Champions League

BERLIN - The controversial VAR decision to rule out Harry Kane's stoppage-time winner against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday prevented Tottenham from progressing into the Champions League knockout stage as Group D winners with a match to spare.

Instead Antonio Conte's team now go into a final matchday with all four teams in the group, including Eintracht Frankfurt and Marseille, still in the running for a last 16 spot.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will be back on the pitch for their LaLiga games this weekend, licking their wounds after disastrous midweek performances in the Champions League.

For the first time in history Spain had three teams knocked out of the top European tournament in the group stage, as Barcelona, Atlético and Sevilla failed miserably to advance past their groups to the round of 16.

Even champions Real Madrid, who were already through and playing to wrap up top spot, lost 3-1 at Leipzig on Tuesday, their first defeat in all competitions this season.

After failing to advance beyond the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage last season, Chelsea made it two wins from two to start the 2022-23 campaign by hammering Albania's Vllaznia 8-0 at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday night.

With Real Madrid and PSG drawing 0-0 in the day's other match from Group A, Chelsea went top with six points followed by Real with four, PSG with one and Vllaznia on zero.

Chelsea's Woman of the Match was striker Sam Kerr with a four-goal haul. Pernille Harder also recorded a hat-trick and Kateřina Svitková got one for the Blues.

MILAN - Inter Milan sailed into the Champions League last 16 after an Edin Džeko double fired them to a 4-0 home win over Viktoria Plzeň in Group C on Wednesday, a result that eliminated Barcelona and relegated them to the Europa League.

The Italians moved up to 10 points with the win, six clear of Barça who were hosting Bayern Munich later on Wednesday. Even if Barça beat the Germans and win their final group game against Plzeň, Inter will still qualify with a better head-to-head record against the Catalans.

Maccabi Haifa's 30-year-old American goalkeeper Josh Cohen was the toast of Europe on Oct. 11 when making five saves en route to a clean sheet during his side's incredible upset of Juventus in the Champions League.

His mission Tuesday? Do it again, but this time against Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and PSG at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

This time Cohen faced five shots in the first-half alone and could only watch in agony as four of them found the back of the net.

Cohen couldn't do anything about Messi's opener in the 19th minute.

Chelsea travelled to Red Bull Arena and beat Salzburg 2-1 Tuesday night to clinch passage to the Champions League Round of 16 for the fourth straight year.

Christian Pulisic, making his first start since scoring against Wolves on Oct. 8, played a role in both goals, although they were spectacularly finished by Mateo Kovačić and Kai Havertz.   

BARCELONA - Barcelona will be eager to show everyone that they are better than rivals Bayern Munich when the two teams face off in the Champions League on Wednesday, manager Xavi Hernández said.

Barcelona were beaten 2-0 by Bayern in last month's Group C fixture, a result that Xavi said was not a true reflection of the team's talent. But having won only one of their four matches in Europe this season, Xavi wants his team to show their true worth at Camp Nou on Wednesday.