit.

Frequently asked questions

Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.

Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.

Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.

Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.

Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.

Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.

Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.

Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.

The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.

Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.