Upsets

Heading into the final matches of the Champions League group stage, there was no set of games as appealing as the action in Group D. Tottenham entered Tuesday on top with eight points, but Sporting (seven), Eintracht Frankfurt (seven) and Marseille (six) all had a clear path to the round of 16.

Spurs had a difficult task, traveling to the Vélodrome in southern France but needing only a draw to go through. They also had to do it without manager Antonio Conte on the touchline because of a one-match ban.  

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.

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.

New York City FC went inside the belly of the beast Sunday at Saputo Stadium and showed off its playoff expertise by eliminating CF Montréal 3-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia Union on Oct. 30 at Subaru Park in Chester.

Facing an intense atmosphere, NYCFC started out aggressively and got an early sixth-minute goal from veteran Argentine playmaker Maxi Moralez.

️ MAXI MORALEZ

LEEDS - Leeds United sank to a 3-2 defeat at home to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, leaving them in the relegation zone and heaping more pressure on coach Jesse Marsch.

Leeds, who are without a league win since August, are 18th in the standings on nine points after a fourth consecutive defeat. Fulham meanwhile climbed up to seventh on 18.

The 2022-23 UEFA Women's Champions League group stage began Wednesday with a marquee matchup between defending champions Lyon and quarterfinalists Arsenal at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, and the result sent shockwaves around the world. 

Wrexham AFC — House Targaryen of the National League and harnessing the ability, with the blessing of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to transform an FA Cup fourth qualifying round match to a global spectacle on ESPN — have been forced into a replay in the world's oldest football competition by the part-time players of Blyth Spartans. 

The U.S. women's national team has lost consecutive matches for the first time in more than five years after a 2-0 defeat to Spain in a friendly Tuesday in Pamplona, Spain.

The Americans failed to rebound from a 2-1 loss to England on Friday that ended a 13-game winning streak.

Laia Codina put the Spaniards ahead in the 39th minute and Esther Gonzalez doubled the lead in the 72nd.

It's only Decision Day but the MLS Cup Playoffs have started in mind, body and spirit with the Eastern Conference picture now clear.

In a remarkable winner-take-all showdown between Orlando City and Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium on Sunday, the Crew — needing only a league-leading 17th draw to qualify for the playoffs — threw away a 1-0 lead to crash out of the main event.