And then there were four. The remaining horsemen of the Champions League will all be led into battle this week by singular leaders with conflicting footballing philosophies, making these epic semifinals more tantalizing than Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” but with less anthropomorphic antics… we hope:

ii. If you prefer your UCL previews in audio or video form, be sure to check out Rog and Rory Smith’s conversation from this morning to get you properly hyped for today’s two epic matchups. Check that out here. 📺

iii. Our 2026 America’s Best Soccer Bar, Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington, Va., got a lovely writeup in the Washington Post yesterday. And yes, they were kind enough to mention MiB too. Savor the joy by giving that a read. 🍻

iv. The most awe-inducing thing you might have missed from the weekend: this overhead view of Liga MX side Tigres’ André-Pierre Gignac tribute. Simply extraordinary. 🤩

v. Lastly, a few of the sweetest recent goals (or almost goals) from around the football world:

🇮🇹 In an up-and-down season for Napoli, Scott McTominay continues to prove that no one is having more fun in Italy than him. Textbook finish right there.

🇺🇾 Next up, a quick stop in Uruguay for a 40-yard scorcher. Finished with ease, might we add.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 And last night in Manchester, United’s Kobbie Mainoo put Brentford’s entire defense on ice skates before Amad missed the finish. Still, what a run.

vi. For anyone on jersey watch this week, please enjoy Chile’s excellent new away kit in all it’s splendor. We’ll take two please. 🇨🇱

Cheers,
Tommy Stewart & Max Bonem

P.S. The most “just when you thought you’d seen everything” football moment to ever “just when you thought you’d seen everything.” Truly iconic behavior. 👏

The Holders Host the Favorites: PSG 🇫🇷 vs. Bayern Munich 🇩🇪 (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+)

When these two monsters last did battle in November, Bayern Munich won 2-1 at the Parc des Princes, and worryingly for Luis Enrique, Vincent Kompany's side were still under construction at that point. Since then, Bayern’s famous front three of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz have led them to the Bundesliga title, but today their manager will have to enjoy their artistry from the stands after being suspended for a yellow card against Real Madrid.

Encouragingly for Enrique though, PSG have only just begun to peak. They’ve firmly pulled away from the competition in Ligue 1 and host the Bavarians with a fully fit squad led by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who can make a case for being the most influential attacking player in world football right now. Fundamentally, this game looks like a child’s PlayStation fantasy match, although unfortunately for Bayern’s Lennart Karl and Serge Gnabry, they’ll both miss out with injuries. 

More: Why Luis Díaz is Bayern’s irreplaceable game-changer.

A European War of Attrition: Atlético Madrid 🇪🇸 vs. Arsenal 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+)

Mikel Arteta and Diego Simeone are two coaches who emit cartoonishly passionate touchline mannerisms, so it’s ironic they’ve moulded their teams to play football in such unromantic ways. They might be the type of men who get to the airport five hours early “just to be safe,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean this tie will be short of goals. Arsenal invade the Metropolitano as the tournament’s only undefeated team, having beaten tomorrow’s opponent 4-0 earlier on in the season, while Atlético Madrid have scored 34 times in the UCL, which is more than they’ve ever accumulated in a single European campaign.

Since Simeone took over Atléti 15 years ago, he’s become a cult-like leader, snatching La Liga titles, Copa del Rey cups, and even players from under the noses of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the only thing to elude him is the Champions League. He’s reached the final twice, losing both times to his mortal crosstown nemesis, meaning this trophy has become what the ring was to Gollum: a desperate obsession.

More: Arsenal fans, this stat might not be for you…

For total creative control. Get yours now.

While Vincent Kompany led Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title last season, that is the minimum requirement at a club who have sleepwalked to 13 domestic titles in 14 years. Harry Kane and Michael Olise had already forged a strong relationship in Bavaria, but there was a missing ingredient needed to take this side to the next level, and that was Luis Díaz.

At $88 million, few thought he’d be to Bayern what Dave Grohl was to Nirvana: a game-changing addition that would turn them into a globetrotting force of nature. He’s the only player in Europe’s top five leagues to register 13 goals and 13 assists this season, scoring clutch goals including that finish in the quarterfinal to put Real Madrid to the sword.

Meanwhile, former Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Olise is being mentioned alongside the England captain and Europe’s top goalscorer as a Ballon d’Or contender, and the trio are now just three goals off joining a very exclusive 100 club that would put them in prestigious company. With a collective 152 goal contributions and just four wins between Bayern and a momentous treble, Kane, Olise and Díaz are on the verge of history.

Who was the missing striker when Atlético Madrid lost on penalties to tyrannical neighbors Real Madrid in the 2016 Champions League final?

Email us (or reply to this newsletter) with your answer for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch!

Our last winner: Congratulations to Justin Whitt, who was the first to correctly answer that Toni Kroos was Real Madrid’s missing center midfielder when they emphatically beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 UCL final. Your patch in the post, Justin!

👋 We’ll see you again tomorrow. In the meantime, keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

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