Champions League

Although Lionel Messi is consistently targeted by opposing defenses, it’s rare that he takes too much physical abuse from opponents. Quick on his feet and with a low center of gravity, the Barcelona No. 10 is usually able to avoid the brunt of challenges he faces. 

But when he’s attacked from behind, as he was by Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, there’s little Messi can do to prevent harm.

Manchester United’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Barcelona did not start well.

The Blaugrana (or neon yellows, as it was), opened the scoring a dozen minutes into the match at Old Trafford on Tuesday thanks to some interplay from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez — and some help from the Video Assistant Referee.

Tottenham’s first-ever match at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium went just about perfectly. Its second was pretty spectacular too.

Son Heung-min scored in the 78th minute to propel Spurs to a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday. 

Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Porto at Anfield on Tuesday was a microcosm of the club’s current Premier League form: There were nervy moments, a couple lapses and some erratic finishing from Mohamed Salah, but victory was achieved and it could've been achieved much more emphatically. 

Chelsea thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 on Wednesday, momentarily moving the squad up a spot in the Premier League.

The Blues were merciless to Brighton keeper Matt Ryan as three goals were scored in the right corner.

Brighton started well, limiting Chelsea’s touches while playing aggressive. 

However, things turned fast for the 15th-placed English team.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal second legs were held across Europe today, and the field has now been trimmed to four after some truly captivating matches between the continent’s biggest clubs.

After defeating Norwegian side LSK Kvinner 3-0 in the first leg, Barcelona took care of business in Lillestrøm by opening the scoring in the seventh minute to doom any hopes of a Kvinner comeback. Barca has advanced to the semis in two of the last three seasons, but the club has never made it to the final. 

It’s been 14 years since Liverpool defeated AC Milan in one of the most memorable Champions League finals of all time. While the years have gotten on, the men who took the field in that remarkable match can still ball, as evidenced by the Liverpool vs AC Milan Legends highlights from their charity match at Anfield on Saturday.

The list for the Champions League top scorers of all time stretches from players who played in the European Cup (first held during the 1955-56 season) to its current branding as the Champions League (renamed as such in 1992). The competition is now synonymous with the active footballing behemoths known as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and for good reason.

A few weeks ago, Chelsea was hit with a transfer ban for illegally dealing with underage players in its academy system and third party ownership. Now, a Manchester City transfer ban could be instituted for two windows (one year), according to reports.