Sports
Champions League Draw: Real Madrid, Man City Set For Epic Showdown (FULL LIST)
The draw for the Champions League knockout phase has set the stage for a blockbuster encounter between reigning champions, Real Madrid and 2023 winners, Manchester City.
This marks the fourth consecutive year the two European giants will meet in a knockout tie, with Real Madrid emerging victorious in last season’s quarter-finals following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
City, who finished 22nd in the league phase under the new competition format, will host the first leg at the Etihad Stadium before traveling to Spain for the return leg.
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In other notable matchups, Celtic will face Bayern Munich, with the Scottish champions reaching the knockout round for the first time in 12 years.
Paris Saint-Germain will take on Brest in an all-French clash, while Juventus will meet PSV Eindhoven. Feyenoord will square off against AC Milan in a tie between two former European champions.
Atalanta, who won the Europa League last season, will face Belgium’s Club Brugge, while Sporting CP will take on Borussia Dortmund.
Monaco will have a chance to avenge their earlier league-phase defeat against Benfica in a thrilling rematch.
The play-off round will take place in February, with the winners progressing to the last 16 of the competition.
The eight highest-placed teams from the league phase are already guaranteed a spot in the last 16, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.
Here’s the full list of Champions League play-off and round of 16 matchups:
Play-Off Round Draw:
Brest (FRA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Club Brugge (BEL) v Atalanta (ITA)
Manchester City (ENG) v Real Madrid (ESP)
Juventus (ITA) v PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Monaco (FRA) v Benfica (POR)
Sporting CP (POR) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Celtic (SCO) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Feyenoord (NED) v AC Milan (ITA)
First Legs: February 11/12
Second Legs: February 18/19
The draw for the last 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals will take place on February 21, with the teams already pre-assigned to their potential opponents in a pre-determined bracket.
Bayern Munich is set to display a massive depiction of Franz Beckenbauer’s iconic No.5 jersey on the roof of the Allianz Arena in honor of the late club legend.
The club confirmed the tribute in a statement on Tuesday, ahead of their Champions League last-16 clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 15-meter by 10-meter jersey will serve as a permanent tribute to Beckenbauer, who passed away in January 2024.
Bayern had previously retired his No.5 shirt—the first such gesture in the club’s history.
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“We are delighted to pay tribute to Franz Beckenbauer in this way in the Allianz Arena,” said club president Herbert Hainer.
Beckenbauer is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players. During his time at Bayern, he won three European Cups and four German championships, as well as two Ballon d’Or titles.
He also led West Germany to World Cup glory as captain in 1974 before guiding the team to another triumph as coach in 1990.
Beyond his contributions on the pitch, Beckenbauer played a key role in the development of the Allianz Arena, which became Bayern’s home in 2005.
As part of ongoing tributes to his legacy, the Munich City Council officially renamed the street leading to the stadium Franz Beckenbauer Platz as of January 1, 2025, with the arena’s official address now listed as No.5.
Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign highly rated Brazilian full-back Denner Evangelista from Corinthians in a deal worth €10 million, plus €4 million in add-ons.
The 17-year-old defender is set to join the Premier League club in 2026 and will sign a contract running until 2032.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the move on Sunday via X, stating: “Denner Evangelista to Chelsea, here we go! Deal agreed for the 17-year-old full-back to join Chelsea from Corinthians for €10m plus €4m in add-ons, with taxes covered.”
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All necessary paperwork has reportedly been finalized, and Evangelista is expected to sign his contract soon.
His transfer aligns with Chelsea’s recent strategy of investing in young South American talents, following a series of similar acquisitions in recent years.
The teenager’s arrival in 2026 is expected to bolster Chelsea’s defensive options as the club continues its long-term squad planning.
“Contract until 2032 to be signed soon, as he will join Chelsea in 2026,” Romano added
Evangelista is regarded as one of Brazil’s brightest young prospects, and his move to Stamford Bridge signals Chelsea’s commitment to securing emerging talent for the future.
Slight adjustments have been made to the programs leading up to the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) with the deadline for registration extended from February 28 to March 7.
Biztellers reports that this was part of Tuesday morning’s daily briefing to members of the Technical Committee and States Liaison Committees by the Co-Chairman of the Technical Committee, Enefiok Udo-Obong.
He attributed the extension to a surge in requests from states that have been affected by the zonal qualifiers of the National Sports Festival (NSF).
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“Dear Gentlemen and ladies, due to the request of a lot of States and the participation of States at the zonal eliminations for NSF, we have decided to make some changes to our calendar.
“Registration would now be extended by a week and would close on the 7th March 2025”, Udo-Obong stated.
The shift has in turn meant that the dates for the Local Government and Constituency trials would also be adjusted.
Udo-Obong informed State Liaison Committee members that they would be provided names of registered persons in their state and the Sports entered for on March 9, 2025.
“Consequently, all Federal Constituency/LG trials would take place between the March11-15 2025”, he added.
However, it was gathered that the adjustments would not affect the festival schedule, assuring that “We are still within our schedule to start the trials and open the festival on April 1, 2025”.
The NDSF is the first Sports related intervention project of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and it coincides with the commission’s 25th anniversary with the theme, “Beyond Oil, Harnessing Talents”.
Over 3000 athletes competing for medals in 17 sports are expected from the nine NDDC mandate states.
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February 19, 2025 at 12:51 am
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