Upsets

Matchday 37 of Europe’s best title race arrived on Sunday with the added spice of simultaneous kickoffs across Spain. At the Wanda in Madrid, leader Atlético welcomed 11th-place Osasuna. In Bilbao, second-place Real Madrid accepted the challenge of ninth-place Athletic Club. At the Camp Nou, Barcelona said hello to eighth-place Celta Vigo.

Barcelona threw away a 2-0 lead, a 3-2 lead and the chance to go momentarily top of LaLiga with a ridiculous 3-3 draw against Levante at the Ciutat de València on Tuesday night.

The match kicked off at 10:00 p.m. local time and quickly entered the magical realm that all “after dark” sporting events inhabit. After Pedri wasted a couple good opportunities with poor shooting, Lionel Messi showed the 18-year-old how it’s done in the 26th minute with a world-class side volley.

When it comes mid-major programs that know how to write a Cinderella story, there’s not many better than the Marshall Thundering Herd. 

More recently, the men's basketball team advanced to the Second Round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament as a 13-seed, while the 2020 football team reached No. 16 in the national rankings after starting the season 7-0.

Now it’s the men’s soccer team’s turn. 

Handed the opportunity to return to the LaLiga summit for the first time since the conclusion of Matchday 4, Real Madrid stumbled to a 2-2 draw at home against Sevilla to hand control back to Atlético with only three games remaining.

Inter Milan clinched their first Serie A title in 11 years on Sunday after Sassuolo drew 1-1 with second-placed Atalanta to assure Antonio Conte’s side of the league crown.

Inter are 13 points clear in first place with four games remaining, and their triumph ends a run of nine consecutive title wins for Juventus.

Large crowds of flag-waving fans gathered outside the iconic Duomo in Milan to celebrate a long-awaited success that has broken the domestic dominance of rivals Juve.

With five MLS clubs and three Liga MX sides making up the quarterfinals of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, the stage is perfectly set to deliver the matchups we all want to see.  

While one MLS side is guaranteed passage to the semifinals (Atlanta and Philadelphia do battle in the quarters), we’re eagerly anticipating 2018 CCL finalist Toronto against 2014 CCL winner Cruz Azul, reigning MLS Cup titleholder Columbus taking on 2019 CCL victor Monterrey, and 2020 MLS is Back Tournament champ (the highest accolade around) Portland clashing with 2016 CCL top dog América.   

GLASGOW - Rangers were knocked out in the Scottish Cup quarterfinals with a 4-2 defeat on penalties after St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark set up a last-gasp extra-time equalizer and saved two penalties in the shootout to end the Glasgow side's hopes of winning the double.

With the match ending 1-1 after the extra period, James Tavernier missed Rangers' first penalty in the shootout at Ibrox and Kemar Roofe spurned the final one while St Johnstone converted all their kicks to join Hibernian and Dundee United in the last four.

After a six-month spell at the top of LaLiga, Atlético Madrid has ceded control of the division to Barcelona with only five matches remaining (although the two clubs meet on May 8). 

On Sunday, Atlético slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Club at the San Mamés following Iñigo Martínez’s dramatic 86th-minute winner. After an early stretch of 15 wins in 16 games that made Atlético’s title look almost certain, Los Colchoneros have won only five of their last 12 to allow Barça (15 wins in 17) the chance to go top on Thursday against Granada.