MADRID (AP) — With Kylian Mbappé back in the squad, Real Madrid returns to Portugal looking for some payback against José Mourinho's Benfica in the Champions League.
Three weeks after Mourinho's team stunned his former club in a 4-2 win that allowed Benfica to qualify and kept the Spanish giant from automatically reaching the round of 16, the two teams will meet again at the Stadium of Light in the first round of the knockout stage.
“I hope history does not repeat itself," Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said. "We are prepared for the difficulty of the match, the opponent, the atmosphere and what awaits us on Tuesday. It’s 180 minutes and we have to play a great game there. We have it very fresh in our minds, so we know how complicated it will be.”
Benfica got the goal it needed to qualify thanks to a last-minute header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin against Madrid, allowing it to grab the 24th — and final — spot for the knockout stage on goal difference.
The rematch highlights a knockout round that will also include defending champion Paris Saint-Germain against Monaco and Inter Milan, last year’s runner-up, facing Norwegian outsider Bodø/Glimt.
Mbappé, who already has 38 goals for Madrid this season, will be available again after he missed the Spanish league match against Real Sociedad at the weekend because of discomfort on his knee.
He has scored nine goals in his last six matches with Madrid, including both goals in the loss to Benfica.
"He is doing very well," Arbeloa said. “Obviously, he has been dealing with these minor knee issues for quite some time this season. He is making a great effort every time he steps onto the field, and we have decided not to take risks so that he will be ready to start the match on Tuesday.”
PSG dropped out of the top eight that automatically qualified for the last-16 after a 1-1 home draw against Newcastle in the last round of the league phase, dropping it to 11th place.
On Friday, it lost 3-1 at Rennes in the French league for its third defeat of the year — and sixth this season.
Monaco, which finished 21st in the league phase, beat Nantes 3-1 on Friday, but before that it had won only once in its last seven matches across all tournaments.
Inter heads to its match at Bodø/Glimt on Wednesday after six straight victories, including Saturday's last-minute 3-2 triumph over Juventus, a result that increased its Serie A lead.
Inter won its first four games in the league phase this season, but then lost three in a row before finishing off with an away victory at Borussia Dortmund that secured it 10th place.
Bodø/Glimt, in its first Champions League campaign, needed back-to-back upset wins against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to make it to the knockout round in 23rd place.
The other first legs on Tuesday include Juventus visiting Galatasaray and Dortmund hosting Atalanta.
On Wednesday, Newcastle is at Qarabag, Olympiakos hosts Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico visits Club Brugge.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Real Madrid's head coach Alvaro Arbeloa stands on the sideline during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe sits on the bench prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — The sport of biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and precision target shooting, requires hundreds of hours of training annually and the ability to push your body to the maximum effort for an athlete to have a chance of success at the Olympics.
Biathletes also require special (and extremely expensive) equipment to compete at the top levels. Their gear includes thousands of bullets, dozens of skis and poles and a team of coaches and technicians to keep everything running smoothly.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the key numbers that explain what goes into the sport of biathlon.
The number of technicians who prepare hundreds of skis with special waxes and grinds to ensure the best glide for the day during World Cup, World Championship and Olympic events. The technicians will spend dozens of hours testing the skis on the snow before they can be used in a race.
That's how many pairs of skis each biathlete has at a race. Each one is different. Each has a certain flex for hard or soft snow surfaces, special waxes that repel moisture or stand up to cold, sharp snow crystals. The base of the ski will be prepared with various grinds that respond to various snow conditions.
The number of hours a World Cup biathlete will train each year, according to Finnish head coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad. That's in addition to time spent practicing shooting, both inside without ammunition — called “dry fire” — and at the range. German biathlon head coach Tobias Reiter said his athletes train 700 to 800 hours per year.
The number of bullets a top biathlete will shoot each year, both in training and at competitions. Each rifle carries four magazines that hold five bullets each. The sprint and relay races use two magazines, while the longer individual, pursuit and mass start races require 20 bullets. They also go through multiple magazines when zeroing the rifle before a race.
That's how much a biathlon rifle generally costs in U.S. dollars. The most popular biathlon rifle, the German-made Anschütz, is specially designed to withstand cold temperatures. It's light but strong, includes a harness for carrying, snow covers over the front and rear sights and a handpiece for standing shooting. Each rifle stock is crafted to fit the biathlete's body - much like a racing bike.
The maximum heart rate a biathlete will reach while climbing a difficult hill in a race. That number will drop to about 160 when they come into the range and start shooting.
The number of races a top biathlete will compete in each year. Racing on the World Cup means a lot of travel. Racing keeps biathletes sharp, as long as they're able to recover properly between events.
The maximum kilometers per hour a biathlete might hit while skiing downhill in a race.
The number of ski poles a biathlete might break each year. Biathletes don't often bump shoulders like cross-country skiers in sprint races, but they'll sometimes break a pole in a fall or when interacting with others on the ski track.
That's the number of firing pins an athlete will break each season in their .22-caliber rifles. The firing pins are encased inside the bolt. The pin strikes the edge of the rimfire cartridge to send the bullet down the range. They can break during a misfire on the range or when the athlete is practicing shooting without ammunition. Changing a firing pin can take three or four minutes. German coach Reiter said his athletes will break five to 10 firing pins each year, mostly during dry-fire sessions. Finnish coach Torneus-Kulstad said his team might break one or two.
“If they don’t break one then I’m a little bit disappointed,” Torneus-Kulstad said. “I want them to dry fire. I want them to just go for it. If it breaks, it breaks. It’s part of everything here. It’s equipment you need to use. If it’s not breaking the question is more like have you even dry-fired?”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Athletes react in the finish area after the women's 10-kilometer pursuit biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Amy Baserga, of Switzerland, from left, Lisa Theresa Hauser, of Austria, and Anna Magnusson, of Sweden, compete during the women's 10-kilometer pursuit biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Anna Maka, of Poland, competes during the women's 10-kilometer pursuit biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Tomas Mikyska, of Czechia, front, competes during the men's 12.5-kilometer pursuit biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
