Questions around the knockout stage format have resurfaced as the 2025-26 season of the UEFA Champions League moves toward the round of 16, where the draw rules often shape the tournament’s biggest storylines. Under the current competition structure, the path to the last 16 depends on league-phase positioning and seeding, with regulations designed to balance

Ryan O’HanlonFeb 27, 2026, 05:10 PM Close Ryan O’Hanlon is a staff writer for ESPN.com. He’s also the author of “Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game’s Analytics Revolution.” Multiple Authors Back in 1912, an Italian statistician named Corrado Gini developed a method to measure what would eventually become maybe the defining feature of modern life:

Premier League legend Wayne Rooney believes Chelsea will exit the Champions League at the quarter final stage. DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CHELSEA NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON THE APP STORE The Blues secured a top eight finish to advance straight to the round of 16 where there will face

A little under three months remain of another intriguing Premier League season, with at least six teams fighting for their top-flight lives. Wolverhampton Wanderers are all but gone, still needing another point to match Derby County’s unwanted record-low of 11 points from 2007-08, but there have been flickers of life from the two sides above

Welcome to week 28 of The Athletic’s Premier League predictions challenge, where the subscribers’ surge continues. Last week’s guest subscriber, Arsenal fan Jack, got two results spot-on, the fourth time in six weeks that the readers have outperformed the rest of us. At the halfway stage, I was top of the table, feeling smug, and

La Liga giants Barcelona have this week been tipped to launch a surprise move for a member of the defensive ranks at Premier League leaders Arsenal. The player in question? Ben White. Stopper White, it is understood, could be on the move with a view to the 2025/26 campaign. Advertisement Amid struggles for fitness across

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: Mario Pasalic of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with teammates and fans during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Atalanta BC and Borussia Dortmund at Stadio di Bergamo on February 25, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Atalanta,

La Liga giants Barcelona are giving consideration to a transfer swoop for a member of the defensive ranks at Bundesliga side Hoffenheim. This comes amid the understanding that the Blaugrana have earmarked Ozan Kabak as a potential cut-price addition. Advertisement It is widespread knowledge at this point that Barcelona are on the hunt for fresh

“Speed is always important,” Thierry Henry, one of the fastest players to ever grace the Premier League, once mused. In the increasingly physical realm of the modern English top flight, a land of giants wrestling for each fraction of space at the unrelenting onslaught of set pieces, a quick turn of pace remains imperative. Only

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans react to the American’s performance in the UEFA Champions League knockout round and if it is time to leave Serie A and return to a higher level club. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or