Villarreal — representing a city of just 50,577 in Spain's Castellón province — has clinched its first UEFA Champions League semifinal appearance since that magical 2006 run after a stunning upset of six-time champion Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
History and precedent crumbled Wednesday as free-scoring Bayern Munich travelled to Villarreal, currently Spain's seventh-best side, and came up entirely empty-handed in a 1-0 defeat that occasionally threatened to turn into two or three for the home side.
LONDON — A goal for Christian Eriksen, two from Vitaly Janelt and a late addition from Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a shock 4-1 comeback victory over west London neighbors Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea center back Antonio Rudiger brought the game to life after a dull first half at Stamford Bridge when, three minutes after halftime, his screamer of a shot from about 35 yards flew in off the post.
RUDIGER SCREAMER!
"Absurd" was the word Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci used to describe the UEFA World Cup qualifying process after his team fell to North Macedonia in a single-leg playoff last week.
"You have to play a single game in which anything can happen as we have seen," the veteran center back said. "There are teams that qualified after losing four or five games; we are at home after losing only one in the 92nd minute. It is truly madness."
Ghana — respected eternal rival of the USMNT and leader in the nations' all-time World Cup series — has secured its place in Qatar, where the Black Stars will undoubtedly meet the Americans, after a heroic elimination of favored Nigeria in Abuja.
Italy broke English hearts last July as they won the European Championship final but after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second straight tournament they have left fans thinking their Wembley triumph was a flash in the pan.
For a country who have won the World Cup four times, Italy's recent record is a national embarrassment.
Since lifting their fourth World Cup trophy in 2006, they have not played a knockout game in the showpiece event, having only won one group stage match at the finals in that time. Their recent World Cup record is even more distressing.
Sorpresa e incredulidad son los sentimientos que mejor resumen lo vivido hoy en el Estadio Renzo Barbera. Porque Italia, actual campeón europeo, cayó inesperada y agónicamente ante Macedonia del Norte y con ello se perderá su segundo mundial consecutivo.
North Macedonia pulled off one the biggest upsets in sporting history on Thursday when the minnows took on European champions Italy in a World Cup playoff and somehow pulled off a 1-0 victory in Palermo.
This game could've been played 100 times and Italy wins 99 times.
But I watched this game from start to finish and I must say the North Macedonia win was absolutely deserved. I don’t know if I've ever seen a more valiant display of defending in my life. Italy recorded 32 shots but only five ended up on target.
SYDNEY - Substitute Kaoru Mitoma scored twice in the final few minutes to give Japan a 2-0 win over Australia at a rain-soaked Olympic Stadium on Thursday and send his country through to seventh successive edition of the World Cup finals.
Japan's first victory over the Socceroos in Australia since 1998 also secured Saudi Arabia's passage to Qatar and condemned Australia to a tricky path through two playoffs if they are to make the finals for the fifth time in a row.
It's difficult to remember Real Madrid ever looking as clueless and toothless as it did in Sunday night's El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu. Maybe, with the league pretty much won, the remontada against PSG still fresh in the mind and Karim Benzema out, Real thought there was no such thing as a bad result.
Well, a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in which Xavi's side could've scored seven or eight while dominating every facet of the game constituted a horrendous evening for Carlo Ancelotti's team.