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GM football fans. It’s Tuesday, Jan. 20 - The Champions League returns for the penultimate Matchday of the league phase, Kylian Mbappe protects his Real Madrid teammates, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
Champions League (Jan 20): Inter Milan vs. Arsenal, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Inter have lost their last two Champions League matches, but they have never suffered three straight defeats in the competition. Meanwhile, Arsenal are the only team to win their first six league phase matches and are one goal away from 400 in European Cup history. Real Madrid vs. Monaco, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Madrid have lost just one of their 18 home fixtures against French opposition in Uefa competition, though Monaco have won their last two against Spanish opposition. Sporting CP vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. This will be the the first ever European meeting between these two. PSG don’t have a great record in Portugal, having won just one of their eight away major European matches there. See every Champions League fixture here.
Results…
Premier League: Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth (Table)
TOP TALKING POINTS
Champions League Returns
The Champions League returns for Matchday 7 of 8 in the league phase. Teams that finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while teams placed ninth to 24th will advance to a play-off round. See the current league phase standings here.
Arsenal, the only team remaining with a perfect record, have a 93.9% chance of finishing the league phase top of the table, according to Opta’s prediction model. After their match against Inter on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face bottom-placed Kairat in their final league-phase fixture. They could become the first team to win every league phase match in a season within the new expanded format. Amongst sides already in the top eight, Bayern Munich (99%), Manchester City (89.9%), Paris Saint-Germain (83%), and Atalanta (59.9%) are also strong contenders to automatically qualify for the last 16.
Liverpool are fifth-favourites (63.4%) to make the top eight despite sitting one place outside. Barcelona, too, sit outside the top eight and are given a 48.7% chance. Elsewhere, the remaining Premier League sides — Chelsea, Tottenham, and Newcastle — are all expected to reach the play-off round, with each given roughly a 20–25% chance of finishing in the top eight.
See possible line-ups and team news here.
AFCON Legal Action
Morocco’s FA has announced it will pursue legal action over Sunday’s controversial Africa Cup of Nations final. The federation believes the decision of Senegal’s players to leave the pitch when a penalty was awarded to Morocco in stoppage time, causing a 15-minute delay, had a material impact on the result.
Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino condemned the “behaviour of some ‘supporters’ as well as some Senegalese players” for leaving the field. In a statement, the Confederation of African Football made clear its objection to Senegal’s walk-off, describing the action as “unacceptable and inappropriate” and insisting it would be “reviewing all footage and will refer the matter to competent bodies for appropriate action to be taken against those found guilty”.
It is unclear what Morocco wants to achieve with its action, other than being seen to formally remonstrate over the match's outcome.
Senegal secured their second Afcon title with a 1-0 victory, with Pape Gueye scoring the only goal in extra time.
Mbappe Defends Players
Kylian Mbappe has defended Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior after they were booed during Saturday’s win against Levante. “Before I was a footballer, I used to watch football, and when I was unhappy, I would speak badly about the players and boo them, so I understand,” Mbappe said. “The only thing I didn’t like the other day was that they (should boo) the whole squad, not just a few players.”
While Real fans jeered the whole team, Bellingham and Vinicius Jr received a more hostile reaction. Beyond their performances on the pitch, reports suggest that Vinicius is facing criticism for delaying a contract extension, while some fans in Spain claim Bellingham has been too distracted by his off-field life. It’s unclear whether either is true.
Madrid beat Levante 2–0 to end a poor run of form that included a defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia last weekend and a shock elimination by second-division Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Wednesday.
POLL
Is a Panenka ever the right choice for a penalty?
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ON THE BALL
Europe
> Manchester City have completed the signing of centre-back Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in a package worth £20m ($26.8m) (More)
> Arsenal Women top the list for the largest revenue in women’s football in Europe for the first time, with revenues of €25.6m (£22.2m) last year (More)
> Cristiano Ronaldo won his legal case against Juventus and will not have to repay nearly €10m in deferred wages (More)
> Giant-killers Albacete's reward for knocking Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey is a quarterfinal tie at home to holders Barcelona (More)
> Scotland will face fellow World Cup competitors Japan and Curacao in home friendlies ahead of the tournament (More) | Scottish football contributes more than £800m a year to the national economy, according to a new report (More)
Americas
> The United States men’s national team dropped one spot to No. 15 in the first Fifa men's world rankings as Senegal moved seven spots to an all-time high of No. 12 (More)
> Inter Miami are willing to pay $15m (£11.2m) for Monterrey forward German Berterame, and he will become one of Miami’s designated players (More); Miami fully acquire forward Tadeo Allende from La Liga side Celta de Vigo (More)
Rest of the World
> Auckland FC stayed top in the men’s A-League despite a 2-1 defeat by Melbourne City as second-placed Sydney FC lost 2-0 to Wellington Phoenix (Table)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think time-wasting is the biggest problem in football right now?
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⏰ Yes (40%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (56%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (4%)
Your punditry takes:
⏰ C.M: “Teams continue to find ways to extend throw-ins and other set pieces. Referees do nothing but occasionally issue a warning. Any distance or time violation should result in a change of possession. It's had enough to get non-fans to watch the nearly-beautiful game. The last 15 minutes of a match too often turns into a slog.”
🙅♂️ L.B: “[Timewasting] is part of the game. Teams will just find a way around the rules if the football gods try to stop it. You hate it when the other teams do it, but are fine when it is your team. Thats just how it is.”
🙅♂️ S.P: “The biggest problem remains the theatrics, simulation, and the like. It’s impossible to watch a match without seeing several grown men writhe around like they’ve been maimed on every foul they try to buy. It’s embarrassing. Hit them where it hurts. There should be a post-match review, and if someone makes a meal out of nothing, they should be fined or suspended. Enough already.”
✍️ K.S: “It’s up there among the problems, but grabbing your face, flailing to the ground, and faking deathly injury after having been grazed with a backward forearm to the chest is an insult to the game. I’m tired of vapid commentators referring to it as ‘gamesmanship’ when it’s really just weak. Play the damn game. Just do it. And have a bit of respect for yourself while you’re at it.”
EXTRA TIME
When can January signings play in the Champions League?
The role of sporting directors in the Prem.
Opta’s latest Premier League projections.
The behind-the-scenes of Ruben Amorim’s sacking.
Are cross-border leagues the future?
Moroccan journalists leave Senegal’s manager’s presser.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who is the only goalkeeper in history to have won the Ballon d'Or?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
It's going to be hard for me to get up, because this wound doesn't heal easily, but I'll try.
Answer
Lev Yashin.
