Europe

David Alaba Explains Why He Celebrated Benzema's Insane Winner With A Chair

The final 29 minutes of Real Madrid vs. PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday night were entirely surreal. First we watched Gianluigi Donnarumma press the self-destruct button to hand Real a lifeline, then Karim Benzema equalized following some genius Luka Modrić play and finally, only 11 seconds after we got play restarted, it was Marquinhos' time to show why he's PSG captain by playing the ball straight to Benzema for the go-ahead goal.

Magic From 36-Year-Old Luka Modrić Ends Messi, Neymar, Mbappé’s UCL Hopes

With one surging run, Luka Modrić flipped the Real Madrid-PSG matchup on its head. With one nutmeg assist from the diminutive Croatian, the best team in the history of Europe once again showed its dominance in the Champions League. And PSG, despite its unreal attacking talent, is once again exiting the Champions League early.  

Verratti's Premature Celebration Of Mbappé's Goal Really Foreshadowed PSG's Evening

During a 10-minute prematch segment on CBS ahead of Wednesday's Champions League Round of 16 second leg between Real Madrid and PSG at the Bernabéu, Thierry Henry dissected what makes Kylian Mbappé "just a freak." 

Henry said that while speed kills and is what strikes fear into defenders, Mbappé — while consistently being the fastest man on the pitch — combines that pace with control, technique, balance, composure, power, accuracy, left foot and right foot, making him "virtually impossible to defend."

Dutch Prosecutors Will Charge Quincy Promes With Attempted Murder

AMSTERDAM — Dutch prosecutors intend to press attempted murder charges against Spartak Moscow football player Quincy Promes, they said on Wednesday, in order to ensure his case proceeds as quickly as possible.

Promes was arrested in connection with a July 2020 stabbing in the Dutch town of Abcoude. It later emerged that the alleged victim was Promes's cousin and the incident took place in a fight after a family party. Promes has denied involvement.

Inter Milan Had Liverpool On The Ropes, But Then Alexis Sánchez Ruined All Our Fun

There's the scoreline and then there's reality. 

After Liverpool's 2-0 first leg victory at the San Siro back on Feb. 16, the refrain you constantly heard in the buildup and throughout the opening hour at Anfield on Tuesday was that Inter was still precariously alive in this one — just get the first goal and Anfield would be theirs for the taking!

Lewandowski Caps 11-Minute Hat Trick With Crotch Goal vs. Hapless Salzburg

Robert Lewandowski is the most clinical striker in men’s football right now. Give him half a chance and he’ll bury it. Give him three of the easiest chances in the world and he’ll have an 11-minute hat trick. He’ll even score one with his crotch, because why not?

Bayern Munich scored four first-half goals — three by Lewandowski — on the way to a 7-1 win over RB Salzburg to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals 8-2 on aggregate on Tuesday in Munich. 

FIFA Announces Postponement Of Scotland Vs. Ukraine World Cup Qualifier And Poland Gets A Bye

FIFA has postponed Ukraine's World Cup qualification playoff match against Scotland on March 24, world football's governing body said in a statement on Tuesday.

The winners of the game at Hampden Park in Glasgow will take on Austria or Wales for a place in November's World Cup finals in Qatar.

Ukraine's Football Association had asked FIFA to postpone the qualifier following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Hand Of God: Journalists In Ukraine Saved By Diego Maradona Tattoo

Amidst the coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a group of South American journalists had a tense and scary encounter with local authorities, but after some interrogation and anxiety, a Diego Maradona tattoo helped to deescalate the situation. 

Daniel Matamala, a news anchor for CNN Chile, was one of the journalists detained. Once released, he told the story through his Instagram account. 

FIFA Will Allow Foreigners Playing In Russia To Transfer Outside Of Window, Kind Of

PARIS — FIFA is opening a special transfer window for foreign players stranded in Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, soccer's world governing body said on Monday.

Vivi Asseyi Takes Flight For A Heavenly Bayern Munich Goal

We're just two weeks away from the start of the Women's Champions League quarterfinals now, where two Frauen-Bundesliga clubs remain — Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg. Bayern returned to the top spot in its domestic league with seven matches remaining following a 6-0 pummeling of Köln on Sunday, although Wolfsburg remains only two points back and maintains a game in hand.

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