Key matchups include Chelsea v Lille and Atletico v Manchester United.
The UEFA Champions League continues for the Round of 16 first leg matches as clubs try and secure their place in the quarter-finals.
On Wednesday, Stan Sport’s Max Rushden, Mark Bosnich and Craig Foster will cover all the action in Chelsea v Lille and on Thursday all eyes will be on Atlético Madrid v Manchester United, both matches streaming ad-free, live and on demand and from 6:35am AEDT.
On Friday, the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference also return for the knockout phase second leg matches.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
FEATURE MATCH: CHELSEA V LILLE
WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 6:35AM AEDT
Chelsea continue their Champions League defence against Lille, who are in the Round of 16 for the first time in 15 years. The French champions impressed in topping a tight Group G this season, while Chelsea had to be content with the runners-up berth in Group H behind Italian giants Juventus.
FEATURE MATCH: ATLÉTICO MADRID V MANCHESTER UNITED
THURSDAY 24 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 6:35AM AEDT
Manchester United and Atletico Madrid will meet in the Champions League for the first time in more than 30 years. Atleti have a phenomenal recent record in the competition, reaching the knockout rounds for the eighth time in the last nine years. United will be led by record goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
NAPOLI V BARCELONA
FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 6:55AM AEDT
There were more than a few concerned faces at the Camp Nou when Piotr Zieliński put Napoli ahead in the first leg, forlorn looks that collectively formed to spell out “not again”.
Xavi Hernández‘s side allayed those fears with an impressive second-half showing, yet despite 21 shots they scored only one – and that was a penalty. “The goals will come,” Xavi vowed, and what better place than the other European home of Diego Maradona?
Napoli’s shaky form provides further hope, but the Italian side aren’t riding high in Serie A for no reason.
RANGERS V BORUSSIA DORTMUND
FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 6:55AM AEDT
“It is a great night, but only a great night,” warned Giovanni van Bronckhorst after Rangers’ rousing 4-2 triumph in Dortmund. The Dutchman may have been looking out of the corner of his eye at a certain Erling Haaland, glowering in the stands during the first leg as the Yellow Wall crumbled. The Norwegian was not risked as he makes his way back from injury but, you suspect, he will have a big part to play in Glasgow.
Dortmund need goals and the 21-year-old is very good at scoring them. The German side just need to stem the flow at the other end.
UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
CELTIC V BODØ/GLIMT
FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 4:40AM AEDT
As the other half of Glasgow celebrated a 4-2 Rangers win at Dortmund in the UEFA Europa League play-offs, Celtic were losing 3-1 at home against Bodø/Glimt, a result which leaves their European quest uncertain.
A 6-1 mauling of José Mourinho‘s Roma in the group stage means no one can call the Norwegian side a surprise package any more, but eliminating former European champions would be a massive coup. “It’s about going there and playing our football,” said Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou. “When we do that, we’re a hard team to knock off. Let’s see what happens.”
RANDERS V LEICESTER
FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY
LIVE ONLY ON STAN SPORT FROM 4:40AM AEDT
Comprehensive winners of the first leg in England, Leicester City take on Randers in northern Denmark with their sights firmly set on a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16.
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