Sunday’s El Clasico falls on a very lovely Catalan holiday known as Sant Jordi’s day (Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia). This day, celebrated on April 23, is similar to Valentine’s Day except exceptionally better. Instead of overcomplicating matters and piling pressure on sweethearts to make it the best Valentine’s ever, Sant Jordi’s day simply calls for the mutual exchange of roses and books.
Article 49 of the official Champions League regulations stipulates how repeated yellow card cautions are dealt with and when lingering yellow cards are wiped. A suspension for yellow card accumulation is a threat from the group stage until the quarterfinals, and receiving a yellow-card suspension in the second leg of the quarters will also carry over into the semifinal first leg.
Deadlines are interesting things. For Milan in recent weeks – in recent years, really – a flurry of deadlines have been dodged, avoided, missed, and ignored. In the past seven days, however, everything seems have slotted into place. The impending deadline for the sale of one of the world’s most storied clubs to a shady Chinese investment firm was finally completed, ending the ownership of a shadiest of shady owners himself, Silvio Berlusconi.
It’s come to light that the best opportunity Barcelona had to snatch a goal to begin their famous comeback against Juventus wasn’t squandered by Lionel Messi but by Luis Suarez at kick off.
Juventus defender Dani Alves was off the pitch, shaking hands with his old coaching staff (one coach playfully holding his hand long enough to incur a slap from Alves) while Luis Enrique beckoned the Brazilian to take a seat next to him.
Just as Borussia Dortmund was picking up steam, Monaco capped it immediately. Quick on the counterattack, Monaco threaded together a string of passes once again opening up Dortmund's defense. With fresh legs, right as Valère Germain stepped onto the pitch, he made an impact.
(Goal at 1:17)
Monaco makes history as the first team to score three goals in four consecutive matches in the Champions League.
Perhaps a small section of supporters within Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu are on to something. For the opening 75 minutes of Real’s second leg match against Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo, by his own standards and those of Real Madrid and all that jazz, cut a forlorn figure like only he can.
For all the talk regarding what it would take for Barcelona to, once again, turn around a seemingly insurmountable lead, the difference between this return leg and the one against PSG was made immediately evident upon kickoff. Juventus played higher up the pitch, they made Barcelona entirely uncomfortable, they were sophisticatedly physical and they were capable of stringing passes together.
Leave it to the young stars to light up the match. Ousmane Dembele worked some magic one-on-one in the penalty box and picked out his teammate Reus with ease.
Reus gets one back for Dortmund as Dembele picks up his 17th(!) assist in all comps this season. #ASMBVB https://t.co/UIwMq4XqzR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 19, 2017
Leaving gaps within your defense will never be taken kindly in the Champions League. Radamel Falcao is no stranger to picking out these weaknesses.
Falcao gets in on the scoring with his 5th #UCL goal this season! #ASMBVB https://t.co/LpOEbL8ljN
Kylian Mbappé has just made Champions League History. The AS Monaco forward has scored a goal in each of his first four games in the knockout round.
Kylian Mbappe is the 1st player to score in his first four #UCL knockout stage games. He is 18 years old. #ASMBVB https://t.co/ytqY3O2Jt6