INJURY BLOW: FERRAN TORRES RULED OUT OF BARCELONA’S CRUCIAL TRIP TO SLAVIA PRAGUE
Hansi Flick faces an injury crisis as Ferran Torres is ruled out and Lamine Yamal is suspended for the Slavia Prague clash.
Hansi Flick just can’t catch a break. Right before Barcelona’s must-win Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, Ferran Torres picked up a hamstring injury. He’s out for the next 10 days. So, add him to the list with Lamine Yamal, who’s suspended. Suddenly, Barcelona look pretty thin up front. There’s some good news, though—Raphinha is back and ready to go, which gives the squad a much-needed lift as they scramble for a top-eight finish and try to avoid that dreaded play-off round.
Torres drops out at the worst possible time. He’s been dealing with a muscle issue in his right leg, so he won’t just miss the trip to the Czech Republic—he’s probably out for the weekend’s La Liga match too. Flick’s been trying to rotate his squad with games coming thick and fast, and Ferran’s been a real asset—sometimes starting, sometimes injecting energy off the bench. Now that flexibility is gone, and just as the Champions League heats up. Ferran, nicknamed “The Shark” by fans, will stay behind in Barcelona for physio while his teammates head off to Prague.
As if that wasn’t enough, Barcelona also have to make do without Lamine Yamal, who’s serving a one-match ban after picking up too many yellows. The kid’s been electric—one of the brightest young talents in the game and a real focal point in Flick’s attack. Replacing him isn’t easy, and with Ferran out too, Flick is really down to the bare bones in attack. The injury list doesn’t stop there either. Gavi and Andreas Christensen are still out long-term, so they were never in the running for this game. Flick pretty much has to lean on his senior players and hope some of the younger guys from La Masia can step up in a tough away match.
But Raphinha’s return comes at just the right moment. He missed the last match with a minor knock, and there were some worries he’d be out longer. But he’s trained fine and made the squad for Prague. That’s a big boost. He’ll likely slot right back into the starting lineup, probably out wide, looking to supply Robert Lewandowski. The squad looks strong enough on paper—Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Marcus Rashford are all travelling. Rashford, especially, will need to step up with Yamal out. There’s also some young blood in there, like Roony Bardghji and Marc Bernal, in case Flick needs an extra spark off the bench.
This match couldn’t be bigger. With the new Champions League format, you’ve got to finish in the top eight to skip that tricky play-off round in February. Barcelona are 15th right now, with 10 points, but they’ve still got a shot to climb up in these last two games. Flick called the match “crucial”—and he’s right. They can’t afford to drop points. Slavia Prague’s stadium is a tough place to go, and the home crowd will be all over them. The pressure’s on Raphinha and Lewandowski to deliver, and Barcelona just have to find a way to get the job done in Prague—no matter who’s missing.
UCL DRAW 2026 LAST 16: PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS FACE BRUTAL DRAW IN QUEST FOR EUROPEAN GLORY 2026
The Champions League draw is out! Read the full list of fixtures, including Man City vs Real Madrid and Newcastle’s trip to Barcelona.
Manchester City will go head-to-head with Real Madrid in what’s easily the standout fixture of this season’s Champions League round of 16.
UEFA stuck to the same process as last year’s new format, running the draws for the last 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals all on the same day in Nyon, Switzerland.
There’s still plenty of English interest left in the competition. Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham, and Man City all made it through, which pretty much guarantees the Premier League an extra Champions League spot next season thanks to the UEFA coefficient.
With the seeding and pairing rules, each of the 16 teams already knew they’d be facing one of just two possible opponents in the next round.
Liverpool and Tottenham ended up in the same section of the bracket. No surprise, since they finished third and fourth in their groups.
Arsenal, who topped their group, drew Bayern Munich. Manchester City got Sporting Lisbon, and Chelsea lined up against Barcelona.
After Newcastle’s play-off win over Qarabag, they were slotted into their section of the bracket.
Now that the draw’s done, here’s what’s coming up: Chelsea will take on defending champions PSG, and Newcastle will get Barcelona.
Real Madrid against Manchester City is the pick of the bunch, two giants going toe-to-toe.
Liverpool will face Galatasaray, while Tottenham will meet Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are set to play either Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta – a tricky tie either way.
Here’s the full Champions League last 16 draw for 2025/26:
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting
Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
Newcastle vs Barcelona
Galatasaray vs Liverpool
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham
Atalanta vs Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal
And for the Europa League quarter-finals:
Paris Saint-Germain/Chelsea vs Galatasaray/Liverpool
Real Madrid/Manchester City vs Atalanta/Bayern Munich
Newcastle/Barcelona vs Tottenham/Atletico Madrid
Bodø/Glimt/Sporting vs Bayer Leverkusen/Arsenal
The Europa League semi-finals shape up like this:
Paris Saint-Germain/Chelsea/Galatasaray/Liverpool vs Real Madrid/Manchester City/Atalanta/Bayern Munich
Newcastle/Barcelona/Tottenham/Atletico Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt/Sporting/Bayer Leverkusen/Arsenal
As for the dates, here’s what you need to know:
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18, 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 & May 5/6, 2026
Final: May 30, 2026, in Budapest
PSG THROUGH: PARIS SURVIVE 2-2 MONACO THRILLER TO REACH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16
Discover how PSG survived a 2-2 draw with Monaco to clinch a 5-4 aggregate Champions League victory.
PSG had to fight for it, but they’re through. On Wednesday night in Paris, they drew 2–2 with Monaco and squeezed into the Champions League last 16, winning 5–4 on aggregate. The match was anything but straightforward.
Last week’s first leg was wild; PSG came from two goals down to win 3–2 after Monaco lost a player to a red card early in the second half. This time, Monaco, determined and dangerous, went ahead again. Maghnes Akliouche finished off a sharp move just before halftime, levelling the overall score and raising the tension another notch.
Then, just when Monaco seemed to be in control, disaster struck. Mamadou Coulibaly picked up a second yellow card in the 58th minute, and suddenly, Monaco were down to ten men again, just like last week. PSG wasted no time. From the free kick that followed, Marquinhos bundled in the equaliser, and the mood inside the Parc des Princes changed immediately.
The pressure didn’t let up. A few minutes later, Hakimi smashed a shot at Monaco’s keeper, Philipp Köhn, who could only parry it away. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia pounced and put PSG ahead, and it looked like they’d finally broken Monaco’s resistance.
But Monaco weren’t done. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Jordan Teze poked home a deflected cross to make it 2–2 on the night and push PSG right to the edge. Wout Faes even came close to grabbing a late winner, but PSG held firm. The home crowd could finally breathe.
Now, PSG waits to find out who they’ll face next. Barcelona or Chelsea could be waiting in the draw on Friday, with the final in Budapest looming in the distance. There’s history with both clubs. PSG beat Barcelona away back in October, and they’ve met five times in knockout rounds since 2013. Chelsea? That still stings. PSG lost 3–0 to them in last year’s Club World Cup final, the only real blemish in a phenomenal season.
Most people expected PSG to handle Monaco easily. Monaco is way behind them in Ligue 1 and hasn’t made a deep Champions League run since 2017, when a teenage Mbappé was still lighting up their attack. But Monaco came into this one with nothing to lose, especially with PSG missing last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé, through injury.
In the early stages, Monaco looked like they might pull off a shock. Coulibaly missed a golden chance, blazing over from Akliouche’s cutback, and Balogun forced a sharp save from Safonov. PSG hit the bar through Bradley Barcola, but it was Monaco who got the breakthrough just before halftime. Safonov’s half-clearance didn’t relieve the pressure, and Akliouche eventually slotted home after a neat layoff from Coulibaly.
Everything changed after Coulibaly’s red card. Booked minutes earlier, he lunged late into a challenge on Hakimi, and the referee didn’t hesitate with the second yellow; off he went. PSG took full advantage, scoring from the resulting free kick and then again through Kvaratskhelia after a scramble.
Monaco almost dragged it into extra time, but in the end, they’re out, knocked out at this stage for a second straight year. PSG, though, keep their title defence alive and can start dreaming of Budapest.
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