BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Saturday Paris Saint-Germain were the favorites in their upcoming Champions League quarter-final tussle.
The Catalans, five-time winners of the competition, face former coach Luis Enrique’s French champions, but although PSG are still looking to win the trophy for the first time, Xavi believes they are the stronger side.
“I’d give them the favorites tag — we have won more Champions Leagues, but the economic situation they are in, signing players (compared to) what we can spend, it’s not the same situation,” Xavi told a news conference.
“They won’t beat us on hope, desire, and dreaming though, we watched the draw together and the players are positive and looking forward to competing.
“We have to show it on the pitch — it’s easy to talk and then do nothing — we must speak on the pitch, and show our talent and worth there.”
Led by a rampant Kylian Mbappe, PSG cruised to a 5-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the 2020-21 season at the last 16 stage.
However, Luis Enrique’s Barcelona recorded a historic comeback victory to beat PSG 6-1 at Camp Nou in the 2016-17 season, after a 4-0 away defeat, to reach the quarter-finals.
Xavi hailed now PSG coach Luis Enrique, who led the Catalans to the trophy in 2015, the last time the Spanish champions conquered Europe.
“It’s so hard, they are one of the toughest teams we could have drawn,” said Xavi.
“I know Luis Enrique and his staff very well, he is a brilliant coach, and they work very well... but I have confidence and hope.
“We’ve drawn one of the hardest opponents but having the second leg at home is positive for us.”
The Spanish champions travel to Paris for the first leg on April 10, with the second leg at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on April 16.
This weekend Barcelona, third, visit fourth-place Atletico Madrid in La Liga, looking to extend the six-point gap.
Diego Simeone’s side beat Champions League runners-up Inter Milan on penalties on Wednesday also to reach the quarter-finals, where they face Borussia Dortmund.
“We’re arriving well, but they are in high confidence too,” said Xavi.
“They are a Champions League level team; they showed it the other day and it’s even more true in front of their fans.”
PSG ‘favorites’ in Champions League clash: Barca coach Xavi
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PSG ‘favorites’ in Champions League clash: Barca coach Xavi
- Although PSG are still looking to win the trophy for the first time, Xavi believes they are the stronger side
- “They won’t beat us on hope, desire, and dreaming though, we watched the draw together and the players are positive and looking forward to competing”
Saudi clubs edge closer to success in AFC Champions League divisions
- With all Elite competition matches from the quarterfinals on taking place in Jeddah, few will bet against a Saudi side landing Asia’s premier club competition
RIYADH: Saudi clubs’ continued outstanding performances in the 2024/2025 AFC Champions League competitions underlined why for many people they remain favorites for the big prizes.
Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli have reached the quarter-finals of the main, “Elite” tournament, while Al-Taawoun made history by advancing to the semi-finals of AFC Champions League 2. These achievements show the growing strength of Saudi club football in Asia. Here are some of the highlights after the latest round of matches.
Al-Hilal’s big comeback win highlights dominance
Al-Hilal, after losing the away leg 1-0 to Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan, in the second leg in Riyadh on Tuesday night pulled off an outstanding comeback with a 4-0 victory that included goals from Hamad Al-Yami, Malcom, Salem Al-Dawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari. With a spot in the quarterfinals confirmed, they will again be one of the favorites to take the trophy, and for a record fifth time.
Mahrez stars in solid Al-Ahli performance
Al-Ahli secured their quarterfinal place with a 2-0 win over Al-Rayyan in the second leg at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, having won the away fixture 3-1 in Qatar. Riyad Mahrez scored two late goals, helping the team to a comprehensive 5-1 win on aggregate. With Mahrez, Ivan Toney and Roberto Firmino providing the firepower, few teams would want to face Al-Ahli in the knockout stages.
Duran and Ronaldo help Al-Nassr cruise into quarterfinals
After a goalless first leg in Iran, Al-Nassr dominated Esteghlal in the last 16 return leg in Riyadh to win 3-0 and cruise into the quarterfinals.
Jhon Duran scored in the ninth and 84th minutes with Cristiano Ronaldo’s 27th minute penalty sandwiched in between. With all matches from the quarterfinals on taking place in Jeddah, it is difficult to see the next Champions League Elite winner not being from Saudi Arabia.
Al-Taawoun’s historic achievement
In AFC Champions League 2, Al Taawoun reached the semi-finals after beating Iranian club Tractor SC 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the second leg finished 2-2. The teams played out a 0-0 draw in Iran on March 4.
The win by Taawoun, who are eighth in the Saudi Pro League, shows that clubs from the Kingdom are competitive at both levels of this season’s AFC Champions League. Al-Taawoun will now face the UAE’s Sharjah in the semifinals.
With four teams still in contention, this could well be the year that Saudi clubs take full control of Asian football.
Real Madrid beats Atletico on penalties in Champions League. Arsenal, Villa, Dortmund also advance
- Madrid moves on to the quarterfinals to face Arsenal, which also advanced Wednesday along with Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in a Champions League penalty shootout — again — to keep its title defense alive Wednesday and advance to the quarterfinals.
Defender Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive spot-kick in a 4-2 shootout win after two Atletico players missed. Marco Llorente’s shot struck the bar after Julian Alvarez’s score despite slipping was disallowed because he touched the ball twice.
Madrid also beat Atletico in a shootout to win the 2016 final — part of a streak of eliminating its city rival in the knockout rounds for four straight years, starting with the 2014 final.
Madrid moves on to the quarterfinals to face Arsenal, which also advanced Wednesday along with Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund. The quarterfinals lineup was completed with Madrid’s win in a tense derby that had ended 2-2 on aggregate score.
Atletico led 1-0 after 90 minutes and extra time in its Metropolitano Stadium to cancel out Madrid’s 2-1 advantage from the first leg last week.
Two key incidents defined regulation time. Atletico Madrid scored within 30 seconds and Real Madrid missed a penalty in the 70th minute.
Atletico took the lead with its first attack when England midfielder Conor Gallagher pounced on the ball from close range when a cross by Rodrigo De Paul was deflected into the goalmouth.
Madrid star Vinícius Júnior blazed a penalty kick high over the Atletico goal when he could have sent the 15-time champion through. He was substituted in extra time for his teenage fellow Brazilian, Endrick.
Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham stepped up to score Madrid’s first two spot-kicks, and Fede Valverde also scored before Lucas Vazquez’s kick was saved by Jan Oblak.
It was more relaxed in London, where Arsenal rested some regulars in a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven to run up a 9-3 aggregate score.
Aston Villa also had a stress-free evening at home to ensure England has two teams in the quarterfinals, one night after Premier League leader Liverpool was beaten at Anfield by Paris Saint-Germain in a shootout.
Villa won 3-0 against Club Brugge, which played with 10 men from the 17th, after a 3-1 win in Belgium last week. Brugge defender Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for pulling back Marcus Rashford when running clear on goal.
Substitute Marco Asensio, on loan at Villa from PSG, scored twice in the second half to ensure his temporary club will meet his parent club next.
Borussia Dortmund rallied with two second-half goals to win 2-1 at Lille and advance 3-2 on aggregate. The beaten finalist last season now faces Barcelona.
Quarterfinals draw
The quarterfinals pairings are: Arsenal vs Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa, Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan
First-leg games are on April 8-9 and return games are one week later.
England’s unexpected challenge
There’s only one former European champion from England left in the Champions League. Villa’s unbeaten home record has driven its run to the quarterfinal, with wins against Bayern, Bologna, Celtic and now Brugge.
Liverpool’s exit to PSG followed Manchester City being pushed out of the knockout playoffs last month by Real Madrid. Without the Champions League winners in 2019 and 2023, respectively, England’s challenge halved to just two.
Villa’s 1982 European Cup title is perhaps a less-remembered one in the competition’s 70-year history. Arsenal’s only time in the final was a loss to Barcelona in 2006.
Villa manager Unai Emery now goes back to Paris where his two seasons as coach there until 2018 seemed to be unsatisfactory for both parties.
Dortmund thrives in Europe
Just like last season, Borussia Dortmund is better in the Champions League than the German league.
The Bundesliga’s 10th-place team trailed Lille from the fifth minute to Canada forward Jonathan David’s shot, before rallying in the second half for a decisive 2-1 win. Dortmund leveled in the 54th from Emre Can’s penalty and Maximilian Beier sealed the victory nine minutes later with a rising shot.
Dortmund was the beaten finalist last June – losing 2-0 to Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium – and got into this Champions League only because Germany earned a bonus entry for fifth place in the Bundesliga.
Niko Kovač, the club’s third coach in the Champions League this season, now takes Dortmund to face former star forward Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona.
Top-5 leagues dominate
Expected exits for Brugge and PSV — after Benfica and Feyenoord were eliminated Tuesday — leaves only the five wealthiest leagues in Europe are now represented.
No team from outside England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France has reached the Champions League final since Porto coached by Jose Mourinho won in 2004.
UEFA will share almost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) total prize money among the 36 Champions League teams this season and the 20 percent higher payouts this season figure to widen the wealth gap in European soccer. England and Spain also are in line for bonus fifth places in the Champions League next season, sending tens of millions more in prize money there.
Each quarterfinalist will get 12.5 million euros ($13.6 million). A place in the semifinals pays an extra 15 million euros ($16.3 million).
Dortmund fight back to beat Lille and reach Champions League quarters
- Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night
- Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month
LILLE, France: Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.
However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up.
Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December.
The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga.
It is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase.
They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord.
Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute.
Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept toward goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanize the visitors.
They were denied an equalizer by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a goalmouth scramble on 20 minutes.
Dortmund applied pressure and were rewarded when they won a penalty shortly after half-time as Serhou Guirassy went down under contact from Thomas Meunier.
Can fired in the spot-kick, and Karim Adeyemi then hit the bar for Dortmund before they found what proved to be the winner on 65 minutes.
Guirassy, who has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, was the provider but Beier still had work to do as he controlled the ball in the box before firing a lethal shot high into the net.
Lille could not recover from that blow as they went out in the last 16, just like in their two previous appearances at this stage of the competition, in 2007 and 2022.
Messi to travel with Miami for Jamaican tie
- Messi missed Inter’s 4-1 win at the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on Mar. 2
- “Leo Messi is on the roster and will travel with the team to Jamaica,” Mascherano said
MIAMI, USA: Lionel Messi, who has sat out Inter Miami’s last three games, will travel to Jamaica for Thursday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match with Kingston side Cavalier, coach Javier Mascherano said on Wednesday.
Messi missed Inter’s 4-1 win at the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on Mar. 2 and then the 2-0 midweek home win over Cavalier in the first leg of the last-16 tie against the Jamaicans.
The Argentine then sat unused on the bench for Sunday’s 1-0 win over Charlotte in MLS, with Mascherano saying the caution over using the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was based on managing his workload and not an injury.
Speaking to the media before the team flew out to the Caribbean Island nation, Mascherano, a former team-mate of Messi’s at Barcelona, said the forward would be making the trip.
“Leo Messi is on the roster and will travel with the team to Jamaica. Tomorrow (Thursday) we will decide for the game what is best, if he starts or waits on the bench and comes in later,” he said.
“Today he trained with the team, and the sensations were good. We’re happy he’ll travel with us to Jamaica,” he added.
The game is expected to attract a sell-out crowd to the 35,000 capacity National Stadium in Kingston.
While Messi has faced Jamaica’s national team for Argentina, he has never played in the nation before.
Cavalier head coach and sporting director Rudolph Speid believes his team are capable of turning around the tie against a team that will include former Barca players Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez.
“It is about normalizing the Inter Miami team so that our players are comfortable playing against players with such high esteem,” Speid explained.
“Jordi Alba is 35 years old but he runs up and down like he thinks he is 25. Sergio Busquets is a brilliant player — it is very difficult to take the ball off him when he has it under control. And Lionel Messi, I don’t even have to say anything,” he told the Jamaican Gleaner.
Herve Renard announces Saudi Arabia’s lineup for Asian qualifiers for 2026 World Cup
- Green Falcons will host China on March 20 before they travel to play against Japan on March 25
- Frenchman’s list constitutes of 27 players, who will join the Green Falcon’s training camp in Riyadh on Sunday
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s national football team’s French head coach Herve Renard announced on Wednesday the lineup for the seventh and eighth rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The Green Falcons will host China on March 20 at Al-Awwal Park Stadium before they travel to play against Japan on March 25 at Saitama Stadium 2002.
The Frenchman’s list constitutes of 27 players, who will join the Green Falcon’s training camp in Riyadh, starting March 16, ahead of their two qualifiers.
The list includes Ahmed Al-Kassar, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Hamed Yousef, Mishari Sinior, Hassan Kadesh, Jihad Zekri, Saad Al-Moussa, Ali Lajami, Hassan Al-Tambukti, Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti, Saud Abdulhamid, Nawaf Bushel, Ali Majrashi, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Nasser Al-Dosari, Musab Al-Juwair, Ziad Al-Jahni, Mohammed Kano, Salem Al-Dosari, Turki Al-Ammar, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Muhannad Al-Saad, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Marwan Al-Sahafi, Firas Al-Buraikan and Abdullah Al-Salem.
The Green Falcons are in Group 3 in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Japan, Australia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia.
