Highlights

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez finally ended his goal drought dating back to October 1st by scoring against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday. Chicharito’s sixth goal of the campaign arrived in his 17th league match amidst rumors of a possible January transfer exit. 

Juventus defeated Milan 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday which, unfortunately for Italian football, isn’t really news. Juventus have won five straight Serie A titles, and, even with the higher likelihood of upsets in knockout football, they’ve managed to win the Coppa Italia two straight years.

Their hegemony of Italian football makes a neutral viewer more apt to turn to other competitions, like The Great British Bake Off. But the romance of Italian football can still be found if you know where to look. You should be looking at Carlos Bacca.

Leeds United striker Souleymane Doukara will probably win some awards for this goal, and if he does they will be deserved.

We will break down Doukara's goal using the tactical acumen and soccer insights only we here at The18 possess. Here goes:

Souleymane Doukara's goal for #LUFC last night was measured at a speed of 62mph, reaching the net in 0.8 seconds  pic.twitter.com/LHRAFroASH

Barcelona’s 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal became a mere footnote as the Blaugrana thrashed their opposition in the return leg, 5-2.

Lionel Messi registered a goal and two assists, Luis Suarez added a goal and a fantastic assist of his own, while Denis Suarez benefited from the vision of his teammates to score two. Arda Turan was also on the scoresheet for Barcelona.

Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell have combined for 193 appearances for Australia and 76 goals (Cahill, 37, is still going). All three played a vital role in securing Australia’s 2006 World Cup appearance, their first since 1974, with a dramatic playoff victory over Uruguay. 

Real Madrid ventured to Celta Vigo’s Balaidos stadium in Galicia needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit to advance to the Copa del Rey semifinals. In the end, Celta held their nerve to secure a 2-2 draw and advance 4-3 on aggregate.

The Celts earned a first half advantage when Danilo turned the ball into his own net, his second own goal in his last three appearances. A shot from John Guidetti was brilliantly saved by Kiko Casilla, but the rebound deflected off Danilo and into the net.

The Africa Cup of Nations is usually full of surprises, and the 2017 edition of the tournament has been no different. We’ve already seen the hosts, Gabon, eliminated, tournament favorites Algeria sent packing and defending champions the Ivory Coast knocked out during group play.

The Ivory Coast, which featured the talents of Salomon Kalou, Wilfried Zaha, Wilfried Bony, Max Gradel, Serge Aurier and Eric Bailly, were ultimately punished for a slow start to their AFCON tournament on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe were eliminated from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday after losing to Tunisia in their final group match, 4-2. The Warriors, who were making only their third AFCON appearance and first since 2006, are largely reliant on striker Knowledge Musona, considered to be one of the finest footballers Zimbabwe has ever produced. 

One of the few players on the team to play abroad, Musona plays for K.V. Oostende in the Belgian first division, the striker gave Zimbabwean’s a lasting memory by scoring one of the best goals of the tournament.