GM football fans. It’s Thursday, Mar. 13 - Champions League overview, Arsenal buck the ticket freeze trend, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

Enjoy reading Route One? Share with a friend using this link.

KEY FIXTURES

UEFA Europa League, Last 16, Leg 2: Manchester United vs Real Sociedad, Agg 1-1, 20:00 / 16:00. United have lost only one of their last 28 home matches in the competition, but that defeat came against Sociedad, who are unbeaten in their last two visits to Old Trafford. Rangers vs Fenerbahce, Agg 3-1, 20:00 / 16:00. Rangers have progressed in 24 of their last 25 European ties when leading by two or more goals, while Fenerbahce have won just one of their last 11 away knockout games in Europe. Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ Alkmaar, Agg 0-1, 20:00 / 16:00. Spurs have scored in a record 29 straight Europa League home games. AZ, meanwhile, have lost all nine of their previous trips to England. See every Europa League last 16 fixture here.

Results…

  • Champions League: Atletico 1-0 Real Madrid (Agg 2-2, Real win on pens 4-2) (Report) | Arsenal 2-2 PSV (Agg 9-3) (Report) | Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (Agg 6-1) (Report) | Lille 1-2 Dortmund (Agg 2-3) (Report) (See All Highlights Here)

TOP TALKING POINTS

Champions League Final Eight

With the last-16 ties completed, eight teams are through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. This includes Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Borussia Dortmund. All match highlights can be found here.

The first legs of the quarter-finals will take place on 8 and 9 April, with the second legs taking place one week later. In the first leg, PSG will host Aston Villa, Arsenal will host Real Madrid, Barcelona will host Dortmund, and Bayern will host Inter. See the bracket here.

Before Wednesday’s matches were played, Opta projected that PSG were now the favourites to win the competition with a 20% chance–taking over from Liverpool who they knocked out (see match highlights / US link). Barcelona and Arsenal followed closely behind, with a 19.6% and 18.5% chance of winning the competition, respectively. Expect updated predictions following Wednesday’s results.

Ticket Freeze Trend

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest Premier League club to announce a freeze of season and match ticket prices for the 2025-26 season. Liverpool, Brentford and West Ham have already announced they would freeze ticket prices for next season.

Arsenal—who have the third-highest average matchday ticket price at £107—are the only club so far to announce they will increase their ticket prices. Despite receiving record revenues, the Gunners cited increased player wages as the main factor behind rising ticket prices. However, the North London side are introducing a 19-game season ticket, which will see supporters pay up to £386 less per season than they had previously.

A Uefa report found that Premier League clubs made almost €1bn (£830m) from selling tickets to home matches in 2023. The figure is growing by about 10% per year and is almost double La Liga (£481m) and Bundesliga (£430m). Of the 10 clubs who generated the most income (see here) from gate receipts in 2024, six are English.

Brazil Demands Reform

Brazilian club Palmeiras and the bodies representing clubs in the country have written to FIFA and CONMEBOL demanding action after another high-profile incident of racism in South America. It follows the abuse of Palmeiras Under-20 forward Luighi when they played Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno, where opposition fans made monkey chants and gestures.

The 19-page letter asked the governing bodies to implement new measures to combat racism. The letter also highlights the history of racism in South American football, citing data from the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football, which states that 676 cases of racism were reported in CONMEBOL matches between 2014 and 2024.

Cerro Porteno were fined $50,000, and their fans were banned from attending the remainder of the Libertadores Under-20 tournament. However, earlier this week, Palmeiras argued the punishment was too lenient.

ON THE BALL

Europe

> Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is a huge doubt for the League Cup final against Newcastle United this weekend after sustaining an injury (More) | Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada admits the club’s plans for a new stadium is a ‘risk’ to the team’s competitiveness (More)

> Angel Correa, Atletico Madrid forward, has been handed a five-match ban for insulting the referee after being sent off in the club's 2-1 defeat at Getafe on Sunday (More)

> PSV will compensate fans who attended the second leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie at Arsenal (More)

> Saint-Etienne fans have been banned from attending fellow relegation-threatened side Montpellier for this weekend’s Ligue 1 match due to a high risk of violence (More)

Americas

> Former Brazil striker Ronaldo has withdrawn his candidacy to be the next president of his country’s football federation (More)

> Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit forward, says it is a matter of time before she plays abroad (More)

> The Last 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (See bracket)

> US Men’s Beach Soccer National Team beat Trinidad and Tobago on penalties in the opening match of the 2025 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship (More)

Rest of the World

> Gus Poyet, Jeonbuk Motors coach, slammed the organisation of the Asian Champions League Two saying the second-tier tournament was not worth the bother (More)

> South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe was re-elected unopposed as Confederation of African Football president, while four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o won a place on the executive committee (More)

> Vissel Kobe crashed out of the Asian Champions League Elite after an extra-time winner saw Gwangju FC overturn a two-goal deficit (More)

ROUTERS’ VOICE

Yesterday’s Poll: Would you take Paul Pogba at your club now that his ban is over?

🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👏 Absolutely... (30%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope... (68%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (2%)

Your punditry takes:

  • 👏 C.V.S: “If he still has the talent and motivation to train throughout his ban, I would gladly take him. Class is permanent.”

  • 👏 N.T: “I'd definitely take him. He's done the crime and received the punishment, hopefully he's the same player with the skillset that we all know of.”

  • 🙅‍♂️ V.S: “He’ll be too rusty to sign this summer. Perhaps he should get some minutes under his belt in the MLS before looking for his permanent move in Europe.”

  • 🙅‍♂️ H.C: “Great player, but past his prime and with mental/emotional baggage.”

EXTRA TIME

The scenes outside Atletico were movie-like. (via X)

Alvarez’s bizarre penalty double-touch. (US readers)

Premier League’s most iconic celebrations.

Teams move as though they are a single person. (study)

Does a penalty get any weirder than this?

When was ‘smash-and-grab victory’ first used?

Mystery man aims rifle during youth match.

Beach Soccer World Cup’s best goals. (video)

GAME FACE ON

Question: With a win over Ipswich on Saturday, Oliver Glasner recorded his 17th win in his 41st Premier League game for Crystal Palace. Name the only two managers to have won more in charge of the Eagles in the competition.

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Europa League, Last 16

  • Athletic Club vs Roma (Agg 1-2) (17:45)

  • Frankfurt vs Ajax (Agg 2-1) (17:45)

  • Lazio vs Plzen (Agg 2-1) (17:45)

  • Olympiakos vs Bodo/Glimt (Agg 0-3) (17:45)

  • Manchester United vs Real Sociedad (Agg 1-1) (20:00)

  • Lyon vs FCSB (Agg 3-1) (20:00)

  • Rangers vs Fenerbahce (Agg 3-1) (20:00)

  • Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ (Agg 0-1) (20:00)

Conference League, Last 16

  • Cercle Brugge vs Jagiellonia (Agg 0-3) (17:45)

  • Djurgarden vs Pafos (Agg 0-1) (17:45)

  • Lugano vs Celje (Agg 0-1) (17:45)

  • Rapid Vienna vs Borac BB (Agg 1-1) (17:45)

  • Chelsea vs Kobenhavn (Agg 2-1) (20:00)

  • Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos (Agg 2-3) (20:00)

  • Legia vs Molde (Agg 2-3) (20:00)

  • Vitoria SC vs Betis (Agg 2-2) (20:00)

*All time in UK. ET -4. CST -5. PDT -7. MDT -6. CET +1.

Answer

Roy Hodgson (59 in 182) and Alan Pardew (25 in 73).

I don’t even know what will happen next year. If anyone says they do know, they are lying to your face.

Virgil van Dijk on his future at Liverpool