Champions League

UEFA Women’s Champions League Round of 32 second legs were played across Europe on Wednesday with the continent’s super clubs going through to the last 16 without trouble, but the David vs. Goliath matchups (Rosengård defeated Lanchkhuti 17-0 on aggregate) produced a number of sensational goals.

Manchester City defeated Göteborg 3-0 (5-1 on aggregate) with USWNT star Sam Mewis playing 73 minutes, but the moment of the match was provided by 20-year-old forward Lauren Hemp.    

Neymar was never out of the headlines while at Barcelona and his departure continues to leave ripples at the Catalan club, so all eyes will be on him when Paris Saint-Germain meet the LaLiga side in the Champions League last 16 early next year.

Barcelona will face Paris Saint-Germain and former striker Neymar while title holders Bayern Munich are up against Italy's Lazio in the last 16 of the Champions League after UEFA's draw was held on Monday.

The clash of Lionel Messi and Barça with last year's runners-up PSG is a repeat of their remarkable meeting at the same stage in 2017 when Barça overcame a 4-0 first leg loss to beat the French club 6-1 in Spain with Neymar scoring twice for the Catalans.

It’s days like this when you see Sergio Ramos, Luka Modrić and Karim Benzema laugh in the face of Champions League elimination that you truly appreciate how incredible this side was between 2013 and 2018.

Much like the NBA sixth man who comes off the bench and drops straight buckets, Luis Muriel doesn't often find himself in the starting XI; but bring him off the bench in the second half and he can't help but score goals. 

Muriel started just 10 Serie A matches last season yet was still Atalanta's joint-leading scorer. The Colombian striker scored 11 of his 18 goals after coming off the bench, averaging goal at an astonishing rate of once every 69 minutes. 

Wednesday was a pretty good day for Americans playing for Manchester City in the Champions League. Sam Mewis popped up for a late winner as the women’s team beat Göteborg 2-1. Then Zack Steffen became the third American goalkeeper to start in the men’s UCL when he recorded a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Marseille. 

For the neutral, there could be no victor in Wednesday’s win or go home meeting between Ajax and Atalanta at Johan Cruijff ArenA (although a draw would suffice for the Italian side).

Ajax’s run to the semifinals of the 2018-19 tournament is already the stuff of legend, while Atalanta’s own trip to the quarters last season was just as improbable, and likewise ended in heartbreaking added-time defeat.

Neymar donned a brand spanking new pair of boots made just for him by PUMA on Wednesday. He immediately scored a stunning hat trick against İstanbul Başakşehir. That’s how you justify a $30-million-per-year boot contract.