CAF Champions League

 Qualifying for the 2020-21 CAF Champions League started over this past weekend with 20 games as Libya's Al Ahly Benghazi and Chad's Gazelle advanced by default to the first round.

Saturday:

At Ndola, Zambia:

The opening match between Forest Rangers and visiting AS Bouenguidi (Gabon) ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Lobaste, Botswana:

Resaobaka Thatanyane (28'), Isaac Paeye (36'), Thero Setsile (73'), and Lemogang Maswena (87') each scored once as Jwaneng Galaxy opened their series with US Zilimadjou by demolishing the club from Comoros 4-0.

At Entebbe, Uganda:

Waleed Bakhet scored the only goal of the match as Sudan's Al-Hilal knocked off Vipers 1-0 on the road in their series opener.

At Porto-Novo, Benin:

Muyiwa Fehinola's equalizer in the 71st minute carried Buffles du Borgou to a series-opening 1-1 home draw with MC Alger.

Miloud Bebaia scored for the Algerian club in the 25th minute.

At Zanzibar City, Zanzibar:

Firas Chaouat produced a hat trick (56', 78', 84') as Tunisia's CS Sfaxien all but locked up a first-round berth after destroying Mlandege 5-0 on the road in game one.

At Maputo, Mozambique:

AFC Champions League

 Three Eastern Zone games were contested in AFC Champions League group-stage play in Qatar.

GROUP G:

At Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah:

Anderson Talisca (PK-17') and Elkeson (36') each scored once as Guangzou Evergrande blanked Vissel Kobe 2-0.

Group G Standings:

1. x-Vissel Kobe (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

2.    Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)

3.    Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in knockout stage.

GROUP H:

At Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah:

Ricardo Lopes scored the winning goal in the 55th minute as Shanghai SIPG knocked off Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1.

Group H Standings:

1.    Yokohama F. Marinos (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)

2.    Shanghai SIPG (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 9)

3.    Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

4. z-Sydney FC (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

z-Eliminated from tournament

League-Leading Rossoneri Blank Visiting Violets

 At Milan, Italy:

Alessio Romagnoli (17') and Franck Kessie (PK-27') each scored once as AC Milan blanked visiting Fiorentina 2-0 as the Rossoneri opened up a five-point lead atop the Italian Serie A standings on Sunday.

Dominating Home Win For Monaco

 At Fontvielle, Monaco:

Sofiane Diop (19'), Gelson Martins (75'), and Kevin Volland (77') each scored once on Sunday as AS Monaco dominated visiting Nimes 3-0 in French Ligue 1 action.

Wolves Knock Off Gunners At Emirates Stadium

 At London:

Pedro Neto (27') and Daniel Podence (42') each scored once on Sunday as Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Arsenal 2-1 on the road in English Premier League action.

It was the first-ever EPL victory for Wolves against the Gunners in London.

Red Bulls Stampede St. Polten On Road

 At St. Pollen, Austria:

Dominik Szoboszlai (PK-13', PK-25', 52') and Sekou Keita (70', 87', 89') each delivered a hat trick on Saturday as FC Red Bull Salzburg annihilated St. Pollen 8-0 on the road in Austrian Bundesliga action.

Road Win For Mattress Makers

 At Valencia, Spain:

Tony Lato's own goal in the 79th minute proved decisive on Saturday as Atletico Madrid defeated Valencia 1-0 on the road in Spanish Primera Division action.

Ajax Too Much On Road For Emmen

 At Emmen, Netherlands:

Five players, starting with Davy Klaassen in the 20th minute, each scored once on Saturday as Ajax Amsterdam destroyed Emmen 5-0 on the road in Dutch Eredivisie action.

Road Win For Bayern

 At Stuttgart, Germany:

Robert Lewandowski scored the winning goal (45'+1) as Bayern Munich downed VfB Stuttgart 3-1 in Saturday German Bundesliga action.

AFC Champions League

 Group-stage play in the AFC Champions League continue on Friday in Qatar.

GROUP E:

At Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha:

In the first of two games, Jonathan Viera (9') and Zhang Yuning (35') each scored once as Beijing FC blanked the Melbourne Victory 2-0 to advance to the knockout stage.

In the nightcap, Bill scored twice as Chiangrai United knocked off FC Seoul 2-1.

Group E Standings:

1. x-Beijing FC (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 12)

2.    FC Seoul (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)

3.    Melbourne Victory (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

4.    Chiangrai United (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

x-Clinched berth in knockout stage

Copa Libertadores

 The Copa Libertadores' Round of 16 continued on Thursday.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Jean Pyerre (56') and Pepe (86') each scored once as Gremio opened their series with Club Guarani by blanking the hosts 2-0.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Crew To Host Revs For East Crown

 Both Eastern Conference semifinal games were played on Sunday as the MLS Cup Playoffs resumed.

At Orlando, Florida:

Gustavo Bau scored twice (25', 86') as the New England Revolution handed Orlando City their first-ever playoff defeat 3-1 on the road.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Pedro Santos (99') and Gyasi Zardes (103') each scored an overtime goal as the Columbus Crew blanked visiting Nashville 2-0.

Columbus is set to host New England in the Eastern Conference final next Sunday at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time on ABC.

AL-AHLY TOP ZAMALEK FOR NINTH AFRICAN CLUB TITLE

 At Cairo, Egypt:

Amr Mohamed El Solia (5') and Mohamed Magdy (86') each scored once on Friday as Al-Ahly defeated Zamalek 2-1 for their record CAF Champions League championship.

Europa League: Gunners, Roma Advance To Knockout Stage; Dundalk, Armymen Eliminated

 The second half of Europa League group-stage play commenced on Thursday with 24 games.

GROUP A:

At Sofia, Bulgaria:

Jean-Pierre Nsame scored the only goal of the match in the 34th minute as BSC Young Boys defeated CSKA Sofia 1-0 on the road, shortcircuiting the Armymen's European campaign.

At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:

Gabriel Debeljuh (OG-49') and Jordan Veretout (PG-67') each scored once as AS Roma locked up a berth in the knockout stage after blanking CFR Cluj 2-0 on the road.

Group A Standings:

1. x-AS Roma (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 10)

2.    BSC Young Boys (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)

3.    CFR Cluj (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

4. z-CSKA Sofia (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from European compeition

GROUP B:

At Molde, Norway:

Nicolas Pepe (50'), Reiss Nelson (55'), and Folarin Balogun (83') each scored a goal in the second half as Arsenal popped Molde FK 3-0 on the road in clinched a berth in the knockout stage.

At Dublin, Ireland:

Ercan Kara scored twice (37', 58') as Rapid Vienna knocked Dundalk out of European competition 3-1 on the road.

Group B Standings:

1. x-Arsenal (GP: 4; GD: +10; PTS: 12)

2.    Molde FK (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 6)

3.    Rapid Vienna (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

4. z-Dundalk (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from European competition

NOTE:  Molde FK defeated visiting Rapid Vienna 1-0 on October 29; the two clubs meet again Vienna on December 10.

GROUP C:

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Patrik Schick (29'), Leon Bailey (48'), Kerem Demirbay (76'), and Lucas Alario (89') each scored once as Bayer Leverkusen dominated visiting Hapoel Be'er Sheva 4-1.

At Nice, France:

Peter Olayinka scored the winning goal in the 64th minute as Slavia Prague defeated Nice 3-1 on the road.

Group C Standings:

1. Slavia Prague (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 9)

2. Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 9)

3. Nice (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

4. Hapoel Be'er Sheva (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

NOTES:  Slavia Prague defeated Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 at home on October 29 (the two clubs will play again in Leverkusen, Germany on December 10); Nice defeated Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1-0 at home on October 29 (the two clubs will faceoff again on December 10 in Israel).

By clicking on the above link, you'll get access to scores of all 24 games.

Or you can find the other scores here.

Copa Libertadores

Three games were played on Wednesday as the Copa Libertadores' Round of 16 continued.

At Quito, Ecuador:

The opening match between Independiente del Valle and visiting Club Nacional of Uruguay ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Manta, Ecuador:

Rony converted a penalty kick in the 36th minute as Palmeiras defeated Delfin 3-1 on the road in their series opener.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Oscar Cardozo scored the game winner at 69 minutes as Club Libertad took their opening contest with Jorge Wilstermann 3-1 at home.

UEFA Champions League, Group D: Atalanta Knock Off Liverpool At Anfield; Ajax Knock Midtjylland Out Of European Competition

 Three games were contested on Wednesday in Group D of the UEFA Champions League.

At Liverpool, England:

Josip Ilicic (60') and Robin Gosens (64') each scored once as Atalanta knocked off Liverpool 2-0 on the road.

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Noussair Mazraoui scored the winning goal in the 49th minute as Ajax Amsterdam defeated visiting FC Midtjylland 3-1, knocking the Danish club out of European competition.

Group D Standings:

1.     Liverpool (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)

2.     Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)

3.     Atalanta (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)

4. o-FC Midtylland (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 0)

o-Eliminated from European competition

NOTE:  Ajax scored two road goals in their October 27 draw with Atalanta; the two clubs will meet again on December 9 in Amsterdam.

UEFA Champions League, Group C: Citizens Advance To Round Of 16; Marseille Eliminated

 Two Group C games in the UEFA Champions League were played on Wednesday.

At Piraeus, Greece:

Philip Foden's goal in the 36th minute lifted Manchester City to a 1-0 road win over Olympiacos----and carried the Citizens into the knockout stage.

At Marseilles, France:

Zaidu Sanusi (39') and Sergio Oliviera (PK-72') each scored once as FC Porto all but punched their tickets to the knockout stage by blanking Marseille 2-0 on the road, knocking the French club out of the tournament in the process.

Group C Standings:

1. x-Manchester City (GP: 4; GD: +9; PTS: 12)

2.    FC Porto (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)

3.    Olympiacos (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 3)

4. z-Marseille (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 0)

x-Clinched berth in Champions League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from Champions League contention but still alive for Europa League knockout-stage berth

UEFA Champions League, Group B: Wednesday Wins For Gladbach, Los Blancos

 Two games were contested in Group B of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

At Monchengladbach, Germany:

Lars Stindl (PK-17'), Nico Elvidi (34'), Breel Embolo (45'+1), and Oscar Wendt (77') each scored once as Borussia Monchengladbach demolished visiting Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0.

At Milan, Italy:

Eden Hazard (PK-7') and Achraf Hakimi (OG-59') each scored once as Real Madrid blanked Inter Milan 2-0 on the road.

Group B Standings:

1. Borussia Monchengladbach (GP: 4; GD: +10; PTS: 8)

2. Real Madrid (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)

3. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 4)

4. Inter Milan (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

UEFA Champions League, Group A: Bayern Advance To Knockout Stage; Goose Eggs In Madrid For Atletico And Lokomotiv Moscow

 Eight games were contested in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, with two of them in Group A.

At Madrid:

Lokomotiv Moscow held hosts Atletic Madrid to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Munich, Germany:

Kingley Coman scored the winning goal in the 52nd minute as Bayern Munich downed visiting FC Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 to lock up top spot in Group A and a knockout-stage berth.

Group A Standings:

1. y-Bayern Munich (GP: 4; GD: +11; PTS: 12)

2.    Atletico Madrid (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 5)

3.    Lokomotiv Moscow (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

4.    FC Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

y-Won Group A and clinched berth in knockout stage of Champions League

AFC Champions League: Vissel Kobe Advance To Knockout Stage

Eastern Zone group-stage play in the AFC Champions League continued on Wednesday with three games in Qatar.

GROUP G:

At Khalifa International Stadium, Doha:

Douglas scored the game winner in the 74th minute as Vissel Kobe upended Guangzhou Evergrande 3-1 and locked up a berth in the knockout stage.

Group G Standings:

1. x-Vissel Kobe (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)

2.    Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

3.    Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in knockout stage

GROUP H:

At Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah:

In the first of two Wednesday games, Na Seong-eun's goal in the 14th minute lifted Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to a 1-0 victory over Sydney FC.

In the nightcap, Jun Amano came through for Yokohama F. Marinos as his goal in the 90th minute carried the Japanese club past Shanghai SIPG 1-0.

Group H Standings:

1. Yokohama F. Marinos (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)

2. Shanghai SIPG (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

4. Sydney FC (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

CONCACAF League: Alajuelense, Real Esteli Advance To Quarterfinals

 The CONCACAF League's Round of 16 concluded with two games on Tuesday.

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Jurgens Montenegro scored the only goal of the match as Alajuelense defeated visiting San Francisco of Panama 1-0.

At Panama City, Panama:

Jorge Betancur scored the lone goal of the match at 19 minutes as Real Esteli knocked off Herediano 1-0 on the road.

Copa Libertadores: Knockout Stage Opens

 The knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores commenced on Tuesday with three Round-of-16 games.

At Avellaneda, Argentina:

Gabriel Barbosa's equalizer in the 15th minute lifted Flamengo to a 1-1 series-opening road draw with Racing Club.

Hector Fertoli scored for the hosts in the 13th minute.

At Curitiba, Brazil:

Paulo Diaz's equalizer in the 90th minute lifted River Plate to a 1-1 game-one road deadlock with Athletico Paranaense.

Guilherme Bissoli scored for the hosts at 57 minutes.

At Quito, Ecuador:

Marinho scored the winning goal with his successful penalty kick in the 59th minute as Santos took the opening game of their series with LDU Quito 2-1 on the road.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Nashville, Revs, Sounders Advance

 Three conference quarterfinal games were contested on Tuesday as the MLS Cup Playoffs' Round of 16 concluded.

At East Hartford, Connecticut (due to travel and quarantine restrictions resulting from COVID-19):

Daniel Rios came through in the 108th minute as his overtime goal lifted Nashville SC to a 1-0 road victory over Toronto FC.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Adam Buksa (26') and Tajon Buchanan (30') each scored a goal four minutes apart as the New England Revolution knocked off the Philadelphia Union 2-0 on the road.

At Seattle:

Nico Lodeiro (18'), Raul Ruidiaz (66'), and Jordan Morris (80') each scored once as the Seattle Sounders continued their MLS Cup title defense by dominating the visiting Los Angeles Football Club 4-1.

Here are the matchups for the quarterfinal round:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Sunday:

At Orlando Florida:

Orlando City SC vs. New England Revolution, 12:00 Noon Pacific Time (ABC/ESPN Deportes)

At Columbus, Ohio:

Columbus Crew vs. Nashville SC, 5:00 PM Pacific Time (ESPN/ESPN Deportes)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Tuesday, December 1:

At Seattle:

Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas, 6:30 PM Pacific Time (Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes)

Wednesday, December 2:

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC, 6:00 PM Pacific Time (Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes)

UEFA Champions League, Group H: Red Devils, PSG Post Tuesday Wins

 Action from Group H of the UEFA Champions League resumed on Tuesday with two games.

At Manchester, England:

Bruno Fernandes scored twice (7', 19') as Manchester United avenged their November 4 defeat by defeating visiting Istanbul Basaksehir 4-1.

At Paris:

Neymar's successfully-converted penalty kick carried Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-0 home victory over RB Liepzig.

Group H Standings:

1. Manchester United (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 9)

2. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

3. RB Leipzig (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 6)

4. Istanbul Basaksehir (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  With the two clubs level at two goals apiece in their two games, Paris Saint-Germain have a road goal against RB Leipzig (November 1).

UEFA Champions League, Group G: Barca, Juve Advance To Knockout Stage

 Group G play in the UEFA Champions League resumed with two Tuesday contests.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Martin Braithwaite scored twice (57', PK-70') as Barcelona demolished Dynamo Kiev 4-0 on the road to lock up a berth in the knockout stage.

Sergina Dest became the first American to score for Barca with his goal in the 52nd minute.

At Turin, Italy:

Cristiano Ronaldo (35') and Alvaro Morata (90'+2) each scored once as Juventus locked up a berth in the knockout stage after topping visiting Ferencvaros 2-1.

Group G Standings:

1. x-Barcelona (GP: 4; GD: +11; PTS: 12)

2. x-Juventus (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)

3. z-Dynamo Kiev (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

4. z-Ferencvaros (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in Champions League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from Champions League contention but still alive for Europa League knockout-stage berth

NOTE:  Dynamo Kiev scored two road goals in their October 28 draw with Ferencvaros.

UEFA Champions League, Group F: Dortmund, Lazio Close In On Knockout Stage; Zenit Eliminated

 Two games were played in Group F of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

At Rome:

Ciro Immobile scored twice (3', PK-55') as Lazio defeated visiting Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-1, eliminating the Russian club from the tournament.

At Dortmund, Germany:

Erling Haaland scored twice (18', 60') as Borussia Dortmund downed visiting Club Brugge 3-0.

Group F Standings:

1.   Borussia Dortmund (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)

2.   Lazio (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)

3.   Club Brugge (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

4. z-Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

z-Eliminated from tournament but still alive for Europa League knockout-stage berth

UEFA Champions League, Group E: Chelsea, Sevilla Advance To Knockout Stage

The second half of group-stage play in the UEFA Champions League commenced on Tuesday with eight games, four of them in Group E.

At Krasnodar, Russia:

Munir Mohamed scored the winning goal at the death (90'+5) as Sevilla defeated FC Krasnodar 2-1 on the road to advance to the Champions League's knockout stage.

At Rennes, France:

Olivier Giroud scored the game winner in the first minute of second-half stoppage time as Chelsea advanced to the knockout stage after having upended Rennes 2-1 on the road.

Group E Standings:

1. x-Chelsea (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 10)

2. x-Sevilla (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 10)

3. z-FC Krasnodar (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

4. z-Rennes (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

x-Advanced to Champions League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament but still alive for Europa League knockout-stage berth

NOTES: FC Krasnodar scored a road goal in their 1-1 draw with Rennes on October 20.

AFC Champions League

At Doha, Qatar: 

Group Stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed on Tuesday with four games.

GROUP E:

At Jassim bin Hamad Stadium:

In the first of two games, Alan scored the winning goal in the 34th minute as Beijing FC defeated the Melbourne Victory 3-1.

In the nightcap, Yun Ju-tae scored twice as FC Seoul destroyed Chaingrai United 5-0.

Group E Standings:

1. Beijing FC (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 9)

2. FC Seoul (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 6)

3. Melbourne Victory (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

4. Chaingrai United (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

GROUP F:

At Education City Stadium:

In the first of two games, Yu Hanchao's penalty kick in the 72nd minute produced the only goal of Shanghai Shenhua's 1-0 victory over FC Tokyo.

In the nightcap, Junior Negrao's goal at the death (90'+3) carried Ulsan Hyundai to a 2-1 victory over the Perth Glory.

Group F Standings:

1. Ulsan Hyundai (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)

2. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)

3. FC Tokyo (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)

4. Perth Glory (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 0)  

Wolves And Saints Battle To 1-1 Stalemate

 At Wolverhampton, England:

Pedro Neto's equalizer in the 75th minute lifted Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 1-1 Monday English Premier League home draw with Southampton.

Theo Walcott scored for the Saints in the 58th minute.

AFC Champions League

 Two games were contested on Sunday in AFC Champions League group-stage action, both in the Eastern Zone, both at Doha, Qatar.

GROUP G:

At Doha:

The match between South Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings and China's Guangzhou Evergrande ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Group G Standings:

1. Vissel Kobe (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)

2. Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)

3. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

GROUP H:

At Doha:

Hulk scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute with his successfully-converted penalty kick as China's Shanghai SIPG defeated South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1.

Group H Standings:

1. Yokohama F. Marinos (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)

2. Shanghai SIPG (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)

3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

4. Sydney FC (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

'Gers Whack Dons

 At Glasgow, Scotland:

Ryan Kent (15'), Kemar Roofe (29'), Scott Arfield (45'), and James Tavernier (PK-53') each scored once on Sunday as Rangers demolished visiting Aberdeen 4-0 in Scottish Premiership action.

Chalk Up Another Lopsided Triumph For Ajax

 At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Zakaria Labyad scored twice (36', 77') scored twice on Sunday as Ajax Amsterdam destroyed visiting Heracles 5-0 in Dutch Eredivisie action.

Rossoneri Overtake Napoli

 At Naples, Italy:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice (20', 54') on Sunday as AC Milan returned to the top of the Italian Serie A standings after holding off hosts Napoli 3-1.

MLS Cup Playoffs: SKC, Loons, Hoops Advance To West Semis

 Three Western Conference quarterfinal games were contested on Sunday as the MLS Cup Playoffs continued.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

After a 3-3 deadlock at the end of regulation that was followed by a half hour of scoreless overtime, Johnny Russell, Ilie, and Khiry Shelton converted their spot kicks as Sporting Kansas City defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0 in the penalty-kick shootout.

Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia saved all three Quakes shots in the shootout.

At Saint Paul, Minnesota:

Kevin Molino scored twice (22', 79') as Minnesota United collected their first-ever postseason victory by dominating the visiting Colorado Rapids 3-0.

At Portland, Oregon:

After a 1-1 draw after regulation and 30 scoreless overtime minutes, Reto Ziegler, Franco Jara, Matheus Bressan Bressanelli, Ricardo Pepi, Ryan Hollingshead, Matt Hedges, Tanner Tessmann, and Ema Twumasi converted their spot kicks as FC Dallas knocked off the Portland Timbers 8-7 on the road in an eight-round penalty-kick shootout.

Hoops goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer preserved the victory by saving Portland's Jorge Villafana's spot kick in the shootout.

Mattress Makers Knock Off Barca

At Madrid: 

Yannick Carrasco's goal late in the first half (45'+3) provided all the scoring in Atletico Madrid's Saturday Spanish Primeira Division 1-0 home victory over Barcelona. 

Bhoys Battle Hibs To 2-2 Draw In Edinburgh

 At Edinburgh, Scotland:

Osdonne Edouard (PK-79') and Diego Laxalt (90'+1) each scored once as Celtic came back from two goals down to gain a 2-2 Saturday Scottish Premiership road draw with Hibernian.

Jamie Murphy (52') and Kevin Nesbit (59') provided the scoring for Hibs.

Bayern Held To Home Draw

 
At Munich:

Kingsley Coman's equalizer in the 62nd minute enabled Bayern Munich to salvage a 1-1 Saturday German Bundesliga home draw with Werder Bremen.

Maximilian Eggestein tallied for the visitors in the 45th minute.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Lions Take Playoff Debut In PK Thriller; Crew Complete Hapless Saturday For Big Apple Clubs

 The MLS Cup Playoffs continued on Saturday with two Eastern Conference quarterfinal contests.

At Orlando, Florida:

After a 1-1 regulation draw that was followed by 30 scoreless overtime minutes, Tesho Akindele, Andres Perea, Antonio Carlos, Junior Urso, Robin Jansson, and Benji Michel converted their spot kicks as Orlando City won their first-ever playoff game by outlasting visiting New York City 6-5 in the penalty-kick shootout.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Pedro Santos (PK-26'), Darlington Nagbe (46'), and Gyasi Zardes (68') each scored once as the Columbus Crew held off the visiting New York Red Bulls 3-2.

AFC Champions League

 Eastern Zone group-stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed on Wednesday in Qatar.

GROUP E:

Saturday:

At Doha:

Alan Carvalho scored the winning goal in the 60th minute as Beijing FC (China) knocked off South Korea's FC Seoul 2-1.

Group E Standings:

1. Beijing FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)

2. FC Seoul (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)

3. Melbourne Victory (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)

4. Chiangrai United (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  FC Seoul defeated the visiting Melbourne Victory 1-0 in the first of two meetings on February 18.

GROUP F:

Wednesday:

At Doha:

Yu Hanchao scored the winning goal at 38 minutes as Shanghai Shenhua defeated the Perth Glory 2-1.

Saturday:

At Doha:

Yoon Bit-garam scored twice (19', 41') as Ulsan Hyundai defeated Shanghai Shenhua 3-1,.

Group F Standings:

1. Ulsan Hyundai (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)

2. FC Tokyo (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)

3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

4. Perth Glory (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

GROUP G:

Group G Standings:

1. Vissel Kobe (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)

2. Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)

3. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Johor Darul Ta'Zim of Malaysia were unable to travel to Qatar due to COVID-19 travel restrictions after they had been denied permission by the Malaysian government; they were considered to be withdrawn from the tournament and previous matches in the group stage were declared null and void.

GROUP H:

Thursday:

At Doha:

Li Shenglong scored twice (63', 79') as Shanghai SIPG upended Sydney FC 2-1.

Group H Standings:

1. Yokohama F Marinos (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)

2. Shanghai SIPG (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)

3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

4. Sydney FC (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

MLS Cup Playoffs: Revs, Nashville Post Wins On Opening Night (They Will Get Philly And Toronto Respectively Next)

Two Eastern Conference preliminary-round games were played on Friday as the 25th annual MLS Cup Playoffs commenced.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Gustavo Bou scored the game winner at the death (90'+5) as the New England Revolution downed the visiting Montreal Impact 2-1.

At Nashville, Tennessee:

In the playoff debut for both first-year expansion clubs, Randall Leal (14'), Hany Mukhtar (PK-24'), and Dax McCarty (57') each scored once as Nashville dominated visiting Inter Miami 3-0.

Monaco Erase Two-Goal Deficit, Shock PSG At Home

 At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Kevin Volland scored twice (52', 66') while Cesc Fabregas delivered the game winner in the 84th minute with his successful penalty kick as AS Monaco overcame a two-goal deficit to knock off visiting Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in Friday French Ligue 1 action.

UEFA Nations League: Azzurri, Belgium Advance To Semifinal Round; Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Wales Promoted To League A; Armenia, Albania, Slovenia Gain Promotion To League B

Eighteen games were played on Wednesday as UEFA Nations League group-stage play came to a conclusion. 

LEAGUE A:

Group One:

At Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Andrea Belotti (2') and Domenico Berardi (68') each scored once as Italy locked up top spot in Group One and a berth in next October's semifinal round by blanking Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on the road.

At Chorzow, Poland:

Memphis Depay (PK-77') and Georginio Wijnaldum (84') each scored once as the Netherlands upended Poland 2-1 on the road.

Final Group One Standings:

1. Italy (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 12)

2. Netherlands (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)

3. Poland (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 7)

4. Bosnia and Herzegovina (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 2)

Italy advanced to the tournament's semifinal round; Bosnia and Herzegovina was relegated to League B.

  Group Two:

At Leuven, Belgium:

Romelu Lukaku scored twice (56', 69') as Belgium secured a berth in the semifinal round of the tournament after doubling up visiting Denmark 4-2.

At London:

Philip Foden scored twice (80', 84') as England demolished visiting Iceland 4-0.

Final Group Two Standings:

1. Belgium (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 15)

2. Denmark (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)

3. England (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)

4. Iceland (GP: 6; GD: -14; PTS: 0)

Belgium advanced to the tournament's semifinal round; Denmark had a win and a draw in two games against England; Iceland was relegated to League B.

LEAGUE B:

Group One:

At Vienna, Austria:

Adrain Grbic's equalizer at the death (90'+1) lifted Austria to a 1-1 home draw with Norway----and promotion to League A for the 2022-23 tournament.

Ghayas Zahid scored for the guests in the 61st minute.

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Eric Bicfalvi's equalizer in the 81st minute carried Romania to a 1-1 road draw with Northern Ireland.

Liam Boyce scored at 56 minutes for the hosts, who were already relegated to League C.

Final Group One Standings:

1. Austria (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 13)

2. Norway (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 10)

3. Romania (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)

4. Northern Ireland (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 2)

Austria was promoted to League A; Northern Ireland was relegated to League C.

Group Two:

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Tomas Soucek (17') and Zdenk Ondrasek (55') each scored once as the Czech Republic gained safe passage to League A after blanking visiting Slovakia (newly relegated to League C) 2-0.

At Netanya, Israel:

Manor Solomon scored the game's only goal in the 44th minute as Israel ended visiting Scotland's chances of promotion to League A with a 1-0 victory.

Final Group Two Standings:

1. Czech Republic (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)

2. Scotland (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)

3. Israel (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)

4. Slovakia (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

The Czech Republic gained promotion to League A while Slovakia was relegated to League C.

Group Three:

At Budapest, Hungary:

David Siger (57') and Kevin Varga (90'+5) each scored once to carry Hungary to a 2-0 home victory over Turkey and promotion to League A while the guests were relegated to League C.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Luka Jovic scored twice (25', 45'+1) as Serbia destroyed Russia (and their hopes of promotion to League A) 5-0 to avoid relegation to League C.

Final Group Three Standings:

1. Hungary (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)

2. Russia (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 8)

3. Serbia (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 6)

4. Turkey (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)

Hungary was promoted League A while Turkey (by losing a tie-breaker to Serbia---outscored 2-0 on the road) was relegated to League C.

Group Four:

At Dublin, Ireland:

A 0-0 home stalemate with Bulgaria enabled the Republic of Ireland to avoid the fate that befell on their guests----relegation to League C.

At Cardiff, Wales:

Harry Wilson (29'), Daniel James (46'), and Kieffer Moore (84') each scored once as Wales dominated visiting Finland 3-0 to win the group and promotion to League A

Final Group Four Standings:

1. Wales (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 16)

2. Finland (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 12)

3. Republic of Ireland (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

4. Bulgaria (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 2)

Wales was promoted to League A while Bulgaria was relegated to League C.

LEAGUE C:

Group Two:

Hovhannes Hambardzumyan scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute as Armenia locked up promotion to League B after defeating visiting North Macedonia 1-0.

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Georgia and visiting Estonia played to a 0-0 stalemate.

Final Group Two Standings:

1. Armenia (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11_

2. North Macedonia (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 9)

3. Georgia (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 7)

4. Estonia (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Armenia gained promotion to League B for the 2022-23 tournament; Estonia qualified for the relegation playoffs.

Group Three:

At Athens:

A 0-0 road stalemate with Greece gained promotion to League B for Slovakia.

At Pristina, Kosovo:

Lirim Kastrati scored the only goal of the match in the 31st minute as Kosovo defeated visiting Moldova 1-0.

Final Group Three Standings:

1. Slovakia (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 14)

2. Greece (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 12)

3. Kosovo (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)

4. Moldova (GP: 6; GD: -10; PTS: 1)

Slovakia was promoted to League B while Moldova qualified for the relegation playoffs.

Group Four:

At Tirane, Albania:

Sokoi Cikalleshi scored twice (20', PK-27') while Rey Aldo Manaj scored the game winner at 44 minutes as Albania punched their ticket for promotion to League B after holding off visiting Belarus 3-2.

At Almaty, Kazakhstan:

Arvydas Novikovas scored the game winner at the death (90'+4) as Lithuania defeated Kazakhstan 2-1 on the road and shoved the hosts into the relegation playoffs.

Final Group Four Standings:

1. Albania (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 11)

2. Belarus (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)

3. Lithuania (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 8)

4. Kazakhstan (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

Albania won promotion to League B while Kazakhstan qualified for the relegation playoffs.