Liverpool welcome Real Madrid to Anfield on Tuesday in the Champions League round of 16, and the latest meeting of Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti.

Their respective histories could have been so different.

After Everton and Liverpool had played out a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park in October 2015, in the Sky Sports studio, Thierry Henry reached across and placed his hand on a bewildered Jamie Carragher's knee as the news was announced that Brendan Rodgers had been dismissed as Reds manager.

Within minutes, the favourites for the role were being discussed, with frontrunner Klopp ultimately being the man to come in and take the club back to the summit of English and European football.

The second favourite had been Ancelotti, out of work at the time following his exit from his first spell at Madrid, and Carragher argued that while the Italian had the more impressive CV, Klopp was the more suitable choice for the Anfield hotseat after his success at Borussia Dortmund.

"I think with either of those coming to Liverpool, the supporters would be ecstatic," he said at the time. "If it was me, I would go for Klopp ahead of Ancelotti. I think he's got more to prove. Ancelotti is a great manager of course, but he's gone to clubs where you would expect to win trophies.

"It's a difficult job now at Liverpool getting them back into the top four. Forget talking about the title. And I think it needs someone with that energy and drive to get Liverpool back to where it wants to be and I think Jurgen Klopp's that man."

Of course, Carragher proved to be right about Klopp.

It will never be known what would have happened had Ancelotti been hired instead, but he has gone on to enjoy success at other clubs since, with spells at Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton before heading back to the Santiago Bernabeu in December 2021.

The two have faced off numerous times in opposing dugouts, with the upcoming two-legged Champions League tie set to be their 12th and 13th meetings.

It is interesting how frequently Klopp and Ancelotti have come up against one another, especially considering the Italian's 18-month spell at Everton was the only time they have managed in the same league.

They clashed on four occasions in Merseyside derbies – coincidentally after that had been the fixture that led to their names being linked with the Liverpool job back in 2015 – with two draws at Goodison Park in the Premier League and a 1-0 Liverpool win in an FA Cup third round game at Anfield.

The most notable encounter also came at Anfield in February 2021, with no fans in due to COVID-19 restrictions, where Ancelotti masterminded Everton's first win at the home of their neighbours since the turn of the century.

Their other seven meetings have come in the Champions League, Klopp coming up against Ancelotti for the first time during his penultimate season at Borussia Dortmund as they took on Madrid in the last eight, losing 3-0 in the Spanish capital before a spirited but unsuccessful 2-0 reverse back in Dortmund.

Two goals from Marco Reus in the first half had given the German side hope of a comeback, but Ancelotti's men put up the defences and managed to see the game out, a tactic that the Los Blancos head coach has used to good effect against Klopp on numerous occasions since.

He also frustrated Klopp in their first meeting as Liverpool and Napoli bosses respectively, with the Serie A side winning 1-0 at home in the 2018-19 group stage, restricting the Reds to just four shots – none on which were on target – as Lorenzo Insigne struck a late winner.

A Mohamed Salah goal in the reverse fixture was enough to send Liverpool through to the knockout stage with a 1-0 win at Anfield at Napoli's expense, with the Reds going on to lift the trophy in Madrid that season.

The two teams were drawn together again in the group stage the following year, with Napoli again defeating Liverpool in Naples, 2-0 this time, while they played out a 1-1 draw back on Merseyside.

Klopp and Ancelotti would not meet again in the Champions League until after their brief Merseyside derby rivalry, somewhat appropriately in the final as Liverpool faced Madrid in Paris last season.

While the game was heavily distracted by the chaos outside prior to kick-off that an independent investigation has since claimed was the fault of UEFA and the French authorities, on the pitch it had a feel of Klopp's previous struggles with Ancelotti.

Liverpool dominated large parts of the contest, but Madrid were largely able to contain them, though goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois still had to put in an outstanding performance to keep a clean sheet.

Ancelotti suggested after the 1-0 win thanks to a Vinicius Junior goal that Klopp's team were "more decipherable" than others he had faced, but ahead of their next clash, the German coach lavished praise on his opposite number.

"Carlo is the most relaxed manager I ever met in my life," Klopp said at his pre-match press conference. "One of the best people you can meet, fantastic person, a humble person, super smart and nice, and obviously his man management is at a completely different level to all of us, and I respect that a lot and admire it a lot."

Ancelotti reciprocated at his press conference, saying: "I have a good relationship with Klopp. We stayed for a year and a half in Liverpool during the pandemic, and we used to text each other and exchange gifts. He's a really lovely person."

There is clear mutual respect there, strengthened by the duo's personal achievements as well as how difficult they both find games against one another.

Klopp's teams have only managed to find the net seven times against Ancelotti's in 11 games, despite having 153 shots, suggesting the former Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss knows how to restrict them to low-quality chances.

Ancelotti has relied on his team's defensive solidity more often than not, and boasts the superior record with five wins to three defeats and three draws, but he has never been able to beat a Klopp team in an away game when fans have been in attendance, with a noisy Anfield on Tuesday a near certainty.

He surely takes slightly more pleasure in besting Liverpool than he does most other foes following one of his most painful defeats as a coach when his Milan side was beaten on penalties in the iconic 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, despite leading 3-0 at half-time.

This season's final will also be in the Turkish capital, but at least one of Liverpool or Ancelotti will not be there this time.

Klopp v Ancelotti. Germany v Italy. Beard v eyebrow. It is one of the great modern coaching rivalries, and round 12 should be another fascinating contest.

Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi looks likely to miss the second leg of their Champions League tie against Chelsea after sustaining torn muscle fibres.

Adeyemi raced clear on the break to score a memorable winner as Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory over the beleaguered Blues in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.

At the age of 21 years and 28 days, that strike made Adeyemi the youngest player to net against Chelsea in the Champions League since Victor Osimhen did so for Lille in October 2019 (20 years, 277 days).

Adeyemi followed up that effort by opening the scoring in BVB's 4-1 Bundesliga win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, while he also recorded an assist for Donyell Malen.

However, Adeyemi was forced off before the interval after suffering an injury in the move that led to his cross for Malen's goal, and was seen clutching his left thigh before being helped from the field.

Dortmund revealed the Germany international is expected to miss around three weeks of action on Monday, which would rule him out of their trip to Stamford Bridge on March 7.

"Borussia Dortmund's attacking player Karim Adeyemi sustained torn muscle fibres in the home game against Hertha BSC on Sunday," read an update from the club. "He will be unavailable to play for the team for approximately three weeks."

Adeyemi's injury comes at an unfortunate time, with the former Salzburg man having scored on each of his last four BVB appearances, after only netting twice in his first 20 outings for the club.

Marco Reus fired red-hot Borussia Dortmund into a three-way tie at the top of the Bundesliga and declared: "We want to keep riding this wave."

The captain was restored to Dortmund's starting line-up on Sunday after sitting out the midweek Champions League win over Chelsea, taking over from Jude Bellingham who dropped to the bench and handed over the armband.

Reus hit a stunning free-kick for Dortmund's third goal in a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin, thrilling a crowd of 81,365 at Signal Iduna Park, with Karim Adeyemi, Donyell Malen and Julian Brandt also on the scoresheet.

Bellingham came on as a second-half substitute and achieved his 50th Bundesliga victory. At 19 years and 235 days old, it made the England midfielder the youngest player to ever reach that landmark. There could be plenty more to celebrate this season for the teenager.

The only real negative for Dortmund was a leg muscle injury Adeyemi sustained when setting up the second goal for Malen, with the forward likely to be absent for several weeks.

Dortmund have won all eight of their games since the German season resumed after the World Cup and winter break, powering into a tie for top spot having looked out of the title race just a matter of weeks ago.

"Before the winter break, nobody expected it to be so tight at the top of the table," Reus said. "We started a run that we continued today. We want to continue riding this wave, and in the end you will see what comes of it."

Union Berlin are the surprise package in the three-team group at the summit. Opta records show this is the first time in the three-points-for-a-win era, which began in 1995-96, that three teams have been tied on points at the top after matchday 21 in the Bundesliga.

Speaking to DAZN, Reus said: "You win, but you also can't give an inch, otherwise it will be difficult. We don't play the stars from the sky, we are effective. When I scored my free-kick, I realised as soon as the ball left my foot that it could be dangerous.

"I'm happy that after a long time I was able to score a free-kick goal again."

It was a first direct free-kick goal for Reus in the Bundesliga since he scored one against Bayer Leverkusen in May 2021, which itself came after a five-year wait.

The strike came shortly after Bellingham entered the fray, with Dortmund pulling away over the closing quarter.

 

Union missed a chance to take the outright lead in the title race, only managing a 0-0 draw at home against bottom side Schalke earlier on Sunday.

Bayern hold top spot thanks to their superior goal difference (plus 40), with Dortmund second and Union third, but it is clear this is now a proper title scrap.

The momentum is with Dortmund, given Bayern were beaten 3-2 at Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

A Klassiker awaits in six weeks' time, when there could be plenty at stake.

Goalscorer Brandt said: "We still have a long way to go, but it's the same for Union and Bayern. We fought our way out of our situation before the winter break extremely well. I'm most happy today for Marco Reus, who scored a wonderful goal."

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic will wait to see how Adeyemi comes through tests on his injury, but the prospects of him returning soon look minimal.

"He probably won't be available to us for the next few games," Terzic said, "but we hope that it won't be too long before he can be back."

Graham Potter cannot wait for Chelsea's luck to change in front of goal to turn around their poor run of form.

A 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday was the latest in a disappointing string of results that has seen them win just one game in nine matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

Karim Adeyemi's goal means Chelsea have a deficit to overturn at Stamford Bridge on March 7 if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, though the Blues were perhaps unfortunate not to be taking a positive result back to London after an encouraging attacking display.

Potter's side had 21 shots, with eight on target, accumulating an xG (expected goals) of 2.2, while Joao Felix also rattled the woodwork. It was the most attempts Chelsea had registered in a Champions League knockout match without scoring since the 2011 quarter-final first leg against Manchester United.

Potter appreciated his team's increased attacking threat against Dortmund, but also feels there is more his side can do having now drawn a blank five times in their last nine matches.

"I don't like to use luck as something to wait for as you can't control it," Potter told reporters. "Clearly you need it.

"The Dortmund game was a positive in terms of chances created. The criticism for us and the fair criticism is that we haven't attacked as well as I would have liked us to. It was closer.

"We feel there's progress, but you play a game and you need to win it. There is a lot going on, integrating new players and all of the time playing good opponents. That's where we're at."

Despite Chelsea's recent bluntness, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not started a game since early November with Kai Havertz largely preferred to the former Arsenal captain through the middle.

Yet Potter said of the striker: "Pierre remains an important part of his squad. His attitude has been really good.

"There's David [Datro] Fofana too who is a young player with potential. There are other forwards as well."

Chelsea will look for just a second win in 2023 when they host Southampton on Saturday, aiming to beat a side bottom of the Premier League and without a manager having sacked Nathan Jones last weekend.

Asked whether the game is a must-win fixture to keep hopes of European qualification alive, Potter replied: "It's a game we want to win. There's no point in focusing on four months away.

"We're focused on Southampton. We have to be ready for that challenge, to play at home and try to get three points.

"I thought the Dortmund performance away from home was another step forward, but we have a different challenge at the weekend. [We are] satisfied but [there is] always room to improve.

"Anything can come at you because they [Southampton] have a caretaker manager [Ruben Selles] and a week to prepare. We have no reference, that's the challenge. I think there's a big challenge coming our way."

Jude Bellingham described captaining Borussia Dortmund as "the biggest honour of my career so far" as he warned it will be tough to finish off Chelsea in London.

The England midfielder led Dortmund to a 1-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, with the 19-year-old skippering the hosts as 38-year-old Thiago Silva wore the armband for Chelsea.

The result on Wednesday gave Dortmund a first win over English opposition in the competition since a 2-0 victory against Arsenal in September 2014, halting a winless run of nine games (D1 L8).

Bellingham said of his leadership experience: "I think it comes quite naturally, but for me it's probably the biggest honour of my career so far, to captain this football club.

"I have brilliant role models like Marco [Reus] and Mats [Hummels], and I know how to carry myself when I see them. They carry themselves so well, so I take a lot of examples from that.

"I know that without the captain's armband I can still try and lead the team and this is a bit more for show, but we need to all be captains in the second leg. It's important that we all show up and we all get the job done."

Bellingham has four goals and an assist for Dortmund in this season's Champions League, and this form coupled with his maturity has pushed him towards the responsibility Edin Terzic trusted him with on Wednesday.

In October, Bellingham became just the third teenager in history to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances, after Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

At the beginning of the same month he captained Dortmund for the first time, in a league clash with Koln.

Former Birmingham City player Bellingham is the leading scorer among midfielders aged under 21 from Europe's top five leagues this season, with 10 goals.

He told CBS Golazo of his relish for the second leg on March 7 at Stamford Bridge, comparing the first 90 minutes at Signal Iduna Park to what awaits Dortmund when they head to England.

Dortmund have won all seven of their matches in 2023. Beating Premier League opposition, albeit by a slender margin, fuels the anticipation for their next European trip.

"It's a small win in comparison to the challenge that we've got facing us in a few weeks' time," Bellingham said. "We've got to go to Stamford Bridge and get another positive result.

"We can be really pleased with how we played and especially how we defended in the second half, but we need to understand it's not over, and they can definitely come back with a lot of power."

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic acknowledged his side were fortunate to defeat Chelsea – but saw little reason to apologise for a fortuitous Champions League victory.

Chelsea dominated at the Signal Iduna Park but Karim Adeyemi's ruthless 63rd-minute strike ensured Dortmund will head back to Stamford Bridge on March 7 with a slender 1-0 lead in the last-16 tie.

Joao Felix twice spurned gilt-edged chances in the first half before Adeyemi broke away from a Chelsea corner to round Kepa Arrizabalaga and earn Dortmund a rare win over English opposition on Wednesday.

It marked the Bundesliga side's first win against an English team in European competition for 11 games, their last such victory against Tottenham in March 2016.

Terzic pinpointed Gregor Kobel, who made a personal Champions League record seven saves, as the difference as Dortmund rode their luck to snatch the advantage at the halfway point in the two-legged affair.

He told DAZN: "It's great to come out on the winning side.

"There was a little bit of luck involved and we had an exceptional goalkeeper.

"But there's no need to apologise after winning at home against Chelsea in the last 16.

"What we really needed was longer periods of possession. We won the ball well in midfield a lot, but then gave it away again too cheaply.

"There were a lot of good things, too – the best of which is the result – but we know it's not easy to play against Chelsea and we took a good step tonight."

Chelsea registered 21 shots to Dortmund's 14, with the Blues finding the target with eight of those compared to the hosts' two.

Graham Potter's men amassed an expected goals tally of 2.14 to Dortmund's 1.41 as well, suggesting Chelsea had higher quality chances, albeit they were unable to find a decisive strike.

While Kobel kept his 11th clean sheet in 23 games in all competitions this term, one more than the whole of last season (10 in 40 matches), Terzic felt Dortmund handed Chelsea the initiative too often.

"I feel like we defended our goal well but made it a little too easy for them to get into the final third at times," he added.

"If you saw how often we threw ourselves into challenges, how many shots we blocked, Chelsea have an incredible quality up front.

"But Gregor Kobel is in incredible form and we know when things get tight we can rely on him."

Jude Bellingham believes "not many players can stop" in-form Borussia Dortmund team-mate Karim Adeyemi following his wonderful individual goal against Chelsea.

Dortmund edged their noses ahead on aggregate with a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, in which Adeyemi's 63rd-minute strike proved decisive.

From a devastating counter-attack following a Chelsea corner, the Germany forward latched onto Raphael Guerreiro's pass and raced past Enzo Fernandez, before rounding Kepa Arrizabalaga to score.

And Bellingham - Dortmund's captain for the day - saluted Adeyemi, who has now scored in each of his last three appearances - one more goal than he managed in his first 20 games for the club since arriving from Salzburg last year.

"We are really confident when he gets the ball one on one. Not many players can stop him," the England midfielder told BT Sport. "He had a tough time coming here at the start - finding his feet - and now he's flying.

"We dominated the first half. They had chances, but we were in control for the majority of the first half. 

"In the second half, we took the foot off the gas, and they had more control. We showed how well we can defend and see out games."

Dortmund registered their first European victory over an English side in 11 attempts, while they have now won all seven of their matches in 2023.

"It's a case of new year, new luck. For me, it's that simple," Adeyemi told DAZN. "As a team, we talked a lot during the break, and it brought us closer together. 

"The only thing I was thinking [against Fernandez] was that I just need to get the ball past him. You just try to win your duels, the goalkeeper came out and there may have been a bit of luck, but I'm delighted with the goal.

"It was a tough start to the game for us, but then you could see that everyone was fighting for each other, and we knew something was possible here tonight. We're delighted to have won."

Graham Potter urged Chelsea to not "wait around for luck" but hailed a "dominant" performance despite a slender defeat at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16.

Karim Adeyemi's third goal in as many games for Dortmund in all competitions, one more than in his previous 20 appearances, proved the difference in a narrow 1-0 win at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.

Chelsea should have arguably been out of sight before Adeyemi's 63rd-minute strike, with Joao Felix squandering a pair of glorious first-half opportunities in an entertaining encounter.

Gregor Kobel had a fine game in goal for Edin Terzic's side too, and Potter appeared far from worried after an encouraging display ahead of the return meeting at Stamford Bridge on March 7.

The Chelsea head coach told BT Sport: "I thought we were the dominant team in the second half.

"It is half-time in the tie, we have to regroup. You can see the supporters' reaction, they were really positive, they can see the performance of the team, they gave us a fantastic reception.

"We are a team in progress, we know there are a lot of positive things there.

"You always need a bit of luck but you can't wait around for luck, you have to keep working.

"The boys have been fantastic with their work but we are still suffering at the moment. But we will keep on working."

Visiting Chelsea had 21 shots to their hosts' 14, with six more on target than Dortmund's two, as the Blues dominated without reward in Germany.

Potter's side amassed an expected goals tally of 2.14 to the 1.41 of Terzic's men as well, although all that mattered was Adeyemi's brilliant finish after a roaring counter-attack from a Chelsea corner.

Struggles in front of goal are not a new problem for Potter, with Chelsea managing just four goals in nine matches in all competitions and failing to score in five of those games.  

The Blues have drawn a blank in more outings in 2023 than any other Premier League club, yet Potter was pleased with what he saw – apart from Adeyemi's ruthless finish.

"It was a very strong performance, especially the second half," he added. "We created a lot of chances and efforts on goal but I am disappointed with the goal we conceded.

"It is a counter-attack from a corner, we were close to scoring ourselves. They broke on us. It is disappointing, we need to do better.

"Apart from that, we were really, really good, we just have to score. We had good attacking movements, clarity in terms of how we wanted to attack and got into the right areas. The attitude was really positive as well."

Chelsea were punished for a profligate showing at Borussia Dortmund after Karim Adeyemi's second-half strike secured a slender 1-0 lead in the Champions League last 16.

Graham Potter's side will have home advantage in the return match at Stamford Bridge on March 7 but left Signal Iduna Park ruing missed chances on Wednesday.

Joao Felix spurned a pair of glorious first-half opportunities in an entertaining encounter in Germany, before Adeyemi's 63rd-minute goal inflicted further misery on Chelsea after a ruthless counter-attack.

The Blues still have the chance to turn the tie on its head, but Potter and his men cannot afford similar struggles in front of goal in the second leg in west London.

Thiago Silva had the ball in the back of the net after 16 minutes, only to see the goal ruled out and the centre-back cautioned for a seemingly intentional handball past Gregor Kobel.

Chances continued to flow in a frenetic first half as Marius Wolf sliced a golden opportunity wide and Sebastien Haller fired narrowly off target from a presentable opening.

Joao Felix wastefully blazed over before hitting the crossbar after a driving run, while Wolf arrowed just wide with Kepa Arrizabalaga scrambling.

Kobel produced an expert stop to deny Reece James' pinpoint free-kick after the interval, before the Dortmund goalkeeper thwarted a bouncing volley from the England right-back soon after.

Adeyemi was clinical when Dortmund broke from the resulting corner, released by Raphael Guerreiro and powering past Enzo Fernandez before rounding Kepa to score.

Emre Can then cleared off the line after Kalidou Koulibaly's effort squirmed under Kobel, who kept Dortmund's narrow lead intact with a fine stop from Fernandez in the final minute.

What does it mean? Advantage Dortmund

Dortmund defeated an English side in European competition for the first time in 11 attempts, although their first such victory since March 2016 – against Tottenham – came with a degree of fortune.

Potter will wonder what his Chelsea side must do to get past Kobel in the return meeting after Joao Felix's pair of misses came back to haunt the Blues on the road.

A repeat performance at home may be enough to down Dortmund, but Potter's men cannot bank on having such a plethora of chances again as they stare down the barrel of an early European exit.

Adeyemi the difference

While the brilliant Brandt created four chances in a productive display, Adeyemi will steal the headlines for his remarkable goal on the break.

The 21-year-old has scored in each of his last three competitive appearances – one more than in his first 20 games for BVB.

Havertz's Dortmund wait goes on

Kai Havertz has repeatedly been trusted by Potter to lead Chelsea's line, but the Germany international suffered a familiar fate against BVB.

The forward managed to create four chances and also attempted four shots, but he has now played eight games against Dortmund without scoring – more than against any other opponent in his club career. He has lost all five away games against Dortmund.

What's next?

Chelsea return to Premier League action at home to Southampton on Saturday, while Dortmund host Hertha Berlin the following day in the Bundesliga.

Jude Bellingham would be a "perfect" signing for Manchester United, according to former Red Devils goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

Bellingham has played 161 times for Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham City, and is one of Europe's hottest prospects after an impressive World Cup with England.

The 19-year-old starred for the Three Lions in Qatar, becoming the only teenager behind Michael Owen in 1998 to start a knockout game at the tournament in the 3-0 round-of-16 victory over Senegal.

He marked it with a sensational performance too, playing a big role in all three goals and providing an assist, making him the youngest England player to do so in a World Cup game since 1966.

Bellingham has also played a key role for Dortmund at club level, scoring a team-high 10 goals in 27 appearances this season while ranking second for assists (six) and third in chances created (28).

That incredible form at such a young age has predictably garnered much interest in securing his services. Real Madrid are reported to be interested, while Liverpool and Manchester City are also rumoured to be keen on the midfielder.

However, Schmeichel believes it could be United who beat their rivals to Bellingham's signature, but only if they are to finish in the Champions League places this season.

Schmeichel also feels Liverpool's increasingly unlikely chances of finishing in the top four, as well as the Premier League charging City with financial breaches, could help United's chances of bringing Bellingham to Old Trafford.

"He would be perfect for us," Schmeichel told Goal. "But we're not attractive enough [right now] because we're not in that position.

"But you can imagine a situation where Liverpool aren't in the Champions League and Manchester United are, then all of a sudden we might be more attractive.

"And of course with the situation of Man City as well, we might be that club, so it's very important for us now to keep on track steadily."

United sit third in the Premier League, holding a seven-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham as they bid to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

The Red Devils travel to face Barcelona on Thursday in the Europa League looking to reach the last 16, and Schmeichel believes a good performance in Europe can evidence United's resurgence after finishing with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally last season.

"Of course, we want to do well in Europe," Schmeichel added. "We want to do well in Europe because we want to show the footballing world that Manchester United, we're on our way back.

"It's taken a long time. We're on our way back. We're not rushing, but we are on our way back and we are an attractive place for the greatest footballers of this world to come and play for us."

Erling Haaland's long-term future has been a source of speculation for months and reports of a release clause in mid-2024 in his Manchester City contract have put Barcelona and Real Madrid on high alert.

The Norwegian was pursued by a host of clubs last off-season, with City winning the race ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Haaland has since scored 25 Premier League goals in 21 appearances and 31 in all competitions after joining City.


TOP STORY – HAALAND SET FOR SPANISH SWITCH NEXT YEAR

Erling Haaland has decided he wants to leave England for Spain next year when the release clause in his City contract can be activated, reports Fichajes.

The report claims Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two viable options for Haaland, who will exit City at the end of the 2023-24 season, with playing in Spain a dream for the 22-year-old.

City's potential sanctions for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules have also played a part in Haaland believing mid-2024 is the right time to leave.

 

ROUND-UP

- Big-spending Chelsea are set to join the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, reports The Telegraph. Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are already keen on the 19-year-old England international.

- Manchester Evening News claims Manchester United have "genuine interest" in a move for Roma's English striker Tammy Abraham in the next transfer window.

- Barcelona's Ansu Fati will resist overtures from Tottenham, Arsenal and Bayern Munich to remain with the Blaugrana, reports Mundo Deportivo.

- AS reports Tottenham will turn to Sevilla's Morocco international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in their search for a long-term successor to Hugo Lloris.

- Leicester City have ramped up talks with James Maddison on a new contract amid interest from Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham, claims The Telegraph.

- FotoSpor claims Turkish club Fenerbahce have reached out to Manchester United about signing Mason Greenwood, who is under club investigation despite criminal charges being dropped against him recently.

- Calciomercatoweb reports Massimiliano Allegri could leave his position as Juventus head coach to replace Roberto Mancini in Italy's top job.

Graham Potter rounded on former players who have questioned his experience and edge as the Chelsea boss insisted he chooses the right moments to show anger.

Former England stars Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have been among those to speak out about Potter's leadership.

Both expected a more forceful response from the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach after Chelsea were denied a penalty at the weekend when Conor Gallagher's shot hit the arm of Tomas Soucek in a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Cole said there should have been someone on Potter's staff to "cause a bit of an uproar", while both men suggested Potter missed a chance to lay the blame for a disappointing result at the door of the match officials, thereby taking heat off his struggling team.

Ferdinand suggested the likes of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, plus Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, would have swiftly jumped at a chance to deflect incoming criticism.

Their verdicts on BT Sport came as Potter gave a reasoned reaction to the broadcaster, saying Chelsea needed such things to go for them, adding there was "nothing to complain about there".

Asked about whether he shows anger and in what circumstance, Potter addressed the matter on the eve of his team's Champions League last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

"Of course I get angry. I'm a human being just like you," he told reporters in Tuesday's press conference. "It's just I choose to conduct myself the way I think is the right way to conduct myself on the side.

"That's not to say we don't all lose our temper, because we do, because it's an emotional thing, but I think I have a responsibility to myself, to Chelsea and the game to act in a way that I think is the right way for me; not for anyone else, for me.

"if you think you can start a coaching career in the ninth tier of English football, in the Northern Counties Division One, and get to this point now with Chelsea in the Champions League without getting angry or being nice, then I would suggest you don't know anything about anything."

Potter said the Dortmund away game on Wednesday would be a "wonderful occasion" and he is "really excited for it".

He also spoke about perceived problems between Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella, with reports claiming new signing Mudryk gave a 'like' on Instagram to a post critical of the Chelsea left-back.

They need to forge an alliance on the flank if Chelsea are to blossom, and Potter looked to defuse the situation, saying: "There's no problem in terms of anything sinister at all.

"If anything, it's just team-mates understanding each other. It's quite a common problem: when to pass and at what point and what time.

"There's no problem, it's more just an understanding challenge, which is quite easy to understand when you recognise the context we're in."

Potter added: "We've got a squad we're really excited about, but we know there are challenges and work you have to do. If all of us started working together we'd have to take some time, understand each other, understand what makes us tick and understand how we can help each other.

"That's the impression I get when I see the boys on a daily basis: good spirit, good harmony. They're pushing each other in a good way."

Potter knows Chelsea's vast spending spree, in the region of £600million since Todd Boehly came in as owner, means they have to perform at a high level.

"Of course there's more pressure and expectation when you spend money," he said.

He spoke of how it was difficult to see any club sweeping to consistent trophy success without major investment, but suggested five per cent might find a formula without lavishing huge sums in the transfer market.

"It's like warfare," Potter said. "Sometimes guerrilla warfare can win. You don't have to have the big guns and the big ammo, but sometimes it helps as well."

Edin Terzic has not discussed the future with Jude Bellingham and is focusing on improving the midfielder – along with Borussia Dortmund's latest 'next big thing' in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

Bellingham is set to be the most sought-after player in Europe when the transfer window opens at the end of the season.

Liverpool have been widely linked with the England international but are set to face competition from rivals in the Premier League and Champions League.

Dortmund have not given up hope of keeping Bellingham, sporting director Sebastian Kehl said this week, but that is not head coach Terzic's concern.

"He still has a long-term contract with us, and I never spoke about that with him," Terzic told The Telegraph.

"The only thing we talk about is improving his performance and to try to push him to find his limits. The rest – there will always be rumours, especially if you are a young, talented English player not playing in England."

Terzic is not yet sure of that limit – "he can achieve everything if he stays hungry," the coach added – but he is confident Bellingham will not be the last young player to trust Dortmund with his development.

Indeed, Bynoe-Gittens, another English teenager, left Manchester City for Dortmund in 2020 and broke into the BVB first team at the end of last season.

This season, winger Bynoe-Gittens has played just 281 Bundesliga minutes, but he has scored three goals – all as a substitute – and provided five secondary assists in that time.

Dortmund sit just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and they come up against Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"We have to produce the next big thing," Terzic said. "It's our way, and you see it started with Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic, who stepped into this role, and then we created our own chain reaction.

"When you are ready to sign Jadon Sancho, he sees that Ousmane Dembele had a great time at the club. Then it makes it a bit easier to sign Erling Haaland.

"If you have Erling, you sign Jude, and if you have Jude, it's easier to sign Jamie."

Terzic is comfortable discussing Bynoe-Gittens in that company, adding of the 18-year-old: "Every time he's on the pitch, he's capable of making the difference, and at 18, it's something special to do that.

"We are sure he's going to be the next one we enjoy on the pitch."

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.

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).

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