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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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Rodrygo Scrapes Real Madrid Win at Alaves

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Alaves. ANDER GILLENEA / AFP
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Alaves. ANDER GILLENEA / AFP
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Rodrygo Scrapes Real Madrid Win at Alaves

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Alaves. ANDER GILLENEA / AFP
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Alaves. ANDER GILLENEA / AFP

Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo Goes's goals earned Real Madrid a tense 2-1 win at Alaves in La Liga on Sunday to potentially keep coach Xabi Alonso in his job.

Second-placed Madrid trimmed league leaders Barcelona's advantage back to four points and recorded only their third victory in the last nine games across all competitions.

After a home defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, Spanish media reported that anything but a victory would cost Alonso his position, AFP said.

After Mbappe's superb opener, Carlos Vicente pulled Alaves level in the second half, but Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Mendizorroza stadium.

"It was a hard-fought game, we competed well, got in front and then lost a bit of control," Alonso told reporters.

"Alaves play with a lot of intensity, it's hard to dominate throughout. We came here to win and we got the three points."

The coach said, as he did after the City game, that he has the support of his squad.

"We're all together in this. One game isn't enough to change the dynamic," he said.

"Now before the winter break we have a cup game on Wednesday, and a game at home (in La Liga to come)."

Alonso was able to bring his key player, Mbappe, back into the side after he could only watch the defeat by City from the bench because of a painful knee.

The coach also handed a debut to Victor Valdepenas at left-back, with both Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia suspended, and Ferland Mendy one of several players out injured.

Mbappe appeared to be feeling his knee and also hobbling in the first few minutes but, despite that, was the game's most influential player.

The forward had a shot deflected wide and then fired narrowly over as Alaves sat deep and tried to keep the 15-time European champions at bay.

By the time Mbappe opened the scoring in the 25th minute, his discomfort seemed to have cleared up.

Released by Jude Bellingham, Mbappe drove towards goal at full tilt and whipped a shot into the top right corner for his 17th league goal of the campaign.

England international Bellingham then blasted home from close range but his strike was ruled out for handball.

Needing to fight back, Alaves moved on to the front foot and took control of the game before the break, almost pulling level.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save with his head, even if he knew little about it, to deny Pablo Ibanez from close range.

Tight battle

Los Blancos were dangerous again soon after the interval, with Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera saving well from Mbappe and then Vinicius Junior.

Real came to rue those misses when Vicente pulled Alaves level after 68 minutes.

The forward got in behind Antonio Rudiger, controlled former Madrid midfielder Antonio Blanco's chipped pass and whipped a shot past Courtois.

Eduardo Coudet's side almost took the lead when Vicente's low cross from the right was nudged wide by Toni Martinez, who was nudged off-balance by Raul Asencio's pressure.

Instead, Madrid pulled back in front, with Vinicius breaking in down the left and crossing for Rodrygo to finish from six yards out.

It was the Brazilian's second goal in two games after going the previous 32 matches without finding the net, and a tense Alonso celebrated wildly, knowing that his future could depend on it.

Vinicius had appeals for a penalty turned down as he fell under a challenge from Nahuel Tenaglia, and Bellingham came close in stoppage time as Madrid tried in vain to ease their nerves by putting the game to bed.

"I thought it was a clear penalty, Vini was going very fast, there was contact... it surprises me that it didn't go to VAR," said Alonso.

Third-place Villarreal's visit to Levante was postponed because of a weather warning in the Valencia region.

Real Oviedo, 19th, sacked coach Luis Carrion after a 4-0 hammering at Sevilla.

On Saturday, champions Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 to win a seventh straight La Liga game and ensure that they will lead the table into 2026, regardless of what happens in the final round of fixtures before the winter break.

Sports

Bayern Goalkeeper Neuer Set to Miss Last Game of Year with Hamstring Injury 

14 December 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up ahead of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
14 December 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up ahead of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
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Bayern Goalkeeper Neuer Set to Miss Last Game of Year with Hamstring Injury 

14 December 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up ahead of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
14 December 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up ahead of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could miss his team's last game of the year because of a hamstring tear.

The club said on Monday that the injury to Neuer's right hamstring was confirmed by a medical examination after the 39-year-old club captain played the entirety of Sunday's 2-2 draw with Mainz. That was a rare case of the unbeaten Bundesliga leader Bayern dropping points.

Bayern said Neuer would be unavailable “for the time being,” without giving further information on the severity of the injury.

The visit to Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Sunday is the club's last before the winter break.

The German champion is next in action on Jan. 11 against Wolfsburg.

Sports

Mbeumo Faces Double Cameroon Challenge at AFCON 

Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 8, 2025 Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 8, 2025 Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Mbeumo Faces Double Cameroon Challenge at AFCON 

Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 8, 2025 Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - December 8, 2025 Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)

Manchester United star Bryan Mbeumo must handle the twin challenges of scoring and captaincy when playing for Cameroon at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this month.

With veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar surprisingly axed, the responsibility for scoring falls heavily on the 26-year-old who moved to Old Trafford from Brentford last July.

Goals have been hard to come by for the Indomitable Lions lately as they failed to find the net in two crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Needing maximum points at home against Angola two months ago to have any hope of automatic qualification, Cameroon managed only a 0-0 draw.

Given a second chance to qualify a month later as one of the best four African group runners-up, Cameroon fell 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a play-off and were eliminated.

For Cameroon supporters, recalling the past exploits of star strikers like Roger Milla, Patrick Mboma and Samuel Eto'o, consecutive blanks were difficult to accept.

Mbeumo started in both matches, but poor service from midfield and tight marking meant scoring opportunities were scarce.

Aboubakar was the eight-goal leading scorer in the 2022 AFCON as hosts Cameroon finished third behind Senegal and Egypt.

It was an outstanding performance in the modern era of the premier African football tournament, finishing just one goal shy of matching the 1974 record of Congolese Ndaye Mulamba.

But Mbeumo was left without a potentially key partner in attack when new Cameroon coach David Pagou omitted Aboubakar from the Morocco-bound squad.

- Low morale -

"We wanted to do things differently. They are good players, but we set our sights on others to create a different mindset," said Pagou, referring to Aboubakar and goalkeeper Andre Onana.

While Mbeumo seeks goals in Group F against Gabon, title-holders Ivory Coast and Mozambique, he must also shoulder the additional responsibility of succeeding Aboubakar as captain.

He must lift a team whose morale is low after their failure to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Cameroon hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Losing out to Group D winners Cape Verde, a west African archipelago with a population of just 525,000, was a bitter blow.

Mbeumo was born in eastern France to a Cameroonian father and a French mother, making him eligible to represent either country.

He played underage football for France before switching his international allegiance to Cameroon. His highlight so far with the Indomitable Lions was competing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

At club level, he spent one season with Troyes in France, then six with Brentford, helping the London club gain promotion to the Premier League.

He formed a dynamic attacking partnership with Democratic Republic of Congo winger Yoane Wissa at the Bees -- both scored in the same match six times last season.

It was a feat matched only by Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo in the 2024-25 Premier League.

His six goals this season for United include a brace in a 4-2 home victory over Brighton.