RASMUS HOJLUND REVEALS HIS EMOTIONAL PLAN FOR COPENHAGEN RETURN IN UCL CLASH
Rasmus Hojlund returns to Copenhagen! Discover why Napoli’s star forward is confident despite Politano and Neres being sidelined.
Napoli’s coach, Antonio Conte, is dealing with injuries left and right before their Champions League game against FC Copenhagen. Still, he’s not letting anyone feel sorry for themselves. “We’re not going out there with our heads down. We’ll hold them high and fight for our shot,” he said.
Conte’s message to his players was pretty clear. “We play with whoever we’ve got. That’s it. We’ve been working on new solutions for two days—now it’s time to bring them onto the pitch.” The squad’s missing a bunch of key guys, but Conte’s not making excuses.
“You have to change things up,” he said. “We’ve lost Matteo Politano and Amir Rrahmani, and David Neres is still out with that ankle. So, we focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. There’s no point worrying about stuff we can’t control. I actually feel good about tomorrow.”
Conte kept going. “This group knows how to respond, especially when things get tough. I hoped the injuries would let up, but they’re only getting worse. Still, the team knows I trust them. We’ve studied Copenhagen, we’ve got a plan, and we’re going for something big. If they play better, we’ll give them credit—but we’re not showing up to lose. We’ll walk out there proud, and we’ll play to win.”
Hojlund’s coming home for this one. “It’s special to be back here,” he said, thinking about all the memories in that stadium, with the fans and the energy. “But we’re here to win.”
Hojlund knows what’s at stake. “We need the win tomorrow. We’re even on points with Copenhagen, and we’ve got another home game against Chelsea. A win puts us in a better spot. Yeah, we’ve had some bad luck with injuries, but we’re still strong, and we’ve got the mentality to push up the table.”
He also talked about Romelu Lukaku possibly coming back soon. “He’s a great player, a real goal scorer. I used to watch him play here in Copenhagen, and I hope I get the chance to play with him now. He’s a big presence. We can work together; he’s proven that. I grew up playing with two strikers, so that suits me.”
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.
Premier League Standings
Must Read
Read More News