Barcelona head to Manchester United on Wednesday to face the Red Devils for the first time in the Champions League since they won the 2011 final.
The omens are positive for the Catalans given their record in knockout ties in which the first leg is away, although Lionel Messi will be hoping to improve on a surprisingly poor recent quarter-final run.
Ajax host Juventus on the same day and the Dutch side will have plenty of reason to fear Cristiano Ronaldo, as they prepare for a first meeting with the Old Lady since September 2004.
Here is the pick of Opta s pre-game numbers as the Champions League starts to get very interesting
Manchester United v Barcelona
17 This is Barcelona s 17th Champions League quarter-final appearance, a joint-re…
Verdict: Manchester City win
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The Premier League returns this weekend after the midweek Carabao Cup fixtures as England s top teams return their gaze to the world s most competitive league. With so much competition between each side, every game has become a must-win match, and Manchester City s trip to play West Brom is no different.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are looking to push on this season after a number of solid campaigns has seen them remain in mid-table anonymity. Tony Pulis men are lauded for their powerful defence, but this season they have been undone on a number of occasions at the back. 10 goals conceded in nine games may look fairly good, but West Brom are usually even better than that at the back. Going forward…
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain to win 2-0
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Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United will lock horns with each other in the Champions League this week. The Group H match at the Parc des Princes in Paris is slated to kick off at 8pm UK time on Tuesday evening.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to make a positive start to their 2020-21 Champions League campaign when they take on Manchester United at home on Tuesday evening. The French giants reached the final of Europe’s premier club competition last season, but they lost arguably the biggest game in their history to Bayern Munich.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will be looking to go again, and given their (relative) success last season, the Parisian club w…
Manchester United star Paul Pogba said the Red Devils are ready for their top-of-the-table clash against Liverpool after leapfrogging the defending champions atop the Premier League.
United top the Premier League table at this stage of the season for the first time since Alex Ferguson s final season in charge in 2012-13 following Tuesday s 1-0 victory at Burnley.
Pogba was the hero – his volley 19 minutes from the end sending United three points clear of rivals Liverpool ahead of Sunday s blockbuster showdown at Anfield.
It will be a beautiful game for everyone, Pogba told BBC Sport, with five of his past seven Premier League goals coming away from home.
It s a big game coming up so let s get ready for it.
All the action from Tuesday s batt…
Andreas Christensen warned Barcelona must be wary of the dangerous Marcus Rashford, hailing Erik ten Hag s work at Manchester United.
Barca host United in the first leg of the Europa League on Thursday as the two European heavyweights battle for a place in the last 16.
Ten Hag s side have won 12 out of 15 games across all competitions since the World Cup break, with a resurgent United inspired by Rashford s superb form.
The 25-year-old has scored 13 times for United since the season restarted and Christensen expects a tough test from the forward at Camp Nou.
He is in great form at the moment. I like him a lot, I love the way he plays. He is a direct, dangerous, and powerful player, Christensen said in a video posted by Barca s social media channels.
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Timothy Fosu-Mensah has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Manchester United on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
The versatile 23-year-old has moved to the Bundesliga side for a fee in the region of €2million (£1.8m).
Leverkusen sporting director described their new signing as a technically adept, fast and physically strong defender, who can be used both as a right-back and in the middle .
Fosu-Mensah, who has three senior caps for the Netherlands, said: In the past few days, I ve talked a lot with the coach [Peter Bosz], and conversations with Simon Rolfes and Rudi Voller have convinced me there are big prospects at Leverkusen, both for me personally and the team.
It s going to be really exciting.
Forever in my heart GGMU
— Timothy fosu-…
Swansea have signed striker Jerry Yates from Blackpool for an undisclosed fee, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.
The 26-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the option of a further 12 months with the Welsh club.
He becomes the Swans’ third addition of the summer transfer window following the signings of Josh Ginnelly and Josh Key.
Yates came through the youth ranks at hometown Doncaster before moving to Rotherham and then joining the Seasiders in 2020 after loan spells with Harrogate Railway, Harrogate Town, Carlisle and Swindon.
He has scored 76 goals in 262 career appearances including 15 last season, but was unable to prevent Blackpool’s relegation to League One.
Meanwhile, fellow forward Kyle Joseph has moved in the o…
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has withdrawn from the Germany squad for their upcoming fixtures because of an adductor injury.
The 31-year-old linked up with his national side on Monday for the World Cup qualifiers with Iceland, Romania and North Macedonia.
However, Germany confirmed on Tuesday that Kroos has returned to Madrid as a precautionary measure and will play no part in any of their games over the next eight days.
Our medical department has examined and treated Toni intensively, said head coach Joachim Low, who will step down from his position at the end of the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.
He would have liked to stay with us, and I am reluctant to be without him. But with a view to the Euros, we decided that the full recovery from this…
Gary Lineker has outlined his hope Gareth Southgate remains with England, comparing their lack of World Cup success to Manchester City s failure to win the Champions League.
Southgate is considering his future after overseeing England s quarter-final exit against France, in which Harry Kane scored one penalty and missed another.
The Three Lions manager masterminded runs to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the final of Euro 2020, but he has attracted criticism for failing to end the team s 56-year trophy drought.
However, former England striker Lineker believes Southgate s achievements mean he deserves the opportunity to make his own decision on his future.
I do hope Gareth stays. I think it s right that the decision is down to him, Lineker told BBC Sp…
Manuel Lanzini s last-gasp stunner sealed a remarkable comeback from West Ham to earn a 3-3 draw against Tottenham in a thrilling London derby on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho s men were in complete control from the moment Son Heung-min opened the scoring inside a minute, with Harry Kane s quickfire double seemingly confirming the victory after only 16 minutes.
However, Fabian Balbuena s header and a Davinson Sanchez own goal set up a nervy finish, and Lanzini s incredible strike secured a point for the visitors at the death, putting a huge dampener on Gareth Bale s Spurs return.
Back in the dugout for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus in late September, West Ham boss David Moyes would have hoped to see his team build on the two convincing Premi…