• Spain to deploy 2,000 officers at Real Madrid v Manchester City
• French interior minister says IS ‘specifically targeted’ stadiums

Police in Madrid and Paris have stepped up security before this week’s Champions League quarter-finals following an apparent threat from Islamic State (IS).

Although Spain’s interior ministry stressed the country’s terror alert remained at level four of five, it said 2,000 officers from the National Police and Guardia Civil forces would be deployed to help municipal police patrol Real Madrid v Manchester City on Tuesday and Atlético Madrid v Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, which will both be played in the capital.

• Premier League clubs to meet in semi-finals if they progress
• Atlético v Dortmund, plus PSG v Barça completes last eight

Manchester City and Arsenal will meet in an all-Premier League Champions League semi-final should the former beat Real Madrid and the latter overcome Bayern Munich in their respective quarter-finals.

Friday’s draw for the quarter and semi-finals of Europe’s premier competition pitted City against Real for a third successive year, the previous two occasions having been in the last four. In 2022, the Spanish giants defeated Pep Guardiola’s side on their way to a record 14th triumph. Last season City prevailed en route to beating Internazionale 1-0 in the final to claim the treble.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cannot stop scoring for new manager Jean-Louis Gasset

By Eric Devin for Get French Football News

Ligue 1 clubs are being rewarded for making bold choices to change managers this season. Lyon under Pierre Sage are not yet mathematically safe but, with six teams and as many points separating them from the relegation playoff spot, they look set to keep their place in the top flight. Rennes under Julien Stéphan will be chagrined to have conceded stoppage-time equalisers in two of their last three matches, but they are still very much in the running for Europe and are still in the Coupe de France. Nantes are still in a bit of bother, but a win against Strasbourg on Sunday would go a long way towards securing survival for Jocelyn Gourvennec’s team.

The recent appointment of Jean-Louis Gasset, seemingly the most desperate of the season in France, is proving the most inspired. Marseille have won all five of their matches under Gasset, scoring 18 goals and conceding just three. Given his ignominious departure from his position as Ivory Coast manager in January, Gasset looked to be nothing more than an experienced pair of hands. But his cool temperament and understanding of French football has made him better suited to the pressure cooker at the Stade Vélodrôme than his predecessor, Gennaro Gattuso.

The latest slate of knockout games featured breakouts from new stars and a throwback performance from an old hand

The first tranche of the last-16 second legs did not thrill but there were plenty of outstanding individual displays. This selection comes in a 3-4-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Real Madrid did not have it easy against RB Leipzig . Not at all. Rather like the first leg, in fact. As so often down the years in the competition, Madrid’s back line lead the way. Andriy Lunin continued his breakout season, making save after save, narrowing angles and organising his defenders, as Leipzig attacked in waves. Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško, who had multiple chances in Madrid, will probably never forget Lunin, who won their personal duel, including one, dominant, smothering early save that set the tone.

Kylian Mbappé is leaving Paris Saint‑German, but his may yet be a fond farewell, and he is not going to just let go. There is still one last thing to do, and it obsesses all of them.

Two superbly taken goals, a portrait of a player who stands above the rest, defeated Real Sociedad and carried PSG to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and one small step closer, perhaps, to the European Cup: 2-0 winners in the first leg, any hope of a comeback for Real ­Sociedad was ended early, by an exhibition from the man about to say au revoir , as he led the team that is still his, until May, to a 2-1 victory in Spain.

• Live updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off in Spain
• Bayern Munich v Lazio – live | Keep up with all tonight’s goals
• Get in touch! You can email John with your thoughts

That team news: for La Real, Ander Barrenetxea is not fit enough to start. Sheraldo Becker starts instead. Mikel Oyarzabal is starting for the first time in over a month.

For PSG: no Marquinhos and Danilo as Nuno Mendes comes in, while Hernández comes in to partner Lucas Beraldo in central defence. Mbappe starts despite coming off at half-time on Friday against Monaco and sitting with his dear old mum.

From tennis also-ran to brokering world peace via signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, the PSG owner has been on a journey

The French football league has reached a point of jeopardy. The new round of TV rights is yet to be sold. The president of Paris Saint-Germain needs a bumper deal to satisfy FFP. The president of beIN Sports, the most likely white knight, is holding out on a late offer. A sympathetic ear in the Qatari government has yet to be found.

Luckily there is some hope of a breakthrough. Mainly because all of the parties mentioned above are, in a rare note of good fortune, the same person. And all of them are called Nasser al-Khelaifi.

• Freiburg grab late equaliser to dent Bayern’s title hopes
• Pellegrini, Marusic and Guendouzi see red for Lazio

Freiburg’s Lucas Höler scored an 87th-minute equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw against visitors Bayern Munich , whose Bundesliga title hopes suffered a further blow.

The result left champions Bayern seven points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who can pull further ahead with a win over Cologne on Sunday.

Brazilian’s move to Al-Hilal is end of his meaningful career but I have adored watching his limitless beauty as a footballer

Bittersweet memories. That is all I’m taking with me. So goodbye. Please don’t cry. We both know, I’m not … Ah. Sorry. It’s fine. Just a little dusty in here.

When it comes to Neymar and I, me and Ney, the feelings, the farewells, the deeply personal – I’m going to say it – love story of the last 13 years (legal clarification: Neymar has no idea who I am) I feel a lot closer to the Dolly Parton original version right now – rueful, sad, fondly heartbroken – as opposed to the Whitney Houston super-cover: sad but also defiant, hopeful, liberated and ultimately the banshee nemesis of the final chorus, where I Will Always Love You has become I am going to hunt you down and murder you with a scythe .