Europe

Can You Name The Five Teenagers To Have Scored Hat-Tricks In The Champions League?

Scoring a hat-trick in Europe’s premier club competition is no mean feat, especially so as an adolescent teenager between the ages of 13 and 19. The list of players to have accomplished the goalscoring achievement reads like a who’s who of the world’s greatest talent since the tournament’s adoption in 1992. 

In fact, only 19 players have multiple Champions League hat-tricks to their name, with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo having accomplished the task a staggering eight times. Nobody else has recorded more than three.

Tottenham Involved In One Of The Great Goalmouth Scrambles Of Our Time

Tottenham has constructed one of the greatest goals of all-time, if you — like me — look at goalmouth scrambles like you look at the Sagrada Família.

Robert Lewandowski Continues To Score In Every Match For Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich recorded the most dominant 2-0 victory you could ever imagine over Olympiacos on Wednesday in the Champions League. Olympiacos goalkeeper José Sá recorded nine saves before finally being beaten by Robert Lewandowski’s delicate one-touch finish in the 69th minute. In the 89th, just one minute after entering the field as a substitute, Ivan Perišić made it two. 

Dortmund Rallies From 2-Goal Deficit To Beat Inter And Keep Champions League Dream Alive

Trailing Inter Milan 2-0 at home with just 40 minutes remaining and contemplating an almost certain drop to the Europa League, Borussia Dortmund stormed back to a 3-2 victory with the Westfalenstadion roaring on its heroes, including 21-year-old breakthrough star Achraf Hakimi. 

Barça’s Faults Laid Bare In Awful Scoreless Draw With Slavia Prague

Swaths of empty seats around the Camp Nou on Tuesday for Slavia Prague's visit in the Champions League reflected the current malaise surrounding Barcelona, one amplified by this past weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Levante in LaLiga. That match both increased the pressure on manager Ernesto Valverde and condemned Luis Suárez to a three-week spell on the sidelines with a new calf injury.

Youth Player Racially Abused During Match, So League Plans Match With All Players In Blackface

A 10-year-old boy was racially abused during a soccer match by a mother of an opposing player on Saturday in Italy. The youngster played on and only reported the abuse after the match.

In response, those clubs will take a stand against racism this weekend — by making their youth players wear blackface in a match. 

The New Ireland Jersey Is An Early Candidate For Your Christmas List

Attention all 34.5 million Americans who list their heritage as primarily or partially Irish: The Republic of Ireland is dropping a fantastic new home shirt (apart from the damn Three Ireland sponsor) that’ll serve you very well on Saint Patrick’s Day and then throughout next summer’s Euro 2020 tournament. 

The New Balance-produced number is a beautiful Eden Green, features subtle tonal pin stripes, a smart collar and some nice touches of gold, including a gold border that frames the Ireland crest and the gold-inscribed “Éire” on the back. 

We’ve Discovered Why CD Leganés Is In Last Place In LaLiga

It’s been a pretty disastrous start to the LaLiga season for Madrid-based CD Leganés. This is the club’s fourth consecutive season in the Spanish top flight but after achieving its highest-ever finish last campaign (13th), Los Pepineros look destined for a drop to the Segunda División. 

With the club languishing in last place, manager Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked on Oct. 21 following a winless streak of nine matches. Mexican manager Javier Aguirre was appointed on Nov. 4 and he’s now tasked with saving this sinking ship. 

Balotelli Punts Ball Into Stands After Racist Chants And Then Scores A Stunner

Hellas Verona defeated Mario Balotelli’s Brescia 2-1 today, but the lasting images of the match all pertain to the former Manchester City striker. In the 54th minute, Balotelli took possession near the corner flag and with the ball still in play, he responded to racist chanting by picking it up and punting it into the stands of the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

3 Clubs Could Win Sweden’s Allsvenskan On The Final Day, So It’s Getting Wild Up In Scandinavia

For me, this is quickly turning into the week of the Swedish Allsvenskan. It’s hit hard and fast, making me question why I waste so much time watching the Premier League and LaLiga. The unfortunate part is that I missed the first 29 weeks of the 2019 season, leaving me with only one match day to get my ass up to speed. (Although I did know about AIK's fine threads.)

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