Leverkusen Sign Villa’s Buendia On Loan

Emiliano Buendia has been signed on a six-month loan by Bayern Leverkusen from Aston Villa, according to the German champion’s announcement on Wednesday.

With Amine Adli and Martin Terrier out injured, along with striker Victor Boniface, who is reportedly set to leave in this transfer window, the German champions made the decision to strengthen their squad.

The 28-year-old left Villa Park just days after agreeing to a 12-month extension with the Premier League outfit.

After moving from Norwich in 2021, he made ten goals in 97 appearances for Villa.

Fire Erupts Outside Man City Stadium Before Champions League Clash

Just before Wednesday’s crucial Champions League game against Club Brugge, a merchandise stand caught fire, leading to a fire that erupted outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

Around 30 minutes later, the fire started just before 1800 GMT near the Pep Guardiola’s side’s scheduled entrance to the stadium.

A pre-match entertainment show with on-stage interviews with City’s new signings Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov was attended by hundreds of fans outside the Etihad.

Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama, both women singers, were on stage at the time the fire, when the show had already started.

Before fire services arrived on the scene, the event was postponed due to the stand’s engulfing flames, which caused stewards to escort fans away.

A fire engine was immediately on the scene and stewards and security staff quickly ushered the area away.

On January 29, 2025, before Manchester City and Club Brugge play in the UEFA Champions League football game, flames engulf a merchandise stall outside the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Soon after the fire broke out, it appeared to be controlled, and the stadium was declared open to the public.

Three entrance gates remained open in the burned-out area close to the fire’s location.

The remainder of the pre-match show was cancelled, but the match was due to go ahead as scheduled at 2000 GMT.

To advance to the Champions League play-off round, Premier League champions City must defeat Brugge in their final game of the season.

Santos President Tells Neymar It’s ‘Time To Come Home’

In a video that was made available on social media on Tuesday, Santanos’ president stated that it was “time for him to return to (his) people.”

Marcelo Teixeira, the club president, took the message to Neymar on Instagram, but he did not legally confirm the 32-year-old’s return to the club where he first broke through in 2009, which was not immediately available.

“The time has come, Neymar. You now have a chance to reclaim your country. To your home, to our beloved club”, said Teixeira.

“Welcome back, Ney boy! … Wear the sacred jersey and experience happiness once more. You will be welcomed with open arms by the Santos people.

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Neymar’s contract with Saudi side Al Hilal was terminated by mutual consent on Monday, bringing to an end an injury-plagued 18-month stint in Riyadh.

After joining Al Hilal in August 2023, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player made a rumored annual salary of around $104 million. He only played seven games for the club.

Neymar made 225 starts for the Brazilian Serie A side after graduating from the Santos academy, scoring 136 goals.

He made his debut for Barcelona in 2013, and he became a member of a star-studded squad that included Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who won the Champions League two years later.

In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain prised him away from Barca with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, two ahead of fellow ex-Santos player Pele.

Arteta Delighted As Arsenal Win Appeal Over Lewis-Skelly Red Rard

Arsenal have successfully appealed against the red card shown to Myles Lewis-Skelly in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Wolves, meaning the 18-year-old escapes a three-match ban.

At Molineux in the first half, Wolves broke clear from an Arsenal corner after tripping Matt Doherty.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was shocked when the VAR did not ask the referee to review the incident.

Before Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Girona, Arteta stated in a press conference on Tuesday that “I’m obviously really happy that the decision has been made and that Myles will be available for us.”

One of the outspoken critics of the red card, former England captain Alan Shearer, referred to it as “one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time.”

The Football Association stated in a statement that a “self-empowered regulatory commission removed Myles Lewis-Skelly’s three-match suspension and upheld a claim of wrongful dismissal.”

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Lewis-Skelly, who has impressed in his breakthrough season with the Gunners ‘ first team, is now free to face Manchester City and Leicester in the Premier League, either side of the second leg of Arsenal’s League Cup semi-final against Newcastle.

Arsenal were nearly half-time a man down before Wolves’ Joao Gomes was also sent off, but they still managed to hold on to stay six points clear of Liverpool in the Premier League with a late strike.

After the match, Oliver faced threats and abuse on social media, which were investigated by police.

“We have to try hard to eradicate (abuse) from the game”, said Arteta.

“It certainly damages our sport, so let’s get it out”.

On Wednesday, Arsenal will face Girona, who has already been eliminated, to earn a direct spot in the Champions League last 16.

Third in the table, Arteta’s side are highly unlikely to miss out on a top eight spot.

Arsenal has never won the Champions League, and the last major trophy they won was in 2020, the FA Cup, won.

“We have been very close to big titles in the last few years but that’s very difficult in football”, added Arteta.

“Tomorrow we must earn our qualification”.

PSG Embrace The Pressure Ahead Of ‘Explosive’ Stuttgart UCL Clash

Luis Enrique issued a call to his team on Tuesday to accept the pressure in Wednesday’s final Champions League group match in Stuttgart.

In the event that PSG loses in Germany on Wednesday, they could fail to reach the knockout stages.

The 2015 Champions League-winning coach admitted his side, who sit 22nd in the 36-team table after losing three of their seven games so far, had struggled.

“We deserved to win, but we were not clinical enough in front of the goal,” Luis Enrique told reporters. “I think we have been superior to almost all the teams we have played.

I’m ready to compete because I’m just as calm before any Champions League game, which implies that I’m not calm at all.

” Is there pressure? Yes of course, that means we’re in the right place. “

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Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness refrained from calling PSG “one of the top five teams in Europe” when it was suggested that the French league leaders, who have lost players like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar in recent years, lacked the star power of the days.

” It’s a team full of stars — an unbelievably good team, “Hoeness said.

” They’ve shown that in the (French) league, even if they may not have collected the points in the Champions League that they would have wanted.

“There’s a huge challenge for us, a big game. Tomorrow, the stadium will explode due to the city’s pumping.

Emery Urges Aston Villa To Finish The Job In Champions League

As Aston Villa prepares for their final game of the league against Celtic on Wednesday, United Emery has vowed to help the club complete the task and earn direct qualification for the Champions League last 16.

If they win and other factors are taken into account, with all 36 teams simultaneously in action, the former European champions could move up to the top eight.

That would mean the Birmingham-based club, back in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since the 1982/83 season, would skip the two-legged play-off round next month.

Villa lost to Monaco last week, but Emery wants his side to take on the Scottish champions, who are already guaranteed a spot in the play-offs, on a “special night” at Villa Park.

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“I want to be in the top eight and we have the opportunity, which is fantastic,” the Villa manager said on Tuesday. “Last week I was a little pessimistic. With 13 points (from seven games), we are incredibly successful overall.

In order for us to win, many other teams must win tomorrow, not just us. ”

Due to Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings’ injuries, Villa are without a fit centre-back, while Fenerbahce sold Diego Carlos last week.

Mings’ injury in Sunday’s draw against West Ham raised concerns that he might have sustained a serious knee injury, but his prognosis is encouraging despite his likely fitness against Celtic.

Although it’s not a major injury, Emery said that how he feels better or worse each day will depend greatly on how much of that is determined.

We will train this afternoon, I’ll check on him, and of course, there will be a day off. ”