Champions League

Juventus arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu needing a miracle to overturn a three-goal deficit on the road at Real Madrid. By halftime on Wednesday, the Bianconeri were well on their way to a second straight Italian miracle thanks to two Mario Mandzukic goals against Real Madrid. 

On Tuesday, it was AS Roma rallying from three goals down to stun Barcelona. After losing 3-0 in Turin, Juventus was up against it against the two-time reigning champions. 

It’s no secret: as Messi goes, so too does Barcelona. Accordingly, the Catalan side’s shock elimination to Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals — Roma pulling off an incredible three-goal comeback to win 4-4 on aggregate via an away goal — isn’t all that shocking.

Who are we kidding, it's f*cking insane.  

The Italian side nullified the world’s best player over 180 minutes of action and thoroughly outplayed the runaway La Liga leaders at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night. 

Manchester City thought it had scored a second goal late in the first half against Liverpool, a goal that would have put the Citizens up 2-0 and two thirds of the way to erasing the 3-0 defeat from the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. But the referees thought otherwise and the disallowed Manchester City goal was a defining moment of the first half.

Pep Guardiola set up his Manchester City side to attack like the beasts of hell were after them, and it paid off immediately with Gabriel Jesus capitalizing on a Liverpool mistake and slotting the ball past Loris Karius two minutes in.

This is exactly the sort of start Manchester City were looking for, as any knowledgeable football expert will tell you. City still need two more to draw leven with the Reds, but they are looking very feisty thus far.

Strap in, everyone!

Real Madrid smashed Juventus 3-0. Bayern Munich got past Sevilla 2-1 on the road. Barcelona played like shit and still beat Roma 4-1.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is Pep Guardiola's kryptonite. 

The charismatic German has beaten Guardiola more than any other manager — a total of seven victories for Klopp dating back to meetings between the two in the Bundesliga. 

This is a remarkable achievement, especially if one considers how dominating Guardiola's teams (be it Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester City) normally are. 

I am still scared of the second leg.

Liverpool ran rampant over Manchester City Wednesday at Anfield, bringing a 3-0 advantage into the second leg next week at the Etihad. No player could be said to have had a bad game. The team worked as a cohesive unit, like a Swiss watch. Manchester City did not even have a shot on target and looked nigh-helpless against the Reds.

But I am worried about the second leg.

Look at this silliness:

If you would’ve offered AS Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco a Camp Nou first leg in which Lionel Messi is limited to naught, Di Francesco probably would’ve broken your hand in agreement. And then you’d have to inform him that his side would still lose 4-1. 

Roma still have an opportunity to shock the world at the Stadio Olimpico in the return leg thanks to Eden Dzeko’s conciliatory away goal, but the club from the Eternal City is more realistically doomed after conceding four goals to a superior opponent. 

Mo Salah scored his 38th goal of the season for Liverpool, who took a 1-0 lead against Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday after a counterattack and a Roberto Firmino assist.

Lost in all the hullabaloo surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic bicycle kick against Juventus yesterday was a flawless 75-minute performance from Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco.