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

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.

England and Scotland fans will not be allowed to take part in a popular pastime during their World Cup fixtures

Watch the highlights as Scotland score in stoppage time to salvage a World Cup qualification draw with Belgium.

Napoli reportedly offer Scott McTominay a significant increase to extend his contract as Dinamo Zagreb receive £10m offers for Scott McKenna.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has posed a pointed question to African football administrators, arguing that if domestic leagues offered decent salaries and proper structures, players would have little reason to flee to foreign competitions.Speaking in an interview with Brila FM, Nwabali made it clear that the continuous migration of talent from West Africa to Europe, South Africa, and Morocco is a direct consequence of poor conditions at home."In West Africa, our leagues are not as good. We want to go to Europe, we want to come to South Africa, we want to go to Morocco," he said.But his most telling remark came when he turned the question back on league organisers:"If your league is nice, you're getting paid, you're getting sponsors, what are you leaving for?"Nwabali explained that only a handful of clubs can offer competitive wages, leaving most players with limited financial security during their short careers. He contrasted that with the more professional setups in Southern and North Africa, where better stadiums, stronger sponsorship, and consistent organisation make domestic football attractive and sustainable."The league, the pay is a little bit nice for a certain level of your team," he added, implying...

Brazil former star Filipe Luis highlighted the importance of Carlo Ancelotti at this crucial moment. With two months to go before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Brazil are hopeful that Carlo Ancelotti can provide the national team with a tactical identity that allows them to compete for the title in North America. Filipe Luis expressed confidence that the Italian coach will get the job done in time. “Ancelotti brings us many good things,” Filipe Luis said during a conference organized by Conmebol this week, according to Diario AS. “There are no guarantees we’ll win anything, but it’s the best that could have happened.” The former Atletico Madrid defender pointed to the timing of Ancelotti’s arrival to take over the national team. In mid-2025, Brazil were coming off a heavy loss to Argentina in Buenos Aires and, with four matches remaining in the South American qualifiers, had not yet secured their place in the World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti delivered the results needed to achieve that goal and has since used every FIFA break to shape a team that had struggled to meet expectations since the departure of Tite after the 2022 World Cup at Qatar. Vinicius Junior is subbed off by Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Brazil. Filipe Luis believes in Brazil’s chances The general consensus among fans and analysts lists Spain, France and Argentina as the top favorites to win the 2026 World Cup. Despite being the most successful national team in the competition’s history, Brazil are not placed in that top tier, but rather in a second group alongside other powerhouses such as Germany, England and Portugal. However, Filipe Luis warned those who might count Brazil out of the title race. “Brazil will always be one of the favorites, even when things aren’t going well,” said the former Flamengo manager, extending that view to Argentina as well. To support his confidence in Ancelotti’s squad, Filipe Luis pointed to the team’s individual talent: “People don’t believe Brazil can win. But if you look at the five best players in the world, we have two: Raphinha and Vini Jr.” Brazil’s path in the 2026 World Cup Brazil are in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will open their campaign on June 13 against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, before traveling to Philadelphia six days later to face Haiti. Their final group-stage match will be on June 24 in Miami against Scotland. If everything goes as expected and Carlo Ancelotti’s side finish top of the group, they will advance to the Round of 16, where they would face the runner-up of Group F — made up of Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia — in Houston on June 29.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has issued a stark assessment of football in West Africa, pointing to poor player salaries, weak structures, and inadequate infrastructure as key reasons the region continues to lag behind leagues in South Africa and Morocco.Speaking in an interview with Brila FM, the Nigerian shot-stopper gave a frank evaluation of the challenges facing domestic football across the region, stressing that many players are forced to leave in search of better conditions abroad.“In West Africa, our leagues are not as good. We want to go to Europe, we want to come to South Africa, we want to go to Morocco,” he said.Nwabali explained that only a few clubs can offer competitive wages, leaving many players with limited financial security during their careers.“The league, the pay is a little bit nice for a certain level of your team,” he added.Beyond financial issues, the goalkeeper highlighted the clear gap in infrastructure and organisation, noting that leagues in countries such as South Africa and Morocco benefit from better stadiums, stronger administration, and more professional setups. He argued that these advantages make their domestic competitions more attractive and sustainable compared to many West African leagues.In...