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ILKAY GUNDOGAN CONFIRMS HE IS STILL "CITY'S BIGGEST FAN" BEFORE TODAY'S SHOWDOWN

Ilkay Gundogan returns to the Etihad with Galatasaray but reveals he's still backing Man City to beat Arsenal to the PL title.

Ilkay Gundogan confirms he is still "City's biggest fan" before today's showdown
City legend backs former club for Premier League glory

Ilkay Gundogan, a Manchester City legend, isn’t shy about where his loyalties lie before Wednesday’s Champions League clash. Even after moving to Galatasaray, he still roots for City—he catches their games whenever he can and backs them to edge out Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Gundogan, now 35, could actually throw a wrench in Pep Guardiola’s European plans when City and Galatasaray face off in their final group match. City needs to win and hope other results fall in their favour to crack the top eight and dodge a two-legged playoff. Galatasaray aren’t out of it either—they could still grab an automatic qualification spot, but they need some luck.

After leaving City in September—his second stint with the club—Gundogan joined Galatasaray from Barcelona, even though he still had a year left on his City deal. Now, he’s chasing Champions League glory and a record 26th Super Lig title with the Turkish side.

Before the big game, Gundogan said, “I’m still a fan of this football club, this team, and this manager. I watch as many City games as I can. Even if we weren’t playing them, it wouldn’t change anything for me—so many people there are close to my heart. Honestly, I just want the best for City.”

He’s not just watching from afar. Gundogan weighed in on the Premier League title race, which got interesting again after Manchester United dented Arsenal’s hopes over the weekend. United had beaten City just eight days before, with Matheus Cunha scoring the winner for Michael Carrick’s team—two wins in two matches for them.

But Gundogan doesn’t think the title’s decided yet. Plenty of pundits are tipping Mikel Arteta to finally bring Arsenal back to the top, but Gundogan still bets on his old club. “I still believe City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League title. They closed the gap last weekend, and everyone knows once this City team gets going, they can go on a long unbeaten run. I believe in them, I believe in the manager, and I wish them nothing but the best.”

Wednesday’s match will also see Leroy Sane return to Manchester. He left six years ago for Bayern Munich, won his share of trophies, and then moved on to Turkey after his contract ended last summer. Sane’s excited for the reunion. “Absolutely. I’ve never really lost touch with some friends at the club. I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends again on Wednesday.”

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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