Champions League

When Cristiano Ronaldo last went up against David de Gea, the Portuguese striker put three past the Spanish keeper in a virtuoso performance during the 2018 World Cup this summer. The Ronaldo vs de Gea matchup went in the opposite direction on Tuesday, with the latter making some impressive saves to deny the former.

With El Clásico looming on Sunday, the only good news for Real Madrid at the present is the absence of Lionel Messi. Yes, Real climbed to the top of Champions League Group G on Tuesday after narrowly defeating Czech First League side Plzeň 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, but you could easily argue that Los Blancos looked better during last weekend’s shock 2-1 defeat to Levante.

Rome was witness to a horrifying escalator malfunction ahead of the Champions League match between Roma and CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. 

While carrying fans headed to the match, an escalator at a metro station in Rome appears to have collapsed, sending riders careening to the bottom and a high velocity. Reports of serious injuries have already surfaced and the images are both terrifying and gruesome (so be warned). 

Here’s video of the escalator malfunction. You can see one escalator working normally while others fly by, creating a massive pile-up at the bottom. 

As reported by The Guardian’s David Conn, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has submitted a proposal for a revamped Club World Cup that would, like the Champions League, feature multiple Premier League and top European sides annually. According to the article, there will be two proposals considered by the FIFA Council during a meeting on Wednesday in Rwanda, and UEFA is none too enthralled by the second one: