The summer transfer window is underway across Europe, with many of the continent’s biggest clubs already making moves to strengthen their squads ahead of the 2026-27 season. Teams in top leagues like the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 are expected to remain active throughout the coming months as they pursue signings aimed at improving depth, addressing weaknesses and preparing for another demanding campaign.

In England, several Premier League clubs have entered the market with significant ambitions. Liverpool FC continues to be linked with multiple additions following the arrival of manager Andoni Iraola, while Manchester City is expected to evaluate reinforcements following a period of transition within the club. Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC have also been connected with several high-profile targets as they look to strengthen squads capable of competing for major honors.

In Spain, Real Madrid has continued to be linked with defensive and midfield reinforcements, like Manchester City’s Rodri and Joško Gvardiol, despite maintaining one of the strongest squads in Europe. Reports have also linked the club to additional young talent as it continues its long-term strategy focused on building around emerging stars. Meanwhile, FC Barcelona is expected to remain active despite financial constraints, with the club reportedly targeting affordable options to add depth across several positions. The Catalan club has already signed Anthony Gordon from Newcastle as an offensive addition to their squad. They are also heavily linked to Atletico Madrid’s Argentine forward, Julián Alvarez

France could once again become a major focus of the transfer market due to the activity expected at Paris Saint-Germain. Fresh off a second consecutive Champions League title, PSG is reportedly evaluating additions that fit manager Luis Enrique‘s tactical system. The club has frequently been linked with versatile midfielders, defenders and young attacking players as it attempts to maintain its position among Europe’s elite.

Several of the most discussed players on the market include Florian Wirtz, Viktor Gyökeres, Benjamin Šeško and Rodrygo, all of whom have been linked with moves involving some of Europe’s biggest clubs. While many negotiations are ongoing, the futures of several high-profile players are expected to shape the market’s direction throughout the summer.

As negotiations continue, clubs across Europe will attempt to balance immediate needs with long-term planning. The transfers completed during the coming weeks could play a major role in determining the competitive landscape of domestic leagues and European competitions next season.

Real Madrid is no stranger to big games. The Spanish giants have dominated European and Spanish soccer, winning the Champions League 15 times and securing 36 La Liga titles. Arguably the biggest club in the world, the club begins another season looking to add to its already packed trophy cabinet.

But Xabi Alonso‘s side face a unique challenge this campaign. That’s because they will have travel nearly 8,000 miles round trip to face a club they’ve never played before.

And this is not for the Club World Cup or a preseason friendly – it’s for a league phase game of this year’s edition of the Champions League.

During Thursday’s draw in Monaco, Real Madrid were paired with 2024 Kazakhstan Premier League winners Kairat Almaty. The Kazakh club secured a historic qualification just 48 hours prior after winning a play-off against Celtic.

Kairat became the easternmost club to qualify for the Champions League. Almaty – the largest city in Kazakhstan by population – is closer to Beijing, New Delhi and Kabul than it is to Madrid, creating a unique matchup that has not been seen in the competition before.

But Kairat’s journey to the Champions League started in the early days of summer. While Madrid were playing in the Club World Cup in the United States, Kairat faced Olimpija Ljubljana in the first round of the Champions League qualifying rounds. Rafael Urazbakhtin‘s side had to win two more rounds against KuPS and Slovan Bratislava before facing Scottish champions Celtic in a two-legged play-off.

Nothing separated the two sides in two games, ending goalless twice after regulation. As the clock passed midnight in Almaty, Kairat won a penalty shootout 3-2 and secured a historic spot in the Champions League.

The likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham will likely have to make the 12-hour flight from the Spanish capital to eastern Kazakhstan for a league phase match. Madrid is also set to play an official match in the Central Asian country for the first time in their 123-year history.

Kairat will host Club Brugge, Olympiacos and Pafos during its campaign. On the road, Urazbakhtin’s men will travel to European giants Inter Milan and Arsenal. They will also face FC Copenhagen in Denmark and 21-time Portuguese champions Sporting CP, the latter being about 4,304 miles from Almaty.

French phenom Kylian Mbappé, 25, had a night to remember in the Champions League last Tuesday, scoring two goals against Real Sociedad to help Paris-Saint-Germain advance to the quarterfinals of Europe’s most glorified competition in soccer.

One of those goals broke the net.

Mbappé broke down the left wing with pace on a counterattack which left only one defender to try to stop him. After some quick feet, Mbappé was able to create an opening for a shot, which he lashed across the goalkeeper and found the bottom corner in the 15th minute of the match.

Such was the power of his strike that it actually broke the netting. There have been flukey situations in soccer where the netting on a goal has been ripped before, but the amount of raw power it takes to rip a net with a ball from that distance is something rarely observed in modern European soccer. The referees were forced to pause the game while the net was repaired.

His second goal came from another break down the left side where he caught up to an over-the-top through ball and sneakily whipped the ball to the near post after opening up his body to appear as if he would curl it toward the far post. He wrong-footed goalkeeper Alejandro Remiro and effectively ended the tie 11 minutes into the second half.

After a 2-0 victory in the first leg and a 2-0 lead in the second, Mikel Merino’s goal for Sociedad late in the second half was a mere consolation as PSG advanced 4-1 on aggregate.

“We’re really happy,” Mbappé noted in a post-match press conference. “That was the objective, we wanted to qualify, but we also wanted to win. We had a game plan that was clear, and we managed to score early. We didn’t come under too much pressure, just a little at the end.”

“[Scoring goals] is what I do,” he added. “It’s what I like to do, what I can do. My job is to help the team score goals, to help offensively, defensively, and today, I did a nice job.”

Mbappé, who is reportedly leaving the club to join Real Madrid in Spain at the end of the season, now sits at the top of the charts for goals scored in the Champions League this season with six, tied with Harry Kane who also bagged a brace last Tuesday for Bayern Munich.

“He’ll score 50 goals and get 25 assists with whatever coach in whichever team. Unfortunately, in the immediate future, he won’t be here, and we have to start trying out other teammates,” PSG manager Luis Enrique noted after the game.

Erling Haaland, the leading goal scorer for Manchester City, sits a goal behind at five but will have more opportunities to catch up in the quarterfinal round. According to former Manchester United and England defender gone game analyst Rio Ferdinand though, there’s no one he’d rather build a team around in the game today than Mbappé.

“I’d pay every day to watch him train let alone play in a match because he creates things on his own. I can give him the ball at left-back and he might score. I can give him the ball anywhere on the pitch and he could create something,” Ferdinand said.

“But Mbappé’s just got that something different that would make me sit up at night and go: ‘Thank you, God.’”

Lionel Messi has agreed to a contract extension with the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and will stay with the team for at least one more season. Before winning the World Cup with Argentina, the international star was rumored to be signing with Inter Miami but never agreed to a deal with the MLS squad.

Messi’s agreement with PSG comes after a dramatic World Cup victory for Argentina over France, in which he led the team in goals and assists. At age 35, the forward demonstrated that he is still capable of playing at the highest level of soccer, a possible motivation for his decision to stay in a European club.

In November, reported rumors heavily implied that Messi would join Inter Miami in MLS at the conclusion of PSG’s 2022-23 season. Owned by David Beckham, who ended his own career in America, the team was reportedly prepared to make the Argentinian the highest-paid player in MLS history.

In 2021, Messi signed with PSG after spending his entire professional career with FC Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner initially struggled in France but has since regained some semblance of his previous form. As a member of the Argentinian team, he led his country to wins in the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. He will now join fellow stars Kylian Mbappe, the French prodigy who fell just short of defeating him in the World Cup, and Neymar in Ligue 1 until at least 2024.

The two sides have not yet come to a firm agreement, something that Messi will have plenty of time to negotiate after World Cup celebrations conclude. In the meantime, PSG will resume league play on Dec. 28 against Strasbourg Alsace. In February, the team will compete in the Champions League Round of 16 against Bayern Munich in the hopes of avenging a loss to eventual champions Real Madrid in this year’s knockout phase.

For the first time since 2012, Chelsea will hoist the trophy as winners of the Champions League.

The team defeated Manchester City by a score of 1-0 on Saturday, marking their third victory over Man City this year. The team was led by a new coach, Thomas Tuchel, who took over the position of manager in January, beginning his tenure with a 14-game winning streak. Tuchel had previously been the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, where he finished runner-up in the 2019-2020 Champions League.

The decisive goal in the match was scored by Kai Havertz in the 42nd minute, his first ever goal in the Champions League. Chelsea signed Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for £88 million. On the flip side, the most dominant offense in the premier league, Man City, was befuddled by Chelsea’s defensive strategies, getting only one shot on goal the entire match. City manager Pep Guardiola chose a more attack-heavy starting 11, benching some of his defensive midfielders at the beginning of the match.

Also of note in the match was the presence of Christian Pulisic on Chelsea, who entered the game in the second half as a sub. Pulisic became only the the second male U.S. international, after Borussia Dortmund forward Jovan Kirovski in 1997, to be on a team that won the Champions League. This marks Chelsea’s second ever Champions League trophy, which required defeated both perennial contender Real Madrid in the semifinals as well as defending Premier League champions Manchester City in the title match.

Marcelo may be unable to play in Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League match, but not for a reason one may expect.

The star defender was selected to be a poll worker in Spain’s upcoming election, which is taking place on May 4. Spaniards will be voting on representatives in the Madrid Assembly. By Spanish law, any registered voter in Spain is eligible to be chosen to work the polls. Marcelo, a native of Brazil, has been a Spanish citizen since 2011, placing him in the pool of possible constituents. When asked about the situation, Marcelo commented that he was “very upset by his electoral luck.”

Real Madrid is set to face off against Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal bout on May 5. The first game ended in a 1-1 draw, making this matchup crucial for both teams, particularly for Real Madrid, who could break a potential tiebreaker by scoring more goals on the road than Chelsea has. However, the team is planning on traveling to London the day before the game, which coincides with the election. In addition, due to new COVID-19 protocols in place for the Champions League, Marcelo may be unable to make the trip the day of the match, putting his status in jeopardy.

Real Madrid is the most successful club in Champions League history, with 13 titles, most recently in 2018. However, it will be difficult to capture one this season if they are without one of their core pieces on the defensive side.

Tuesday’s Champions League night was so thrilling as many goals were scored in some of the fixtures.  

After last week’s draw with Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach totally dominated against Shakhtar Donetsk, winning 6-0. Monchengladbach’s Alassane Plea scored a hattrick (3 goals). Ramy Bensebaini and Lars Stindl each scored a goal. Shakhtar Donetsk’s Valeriy Bondar scored an own goal. Monchengladbach is surprisingly doing well in the Champions League.

The Atletico Madrid and Lokomotiv Moscow fixture ended with a draw, 1-1. Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez scored, then shortly after Lokomotiv Moscow was awarded a penalty, which Anton Miranchuk scored. Atletico Madrid did not manage to win as they did against RB Salzburg last week.

Bayern Munich maintained their winning streak in the competition after defeating RB Salzburg, 6-2. Salzburg’s Mergim Berisha scored an early goal, then Bayern was awarded a penalty scored by Robert Lewandowski. RB Salzburg’s Rasmus Kristensen scored an own goal in the last minutes of the first half. In the second half, more goals were scored as RB Salzburg’s Masaya Okugawa, Bayern’s Jerome Boateng, Leroy Sane, Lewandowski and Lucas Hernandez all scored. 

Real Madrid won a hard-fought game against Inter Milan. Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored the first goal followed by a header from Sergio Ramos. Before half time, Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez scored. In the second half, Milan’s Ivan Perisic scored the equalizer. Real Madrid substitute Rodrygo then scored the winning goal for his side.

Manchester City dominated yet again in the competition after defeating Olympiacos, 3-0. Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo all scored. So far, City is doing really well in the competition. 

Porto defeated Marseille, 3-0. Moussa Marega scored the first goal and shortly after Marseille was awarded a penalty which Dimitri Payet did not score. Porto was also awarded a penalty, scored by Sergio Oliveira. Porto’s Luis Diaz scored the third goal. 

Surprisingly, Liverpool thrashed Atalanta, 5-0. Liverpool’s Diogo Jota was the star as the player scored a hattrick. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane also scored. Despite a large number of injuries, Liverpool are also looking very strong in the competition 

AFC Ajax defeated Midtjylland, 2-1. Ajax’s Antony scored a goal in the first minute of the match followed by a goal from Dusan Tadic. Midtjylland’s Anders Dreyer scored one goal for his side. 

Real Madrid is currently in a difficult situation as some Real Madrid players have tested positive for COVID-19.

Castilla players sometimes train with other first-team players at the Valdebebas training ground and so there is a risk that other players may have contracted the virus. For this reason, Real Madrid players underwent a PCR test.

Reports claim that Real Madrid Castilla player Sergio Santos is one also one of the infected players who traveled with the first team to Germany last week for the Champions League fixture against Borussia Monchengladbach.

The club later announced that first team defender Eder Militao tested positive for COVID-19. The player will not participate in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League upcoming fixture against Serie A club Inter Milan at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Real Madrid also announced that other players and staff members in the first team tested negative for the virus.

Real Madrid is currently implementing a very strict protocol to protect players and staff from contracting COVID. Players reportedly arrive from their homes to their own rooms at the club where they change into their training clothes and they wear gloves and masks to avoid any risks. The players’ are required to use hand sanitizer before and after working out with any equipment at the gym. Also, locker rooms are sterilized on a daily basis.

This is not the first time that Real Madrid players contracted COVID. Recently, Real Madrid players Mariano and Andriy Lunin tested positive for the virus.

Real Madrid is currently not in the best position in the Champions League. They are last in their group after losing against Shakhtar Donetsk and drawing with Borussia Monchengladbach. The game against Inter Milan will be a very important one for Real Madrid to try and win some points after a weak start.

During the Champions League fixtures on Tuesday, the participating teams were full of enthusiasm and passion. As always, the surprises and unexpected results were there.

Current champions FC Bayern Munich defeated Lokomotiv Moscow, 2-1. Bayern’s Leon Goretzka scored the first goal in the first half. Lokomotiv Moscow’s Anton Miranchuk scored the equalizer, then Bayern’s highly rated star Joshua Kimmich scored a brilliant second goal for his side. As opposed to other games, Bayern Munich looked nervous at times.

The Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan fixture ended with a draw, 0-0. Neither side managed to score a goal. 

Manchester City defeated Marseille, 3-0. Manchester City clearly dominated the game with Ferran Torres, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling all scoring. 

Premier League champions Liverpool defeated Midtjylland, 2-0 with goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah. However, Liverpool who is currently dealing with multiple injuries were faced with yet another one, when Fabinho came off during the game. 

The Borussia Monchengladbach and Real Madrid fixture was very exciting. Monchengladbach surprised Madrid when Marcus Thuram scored the first two goals of the game. In the last minutes, Madrid managed to clinch two goals when Karim Benzema and Casemiro scored. The fixture ended, 2-2. Despite being one of the favorites of the competition, Real Madrid did not show their magnificent quality yet.

Atletico Madrid defeated RB Salzburg, 3-2. Atletico’s Marcos Llorente scored the first goal, followed by RB Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai. Atletico’s Felipe scored an own goal to give the opposing side an advantage, but shortly after Joao Felix scored two more goals to help his side win the game.

FC Porto defeated Olympiacos, 2-0 with goals from Fabio Vieira and Sergio Oliveira. 

The Ajax and Atalanta fixture ended with a draw, 2-2. Ajax’s Dusan Tadic scored a penalty followed by a goal from Lassina Traore. Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata scored two goals in the second half. 

Hopes for making the Champions League are still alive for Manchester United as they took care of business 3-0 against Aston Villa on Thursday. The win extends United’s streak of consecutive matches without a loss to 17, which includes five wins in a row. 

The top four teams in the English Premier League standings qualify for the Champions League, the top soccer tournament in all of Europe. The victory keeps Man. United in fifth place, one point behind Leicester City who are in fourth, and two behind Chelsea who is in third.

A penalty kick by Bruno Fernandes in the 27th minute, although a questionable call, got the party started for United. Goals by Mason Greenwood in stoppage time prior to halftime and Paul Pogba in the 58th minute added to the rout of Aston Villa. 

It was Pogba’s goal that had Man. United’s manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær singing his praises. “[Paul] is a fantastic person, fantastic player; one of the best midfielders in the world. It’s a different team to the one he left when he was injured. Everything is miles better in that dressing room.”

Manchester United has four matches remaining on their EPL schedule. They will take on Southampton next on July 13, but many soccer fans have their eyes on United’s final match of the season on July 26, where they will play at home against Leicester.

Aston Villa is trying to stave off relegation and his four points behind West Ham United and Wofford to do so. Their next match will take place on July 12, on the road against Crystal Palace. 

Liverpool has never won a Club World Cup and this year they are facing a team that stole the trophy from them 38 years ago. Liverpool has won the Champions League this past year and now they are on track to winning their beloved Premier League. It is common knowledge that Liverpool fans are obsessed with winning the Premier League but can you blame them? They have won the Champions League twice since their last Premier League win. This year they can finally win the Premier League but before that they must play in the Club World Cup.

It is no question that Liverpool is less worried about the Club World Cup than Flamengo, who are dreaming of being World Champions. The dynamics of club football is simple. Of course Liverpool want to win the Club World Cup however, it’s in the middle of their European and domestic campaigns. For Flamengo, their season is over and this tournament is the cherry on top of a massive year.  

After a phenomenal comeback win in the final of the Libertadores against reigning champions River Plate, Flamengo went on to win the domestic league in the same weekend. The only team to ever win both tournaments in Brazil is Santos twice. This when arguably the best player of all time played in their squad, Pele. That is one indication of how well Flamengo are playing this year. Brazilian Clubs have sacked five managers this season after losing to Flamengo, in Europe that would be unheard of. 

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

First both teams are due to play in a semi-final, nevertheless fans of both sides are expecting the winners from each continent to go through. Flamengo’s Manager Jorge “Mister” Jesus said in an interview, “We will be in Qatar to play against Liverpool if they are a finalist, and we still have to play two games. We have a team to win this trophy.” 

Flamengo wasn’t the only Brazilian club to crush Liverpool’s dreams of a World Cup Glory. In 2005, Sao Paulo defeated club legend Gerrard’s Liverpool 1-0 in an exhilarating match. If Flamengo wins this World Cup, people might start talking about a Liverpool-Brazilian curse. With a week of rest, Liverpool distracted and busy. Who knows maybe history will repeat itself. 

England striker Peter Crouch officially announced his retirement at the age of 38 on Friday morning. Crouch had a long and healthy career, playing for multiple Premier League teams, and playing in both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups for England.

The striker was one of the more unorthodox front-men in the Premier League, standing 6-foot-7. He made his debut in the Premier League in 2000 with his first team, QPR after leaving Tottenham Hotspurs, failing to make the first team. He joined Aston Villa two years later, then moved onto Southampton after failing to play well at Villa. From Southampton, he moved onto Liverpool where we won an FA Cup, Community Shield, and placing second in the 2007 Champions League Final. He is most-known for his time at Liverpool, especially his Champions League goal against Galatasaray S.K., a bicycle kick.

Crouch scored 13 times in his first year at Liverpool after being signed by Rafa Benitez, winning an FA Cup in his first year in a red jersey. He made 134 total appearances, scoring 42 goals before moving onto Portsmouth then Tottenham again. After staying with Spurs for one season, scoring seven europeans goals, he moved to Stoke City where he won the team’s Player of the Year Award, scoring 14 league goals.

Overall, Crouch was a unique striker, standing taller than almost every player he played against and enforcing his play in the air and bringing his teammates into the game, being a target man.

Crouch tweeted on Friday, “After a lot of deliberation this summer I have decided to retire from football ! Our wonderful game has given me everything. I’m so thankful to everyone who helped me get there and to help me stay there for so long.”

According to the Guardian, Crouch said, “if you told me at 17 I’d play in World Cups, get to a Champions League final, win the FA Cup and get 100 Premier League goals I would have avoided you at all costs. It’s been an absolute dream come true.”

Tottenham Hotspurs made it to the past Champions League final and finished third in the Premier League without making a signing since January 2018. Mauricio Pochettino transformed his squad from within, adopting multiple players from the U-23 and U-18 teams such as Harry Winks, Ben Davies and Cameron Carter-Vickers. Winks went on to start in the Champions League final against Liverpool, meaning the youth academy has been excelling under Pochettino.

Pochettino went out and signed a play for the first time in a year and a half, picking up 22-year-old Tanguy Ndombele on Tuesday from OL Lyon in France. The French midfielder has first team experience against the top French sides, including playing time in the Champions League as well. He has six international caps for the French National Team.

Ndombele is a dynamic box-to-box midfielder who can play centrally or defensively in terms of positioning. He holds possession well with his body, and can make game-defining key passes in the final third to set up his attackers. He shows promise of well-performed tackling as well, making it tough to find a weakness in his game at just 22 years old. The midfielder made 49 starts for OL Lyon last season, eight of which were Champions League appearances.

According to The Guardian, Spurs paid €62 ($78) million for Ndombele, making him the most expensive transfer in their club history. Before that, Spurs paid Ajax for Davison Sanchez, costing Spurs £42m ($53) million in 2017.  

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW

Tottenham has found a long-term replacement for Moussa Dembele, who moved on to the Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F. Ndombele will be joining a midfield consisting of Moussa Sissoko,29, Eric Dier, 25, Victor Wanyama, 28 and Winks, 23.

Spurs talisman Christian Eriksen still has not signed a new deal and could be out of the team, heading possibly to Real Madrid, according to Bleacher Report.

Ndombele is the fourth French player to join the current Spurs roster and to join the likes of goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, young winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and midfield counterpart Sissoko. Spurs also signed Jack Clarke on Tuesday from FL Championship side Leeds United for a reported £10 ($12) million. He will be loaned back to Leeds for the next season, joining Spurs in the 2020-21 season.

After Liverpool’s Champions League 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspurs, an impressive 750,000 fans turned out for the parade for the team on Sunday. This turnout was immense, as the population of Liverpool is just above 550,000 people.

Fans from all over the world were there to cheer on their team after their sixth UEFA trophy.

The parade on the following day of the final had Liverpool fans in tears. Fans sparked red flares, tossed beer and voices rang loud.

“They’ve fought so hard all the way and deserve a heroes’ welcome,” Liverpool fan Dave Williams said, according to BBC Sport. “The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end at the thought of seeing the cup back in the city where it belongs.”

Jurgen Klopp and his side had their best season domestically, but came up short of the English Premier League Title against new-rivals, Manchester City, who won the league for the second year running. Liverpool had just one loss in the domestic league this season. After City won the league, Liverpool looked continentally for silverware, conquering the best teams all around Europe, beating german powerhouse FC Bayern, Portuguese giants FC Porto and former kings of Europe Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The Reds beat the Spurs 2-0 in Madrid on Saturday after Mohamed Salah’s penalty in the first minute of the game, and Divock Origi scored in the 87 minutes in to put the dagger in Spurs.

The Reds had arguably the best season of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The English PFA Player of the Year came to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Goalkeeper Alisson Becker won the Golden Glove with most clean sheets, and Full-Backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson broke the league record for most combined assists for defenders with 13.

This parade is the first time since the team’s last UEFA trophy win in 2005 led by then-captain Steven Gerrard. This time, captain Jordan Henderson lifted the cup with his team and celebrated wildly after years of struggle to make it back to former Liverpool glory. The Reds made it to the Champions League final last year, but lost to Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo 3-1. This time, the trophy is back at Merseyside.

Last May, Liverpool FC entered the Champions League final for the first time since the 2006/2007 season. On that day, Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1, sending them to the trophy for three years in a row. This year, Liverpool are back in the finals with one goal in mind: Winning the trophy. The team hasn’t won a UEFA trophy since their 2005 win against the Italian powerhouse AC Milan. This year, Liverpool face English counterparts Tottenham Hotspurs, who will be seeking their first ever UEFA trophy, in Madrid for the biggest game of the year in Europe on Saturday.

Liverpool have had their greatest season domestically than ever before, losing just one game all season yet finishing second place behind a flawless Manchester City side, which won the English Premier League for the second year in a row.

Tottenham and Liverpool have already seen each other twice this season in the domestic league, with Liverpool winning both games 2-1. The stats favor Liverpool but Tottenham’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino knows what it takes to frustrate them and their explosive offense. With Liverpool’s narrow front three, Pochettino likes to go with three central defenders, going man-for-man on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. What could hurt Spurs in this is their full-backs and midfielders playing compact in their own half, inviting Liverpool’s infamous pressing.

Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool side are known for their well-coordinated pressing, with full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson supplying crosses from the wings. The pair have combined for 23 assists this season in all competitions, breaking the European record for most assists for defenders.

It’s tough to find a weakness in Liverpool, as their prominent front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino supply goals in the front, they have equal talent in the back. English PFA Player of the Year Virgil van Dijk dominates the central defense, while Goalkeeper Alisson Becker proves to be a commander in his box after winning the golden-glove with the most clean sheets this season. What could hurt Liverpool is their full-backs defending. Robertson and Alexander-Arnold aren’t known for their support in the back, and Spurs’ Wingers Heung Min-Son and Lucas Moura will be looking to break through the lines with their elusive supply in front of net.

English superstar Harry Kane is fit for the Final, after sustaining a continued ankle injury throughout the back-half of the season. Spurs made it to the final without him, and Pochettino has to question whether to play him or not, as Spanish forward Fernando Llorente took his role effectively in his absence. With Kane possibly back, the midfield could shift dramatically as Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Moussa Sissoko would have to miss out in the starting 11. However, Pochettino could keep his side unchanged as it has worked in this tournament so far, beating Manchester City and Ajax FC on their way to the final.

Liverpool have the advantage on paper, but Spurs know their opponents as well as anyone could. Liverpool will be looking to bring home their sixth UEFA trophy to capitalize on what has been an already impressive season.

There was another glorious night at Anfield in the champions league semi-final Tuesday night. Liverpool made one of the greatest comebacks in European history against the Spanish side, FC Barcelona. Liverpool started the second leg of the series down three goals to none. Going into Tuesday night, Liverpool had to score four without Barcelona scoring for any hope of winning the tie. And that’s what they did, finishing on aggregate, 4-3.

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and forward Divock Origi both scored two goals to help their team reach the Champions league final. Manager Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side played some of the most intense soccer they have played, scoring inside the first ten minutes, then two goals in the 55th minute and 57th minute. A quickly taken corner kick from fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 78th minute brought Liverpool to the lead. Origi was on the ready and on the prowl for the winner.

“Unbelievable. I don’t think many people gave us a chance,” Jordan Henderson, Liverpool’s captain told ESPN. “Before the game we knew that it would be difficult but it was still possible, of course. It’s amazing. We knew that at Anfield we could do something special.”

For Barcelona, this result matches another blown lead like last year in the champions league, when they were up 4-1 against AS Roma, before Roma bringing it back and winning deep in stoppage time.

Liverpool’s offense was not the only story of the night, as the defense had to be just as solid as the front, trying to hold Lionel Messi from scoring. PFA player of the year, Virgil van Dijk and his center-half partner, Joel Matip had to shut down Barcelona’s dynamic offense. Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker also had an out of his shoes performance, with multiple saves and keeping Liverpool in the tie.

Klopp’s team, who made it to the champions league final last year, and lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid side, will be looking to redeem themselves from last year. Liverpool will be playing fellow English side, Tottenham Hotspur on June 1st, in Madrid, Spain.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is listed as a doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League home quarter-final against Real Madrid, after the Polish star injured his shoulder during Saturday’s 4-1 victory over his former team, Borussia Dortmund.

Robert Lewandowski A Doubt For Bayern vs Real Madrid

Lewandowski, 28, scored two goals in Saturday’s game — bringing his total tally this season to 38 goals in 40 appearances — but was substituted after 72 minutes of play due to his injury, which was caused by goalkeeper Roman Burki. He returned to training on Tuesday.

Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti said in a pre-game press conference at the Allianz Arena that Lewandowski seemed fine during the training session, though he only practiced for 20 minutes, and will be re-assessed before Wednesday’s quarter-final.

“Robert Lewandowski trained today, just 20 minutes because he had a problem in the last game,” Ancelotti said. “This morning he had a good sensation. We will check definitely tomorrow. If he doesn’t have pain he is going to play; if he does have pain he will not play.”

The Polish forward also suffered an injury scare before the Dortmund game, when he left training early with a sore hamstring.

“We have to wait but this doesn’t change our idea of the game, our strategy and the confidence we have for this game,” Ancelotti added.

The Italian coach also said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would return after missing Bayern’s last three Bundesliga games with a foot injury. However, central defender Mats Hummels will miss Wednesday’s game with an ankle injury.

Lewandowski’s agent Maik Barthel, meanwhile, has suggested Dortmund intentionally targeted the striker in Saturday’s game.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, however, has waived off those allegations and insisted no foul play was committed in the match.

“This is absolute nonsense,” Zorc insisted. “Of course, it was a foul from Burki, but we always tried to keep Robert out of the game in a fair way.”

MARSEILLE, FRANCE – JUNE 30: Robert Lewandowski of Poland controls the ball under pressure of Jose Fonte of Portugal during the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Poland and Portugal at Stade Velodrome on June 30, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Monaco defeated Manchester City at home in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg game with early goals from Kylian Mbappé, Fabinho Tavares, as well as a second-half header from Tiemoué Bakayoko.

Monaco Beats Man City 3-1, Advances to Champions League Quarterfinals

After having lost at City 5-3 in the first leg three weeks ago, Monaco delivered a strong start Wednesday. Mbappé, an 18-year-old French forward scored from close range in the eighth minute to make it 1-0 for his 11th goal in as many games.

Brazilian midfielder Fabinho doubled the lead in the 29th with a sharp shot from near the penalty spot.

In the first-leg game, City had rallied from 3-2 down with three goals in the final 20 minutes, and manager Pep Guardiola’s team was seeking another comeback in Monaco.

Despite Wednesday’s loss, City improved significantly in the second half, with 21-year-old German midfielder Leroy Sané scoring in the 71st minute. Sané scored after City’s top scorer, Argentine Sergio Aguero, had missed several good chances.

The German youngster fired a shot into the top of the net after goalie Danijel Subasic’s save from Raheem Sterling’s low shot fell right into his path.

Bakayoko, a 22-year-old French midfielder, provided Monaco with the magic goal, his first-ever Champions League score, by knocking the ball in with a header off a free-kick from Thomas Lemar in the 77th minute.

Though the aggregate of the two legs is 6-6, Monaco advances to the Champions League quarterfinals on the away goals rule.

In the night’s other game, Atletico Madrid also progressed to the quarterfinals, tying 0-0 at home to Bayer Leverkusen to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Sergi Roberto proved to be the unlikely hero for Barcelona on Wednesday after he scored the winning goal in stoppage time of his team’s 6-1 home victory over Paris St. Germain.

Barcelona Beats PSG 6-5 On Aggregate to Reach Champions League Quarter-finals

Barcelona made Champions League history with the win by becoming the first club overturn a 4-0 deficit in the first leg of the tournament’s Round of 16.

Following their 6-5 aggregate victory, the Catalan club will advance to the Champions League quarter-finals for the 10th straight season.

After Roberto’s goal in the 95th minute— his first of the season— his teammates rushed to celebrate with the 25-year-old Spaniard, who had scored on a cross by kicking the ball in before it even hit the ground, while Lionel Messi ran toward the fans. When he reached the edge of the field at Camp Nou, the Argentine jumped atop an advertising board and held his arms up high. Messi stayed there for a few seconds, then dropped to be embraced by his adoring fans.

Chants of “Si se puede, si se puede!”  (“Yes we can, yes we can!”) filled the Camp Nou.

Three weeks earlier, on Feb. 14, Barcelona had suffered a crushing 4-0 loss to the same opponents in Paris. A few days later, Barca’s manager Luis Enrique confirmed he would leave at the end of the season, stating the job had left him “exhausted.” Now, the team gave their home crowd of 96,000 a reason to celebrate.

Barcelona has been a European soccer powerhouse for the last 10 years. It boasts four Champions League titles— 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015— and has reached the semifinals of the tournament for the past seven years.

Nevertheless, their roster is aging. Several greats have left, including Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol, while others are nearing the final years of their careers. Luis Suarez is 30 and Messi will reach that age in June. Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique are past the 30 mark.

The Catalans were up 3-1 (down 5-3 on aggregate) in the 88th minute but scored three goals in the final seven minutes, including two from Neymar (one free-kick and one penalty).

Suarez opened scoring with a header just three minutes into the game, and then PSG’s French defender Layvin Kurzawa scored an own goal in the 40th to give Barca a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Five minutes after the break, Neymar fell over Thomas Meunier in the box and Messi scored the penalty to make it 3-0.

Edinson Cavani scored PSG’s lone goal in the 62nd minute, but then Neymar and substitute Roberto provided the big moments for Barcelona in the end.

There were many different ways to describe the grand comeback victory, and several members of Barcelona’s squad weighed in on the moment.

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic called it the team’s “Super Bowl” moment, with Neymar acting as Barca’s Tom Brady. Enrique described the game “Like a film. A horror film, not a thriller.” Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, abandoned his post and trotted up the field to join the celebration.

Clearly, it all felt like a dream that had not yet fully sunk in for Barcelona.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 08: Sergi Roberto of Barcelona scores their sixth goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou on March 8, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

British Telecommunications (BT) has denied charging customers the entirety of a bill to cover for a £1.2 billion ($1.47 billion) Champions League soccer rights deal after securing the contract in the wake of giant price hikes for its broadband and phone services.

British Telecom Giant BT Denies Charging Customers Extra

The telecom giant has paid the hefty sum to beat out Sky Sports and renew exclusive broadcast rights for Champions League and Europa League football. The contract, which runs from 2018 to 2021, represents a 32 percent increase with respect to its current three-year deal.

This rights victory comes after the company sparked anger from its customer base due to its third price increase in 18 months at the start of the year. In January, BT announced it was going to raise the price of broadband and calls. It also announced that BT Sport will no longer be given away free to its BT TV customers and that it would begin charging them £3.50 ($4.28) a month for the service from August. Both of these price increases will affect around 10 million customers beginning April 2, equaling increases of about 5 percent to 6 percent.

John Petter, the chief executive of BT’s consumer division, denied customers were being charged in order to finance the firm’s competition against Sky for premium sports rights.

“I don’t think that is true,” said Petter. “The broadband market is very competitive. Our share of the broadband market has been growing and customers vote with their feet [if they are unhappy]. The fact that the market is competitive means our offering has to represent good value for money. Line rental has not increased, for example. I don’t think people should read that this [deal] translates to price increases.”

The new contract signifies BT’s costs for Champions League and Europa League per season will increase from £299 million ($366 million) to £394 million ($482 million), as rampant inflation in premium sports rights persistently continues.

Before BT Sport joined the market two years ago, Sky and ITV had shared Champions League rights in a deal worth £400 million ($490 million) over three years.

Petter said BT was aiming to take that deal from Sky, although “not at any price.”

“We were keen to keep a balance and be financially disciplined,” he said. “We have to give customers value for money, as well as shareholders, and we have to keep in balance. This deal creates a lot of extra value for customers.”

Ratings for Champions League games have dropped in recent years, a fact noted by Sky when it lost the rights to BT at the 2013 auction.

“That may be true of other channels but it is not true of us,” said Petter. “We are up 5%.”

BT has promised wider viewing access to the Champions League, with clips and highlights to be made available free on social media, as well as making screenings of both finals free-to-view. Last season, BT streamed both finals on YouTube.

The deal means ITV will no longer be able to broadcast Champions League highlights after matches have finished on BT.

Petter emphasized that BT is now “truly exclusive,” and added that social media viewership has increased substantially in recent months and years.

BT is also considering sub-licensing contracts with free-to-air partners like Channel 4 and ITV, after competition sponsors expressed concerns to UEFA— the Champions League’s governing body— over the lack of exposure under the current deal.

Nevertheless, Petter stressed that UEFA was in no way pressuring BT to secure a free-to-air TV deal.

MADRID, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 15: Karim Benzema of Real Madrid controls the ball from Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Real Madrid CF and SSC Napoli at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 15, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)