Real Madrid and Manchester City's prolific strikers are set to meet again in the Champions League on Wednesday

Kylian Mbappe is being backed to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record of most goals for Real Madrid in a calendar year, but the French superstar has been told that "nobody will surpass" CR7 in the Santiago Bernabeu GOAT stakes.

Erling Haaland admits that the absence of Kylian Mbappe in Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid handed Pep Guardiola’s side a “psychological boost”, but insists they were “not happy” at seeing the French superstar remain benched.

The uncertain atmosphere surrounding Real Madrid has reached a new level of intensity as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham prepare for a Champions League night defined as much by tension as by soccer.

The Inter Miami star will turn 39 during next summer’s World Cup but finished as the outright top scorer in CONMEBOL qualifying, scoring twice as many as two of his compatriots who have been in fine form for their European clubs, Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.

The current La Liga campaign has been defined by a fascinating battle between established superstars and fresh faces looking to make their mark. While Kylian Mbappe is now firmly entrenched as the face of Madrid following his move in 2024, the arrival of Rashford in Catalonia this summer has added a new dynamic to the title race.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich 's Harry Kane scored a hat-trick after coming off the bench in his team's 5-0 win over Stuttgart. Meanwhile, Napoli lead the Serie A table after an important win over Juventus with Rasmus Højlund scoring a brace. Inter and AC Milan also won their games as they occupy second and third spots respectively.