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Azam FC assistant coach Vivier Bahati has conceded it was tough to break down Tanzania Prisons in their Tanzania Mainland League assignment owing to their organisation.

The 2009 champions came into the match at Azam Complex in Chamazi as clear favourites, but they ended up sharing the spoils. It was an improvement for the administrative side who had lost the last meeting between the sides by a solitary goal.

The Burundian has now explained why his charges failed to get maximum points on Monday night.

"It was a very tough and physical game which was characterised by end to end action," Bahati told reporters.

"The players had to be in movement constantly to ensure they help the team. Yes, we created several scoring opportunities but we did not use them because the opponents were fast in recovery.

"By the time we were in their danger zone, they had already recovered and defended well."

Bahati has also explained why head coach George Lwandamina opted to make some changes after the break.

"We played well in the first half but did not take our chances owing to the aforementioned reason," he continued.

"More strikers were introduced to break down the Prisons side but we were not successful. 

"Now we have to go back and work on our shortcomings to stand a chance of winning our next game. We still have time to make the team better and ensure we effectively compete."

In the last five games, Lwandamina has seen his side win two games, draw in another two, and lost in one as they try to close in on Yanga SC and Simba SC, who are both more than 10 points above them.

On March 3 and 6, the Ice-cream Makers will be up against Kagera Sugar and Mwadui FC while Tanzania Prisons, who are eighth with 26 points, will entertain Mbeya City and Simba in early March. The game against Wekundu wa Msimbazi could be postponed though given the Caf assignments the champions are engaged in.

Yanga are top of the table with 49 points from the 21 games they have played, followed by reigning champions Simba who have 42 points from 18 games.

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has picked out four Simba SC players he believes are deadly for the team ahead of their Caf Champions League showdown on Tuesday.

The Msimbazi giants will host the African champions in the first round meeting of their Group A fixtures at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium with at least 30,000 fans set to attend the fixture after Caf gave the green light three days ago.

Ahead of the Group A fixture, the South African tactician has mentioned winger Clatous Chama, Luis Miquissone, Larry Bwalya, and Taddeo Lwanga as the four players he knows in the Simba squad and who should be handled with care.

“Simba have good players, very quality players but I know four in their squad, Chama, Miquissone, Bwalya, and Lwanya,” Mosimane said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“I have keenly followed Simba for a very long time and we know what we need to do to stop them, the four must be contained, they are the engine of the team, but one thing I know they won’t trouble us as such, we have studied them well and are ready to handle them.

“We don’t have any fear, we will enter the pitch ready to win the match, we strongly believe in ourselves and our main target is one, to win the match, we don’t need anything else.”

In a separate interview, Mosimane said having lost to Simba in their last meeting at the same venue, the defeat will give them a reason to be cautious and careful about the game.

“We should not take the game for granted and we must thoroughly prepare ourselves. We need to carefully look at the log and make sure that we do not wait for the last match in order to qualify into the second round,” Mosimane said as quoted by Daily News.

“Last season, we had to wait until the last matches to qualify and we are now prepared to turn the tables. I do not expect to make too many tactical changes in response to the weather. If the changes happen, it will be because of the nature of the game.

“We believe we can win here and they also believe that they can win too…it’s a game of football so we believe we can win.”

In the 2019 season, Simba and Al Ahly met in the group stage of the same competition, with Al Ahly winning the game played in Cairo 5-0 before Simba recovered at home to win 1-0 courtesy of a Meddie Kagere goal.

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena has explained how the club's postponed Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad has disrupted the rhythm of the Tshwane team.

Downs, the 2016 Champions League winners, had been scheduled to kick off their Group B campaign against Belouizdad in Algeria on February 23, but the match did not take place due to medical restrictions in the north African country - regarding their concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic.

With periodisation such a key factor in the planning of many professional clubs these days, the postponement of the match could potentially have a knock-on effect, and as Mokwena explains, it's important for the Downs technical team to deal with the situation as best they can.

“Whenever there is a change in the program it puts a spanner in the works, the reality is that everyone wants to work in a way where everything is pre-planned and then we can navigate our way through the program that has been sent, particularly because we are quite big on our periodisation," Mokwena told the Sundowns website.

"When we plan, we plan for cycles that are within the program of the entire season. It’s not just one game [that has been changed], it becomes about adapting to the cycle so that it fits into the next one," the former Orlando Pirates assistant coach continued.

“Unfortunately, it is what it is, the best thing we can try to do is to have the right perspective. It is now clear that we have two games sitting in our pockets for a little bit later in the season, we just have to adapt.”\

“We just have to work towards allowing ourselves enough time to improve the team, we know that we have a lot of things to improve, our schemes need to improve, our performances need to get better.

"We have a bit of time to recoup and refresh the team and work to make sure that physically we are fresh and ready to go for the next cycle. The way we play, the game demands a lot of physical execution from us."

The Brazilians' match against Belouizdad has been rescheduled to take place in Tanzania at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, on Sunday.

However, Masandawana are also scheduled to play Polokwane City in a Nedbank Cup Last 16 encounter on Saturday in Pretoria.

Thiago Silva is happy to have escaped the Paris Saint-Germain pressure cooker, with the current Chelsea defender revealing that “the whole season was sh*t” at Parc des Princes if the Champions League was not won.

PSG are still waiting to lift that trophy despite considerable investment in a star-studded squad, with domestic success barely registering as a formidable outfit are expected to sweep aside all before them.

That mentality became too much for Silva, who spent eight years at the Ligue 1 club between 2012 and 2020, with the 36-year-old Brazilian embracing “a very different atmosphere” at Stamford Bridge.

What has been said?

Silva has told FourFourTwo on the differences between life in the French and English capitals: “At PSG, the pressure to win a first Champions League [under QSI] is immense. The team works around this objective, not to win Ligue 1.

“It's no use doing a clean sweep of the domestic titles, as we did a few times, but being knocked out in the last 16 or the last eight of Europe.

“It always seemed like if that happened, the whole season was sh*t – it felt over once we exited the Champions League.

“At Chelsea, however, there's a very different atmosphere regarding European football. The club has already managed to lift that trophy, and winning the Premier League title is also one of our priorities.”

PSG’s Champions League record

PSG have secured seven Ligue 1 titles since 2012, with a Monaco side that included the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva the only rivals to have broken their dominance.

Countless other domestic prizes have been picked up, but continental glory has eluded them.

Thomas Tuchel, who is now working with Silva at Chelsea, did guide them to the Champions League final in 2020, only to come unstuck against Bayern Munich.

Prior to that, last-16 exits had been endured in three successive campaigns. Four quarter-final appearances were made 2013 and 2016, but even the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Neymar have been unable to get PSG over the line.

The bigger picture

Mauricio Pochettino is now calling the shots in Paris and oversaw a memorable 4-1 win over Barcelona in the first leg of a heavyweight last-16 encounter this season – with Kylian Mbappe netting a hat-trick at Camp Nou.

PSG appear to be on course to reach the quarter-finals once again, while Silva and Chelsea will be hoping to join them there as they prepare to face La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid in the first knockout round – with their initial meeting due to take place in Bucharest on Tuesday.

Further reading

UAE (United Arab Emirates) are set to lock horns against India in a friendly encounter on March 29, Goal can confirm. 

The Whites were scheduled to host Malaysia on March 25, before flying to Indonesia for the second round of World Cup qualifiers on March 30. But both the matches have been postponed to June. In fact, all the four remaining group games will be played in June at a centralised venue. 

Travel restrictions in the two countries due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic have led the matches to be postponed. The rescheduled matches are set to take place on June 3 and 7, while Bert van Marwijk's men will take on Thailand and Vietnam on June 11 and 15 respectively to conclude the group stage. 

It has been learnt that the UAE FA will submit a bid to AFC (Asian Football Confederation) so that it can host the remaining games of Group E. The last date for such applications is March 5, while the decision is set to be announced by March 15. 

UAE are currently fourth in Group E with six points from four matches. They started the second round on a positive note after defeating Malaysia and Indonesia but succumbed to losses in their next two matches against Thailand and Vietnam. 

In fact, they trumped Indonesia 5-0, courtesy of a hattrick from Ali Mabkhout, but went down by a one-goal margin in their next two matches. Vietnam are the current group leaders with 11 points from five matches. 

In 2021, UAE played a friendly against Iraq on January 12, but they were held to a goalless draw. 

Eight group winners and four best runners-up will progress to the continent's 12-team final qualifying stage for the 2022 World Cup. 

Namungo FC coach Hemedi Morocco has warned his players not to over celebrate despite registering a huge first-leg win against Primeiro de Agosto in the Caf Confederation Cup playoffs.

The Tanzanian outfit made a huge stride towards the group stage of the competition after they hammered the Angolan side 6-2 in the first leg at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.

Playing as the away team in the fixture after Caf moved the two-legged clash to Tanzania, Namungo scored their goals through Hashim Manyanya, Sixtus Sabilo, Leriant Lusajo, Steven Sey, and Erick Kwizera while de Agosto got their two goals courtesy of Brayan Moyo and Mongo Bokamba.

Despite the win which set them up to reach the group stage for the first time in the club’s history, coach Morocco has cautioned his players not to celebrate yet and asked them to get ready for the return leg which will be played at the same venue.

“I think we should not celebrate yet because we have one more match to play against them,” Morocco said as quoted by Daily News. “They are a good team not to be written off as such, we need to get back to correct our shortfalls prior to the return match.

“Even though we have won today [Sunday], there are many mistakes we made hence this is the time to correct them.

“What I can say is that my game plan worked successfully as we managed to get back into the game fast enough despite conceding an ear goal which otherwise could have transferred our focus.”

Morocco has also called on Tanzanians to rally behind the team, saying they will do their best to win the return leg and reach the group stage.

Meanwhile, Namungo chairman Hassan Zidadu has assured supporters they will be allowed to attend the return leg as they will be the home team.

During the first leg, fans were not allowed into the stadium owing to Covid-19 restrictions but according to Zidadu they will have fans.

“Today [Sunday], our colleagues [Primeiro de Agosto] were the owners of the match and banned fans from attending but in the next encounter, we will be the hosts hence people should start preparations to come and support us,” Zidadu told the same publication.

Should Namungo qualify, they will play in Group D of the group stage alongside Moroccan heavyweights Raja Casablanca, Pyramids FC of Egypt, and Zambia's Nkana FC with the top two teams making it to the quarter-finals.

Kampala Capital City Authority FC coach Mike Mutebi says he has no problem with conceding goals as long as the opponents are outscored.

The former Ugandan Premier League champions have not been tight at the back, and have conceded eight goals in as many matches. The tactician concedes there is a problem with his defence, but went on to state it will matter less if his team continue winning.

"Yes we are bothered with the way we are defending," Mutebi said ahead of the game against Wakiso Giants on Tuesday evening.

"But if we can score more goals even if we win 5-3 I do not care, that is the solution. 

The experienced tactician believes fans enjoy it more when there are many goals in a match as opposed to stalemates or games with few goals.

"People come to the stadiums to watch games with goals; those draws of 0-0, 1-1 do not appease them at all," Mutebi continued.

"But as a coach, I have to, first of all, make sure we do not concede goals but as a football fan, I want to be happy when games end with 5-3 score lines. Because as a fan, I want to have something that I will talk about when I go out there. 

"Other than having a dull game throughout but it is good that this season most of the teams are scoring some good number of goals."

Meanwhile, Mutebi has called on his players to use the confidence gained from their win against MYDA FC when they take on the Purple Sharks.

The Kasasiro Boys will visit unbeaten Wakiso at Kabaka Kyabaggu Sports Stadium, three days after they won their last league game against the promoted side 5-0 while Wakiso shared the spoils with URA FC in Ndejje.

It is the reason the veteran Mutebi has warned his players to be wary of Wakiso, who are among the three teams in the top-flight yet to lose a match this campaign, insisting they must use the win against MYDA as a stepping stone to beat them.  

The two teams have only faced each other twice in history, in the Super 8 where KCCA won 2-0 and also last season’s first-round meeting which the Kasasiro Boys won 1-0 courtesy of Allan Okello’s early goal.

Joao Felix has named Cristiano Ronaldo as his mentor while expressing his admiration towards Mason Mount ahead of Atletico Madrid's Champions League clash with Chelsea.

Felix, who is in line to feature against the Blues in the first leg of Atletico's round-of-16 tie, has benefitted from the wisdom of Juventus talisman Ronaldo in the early stages of his career.

The 21-year-old says his fellow Portugal international is always on hand to give him advice which has helped him to develop his game and prepare for big matches like the one he will be involved in on Tuesday night.

What has Felix said about Ronaldo?

Asked to open up on his relationship with Ronaldo, Felix told the Daily Mail : "Cristiano is a big influence for me.

"When we are with the national team, he always tries to give me and all of the young guys advice about work, motivation, everything."

Praise for Mount

Felix will try to outdo Mount when Atletico take on Chelsea in Bucharest, having long been aware of the England international's talents.

"I like the way he [Mount] plays, the way he likes to move the ball, the way he touches the ball," the Rojiblancos star added.

"I played with Chris Willock at Benfica three or four years ago and he told me that Chelsea had a guy that he thought is similar to me and he told me it was Mason Mount.

"A few years later he played for Chelsea and I like the way he plays. Chris had told me about him before he appeared in the Premier League, so I was waiting to see him."

Comparing Felix & Mount

Felix has contributed nine goals and five assists to Atletico's cause in 27 outings across all competitions in 2020-21, having rediscovered his best form after a challenging first season at Wanda Metropolitano.

Mount, meanwhile, has been arguably Chelsea's most consistent performer to date, providing five goals and six assists in 33 games to help the club compete on multiple trophy fronts.

Who will be favourites to progress to the quarter-finals?

Atletico have been billed as slight favourites in the tie due to their strong record in the Champions League under Diego Simeone and their current status as the top team in La Liga.

Chelsea are still getting used to a new system under Thomas Tuchel, who replaced Frank Lampard in January, with it suggested that they could come unstuck against one of the most physical and well-organised sides in European football.

However, the Blues come into the clash in better form than Atletico, who drew with Levante last Tuesday before being beaten 2-0 by the same team at Wanda Metropolitano four days later.

In stark contrast, Tuchel's side are unbeaten in their last six matches, with four wins recorded, but they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Southampton last time out.

Further reading

In what comes as welcome news for ATK Mohun Bagan, Spanish midfielder Edu Garcia is all set to return from injury and will be available for selection ahead of the team's crucial Indian Super League's (ISL) final league stage match against Mumbai City FC.

Garcia has been out of action since the match against Chennaiyin FC on January 21 where he limped off the ground after a challenge from Memo Moura. The Spaniard has appeared in 10 matches for the Mariners this season so far and has scored one goal.

Garcia's return to action after a gap of seven matches will boost the Kolkata club's confidence who will be missing star defender Tiri due to suspension against the Islanders.

ATK Mohun Bagan currently enjoy a six-point gap over Mumbai City at the top of the table after their draw against Hyderabad on Monday. If Mumbai City win their penultimate match against Odisha, they will reduce the gap to three points with the league leaders.

Then in the final game of the league stage, ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai will battle it out to determine who will qualify for the AFC Champions League (ACL) group stage next season.

The Mariners have the edge over Mumbai City going into the final game as only a point will secure their ACL slot while Mumbai City have no option but to win. 

The Kolkata giants are on a six-match unbeaten streak at the moment where they have won five including a derby triumph over city rivals East Bengal. 

The national camp of the Indian football team will be held in UAE (United Arab Emirates) in March, Goal can confirm. The Blue Tigers are also expected to play two friendlies during the camp in UAE.

The Indian Super League (ISL) final is scheduled for March 13, so the players will fly out to UAE immediately after the season finale. 

The camp and friendlies will be crucial for India coach Igor Stimac to assess his squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June. It is learnt that Oman and another top team from the Middle-East are India's likely opponents for the two friendlies which are expected to be scheduled for the last week of March. 

While Oman are confirmed as one of India's opponents, final confirmation on the second opponent is yet to be received.

Oman will also be camping in Dubai from March 11 to 25 under their head coach Branko Ivankovic, who is also a Croatian. However, the Oman squad will assemble in Muscat on March 8 to regroup before travelling to UAE. The top-tier league will also remain suspended from March 6 to April 2 as the national team players will be busy in UAE. 

It must be noted that most of the remaining World Cup qualifiers in Asia have been postponed and is likely to be held at centralised venues in June. India's group matches are set to be held in Qatar. All participating teams in India's group have accepted the proposal of playing at a centralised venue.

Initially, AFC had chalked out a schedule to hold the remaining matches in October and November but they had to postpone due to the difficulties caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Matches involving 40 teams in eight groups were set to be held in March and June but they will most likely be held in June at centralised venues. 

It will also mean that from September, the third round of World Cup qualifiers and the next round of Asian Cup qualifiers can be scheduled.  

India are currently placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches. Qatar top the table with 13 points while Oman are hot on their heels with 12. India are virtually out of contention for the top two spots but a third-place finish is well within the reach of the Blue Tigers. That will book them a direct berth in the third round for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

India lost narrowly to Oman at home before holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw. The inspiring result was followed by two more draws and a loss against Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Oman respectively. 

Eight group winners and four best runners-up will progress to the continent's 12-team final qualifying stage for the 2022 World Cup. 

Former Manchester United Kavungal (a local team in Malappuram) forward Mashoor Shereef is now proving to be an extremely useful addition in the NorthEast United defence as Khalid Jamil's team chase the playoffs. 

The forward-turned-defender, who started his career in Chennai's football leagues, joined the Indian Super League (ISL) club ahead of the ongoing season and has settled into the first team in no time. 

He has played nine matches in the ISL so far this season, with seven of those appearances being starts. For an Indian player in his first year in the ISL after making the transition from I-League, he has clocked more minutes than he might have expected at the beginning of the season. And he has made full use of his opportunities. 

Mashoor has turned into a physically adept, strong centre-back who reads the game well and is alert throughout games. He is neither a tough-tackler nor a ball-player - the 28-year-old is somewhere in the middle and may opt to stand off compared to going in for a risky challenge.

At NorthEast, he has benefitted from the mentoring by centre-back partner Benjamin Lambot with whom he has played the most at centre-back. Mashoor has been paired alongside Lambot a total of five times whereas he has played with Dylan Fox from the start in only two games. The Belgian's experience has helped Mashoor settle in at the back and deal with the opposition's forwards in a composed manner. 

The Highlanders have conceded a total of 24 goals from 18 games this season. In the matches that Mashoor has started, they have let in 10 goals whereas in the 11 games he hasn't featured in the starting lineup, the team has conceded 14 goals. 

The former striker, who hails from the football-loving district of Malappuram, had 11 appearances to his name, which included three starts, as Chennai City won the I-League in the 2018-19 season. His numbers improved again in the following season, as the then 27-year-old played every single league game, started an AFC Cup fixture and scored six goals in all competitions.  

"The turning point in my career was changing my position (to be a defender). I was able to make an impact after that and received offers from other clubs after having done well in that role. I am happy and I am confident that I can do well going forward (in the ISL)," the Malayali defender had told Goal before the season had kicked off.

While he still has room to improve, Mashoor has taken his time to reach the level he is at now and has put in the work to make use of the chance that has been given to him by NorthEast United. And he has turned out to be one of the few Indian centre-backs who have caught the eye in ISL this season. 

There is an age-old saying in the Kolkata maidan that teams who win the Kolkata derby don't do well in their next game. 

And against Hyderabad FC on Monday, ATK Mohun Bagan delivered a performance that will have made supporters believe in that saying. The Mariners failed to pick up a win against a 10-man Hyderabad despite playing for over 85 minutes with the numerical advantage. 

For the neutral football lovers, the contest was an exciting, edge-of-the-seat thriller with plenty of twists and turns. But at the end of ninety minutes, although the Nizams will be pleased to have claimed a point from a game they played with 10 men but they also have every right to feel as if they dropped two points due to how the contest looked like it would swing in favour of Manuel Marquez' side. Poor defending was a key ingredient in this thriller's recipe as three out of the four goals scored on the night was a direct result of errors at the back. 

It took just five minutes for the tale to come up with the first major twist. Chinglensana Singh had an early bath when Roy Krishna flicked Carl McHugh's long ball in behind the Hyderabad defence for David Williams to chase. Onaindia got his defensive header all wrong and forced the Indian defender to make a split-second decision before the forward entered the box. The decision was to bring him down and the result was a straight red card. 

This should have been Bagan's cue to start scoring goals but the first goal came from the opposite end of the pitch. Aridane Santana pounced on to a poor backpass from Pritam Kotal and found the net to break the deadlock three minutes after Sana was sent off. 

Hyderabad ended the game with more shots on target than Bagan and considering the kind of chances they created against the league's best defence, they should have been more than a goal ahead going into the break. Even in the second half, for all of the flair that Liston Colaco provides when he gets on the ball, he failed to find his teammate Halicharan Narzary who was free to score inside the box on two occasions and the youngster showed why he may not ready yet to start games week in week out. 

It is no secret that the Mariners are second-half specialists this season. They have now scored 23 out of their total tally of 28 goals after the break and there seems to be no stopping them in the second half. 

Manvir Singh scored the first equaliser of the game and it was another poor header by Onaindia that started the move. The Hyderabad centre-back failed to head a long ball clear, allowing Williams to feed Manvir into the box. The Indian striker, who has been impressive for the Mariners in a wide role on the right flank, timed his run perfectly and finished with aplomb from a narrow-angle. Goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani was also at fault as he not only failed to time his movement correctly but also conceded easily at the near post. 

An Akash Mishra throw-in from the left flank proved to be too tough for the Bagan defence to clear, especially with a towering Santana acting as the target man. The striker headed the ball into the path of Roland Alberg who found the bottom right corner to give Hyderabad hope and a slender lead to hold on to for the final 15 minutes. 

However, Kattimani was not done making mistakes in goal. He spilt Jayesh Rane's cross into the box from the left flank straight into the path of Kotal who atoned for his error earlier in the game with a tap-in. 

Bagan may have scored the final goal of the game but the draw acts as a wake-up call for Habas' men before the playoffs. A win could have sealed their top spot and a place in the AFC Champions League but they need at least a draw in their last game against Mumbai City now and the ISL is set for an exciting final matchday with the League Shield winner and two playoff spots undecided. 

Hyderabad, at no point in the game, looked like they were under pressure because they were a man down. The talented team now needs to beat FC Goa in their final game to get into the playoffs and they have to do it without the likes of Chinglensana and Santana who will be suspended. It could be a tough outing against the Gaurs but Manuel Marquez' Hyderabad will be up for the challenge.

Jeremy Mathieu believes Antoine Griezmann made a mistake in leaving Atletico Madrid to join Barcelona.

Griezmann made the move to Barca in the summer of 2019, but he has since struggled to show the form he produced at Atletico on a consistent basis.

He has had decent spells in the current campaign, but Barca as a whole are struggling to make their mark and Mathieu feels it was a mistake for his fellow Frenchman to swap the Wanda Metropolitano for Camp Nou.

What was said?

“Griezmann is not at his Atletico level,” Mathieu told RAC1. "Personally, in my opinion, it is a mistake that he came to Barcelona. 

“At Atletico he was a very important piece and I don't know if he has that importance at Barcelona.”

Mathieu backing for Lenglet

Clement Lenglet came in for fierce criticism after conceding a late penalty against Cadiz on Sunday to cost Barca two points, and the French defender reportedly left the ground in tears.

Mathieu had a tough time in his three seasons at Barca, and he can understand what his fellow Frenchman is experiencing.

“I had a very bad time in my last year with Barcelona," Mathieu said. "I felt that the defeat in Turin [in the Champions League against Juventus] was my fault.

"But I don't understand why they went for me as there are 11 players in a football team. 

“I felt alone in the dressing room. No one offered support. For me, that's not football.

"Everyone is killing Lenglet now, and I know what that's like. He has to try and be positive and to turn it around, and try his best."

A big fortnight ahead for Barca

Sevilla’s 2-0 win at Osasuna on Monday saw them leap over Barca into third place in the Liga table.

Barca trail leaders Atletico Madrid by eight points and have away games at Elche and Osasuna either side of a meeting with Sevilla in La Liga.

The Catanans also face Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey, with all those games preceding a meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, where they must overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg if they are to remain in the Champions League.

Further reading

Real Madrid president Fiorentino Perez has tested negative for coronavirus after originally producing a positive test on February 2.

Perez spent several weeks in quarantine as he was not allowed to return to work until securing a negative test.

The 73-year-old president is now free to return to his duties, although he will not travel for the club's upcoming Champions League clash with Atalanta in Italy.

What did Real Madrid have to say?

"Real Madrid CF informs that our president Florentino Perez has returned negative Covid-19 results in the two PCR tests he has taken in the past 48 hours," the club said in a statement.

"Florentino Perez will not travel to Bergamo for the Champions League tie against Atalanta, but will be at Real Madrid City tomorrow to see all members of our first team off ahead of their trip to Italy."

Who is Perez?

Perez was originally elected to office in 2000 and he presided over the club until 2006, overseeing the signings of Galacticos like Ronaldo Nazario, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Michael Owen.

He was re-elected for a second term as Madrid president back in 2009, having presided over the club's ninth European Cup triumph and run to two La Liga titles during his first spell in charge.

Throughout his second term, Perez has kept the club right at the top of world football, having continued his Galacticos policy with the signings of Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and, most importantly, Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his second spell in charge, Perez's Real Madrid have collected four Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles, further adding to the club's trophy collection.

What's next for Real Madrid?

Set to face Atalanta in their Champions League first-leg clash on Wednesday, Real Madrid will then take on Real Sociedad this weekend as they look to claw back into La Liga's title race.

Real Madrid currently sit three points behind city rivals Atletico Madrid, who have played one fewer game.

Further reading

Unlike Europe, the U.S. (and also Canada) always play the national anthem before games no matter the sport, from American football to MLS games.

All games, be it domestic or international, must wait to be played until after Francis Scott Key's song is sung.

So why is it purely an American tradition to sing the anthem before every sporting game - including MLS games? Goal takes a look.

Why do U.S. soccer teams sing the national anthem in MLS?

MLS state: “The march of players, officials and children into our stadiums and singing of the anthem has been a pre-match tradition since our first game in 1996. The national anthem provides our clubs and fans an important and time-honored opportunity to salute our country and stand up for its principles, whether in the United States or in Canada."

Singing the anthem is an American tradition equated with nationalism and patriotism, where even instances of opting not to stand during it are met with backlash – outlined by fallout that NFL player Colin Kaepernick received when he knelt during the anthem to protest police brutality against Black Americans.

Given the tense political climate in the United States, the national anthem has become increasingly divisive.

Despite the political connotations, the national anthem remains a popular and traditional event before sporting events. The first instance of the anthem was sung before a game dating back to a baseball game in Brooklyn, New York, in 1862 during the Civil War.

It wasn't until 1931 that the song became the official U.S. anthem, but the Star-Spangled Banner was already being performed before sporting events starting with the 1918 Fall Classic.

During the opening game of the series, a military band performed the Star-Spangled Banner during the seventh inning. It was well-received with the crowd, and got such a positive reaction that the band returned for Games 2 and 3 to play the song again.

Over the course of the next decade, it became standard to sing the song for World Series and holiday games, eventually becoming a daily regime and becoming integrated into other sports aside from baseball.

After the end of World War II, the NFL commissioner ruled that the anthem be played at every game.

The anthem isn't just sung before sporting events involving only American teams.

When the likes of non-European clubs play in America for friendly games – such as when Liverpool faced Manchester City in the International Champions' Cup – and there wasn't a single American player on the pitch, the anthem is still sung.

Will it always be mandatory to sing the U.S. national anthem before games?

Following George Floyd's death at the hands of white police offer Derek Chauvin in 2020, which sparked thousands of protests worldwide in the fight against police brutality against Black people, led to a handful of players to kneel during the national anthem.

They follow in the footsteps of Kaepernick, whose legacy in sport is enduring.

The playing of the national anthem was temporarily stopped at U.S. sporting matches in 2020 when fans were not allowed to attend stadiums

But when fans attended FC Dallas vs Nashville SC at Toyota Stadium later that August, some supporters booed the players kneeling during the anthem.

The MLS and NWSL both allow players to kneel during the national anthem as a means of peaceful protest, but it remains to be seen whether or not the tradition of playing the national anthem before the start of every game will be re-evaluated.

"At the same time, freedom of speech—and the right to peaceful protest—are the hallmarks of both countries. Though we encourage our players to stand during the national anthem, we respect and support their right to express their personal beliefs," said MLS.

The NWSL state: "The national anthem is an opportunity to celebrate our country’s freedom while honoring the many sacrifices borne by the men and women who have done so much to protect that freedom.

"We will continue to encourage our players to participate in honoring our nation during the national anthem and we support the right of everyone in our league to exercise their right to peacefully protest."

Megan Rapinoe became the first U.S. women's player to kneel during the anthem before an international fixture in 2016.

U.S. Soccer had previously implemented a rule that required players to “stand respectfully” for the anthem, but was reversed following the killing of Floyd.

Rapinoe said at the time: "It was very intentional. It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he's standing for right now.

"I think it's actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn't. We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country."

What is the U.S. national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States,. 

The lyrics stem from 'Defence of Fort M'Henry', a poem written in September 1814 by lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British Ships during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. 

Key's lyrics are inspired by the large American flag consisting of 15 stars and 15 stripes – known as the Star-Spangled Banner – that flew above the fort during the eventual U.S. victory.

The song was then recognized for official, national use by the U.S. Navy in 1889, and by former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. It was then made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.