Champions League

Europe’s favorite Moldovan/Transnistrian soccer club received a brutal reality check in the Champions League on Wednesday in the form of a second straight 3-1 defeat to Inter Milan.

After starting the Champions League group stage with victories against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, Sheriff has suffered two straight defeats at the hands of Inter Milan.

Inter was pulling out all the stops, including Nicoló Barella throwing himself on the grass to avoid blocking Marcelo Brozovic’s opening goal in the 54th minute. 

On Wednesday morning, the NCAA slammed Oklahoma State’s men’s basketball team with a postseason ban for an infraction that happened four years ago where the only player involved received a mere $300 (players are now allowed to be paid). For fans of college sports, this was yet another case of the NCAA crushing a smaller school for a minor infraction while letting the blue bloods of the sport off scot-free for major violations. 

It looked like the writing was on the wall for Ole Gunnar Solskjær on Tuesday in Bergamo. As we entered second half stoppage time, Atalanta held a 2-1 lead. Manchester United’s attack had been disjointed, so much so that Paul Pogba was hooked in the 69th minute and Donny van de Beek was allowed to escape from his cave. 

I’ve been watching a lot of Juventus matches lately. With Weston McKennie in fine goal-scoring form, it’s hard not to watch my fellow Texan do things no American has done before while converting soaring headers and powerful strikes. But one facet of his game has made him totally unique at Juventus: the long Weston McKennie throw-in.

Christian Pulisic is back. The American featured in about 20 minutes of Chelsea’s 1-0 Champions League victory against Malmö on Tuesday.

Pulisic was included in a Chelsea lineup for the first time since the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Aug. 14. While he might have spent the majority of the night on the bench, it’s the most action for him since his ankle injury against Honduras in September.

Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic is ready to return from a long-term injury for Tuesday's Champions League group game against Malmo but Mason Mount will miss out after failing to recover from illness, manager Thomas Tuchel said on Monday.

U.S. international Pulisic, 23, has not played since the Premier League opener in August due to an ankle problem, while Mount travelled with the squad for the 3-0 win at Newcastle United on Saturday but had to withdraw on the eve of the game.

MILAN — Europe's top soccer leagues want to revisit the changes to the Champions League format, agreed by UEFA in April under the threat of a breakaway Super League.

Jacco Swart, Managing Director of the European Leagues organisation, told a news conference on Friday that there would be a second phase of negotiations with UEFA and they would look to secure several changes.

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær said Cristiano Ronaldo had answered many critics of his value to the team with his display in the 3-2 Champions League win over Atalanta on Wednesday.

Ronaldo grabbed the 81st minute winner with a superbly executed header to maintain his 100% scoring record in group F after three games.

But Solskjær took aim at those who had questioned whether the Portuguese forward, the Champions League record goalscorer, contributed enough work-rate to his side.