Joao Felix is angling for a way out of Atletico Madrid, having fallen out of favour in Spain.

The 22-year-old has started only eight of the 17 games he has played in this season, netting three goals.

The forward is contracted with Atletico until 2026, having signed a bumper seven-year deal when joining from Benfica in 2019.

TOP STORY – PSG PLOTTING JANUARY LOAN MOVE FOR JOAO FELIX

Paris Saint-Germain have joined the list of clubs interested in Atletico Madrid's wantaway forward Joao Felix, according to Le Parisien.

PSG may look to sign the Portuguese on loan in January, having been interested in a move for him during the last transfer window.

Joao Felix has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, with both clubs reportedly bidding for him in the last transfer window.

ROUND-UP

– Borussia Dortmund are bullish they can ward off interest in their 19-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham and retain his services, reports 90min. Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all keen on the England international.

– Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa may have penned a new contract last week, but Manchester United are still monitoring the 23-year-old, reports Nicolo Schira. United will keep an eye on him during the World Cup, although he has a €75million (£65m) release clause.

– Arsenal are willing to fork out £56m to land Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk, according to Dean Jones on GiveMeSport.

– Roma are interested in out-of-favour Barcelona full-back Hector Bellerin, having failed to lure Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, reports Calciomercato.

– West Ham have identified Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone as their top transfer target, reports Bild.

Youssoufa Moukoko stated he is "overwhelmed" after being named in Hansi Flick's Germany squad for the World Cup.

The 17-year-old forward could earn his first senior appearance at the tournament, having come into the squad amid the injury absences of Timo Werner and Lukas Nmecha.

Moukoko's selection comes after stellar form for Borussia Dortmund this season, scoring six goals and contributing three assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances.

Following the announcement of the squad on Thursday, Moukoko took to social media to express his delight.

"I just can't believe it. Last year, around this time I was still out of the window, struggling with many injuries and little playing time," he posted on Instagram.

"Yet, I always tried to stay positive and believe in myself. I knew what I could achieve and now just to be part of a World Cup, a goal that players dream of their entire career, makes me incredibly proud.

"All the hard work has paid off, and I am just incredibly happy and overwhelmed.

"I would like to send a special thank you to my family, Edin Terzic, Sebastian Geppert, Peter Herrmann and the entire Borussia Dortmund coaching team, and my advisor Patrick Williams.

"Thanks also to my teammates and the fans of Borussia Dortmund and everyone who has supported and accompanied me for years. I love you guys."

Germany face Oman in a friendly on Wednesday, then begin their World Cup campaign on November 23 against Japan.

Jamie Carragher is backing Liverpool to spend "up to £200million" to rejuvenate their midfield at the end of the season and believes Jude Bellingham is the "perfect fit".

The 19-year-old England international has excelled with Borussia Dortmund since joining the Bundesliga side in 2019 from Birmingham City and has been touted for a lucrative return to the Premier League.

Liverpool have long been seen as contenders for his services, though recent reports indicate Manchester City are leading the chase. Real Madrid are also said to hold a firm interest.

Landing Bellingham will take a substantial fee, likely one that would exceed Liverpool's club-record of £75m spent on Virgil van Dijk in 2018, but Carragher believes that figure will be a "bargain" after he continues to develop.

"The issue is that the players don't have the energy to play a full game at the intensity they've played at in previous seasons. Teams are now matching their energy, but this isn't something that Liverpool has adapted," he said on Sky Sports' The Overlap.

"The Arsenal game was a fine example of this – when they played Liverpool off the pitch in the second half – and that is why I can see Liverpool spending up to £200m on their midfield in the summer.

"Jude Bellingham would be the perfect fit, but he would be a lot of money.

"When Liverpool have spent big money in the past, it's been on the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker] and Virgil van Dijk, who were bought in at great age profiles.

"Signing Jude Bellingham would be for a lot of money, but it would get to two years down the line and people would see it as a bargain.

"At his age, you'd have him for at least five seasons before he’d move on, which is a great investment for the club."

Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and seven short of Tottenham in fourth.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are reportedly keeping a close eye on Lille striker Jonathan David when he heads to the World Cup later this month to represent Canada.

David, 22, is enjoying a breakout season in Ligue 1, netting nine goals in 14 games as he begins to fulfil the potential that saw him become the most expensive Canadian transfer in history when he was purchased for €30million from Gent as a 20-year-old.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News he made it clear he envisions his future being somewhere other than France, and with a strong performance at the World Cup, he could get his wish as soon as January.

 

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS KEEPING AN EYE ON CANADA STAR

In that Sky Sports News interview, David said "every player wants to play for a massive club in their life – I think if I had the chance to do it, I'll go for it for sure".

That is becoming more of a reality every day, according to a report from GiveMeSport, which names Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton as interested parties, while saying Manchester United could throw their hat in the ring if they like what they see in Qatar.

His price tag is expected to exceed €40m as a starting point, but that figure could skyrocket if he catches the eye in Qatar.

Another report from 90min adds that Arsenal are prepared to spend in the January window as they pursue their first Premier League title since 2003, potentially putting them in the box seat.

 

ROUND-UP

– According to Portuguese publication A Bola, Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in signing 25-year-old Porto winger Pepe, who has a €75m release clause in his contract.

– Sky Italy is reporting Chelsea's odds of landing Rafael Leao have improved as his contract negotiations with Milan make little progress.

Manchester United have made Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old England midfielder Jude Bellingham their top target, and expect him to cost €150m, per Sky Germany.

– Meanwhile, Marca report Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will sign Bellingham for €100m as a "parting gift" before selling the club.

– According to Sport Bild, 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund prospect Youssoufa Moukoko is holding off on signing a new contract that will pay him €5m per year due to interest being shown from Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is excited by the prospect of facing former BVB heroes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic after they drew Chelsea in the Champions League.

Dortmund finished second to Manchester City in Group G of the Champions League, and were subsequently handed a tie against Graham Potter's Blues in Monday's last-16 draw.

The first leg – set for February 15 at Signal Iduna Park – will see Aubameyang and Pulisic return to their old club, for whom the Gabon striker scored 98 Bundesliga goals in a prolific five-year stint.

Asked about the draw at a press conference on Monday, Terzic said: "With Chelsea, a top team from England awaits us.

"With Aubameyang and Pulisic, they have players that were with us up until a few years ago.

"I am also close friends with the coach Graham Potter. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. But we won't play them now, but in February. 

"Until then, there is a lot to do, so much homework to do, but we definitely look forward to those games. 

"Attractive opponents like this are what we expect from the Champions League, and we will try to progress to the next round."

Meanwhile, Chelsea's director of football operations David Barnard is relieved they will not be facing former Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, who has made a flying start to life in England with Manchester City.

"We're looking forward to playing Dortmund because this will be the first time that we've come across them in the Champions League, it will be interesting from that point of view," he said. 

"They played in the City group, as you know, and hopefully we'll get some inside knowledge from City on this particular one. At least Haaland is not playing for Dortmund on this occasion.

"We've obviously got Pierre going back to one of his old clubs, so we are looking forward to it."

Youssoufa Moukoko has scored six goals and provided four assists this Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, putting him firmly in the spotlight. 

The 17-year-old has stepped up since Erling Haaland's exit for Manchester City, with Dortmund sitting fourth in the Bundesliga.

The Cameroon-born forward is contracted with Dortmund until 2023, but his impressive displays are attracting interest.

 

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENTER RACE FOR DORTMUND'S MOUKOKO

Liverpool have entered the race for Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus already circling, according to SPORT.

Moukoko is out of contract in mid-2023, when many clubs are hoping to sign him on a free transfer.

The teenager has hinted he is content at Dortmund for now, with reports he will hold off until he turns 18 on November 20 to sign a new deal when viewed as an adult under German labour laws.

 

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard could be lured back to the Premier League with interest from Newcastle United and Aston Villa, claims El Nacional.

Christopher Nkunku's proposed move to Chelsea may be hijacked by Real Madrid, reports El Nacional. The RB Leipzig forward is willing to wait for Madrid before confirming his Blues move.

– Birmingham Live claims new Aston Villa manager Unai Emery wants to bring in forward trio Nicolas Jackson, Yeremi Pino and Samuel Chukwueze from his former club Villarreal in January, along with Pau Torres.

– The Sun reports Tottenham are considering making a January move for Everton winger Anthony Gordon.

– Struggling Premier League club Southampton have decided to sack manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to The Athletic.

Youssoufa Moukoko chalked up a Bundesliga record as he became the youngest player in the competition's history to reach 10 career goals – and number 10 was something special.

At the age of 17 years and 350 days, Moukoko showed why he is so highly regarded as his dazzling double helped Borussia Dortmund win 3-0 against visitors Bochum on Saturday.

Moukoko hit the opener in the eighth minute, fending off a challenge outside the penalty area before crashing a 22-yard strike with his left foot that arrowed just beneath the crossbar.

That took him to double figures, and an 11th Bundesliga goal for Moukoko followed shortly before half-time when he caught goalkeeper Manuel Riemann well off his line and lobbed in from close to 35 yards.

Between those goals, Giovanni Reyna scored a penalty for Dortmund, who allowed Moukoko a rest late on, substituting the star of the show.

The double for the teenager made him the third-youngest player to hit two goals in a Bundesliga game, with Opta confirming only Kai Havertz (17y 343d) and Timo Werner (17y 249d) have done so at a younger age.

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is expected to cost €100million if the undefeated Serie A leaders choose to sell at the end of the season.

Kvaratskhelia, 21, was with Rubin Kazan for three seasons before the Russian invasion of Ukraine halted their 2021-22 campaign, allowing the Georgia-born player to sign with Georgian club Dinamo Batumi.

Napoli scooped him up from Batumi for around €10m, and he has been in fine form since arriving in Italy. In 12 Serie A games, Kvaratskhelia has six goals and seven assists, while adding two goals and three assists in five Champions League matches.

A January sale has been ruled out, but if the club decide to cash-in on their shrewd piece of business, they could reportedly multiply their investment 10-fold.

 

TOP STORY – BREAKOUT NAPOLI YOUNGSTER SET TO COMMAND NINE-FIGURE FEE

According to Kvaratskhelia's agent Christian Emile in an interview with Fabrizio Romano, the Georgian sensation affectionately referred to as 'Kvaradona' by Napoli fans is one of the hottest names on the transfer market.

In the interview, reported by the London Evening Standard, Emile said there is "a zero per cent chance" he is sold in January as Napoli push for their first title since the 1989-90 season. 

However, he said "people are talking about €100m" when discussing Kvaratskhelia's value now, and if his form continues in this fashion the rest of the season, Emile added "he will reach €100m for sure".

The report names Liverpool and Chelsea as two of the key clubs known to have interest at this point.

 

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo is reporting Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season – is a target for Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid

– According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United have made Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham their top target.

Eden Hazard could leave Real Madrid in January, per Mundo Deportivo, with Juventus named as a club interested in the 31-year-old.

– Media Foot is reporting United are "seriously considering" a move for 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, but they will not be making any significant purchases in January.

– According to L'Equipe, Lionel Messi does not want to leave Paris Saint-Germain without winning "a major trophy", and is considering extending his contract beyond this season.

Salzburg will have to do what no other Austrian side has done before at Milan to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, while Jude Bellingham has his eyes on an achievement managed by only two players previously.

The Rossoneri need only a point from the game at San Siro and the historical facts suggest they will achieve their aim to make it out of Group E.

For Bellingham, he can put his name in the record books alongside former team-mate Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe by scoring for Borussia Dortmund at Copenhagen.

There is plenty to play for as the Champions League group stage wraps up on Wednesday, and Stats Perform has trawled through the data to shine a light on the most interesting angles.

Milan v Salzburg

With a win, Salzburg will advance to the knockout stages for the second consecutive season after never making it out of the group stage previously.

They will need to defy the odds on their trip to Milan, where the Italian side are undefeated in home fixtures against Austrian opponents in the competition (W4 D1), while averaging 3.8 goals per game.

Salzburg have never beaten Milan in their three previous Champions League meetings, but after losing the first two, they collected their first point with a 1-1 draw in this campaign's reverse fixture.

While Olivier Giroud became the oldest player in Champions League history to reach 20 goals (36 years old) during Milan's win at Dinamo Zagreb last time out, Salzburg boast the youngest starting XI in the competition with an average age of 22 years and 279 days.

Shakhtar Donetsk v RB Leipzig

Shakhtar have only won one game in the group stage, but sit three points behind second-placed. A win would see them through to the knockout stages for the third time in the past four seasons.

The reverse-fixture was a memorable one for Shakhtar and exciting young winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who showed why he is so in-demand with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 away win.

Unfortunately for the Ukrainian side, that was their only victory from their past 12 Champions League matches (D6 L5).

Meanwhile, Leipzig have found some form in the competition, with back-to-back victories against Celtic before making it three wins in a row when they beat Real Madrid 3-2.

Manchester City v Sevilla

City are eyeing an undefeated group stage when they host Sevilla, having only conceded one goal in total from their five games until this point.

English sides have given Sevilla trouble for years now, with their last Champions League win over a Premier League team coming back in 2007 against Arsenal. 

If Jorge Sampaoli's side are to stand any chance of a shock win, they will need to pay special attention to Jack Grealish, who has impressed in the group stage with 10 chances created from open play, the most in Pep Guardiola's squad.

Maccabi Haifa v Benfica

If Juventus can salvage even a draw in their clash with Paris Saint-Germain, then Benfica will be able to win Group H by defeating Maccabi Haifa.

It has been a special run of form for Benfica, who for the first time since 1990 have gone six Champions League games without a loss (W3 D3).

Maccabi will have their backs against the wall, as only Malmo have a worse winning percentage (17 per cent) than their 24 per cent among teams to have played at least 15 Champions League games.

Also working in Benfica's favour is manager Roger Schmidt's record in the competition. Between his time with Bayer Leverkusen (2014-2017) and Benfica in this campaign, his run of 13 games unbeaten is the most by any active manager qualified for this season's Champions League.

Other fixtures:

Juventus v Paris Saint-Germain

- Juventus are looking to avoid becoming the second Italian side to ever lose five matches in a Champions League group stage, after Roma in 2004-05.

- Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe has six goals in the group stage. With one more he can tie Christopher Nkunku (last season) for the most by a French player in a single group stage, while with two more he can tie Zlatan Ibrahimovic's club-record of eight in 2013-14.

Copenhagen v Borussia Dortmund

60  - Despite Copenhagen still being without a win in Group G, they have kept a clean sheet in 60 per cent (nine-of-15) of their Champions League home games – the best ratio of any team with at least 10 appearances.

- With a goal, Bellingham can become just the third teenager to ever score in all three away games in a Champions League group stage, following Mbappe (2017-18) and Haaland (2019-20).

Chelsea v Dinamo Zagreb

10  - Chelsea are undefeated in their past 10 group stage games in the Champions League dating back to September 2019 (W6 D4). Over that period, they are averaging 2.3 goals per game.

10  - Along with City's Grealish, Chelsea's Mason Mount is the only other Premier League player from this Champions League campaign to tally at least 10 shots and 10 chances created.

Real Madrid v Celtic

20  - Since the beginning of last season's Champions League, no player has been involved in more open-play sequences that have resulted in a goal than Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (20).

14  - Celtic's Matt O'Riley has attempted the most shots in the Champions League this season without scoring, with no goals from his 14 shots.

Jude Bellingham has plenty of admirers following his outstanding performances this season for Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham is contracted with Dortmund until 2025 and the eight-time German champions are eager to ward off interest in him.

The 19-year-old midfielder has scored nine goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this term.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK TO INJURED LEIPZIG MIDFIELDER FOR REINFORCEMENTS

Borussia Dortmund may demand a Premier League-record fee of £130million (€151m) for Jude Bellingham, claims The Sun.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Liverpool are all looking to secure the playmaker's services.

It had previously been expected that the Premier League clubs would bid around £87m (€100m) for Bellingham.

Manchester City's £100m-plus signing of Jack Grealish remains the most a Premier League club has forked out for a transfer fee.

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes claim Chelsea are in pole position in the race to sign Juventus' midfielder Adrien Rabiot. The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of this season and was linked with Manchester United in the last window.

David de Gea is willing to accept reduced terms to extend his stay with Manchester United, according to The Athletic. The Spanish goalkeeper's current contract expires at the end of this season.

– Uruguay international winger Facundo Pellistri is set to leave Manchester United in January, claims Nicolo Schira, with some interest from Spanish and Italian clubs.

Tottenham are weighing up a January move for Atalanta forward Ruslan Malinovskyi, reports Il Giorno.

– CBS Sports claims Everton and Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Chelsea's 21-year-old striker Armando Broja.

Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastian Haller has returned to training with former club Ajax just three months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder confirmed the Ivory Coast international has returned to Amsterdam to regain fitness, despite undergoing treatment for a malignant tumour that was found in July.

The 28-year-old left for Dortmund ahead of the new season having finished as the Eredivisie's top scorer at Ajax, replacing Erling Haaland in Germany after the forward joined Manchester City.

While Haller is yet to put a time frame on his recovery, Schreuder provided an encouraging update on Tuesday.

"He asked us if he could come and train because he was rehabilitating here," Schreuder said, speaking ahead of Ajax's must-win Champions League clash with Liverpool.

"Then it is of course wonderful that he can be there for a while. He was able to train on a different pitch to help his recovery."

Dortmund progressed through to the Champions League knockout stages with a goalless draw against Pep Guardiola's City on Tuesday.

Haller is yet to make his debut for BVB, who sit fifth in the Bundesliga, trailing leaders Union Berlin by just four points.

Erling Haaland was withdrawn at half-time in Manchester City's Champions League draw with Borussia Dortmund due to a fever and a knock to the foot.

City were held to a 0-0 draw at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday, with Haaland taken off at the break after an uncharacteristically quiet first half.

Pep Guardiola confirmed after the match that the Norway striker – and Joao Cancelo, who was also brought off at half-time – had been struggling before the game with a minor illness.

Haaland also received a blow to the foot, though Guardiola did not suggest his condition was of major concern, with the striker appearing jovial as he greeted his former Dortmund team-mates on the pitch at full-time.

"Erling didn't feel good, he had a little fever before the game, Joao as well," Guardiola told BT Sport.

"[Haaland] had a knock in the feet. That's why we changed it, and in that period we struggled a lot."

The draw was enough for City to secure their progress as Group G winners, with Dortmund also confirming qualification for the last 16.

However, City should have left with all three points.

Riyad Mahrez won a second-half penalty following a clumsy Emre Can foul but his resulting spot-kick was saved by Gregor Kobel.

That was the 25th occasion of City failing to convert a penalty since Guardiola took over in 2016 (out of a possible 80), more than any other Premier League side over the same period.

"Of course it's a problem. Since I'm here it's 24 or 25 penalties [missed], most of them in the Champions League," Guardiola said.

"It's too much. I always admire the courage, the responsibility [to take a penalty], but of course we miss a lot and it's a problem.

"We have to improve otherwise these little details, these margins in this competition, it's the difference [between success and failure]."

It was also Mahrez's third penalty failure in his past four attempts, though Guardiola is not going to stop him taking future spot-kicks.

"I admire the courage. Riyad, with the last penalties scored a lot last season in important moments, so in that situation I admire the courage," he added.

"If he feels [able] next time he has a penalty, he's going to take it. But of course we have to improve."

Manchester City sealed their Champions League progress as group winners despite Riyad Mahrez missing a penalty and Erling Haaland being kept quiet on his return to Borussia Dortmund in a 0-0 draw.

Pep Guardiola's rode their luck at times on Tuesday and also wasted a glorious chance to claim victory at Signal Iduna Park, but they always knew a point would be enough to win Group G.

That did not always look a given, though. City could not handle Karim Adeyemi before half-time, the young forward teeing up team-mates three times and also missing a presentable chance of his own.

The away side looked brighter after Haaland's half-time withdrawal, but the Norwegian surely would have taken the penalty that Mahrez had saved; it had no bearing on City's main objective, however.

City's first fortunate escape came as Dortmund threatened in the 16th minute, Adeyemi hitting a feeble effort at Stefan Ortega after being released into the right side of the box.

He showed greater composure in a similar scenario a few moments later, opting to pass across the area to Giovanni Reyna, but the American's eventual shot was tame.

More good work from Adeyemi went unrewarded just past the half-hour mark, with Youssoufa Moukoko inexplicably missing the target from close range after latching on to a square pass.

Guardiola responded to City's lack of control by bringing Bernardo Silva on for Haaland.

The change had the desired effect, but it meant the lethal Haaland was unavailable for penalty duties after Emre Can clumsily fouled Mahrez, whose subsequent spot-kick was saved by Gregor Kobel.

A Julian Alvarez snapshot was also parried by Kobel, who ensured Dortmund held on to the point that takes them through.

 

Pep Guardiola praised Jude Bellingham's "special mentality" as Manchester City prepare to face the Borussia Dortmund man in Tuesday's Champions League encounter.

City travel to Signal Iduna Park this week already assured of their place in the knockout rounds, thanks in no small part to a former Black and Yellow star in striker Erling Haaland.

But following the Norway international's exit from the Bundesliga club, it has been England international Bellingham soaking up the plaudits this term.

The 19-year-old captained Dortmund in both domestic and European competition for the first time earlier this month, and now Guardiola has praised him as "the whole package".

"I think Dortmund is a perfect place for young, talented players," he stated. "Maybe [if] Bellingham went to a top Premier League team, he wouldn't get the minutes.

"The best way for a young player to get better is to play. He has a special mentality. He is already one of their captains - [for it] to happen at 19 is impressive.

"It's not just about the goals, the whole package is really good. He's already playing for England at 19. We know the quality that he has."

With their hosts still requiring a result to secure their own qualification, Guardiola knows he will face a tough test in Germany and is relishing his side playing in front of the famous Yellow Wall once again.

"It's a fantastic stadium and everybody knows it," he added. "The atmosphere, the attractive football they play. I'm happy to be back here."

Benfica could dump Juventus out of the Champions League, while Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are among the other clubs who can seal a round-of-16 spot on Tuesday.

Juve must win at Benfica to have any chance from qualifying from Group H, while a victory will be enough to see the home side through. They can also advance with a point if Maccabi Haifa are unable to beat PSG.

The Ligue 1 champions will be through with a victory at the Parc des Princes or if they draw and Juve fail to win in Lisbon.

Chelsea travel to Salzburg as the Group E leaders and are guaranteed to progress if they win, while the Austrian side also remain in the hunt to qualify. The Premier League club can also go through if they draw and third-placed Milan defeat Dinamo Zagreb, who are bottom but only three points behind the leaders.

Borussia Dortmund will be sure to join Manchester City in getting out of Group G if they secure a home win over Pep Guardiola's side, who could win the pool with a game to spare. Real Madrid are in a similar situation to City, while RB Leipzig bid to join the holders in the knockout stage.

Ahead of another tense night of action, Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta numbers for the eight matches.

Benfica v Juventus

Juve have lost all three of their European matches away at Benfica, with their most recent loss a 2-1 Europa League defeat in 2014. 

The Turin giants only have one victory home or away in the seven previous meetings between the two famous clubs, Jurgen Kohler, Dino Baggio and Fabrizio Ravanelli on target in a 3-0 UEFA Cup clash in 1993.

Benfica could qualify for the knockout stage for a second consecutive season, a back-to-back feat they have only previously achieved in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons under Rui Vitoria. 

Juve could be eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when Antonio Conte was in charge.

Paris Saint-Germain v Maccabi Haifa

Maccabi are winless in three away European games (including qualifiers) in France, losing two and drawing in a Cup Winners' Cup tie at PSG back in 1998.

PSG have only lost one of their past 32 group stage games at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League (W25 D6), with their lone defeat during that run coming against Manchester United in October 2020 (1-2). They have averaged 2.7 goals per game in those fixtures, scoring 86.

Since Kylian Mbappe's Champions League debut in September 2016, only Robert Lewandowski has been directly involved in more non-penalty goals (55) than the France forward (54 – 34 goals, 20 assists). 

Omer Atzili has scored twice for Maccabi in the Champions League this season. The last Israeli player to net more in a single campaign in the competition was Eran Zahav, who scored three for Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2010-11.

Salzburg v Chelsea 

Chelsea have only played two away European matches in Austria, losing 1-0 at Weiner Sport-Club in November 1965 in the Fairs Cup and drawing 1-1 against Austria Vienna in November 1994 in the Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Salzburg are winless in all seven of their European matches against English teams (D2 L5), failing to beat Blackburn Rovers (D1 L1), Manchester City (L2), Liverpool (L2) and Chelsea (D1).

In-form Chelsea have won back-to-back Champions League games, beating Milan 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and 2-0 at the San Siro. The last time they won three games in a row in the competition by a margin of at least two goals was in October-November 2013.

Salzburg have scored exactly one goal in each of their past seven games in the Champions League – only one team have ever had a longer run of scoring a single goal in the competition, with Olympiacos doing so in 10 in a row in a run ending in November 2005. 

Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City

No player has been directly involved in more goals than City's Erling Haaland (five goals) or Dortmund's Jude Bellingham (four goals, one assist) during the group stage this season.

Dortmund have won just one of their five Champions League matches against City (D1 L3), a 1-0 home victory in the 2012-13 group stage. 

No full-back has been involved in more sequences of play that have ended in shots (29) or goals (five) thans Joao Cancelo in the Champions League this season. The Portugal international has provided three assists in four games, equalling his season-best tally in a Champions League campaign (three in nine games last season). 

If Haaland scores on his return to face his former club, it will be the third time he has scored in five or more consecutive appearances in the Champions League. Only five players have achieved that feat on three occasions – Cristiano Ronaldo (five), Lionel Messi (three), Lewandowski (three), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (three) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (three). 

Other fixtures:

RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

13 – Madrid are unbeaten in their past 13 games against German sides in European competition (W9 D4), scoring at least two goals in every game during this run (31 in total). 

3 – Leipzig will be looking to win three consecutive Champions League games for just the second time – they won three in a row between February and August 2020, beating Tottenham twice and Atletico Madrid once. 

Dinamo Zagreb v Milan

5 – Dinamo have lost all five of their matches against Milan in European competition (including qualifiers). Against no side have they lost more games in their European history (also five v Ajax). 

100 – Milan's 100 per cent record against Dinamo – winning five out of five games against them – is their best against any side in Europe.

Sevilla v Copenhagen

29 – The average age of Sevilla's starting line-up in the Champions League this season is 29 years and 73 days, the second-oldest of any side in the competition this term after Rangers (29 years 96 days). 

13 – Copenhagen are winless in all 13 of their major European matches against Spanish teams (D5 L8), losing their last three on Spanish soil. 

Celtic v Shakhtar Donetsk 

– Celtic have lost seven of their past eight games in the Champions League (D1) and are looking for their first win in the competition since September 2017 (3-0 v Anderlecht).

0 – Shakhtar have never won a Champions League away match against a British team, losing on eight of their nine total trips. They did avoid defeat in the most recent one, however, drawing 1-1 against Manchester City in November 2019. 

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