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Lautaro Martinez has rubbished comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi ahead of Inter's Champions League semi-final clash with Barcelona.

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Yamal is often compared to MessiTipped to match the Argentine's greatnessMartinez believes Messi remains peerlessFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Yamal will feature on the right side of Barca's front three against Inter, a role that once belonged to Messi during the club's golden era. The teenager's maturity and flair have often led to comparisons with the record Ballon d'Or winner, but Martinez chose to distance himself from the Messi-Yamal parallels, stressing the unmatched legacy of his Argentine team-mate.

AdvertisementGOALWHAT MARTINEZ SAID

Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s first-leg clash at the Montjuic, Martinez said: "Well, first of all, I’m not going to get into that. For me, Leo has no comparison, because he is, was, and will be the best player of all time. So I won’t make that comparison. I can only say that Lamine Yamal is an important player, we’ve all seen it, we all know it. At his young age, he’s doing a tremendous job, he’s already won important titles with his national team, so he deserves respect.”

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While comparisons with a Barcelona legend might seem flattering to many, Yamal has insisted he isn’t interested in being seen as the ‘next Messi’.

"I don't compare myself to him, because I don't compare myself to anyone, and much less with Messi," Yamal told reporters. "This comparison thing makes no sense. Furthermore, with Messi, who is the best in history. I'm going to enjoy myself and be myself."

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Barcelona last lifted the Champions League trophy in 2015, a campaign in which Messi was instrumental. Their current run marks their first appearance in the last four of the competition since 2019, coincidentally, the last time Messi was involved with the team on this stage.

Manchester City have arguably their biggest game of the season on Wednesday night, as they face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League knockout round clash. The Citizens will be looking to turn around a 3-2 deficit at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The first leg was a fantastic, end-to-end game of football. Pep Guardiola’s side had the lead twice, through who else but Erling Haaland, before Los Blancos did what they do best and came from behind to win. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham late on were enough to seal the victory.

If City are to win in the Spanish capital, they will have to be careful of Mbappe, who has a good record against them.

Mbappe’s record against City

Few opposition players strike fear into a team or their fans like Mbappe does. He is one of the world’s best players, who French legend Thierry Henry said last week he would want in his team “all day” as a manager.

There is a misconception that Mbappe’s start to life for Los Blancos has been poor. In actual fact, he has 24 goals and three assists in 36 appearances for his new club. He has been on fire despite not hitting his usual numbers at the start of the campaign, which just shows his level if anything.

Against City, Mbappe has a strong record. The 2018 World Cup Winner has played against the Citizens six times in his career, scoring four goals and grabbing one assist in that time. He has scored twice against Guardiola’s side for Monaco, once for Paris Saint Germain and once for Madrid.

Mbappe is a player who can really harm City and could be a player who can swing the tie. He is certainly someone who they must stop on Wednesday night if they want to reach the Round of 16 of the Champions League.

However, Guardiola’s side can fight fire with fire by unleashing their own version of Mbappe.

Man City’s answer to Mbappe

Maybe instead of stopping Mbappe, it is easier to simply try and outscore him. City might well decide to do that this week if Guardiola starts one of his star attackers, who has been in scintillating form recently.

Chalkboard

Omar Marmoush’s £59m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January was arguably the biggest move across Europe. He has hit the ground running at the Etihad Stadium and was superb in his most recent outing against Newcastle United.

The Egypt international scored a first-half hattrick against the Magpies, to help his side to a 4-0 home win. They are the first goals he scored for his new side, in five appearances so far. One of those was a fleeting six-minute cameo against Los Blancos last week.

Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Marmoush as an “inevitable” footballer, something which Eddie Howe’s side certainly understood at the weekend. He was superb for Eintracht, too, with 37 goals and 20 assists in just 67 games for the club.

Interestingly, Marmoush is deemed to be a similar player to Mbappe, among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, over the last 365 days.

Per 90 minutes, the City number seven actually averages more goals and assists, with 1.46 compared to 0.9 for Mbappe, and has more goal-creating actions, with 1.13 compared to the Madrid striker’s 0.38.

Stat (per 90)

Marmoush

Mbappe

G/A

1.46

0.9

Goals per shot on target

0.43

0.25

Chances created

2.05

1.46

Goal-creating actions

1.13

0.38

Progressive carries

4.27

4.72

It is certainly interesting that Marmoush and Mbappe are deemed to be such similar footballers. They are both clearly game changers, and it might serve Guardiola well to start the Egyptian forward this week – having been on the bench in the reverse fixture – as their reply to Mbappe in many ways.

There is no doubt that City’s marquee January signing could have a major say in the tie, and will be hoping to score a goal that could help his side into the Champions League Round of 16, if he gets the nod to start.

Forget Marmoush: Man City hit gold over star who's now worth 218% more

This has been a successful signing for Man City

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 17, 2025

Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have come on leaps and bounds.

The Gunners have been transformed from a team languishing in midtable mediocrity to one not only qualifying for the Champions League at a canter but consistently challenging for the Premier League title.

Such a dramatic transformation has been possible thanks to the manager’s leadership and the transfers made under his watch, both the incomings and outgoings.

However, while the majority of departures over the last few years have ultimately helped the team, a strong argument could be made that Granit Xhaka’s exit in 2023 was a mistake, although the good news is the club may finally have someone who could replace him in the starting lineup.

How Granit Xhaka's Arsenal career unfolded

Xhaka completed his move to Arsenal from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2016 for around £30m.

The Swiss international’s first couple of campaigns in red and white were not poor per se, but he joined the Gunners at a time in which they were regressing under former manager Arsène Wenger, and, unfortunately, his arrival did little to stop that slide.

Moreover, on top of not contributing much to the attack due to his position on the pitch, the tenacious midfielder began to build a reputation as a bit of a hothead, which, while not necessarily untrue at the time, most certainly became a defining part of his character to many fans and pundits alike.

Everything came to a head in the infamous game against Crystal Palace in November 2019, when frustration with the team, then-manager Unai Emery and a dismal performance led fans to boo when the midfielder was substituted.

In response, the former Mönchengladbach star swore at the fans and threw his shirt and the captain’s armband to the floor, which he was subsequently stripped of – understandably so.

It looked for intents and purposes that the Basel-born firebrand’s time in North London was up.

Still, somehow, Arteta convinced him to stay and fight for his place, which he certainly did, as, over the next few years, he went from outcast to essential cog in the Spaniard’s ever-improving side.

16/17

46

4

3

2

17/18

48

3

8

0

18/19

40

4

5

0

19/20

41

1

2

0

20/21

45

1

2

1

21/22

30

1

2

2

22/23

47

9

7

0

The 32-year-old’s best campaign at the club was undoubtedly his last, as he was able to combine his fiery nature and leadership with his ability to maraud up and down the left-hand side and, thanks to his wand of a left foot, he ended the season with nine goals and seven assists to his name.

Since then, the 135-capped international moved to Leverkusen for around £21.4m, helped them to their first league title ever, and while they don’t look like they’ll get over the line this year, are once again in a title race, so when some fans suggest the club shouldn’t have sold him in 2023, it’s easy to see where they are coming from.

The good news is that Hale End might have just handed Arteta his new Xhaka.

Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka is making an impact

Since his departure, there have been a few players that Arsenal fans have looked upon as potential ‘Xhaka replacements’, from Declan Rice last season to Mikel Merino this year.

However, in reality, the former plays the left-eight role in an entirely different manner to the Swiss ace, and the latter has simply not performed well enough or consistently enough to be compared to him this year.

Instead, the true heir to the former Gooner could come from the academy in the shape of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Now, it’s true that the youngster has primarily played at left-back this season, but there are a few reasons he could be the 32-year-old’s true successor, and the first is the fact he’s not really a full-back.

Instead, the Islington-born gem is a midfielder, and across his senior and junior career, that is the position he’s played more than any other, with left-back being a close second thanks to his emergence in the first team this season.

On top of that, the 17-year-old, whom former wonderkid and U18 coach Jack Wilshere described as “unplayable,” also has a sensational left foot on him, which we’ve already seen several times this season, such as when he helped to set up the opening goal against AS Monaco in December. Like the former Arsenal skipper, he’s evidently capable of playing balls between the lines and playing in a progressive manner.

Finally, on top of everything else, the incredible prospect, who Hale End expert and podcaster Will Balsam dubbed a “different beast,” has shown he has a fiery side to him.

He notably mocked Erling Haaland following his superb strike against Manchester City earlier this month and then, in a negative sense, when he picked up a straight red card for his foul on Mohammed Kudus last weekend.

Ultimately, Xhaka was a brilliant player for Arsenal, and while it might still be early days, it looks like they may have finally found his true successor in Lewis-Skelly.

Better than Odegaard: Arsenal must rue selling Ballon d'Or nominee for £21m

The incredible former Arsenal star has become a Ballon d’Or nominee after exiting the Emirates Stadium.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 26, 2025

The visitors hit the most sixes in a BBL innings while the total was the third-highest ever

AAP23-Dec-2022Faf du Plessis and Josh Inglis provided the fireworks with blistering half-centuries that powered the Perth Scorchers to a 61-run thrashing of the Melbourne Stars.Inglis posted the fastest fifty of the season – from just 25 balls – as the reigning champions flexed their muscle at Junction Oval on Friday.He bettered the mark set by opener du Plessis (68 off 33) earlier in the innings, with the pair helping the Scorchers reach 229 for 7.Related

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It was the third-highest score in competition history – setting a new franchise record in the process – and the first total of 200-plus by any team this season.Du Plessis’ dazzling innings included six fours and five sixes before he was eventually out caught off Luke Wood, who claimed career-best figures of 5 for 50 amid the carnage.Inglis picked up where the former South Africa skipper left off, smashing five fours and six sixes, while Nick Hobson (46 off 26) also made a strong contribution. He and Aaron Hardie (30 off 17) hit three sixes apiece.Scorchers’ batters combined to send 17 deliveries clear over the short Junction Oval boundaries, a tournament record.It left Stars needing to pull off the highest-ever BBL run chase, but they only managed 168 for 8.Stars started positively, skipping to 32 for 0 from three overs, before Scorchers quick Jason Behrendorff removed openers Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers in the fourth.Powerful allrounder Marcus Stoinis’ struggles continued as he managed just 4 from seven balls, following consecutive ducks in the opening two games.Beau Webster and Nick Larkin tried to lift the Stars but the damage had already been done.

The Italian has had his ups and downs since moving to Parc des Princes, but he's been key to the club's sensational 2024-25 campaign

Gianluigi Donnarumma served as a ball-boy during his time in AC Milan's youth sector. Whenever Juventus rocked up at San Siro, he would stand behind Gianluigi Buffon's goal and study the Bianconeri goalkeeper's every movement.

By the age of 16, though, he was lining up against his idol in Turin. At 17, meanwhile, he was coming on for Buffon to make his Italy debut. Comparisons between the two were, thus, inevitable. But also justified. They didn't just share a first name, after all; they also shared the same prodigious physical and mental attributes. In fact, Buffon even felt that Donnarumma was the more mature of the two at the same age.

"I was completely different!" the veteran admitted in 2016. "He's a great lad, very calm, thoughtful, intelligent and has extraordinary qualities. He has everything to make history in the role. We'll just have to wait 20 years to make conclusions."

While we still have more than a decade to go, it's safe to say that Donnarumma hasn't yet attained his mentor's remarkable level of consistency. However, the Paris Saint-Germain No.1 is proving in this season's Champions League that he still has the requisite talent and temperament to emulate Buffon by becoming the greatest goalkeeper of his generation…

AFPPick of PSG's free agents

PSG picked up four free agents in the summer of 2021: Lionel Messi, Gini Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Donnarumma. For all of the fanfare surrounding Messi's arrival at Parc des Princes, Donnarumma actually looked like the more significant deal from a purely sporting perspective.

He was still only 22 (a baby in goalkeeping terms!) and arrived in Paris just days after being named Player of Tournament at Euro 2024, which Italy won thanks in no small part to Donnarumma's decisive displays at Wembley, against Spain and England. He was unquestionably perfectly placed to become PSG's No.1 for years to come.

The only problem was that they still had Keylor Navas on their books, resulting in the Chilean and Donnarumma effectively sharing the goalkeeping duties during the 2021-22 campaign. Clearly, something had to give, and Navas was unsurprisingly the man to make way. However, the wisdom of that decision was repeatedly questioned in the French media, primarily due to Donnarumma's discomfort with the ball at his feet.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMisery in Madrid

PSG's implosion at Santiago Bernabeu on March 9, 2022 was by no means their most painful Champions League capitulation – but it was a horrible night nonetheless for Donnarumma.

Having beaten Los Blancos at home with an injury-time winner from Kylian Mbappe, Mauricio Pochettino's team looked almost certain to progress to the quarter-finals when their jet-heeled French forward netted again just before half-time in the second leg. However, in the 61st minute, Donnarumma dallied on the ball, allowing Karim Benzema to deflect the ball into the path of Vinicius Jr, who immediately teed up his team-mate for a tap-in.

PSG predictably went to pieces, allowing Benzema to complete a hat-trick as they bowed out 3-2 on aggregate, leaving Donnarumma devastated.

Getty Images Sport'Too strong to be affected'

In much the same way as he had consoled Donnarumma after a couple of howlers in the 2019 Coppa Italia final, Buffon was quick to defend his compatriot.

"Errors like that are useful to grow up, they are part of a developing process and I am sure it will have no negative impact because Donnarumma has already proved to have the strength to overcome the difficult moments," Buffon told the .

"He is too strong to be affected by all this. Gigio is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, one of the top three along with Thibaut Courtois and Manuel Neuer."

Buffon was certainly right about one thing: Donnarumma had sufficient strength to put his Madrid mishap behind him. And the support of his mental coach Nicoletta Romanazzi also helped in that regard.

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Getty Images Sport'I can learn from mistakes'

"One thing I've learned is how to react to errors rather than successes," Donnarumma told the . "I always thank Nicoletta because she helps me focus on myself and not think about external elements. Seeking help is no weakness; on the contrary, it makes you stronger.

"The goalkeeper role is one of the most difficult but also the most beautiful. One of my strengths is remaining focused despite some errors. If you think about them, you are dead… People have the right to talk, but an opinion can’t determine a goalkeeper’s value. I am calm, especially because I can learn from mistakes."

That they kept happening, though, became a real cause for concern in Paris.

Bhuvneshwar has led Sunrisers in seven games in the past, winning two and losing five

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2023In the absence of designated captain Aiden Markram, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match of IPL 2023, against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on April 2.Markram is in South Africa for the two-match ODI series against Netherlands and will arrive in India only on April 3. The series is crucial for South Africa’s direct qualification for the ODI World Cup, to be played in India later this year. They need to win both ODIs against Netherlands (without over-rate penalties) and then hope Ireland lose at least one ODI against Bangladesh in a three-match home series in May.Bhuvneshwar has been with Sunrisers since their inception in 2013, and has led them in the past as well – in six games in 2019 and once in 2022. Sunrisers won two of those seven matches.After finishing eighth on the points table in 2022, Sunrisers revamped their squad ahead of this season. One of the big changes was releasing their then-captain Kane Williamson and handing over the reins to Markram.Markram recently led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, where he also finished as the tournament’s third-highest run-getter, scoring 369 runs at a strike rate of 127. He also bagged 11 wickets at an economy of 6.19 with his offspin.Apart from Markram, Marco Jansen and Heinrich Klaasen will also be unavailable for the first match. That leaves Sunrisers with only five overseas players – Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Adil Rashid, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Akeal Hosein – to choose from for their first match.Sunrisers’ second game is on April 7, against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow.

Ipswich Town’s sole focus going forward rests on Premier League survival, having now exited the FA Cup at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

The FA Cup was never a top priority anyway, but there will still be some comfort taken from the fact Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest could only knock out the Tractor Boys via a penalty shoot-out, instead of the hosts dishing out a thumping.

Whilst there are some positives to hang onto from the dramatic defeat, the ever-growing injury list at Ipswich has only increased after Monday night’s loss, with Axel Tuanzebe now annoyingly sidelined.

The latest on Ipswich's injury issues

Indeed, off the back of the Cup defeat, Ipswich now have four injury concerns heading back into the bread and butter of the Premier League, with Sammie Szmodics and Conor Chaplin both not fit enough to feature against Forest, whilst Tuanzebe and Cameron Burgess had to come off at half-time with concerns of their own.

The ex-Manchester United man now has a hamstring issue that leaves Ipswich a little light in the right-back spot moving forward, considering Championship regular defender Harry Clarke is now out on loan with Sheffield United as an alternative face in this troubled position.

McKenna won’t exactly be enthused to throw Ben Godfrey into this area of the pitch either, considering both of Godfrey’s league run-outs since joining has seen his loan side lose 6-0 and 4-1, with the attackers facing off against the ex-Everton man loving life subsequently.

Ben Johnson is another figure that could come in as a utility option, but the former West Ham United face won himself an assist in the Forest clash playing down the right wing, meaning McKenna might well fancy him more as a presence joining in with attacks over strictly defending.

Therefore, to find a fresh option in the right-back area, the Ipswich boss could be prepared to start this dependable face here, knowing he will put in determined performances.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Ipswich "warrior" who can solve Tuanzebe blow

Ipswich’s strengths this season haven’t always centred on defensively resilient displays, considering the Suffolk underdogs have leaked a high 57 strikes in the league.

But, regardless of this growing amount of goals, Dara O’Shea has looked composed and competent for the most part at the back, especially when the usual centre-back body was chucked into the team away at Forest down the right.

Minutes played

75

Touches

44

Accurate passes

20/26 (77%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Clearances

6

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Total duels won

5/10

Looking at the table above, O’Shea ensured Ipswich remained strong at the back to take Espirito Santo’s hosts the distance with five duels won in total, alongside six clearances being registered.

But, his composure on the ball – away from his “warrior”-like presence at the back – as he’s been praised for in the past by Valerien Ismael – lends itself well to this position on the right flank, with one successful dribble even amassed on top of his 20 accurate passes.

Yet, if the Irishman was to come in and just be a staunch option alongside his fellow defenders, keeping Johnson on the right wing would still be able to gift Ipswich an expansive presence here, with an equally daring Jaden Philogene-Bidace also at McKenna’s disposal for their next league test versus Crystal Palace after being cup-tied.

Whatever personnel he does select for this tough away trip to the Eagles, McKenna will hope a lot of fight and grit is on display, as time starts to gradually slip away from the Tractor Boys in their bid to stay up.

Fewer touches than Palmer: McKenna must axe 5/10 Ipswich ace after Forest

The talented Ipswich star did not play well enough against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 4, 2025

Leicester could be hit with a points deduction next season for alleged breaches of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

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Leicester relegated to ChampionshipFace allegations of financial rule breachesFoxes may be deducted pointsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The club have been referred to an independent commission to review alleged breaches of financial rules in the 2023-24 campaign, when the Foxes were playing in the Championship. It was thought the Foxes would avoid punishment from the Premier League because they were not in the top-flight at the time of the offences, but an Arbitration Tribunal ruled that they could be investigated after "the EFL validly transferred responsibility for its investigation to the Premier League in June 2024, when the club was promoted from the Championship".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The prospect of further punishment from the authorities will cause some concern at the King Power Stadium after they were relegated back to the Championship after one season in the Premier League.

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Leicester could be hit with a points deduction if they are found guilty of the allegations, which would deal a blow to their hopes of winning the Championship title again. However, they could be given a fine instead.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEICESTER?

It is not yet known when Leicester can expect to discover their fate as the confidential case begins ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Eight teams have completed a clean sweep of domestic and European silverware in the last 34 years, but which stands out as the best?

At long last, Paris Saint-Germain have got their hands on the Champions League trophy after demolishing Italian giants Inter 5-0 in the 2025 final at the Allianz Arena. The first European crown in PSG's entire history capped a remarkable season that also saw Luis Enrique's side romp to the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France as they joined a very exclusive club.

PSG are only the eighth team to have won the treble since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1991. Luis Enrique also achieved the feat at Barcelona in 2014-15, which puts him alongside Pep Guardiola, who is the only other manager to deliver the three biggest trophies on offer in a single season for two different clubs (at Barcelona in 2008-09 and Manchester City in 2022-23).

Elsewhere, Sir Alex Ferguson became the first modern-day coach to achieve the feat at Manchester United in 1998-99, Jose Mourinho defied all the odds at Inter in 2009-10, and Jupp Heynckes and Hansi Flick both became immortals at Bayern Munich (in 2012-13 and 2019-20, respectively). There have been plenty of other great Champions League-winning teams, but these eight sit in a class of their own for showing such incredible consistency across all of the major competitions.

GOAL has attempted to rank the holy octet below, and the comments section is now open… let the debate begin!

AFP8Inter (2009-10)

Jose Mourinho's second season at Inter was arguably his last truly great season as a manager, and perhaps the finest one of his entire career. The Portuguese delivered the Scudetto in his first year at San Siro, but the summer additions of Samuel Eto'o, Wesley Sneijder, Diego Milito and Lucio took the Nerazzurri to a whole new level.

Inter were pushed all the way in the Serie A title race by Roma, but pipped them to the post by two points after Milito's final-day winner against Siena, and finished with the best attacking and defensive records in the division. Mourinho's side also beat Roma 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final, courtesy of more heroics from Milito, who would incredibly also prove to be the hero in the Champions League showpiece.

Inter saw off Chelsea and CSKA Moscow before pulling off an upset for the ages against Barcelona in the semi-finals, progressing after a 1-0 loss at Camp Nou that Mourinho called "the most beautiful defeat of my life", because it wasn't enough for the Blaugrana to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg. Another counter-attacking masterclass would come in the final as a Milito brace fired Inter to a 2-0 win against Bayern Munich.

It wasn't always pretty, but each and every member of the dressing room was willing to run through a brick wall for Mourinho, and that team spirit gave Inter the edge in all of the biggest games.

AdvertisementAFP7Bayern Munich (2019-20)

Bayern's 2019-20 season did not start well, with Niko Kovac losing his job at the start of November after a chastening 5-1 Bundesliga defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. Hansi Flick was the man tasked with lifting a Bayern team that had fallen to fourth in the table, and though he would lose two of his first four league games in charge, he soon transformed the team into an unstoppable winning machine.

With 18 wins from their final 19 games, Bayern romped to the title, finishing 13 points clear of arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. They also downed Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the DFB-Pokal final to complete a domestic double, but that wasn't much of a surprise considering they had managed the same feat in 2018-19.

Bayern had pulled so far ahead of the rest in German football that they were being judged mainly on their Champions League exploits. Flick's men had to win the competition to silence those who doubted their overall quality, and they did so in emphatic fashion, winning all of their games (albeit while benefiting from UEFA temporarily scrapping two-legged knockout ties due to Covid-19 pandemic).

After dispatching Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate before that change, Bayern absolutely battered Barcelona into submission with an 8-2 win in the quarter-finals, and then saw off Lyon and PSG to lift the trophy. Flick's direct, high-intensity style of play made Bayern the footballing equivalent of a bulldozer, and Robert Lewandowski served as the wrecking ball with a staggering 55 goals across all competitions.

Getty 6Manchester City (2022-23)

Man City became the most dominant team in England after Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016, but for so long Champions League success remained elusive. Monaco, Liverpool, Tottenham and Lyon all ended City's European dreams before they suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Chelsea in the 2021 final and an agonising semi-final loss to Real Madrid the following year, leaving many fans wondering if they were under some kind of curse.

That was lifted in 2022-23, though, with Erling Haaland proving to be the final piece of the puzzle after his transfer from Dortmund. The Norwegian terminator plundered 52 goals in his debut campaign at the Etihad, including 12 in the Champions League, with City blitzing past RB Leipzig and Bayern before exacting revenge on Madrid in the last four and edging out Inter 1-0 in the final.

As a result of their European exertions, City were not always at their best domestically, but they clicked into top gear down the home straight with 11 wins on the bounce to secure a third-successive Premier League title with three games to spare. Guardiola's all-conquering team also conceded just one goal en route to winning the FA Cup, and completely outclassed neighbours Manchester United in the final.

City's domestic procession was too predictable for them to be any higher on this list, but they were undeniably one of the most complete sides of all time. Haaland wasn't the only one to deliver, as Kevin De Bruyne reached the pinnacle of his playmaking abilities, Rodri ran the show in a deeper role, Ruben Dias was colossal at the back and Rico Lewis and John Stones both shone in hybrid midfield roles, with Guardiola once again leading the way as a tactical innovator.

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AFP5Paris Saint-Germain (2024-25)

Let's get this harsh truth out of the way first: PSG are by far and away the best team in the worst of Europe's top five divisions. Ligue 1's status as a 'farmer's league' was cemented this term as Luis Enrique's side finished 19 points clear of second-placed Marseille with a +57 goal difference and only two losses on their record.

It was practically a certainty that PSG would be crowned champions again, and retain the Coupe de France, which they achieved via a comfortable final win against Reims. There's no doubt that the competitiveness in the French top-flight has suffered since the Qatari takeover at PSG some 14 years ago, but that fact will be put to one side for a while longer after their spectacular run in the Champions League.

PSG became only the second French club to ever win the trophy, and the manner in which they dismantled Inter was nothing short of breath-taking. Simone Inzaghi's team couldn't lay a glove on PSG, who were also single-handedly responsible for busting the myth that the Premier League has become too powerful after overcoming Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa Arsenal in the earlier rounds.

Luis Enrique created a special team after losing Kylian Mbappe, with Desire Doue, Joao Neves, Willian Pacho and Khivicha Kvaratskhelia all proving to be incredible signings while the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma have taken their respective games to new levels. Ligue 1's failings should not count against this ruthless, swashbuckling version of PSG, who can outplay and outwork any team.

In recent seasons, Manchester City’s academy has been a conveyor belt of talent.

Current Premier League stars including Cole Palmer, Roméo Lavia, Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and many more have represented the Sky Blues at youth level, before being sold for huge fees, and that’s not even mentioning those who have stayed and are key first team figures.

However, did the best of the lot leave for free when he was just 16, making him the biggest mistake of the lot, considering he’s now outscoring Phil Foden at one of Europe’s biggest clubs?

Phil Foden's continued struggles

As recently as last season, Phil Foden was presented with both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards, having scored 27 goals across all competitions, on top of 13 assists.

In recognition of this amazing form, teammate Rodri asserted that Foden “has the ability to be the best English player in history”. Now, however, even a starting berth is not guaranteed, with the 24-year-old only introduced late on in the 2-2 draw with Brighton.

The City academy product has accumulated just ten goals and six assists to date in all competitions, with James Ducker of the Telegraph stating that his end product has ‘fallen off dramatically’.

Andy Hampson of the Independent adds that he ‘endured a slow start to the season’, thereby unable to ‘regain his rhythm’, according to Sam Lee of the Athletic, with Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian believing he has merely ‘flickered’ all campaign.

Foden himself stated that he’s been suffering from “burnout” and has been carrying “a few niggles” after a long season, featuring a run to the Euros Final, with Pep Guardiola pleading with supporters to “be patient” as his players “are human beings”.

Put succinctly by Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, Foden was ‘the best player in the Premier League’ but is now enduring the ‘roughest campaign of his career’, having been usurped by January arrival Omar Marmoush behind Erling Haaland.

Thus, with the England international struggling for form and fitness, will Man City rue allowing an attacker outperforming Foden to leave for free?

Man City's forgotten academy superstar

Even before being old enough to vote, drink or drive, Michael Olise was something of a journeyman, given that he spent time at Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City’s academies, before departing the latter for Reading at the age of just 16.

The winger made his senior debut against Leeds in March 2019, racking up 73 appearances for the Royals, before being snapped up by Crystal Palace, who paid his £8m release clause in 2021, really bursting onto the scene in South London.

In 90 outings for the Eagles, Olise racked up 16 goals and 25 assists, earning rave reviews; Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described him as “superb”, Matt Woosnam of the Athletic labelled him one of world football’s ‘brightest talents’, while former Arsenal winger Adrian Clarke noted that his performances for Palace were both ‘incredible’ and ‘elite’.

As a result, Bayern Munich paid around £50m to secure his services last summer, with Seb Stafford-Bloor of the Athletic noting how this move to Bavaria has taken Olise’s stardom to a whole new stratosphere.

The 23-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists for the run-away Bundesliga leaders so far, also earning his senior international debut for France against Italy earlier this season, choosing to represent Les Bleus, despite also being eligible to represent Algeria, Nigeria and England.

So, let’s analyse how his statistics compare to Foden’s this season.

Statistics

Olise

Foden

Appearances

39

38

Minutes

2,540

2,605

Goals

13

10

Assists

11

6

Shots on target %

37.5%

32.2%

Progressive carries

126

69

Progress passes

203

141

Pass completion %

80.3%

84.9%

Shot-creating actions

157

120

Goal-creating actions

18

15

Take-on success %

51%

40.7%

Touches per 90

70.3

52.3

As the table outlines, Olise and Foden have played a near-identical number of minutes this season, there’s under an hour in it, making comparing the pair about as fair as it can be.

The Frenchman comes out on top for pretty much every metric featured, pass completion percentage the sole exception, with Olise outperforming Foden when it comes to goals, assists, chances created, dribbles and pretty much everything else.

Thus, it’s pretty indisputable that Man City would be better off if they had the 21-year-old in their ranks, a rising star that, as Ryan Taylor of the Daily Mirror reports, those at Bayern believe is now worth £100m.

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