Upsets

Real Madrid salvaged a point after having Gareth Bale sent off in the 47th minute and Las Palmas leading 3-1 as late as the 85th minute, and it was all thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona started the day by crushing Sporting Gijon 6-1, so Real Madrid knew that anything less than a victory would cut into their lead at the top. Real’s draw means that Barcelona are now atop the La Liga table by a point, although Los Blancos still maintain a game in hand.

The cars were on fire and there was no driver at the wheel. For the president of Pescara, a rotten six months was capped with the firing of the manager who brought Serie A football back to the provincial town, the torching of his property by disillusioned fans, and a last gasp, hail Mary attempt to save the club’s position by turning to one of Italy’s most notorious cult leaders, Zdenek Zeman.

The remarkable progress of non-league sides Lincoln City and Sutton United in the FA Cup will continue after Lincoln City’s shocking defeat of Burnley on Saturday. With Sutton United due to play Arsenal on Monday, we’ll soon see if two non-league sides can qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time ever. 

Here are five of the most interesting characters from the sides.

Burnley’s Turf Moor was witness to one of the most spectacular achievements in the 146-year history of the FA Cup — Lincoln City, a non-league side in England’s fifth division, have advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals, an achievement that hasn’t been accomplished since 1914.

Let’s be honest with each other, the FA Cup has become an irrelevance. Once the pinnacle of domestic football, the world’s oldest cup competition is now about as popular as a presidential executive order, with only slightly more charm.

Real Madrid ventured to Celta Vigo’s Balaidos stadium in Galicia needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit to advance to the Copa del Rey semifinals. In the end, Celta held their nerve to secure a 2-2 draw and advance 4-3 on aggregate.

The Celts earned a first half advantage when Danilo turned the ball into his own net, his second own goal in his last three appearances. A shot from John Guidetti was brilliantly saved by Kiko Casilla, but the rebound deflected off Danilo and into the net.

In the wake of the LaMia Flight 2933 disaster which took the lives of 22 members of the Chapecoense football squad, the club has begun the painful process of building towards their new season with the aim of promoting players from their youth teams. While many seasoned professionals and other Brazilian clubs have offered their support with regards to personnel, Chapecoesne president Plinio David de nes Filho has maintained that the club will stay true to its roots and values.

Ze Roberto might just be the most unheralded footballer of all time. The 42-year-old left back has amassed almost 100 caps with Brazil, is a legend at Bayern Munich and has a trophy cabinet that includes (and this is the abridged version):

It’s the age old question we’ve always wanted an answer to: yes, Bayern Munich are a great side, but can they do it on a freezing cold night the federal subject of Russia known as Yaroslavl Oblast? No is the definitive answer — FC Hollywood is soft, and now they're in crisis.