Roses are red, violets are blue, have we got the perfect Valentine's Day content for you!

(Very) questionable rhymes aside, love is in the air as long-standing couples and newly formed relationships celebrate the day of romance on Tuesday.

The Premier League is certainly no stranger to the language of love, so while cracking open a bottle of red and exchanging cheap tat with your significant other, why not get some inspiration for love with our Valentine's Day facts with some help from Cupid!

Well, maybe not Cupid, but Opta – and the team at Opta are full of love!

MATT LE KISS-IER'S FOND VALENTINE'S DAY MEMORY

Valentine's Day is of course a day for love (and overpaying for those last-minute flowers and cards you almost forgot to buy…).

Three players who've enjoyed a particularly joyous February 14 in the past are Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who have each scored three times in the Premier League on this date – no one has managed more.

All three of those were Valentine's Day hat-tricks as well.

Le Tissier registered three against the Reds back in 1994; Owen took home the match ball with a treble for Liverpool versus Sheffield Wednesday four years later; Aubameyang broke Leeds United hearts in 2021 with Arsenal.

COUPLE GOALS

Sharing's caring, as they say.

Mutual support is a key component of any healthy relationship, particularly the relationship between a striker and their fellow forwards…

If there's any Premier League pairing that sums up "couple goals", it has to be Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

The Tottenham duo have directly linked up for 44 goals in the league, more than any other pairing in Premier League history.

No couple have ever combined for more than one goal on Valentine's Day, though Philippe Coutinho and the late Jose Antonio Reyes have shared the love on the most romantic day of the year – they have tallied two assists each on February 14, more than anyone else.

CARDS GALORE

Whether from a partner or a secret admirer, it's always nice to receive a card or two on Valentine's Day.

Unless of course you're playing in the Premier League, in which case you want to see the referees keep their cards in their pockets.

In this regard, Leicester City have been the most prolific, their nine yellow cards on Valentine's Day being more than any other team have received. Arsenal follow with six.

The Foxes also fare badly when it comes to red cards, having earned two on February 14 – Danny Simpson (2016) and Hamza Choudhury (2020) account for those dismissals.

The only other player to receive a red card on Valentine's Day is Everton hero Duncan Ferguson ... no, we weren't shocked either.

LOVE IS BLIND'S TEAM-MATE

Donald Love's name gets a good airing all over social media every February 14 given it's ripe for Valentine's Day punnery.

The defender, who now plays for Morecambe in League One, made his Manchester United debut the day before Valentine's Day in 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, who he would also go on to play for.

In that game, he slotted in on the right of a back four that also included another pun-magnet in Daley Blind. So, on Valentine's Day 2016, you could have legitimately said Love is Blind...'s team-mate.

Love never went on to play a Premier League game on Valentine's Day, which for obvious reasons is rather regrettable.

SHORT AND SWEET

Valentine's Days come and go, but in football as in life, not every relationship stands the test of time.

In the Premier League, there have been three players to make their only appearance in the competition on February 14.

Neil Cutler's brief fling with Aston Villa resulted in a one-off appearance in 2000; Shay Logan appeared for Manchester City seven years later; and in 2021 the fittingly named Niall Huggins got his sole outing for Leeds United.

It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all… and our heart goes out to those in that singles club.

The second set of Champions League last-16 fixtures to take place this week is full of intrigue, with the continent's biggest-spending club of the January transfer window in need of a result.

Graham Potter's Chelsea forked out an estimated £291million to reshape their squad last month, but the misfiring Blues have won just one of their eight games this calendar year. 

For all his struggles on the domestic front, Potter has yet to suffer a Champions League defeat with Chelsea, and maintaining that record at Borussia Dortmund would give them an excellent chance of reaching the last eight.

Potter is not the only under-fire English boss to take centre stage on Wednesday, with former Fulham and Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker overseeing Club Brugge's clash with Benfica.

With just one win in nine games since the World Cup, Brugge will be considered outsiders against the Lisbon giants, who were outstanding as they finished above Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus in Group H.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the key Opta numbers ahead of Wednesday's first-leg match-ups. 

Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea

Somewhat surprisingly given their statuses as European regulars, Dortmund and Chelsea will do battle for the first time in continental competition on Wednesday.

The omens are not particularly good for either side, as a BVB team without a win in their last 10 European meetings with English opponents (D2 L8) face a Chelsea side with just three victories in 11 previous away games in Germany (D3 L5).

Dortmund's last win over Premier League opponents came against Tottenham in the Europa League in 2016, with current Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netting twice in a 2-1 triumph.

Aubameyang will not be welcomed back by the yellow wall on Wednesday, however, having been left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad following their huge spending spree.

Instead, Germany international Kai Havertz may lead the line as he bids for a first career goal against BVB – his seven appearances without netting against Dortmund are more than he has managed against any other club.

Dortmund, meanwhile, could hand Sebastien Haller his first Champions League appearance for the club following his recovery from testicular cancer. The former Ajax man has more goals in his first eight games in the competition (11) than any other player.

Additionally, Haller has averaged a goal every 61 minutes of Champions League football, the best ratio in the competition's history (minimum 250 minutes played).

Should Chelsea keep Haller quiet en route to victory, Potter would become the first English manager to win five consecutive Champions League matches, with a 1-1 draw against Salzburg in his first game at the helm the only blot on his European record with the Blues.

Club Brugge v Benfica

Two of the group stage's surprise packages meet in Belgium, with Brugge having escaped Group B at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid, while Benfica bested PSG and Juventus.

Brugge boss Parker has struggled since replacing Carl Hoefkens, but he will join an exclusive club on Wednesday as just the third English coach to lead a non-English team in the Champions League, after Bobby Robson (Porto and PSV) and Gary Neville (Valencia).

In Parker and Potter, meanwhile, two different English managers will coach in the same Champions League campaign for the first time in the competition's history.

Benfica are sure to make things difficult for Parker's team. The Portuguese giants are unbeaten in their last seven Champions League games (W4 D3) and are chasing three consecutive wins in the competition for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

In the group stage, Benfica generated more shots (14) and scored more goals (five) following high turnovers (open-play sequences starting within 40 metres of the opponent's goal) than any other team, showing their devastating counter-attacking abilities.

Benfica also have the highest conversion rate of any team, netting with 20 per cent of their shots in the Champions League this term (16/80).

Home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, then, could be in for a busy outing. Fortunately for Brugge, he has prevented more goals than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League this season (6.3) – being beaten four times from 10.3 expected goals on target faced.

Pep Guardiola is unsure if Erling Haaland will be available for Manchester City's huge Premier League showdown with title rivals Arsenal.

Norway international Haaland was substituted at half-time of City's 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday with what Guardiola described after the game as "a big knock".

The 22-year-old is therefore considered a doubt for Wednesday's trip to leaders Arsenal, despite taking part in Monday's recovery training session with the rest of his team-mates.

Providing an update at a press conference on the eve of the match at Emirates Stadium between first and second, Guardiola gave little away on Haaland's fitness.

"We train this afternoon. Right now, I don't know. Yesterday was a recovery day after playing Aston Villa. That's all."

Haaland has found the net 31 times in 29 appearances since joining City from Borussia Dortmund – six goals more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues.

That tally includes 25 goals in 21 Premier League outings, though he has scored in only two of City's six games in the competition this calendar year, albeit netting four times.

City will give Haaland every chance of being available for the huge contest as the reigning champions look to close the three-point gap on Arsenal, who have a game in hand.

Guardiola's side have won three of their past four league games, whereas Arsenal have just two victories in their past five outings.

The two sides face off again in April and Guardiola insists nothing will be decided on Wednesday in terms of where the title ends up.

"So far, they are the best team in the league," Guardiola said. "We felt it a couple of weeks ago when we played them [in the FA Cup]. The commitment, they are sharp. 

"It will be a big, big battle. In all departments, you have to be ready.

"Every game is different. You can play good and win and everything is perfect but tomorrow you could lose. There are many games to play. 

"Tomorrow is an important one, everyone knows it, and we'll try to do our best. It's important because we can take the points, and stop the best team [in the league] from doing so.

"But I have a feeling many things can happen. Tomorrow can help us be there, but there are many games, tough games. We cannot deny it's important to prove ourselves."

Mikel Arteta enjoyed a successful period working alongside Guardiola, but City are the only side he has failed to beat in the league as Arsenal manager, losing all five games.

Regardless of Arsenal's poor record in this fixture, Guardiola believes Arteta's experience of winning the Premier League could be a factor come the end of the campaign.

"I would say if there are three or four games left and the difference is one point, maybe it could be important," he said. 

"There are a lot of points to play for. This is an important match, but there are many more to come."

City have won each of their past 22 Premier League games on a Wednesday, with that the longest winning run on a specific day of the week in the competition's history.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl remains hopeful Jude Bellingham could sign a new contract with the club, but he admits that may be "wishful thinking" on his part.

Bellingham is widely expected to leave Dortmund in the near future, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool heavily linked with the 19-year-old.

The England midfielder's Dortmund deal expires in 2025, but reports have suggested a sale in the next transfer window is likely, in order to allow his club to extract a bigger transfer fee.

Kehl, however, has not given up hope of keeping Bellingham at Signal Iduna Park for the long term.

Asked if there was any update on Bellingham's future, Kehl told Ruhr Nachrichten: "There has been no new development. We'll have to be patient for a little longer. 

"But of course we're trying to keep Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund as long as possible, because he's an incredibly important player who has shown once again this season how he identifies with this club and makes the team better.

"I would also like to still have Erling Haaland or Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund. Because you can only imagine if we had managed to keep all three players in one team, what opportunities would then arise.

"Things develop due to market mechanisms. So of course, I have my thoughts and also have my wishful thinking. I can't say whether that will happen in the end. 

"From Borussia Dortmund's point of view, the wishful thinking would be to keep a player of this quality at this club for as long as possible. 

"We will always try everything to keep players of this quality at BVB – because we are ambitious, because we want to win titles. For this, we need not only good but outstanding players."

Bellingham leads his Dortmund team-mates for goals (10), tackles (70) and duels (388) this term, with the midfield all-rounder only seeing his tally of six assists bettered by Raphael Guerreiro (seven).

Dortmund host Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, looking to end a 10-match winless run against English teams in European competitions dating back to 2016 (D2 L8).

The Boston Celtics will hit the road on Tuesday to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview.

In a tantalising battle between the top two teams in the East, it will also be a clash between two of the NBA's top-four defenses this season.

The Celtics will head into the contest boasting the rare statistical profile of the fourth-best defense (conceding 110.5 points per 100 possessions) and the third-best offense (116.8 points per 100 possessions). 

Meanwhile, the Bucks have relied primarily on their second-ranked defense (109.7), grinding out wins despite their offense ranking only 21st (112.6).

While their offensive production has differed, the way these two sides approach the game is very similar. They are two of the most perimeter-centric offenses in the league, both top-five in average three-point attempts, while both also sit bottom-five in average points in the paint.

It makes sense that, because both of these teams so heavily value the three-point shot, they also make just as much of an effort to disrupt that area for their opponents. They are both top-six in limiting opponent three-point makes, presenting an interesting conundrum.

Two teams who want to bomb away from deep, who also know exactly how to run their opposition off the three-point line, forcing them to take a step inside and attempt less valuable two-point jump shots, or daring them to finish at the basket against elite rim protectors.

They are also the best two teams in the league at limiting opposition free throw attempts, meaning that even when they force opponents inside into traffic, they are challenging without fouling.

But the wrench in that equation is Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who lives in the paint, contributes nearly half (19.0) of his side's 45.4 points in the paint per game, and leads the league in free throw attempts (13.8 per game).

It puts the opposition in a quandary – do you follow the scouting report and try to limit the Bucks' three-point shooting, potentially giving Antetokounmpo the free rein to dominate inside, or do you go all-in on stopping the former back-to-back MVP and force somebody else to hit shots?

That is not to say the Celtics' stars are incapable of getting into the paint – with both Jaylen Brown (11.7 paint points per game) and Jayson Tatum (11.5) in the top-20 in the league – but Brown is the primary slasher of the pair, and will miss this game with a broken bone in his face.

Brown will be joined on the sideline by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, meaning Tatum will not just be the Celtics' most important offensive player, he will also be their top perimeter defender.

The Celtics are struggling in the health department right now, while the Bucks are trending in the right direction. Both Milwaukee All-Stars – Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday – will play, and All-NBA wing Khris Middleton has games of 22 points and 24 points in his past three after recovering from his own serious injury.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Boston Celtics – Robert Williams III

Smart will be missed, but there is arguably not a more valuable defender to the Celtics than Robert Williams III – especially against an interior force like Antetokounmpo.

The 25-year-old came from out of nowhere to force his way onto the NBA All-Defensive Second Team last season, finishing fourth in the league for blocks per game (2.2). That block figure has come back down to earth this season – still a team-leading 1.2 per game – but, simply put, the Celtics are a force defensively with him on the court. 

During his minutes, the Celtics concede only 104.8 points per 100 possessions – the fourth-best figure for any player averaging at least 20 minutes per game – which is over five points better than the league's best defense this season (Cleveland Cavaliers, 108.9).

Kyrie Irving scored 26 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter but it was not enough as the fast-finishing Dallas Mavericks lost 124-121 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Irving and Luka Doncic (33 points) combined for 69 points for the Mavs, who trailed 100-82 at three-quarter time and rallied from a 26-point deficit.

The Mavs point guard, however, lost the ball to Taurean Prince with an errant pass on the final possession, denying Dallas getting a shot away to tie the game after a disrupted play where he exchanged passes with Doncic.

Irving's 26-point fourth quarter was the highest scoring quarter of his career, finishing the game on 15-of-23 shooting with four-of-nine from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and six assists.

Doncic had 12 rebounds and six assists with his 33 points, while Christian Wood added 24 points off the bench.

For the triumphant Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 32 points with five rebounds, while Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 14 rebounds.

The defeat means the Mavs have lost both games Doncic and Irving have played together since the latter's trade from the Brooklyn Nets last week.

Lillard leads long-range Blazers blitz over Lakers

Damien Lillard scored 40 points as the Portland Trail Blazers hit 23 three-pointers in a 127-115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were missing LeBron James for the third straight game with a sore left ankle.

The Blazers' 23 triples were a season-best, while they broke their first-half franchise record with 17 three-pointers. Lillard led the way from range, making eight-of-14 three-point attempts.

Malik Beasley came off the bench to top score for the Lakers with 22 points, including six three-pointers, while Anthony Davis scored 19 points with 20 rebounds and three blocks.

Mitchell stars as Spurs lose 13th straight

Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points with five three-pointers as the Cleveland Cavaliers condemned the San Antonio Spurs to a joint franchise record 13th straight defeat.

The Cavs won 117-109 led by Mitchell with Jarrett Allen adding 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, securing their seventh successive victory to improve their record to 38-22.

The loss leaves San Antonio with a 14-44 record, with their run of defeats marking their worst since the 1988-89 season.

Simone Inzaghi conceded runaway Serie A leaders Napoli are unreachable for Inter after expressing disappointment for a wasteful performance at Sampdoria.

Inter trail the in-form Napoli by 15 points at the Italian top-flight summit after being held to a goalless draw by strugglers Sampdoria on Monday at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

The Nerazzurri attempted 25 shots in a one-sided contest, the first time Inter have recorded as many shots without scoring in a Serie A match since February 2022 (29 at home to Sassuolo).

Inzaghi's side have failed to score in two of their past four Serie A matches, as many times as in their previous 31 matches in the competition, and the Inter head coach acknowledged his team's shortfalls.

"It's normal to be disappointed, we wanted another result – we didn't underestimate the game," he told DAZN. "We had a good first half, less the second.

"There were many chances created against a team that gave everything on the pitch. We had to make the most of them.

"There is regret because the boys played the match in the right way, playing it as we had prepared for it. We had to be calmer and capitalise on the opportunities better."

When asked if Luciano Spalletti's Napoli were uncatchable, Inzaghi responded: "Definitely that, but we have to look only at our progress.

"We came from three victories in a row and tonight we wanted to achieve a different result. There is a lot of bitterness as it should be."

Lautaro Martinez spurned a glorious last-minute opportunity after a scramble inside the area, with second-bottom Sampdoria hanging on for a vital point.

The Argentina international attempted six shots without finding the net, the most efforts he has managed in a match without scoring in Serie A since facing Sampdoria on May 22 last year.

But Inzaghi was not unhappy with what he saw from his strikers Martinez and Romelu Lukaku before a late cameo from veteran Edin Dzeko.

"Lukaku is working a lot more and more every day, he needs playing time," he added. "Lautaro and Dzeko are doing great things.

"Tonight [Lukaku] held the ball well, he could have scored with a dirtier shot then he dropped a bit in the second half."

Lukaku and Nicolo Barella could be seen arguing in a frustrating first half, with the striker waving his finger at the Italy international after a disagreement.

"They had this squabble in front of my bench, these are things I don't like but we talked about it at the end of the first half and it was all already resolved," Inzaghi continued.

"But it certainly shouldn't happen again because it's not a pretty sight. They are things on the pitch, probably with a victory would not have even been talked about."

Cody Gakpo scored his first goal for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah was on target as Everton were consigned to a 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.

The Reds' hopes of securing a top-four finish had been rocked by a run of four top-flight games without a win, but they got their first Premier League victory of 2023 on Monday.

Salah rounded off a blistering counter-attack 12 seconds after James Tarkowski had struck the post with his 18th goal of the season, having failed to find the back of the net in his previous five matches, late in the first half.

Gakpo got off the mark early in the second half as Liverpool moved up a spot to ninth and kept their neighbours in the relegation zone by consigning boss Sean Dyche to a first defeat, with substitute appearances for the fit-again Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino also providing boosts for Jurgen Klopp.

Netherlands forward Gakpo spurned a good chance to open the scoring when he headed wide from close range early in a frantic start.

Tarkowski came agonisingly close to scoring a second goal in as many games after his winner against Arsenal when he rose to meet Alex Iwobi's corner with a header that struck that post, and Liverpool were in front moments later.

Everton were badly caught out on the break as Darwin Nunez darted forward and picked out Salah, who tucked into an empty net with Jordan Pickford in no man's land nine minutes before the break.

The Toffees were once again caught on the break four minutes into the second half, when Conor Cody failed to deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold's dangerous cross and Gakpo got off the mark with a tap-in.

Nunez was denied by Pickford from tight angle and bent an effort just wide after being set up by Gakpo as Everton continued to be opened up all too easily.

Ellis Simms was withdrawn after being handed a start with Dominic Calvert-Lewin unfit, before Jota and Firmino were given great ovations when they came off the bench, and Tom Davies' glaring miss with a header from close range summed up Everton's day.

Inter dropped further ground on runaway Serie A leaders Napoli after a wasteful performance resulted in a goalless draw at Sampdoria on Monday.

Simone Inzaghi's side had won seven of nine games across all competitions in an impressive start to 2023, but drew a blank at Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

Dejan Stankovic's hosts offered little in attack throughout, with Inter's 13 first-half attempts in a one-sided contest going unrewarded before a similarly dominant second period.

The Nerazzurri were unable to find the required breakthrough, however, with the stalemate leaving Inter trailing Napoli by 15 points and leading the chasing pack for second by just three.

Emil Audero parried away a thumping Romelu Lukaku effort and Hakan Calhanoglu drilled narrowly wide as Inter dictated the opening proceedings.

Matteo Darmian blazed just over after Lautaro Martinez inexplicably failed to connect from close range, before Robin Gosens went close with a headed attempt as Inzaghi's visitors failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance.

Manolo Gabbiadini dragged a rare Sampdoria opportunity off target after the interval, albeit Inter continued to monopolise possession in search of an elusive opener.

Audero thwarted a stinging Calhanoglu effort before the Turkey international curled just the wrong side of the goalkeeper's left post.

The Sampdoria goalkeeper tipped over a long-range Francesco Acerbi drive before Martinez somehow failed to convert a last-minute scramble inside the area as Inter were unable to find a deserved late winner.

What does it mean? Rare draw halts Inter roll

Inter had won nine of their past 11 meetings with Sampdoria in Serie A, winning their past two 3-0, therefore a stalemate with the league's second-bottom side may come as a surprise.

The nature of the result marked a rare feat for Inter, too, with it just their second draw in their past 31 Italian top-flight games – stunting their run as they looked for an eighth win in 10 games across all competitions since the new year began.

Napoli are all but crowned Scudetto champions already, but with Porto on the horizon in the Champions League later in February, Inzaghi will appreciate Inter must improve going forward.

Nuytinck neutralises Inter attack

Bram Nuytinck was the star of the show for the Sampdoria backline, capably supported by goalkeeper and captain Audero behind him.

The Dutch 32-year-old defender showed all of his experience in a resolute performance, making the most tackles (four) and most clearances (nine) of any player on the pitch. 

Gabbiadini struggles

Gabbiadini has scored three Serie A goals in 2023, after having a hand in only four goals (two goals, two assists) in the whole of last year. 

But the Samp striker struggled in this game, failing to hit the target with two presentable chances to leave his tally at just one goal in 12 meetings with Inter in the competition.

What's next?

Inter are at home to Udinese on Saturday, when Sampdoria host Bologna.

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann is "preparing for all scenarios" against Paris Saint-Germain, who will make a late decision on whether to field Kylian Mbappe.

France international Mbappe returned to training on the eve of Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at the Parc des Princes.

The 24-year-old had initially been ruled out of the match after sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

While Mbappe has been included in PSG's 22-man squad, Christophe Galtier said on Monday he will wait until the day of the game before making a decision on his involvement.

Lionel Messi is also not fully fit, having sat out Saturday's Ligue 1 defeat to Monaco, but Nagelsmann is preparing for the possibility of both players featuring.

"If they both play, then they'll be fit," Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference. "Messi in particular is a player who knows how to play when he hasn't trained a lot. 

"I don't know if Kylian Mbappe will play from the start. We will prepare for all scenarios. Both can hurt any team in the world. But we will be ready.

"Our job will be to be ready for Mbappe, too, no matter whether he plays. We are generally prepared for different scenarios, but the game will not depend on that alone.

"We mustn't make the mistake of only focusing on the superstars. But PSG are also concerned about how to stop our players as well."

Mbappe has scored 34 and assisted 23 in 50 Champions League appearances since his PSG debut in 2017 – no other players has managed 20 goals and 20 assists in that time.

PSG have struggled in the superstar forward's absence, having followed up a shock Coupe de France loss against Marseille with defeat to Monaco in the league.

Bayern have responded to a slow start to 2023 with three straight wins, meanwhile, but whether this season is deemed a success will come down to how they perform in Europe.

"I would like to progress. In knockout games, progressing is always important," Nagelsmann said. "You don't have many chances in the Champions League.

"All teams want to win the Champions League. It's one of my dreams to win the Champions League. It's an important game for Bayern and an important game for me. 

"Of course, a season is rated differently when you get far in the Champions League."

Bayern have won five of their previous 11 meetings with PSG, each of those coming in the Champions League, while the Ligue 1 giants have prevailed six times.

In a repeat of the 2019-20 Champions League final, which Bayern edged 1-0, Nagelsmann insists there is nothing to separate the reigning champions of Germany and France.

"It will be an even duel, a 50-50 game," the Bayern boss said. "It's not a do-or-die game at this point, but we'll try to put in a good away performance.

"The Champions League provides a completely different kind of motivation, so you don't have to make the players extra hot ahead of the game."

Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Bayern have the highest win percentage (86.5 per cent) and the most total victories (32) of any team in the Champions League. 

Indeed, despite playing 37 matches in the competition during that period, no team have lost fewer games than them (two).

Christophe Galtier will make a late call on whether to use Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich.

The France forward returned to training ahead of schedule on Monday and has been included in PSG's 22-man squad for Tuesday's match at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe had been ruled out of the match after sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

While he came through his first training session back unscathed, Galtier will not risk the 24-year-old unless he feels ready to play a part.

"He's done everything possible to make himself available for this match," Galtier said during a press conference on the eve of the game. "He's trained the day before the match and felt good.

"We'll see tomorrow morning how he feels. The first person I'll listen to will be Kylian, then I'll make the wisest decision. He won't be on the bench to make up the numbers."

Mbappe trained alongside fellow superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar, who are both expected to start against Bundesliga leaders Bayern.

"I'm surprised to see him back, yes. But we know Kylian's ability to recover faster than some," Galtier added.

"He trained as part of the team and was there for the whole session. His post-training feedback is very positive. But whether he'll be on the team sheet, I don't know."

Since making his PSG debut in 2017, Mbappe has recorded 57 goal contributions (34 goals and 23 assists) in 50 Champions League appearances.

During that timeframe, no other player has managed 20 goals and 20 assists in the competition.

Neymar, who was sat alongside Galtier at Monday's press conference, is hoping his team-mate will be able to join him and Messi in the frontline.

"He's an extremely important player, a great player," Neymar said. "When the three of us are together, we feel very strong. He told me he felt good. These are good signs."

PSG have struggled in Mbappe's short absence, having exited the Coupe de France against Marseille last week before losing 3-1 at Monaco in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Galtier is already under pressure just seven months after taking over, with the Champions League now taking on even more importance for the former Lille and Nice boss.

With the stakes so high in the blockbuster tie played over two legs between the reigning champions of France and Germany, Galtier is confident his players will step up.

"There is always pressure when you are a PSG coach, even more so in the Champions League," he said. "I don't think about my future at all. I am determined.

"The team I field tomorrow will look different to the one against Monaco. In these major games, I know my players know how to raise their level of play and their standards."

PSG have defeated Bayern in six of their previous 11 meetings, each of those coming in the Champions League, with the Bavarian giants prevailing five times.

"It's 50-50," Galtier said when asked who are the favourites to advance. "It's the Champions League. My players are used to these big meetings.

"No side will go through at the end of the first match, but I know I now have a more complete squad than previously in the competition."

Neil Warnock has come out of retirement to take over as manager of Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town.

The 74-year-old announced his retirement last April, five months after leaving Middlesbrough.

Warnock is now back in the dugout for the 18th permanent position of his managerial career, with this his second spell in charge of Huddersfield.

He returns to the club almost 30 years after his first stint, during which time he earned the Terriers' promotion to the second tier via the play-offs in the 1994-95 campaign.

"I'm really excited about this challenge," Warnock told Huddersfield's official website. 

"My first spell at Huddersfield Town had everything; we went to Wembley twice, moved into the new stadium, and really built the club from nothing. It was a special time.

"I'm coming back to help the club, but also [chairman] Dean Hoyle. I know what he has done behind the scenes and I've always had a lot of time for him.

"I've looked at the fixtures and we've got some fantastic games to come. I want to come back and put smiles on faces."

At the age of 74 years and 74 days, Warnock is 10 years older than the next-oldest manager in England's top four tiers – recently appointed Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy.

Warnock, whose coaching career started with Gainsborough Trinity in 1980, has managed 1,599 games in the top four tiers of English football, including the Premier League.

That is just two short of equalling the all-time record held by former Crewe Alexandra manager Dario Gradi.

His longest spell came at Sheffield United, where he managed for 388 games across eight years at the helm. 

Huddersfield are one point from safety in the Championship relegation zone and travel to Stoke City in Warnock's first game back in charge on Wednesday.

Stefano Pioli is relishing Tuesday's meeting with old foe Antonio Conte as Milan prepare to host Tottenham in their first outing in the Champions League knockout stages since 2014.

Milan finished second to Chelsea in Group E to progress to the last 16 for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when they were hammered 5-1 on aggregate by Atletico Madrid.

Conte's Tottenham stand between Milan and a spot in the last eight, with the former Juventus and Inter boss one of five Italian coaches still present in the competition.

Conte has won eight of his last nine games against Milan (L1) in a run dating back to 2013, and he joins Pioli, Inter's Simone Inzaghi, Napoli's Luciano Spalletti and Real Madrid's Champions League specialist Carlo Ancelotti on an impressive list of Italian bosses to escape the group stage.

Asked who was the strongest of those coaches at Monday's pre-match press conference, Pioli said: "Ancelotti is a symbol but so are Conte and Spalletti. 

"There are lots of good coaches, we have a good school and important characteristics. 

"Conte is a great coach and one of the few colleagues who called to congratulate me on the Scudetto last season.

"It will be a difficult challenge, inevitably it will be like this for a quarter-final place. A week ago they beat Manchester City. It will be a great game that we will have to play well."

Despite Milan's absence from the latter stages of the competition in recent years, only Real Madrid (14) can better the Rossoneri's tally of seven European Cup/Champions League titles.

Asked whether Milan's illustrious history in the competition could present a psychological barrier for Spurs, Pioli said: "I can't know what our opponents are experiencing, I know what we feel. 

"We are highly motivated and it's normal. We only think up to Tottenham. Winning the Champions League is a dream today but it's useless to think about it now."

With Milan 18 points adrift of Serie A leaders Napoli and suffering defeats in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana last month, their Champions League tie against Spurs will go a long way to dictating whether their season is deemed a success.  

Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of his press conference, Pioli described the tie as the most crucial occasion of his career.

"They will be the two most important matches of my career, having never played in a Champions League round of 16. We have prepared ourselves in the best possible way," he said.

"Our aim is to play with more pace and intensity, you can't ignore that in these competitions. We have prepared ourselves to be up to it."

The last 16 of the Champions League gets underway on Tuesday with two potentially fascinating encounters.

Milan host Tottenham in the Rossoneri's first Champions League knockout game since the 2013-14 season, while two of the favourites in this year's competition, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, face off in the French capital.

Neither Milan nor Spurs come into their first leg in the best form, with Stefano Pioli's side getting their first win in eight games on Friday against Torino, while their English opponents were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City.

PSG are also faltering, having lost 3-1 at Monaco at the weekend, leading to fan protests and Presnel Kimpembe having to calm them down through a megaphone.

Bayern will hope to add to the problems of Christophe Galtier's men, who seem likely to be without Kylian Mbappe, but Julian Nagelsmann admitted his own players are "not in the flow" in spite of their 3-0 win against Bochum on Saturday.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some Opta numbers ahead of the first pair of Champions League knockout games.

Milan v Tottenham

This will be the fifth competitive meeting between Milan and Tottenham, with the Premier League side unbeaten across each of the previous four (W2 D2).

They last played each other in the 2010-11 campaign at the same stage of the Champions League. Spurs won 1-0 on aggregate, with Peter Crouch scoring the only goal of the tie.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte has won eight of his last nine games as a head coach against Milan (L1), between 2013 and 2021. Indeed, he has seen his side win and keep a clean sheet in each of his last three trips to face the Rossoneri away from home (2-0 in 2014, 2-0 in 2019 and 3-0 in 2021 – all in Serie A).

Conte will be looking to win consecutive away games in the Champions League for just the second time in his managerial career, having last done so in the 2012-13 campaign when he was at Juventus (1-0 v Shakhtar Donetsk and 3-0 v Celtic).

Olivier Giroud has been directly involved in six goals for Milan in the Champions League (four goals and two assists) – the last player with more in a single campaign in the competition for the club was Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2011-12 season (nine – five goals and four assists).

Ivan Perisic has three assists in five appearances for Spurs in the Champions League, already his joint-most for a club among the four he has played for in the competition: three in 10 games for Bayern, one in 20 for Inter and none in 11 for Borussia Dortmund.

The three players to have recovered possession most often in the middle third of the pitch in the Champions League this season all play for either Milan or Spurs: Rodrigo Bentancur (34), Ismael Bennacer (32) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (31), though Bentancur will be missing after suffering a season-ending knee injury at the weekend.

Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich

PSG have faced Bayern on 11 previous occasions, with all of them coming in the Champions League. The teams are separated by just one victory (six for PSG and five for Bayern), while they have scored the same number of goals (15 each).

Among teams who have faced Bayern on 10+ occasions in the Champions League, PSG are the team with the highest win percentage against them (55).

Bayern won all six of their group games this season, scoring 18 goals and only conceding twice. The only previous occasion in which they won their first seven matches of a Champions League campaign was in the 2019-20 campaign, when they had a 100 per cent record (11/11) in the competition.

PSG have only failed to score in one of their last 32 home games in the Champions League (averaging 2.6 goals per game), though the exception was in a 1-0 defeat against Bayern in the 2020-21 quarter-final second leg.

Joshua Kimmich has won 76 per cent of his matches for Bayern in the Champions League (50/66). Among all players to make 50+ appearances in the competition, he is the only player to have featured on the winning side in more than three quarters of his games.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season – his first at PSG – Mbappe has been directly involved in 57 goals in 50 appearances in the Champions League (34 goals and 23 assists). Indeed, he is the only player with both 20+ goals and 20+ assists during this period. He will be a big miss should he not recover from injury in time, though he did train on Monday.

In the last two Champions League campaigns, only Robert Lewandowski (21), Mbappe (20) and Mohamed Salah (18) have been directly involved in more goals than Leroy Sane (17 – 10 goals, seven assists).

Lionel Messi has generated more shots following a carry (moving five or more metres with the ball) than any other player in the Champions League this season (14 – six shots and eight chances created).

Graham Potter has acknowledged the need for Chelsea to snap out of their frustrating run of form quickly, saying: "long-term doesn't exist in this job".

Potter has come under pressure amid a difficult period for the big-spending Blues, who recorded three successive Premier League draws for the first time since 2012 after Saturday's 1-1 stalemate with West Ham.

Chelsea have won just one of their eight games across all competitions since the turn of the year (D4 L3), and the Champions League now represents their only chance of avoiding a trophyless season.

With a trip to Borussia Dortmund for the first leg of an enticing last-16 tie on the horizon, Potter is aware of the need for things to change at Stamford Bridge.

"You can't talk about the long-term because that doesn't exist in this job," he told reporters. 

"You have to acknowledge there's a long-term but there's a short-term and medium-term that is challenging for us in terms of results.

"The experienced players know what we've been through. You're talking about some top professionals who know football. 

"While people on the outside may have an opinion on things, these guys have been around and know the challenges we've faced.

"They know the situation the club has been in and what's happened. So then it's about helping them get through it, the inevitable frustration because they want to win. We all do and the supporters do. That's where it's been challenging."

Chelsea's two previous Champions League titles were delivered during campaigns which saw them struggle in the Premier League, and while Potter is excited by the start of the knockout stages, he is taking things game by game.

"In a knockout competition, anything can happen, that's the thing," he said. "It's two games. I don't think it's valuable for us to look past Dortmund.

"We have the capability to beat Dortmund but they are also a strong side with the capability to get a result as well. We have to understand that, go to Dortmund with humility, with respect, and try to get the result.

"[This squad] has won the Champions League. They've experienced it. They'll want to fight for the game, that's for sure, and that's exciting for us."

Despite Chelsea's domestic struggles, Potter is unbeaten in his five Champions League games at the helm, winning the last four.

Victory in Dortmund on Wednesday would therefore make Potter the first English coach to win five successive matches in the competition.