Real Madrid dealt blow in pursuit of Ethan Mbappe

Ethan Mbappe’s future is not tied to that of his brother Kylian, who is expected to join Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, 90min understands.

Kylian is out of contract at the end of the season and has revealed his intention to leave PSG once it expires. 90min previously reported he will forgo up to €80m in bonuses as part of a complicated legal agreement that means the French champions aren’t out of pocket, with Victor Osimhen and Marcus Rashford among the star names on their list of potential replacements.

Madrid have long been interested in Kylian and they are in advanced talks with him over a summer move – an agreement has not yet been totally reached but the framework is in place.

In the meantime, the Spanish press have suggested Madrid could also sign his 17-year-old brother Ethan in a similar deal to their respective moves from Monaco to PSG in 2017. But sources have told 90min both PSG and the player himself are focused on him securing more minutes at Parc des Princes and extending his stay hasn’t been ruled.

Kylian Mbappe, Ethan Mbappe, Wilfried MbappeKylian Mbappe, Ethan Mbappe, Wilfried Mbappe

The Mbappes joined PSG in 2017 / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

Ethan, who plays in central midfield, has made three senior appearances for PSG this season, though has dropped out of their matchday squads in recent weeks.

His contract expires this summer too but PSG are currently relaxed about the situation. Talks have not advanced recently though they have not fallen through either and both parties are on good terms.

When Kylian announced to the PSG squad he would be leaving, head coach Luis Enrique turned to Ethan and jokingly asked if he would be following him out the exit door, to which he insisted ‘no’.

PSG’s priority is to ensure Kylian’s exit is as smooth as possible and the terms are finalised, while Ethan is working hard to win back his spot in Enrique’s squad. That means Ethan’s future may not be resolved until closer to the end of the season.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Do away goals count in the Europa League?

The 2023/24 Europa League knockout rounds are well underway, with teams fighting to be crowned champions of the continent’s second most prestigious cup competition.

While some teams are flying effortlessly through this season’s tournament, other sides have found life a lot more challenging as they vie for European glory.

With fixtures that could swing either way throughout the knockout phase, it’s important for clubs and their supporters to know how Europa League ties are settled in the event of an aggregate draw come the final whistle.

Having been a regular feature of European competition in past years, is the away goal rule still in use in the Europa League?

The away goal rule was previously a pivotal part of knockout football in Europe, with the side who had netted more over two legs progressing if the tie ended in a draw on aggregate. However, away goals no longer count in any European competition, and that includes the 2023/24 Europa League.

UEFA chose to get rid of the away goal rule at the start of the 2021/22 season, a decision that has been met with significant backlash from plenty of supporters.

Houssem AouarHoussem Aouar

Europa League ties can be settled by penalties / Silvia Lore/GettyImages

If the aggregate score between two sides is now level after both legs have been played, the game will go to extra-time – regardless of which team has scored more away goals. That gives both sides an additional 30 minutes to try and swing the tie, although that’s not always possible.

If neither team is able to capitalise in extra time, the match will eventually go to a standard penalty shootout.

Out of the eight ties in the Europa League knockout round play-offs this year, three matches ended up going to extra-time. However, if the away goal rule still stood, only one of those games wouldn’t have been settled on away goals – the tie between Roma and Feyenoord that was decided on penalties.

Olympiacos vs Arsenal – 2020

Pierre-Emerick AubameyangPierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang missed a golden opportunity for Arsenal / Harriet Lander/Copa/GettyImages

Having secured a 1-0 first-leg victory, Arsenal were odds-on favourites to progress to the last 16 when they hosted Greek outfit Olympiacos in February 2020.

The Gunners had enjoyed an unbeaten start to the year but were poor for large swathes of the return leg, which went to extra time after Pape Abou Cisse’s opener.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s awesome 113th-minute scissor kick put the north Londoners back in the driving seat, but awful set-piece defending allowed Youssef El Arabi to poke in from a free kick, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2 and putting the visitors ahead on away goals.

There was still time for Aubameyang to somehow lash wide from roughly five yards out, prompting groans of disbelief and disappointment from the home faithful as Arsenal’s elimination was sealed.

Liverpool vs Zenit Saint Petersburg – 2013

Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard

Gerrard’s Liverpool were knocked out by Zenit / Alex Livesey/GettyImages

A 2-0 defeat in Russia meant it was do or die for Liverpool in the Europa League in 2013. Despite their best efforts at Anfield, the Reds didn’t survive.

Goals from Hulk and Sergei Semak had given Zenit Saint Petersburg a two-goal lead in their last-32 tie and the hopes of Brendan Rodgers’ side looked all but extinguished when Hulk struck again 19 minutes into the return leg, capitalising on a Jamie Carragher error.

However, two Luis Suarez free-kicks either side of Joe Allen’s close-range finish had the Reds level on aggregate but still needing another to go through.

It never arrived as Liverpool exited the Europa League on away goals, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by League One side Oldham and eliminated from the League Cup by Rodgers’ former club Swansea.

READ THE LATEST EUROPA LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE

Xavi reignites WhatsApp feud with Barcelona journalist

Xavi Hernandez has reignited his feud with a journalist who called Barcelona the “fool of Europe” after the club progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

La Blaugrana impressively saw off Serie A champions SSC Napoli on Tuesday evening, recording a comfortable 3-1 win at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys after a first leg draw in Naples in February. The victory ensured Barca progressed to the final eight of the Champions League for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

Barca’s form has been patchy during 2023/24, with the club coming under huge pressure following a harrowing European defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk back in November. An article written by El Pais journalist Ramon Besa which labelled Barca the “fools of Europe” was particularly cutting, and something which manager Xavi was keen to bring up after securing a place in the quarter-finals.

“There is too much pressure on the players,” the Spaniard told reporters. “Today it seemed like a heads or tails, an ultimatum, a heads or tails. I told them that no-one was going to die. It was even said that we were the fool of the Champions League. Journalists who say they represent Barcelona. What will we do now with the fool of Europe?”

“People didn’t believe me, they said I was going to lose the dressing room, that they wouldn’t take a step forward. We have received a lot of unfair criticism.”

Xavi HernandezXavi Hernandez

Xavi’s side recorded a big win on Tuesday / Pedro Salado/GettyImages

Besa has since responded to Xavi’s comments to Cadena Ser, revealing details of a heated exchange the pair have previously had on WhatsApp.

“Xavi’s words did not surprise me. I already had a dialogue with him through WhatsApp, not direct,” said Besa. “Xavi himself sent me the article by phone. ‘He told me that I had bad intentions, that from time to time it came out.

“I responded that had he read the article correctly because when I was referring to the fool of Europe I was not referring to Xavi’s team but to Barca, with I don’t know how many defeats in Europe, 2-8… They lost to Antwerp and with Shakhtar Donetsk.

“We can argue about the adjective, whether it can be a fool, the black sheep, or whatever you want. I can make a mistake with an adjective and I accept it. But I don’t accept what he told me that I write in bad faith. There was a warning that it was a much more complex situation than being just about a qualifying adjective.”

“You can argue about that and not about whether I have bad intentions. I am 65 years old and I’ve written articles, match reports, and all of sudden out of the blue I appear as a person with bad faith.”

READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Antonio Rudiger injury: Progress and potential return for Real Madrid defender

Carlo Ancelotti often falls back upon the same description of Antonio Rudiger, invariably hailing the centre-back as “a warrior”.

Schooled on the concrete pitches of south Berlin, Rudiger was likened to one of the most famous warriors with his childhood nickname ‘Rambo’. Yet, Ancelotti’s trusted soldier has been sidelined in the sick bay over recent weeks.

Real Madrid are already without the two centre-backs that started the 2022 Champions League final. Eder Militao tore his ACL in the first game of the season and has been joined by David Alaba in the treatment room since the Austria international suffered the same season-ending injury in December.

Ancelotti insisted Madrid didn’t need to recruit another central defender during the January transfer window only to watch Rudiger pull up with a rare fitness complaint on Deadline Day.

Here’s the latest updates on Ancelotti’s wounded warrior.

Antonio RudigerAntonio Rudiger

Antonio Rudiger was forced off at half-time against Getafe in February / Mateo Villalba/GettyImages

After a typically combative first half against Jose Bordalas’ Getafe at the start of February, Rudiger did not reemerge for the second half of a 2-0 win.

Ancelotti was initially optimistic, predicting: “I think Rudiger can recover, he has a strong blow and we will see how he is in the next few days.” Real were preparing for the fourth Madrid derby of the season and Ancelotti was confident his strapping centre-back would be available. “We have a few days to recover it,” the Italian noted. “Rudiger is a warrior and it is difficult for him to miss the derby due to a small annoyance.”

Yet, Rudiger was nowhere to be seen for the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu. Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni replaced Rudiger in the second half against Getafe but was suspended for the derby, forcing right-back Dani Carvajal into a particularly diminutive defence. Atletico Madrid’s stoppage-time equaliser was the result of two headers, prompting Ancelotti to concede: “We lacked a bit of height, they took advantage of a lot of crosses.”

As Madrid would later reveal, Rudiger had suffered “a muscle injury in the vastus lateralis of his left thigh”.

The faith Ancelotti had in Rudiger’s powers of recovery were not solely based upon his imposing reputation in Berlin’s caged pitches.

Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio RuedigerCarlo Ancelotti, Antonio Ruediger

Antonio Rudiger (left) has an excellent relationship with Carlo Ancelotti / Florencia Tan Jun/GettyImages

Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League group-stage ‘home’ game against Real Madrid in October 2022 was held in Poland during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Most of the 29,000 neutrals in attendance began cheering for Madrid but had been converted to Shakhtar supporters just in time for Rudiger to break their hearts. Piling into a packed penalty area, Rudiger nodded a stoppage-time equaliser past Anatoliy Trubin. The ball evaded Shakhtar’s goalkeeper but Rudiger’s face did not. The collision left Rudiger with 20 stitches.

Yet, just five days later, Rudiger was back in Madrid’s squad. Equipped with a protective mask, the burly centre-back came on for the closing stages of Barcelona’s visit to the Bernabeu, sparking the move which led to the game-sealing third goal with his very first touch of the ball.

Madrid have not divulged an official timeline for Rudiger’s recovery but initial reports suggest the centre-back will miss between two to three weeks.

Rudiger sat out the final training session before Madrid’s trip to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday but is expected to be available once again for the visit of Sevilla on 25 February.

When Madrid travelled to Sevilla in October, Rudiger was at the epicentre of an enthralling feud with Sergio Ramos. The former Madrid skipper gripped both of Rudiger’s cheeks at one point in a running battle which one Spanish report likened to “two cocks in the town square”. How could Ancelotti’s warrior miss that rematch?

READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Wolves defeat lays bare Tottenham’s reliance on influential full-back duo

FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Every football club has injuries and every fan will tell you how debilitating they can be.

Manchester United were left left-back-less early in the season. Chelsea and Newcastle have both been horrendously plagued by fitness issues. Manchester City, the best team in the world, have only just got back to their usual perfect selves with the returns of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

It’s the same situation at Tottenham. The atmosphere and feeling around north London has been flipped since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival, but teething issues continue to confront the Greek-Australian in the dugout.

The Lilywhites have been at their best this campaign with key creative force Pedro Porro and speed demon Destiny Udogie in full flight. The Italian has spent more time on the sidelines this term, but Saturday’s clash with Wolves saw both ruled out in the build-up.

Porro last missed a league game on the opening day of the season, while Udogie has been kept out of four matches in 2023/24 due in equal parts to injury and suspension.

While the rest of Postecoglou’s starting XI was as strong as possible – save for personal preference here and there in midfield – the glaring absence of their star full-back duo was undeniable.

Emerson Royal and Ben Davies, the weekend stand-ins, have earned respect from the Spurs faithful filling in at centre-back this season when Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were downed by injury.

But, just in case the obvious needed blatant spelling out, Emerson and Davies are not Porro and Udogie.

The pair couldn’t work space as easily as has been the case with Porro and Udogie, with Emerson looking clumsy in possession and Davies rarely offering more than a willing runner. The Welshman had a chance to recover a point at the death but got his effort all wrong, heading well clear of goal when placed centrally in the six-yard box.

Ben DaviesBen Davies

A late chance went begging for Davies / Julian Finney/GettyImages

Postecoglou has been at pains to explain Tottenham are at the beginning of their development and games against organised opposition like Wolves will continue to serve as a good barometer of what is going well in north London and what can be improved.

While there’s no need for any hysterics given Spurs are in a much better position than expected after Antonio Conte’s meltdown and Harry Kane’s departure last year, there is a clear need for more natural alternatives in defence if their first choice full-backs aren’t available.

With Emerson and Davies, Tottenham were predictable and couldn’t offer anything fresh to break down a Wolves defence that got the goals they came for and sat back en route to all three points.

Steps were taken in the January transfer window as Radu Dragusin was brought in and there’s every reason to believe the summer will see more positive squad building. Positions that need greater depth have been identified quickly in recent years and that theme should continue.

There’ll be no fretting or panic from Postecoglou, who stuck ruggedly to his principles as his team toiled on Saturday, but there’s no doubt his side have become easier to figure out in recent months, especially with two of his chief creative forces sidelined.

The blueprint to beat Tottenham worked perfectly for Wolves and with Spurs not in action again until early March, fans will hope their well-balanced full-back double act returns against Crystal Palace.

READ THE LATEST TOTTENHAM NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP