In terms of a 1-0 scoreline, there’s no greater beatdown than the one RB Leipzig just administered to Tottenham in London on Wednesday. The difference on the scoreboard was Timo Werner’s 58th-minute penalty, but the difference on the pitch was an incredible gulf in tempo, build-up play and variation in attack.
Soccer is a sport often defined by tradition. A player’s jersey number is often indicative of his or her position on the pitch, a practice dating back more than a century.
But Atalanta players don’t give a fuck about jersey number conventions, and they’re on the verge of taking their No. 88s and No. 95s and No. 72s right to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Atalanta smashed Valencia 4-1 in the first leg of their UCL Round of 16 match on Wednesday at the San Siro. The second leg in is March 10 at the Mestalla.
If Saturday’s rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is half as good as their first fight, we’re in for another royal rumble. Back in December of 2018, the two undefeated heavyweights went 12 rounds in a split decision draw with Fury arguably outboxing Wilder by landing more punches, but with the Bronze Bomber twice dropping the Gypsy King to the canvas.
In what will prove a controversial move, Barcelona looks likely to sign Leganes forward Martin Braithwaite. After season-ending injuries to both Ousmane Dembélé and Luis Suarez, the Catalan side finds itself sorely lacking in forward depth.
Diego Simeone once summed up his coaching philosophy in one brief sentence: “Effort is non-negotiable.”
On Tuesday, the Atlético team on the pitch at the Wanda Metropolitano fully embodied its manager in a heroic 1-0 Champions League Round of 16 first-leg victory over defending champion Liverpool.
Giovanni Reyna made quite the first impression in his Champions League debut.
The American teenager supplied the game-winning assist as Borussia Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the first leg of their UCL round-of-16 match on Tuesday at the Westfalenstadion.
The second leg is scheduled for March 11 in Paris, with the German side holding a slight edge thanks to Lucien Favre’s introduction of Gio, the son of former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna.
Chelsea and England star Fran Kirby is nearing a return to the pitch after missing major time due to illness. The 26-year-old was diagnosed with pericarditis, a rare inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart, back in November and hasn't played since.
On Sunday night, following the racist abuse he suffered during Porto's 2-1 victory over Vitoria, Porto forward Moussa Marega took to social media and responded to the Vitoria fans who forced him to walk off the pitch in protest in the 72nd minute.
Marega wrote: “I would just like to tell these idiots who come to the stadium to make racist chants …. go fuck yourself. And I also thank the referees for not defending me and for giving me a yellow card because I defend my skin colour. I hope I never meet you on a football field again! YOU ARE A SHAME!!!!”
Entering Sunday’s match against league-leading Real Madrid mired in 18th place, Celta Vigo faced mission impossible at the Santiago Bernabéu — especially so since Real welcomed Eden Hazard back to the starting XI for the first time since Nov. 23.
But this is the wildest of LaLiga seasons with both Real and Barcelona looking mere shadows of their former selves, and it’s become increasingly difficult to label any result registered against the Spanish giants as a “shock.”
After a run of four straight draws, Arsenal finally got back in the win column with a 4-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates on Sunday. The two clubs somehow entered today’s match level on points, but the gulf in quality between the sides was evident from the off as Newcastle’s beleaguered attack managed only two shots on target while Arsenal dripped quality in the midfield and wide attacking areas.
Dani Ceballos and Mesut Özil looked like the most likely creators for the Gunners as the two combined for seven key passes, but Nicolas Pépé was in inspired form as well.