Manchester City won the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund after a highly eventful game. It finished 2-1, with the referees taking center stage. The game was supposed to be all about Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s chase of the Quadruple (winning all available trophies during […]
Tag: UEFA Champions League
No Lewandowski for a Month! Bayern Super Striker to Miss Games that Could Decide Season
Robert Lewandowski scored two goals for Poland on Sunday, as his national team beat Andorra 3-0 in the qualifiers for World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Panic started when Lewandowski was taken off 63 minutes into the game with massive pain in his right knee. Fears of a serious injury were […]
Xabi Alonso Opts out of Champions League, Signs New Contract in Spain’s Third Tier
Xabi Alonso, the former Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich midfielder, was the hot favorite to replace outgoing head coach Marco Rose at Borussia Monchengladbach, which currently sits in 10th in the Bundesliga. The German tabloid Bild reported at the beginning of the week that Alonso, 39, was on the […]
Chelsea Defends One-Goal Lead in Second Leg of Champions League Matchup with Atletico Madrid
Chelsea will take a 1-0 lead back to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, as the English side looks to get past Atletico Madrid and advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The Blues found a goal against a stout Atletico defense last month in Bucharest, and will advance as […]
Champions League Draw: Barcelona vs. PSG Highlights Round of 16 Matchups
Paris Saint-Germain reached the final of last season’s Champions League, but faces a tough road back, beginning with a clash against Spanish powerhouse Barcelona in the Round of 16. Monday’s Champions League Draw determined the eight, first-round knockout stage matchups, with the first leg of each clash coming in February. […]
USWNT Back in Action Minus Co-Captains in World Cup Finals Rematch
Netherlands hosts the US Women’s national team Friday as the reigning World Cup champions return to the pitch for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Superstars Alex Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur), Rose Lavelle (Manchester City), Julie Ertz, Tobin Heath (Manchester United), Christen Press (Manchester United), Sam Mewis (Manchester […]
Clubs, Operators Scramble After Spain Bans Soccer Team Gambling Sponsorships
Today, 17 of the 20 clubs in La Liga – Spain’s top-flight soccer league – enjoy some sort of sponsorship deal with one or more gaming firms. By next season, the Spanish government says that number will be zero. Last week, the Spanish government approved the Royal Decree on Commercial […]
Champions League Draw: Juventus vs. Barcelona, Man Utd. vs. PSG in Group Stage
The Champions League draw almost always results in at least one group where two of Europe’s biggest powerhouses are thrown together. Thursday’s draw kept that tradition alive, giving soccer fans at least three different matchups worthy of a European final. Thursday’s Champions League draw placed the final 32 teams into […]
Champions League: Chelsea Faces Overwhelming Deficit vs. Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich holds a commanding 3-0 lead and will host the second leg of its Champions League matchup against Chelsea on Saturday. Chelsea will need at least three goals to have any chance of advancement, a tall order in Allianz Arena after the drubbing at Stamford Bridge in February. Bayern […]
Klopp, Mourinho Blast Man City Ban Appeal; Guardiola Hits Back at Critics
When Manchester City successfully appealed to overturn its two-year European ban, fans reacted with relief or disgust, depending on which club they supported. Now, the managers of two of City’s biggest Premier League rivals are criticizing the decision, prompting a heated defense from the club’s own coach. Tottenham manager Jose […]
Manchester City Wins Financial Fair Play Appeal, Avoids Champions League Ban
The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned Manchester City’s European ban on Monday, a ruling that will allow the club to participate in the Champions League next season. City faced a two-year ban from all European competitions after the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) found the club guilty of violating […]
Champions League Draw: Quarterfinal Matchups Set for Lisbon Knockout Tournament
The 12 teams remaining in the Champions League learned their fates on Friday as UEFA held the quarterfinal draw ahead of August’s knockout finale to the tournament. Eight teams must still complete the second leg of their Round of 16 clashes, while four others have already reached the quarterfinals. Bayern […]
Champions League Moving to Lisbon For Two-Week Knockout Finale
The final eight Champions League contenders will conclude the competition this August in a fast-paced, single-elimination knockout tournament in Lisbon, Portugal. UEFA plans to hold the Champions League final on Aug. 23, which will come at the end of a 12-day soccer blitz that includes all of the quarterfinal and […]
French Prime Minister Announces Major Sports Ban Until September, Ending Soccer Seasons
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that the country will prohibit major sporting events until at least September, a move that puts an end to the Ligue 1 soccer season. The order affects rugby and other league sports as well, though the soccer season will face the most dramatic impact. […]
Premier League Eying June Restart for Competitive Matches, September Start for Next Season
The English Premier League may be able to start playing competitive matches again as soon as June 6, a date that could allow for the 2020-21 season to begin before the fall – albeit several weeks later than normal. Unnamed sources told ESPN that a mid-September start date could be […]
UEFA Indefinitely Suspends Champions League, Europa League, Season Could Be ‘Lost’
UEFA announced an indefinite suspension for the Champions League and Europa League on Wednesday, as officials acknowledge that, at a certain point, Europe may simply lose the remainder of its soccer schedule. European soccer has almost entirely shut down, with the exception of the Belarusian Premier League, which continues on […]
Soccer Calendar Radically Changing as European Championship, Copa America Postponed to 2021
Two of the world’s biggest regional soccer competitions canceled their 2020 events, as both Euro 2020 and the Copa America postponed their summer tournaments due to the coronavirus outbreak — moves that have a cascading impact on the worldwide soccer calendar. The European Championship will now be played from June […]
What’s Left to Bet On? Options Dwindle as Coronavirus Sparks Cancellations
By and large, the coronavirus has shut down the world of sports, with competitions across the globe canceled or postponed in an effort to slow the pandemic. And while sportsbooks remain open – and online betting sites likely will even in the most heavily impacted areas – the menu of […]
Soccer Reacts to Coronavirus: MLS, La Liga Suspend Play, Champions League Matches Postponed
Soccer competitions worldwide are scrambling to respond to the coronavirus, with both MLS and La Liga suspending play for the coming weeks. MLS announced on Thursday that it would suspend play for 30 days, with ESPN reporting the league will try to reschedule missed matches for later in the season. […]
Champions League: Man City Emerges as Tournament Favorite After 2-1 Away Win at Real Madrid
Manchester City came from behind to win 2-1 at the Bernabeu, handing Real Madrid a stunning loss and establishing itself as the team to beat in the Champions League. Man City will take a one-goal lead – and two away goals – into the second leg of the match at […]