Liverpool and Real Madrid Meet Again in the Champions League

Real Madrid's Uruguayan Fede Valverde celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during the Spanish La Liga match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid at El Sadar stadium in Navarra, Pamplona, northern Spain, 18 February 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Uruguayan Fede Valverde celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during the Spanish La Liga match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid at El Sadar stadium in Navarra, Pamplona, northern Spain, 18 February 2023. (EPA)
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Liverpool and Real Madrid Meet Again in the Champions League

Real Madrid's Uruguayan Fede Valverde celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during the Spanish La Liga match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid at El Sadar stadium in Navarra, Pamplona, northern Spain, 18 February 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Uruguayan Fede Valverde celebrates after scoring the 0-1 during the Spanish La Liga match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid at El Sadar stadium in Navarra, Pamplona, northern Spain, 18 February 2023. (EPA)

Champions League royalty go head-to-head on Tuesday when Liverpool hosts holder Real Madrid at Anfield.

The two giants of European football meet in a repeat of last year's final and the standout match of the round of 16.

While Liverpool and Real Madrid share 20 Champions League titles between them, Manchester City continues its quest to win the trophy for the first time and Napoli has emerged as a surprise contender after an outstanding start to the season.

Liverpool’s revenge mission

Liverpool has the chance to avenge the 1-0 loss to Real in the final in Paris last May and goes into the first leg in much-improved form after back-to-back wins against Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League.

It has been a season of struggle for a team that was competing for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last year. So much so that, up until the past week, winning the Champions League looked like its best chance of qualifying for next season's competition.

But there have been encouraging signs in those morale-boosting wins that leave Jurgen Klopp's team just six points off the top four and a Champions League-qualifying spot.

Real is aiming to be crowned champion of Europe for a record extending 15th time and is fresh from winning the Club World Cup earlier this month.

But it faces a fight to hold onto its Spanish league title, with Barcelona leading the way at the top of the standings.

Man City’s year?

The Champions League is the one major trophy City has failed to win since being taken over by Abu Dhabi's ruling family in 2008.

While the arrival of Erling Haaland last summer looked like a potential game-changer in Europe, question marks hang over Pep Guardiola's team in the Premier League.

A 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday saw Arsenal overtake City at the top of the table and highlighted vulnerabilities that have been evident for much of the season.

But City has looked strong in the Champions League, cruising through the group stages and is the overwhelming favorite to win when it travels to RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

But Guardiola's time in charge at City has been punctuated by surprise exits in Europe, so the potential for an upset is real.

The City manager is still waiting to win his first Champions League title with a team other than Barcelona featuring Lionel Messi, having lifted it twice with the Catalan club in 2009 and 2011.

The surprise package

Napoli was the most impressive team of the group stages and is racing away at the top of the Italian league, leading by 15 points. It faces Eintracht Frankfurt away on Tuesday on the back of a five-game winning run.

Striker Victor Osimhen looks unstoppable in front of goal, with 19 this season and nine in his last nine games.

His performances have seen him linked with a summer move to Manchester United and he can further enhance his reputation as the Champions League returns.

Based on form, Napoli looks like one of the leading contenders to win the trophy and will take some stopping if it can maintain it.

Lukaku’s back

Inter Milan, which is the closest challenger to Napoli in Italy, is also in action in the Champions League this week when it hosts Porto on Wednesday.

If it is to stand a chance of going far in the competition, much could rely on Romelu Lukaku staying fit and getting his goal-scoring form back.

In that sense, it was encouraging to see him score for the first time since October in Inter's 3-1 win against Udinese on Saturday - even if it did come from the penalty spot.

World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez has been lethal in front of goal since returning from Argentina's success in Qatar, scoring eight in his last 10 games.



Palace's Mateta Denies Arsenal Win to Leave Liverpool on Brink of Title

Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 23, 2025 Arsenal's David Raya in action with Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny REUTERS/Tony O Brien
Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 23, 2025 Arsenal's David Raya in action with Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny REUTERS/Tony O Brien
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Palace's Mateta Denies Arsenal Win to Leave Liverpool on Brink of Title

Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 23, 2025 Arsenal's David Raya in action with Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny REUTERS/Tony O Brien
Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 23, 2025 Arsenal's David Raya in action with Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny REUTERS/Tony O Brien

Arsenal kept Liverpool's Premier League title-winning champagne on ice, but only just, as they were twice pegged back at home by Crystal Palace with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring a superb equaliser in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.

First-half goals by Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard looked like being enough for a lacklustre Arsenal against a lively Palace side who equalized with an Eberechi Eze volley.

But there was a late twist as Palace substitute Mateta beat Arsenal keeper David Raya with an audacious chip.

The draw left second-placed Arsenal on 67 points with four games remaining meaning they can only match the 79 of Liverpool who still have five games to play, Reuters reported.

Had Arsenal lost, Liverpool would have won the title on Wednesday but they can now seal it with one point against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday.

"When I started on the bench I could see he (David Raya) was very high up the pitch," Mateta, who was voted man-of-the-match by Sky Sports despite coming on in the 80th minute, said.

"So I knew if I won the ball I could try, so I did and scored. It is one of the best goals of my career. I thought it hit the crossbar but thankfully it was in!"

Both Arsenal and Palace have huge cup semi-final games looming -- Arsenal in the Champions League at home to Paris St Germain next Tuesday and Palace this Saturday at Wembley against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Twelfth-placed Palace could have been excused if they were distracted by what will be the biggest game of their season.

Instead, it was Arsenal who were off the pace as they drew for the 13th time in the league this season and fifth time in eight -- a statistic that has allowed Liverpool to all but mathematically wrap up a record-equalling 20th English title.

"We are disappointed with the result and performance. We didn't find enough consistency in actions to dominate the game. It's part of football and cost us two points," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

"In many aspects of the game we should have done better today. We have the most important game of the season in six days. We need to get our energy back."

This traditional sport is taking the spotlight in Madagascar’s capital of Antananarivo.

Palace, who left key players Mateta and Ismaila Sarr on the bench but still fielded Eze, will have taken great heart from their display as they prepare for Villa on Saturday.

Eze took his goal brilliantly, connecting with Adam Wharton's corner to bounce a volley in off the post beyond Raya.

But the best was saved to last as Mateta, still wearing the protective covering on his ear badly gashed in the FA Cup fifth round tie against Millwall, lofted a sensational shot over Raya after a bad ball from William Saliba had put Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in trouble.

Arsenal, who fielded a near full-strength line-up despite Bukayo Saka being on the bench, made a great start as Kiwior rose to thump a header past Dean Henderson after three minutes from Odegaard's free kick.

Trossard then restored their lead when he controlled Jurrien Timber's pass and turned sharply to send a low shot inside the post.

Arsenal had a Gabriel Martinelli goal ruled out by VAR after the ball went out of play in the build-up while Henderson also made a splendid save to deny Saka's volley.

But Palace fully deserved their point and could have got all three as Mateta's late cross almost led to a winner.

"It's important to keep this energy and confidence for the semi-final on Saturday," Palace boss Oliver Glasner said.