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The Champions League knockout stage is here, and things are about to get intense. After months of group-stage battles, teams now enter the do-or-die phase.

The revamped format means clubs finishing ninth to 24th in the group phase must battle in a knockout play-off. The winners face the top eight teams, who got a direct pass to the last 16.

This week and next, the teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in two-legged play-offs to determine which eight teams progress as unseeded sides for the last 16. Their opponents will be drawn from the top eight finishers, setting up high-stakes encounters.

Each play-off pairing has been set, meaning teams ranked ninth and tenth could face those finishing 23rd or 24th, while those in 11th and 12th take on teams placed 21st or 22nd, and so on. The knockout format means anything can happen, adding to the excitement.

Betting on the event is also picking up, with promotions like 1xbet promo code attracting new fans to the competition. As excitement grows, more people are tuning in to watch the high-stakes action unfold.

Who Will Face Who? Nobody Knows Yet

The Champions League has always been unpredictable, but this season takes it to another level. Even after winning their play-off, teams won’t know their next opponent until February 21. UEFA has added another draw, keeping clubs and fans guessing.

Teams like Liverpool and Barcelona, who finished in the top two spots, are watching closely. They know they’ll face one of Monaco, Benfica, PSG, or Brest, but they don’t know exactly who. It’s a waiting game that only adds to the drama.

Big Teams to Watch

Some clubs have looked unstoppable so far. Arsenal has been rock solid at the back, conceding just once against Inter Milan. Captain Martin Ødegaard has been running the show in midfield, creating chances and scoring goals.

Under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid is always tough. They fight until the final whistle, like in their win over Leverkusen, where they scored a last-minute goal to qualify. Antoine Griezmann is their main man, controlling the attack and scoring key goals.

Barcelona had a rough start, losing to Monaco, but bounced back in style. They beat Bayern and Dortmund and put nine past Benfica in a crazy game. Teen sensation Lamine Yamal is stealing the spotlight, proving why many see him as football’s next big thing.

Inter Milan has been a defensive machine, letting in just one goal in eight games. They play attacking football, too, with Lautaro Martínez leading the line. He was Serie A’s top scorer last season and is one of Europe’s deadliest forwards.

High-Stakes Matches

Every Champions League knockout game is a chess match. Coaches adjust their tactics based on their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Some teams play possession-based football, while others rely on quick counter-attacks.

Real Madrid’s 3-2 win over Man City showed how fine the margins can be. A moment of magic or a defensive mistake can change everything. Dortmund’s 3-0 win over Sporting Lisbon highlighted how important a well-drilled defense can be.

Bayern and PSG are also in the mix, aiming for European glory. Bayern has been a powerhouse in the Champions League for years. PSG, led by Kylian Mbappé, is desperate to win their first title finally.

Summary

The trial of Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso wrapped up Friday, with a verdict expected in several weeks.

Rubiales is accused of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso in 2023 following Spain’s triumph at the women’s World Cup in Australia, as well as coercion for allegedly trying to convince the player to downplay the incident afterwards.

The global outcry over the kiss forced Rubiales to resign in disgrace and thrust the spotlight on the prevalence of macho culture and sexism in sport.

READ ALSO: Rubiales Says He Is ‘Totally Sure’ Hermoso Consented To Kiss

Hermoso, 34, says she did not consent to the kiss while Rubiales, 47, denies wrongdoing and argues it was consensual.

“With this, believe it or not, we are done,” judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto told the court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid after Rubiales and the three other accused declined their right to make a final statement.

Prosecutors are seeking two-and-a-half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault and 18 months for the coercion of Hermoso.

Among the accused alongside Rubiales are ex-women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials.

They also stand accused of trying to coerce Hermoso with prosecutors seeking 18 months’ jail for them.

– ‘Made a mistake’ –

Video footage of the scandal that rocked Spanish football shows Rubiales clasping Hermoso’s head at the World Cup medal ceremony and kissing her on the lips before letting her go with two slaps on the back.

Hermoso told the opening day of the trial she felt “disrespected” after a non-consensual kiss that “should not happen in any social or work setting”.

Her teammates have described under oath how she cried and felt “overwhelmed” following the incident, while her brother Rafael Hermoso has said she came under pressure to downplay the affair to protect the federation chief.

Rubiales told the court on Tuesday he was “totally sure” Hermoso consented to the kiss which was broadcast live around the world, and denied he had put pressure on her after the incident.

“She squeezed me very tightly under my armpits, she lifted me, and when I came down I asked her if I can give you a kiss, and she said ‘OK’, that’s what happened,” he said, describing the kiss as “an act of affection”.

Rubiales conceded he “made a mistake” on the podium and his behaviour “was not appropriate”, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been committed.

While his behaviour was “inappropriate” it was not “criminal”, his lawyer Ogla Tabau said during her closing arguments, calling the kiss an “expression of uncontrollable joy”.

Video images of Hermoso celebrating and drinking champagne with her teammates in the changing room shortly after the incident prove the player was not upset by the kiss, she added.

– ‘Entitled to celebrate’ –

Public prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil rejected this argument on Wednesday during her closing arguments in which she also said there is “no doubt” the kiss was “non-consensual”.

“How long are we going to keep demanding heroic behaviour from the victim of a sexual assault? Wasn’t she entitled to celebrate such a sporting triumph?” she asked.

Rubiales’ stance on the stand contrasted with the defiance he displayed when the scandal broke.

During an emergency federation meeting in August 2023, he minimised the importance of the kiss and defied calls for his resignation, railing against “false feminism”.

Rubiales resigned in September that year after FIFA suspended him and Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into alleged sexual assault. He had been federation chief since 2018.

Arne Slot could still be in the dugout for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Wolves this weekend despite apparently receiving a two-match touchline ban for his red card at the end of a fiery Merseyside derby.

Liverpool were on course to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points at Everton on Wednesday but James Tarkowski struck a stunning volley to level in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s wild celebrations in front of the away fans sparked a furious reaction, with Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones confronting Doucoure, leading to the dismissal of both men.

READ ALSO: Liverpool Held 2-2 By Everton In Last Merseyside Derby At Goodison Park

With some supporters on the pitch, stewards and police became involved before Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also sent off by referee Michael Oliver.

The Premier League said on its website earlier Thursday that Slot had been punished.

“Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was dismissed at the end of the Merseyside derby for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language,” it said in a statement

“He is handed a two-match touchline ban as a result.”

But that statement was subsequently deleted.

It is understood the Football Association needs to review Oliver’s report before making a decision on what action to take, if any, and a decision may not come before Sunday’s match at Anfield.

Slot served a one-match touchline ban earlier this season after picking up three yellow cards.

Doucoure and Jones will both serve one-match bans.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said he was keen to move on quickly from the frustration of conceding a late equaliser at Goodison Park.

“That hurt and should hurt for each one of us but it is the reality,” said the Dutch international.

“You have two things you can do — you can dwell on it and stay angry about it or you can take it on board, start the recovery and be ready for Wolves because that will be a difficult test again and I think that’s the best thing to do.”

Wednesday’s draw in the final derby at Goodison, ahead of Everton’s move to a new ground, left Liverpool seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with 14 games remaining.

Nigeria’s under-20 football team, the Flying Eagles, has been drawn to face Egypt, South Africa and Morocco in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Nigerian team was drawn with the two North African teams and South Africa in the Group B which is considered as the ‘group of death’, containing three former champions.

The draw for the tournament which will hold between April 26 and May 11, was conducted on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.

READ ALSO: Maresca Confirms Jorgensen Is Chelsea’s First Choice Goalkeeper

Two years ago, when the tournament was hosted by Egypt, Nigeria finished third place.

In Group A, the host Côte d’Ivoire will clash with DR Congo, Ghana and Tanzania, while Senegal, Zambia, Kenya and Sierra Leone will slug it out in Group C.

Take a look at the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2025 three groups!

Can’t wait for it. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/kAC9m1sHNo

Enzo Maresca confirmed Thursday that Filip Jorgensen has replaced Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s number one goalkeeper as he seeks to recover momentum in the Premier League.

Spain international Sanchez, 27, has made a string of costly errors this season, including in last month’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.

Denmark under-21 goalkeeper Jorgensen was picked to start in the 2-1 league win against West Ham earlier this month but Sanchez was back in goal for last week’s FA Cup defeat at Brighton.

Maresca, whose team face Brighton again on Friday, confirmed at his pre-match press conference that Jorgensen, 22, is currently his first choice.

The Italian said his aim had been to give Sanchez “some time to recover mentally, physically”.

READ ALSO: Liverpool Held 2-2 By Everton In Last Merseyside Derby At Goodison Park

But he added: “The idea is not to game by game change the keeper. In this moment, the last Premier League game against West Ham that we won was Filip… the FA Cup game was Robert, but our keeper in this moment is Filip.”

Chelsea were just two points behind runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool in mid-December but results have dropped off sharply.

Maresca, though, believes his fourth-placed side, still on course for Champions League qualification, have made significant strides in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

“I don’t think what we have done can be cancelled or can be no good, because what we have done is there,” he said.

“Unfortunately we are out of both domestic cups but our journey in the Premier League has been fantastic until today, in the Conference (League) has been fantastic until today and we’re going to try to finish in the best way we can.”

He added: “I said already many times, don’t forget that in the last two years, Chelsea has never been top four and this year we spent almost our (whole) season in the top four.

“This shows you and everyone that we are in the right direction. Now we’re going to try our best to finish and to bring this club where this club belongs to be, in the Champions League.”