BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has suggested that Arsenal star William Saliba is no longer performing at the world-class level that saw him dubbed the rock of Mikel Arteta’s backline. The comments were made during a tense Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting CP. Sutton argued that the individual aura and reliability of the […] The post Chris Sutton singles out Arsenal star with brutal ‘not the same player’ verdict appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Real Madrid need to win in the Allianz Arena to give themselves a chance of getting into the Champions League semi-finals, and after three goals in 15 minutes, they are on course for the win they need to force extra time at the very least. Alvaro Arbeloa’s side made a golden start to proceedings in […] The post WATCH: Kylian Mbappe drags Real Madrid level on aggregate after Arda Guler and Harry Kane trade goals appeared first on Football España.

Emozioni e spettacolo al ritorno degli ottavi di finale in Champions League.

Eddie Howe is past his sell by date. According to some. Me? I doubted the bloke when he first arrived on the scene in the Autumn of 2021 (would have... You can click here to read the full article.

Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on Santiago Castro, and they will scout the player in action when Bologna takes on Aston Villa on Thursday night. The two teams will be in action in the Europa League, and Castro will look to make his mark on the game, as per Il Resto del […] The post Man United & Chelsea ramp up pursuit with scouting mission for 15-G/A forward appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Set to face Sporting CP in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Arsenal might be dealing once again with the absence of star Bukayo Saka. Arsenal host the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium this Wednesday, looking to protect a slim lead and advance to the final four. While the Gunners enter as heavy favorites, star winger Bukayo Saka has been entirely left out of the Gunners’ squad. Bukayo Saka won’t be featuring in the return leg against Sporting CP due to injury. The England international was widely expected to return for Saturday’s fixture against Bournemouth but failed to make the squad; his subsequent absence from Tuesday’s training session further dims the prospects of him playing a role in this continental decider. Manager Mikel Arteta was noncommittal when asked if Saka or defender Jurrien Timber might return to the fold, offering only that “maybe one of them” could be involved. However, when pressed on the nature of the winger’s injury and its recent persistence, the Spaniard provided a bit more clarity for the worried Emirates faithful. “It’s something that he was carrying for a while. It was an Achilles issue,” Arteta said. “It’s progression but hopefully it’s going to be a matter of days and not weeks. But he has to see when the load is more how he responds to that kind of progression,” he added. Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber of Arsenal. Arsenal navigating a fitness crisis Saka isn’t the only concern for a depleted Arsenal squad; Tuesday’s training session raised red flags regarding several other key contributors. Missing from the main group were midfield anchors Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, along with defender Riccardo Calafiori. While Rice has reportedly recovered and should be available for selection, significant questions remain over whether Odegaard and Calafiori are fit enough to start. This personnel crunch may force Arteta to lean on his depth as he looks to defend a narrow 1-0 aggregate advantage in the Champions League clash. Confirmed lineups for Arsenal and Sporting CP Arsenal’s confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): David Raya; Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie; Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli; Viktor Gyokeres. Head coach: Mikel Arteta. Sporting CP’s confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): Rui Silva; Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, Goncalo Inacio, Maximiliano Araujo; Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita; Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincao, Pedro Goncalves; Luis Javier Suarez. Head coach: Rui Borges.

Following the tight result in the first leg, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are preparing to face off in the second leg of the 2025–26 Champions League quarterfinals. As a result, fans are closely monitoring the status of Kylian Mbappé, as his presence could be decisive in front of goal. Despite being inferior for much of the first leg, Real Madrid still hold hope of overturning the result against Bayern Munich, as they trail by just one goal. Given the narrow scoreline, both sides expect a contested game, with an offensive approach dominating. Moreover, fans are closely monitoring the status of Kylian Mbappé as his presence could prove in the Champions League Quarterfinals. After avoiding injuries in recent matches, Kylian Mbappé is in peak physical condition. Because of this, coach Álvaro Arbeloa will start the Frenchman, hoping his scoring impact will help overturn the result. In addition, he was decisive in the first leg, so another standout performance is expected. With this, he could look to silence the criticism surrounding his season, which has otherwise been impressive. Alongside the Frenchman, Real Madrid will once again rely on the partnership with Vinícius Jr. However, the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni due to yellow card accumulation will force adjustments in the starting lineup, such as deploying Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde at the base of midfield. As a result, Brahim Díaz could take on a key role, aiming to exploit spaces in the opposition’s midfield. Bayern Munich will also have most of their squad available, with Harry Kane and Manuel Neuer returning to top form. After dominating in the first leg, coach Vincent Kompany may opt not to make changes to his starting lineup, as he confirmed that Serge Gnabry is fit enough to play 120 minutes if needed. In addition, Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanišić could once again play key roles, contributing to the team’s build-up play. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid attempts to shoot past Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich predicted lineups vs Real Madrid After their dominant performance in the first leg, Bayern Munich face Real Madrid as clear favorites. Coach Vincent Kompany will be without Lennart Karl and Sven Ulreich. However, the German side will rely on Kane, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Neuer as their core, maintaining their consistency. Despite this, they will face a tough challenge in defending space in behind, as Mbappé and Vinícius could use their pace to make the difference. The German side could lineup as follows: Manuel Neuer; Josip Stanišić, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Konrad Laimer; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović; Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, Luis Díaz; Harry Kane. Real Madrid lineups vs Bayern Munich Although they didn’t dominate the first leg, Real Madrid managed to be quite efficient, thanks to Kylian Mbappé. However, coach Álvaro Arbeloa will be forced to make changes to his lineup, as Aurelien Tchouameni will be out due to yellow card accumulation. As a result, they will start Valverde as a defensive midfielder. Following that, Arda Guler and Brahim will be responsible for linking the midfield and the attack. With this in mind, Real Madrid will play as follows: Andriy Lunin; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy; Brahim Diaz, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler; Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappé.

Igor Paixao has been linked with a move away from Marseille, and Liverpool are interested in securing his signature. The 25-year-old has impressed with his explosive pace and dribbling ability at the French club. Liverpool is looking to add more cutting-edge in the final third, and they believe the 25-year-old Brazilian could be an excellent […] The post Arsenal prepare cut-price offer as Liverpool join hunt for €60m dribbling sensation appeared first on CaughtOffside.

With a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg against Sporting CP, Arsenal are on the verge of securing the ticket to the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals. Arsenal host Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium this Wednesday, looking to punch their ticket to the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals. Coming off a crucial first-leg victory, the Gunners have several paths to the next round as they look to navigate this quarterfinal clash. In a thrilling opening leg at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, David Raya emerged as the hero for Arsenal, with the Spanish goalkeeper forced into a string of high-caliber saves to keep Sporting at bay. In the dying moments of the match, Gabriel Martinelli perfectly picked out Kai Havertz, who slotted home the only goal of the series to give the Gunners the advantage heading into the home leg. Despite the first-leg win, a 2-1 weekend stumble against Bournemouth has dented Arsenal’s momentum, and Mikel Arteta must now navigate several key absences for the return leg. Conversely, Sporting CP head to London buoyed by a 1-0 away win against Estrela Amadora in Liga Portugal, a result that could serve as a confidence booster for this afternoon’s high-stakes tilt. How an Arsenal win affects the UEFA Champions League bracket A victory against Sporting CP would propel Arsenal into the Champions League semifinals, marking the club’s first appearance at that stage since the 2008-09 season, when they were ousted by Manchester United. William Saliba of Arsenal celebrates after the team’s victory over Sporting CP. In the semifinals, Arsenal would move on to face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, a side they have already dismantled in this year’s competition. During the league phase, the Gunners secured a dominant 4-0 win at the Emirates, a result that stands as a promising omen for their hopes of maintaining an unbeaten run. How an Arsenal draw affects the UEFA Champions League bracket Should Arsenal play to a draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates, the Gunners would still advance to the next round regardless of the scoreline. Thanks to the 1-0 advantage secured in Lisbon, a stalemate would be insufficient for the Leoes to overturn the deficit. How an Arsenal defeat affects the UEFA Champions League bracket If Sporting manage to pull off an upset on Wednesday, the fallout will depend entirely on the margin of victory. A one-goal defeat for the Gunners would send the match into extra time, with a penalty shootout looming if the aggregate score remains deadlocked after 120 minutes. However, if Arsenal are beaten by two or more goals on home soil, Sporting CP would complete the comeback and advance to the semifinals. Such a result would deal the Gunners their first (and final) defeat of the current Champions League campaign.