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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)
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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.

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Djokovic Still Feels Trauma When He Travels to Australia Because of His Deportation in 2022

Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in the gardens of Government House the morning after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in the gardens of Government House the morning after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (AP)
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Djokovic Still Feels Trauma When He Travels to Australia Because of His Deportation in 2022

Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in the gardens of Government House the morning after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in the gardens of Government House the morning after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (AP)

Novak Djokovic said he still feels "a bit of trauma" when he travels to Australia, stemming from his deportation in 2022 because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The last couple of times that I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration, I had a bit of trauma from three years ago," Djokovic said in an interview with Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper published Monday, ahead of the Australian Open. "And some traces still stay there when I’m passing passport control, just checking out if someone from immigration zone is approaching."

Djokovic, who has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam championships at Melbourne Park, continued: "The person checking my passport — are they going to take me, detain me again or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling."

Back in 2022, Djokovic sought, and initially obtained, an exemption that would allow him into the Australian Open — and the country — even though there were strict rules requiring shots to protect against the coronavirus. But after his flight landed, he was detained at the airport, his visa was canceled and he was sent to an immigration hotel.

A judge later reinstated the visa and ordered Djokovic’s release, ruling he wasn’t given enough time to speak to his lawyers. Australia’s immigration minister then took away the visa again, based on "public interest."

Djokovic’s appeal of that ruling was denied by a three-judge panel, and he was deported. He faced a possible three-year ban from the country as someone whose visa was revoked, but Australia had a change of government, its pandemic border rules changed and a new immigration minister granted Djokovic a visa in 2023 — when he went on to claim the trophy.

"I don’t hold any resentment, to be honest," Djokovic told the Herald Sun about the saga. "I don’t hold a grudge."

The Australian Open begins Sunday (Saturday EST), and Djokovic will be pursuing his 11th trophy in Melbourne to add to his men's record and an unprecedented 25th major singles title overall.

A year ago, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

"I just hope to, before I retire, get at least one more title there," said the 37-year-old Djokovic, whose only triumph at a tournament in 2024 was his singles gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics in August.

Djokovic opened 2025 at the Brisbane International last week, losing in the quarterfinals to Reilly Opelka.

At the Australian Open, Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion who retired as a player after the Summer Games. Murray and Djokovic have said they will partner up through the year's initial Grand Slam tournament.