A Restless Pop Structure: “To Be a Rose”

Discussing the single, Hval describes “To Be a Rose” as a song built on a “restless pop structure.” She explains, “It has a chorus, with chords and a melody, but each chorus sounds slightly different, as if experienced from different seasons, decades, or even different bodies.” The song’s lyrical imagery is fluid and evolving, using the rose as a metaphor that transforms into a cigarette and then dissipates into smoke. Hval also reflects on personal connections within the song, sharing, “My mother and I (two restless humans) are both present in the song: I was singing in my room, she smoked on the balcony. Long inhales and long exhales performed in choreography.”

The Album: Iris Silver Mist

Following 2022’s Classic Objects, Iris Silver Mist features 13 tracks, some of which were developed in live performances before being recorded. Hval emphasizes the importance of the physicality of live music in shaping the album’s sound.

Iris Silver Mist Tracklist:

1. Lay Down
2. To Be a Rose
3. I Want to Start at the Beginning
4. All Night Long
5. Heiner Muller
6. You Died
7. Spirit Mist
8. I Don’t Know What Free Is
9. The Artist Is Absent
10. Huffing My Arm
11. The Gift
12. A Ballad
13. I Want the End to Sound Like This

Tour Dates

Hval will support Iris Silver Mist with a series of live performances across Europe, starting in April.

• April 5 – Madrid, Spain – Electronica en Abril
• May 21 – London, England – Islington Assembly Hall
• May 23 – Brussels, Belgium – Les Nuits Botanique
• May 27 – Berlin, Germany – Silent Green (Betonhalle)
• May 30 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Muziekgebouw
• June 5 – Oslo, Norway – Parkteatret

Iris Silver Mist marks another chapter in Hval’s career, blending poetic lyricism with experimental soundscapes. With her emphasis on transformation and the live experience, this album is set to be an immersive and evocative journey for listeners.

The 4 Nations Face-Off has taken center stage over the last week. Now on Thursday, all eyes will be on Boston as Team USA and Canada square off at TD Garden for the championship in a rematch of last week’s game that started with three fights in the first nine seconds.

After sitting out the last two Winter Olympics, the NHL’s best returned to international play this month for a tournament that replaced the league’s All-Star Game, a midseason exhibition that mattered little and was treated by the players as such.

Instead, the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden all sent their stars and it’s been a major success.

USA vs. Canada hockey game tonight

In the second period, Dylan Larkin gave Team USA the lead for good. Guentzel added an empty net goal, and USA went on to a 3-1 win.

The win gave Team USA a 2-0 record in round-robin play, sending the Americans to the finals. With the games shifting to Boston on Monday, Canada topped Finland to set up the rematch with a title on the line.  

What time is USA hockey game?

The championship game takes place Thursday at TD Garden with a scheduled start time of 8 p.m.

The USA hockey injury report includes Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who won’t suit up. He suffered a “significant” shoulder injury in round-robin play. He subsequently got an infection, leaving him hospitalized. 

What channel is USA vs. Canada hockey?

So far, the tournament has been historic, especially the fight-filled round-robin matchup between the North Americans on Saturday that was the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game in a decade.  

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and Disney+.

Eyes on national anthem amid tariff war

With the cross-border tension following President Donald Trump’s tariff war and his calls for Canada to be made the 51st state, the tournament has much of the flavor of the Cold War meeting with the Soviets in Lake Placid.

Canadian fans loudly booed the U.S. national anthem Saturday night in Montreal. in Boston on Monday, when the TD Garden public address announcer called for respect, the payback for “O Canada” was tepid; instead, the Americans belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” at full throat.

“All that stuff — throw it all out the window. It’s one game here, and one game for everything,” U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “Our team’s helped grow the game here in this country already. And I think a win can just knock that door right down and open up a whole new wave of hockey players throughout the whole country.”

Canadian forward Brad Marchand, who plays for the Boston Bruins and will be skating on what is ordinarily his home ice, dismissed the political angle, saying the hockey was good enough to sell itself. He recalled watching in his family’s basement when the Canadians beat the U.S. in the gold medal game of the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

And he hopes some kid in Nova Scotia was watching when the Americans and Canadians matched up on Saturday in Montreal, or again on Thursday night in Boston.

“This will be another memory, another core memory for a lot of a lot of kids growing up, a lot of hockey fans for both American and Canadian players — and probably kids all across the world,” he said. “So it’s a gift and a privilege to play in these games. And definitely one you don’t take for granted.”

Will President Trump attend USA vs. Canada game?

President Trump will not be in attendance at Thursday night’s game.

The president said he has a scheduling conflict, but called the team to wish them luck.

“I’ll be calling our GREAT American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished and very important Fifty First State,” Mr. Trump posted on social media. “I will be speaking before the Governors tonight in D.C., and will sadly, therefore, be unable to attend. But we will all be watching, and if Governor Truseau would like to join us, he would be most welcome. Good luck to everybody, and have a GREAT game tonight. So exciting!”

How much do 4 Nations Face-Off tickets cost?

If you’re hoping to go to the championship game, you’ll have to open your wallet. As of Thursday morning, the game is sold out, leaving fans turning to the secondary market.

On ticket sites like StubHub, Gametime, and Ticketmaster, the cheapest tickets cost about $1,200 apiece including fees. For that price, you’d be watching the game from balcony.

By comparison, when the Boston Celtics were set to clinch their own championship at TD Garden in June, the cheapest tickets on the secondary market were around $1,500.

James Kopacki, a U.S. Navy veteran, came up from Fort Worth, Texas, to watch the game, buying tickets after watching the Americans beat Canada in the opening round.  

“That game turned out to be so good. That’s why we’re here,” he said. “I’ve never seen a game like that, as far as the tension and the desire to win. And not just that: the tension between our countries.”

Kopacki said he spent $1,500 on the tickets, and he’s been monitoring the price as the hype increases.

“If the tickets reach $5,000,” he said, “then we’re going to sell them and go to a bar in Boston and watch for free.”

To discover

• Champions League Calendar and Results
• Champions League standings

The match was tight at the start, with the Parisians stumbling against the Brest wall. The Parisians nevertheless breathed a big sigh of relief: in a hurry, Donnarumma cleared the ball right to Ajorque, it went just wide of the goal (12th ⁾ . No gift from heaven for the Bretons. In fact, the sky was falling on their heads: Lees-Melou’s handball in the area (17th ⁾ , penalty converted by Vitinha (0-1, 21st ⁾ . Having been cautious until then, Eric Roy’s players (finally) moved up a gear, as illustrated by this cross from Lala for Ajorque (23rd ⁾ . No more energy, no more desire, no more play. Not for long. The Parisian machine continued to crush the locals. In addition, the danger was getting closer to Bizot’s goal (27th ^, 30th ⁾ . An accident happened quickly: Pacho found himself in front of Sima… before making a crazy save (34th ⁾ . Corner. And… Sima’s header hit the post (35th ⁾ ! Brest’s strong moment for a long time, but Paris broke away before the break, through the inevitable Dembélé (0-2, 45th ⁾ . A final free kick from Lala, and it was half-time. Merciless PSG (0-2 half-time).

Dembélé drives the point home

One of the great strengths of this Paris-SG 2024-25 vintage is to be strong in its weak moments. This goal from “Dembouz” showed it again… The Brestois were not far from paying the price once again, the goal from Doué, after a great start to the second half by the locals and this save from Donnarumma in front of Sima (48th ⁾ , was finally disallowed (50th ⁾ . The Brest supporters welcomed this decision as a goal from their protégés and redoubled their efforts, Dembélé being on the verge of turning on the air conditioning, after a marvelous backheel from “Viti” (57th ⁾ . And Barcola too (62nd ⁾ .

Parisian control was once again very strong. And there was more and more space behind Chardonnet and his teammates. But it was on a confused action, with as much success as power, that Dembélé hammered the nail in (0-3, 66th ⁾ . Brest tried to fight back, with this beautiful strike from Camara (67th ⁾ . Minimal success for Brest, like this strong and low cross from Chardonnet which passed in front of everyone (80th ⁾ . No, the Tizefs were not going to succeed in this encounter. They would have had to play the perfect match and have that hint of luck, that spark to ignite the debates. It didn’t happen. And Luis Enrique’s players continued to push, with the incoming “Kvara” or Vitinha. There was indeed this cross-shot from Pereira-Lage that Donnarumma had to save for a corner (90th ⁾ , but the score was not there, even if Brest fought until the end. The public was not mistaken and applauded their heroes, beaten but so valiant. ” We are not in the same world as PSG “, said coach Roy on Monday. We saw that on the (bad) pitch at Guingamp (0-3 final score).

Luka Doncic’s Lakers debut

The Luka Dončić era in Los Angeles is finally underway! Wearing purple and gold for the first time, Dončić played 23 minutes, finishing with 14 points (5-for-14 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a lone turnover. The Jazz were blown out in considerable fashion, losing 132-113.

Fantasy Takeaway

Dončić was rusty, shooting just 1-for-7 on 3s, but he did have a handful of signature lobs and impressive passes, giving a glimpse of how good he and LeBron can be. Dončić had a minutes cap of 30 minutes, but he didn’t play the entire fourth quarter with the game out of reach. It’ll be a cheat code for JJ Redick to be able to stagger LeBron and Luka’s minutes, leaving an elite scoring facilitator on the court at all times.

LukaDončić

PG – LAL – #77

Still, we can expect they’ll play plenty together, so they’ll both be able to generate a high volume of counting stats. Austin Reaves had another exceptional game, and with so much attention going to LeBron and Luka, Reaves will continue to thrive as a third-scoring option for the Lakers. Also, Jaxson Hayes is about to become the new Daniel Gafford.

Deandre Ayton leaves early with injury

The Blazers were dealt a significant blow when center Deandre Ayton left the game against the Nuggets with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. He had to be helped to the locker room and the Mavs ruled him out for the remainder of the game. Ayton’s night ended after 19 minutes, scoring 10 points (5-9 FG) with one block.

Fantasy Takeaway

Like my man D-Mac said, pick up Donovon Clingan expeditiously. In relief of Ayton, Clingan put up a career-high 21 points (8-8 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT) with 7 rebounds and a block. Granted, this was another blowout, but with no clear timeline or update on the severity of Ayton’s injury, Clingan will get a sizeable minutes boost for the Blazers. Robert Williams III receives his fair share of rest days, too, so if you need a big man, Clingan is a good bet for rebounds and blocks while shooting a high percentage from the field.

The Warriors are cookin’

The Warriors defeated the Bucks (without Giannis Antetekoumpo) 125-111, thanks to Stephen Curry’s fourth consecutive 30+ point night. Jimmy Butler continued to be just as impactful, scoring 20 points with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and just 1 turnover in 31 minutes.

Fantasy Takeaway

Butler has been uber-aggressive since joining the Warriors, going 23-28 from the line in his past two games. He’s bringing it on both ends, and his presence has helped Curry operate with more space and role players like Brandin Podziemski (10 points, 9 boards) and Buddy Hield (16 points, 7 rebounds) produce. Butler’s playmaking and defense have ignited the Warriors, and a move to the Bay looks like a positive development for Butler’s fantasy value and that of the Warriors as well.

The Kings win in an OT thriller against Mavericks

The Sacramento Kings came out victorious in a 129-128 win over the Dallas Mavericks, with DeMar DeRozan hitting a game-winner at the buzzer in overtime. With De’Aaron Fox gone, DeRozan looked comfortable taking over in the clutch, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter and OT. DeRozan finished with a season-high 42 points, while Kyrie Irving led the way for the Mavericks, scoring 30 points with 9 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals.

Fantasy Takeaway

Zach LaVine is starting to integrate well with his new team, averaging 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists across four contests. Still, barring an injury, it’ll be tough for LaVine to replicate the output we saw from his days in Chicago.

The biggest takeaway from this game was Daniel Gafford leaving the game with a knee injury. It didn’t look good and he needed to be helped off the court and was immediately ruled out for the contest. Mavs HC Jason Kidd didn’t speak with the media post-game, and with so much investment in Dallas’ frontcourt, they can ill-afford another injury. Two players who will become even more vital are Max Christie and Naji Marshall. If neither is available, Olivier-Maxence Prosper played 33 minutes and will be in the rotation should Gafford miss games.

Other Noteworthy Performances

• Victor Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to amass at least 31 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks and 5 3s in a single game. He finished with 69 fantasy points. De’Aaron Fox also scored 30 points in a decisive win over the Washington Wizards.
• The Magic continued their struggle to win ball games, but Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero did their best to help fantasy managers by scoring 53.9 and 43 fantasy points, respectively.
• Jayson Tatum scored 48.6 fantasy points in a dominant win over the Heat.

“Luka, be your f—ing self,” James said during the pregame huddle, picked up by the ESPN telecast. “Don’t fit in, fit the f— out. Be yourself.”

When asked about the moment, having booked a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz his first time wearing the purple and gold uniform for game action, Doncic was sincere.

“For him to say something like that just feels amazing,” Doncic said after scoring 14 points in 24 minutes, playing for the first time since Christmas Day when he was with the Dallas Mavericks. “It gives me confidence. And after that speech, it was chills. I was just happy to be a part of it.”

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He wasn’t the only one smiling.

There was a euphoric atmosphere at Crypto.com Arena, with the sold-out crowd finding 18,997 gold No. 77 T-shirts lining their seats and Doncic’s preferred Serbian music pumping out of the sound system while he launched deep pregame 3s and fans held up their phones to record his every move. Doncic’s former Mavs running mate Dirk Nowitzki, whose last season in the league coincided with Doncic’s first, made the trip to support him, sitting in the stands with Doncic’s father, Saša.

“He came out … and obviously the place went crazy,” Austin Reaves said. “It was awesome. I thought the energy from that point forward was great. His introduction in the starting lineup was one of the loudest I’ve heard since I’ve been here.”

James propped up his new teammate there, too, texting the 6-foot-6 guard earlier in the day to say he would do whatever Doncic wanted. And so, when Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter rattled off L.A.’s starters, he saved Doncic for last, a gesture usually reserved for James.

“He let me have my moment, so I really appreciate it,” Doncic said. “I mean, today, he lent me this one. But from now on, he’ll be the last.”

It didn’t take long for Doncic to impact the game, finding center Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop dunk just 50 seconds in, playing for the first time in nearly seven weeks because of a strained left calf muscle.

“I was a little bit nervous before,” Doncic said. “I don’t remember the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. And just being out there again felt amazing.”

While his shot was rusty — he went 5-for-14, including 1-for-7 from 3 — and he was on a minutes restriction, there was an instant chemistry between Doncic and his new teammates.

L.A. punctuated a dominant first half with a half-court outlet pass from Doncic to James that set up an easy layup and put the Lakers up by 22 points.

“I thought our three main guys did a nice job of playing off of each other,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, referencing James, Doncic and Reaves. “Sometimes you can have agendas in a game. I felt like this for our group was a no agenda game beyond winning a basketball game and playing the right way.”

Reaves scored 22 points with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. James led all scorers with 24 points, adding 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 7 turnovers. He exited the game early in the fourth quarter after a collision in the lane and did not speak after the game, other than to tell a few reporters he would see them in Salt Lake City for the Lakers’ next game Wednesday.

Redick said “the plan” would be for both Doncic and James to play in that game, L.A.’s last before the All-Star break.

Preview Of What’s To Come?

The Lakers finished +17 with Luka Doncic and LeBron James both on the floor Monday night.

L.A. didn’t let the fanfare of the night or the task of integrating Doncic into the lineup slow down its momentum, leading by as many as 34 points and winning for the 12th time in the past 14 games to leapfrog the Houston Rockets for No. 4 in the Western Conference standings.

“Since I came here, I just wanted to play with them,” said Doncic, who watched from the sidelines as the Lakers beat the Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers while he finished rehabbing his calf strain. “Every game I saw, they played amazing, very connected, and for me, it was just I want to be there with them.”

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka embraced Doncic after the game as he made his way from the tunnel to the locker room. Pelinka’s triumph of a trade with the Mavs got Doncic to L.A. in the first place.

“It’s a new team. New everything,” Doncic said. “But the way they helped me, teammates, Rob, [Lakers chief executive officer and governor Jeanie [Buss], it was just a lot of support for me. You could see when I came to the arena, I saw all the Luka jerseys. It was just a surreal feeling.”

DALLAS — With emotions from the Luka Doncic trade still raw, multiple fans were ejected in the second half of the Dallas Mavericks‘ 129-128 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday at the American Airlines Center due to violations of the NBA’s code of conduct, according to a team spokesperson.

Each instance prompted boos from the crowd. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, whose family purchased the majority share of the franchise from Mark Cuban last season, also was loudly booed when he returned to his courtside seat with 2:56 remaining in the third quarter.

Two of the fans held large poster board signs that read, “FIRE NICO” — a reference to Dallas general manager Nico Harrison. One of those men was seen mouthing “fire Nico” on the arena video screens earlier in the game before the camera quickly panned out.

“In the first incident, the guest brought in a sign that broke the following rule included in the NBA Code of Conduct: Clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s),” Mavericks vice president of corporate communications Erin Finegold said in a statement released to reporters.

Harrison has been subjected to harsh backlash since agreeing Feb. 2 to the shocking blockbuster deal that was built around sending five-time first-team All-NBA selection Doncic, 25, to the Los Angeles Lakers and bringing 10-time All-Star big man Anthony Davis, 31, to Dallas.

Approximately 1,000 people protested outside the American Airlines Center before Saturday’s home win over the Houston Rockets. “Fire Nico” and “sell the team” were common themes for chants and T-shirts.

Harrison, who did not attend Saturday’s game, was in the arena Monday night but did not sit in his usual seat in the lower bowl of the stands.

Arena security has been strictly enforcing NBA rules limiting the size of fans’ signs since the trade.

Two men, including one who wore Doncic’s Slovenian national team jersey, were ejected late in Monday’s contest after a shouting match with Cuban, who was in his regular baseline seat by the Mavericks’ bench.

“Shut the f— up and sit the f— down!” Cuban yelled, according to footage a fan showed to ESPN.

Cuban told ESPN that the fans, whose seats were approximately 20 rows behind him, were yelling, “Fire Nico!” while the Mavericks were shooting free throws and again during a critical possession late in regulation. Cuban said he did not curse until the fans pointed and shouted at him, although he did not know what they said.

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“In the second incident, the fan wore a T-shirt that also broke the rule [cited] and was also intoxicated, disruptive and uncooperative, all listed in the NBA Fan Code of Conduct,” Finegold said in the statement.

Other fans told ESPN that one of the ejected fans wore a T-shirt that depicted a woman’s face with a clown nose. They could not clearly identify the woman.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd did not hold a postgame news conference, as required by league rules.

Dallas guard Klay Thompson said he could “understand [fans’] frustration because Luka was that great and he was homebred here.” Thompson said he did not notice the fans being ejected but that their emotional reaction to the trade does not bother him.

“It’s not our job to get deflated because people are upset,” Thompson said. “Our job is to convince them that there’s really great days ahead, not just for this year but for the next few years.

“I mean, people are going to say stuff, and that’s understandable. I was a fan, still a fan. If I didn’t agree with a trade, I’d probably voice my opinion too. That’s the beauty of sports. You go there to yell and be rambunctious sometimes.”

Mavericks star Kyrie Irving said he felt that Dallas fans have “graduated from hate to anger to the cycle of emotions … and then the passion.”

“You just got to give everybody grace,” Irving said. “To see the emotions come out like that over basketball, that just shows you that basketball is not just a game to certain people. It’s a spiritual experience. It’s a connector piece, and they watch their favorite players and they want to see them forever. So, I run the side of just understanding where people are coming from.”

Jack Grealish is one of three players who started against Leyton Orient at the weekend to retain his place against Real Madrid.

Ruben Dias and Savinho also keep their starting berths as Pep Guardiola – as expected – makes wholesale changes from the weekend.

Returning to the starting XI are Nathan Ake, Ederson, Manu Akanji, John Stones, Bernardo, Josko Gvardiol. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

A strong-looking bench includes new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico, along with Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic.

LINE-UPS

CITY XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Marmoush, Kovacic, Doku, Nico, Gundogan, Nunes, Khusanov, Foden, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee

Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr, Mbappe

Subs: Lunin, Modric, Arda Guler, Endrick, Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Gonzalo, Jacobo Ramon, Chema, Lorenzo Aguado

Formation and Tactics

With no recognised holding midfielder in the starting XI, will John Stones fill that void this evening?

Stones has played in that role on several occasions and Manu Akanji is also capable of playing there.

But it feels as though our back four will be Akanji at right-back, Gvardiol at left-back with Ake and Dias our central defenders.

Stones would be joined by Bernardo and skipper Kevin De Bruyne, with Savinho and Grealish flanking Haaland up front.

If any of the above combinations isn’t working, there are plenty of options for Guardiola should he need them.

BLUES TARGET FIRST LEG ADVANTAGE

City know going to the Santiago Bernabeu next week with some kind of advantage is crucial.

Anything other than – at minimum on level terms – will be a big ask for any team, though certainly not an impossibility.

A goal lead – or more – will give the Blues something to defend in the Spanish capital, where a white atmosphere awaits.

City’s record against the La Liga champions is impressive – just three losses in 12 meetings in total – and is Madrid’s worst in terms of European competition win percentage (25%).

That stat is proof, if needed, that the Blues can go into this game definitely believing we can progress to the Round of 16.

Goals guaranteed?

Two teams committed to attack who have not been at their best defensively this season sounds like a potential goal-fest.

Or does stating that guarantee a 0-0 draw?!

The Blues are set to attack with Savinho and Grealish in excellent form at the weekend and, for once, Haaland won’t be up against the bruising powerhouse that is Michael Rudiger – at least for the first leg.

Meanwhile, Madrid can boast Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo – not to mention the midfield threat of England star Jude Bellingham.

It could be a rollercoaster of a game and will be a fascinating contest between two modern-day Champions League rivals.

Stats, facts & milestones

City versus Real Madrid will be just the fourth fixture in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history to played in four consecutive seasons, after Deportivo de La Coruña v Juventus (4 from 2000-01 to 2003-04), Chelsea v Liverpool (5 from 2004-05 to 2008-09), and Atlético de Madrid v Real Madrid (4 from 2013-14 to 2016-17).

This will be the 13th City have faced Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (W4 D5 L3). Of opponents Real Madrid have played against 5+ times in their European Cup/Champions League history, their win percentage of 25% against the Citizens is their lowest against any opponent.

Despite only losing three of their 12 games against them in the competition,  City have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League knockout stages by Real Madrid more often than by any other opponent (3 times).

Real Madrid have knocked an English club out of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages 13 times; only Los Blancos themselves have eliminated opponents from a specific nation more often in the competition (16 v German clubs).

Real Madrid have knocked out an English Premier League club from the knockout stages of each of the last four UEFA Champions League seasons: 2020-21 (Liverpool), 2021-22 (Chelsea, Man City, & Liverpool), 2022-23 (Liverpool & Chelsea), 2023-24 (Man City).

There have been only three instances of a team completing 90% of their passes under high-intensity pressure in a UEFA Champions League match this season; two of which have been by Man City, including one in their victory over Club Brugge (90.6% – also 90.8% v Sporting CP).

Only Bayern Munich (108) have made more passes breaking the opposition’s defensive line than Real Madrid (87) in the UEFA Champions League this season. The players who’ve done so the most times for Los Blancos are Luka Modric and Rodrygo (11 each), while the players who’ve received the most are Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior (14 each).

City’s Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in eight goals in eight UEFA Champions League appearances against Real Madrid (four goals, four assists); the joint-most by any player in the competition’s history (also eight by Giovane Élber). He’s also the only player to score and assist in a Champions League game against Real Madrid on multiple occasions (February 2020 and April 2022).

Erling Haaland hasn’t scored in any of his four appearances against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (359 minutes played), attempting 13 shots without success. Indeed, they are the opponent he’s played against most often as a Manchester City player without finding the net.

Only Lionel Messi (9) and Karim Benzema (7) have been directly involved in more UEFA Champions League goals against Manchester City than Real Madrid duo Vinícius Júnior (two goals, three assists) and Rodrygo (four goals, one assist), with five each.