UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions’ League Group Stage Begins
As the group stage of the UEFA Champions League opens this Tuesday, there are records in the offing. Manchester United’s manager, Jose Mourinho will not just be delighted that the club is returning to top flight European football after a year of ‘sabbatical’ leave, he is aiming to be the first person to manage three different clubs to European glory should Manchester United emerge champions next year’s May.
In similar circumstances, defending champions, Real Madrid will be aiming to be the first club to achieve a three straight win since the feat of Germany’s Bayern Munich in the 1970s.
GROUP A (BENFICA, MANCHESTER UNITED, BASEL, CSKA MOSCOW)
In Group A where Manchester United squares up with the trio Portugal’s Benfica, Switzerland’s Basel and Russia’s CSKA Moscow, the English Premership side is expected to start as the group favourite having obtained 10 points out of possible 12 in the new English premiership season.
Manchester United will open its account facing Basel at Old Trafford at 7.45 pm. Basel is reportedly weakened by persistent sales of top players since eliminating United in the 2011 groups.
The club which has been without a win in eight European games, drawing three and losing five had in the 2011/12 season faced Manchester United in the group stage. Basel won and drew the other match.
Manchester United which is making its 21st group stage appearance will be without Phil Jones and Eric Bailly who are serving a match ban.
But Mourinho seems not missing the duo as he told Simon Hart, the UEFA reporter attached to the team that Victor Lindelöf will start alongside Chris Smalling,
“Even if Jones and Bailly were not suspended, probably I would still play Lindelöf and Samlling.
“For me, they are the same level. I think it’s easier for [Lindelöf] to play Champions League – it is more comparable to the style of football in the Portuguese league. There is no need to adapt to the Champions League but he needs a little bit of time to adapt to the Premier League.
“He’s an intelligent kid, very bright, very calm; he knows that step by step he is going to be there.”
Added to that is the possibility of playing without Marouane Fellaini who reportedly picked a calf injury whole on international assignment for Belgium last week.
“Fellaini didn’t train yesterday (Sunday) and let’s see if he can today (Monday)”, Mourinho told the UEFA reporter.
“It’s a very important day for me, much more important than you can imagine. I feel weaker without Fellaini in my squad. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the pitch or on the bench, if his condition improves, he will be selected because I need him”, remarked Mourinho.
In the other Group A match, Benfica is a consistent performer in the Europa League will host CSKA Moscow which finished last in its group in each of the last four seasons – including one that contained United in 2015. –
GROUP B (BAYERN MUNICH, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, ANDERLECHT, CELTIC)
Neymar made it his big goal to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain after securing his world-record transfer from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($262 million) in July.
Advancing to the knockout stage should be a formality for his new team, which also includes teenage striker Kylian Mbappe in a new-look and exciting forward line.
Neymar’s first European campaign with PSG will take him to five-time champion Bayern, whose coach Carlo Ancelotti used to manage the French club. Celtic is never an easy team to visit, but the Scottish champions are likely to be fighting it out with Anderlecht for third place.
GROUP C (CHELSEA, ATLETICO MADRID, ROMA, QARABAG)
Qarabag is the first Azerbaijani team to reach this stage and its reward is one of the most competitive groups.
Atletico Madrid has reached the final twice in the past three years, losing both times to Real Madrid, while Chelsea – the 2012 European champion – is the current English champion and has recovered after an uncomfortable start to the Premier League.
Chelsea and Atletico could be in negotiations over the next few months regarding the sale of Diego Costa, the Chelsea striker who has been estranged in his native Brazil for much of the summer and wants to join former club Atletico.
GROUP D (JUVENTUS, BARCELONA, OLYMPIAKOS, SPORTING)
It will be a major surprise if Juventus and Barcelona, European champions a combined seven times, fail to qualify from the group.
They met in the 2015 final, with Barca’s prolific front three of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez inspiring a 3-1 win in Berlin. Neymar, of course, is no longer around for Barca, with new signing Ousmane Dembele replacing him.
Juventus lost last season’s final to Real Madrid and hasn’t won the Champions League since 1996. Olympiakos and Sporting are regular qualifiers but rarely advance, with Sporting weakened by the recent sale of midfielder Adrien Silva to Leicester.
GROUP E (SPARTAK MOSCOW, SEVILLA, LIVERPOOL, MARIBOR)
Five-time European champion Liverpool came through the playoffs and gets a chance to avenge its loss to Sevilla in the 2016 Europa League final, which denied the English team a place in last season’s Champions League.
Spartak, which won the Russian Premier League, is in the group stage for the first time since 2012-13, while Slovenian team Maribor is the big outsider in its third attempt to reach the knockout stage. This will likely be considered the weakest of the eight groups.
GROUP F (SHAKHTAR DONETSK, MANCHESTER CITY, NAPOLI, FEYENOORD)
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City avoided tougher options by being drawn into top-seeded Shakhtar’s group.
The Ukrainian champion is always fighting against the disadvantage of not playing a real home game in three years due to the conflict involving pro-Russian separatists around its home city.
Still, Napoli was one of the more difficult opponents for City from the third-seeded teams and eased past Nice in the playoffs round. Feyenoord returns to the group stage after a 15-year absence and is likely to face a steep learning curve.
GROUP G (MONACO, PORTO, BESIKTAS, LEIPZIG)
Monaco, last season’s surprise semifinalist, is the top seed but has been hurt by the departure of key players like Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy this summer.
The French team comes up against Porto in a rematch of the 2004 final won by the Portuguese team.
Leipzig didn’t even exist then – the club was created in 2009 – and is a newcomer at this level. But the Bundesliga runner-up was the team from the fourth seeds that most of the continent’s heavyweights wanted to avoid. Monaco won its group as a fourth-seeded team last season.
GROUP H (REAL MADRID, BORUSSIA DORTMUND, TOTTENHAM, APOEL)
Real Madrid has won the Champions League three times in the past four years, and is looking to become the first team since Bayern Munich (1974-76) to be European champion in three straight years.
Madrid’s path to the knockout stage may have been smoothed by its fierce rival Barcelona, which weakened Borussia Dortmund by signing Ousmane Dembele.
Tottenham will be hoping for better results at its temporary home of Wembley Stadium, where the English team lost two of its three group games last season and hasn’t won either of its Premier League games there this season. APOEL famously reached the quarterfinals in 2012 against the odds.
UEFA Champions League
Thierry Henry, “Igwe,” Give Victor Osimhen Sweet Pidgin Salute After UCL Heroics
Veteran football legend Thierry Henry, affectionately known by many Nigerian fans as “Igwe”, had social media buzzing after he greeted Nigerian star Victor Osimhen in Nigerian Pidgin English during a post-match interview following Galatasaray’s dramatic passage into the UEFA Champions League last 16.
The Istanbul giants advanced 7–5 on aggregate over Juventus despite losing the second leg 3–2, thanks to Osimhen’s extra-time equaliser and a late winner from Barış Alper Yılmaz.
“Victor, how bodi?” Sparks Joy
In his CBS Sports interview, Henry deliberately used Nigerian Pidgin to greet Osimhen:
“Victor, how bodi?”
The question — loosely meaning “Victor, how are you?” — immediately lit up the stadium and viewers online.
Osimhen, clearly delighted, responded in kind:
“Bodi dey fine!”
(I’m fine!)
The exchange sent Nigerian fans and football supporters around the world into a frenzy on social media, with many praising Henry for embracing local culture and cheering the Super Eagles star in his own tongue.
Osimhen’s Big Night
The 25-year-old, who joined Galatasaray from SSC Napoli in a club-record €75 million move, has continued to shine in Turkey. With nine Super Lig goals so far this season, his knack for rising on big occasions was once again on display in European competition.
After his extra-time strike against Juventus — a goal that turned the tie on its head and ultimately sent Gala through — Osimhen cemented his status as one of African football’s brightest performers on the biggest stages.
Fans Celebrate the Cultural Nod
The playful Pidgin exchange wasn’t just a fun moment — it also highlighted how football continues to connect cultures and nations. Nigerian fans online applauded Henry’s effort to speak their language and celebrated Osimhen’s response as a sign of how far the Nigerian forward has come in his European career.
One fan wrote: “Igwe sabi! That ‘how bodi’ make my day!”
Another added: “Victor dey represent us well for Europe.”
As Galatasaray prepare for the next phase of their European campaign, Osimhen’s star quality remains a major talking point — both for what he does on the pitch and how he continues to light up moments off it.
Source: Post-match interview on CBS Sports and related commentary (https://x.com/i/status/2026812476667449591)
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Victor Osimhen once again rose to the grand European stage on Wednesday night, delivering a decisive extra-time strike that propelled Galatasaray into the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 despite a spirited comeback attempt from 10-man Juventus.
Although the Turkish champions fell 3-2 in the second leg in Turin, Osimhen’s crucial intervention ensured Galatasaray advanced 7-5 on aggregate after a dramatic knockout round playoff clash.
Juventus’ Brave Response
Trailing 5-2 from the first leg in Istanbul, Juventus needed something special. Against expectations — and recent form that had seen them winless in five matches — the Italian giants produced a stirring response.
Captain Manuel Locatelli gave the hosts hope from the penalty spot eight minutes before halftime after Lucas Torreira fouled Khephren Thuram. But their task grew tougher just three minutes into the second half when Lloyd Kelly was sent off, leaving Juve to once again finish a European contest with 10 men.
Yet, the Bianconeri refused to wilt. Federico Gatti tapped in from close range with 20 minutes remaining, and Weston McKennie’s late header levelled the tie on aggregate, sending the Allianz Stadium into delirium and forcing extra time.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Juventus looked the more dangerous side. Kenan Yildiz struck the post, while several half-chances went begging as belief surged through the home ranks.
Osimhen’s Moment of Authority
But when the tension peaked, and legs began to tire, Osimhen delivered.
Just before halftime in extra time, the Nigerian striker collected a precise pass from Baris Alper Yilmaz inside the area. With trademark composure and lethal instinct, he fired through the legs of goalkeeper Mattia Perin to silence the stadium and restore Galatasaray’s aggregate lead.
It was a goal of timing, intelligence, and clinical precision — the hallmark of a striker built for decisive nights.
As Juventus threw bodies forward in desperation, they ran out of steam. Yilmaz compounded their misery late on, finishing off a swift counterattack to seal the Turkish side’s progression.
Respect for Juventus, Reward for Galatasaray
Despite elimination, Juventus earned warm applause from their supporters after a valiant effort.
“I feel like crying. We gave our heart and soul,” Locatelli told Amazon Prime. “In the first leg, an episode was complicated today.”
Gatti echoed the sentiment, admitting fatigue proved costly in extra time.
For Galatasaray, however, the night belonged to Osimhen — a striker whose influence continues to define their European campaign. His extra-time heroics now set up a Round of 16 showdown against either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, with Friday’s draw set to determine their next opponent.
On a night of drama, resilience, and shifting momentum, it was Osimhen who wrote the final chapter — proving once more that when the stakes are highest, he answers the call.
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Real Madrid recovered from an early scare to beat Benfica 2-1 on Wednesday and secure a 3-1 aggregate victory to reach the Champions League last 16 after a pulsating game at the Bernabeu.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Jr. struck either side of halftime to cancel out Rafa Silva’s opener and send the record 15-time European champions through, with either Manchester City or Sporting awaiting in Friday’s draw.
Benfica, trailing 1-0 from a first leg in Portugal marred by Vinicius accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him, started brightly and sliced through a makeshift-looking Real defence missing Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen, with forward Kylian Mbappe also out due to a knee injury set to sideline him for multiple games.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho was absent from the touchline after receiving a red card in the first leg for complaining, and Prestianni was not involved after being provisionally suspended by UEFA following the incident with Vinicius in Lisbon.
The visitors went ahead in the 14th minute in chaotic fashion. Thibaut Courtois produced a stunning left-footed save to prevent Raul Asencio turning Pavlidis’s cross into his own net, but the rebound dropped invitingly for Rafa, who controlled the ball inside the six-yard box before firing past the keeper.
Real’s response was swift and slick. Two minutes later, Gonzalo linked up smartly with Federico Valverde on the right wing, the Uruguayan cutting the ball back towards the edge of the box where Tchouameni guided a low finish just inside the right post.
With the tie finely poised, the game opened up, and Arda Guler thought he had put Real ahead in the 32nd minute, only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside in the build-up.
Benfica continued to threaten, Richard Rios drawing a superb save from Courtois with a fierce strike in the 38th minute, but the home side began to find more rhythm after the break.
Asencio headed narrowly wide from a corner, and Trent Alexander-Arnold flashed an angled effort past the post, but Real were almost punished for their profligacy.
On the hour mark, Vinicius was caught as Real attempted to play out from the back, allowing Rafa to unleash a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that crashed against the crossbar.
The tension lingered until the 80th minute, when Valverde seized on a loose ball in midfield and threaded a precise pass through to Vinicius, who timed his run to beat the offside trap, surged into the box and slotted a composed finish into the bottom corner to settle the tie.
“We didn’t start very well, but we remained confident and knew the goals would come eventually,” Tchouameni told Movistar Plus.
“We did things a little better as the match progressed, and now we’re going to keep going as we move forward. We need to tweak our defence a little and get into the game better, but we won, and that’s the most important thing.”
-Reuters
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