Category: News

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Highlights of the Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Heidenheim.

Defending champions Manchester City have been grouped with Juventus for next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, while Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Flamengo.

City will also play UAE side Al Ain, and face Moroccan team Wydad AC in their Group G opener.

Chelsea will come up against Esperance Sportive de Tunis in Group D in addition to Rio-based Flamengo and will open their Club World Cup campaign against Mexican side Club Leon.

The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the United States next summer, has been championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino – but is the subject of two legal challenges in Europe, which both involve players’ union FIFPRO.

City and Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of FIFA’s complicated regional constraints.

Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would go into opposite sides of the draw and would then not meet until the final.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will open the tournament with a Group A clash against Egyptian club Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on June 15. Palmeiras and Porto are the other teams that make up Group A.

The draw for next year’s tournament took place in Miami and was conducted by Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero.

The innovative new FIFA Club World Cup Trophy, designed by FIFA and crafted in collaboration with global luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co, was unveiled for the first time by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former Brazil striker Ronaldo ahead of the draw.

Club World Cup draw in full

Group A: Palmeiras (Brz), Porto (Por), Al Ahly (Egy), Inter Miami (USA)

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Atletico Madrid (Esp), Botafogo (Brz), Seattle Sounders (USA)

Group C: Bayern Munich (Ger), Benfica (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Auckland City (Nzl)

Group D: Flamengo (Brz), Chelsea (Eng), Club Leon (Mex), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tun)

Group E: River Plate (Arg), Inter Milan (Ita), CF Monterrey (Mex), Urawa Red Diamonds (Jpn)

Group F: Fluminense (Brz), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), Ulsan HD (Kor), Mamelodi Sundowns (Rsa)

Group G: Man City (Eng), Juventus (Ita), Wydad AC (Mor), Al Ain (UAE)

Group H: Real Madrid (Esp), FC Salzburg (Aut), Al Hilal (Rsa), CF Pachuca (Mex)

Trump: Soccer is going through the roof

The audience at the FIFA Club World Cup draw in Miami watched a pre-recorded video message from US president-elect Donald Trump in which he said soccer is going “through the roof.”

Ivanka Trump, her husband, Jared Kushner, and their son, Theo, were among those at the event to draw groups for the expanded 32-team tournament that will be played in the United States next year.

Trump complimented FIFA president Infantino in his address.

He said: “I will try and be there if I can, I would. We’ll see what happens. But I just want to say you’re led by a man named Gianni. I just know him as Gianni and he’s a winner and he’s the president, and I’m the president.

“We’ve known each other a long time, and I’m so honoured to have this kind of a relationship because soccer is going through the roof. As everybody knows, it’s been doing fantastically well.”

Trump also noted the 2026 men’s World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“I want to say my highest regards in respect to Gianni, and it’s an honour to be with you and we’ll be with you very soon,” Trump said.

“And we’re going to be watching the World Cup, very importantly, also very soon. And I was very responsible, along with Gianni in getting it. And it’s going to be a fantastic thing.”

When is the 2025 Club World Cup?

The Club World Cup will take place over 29 days in the summer of 2025.

The tournament starts on June 15, with the final taking place on July 13.

Where is the 2025 Club World Cup?

The 2025 Club World Cup takes place in the United States across 12 stadiums:

• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
• TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
• Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
• GEODIS Park (Nashville)
• Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
• Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• Lumen Field (Seattle)
• Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

What’s the format of the Club World Cup?

The tournament format works exactly the same as the FIFA World Cup, only for clubs.

The 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the knockout stage.

The last-16 stage – the first single knockout round – then moves to the quarter-final, semi-final and then final. There is no third-place play-off between the two losing semi-final teams.

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Jamal Musiala scored a late equaliser for Bayern Munich to deny Borussia Dortmund victory after a stunning solo goal from Englishman Jamie Gittens in a 1-1 draw.

The Bundesliga leaders’ unbeaten record was under threat after they fell behind in Der Klassiker at Signal Iduna Park to a fine goal from Gittens.

Bayern’s frustrations were compounded when top scorer Kane limped off before half-time but they fought to the end and Musiala claimed the leveller five minutes from time.

England captain Kane suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury shortly after Gittens had further enhanced his growing reputation by finishing off a swift counter-attack in the 27th minute.

It was the third successive game in which the 20-year-old former Manchester City youngster had scored.

It came after Bayern had started well with Leroy Sane cutting inside to test Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel from a Kane lay-off.

The hosts then suffered a blow when defender Waldemar Anton was forced off injured but they responded superbly to open the scoring.

Gittens burst clear down the left as he raced onto a Nico Schlotterbeck pass and fired emphatically past Manuel Neuer and into the far corner as he cut inside.

Things got immediately worse for Bayern when Kane went down clutching his leg.

The former Tottenham striker was unable to continue and made way for veteran Thomas Muller after 33 minutes.

Muller went close to an equaliser early in the second period after being played in by Musiala but Kobel was equal to his effort.

Play quickly switched to the other end and Gittens again shaped to shoot only for Konrad Laimer to intercept at the vital moment.

Musiala and Sane both missed the target as Bayern tried to hit back but the visitors were grateful to Neuer for a brilliant point-blank block to deny Marcel Sabitzer.

Substitute Kingsley Coman failed to trouble Kobel with a shot but Bayern continued to press and finally broke through five minutes from time.

The equaliser came following a free-kick after Sane was felled on the edge of the area. Sane’s initial strike was blocked by the wall but the ball was worked to substitute Michael Olise.

The former Crystal Palace winger swung in a cross from the right and Musiala met it with a well-placed header Kobel could do little about.

Sane felt he should have had a penalty as time ran down after tangling with Ramy Bensebaini but nothing was given and the honours ended even.

Kane to undergo scans

Kane says he will undergo scans on Sunday after injury forced him off in the first half of Der Klassiker.

The England captain went off in the 33rd minute of the 1-1 draw in what Bayern’s director of sport Max Eberl hopes was a “precautionary measure”.

Kane appeared to be walking normally, then signalled to the Bayern bench and sat down on the pitch where he rubbed the back of his right leg.

He got initial treatment for what looked like a right hamstring injury.

After the game, Kane said: “We’ll have a few scans tomorrow and then we’ll find out what it is.”

Eberl confirmed to Sky Germany after the stalemate that Bayern would know more about any potential injury on Sunday.

“He noticed that there was something in his thigh, but also said it wasn’t too bad,” Eberl said. “The substitution was a precautionary measure, but we can’t say for sure until tomorrow.”

What’s coming up next in the Bundesliga?

The inaugural Swiss-style Champions League format has already proved to be highly unpredictable.

But there are still three rounds of league phase matches to be played and no team’s fate is yet set in stone.

To achieve automatic qualification into the round of 16, teams must find themselves within the top eight of the league phase table.

Those in ninth to 24th enter a round of two-legged play-offs in February, with the winners taking the other eight spots.

Teams that finish anywhere from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from this season’s competition, with no access to the Europa League.

Champions League league phase table in full

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the big hitters are faring in the competition…

Liverpool

Current position: 1st
Remaining fixtures: Girona (a), Lille (h), PSV (a)

Liverpool are not only floating on air in the Premier League and in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, they are outright leaders in the Champions League with a perfect record of five wins from five and just one goal conceded. To see them miss out on a top-eight spot from here seems as though it would be highly unlikely.

Arsenal

Current position: 7th
Remaining fixtures: Monaco (h), Dinamo Zagreb (h), Girona (a)

Arsenal’s defensive record has been impeccable, too, but an opening draw against Atalanta and the 1-0 defeat away at Inter Milan in early November means they sit seventh only on goal difference and are far from assured of finishing in the top eight. However, their final two opponents currently sit 23rd and 30th in the league phase table.

Aston Villa

Current position: 9th
Remaining fixtures: RB Leipzig (a), Monaco (a), Celtic (h)

Aston Villa’s first Champions League campaign in over 40 years has gone swimmingly so far and they even topped the league phase table after three games, having won all three without conceding. Like Arsenal, they sit inside the top 10, but form has dipped at the wrong time and Unai Emery’s side have won just one of their last eight in all competitions.

Man City

Current position: 17th
Remaining fixtures: Juventus (a), Paris Saint-Germain (a), Club Brugge (h)

Are Man City in crisis? It’s the question on everyone’s lips at the moment, given Pep Guardiola’s side have now gone six games without a win in all competitions. The latest came in the Champions League on Tuesday night, when they blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home to Feyenoord. The 2022/23 winners are two points off the top eight at the moment, but have time to claw their way back.

Celtic

Current position: 20th
Remaining fixtures: Dinamo Zagreb (a), Young Boys (h), Aston Villa (a)

Aside from the 7-1 thumping away at Borussia Dortmund in October, Celtic have more than held their own in the Champions League, with a draw against reigning Europa League champions Atalanta and a convincing win at home to RB Leipzig perhaps the most impressive of the bunch. Hopes of at least a top-24 finish are increasing by the week.

Barcelona

Current position: 3rd
Remaining fixtures: Borussia Dortmund (a), Benfica (a), Atalanta (h)

Barcelona are flying in both LaLiga and the Champions League – but what has been most eye-catching is just how many goals they are scoring. In just 19 games across those competitions, they have scored 60 goals (42 in LaLiga, 18 in Champions League), which has naturally put them top of the scoring charts in both. Hansi Flick’s side are simply blowing teams away and, with 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski in such lethal form – he has 22 goals to his name already this term – it is hard to see them slowing down.

Real Madrid

Current position: 24th
Remaining fixtures: Atalanta (a), Red Bull Salzburg (a), Brest (a)

The same cannot be said for Barcelona’s old foes Real Madrid. It has been one of the biggest shocks of this season’s tournament to see last season’s winners lose not once but three times, most recently against Liverpool who are, arguably, the most in-form side in Europe right now. And with Atalanta and Brest both eyeing up a top-eight spot, it could get worse still in the New Year.

Borussia Dortmund

Current position: 4th
Remaining fixtures: Barcelona (h), Bologna (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h)

Borussia Dortmund’s form in the Bundesliga this season has been consistently inconsistent – they have alternated between a win and a defeat in each of their last nine games at the time of writing – but the same cannot be said in the Champions League. Granted, aside from Real Madrid, Nuri Sahin’s side could have faced tougher opposition, but they have asserted their dominance and got the job done each time, which has put them in a great position to finish in the top eight.

Bayern Munich

Current position: 13th
Remaining fixtures: Shakhtar Donetsk (a), Feyenoord (a), Slovan Bratislava (h)

When Bayern Munich’s 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the opening round of fixtures set a new record for the Champions League’s highest-scoring game, it seemed they would cruise through. Defeats away at Aston Villa and Barcelona, however, brought them right back down to Earth. The likelihood of a top-24 spot has since increased with professional 1-0 wins over Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain for the Bundesliga leaders.

Paris Saint-Germain

Current position: 25th
Remaining fixtures: Red Bull Salzburg (a), Man City (h), Stuttgart (a)

While PSG have lost just twice in their last 46 Ligue 1 matches, last season’s Champions League semi-finalists have struggled this term and are perhaps the competition’s biggest underachievers. Only three teams have scored fewer than their tally of three and they have lost three of their last four after beating Girona 1-0 in the opening round of fixtures. They must make the most of matches against fellow strugglers Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart – and also hope for a bit of luck – to have any chance of avoiding early elimination.

When are the 2024/25 Champions League knockout stages?

• Knockout round play-offs: February 11/12 and February 18/19, 2025
• Round of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12, 2025
• Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16, 2025
• Semi-finals: April 29/30 and May 6/7, 2025
• Final: May 31, 2025

When and where is the 2025 Champions League final?

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season will take place in Munich at the Allianz Arena on May 31, 2025.