Lille's Ethan Mbappé banned for 3 Champions League games
Ethan Mbappé will serve a three-game ban in the Champions League for his red card in an opening loss against Real Betis. UEFA says Mbappé had been charged with “assaulting another player.” He struck Betis defender Natan with an elbow during the Spanish side’s 3-2 win at Lille three weeks ago. Natan had appeared to say something as he passed behind Mbappé, whose reaction was spotted on video review.
It was a third career game in the Champions League for the 19-year-old brother of Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. He'll miss Lille games against Arsenal, Galatasaray and Bodø/Glimt.
Background: how the league phase works
The Champions League format introduced in 2024/25 puts 36 clubs in a single league table. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. A win earns three points and a draw earns one. Because teams face different opponents, a single result does not tell the whole story of a club's position.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off; those finishing 25th or lower are eliminated. When following a match report, distinguish the result from its effect on qualification: that depends on the wider table and the fixtures still to come.
Sources and context
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