Champions League

It's been 10 weeks since we last dabbled in Champions League action, but life moves pretty fast, so here's a quick refresher of some key points.

We witnessed some good old-fashioned farce back in December when a "technical problem" forced UEFA into an unprecedented re-do of the draw for the Champions League round of 16. As the knockout phase whirs into life, it's worth remembering that the away goals rule will not be used in UEFA club competition after being officially abolished last summer. This led to a redraw for which United were accidentally left out of the pot entirely before similar errors were made over an illegitimate tie between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. Champions League debutants Sheriff held out to beat the 13-time European champions on their own pitch, even going ahead twice on the night before seeing out a famous 2-1 victory. While not quite as prolific as Haller, Ronaldo has a perfectly respectable tally in 2021-22 with six goals in five games for Manchester United. The Champions League's all-time top scorer has made a habit of leaving it late this season, with his 95th-minute winner against Villarreal sealing United's first victory of the group stage before his 81st-minute strike against Atalanta completed a memorable comeback victory. Ever the showman, the Portugal forward then returned to snatch a dramatic 91st-minute equaliser in the return fixture against Atalanta before also scoring in the 78th-minute in a 2-0 win at Villarreal in United's penultimate group outing. The one-time West Ham United flop began his Champions League career in style by scoring four goals in Ajax's opening group game against Sporting CP, thus becoming the first player to score a quadruple on his competition debut since Ajax and Netherlands great Marco van Basten in 1992. Ajax centre-forward Sebastien Haller is leading the pack with 10 goals from just six games having outscored the likes of Robert Lewandowski (9), Mohamed Salah (7) Cristiano Ronaldo (6) and Lionel Messi (5). Haller became only the fourth player in history to score in his first five Champions League appearances, amassing an astounding nine goals in the process to break the record of eight set by Erling Haaland in 2019. Speaking of United, there were touching scenes in December brought about by an 89th-minute substitution in the Red Devils' final group game against Young Boys. An 18-year-old youngster by the name of Charlie Savage entered the fray to make his senior debut for United and just to cap off that special moment, his father -- former United midfielder Robbie Savage -- was on commentary duty. Barcelona failed to make it through to the knockout phase of a Champions League season for the first time in 17 years after washing up in third place in Group E. After scoring just two goals in their first five group games, their grim fate was sealed in their final game when a 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich ensured that Benfica went through in second place thanks to their own 2-0 win against Dynamo Kiev. Barca had been an ever-present in the knockouts since 2003-04, when they didn't qualify for the Champions League at all, but will now have to make do with a playoff against Napoli for a place in the Europa League's round of 16. It has only been 10 weeks since we last dabbled in Champions League action, but life moves pretty fast, so it's worth having a refresher on some of the main plot points to have emerged during this season's competition so far. Two-and-a-half months since a ball was last kicked in the competition, the Champions League returns this week as the 2021-22 knockout phase gets underway.

After falling agonizingly short in Porto last year, Manchester City return to the Champions League as favorites to go all the way and lift the trophy in ...

"This club hasn't won the Champions League yet but we're not obliged to win it," João Cancelo said. We know we have one of the best teams in Europe, one of the best squads. We are capable of winning it but it's not our duty." Every season in which Guardiola falls short tends to bring with it questions over the manager's tactics but his players are doing all they can to cool talk that it is win or bust for City. Sporting CP: The Portuguese champions' competitive juices will certainly be flowing after this weekend where they warmed up for their return to European action with a clash against Porto that began in ferocious fashion and ended in a 40-man brawl in which four players were sent off. Craving even more coverage of the world's game?

Whether they win the Champions League or not, it's evident from the opening of the knockout round that there are few teams that can reach the level of ...

Things are looking rosy now for Sterling and City, and they're sure to face some adversity in the months that are left this season. So in a long competition like the Premier League, at the end when you win you are the best. Bernardo Silva has always been a quality player, but he's now a fixture in the lineup. Guardiola has managed to build a team that is strong in every position. However, the 27-year-old has managed to turn his situation around and he's another player who's won himself a regular starting spot. "In the Premier League no, but this competition is like this. One of its attacking strengths is Guardiola's use of players in different positions. Raheem Sterling added a fifth in the second half with a spectacular strike. Guardiola's men have scored 98 goals across all competitions so far this season, and there's no reason to believe that scoring rate is slowing down any time soon. "Liverpool is just six points behind us [in Premier League]. Liverpool was our biggest rival in the last season. So when you are now today in February, it doesn't assure you that April or May you will be like you are now. Bernardo Silva added a brace, with Phil Foden scoring in between, taking City up 4-0 at the break.

LISBON, Portugal -- Manchester City put on a show on the opening night of the Champions League knockout rounds, winning 5-0 and sending a reminder to the ...

"There is one rule in football when you have the ball and that's not to lose it. "The difference between the two teams is not 5-0 but we were so clinical. We have one more game to be in the quarterfinals and this is what you want." "Some players underperformed and we lost easy balls but we were so clinical," he said. You only knew Ederson was on the pitch because it was impossible to miss his garish pink kit. The reigning champions of Portugal were swept aside in almost dismissive fashion.

Karim Benzema hailed Lionel Messi as "an outstanding player" ahead of Real Madrid's last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Messi has only scored twice for PSG in Ligue 1 this season, but Benzema is still very wary of the forward, who has netted five goals in five Champions League games for PSG. But it will be a new experience for the 34-year-old as all of those previous 45 appearances came in the colors of Barcelona. Messi will face Real for the 46th time in his career on Tuesday.

The UEFA Champions League last 16 is here, as USMNT stars Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Zack Steffen are all involved in the knockout rounds. With huge clashes lined up as PSG face Real Madrid, Inter battle ...

Villarreal – 7 #Barcelona – 7 #Sheriff – 7 *Atletico Madrid – 7 The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals draw near… Or will Europe be singing from a familiar song book?