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      ‘This is RIGGED man’ say fans as Champions League draw sees Arsenal handed horror route to final and derbies galore

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      FANS whinged that the Champions League draw was “rigged” after several interesting fixtures emerged.English sides Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa were among the teams to learn their round of 16 opponents during this morning’s draw.The Champions League draw was conducted in SwitzerlandCredit: ReutersReal Madrid landed a tasty derby with city rivals Atletico, while Bayern Munich will face Bundesliga foes Bayer Leverkusen.Arsenal, meanwhile, got PSV Eindhoven – and will face the winner of the Madrid derby in the quarter-finals, should they triumph over the Dutch side.Moaning over the draw, a fan wrote on X: “this ucl draw is rigged man.”While a second whinged: “Nah Real – Atletico. No-one can tell me this s*** isn’t rigged.”READ MORE FOOTBALLIn a further unfounded claim, a third cried: “How rigged is this draw, two German teams against each other and two Spanish teams against each other.”This means England have a huge advantage in points for top 5 leagues and get a extra UCL spot….”Elsewhere in the round of 16, Liverpool will face French champions Paris Saint-Germain, while Villa will rematch Club Brugge.The Belgian side beat Villa 1-0 in November courtesy of Hans Vanaken’s 52nd minute penalty.Most read in Champions LeagueJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSChampions League round of 16 drawAston Villa vs Club BruggeLille vs DortmundAtletico Madrid vs Real MadridBayern vs Bayer LeverkusenFeyenoord vs Inter MilanPSV Eindhoven vs ArsenalPSG vs LiverpoolBenfica vs BarcelonaBenfica will face Barcelona, Feyenoord are set to take on Inter Milan and Lille have drawn Borussia Dortmund.The quarter-finals could see an all-English clash with the winners of PSG vs Liverpool and Club Brugge set to face off.Earthquake strikes Lisbon during Champions League press conference and leaves whole room shakingBenfica or Barca will do battle with Dortmund or Lille.And either Bayern or Leverkusen are set to face Feyenoord or Inter Milan.PSG, Liverpool, Club Brugge or Aston Villa will meet one of PSV, Arsenal, Real Madrid or Atletico in the first semi-final.While Benfica, Barcelona, Dortmund or Lille will face off with either Bayern, Leverkusen, Feyenoord or Inter Milan in the other semi.Champions League QFs and SFs drawQuarter-finalsPSG or Liverpool vs Club Brugge or Aston VillaPSV or Arsenal vs Real Madrid or AtleticoBenfica or Barcelona vs Dortmund or LilleBayern or Bayer Leverkusen vs Feyenoord or Inter MilanSemi-finalsPSG, Liverpool, Club Brugge or Aston Villa vs PSV, Arsenal, Real Madrid or AtleticoBenfica, Barcelona, Dortmund or Lille vs Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord or Inter Milan More

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      Champions League draw puts Arsenal and Liverpool on collision course with horror ties – as Gunners avoid frosty reunion

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      ARSENAL, Liverpool and Aston Villa are on a Champions League collision course after all the Prem trio were handed tricky draws.Liverpool landed the most difficult of the lot in Friday’s ceremony, facing French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16.The draw for the Champions League knockout stage has been completedCredit: ReutersArsenal face PSV in the last-16Credit: AFPChampions League draw LIVEThat’s despite Arne Slot’s Reds finishing top of the League stage and, in theory, earning an easier tie.Meanwhile, Arsenal, who finished third in the League, have been drawn against PSV Eindhoven.And Aston Villa, who also made the top eight, take Club Brugge for a place in the quarters, having already lost to the Belgians earlier in the competition.Read More in FootballBut, while those ties might sound relatively friendly, it what comes next that may give Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery sleepless nights.All three Premier League clubs were placed on the same side of the draw, meaning a high possibility of at least one all-English encounter.While it also ruled out the possibility of an all-English final.Should Liverpool defeat PSG – who smashed French rivals Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoff round – across two legs, they could meet Aston Villa in the quarters.Most read in Champions LeagueThe winners of that could then face Arsenal in the semis.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSLiverpool will take on PSGCredit: APBut it will NOT be simple for the Gunners to get the far, with defender champions Real Madrid – who just dumped out Manchester City – or bitter local rivals Atletico Madrid awaiting in the last-8.A potential Liverpool vs Arsenal semi-final match-up would mean an incredible THREE games in just 11 DAYS between the two sides.Wayne Rooney rips into Man City after just three seconds of Amazon Prime jobThe pair are already scheduled to meet in the Premier League on May 10 in what could be a blockbuster title decider – just three days after the conclusion of the semi-finals.Arsenal’s draw did see them avoid a potentially awkward reunion with ex-striker Robin van Persie.Van Persie agreed to become the new manager of Dutch side Feyenoord, who were the Gunners’ other potential last-16 opponent.The 41-year-old left Arsenal in 2012 to join rivals Manchester United – a decision which saw him dramatically fall out of favour with fans.Instead, Feyenoord will face Inter Milan for a spot in the quarter-finals.Benfica are set to take on Barcelona, with Borussia Dortmund in line to face Lille.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut the biggest match on that side of the bracket sees Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen go head-to-head.Last-16 ties with commence next month with the first legs played on March 4 and 5, with the return games the following week.A Madrid derby is set for the round-of-16Credit: Alamy More

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      Lionel Messi grants referee’s unusual request after Inter Miami win but waited until they’d left the pitch

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      LIONEL MESSI had a very unusual interaction with a referee this week.Messi, 37, has done and seen it all throughout his glittering 21-year career.Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi was asked for his shirt by the REFEREECredit: GettyMessi played in the sub-zero temperatures of Kansas against Sporting KCCredit: RexMessi handed over his prized No10 shirt to the referee backstageCredit: APReferee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nara approached Messi after the full-time whistleCredit: ReutersThe star forward has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League trophies, 10 LaLiga titles, two Copa America honours and the World Cup.And the Argentina international has played all around the world against the best football has to offer.But perhaps nothing could prepare the Inter Miami superstar for what he encountered on Thursday in the sub-zero temperatures of Kansas.Messi and co visited Sporting KC at the freezing Children’s Mercy Park in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.Read More on FootballThe visitors braved the awful cold, with temperatures going as low as -22C.The Barcelona legend led Javier Mascherano’s side to a 1-0 win thanks to his winner on 56 minutes, which marked his first official goal of the calendar year.Messi’s performance finally put to bed the cliche theory of whether he could produce the same magic on a “cold Tuesday night in Stoke” as he shone bright against Sporting.According to ESPN, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star then received a very unusual request from the referee.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSMexican official Marco Antonio Ortiz Nara approached Messi after the full-time whistle.And Nara asked the Argentine great for his SHIRT as a memento – a tradition usually reserved for players.Watch incredible moment Lionel Messi’s son recreates Barcelona and Argentina icon’s goal against Getafe for inter Miami The MLS superstar agreed but passed on his prized No10 jersey backstage in the dressing room later on.That wasn’t because of the freezing temperatures, but rather that the Inter Miami star wanted to avoid any potential controversy on the field. More

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      Champions League Last 16 draw EXACT start time – how to watch big draw today

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      THE Champions League is set to enter the round of 16, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool set to learn their opponents. Manchester City won’t be joining the party in the round of 16, as they were beaten by a Kylian Mbappe inspired Real Madrid 6-3 on aggregate.Kylian Mbappe knocked Manchester City out the Champions LeagueCredit: John Walton/PA Wire.Mo Salah and Liverpool finished top of the Champions League group stageCredit: gettyMadrid will face Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.As is the way with the new format, everyone knows who they could be facing.Aston Villa will either travel to Dortmund or Club Brugge, Liverpool will either take on Benfica or PSG, and Arsenal will go to the Netherlands to take on PSV or Feyenoord. Read more FootballAfter narrowly beating Celtic, Bayern Munich will face whoever doesn’t get drawn to Real Madrid, meaning there is potential for an all-Madrid and all-German round of 16 tie. When does the Champions League round of 16 draw startCoverage of the draw is set to begin at 11am GMT.Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa all qualified automatically as the top eight teams.How to watch Champions League round of 16 draw, and is there a live stream?The Champions League round of 16 draw will be live stream on UEFA.com and Uefa’s YouTube channel.As well as this, it will be shown on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+.Streaming starts at 11am GMT.SunSport will also blog the draw as it happens.Who can face who in the Champions League round of 16?As with the new format, each side has an idea of who they will be playing:Most read in Champions LeaguePSG
      (1) Liverpool(2) BarcelonaClub Brugge
      (7) Lille(8) Aston VillaReal Madrid
      (5) Atletico Madrid(6) Bayer LeverkusenPSV
      (3) Arsenal(4) Inter MilanFeyernoord
      (3) Arsenal(4) Inter MilanBayern Munich
      (5) Atletico Madrid(6) Bayer LeverkusenDortmund
      (7) Lille(8) Aston VillaBenfica
      (1) Liverpool(2) Barcelona More

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      Who could Liverpool face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?

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      AHEAD of today’s draw, Liverpool have a better understanding of who they will play in the Champions League last-16.The top eight clubs advanced directly to the round of 16 under the new league phase format, avoiding a two-leg elimination play-off match.Mo Salah and co will look to add to the club’s six European titlesCredit: ReutersTo guarantee the eight unseeded teams in the round of 16, the teams ranked ninth through twenty-four were forced into a play-off stage.Despite losing their last match to PSV Eindhoven, Arne Slot’s team easily advanced through the league stage to take the top spot.Liverpool are not the competitions top scorers or the best defensive side, yet their sheer consistency and versatility has made them the tournament’s favourites according to various sources. Who could Liverpool face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?Following their league-stage position, Liverpool were allocated to play either the 17th and 18th seed or the winner of the play-off matches between the 15th and 16th seeds.READ MORE IN LIVERPOOLThey had four potential opponents going into the playoffs: Paris Saint-Germain, Brest, Benfica, or Monaco. You would think that would guarantee a very smooth trip to the quarterfinals.After a thrilling 3-3 draw in Portugal on Tuesday, Benfica advanced past Monaco 4-3 overall, and PSG crushed French compatriots Brest 7-0 in the second leg after winning the first leg 3-0.PSG or Benfica will be Liverpool’s confirmed opponent in the last-16 draw on Friday, February 21.Either March 4 or March 5 will see the first leg of those ties, with the follow-up matches taking place a week later.Most read in Champions LeagueAnfield will host the second match, while Liverpool will travel as seeds for the first leg. More

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      Who could Aston Villa face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?

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      ASTON VILLA will learn who they will face in the round of 16 of the Champions League and how they can get to the final THIS WEEK. Under the new league phase structure, the top eight teams avoided a two-leg play-off match and went straight to the round of 16.Teams placed ninth through twenty-four were compelled to participate in a play-off stage, where games were played over the previous two weeks, in order to secure the eight unseeded teams in the round of 16.Morgan Rodgers has been Aston Villa’s standout player in both domestic and European actionCredit: GettyAfter a 4-2 victory over Celtic on the penultimate matchday of last month, Unai Emery’s team finished in the top eight and advanced to the round of 16 as a seeded side. Villa accumulated 16 points with the result against Celtic being there fifth win in the league phase to sneak into the final seeded spot. Who could Aston Villa face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?The play-off ties’ 9th and 10th slot winners or the 23rd and 24th slot winners were assigned to Villa because of their eight-place league performance.READ MORE IN ASTON VILLA Those were Club Brugge, Atalanta, Sporting or Borussia Dortmund. After a 3-0 first-leg victory against Sporting, last year’s finalists Dortmund were virtually guaranteed to advance to the round of 16 and did so with a stalemate in the second leg. While Brugge defeated Atalanta 3-1 in their second leg, winning 5-2 overall with an early brace from Chemsdine Talbi proving decisive in match momentum. Villa’s opponent, either Dortmund or Club Brugge, will be determined by the draw in the round of 16 on Friday, February 21.Most read in Champions LeagueThe first leg of the last-16 matchups will take place on either March 4 or March 5, while the subsequent matches will follow a week later.Villa Park will host the second match, while Villa will travel as seeds for the first leg. More

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      Who could Arsenal face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?

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      TODAY’S draw will reveal Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 opponents.The top eight clubs advanced directly to the round of 16 under the new league phase format, avoiding a two-leg play-off match.Arsenal’s two potential opponents were decided on WednesdayCredit: GettyTo guarantee the eight unseeded teams in the round of 16, the teams ranked ninth through twenty-four were forced into a play-off stage – which saw the games completed over the past two weeks.The North London club coasted through their league phase with relative ease as they won six out of their eight games.Mikel Arteta’s side finished third – joint on points with Barcelona’s 19 – just behind table-toppers Liverpool. Who could Arsenal face in the Champions League Last 16 draw?Due to their third-place league performance, Arsenal was paired with either the 13th and 14th slot winners of the play-off ties or the 19th and 20th slot winners. READ MORE IN ARSENALThey were either PSV Eindhoven, Juventus, Feyenoord, or AC Milan.Following a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on Tuesday, Feyenoord advanced over AC Milan 2-1 on aggregate as Julian Carranza stunned the Serie A powerhouses with an equaliser in the 73rd minute.On Wednesday, Juventus led PSV 2-1 going into their second leg in Holland, but the Dutch champions rallied for a 4-3 aggregate victory after extra time.The last-16 draw on Friday, February 21 will decide Arsenal’s opponent, whether it be PSV or Feyenoord. Most read in Champions LeagueEither March 4 or March 5 will see the first leg of the last-16 matches, with the follow-up matches taking place a week later. Arsenal will travel for the first leg as seeds, while Emirates Stadium will host the second game. More

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      Man City to rake in £41m windfall for summer rebuild after picking best possible year for early Champions League exit

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      MANCHESTER CITY can press ahead with their team-rebuilding plans this summer despite their early Champions League exit.Pep Guardiola’s men failed to reach the last 16 of the lucrative competition for the first time since 2013 after Kylian Mbappe’s stunning hat-trick for Real Madrid.Manchester City were dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid this weekCredit: GETTYTheir stint in this season’s Champions League has added to Pep Guardiola’s summer war chestCredit: GETTYThat means they miss out on around £9million for reaching the knockout stage proper — along with the chance to go for around £44m more in prize money.Normally that could have hit their summer budget but City are heading for the money-spinning Club World Cup in June and July.The 32 teams are set to bank around £41m apiece just for playing in the USA tournament — with the prospect of doubling that for going all the way to the final.That should help to bridge any shortfall in the City coffers from a rare failure in Uefa’s showpiece competition — which saw them knocked out in the play-off round by Real Madrid on Wednesday.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThey have secured Champions League football every year since they first qualified in 2011 — but face a battle to extend that sequence into next season.Despite spending more than £175m on four signings last month, Guardiola is keen to bring in more new faces this summer.Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso are targets.City’s elimination at the hands of Real has raised further doubts over Guardiola’s future with the club.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSPep Guardiola insists he will still be in charge of Manchester City next seasonCredit: GettyBut when asked if he’ll be at Eastlands next season, the Catalan told Movistar: “Yes, yes, yes, I’m going to stay [at City]. “We have drawn a very strong opponent at the best moment of the season and when the opponent is superior.’Pep Guardiola is stressed, man’ – Fans fear for Man City boss as Etihad legend spotted with fresh scratches on head”There is no other option than to congratulate them. Ten or 12 years ago we weren’t even in the picture.”It’s a competition with many details, a very emotional competition, and I have very few complaints about how we’ve behaved in Europe.”City will be back in action on Sunday, welcoming title-chasing Liverpool to the Etihad. More