UEFA Champions League

MADRID - Rafa Nadal saved four match points to beat Belgian David Goffin 6-3 5-7 7-6(9) in an absorbing match on Thursday and move into the Madrid Open quarterfinals.

Just as his beloved Real Madrid came back from the brink to reach the Champions League soccer final on Wednesday, 35-year-old Nadal found extra energy in reserve to win a lengthy tiebreak.

The victory was the 1,050th win of his career as he moved into a Masters 1000 quarterfinal for the 99th time and he was lifted by Real's dramatic 3-1 win over Manchester City achieved with the help of two last-gasp goals.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said they have a "score to settle" with Real Madrid after the Spanish side set up a repeat of their 2018 Champions League final by securing a comeback win against Manchester City on Wednesday.

Salah left the field in tears in the final four years ago following a heavy fall under a challenge by Sergio Ramos, with Real going on to clinch the title with a 3-1 victory.

"We have a score to settle," Salah posted on social media after Real eliminated City 6-5 on aggregate.

There’s no sequence of words that can accurately describe and recap the magical events that took place at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday. What is certain is that Real Madrid’s miraculous comeback to win 6-5 on aggregate against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semifinal would never have happened without Ferland Mendy’s heroic defensive actions in the 87th minute.

Heading into Tuesday's Champions League semifinal return leg at La Cerámica, both Villarreal and Liverpool knew it'd be a far cry from the Reds' 90 minutes of controlled dominance at Anfield.

"The match next week will be very different from tonight's," Villarreal boss Unai Emery said after the first leg. "I think they are going to suffer more next week in our home."

On Monday, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp delivered a similar take by saying his side had "to be ready to suffer and sit back in moments, but not as a general approach."

UEFA has banned Russia from the Women's European Championship in July and from participating in qualifying for next year's World Cup following the country's invasion of Ukraine, European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Portugal will replace Russia for the July 6-31 tournament in England, having lost to them in the qualifying playoffs. They will join the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland in Group C.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League final is set as Barcelona will seek to defend its title against seven-time winners Lyon. For the first time in five years the final will have American representation with Lindsey Horan and Catarina Macario on Lyon. 

Barcelona is heading to its third UEFA Women’s Champions League final in four years after defeating Wolfsburg 5-3 on aggregate in the semifinals. The second leg of the tie is a smudge on Barcelona’s record as Wolfsburg snapped the Spanish giants’ 45-game win-streak and ended any thoughts of a perfect season with a 2-0 victory.

The number of days between Saturday and Barcelona’s last competitive defeat is 333. Needless to say, this Barcelona team doesn’t lose. Atlético Madrid was the last team to get the best of Barcelona on June 1, 2021, with a 4-3 Primera División victory.