Europa League: Group Stage Play Concludes

Group-stage play in the Europa League concluded this week.  All the action summarized took place on Thursday unless otherwise noted.

Group A:

At Bern, Switzerland:

Moreno Costanzo scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 52nd minute as BSC Young Boys defeated visiting FC Anzhi Makhachkala 3-1. Despite the win, Young Boys, due to inferior head-to-head record with Liverpool and FC Anzhi, were still eliminated.

At Udine, Italy:

Jordan Henderson scored the only goal of the match as Liverpool won the Group A crown with a 1-0 road win over Udinese.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Liverpool (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2. FC Anzhi Makhachkala (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. BSC Young Boys (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
4. Udinese (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Liverpool and FC Anzhi Makhachkala (thanks to their better head-to-had record vis-a-viv BSC Young Boys) advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Group B:

At Tel Aviv, Israel:

Victor Merey (56') and Hanan Maman (80') each scored a goal as Hapoel Tel Aviv concluded their European adventure with a 2-0 home win over Academica de Coimbra.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Vaclav Prochazka scored the only goal on the 26th minute as FC Viktoria Plzen won the Group B title by defeating fellow Round-of-32 qualifiers (and defending titleholders) Atletico Madrid 1-0.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. FC Victoria Plzen (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Atletico Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
3. Academica de Coimbra (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. Hapoel Tel Aviv FC (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 4)

Group C:

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Orlando Sa (41'), Edmar (79'), and Chris Dickson (82') each scored a goal as AEL Limassol dominated visiting Marseille 3-0 in the tournament finale for both clubs.

at Istanbul, Turkey:

Tolga Cigerci (23'), Mike Hanke (PK-28'), and Luuk de Jong (79') each scored a goal as Borussia Monchengladbach dominated group winners Fenerbahce 3-0 on the road as both clubs advanced to the knockout stage.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Fenerbahce (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 13)
2. Borussia Monchengladbach (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. Marseille (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. AEL Limassol (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

Group D:

At Funchal, Portugal:

Heldon scored the winning goal in the 87th minute as CS Maritimo defeated visiting Club Brugge 2-1.

At Bordeaux, France:

In a battle of the two knockout-stage qualifiers from Group D, Cheick Diabate scored both goals (29', 73') as Bordeaux defeated visiting Newcastle United to lay cliam to the group title.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Bordeaux (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 13)
2. Newcastle United (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. CS Maritimo (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Club Brugge (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Bordeaux and Newcastle United advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group E:

At Stuttgart, Germany:

Davy Angan scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time (45'+1) as Molde FK, already eliminated from the tournament, showed plenty of heart in their 1-0 road win over VfB Stuttgart.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Igor Vetokele's equalizer in the 87th minute carried FC Copenhagen to a 1-1 home draw with Steaua Bucharest.  Rual Rusescu scored at 72 minutes for the visiting Romanian club.  The host Lions needed a win to advance to the knockout stage.

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 11)
2. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. FC Copenhagen (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. Molde FK (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)

Steaua Bucharest and VfB Stuttgart (with a win and a draw versus FC Copenhagen) advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group F:

At Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine:

Roman Zozulya scored twice (59', 82') as FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk hammered visiting AIK 4-0.

At Naples, Italy:

Tim Matavz delivered a natural hat trick (30', 41', 60') as PSV Eindhoven downed homestanding Napoli 3-1.

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 15)
2. Napoli (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
3. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. AIK Solna (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 4)

Group G:

At Genk, Belgium:

In a battle of Group G's two knockout-stage-qualified clubs, FC Basel held hosts KRC Genk to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Lisbon:

In the lone Friday Europa League contest, Valentin Viola scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute as
Sporting CP defeated visiting Videoton 2-1.

FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. KRC Genk(GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. FC Basel (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Videoton FC (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Sporting CP (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 5)

KRC Genk and FC Basel advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group H:

At Milan, Italy:

Nicolas Canales scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Neftchi Baku knocked off Inter Milan 2-1 on the road

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Jose Rondon's 59th-minute equalizer lifted Rubin Kazan to a 1-1 road draw with Partizan Belgrade.  Sasa Markovic scored for the already-eliminated Serbian club in the 53rd minute.

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 14)
2. Inter Milan (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 11)
3. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 3)
4. Neftchi Baku PFC (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

FC Rubin Kazan and Inter Milan advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.
Group I:

At Lyon, France:

Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr (15') and Yassine Benzia (58') each delivered a goal as Lyon blanked visiting Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2-0.

At Bilbao, Spain:

Sparta Prague, who, like Lyon, will play in the Europa League's knockout stage, battle hosts Athletic Bilboa, who, like Ironi Kiryat Shmona, will not, to a 0-0 stalemate.

FINAL GROUP I STANDINGS:

1. Lyon (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 16)
2. Sparta Prague (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Athletic Bilbao (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 2)

Group J:

At Maribor, Slovenia:

Sergio Floccari scored twice (38', 51') as Lazio dominated NK Maribor 4-1 on the road.

At London:

Orestis Karnezis' own goal in the 76th minute proved fatal to any hope Panathinaikos had of advancing to the Round of 32 as Tottenham Hotspur clinched second plae in the Group J with their 3-1 home win over the Shamrock.

FINAL GROUP J STANDINGS:

1. Lazio (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Panathinaikos (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 5)
4. NK Maribor (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Group K:

At Vienna, Austria:

Deni Alar scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute as Rapid Vienna defeated knockout-stage-bound FC Metalist Kharkiv 1-0 at home.

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Julian Riedel scored the only goal of the match in the 65th minute as Bayer Leverkusen, who already locked up a berth in the Round of 32, blanked visiting Rosenborg 1-0.

FINAL GROUP K STANDINGS:

1. FC Metalist Kharkiv (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
3. Rosenborg BK (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. Rapid Vienna (GP: 6; GD: -10; PTS: 3)

FC Metalist Kharkiv and Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.  With a win and a draw against the German club, Metalist won Group K.

Group L:

At Valencia, Spain:

Vicente Iborra's equalizer (90'+4) enabled Valencia to gain a 2-2 home draw with Hannover 96 as both clubs are heading for the knockout stage.

At Enschede, Netherlands:

Alejandro Bejoya scored the winning goal in the 21st minute as Helsingborg held off hosts FC Twente 3-1. 

FINAL GROUP L STANDINGS:

1. Hannover 96 (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. Levante (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. Helsingborgs IF (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. FC Twente (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Hannover 96 and Levante advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Late Goal Wins Key Match For Millonarios

At Ibague, Colombia:

Jose Harrison Otalvaro scored the winning goal in the 90th minute as Millonarios kept their Colombian Primera A Clausura playoff finals hopes alive with a 2-1 Wednesday Group A road win over Deportes Tolima.

UEFA Champions League, Group H: Galatasaray Join Red Devils In Knockout Stage

Two games were played in Group H of the UEFA Champions League as group-stage action concluded on Wednesday.

At Manchester, England:

Luis Alberto scored the only goal of the 56th minute as CFR Cluj knocked off Manchester United 1-0 on the road.  Despite the win, the visiting Romanian club failed to advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage because of one loss and one draw in the two games against Galatasaray and will play in the Round of 32 of the Europa League.  The Red Devils lost their last two games after clinching the Group H title.  Here is the Transylvanian club's Gabriel Muresan celebrating with teammates after the game.

Getty Images photo

At Braga, Portugal:

Aydin Yilmaz (that's him after the game) scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as Galatasaray defeated Sporting Braga 2-1 to win a berth in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. Galatasaray (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. CFR Cluj (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
4. Sporting Braga (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Manchester United and Galatasaray advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League while Sporting Braga moved on to the Europa League's Round of 32.

UEFA Champions League, Group G: Bhoys Join Barca In Knockout Stage

Two games were played on Wednesday as action from Group G of the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At Barcelona:

Barcelona (with a frustrated Lionel Messi shown here) were held to a 0-0 home draw by SL Benfica.  Despite the draw, with Celtic's win over Spartak Moscow, the Eagles had to settle for a group-stage berth in the Europa League while the Catalans won Group G.

AFP/Getty Images photo

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Kris Commons scored the winning goal in the 81st minute on his successful penalty kick as Celtic locked up a berth in the Champions League's knockout stage with their 2-1 home win over Spartak Moscow.  Shown here are Gary Hooper (left), after he had scored the Bhoys' first goal in the 21st minute, celebrating with teammates Scott Brown and Kris Commons.

Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Celtic (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. SL Benfica (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
4. Spartak Moscow (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 3)

Barcelona and Celtic locked up Champions League knockout-stage berths while SL Benfica qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group F: Wins For Knockout-Stage Bound Bayern and Valencia; FC BATE To Europa League; Mastiffs Out Of Europe

Two games were played in Group F as UEFA Champions League group-stage action concluded.

At Villeneuve d'Ascq, France:

Jonas, with his successful penalty kick in the 36th minute (shown here), provided the only score in Round-of-16-bound Valencia's 1-0 road win over Lille, who saw their European campaign come to an end.


At Munich, Germany:

Thomas Muller (that's him here)scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 54th  minute as Bayern Munich won Group F after spanking Europa League-bound visiting FC BATE Borisov 4-1.

Getty Images photos

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Bayern Munich (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 13)
2. Valencia (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
3. FC BATE Borisov (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 6)
4. LOSC Lille Metropole (GP:6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

Bayern Munich and Valencia advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while FC BATE Borisov qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group E: Juve Top Shakhtar To Win Group; Chelsea Dethroned Despite Fistbeating Of Not-So-Wild Tigers

Group-stage play in the UEFA Champions League concluded on Wednesday with eight games being played, two of them in Group E.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Oleksandr Kucher's own goal in the 56th minute proved costly for Shakhtar Donetsk as Juventus won the Group E title on the road 1-0 in this battle of the group's two already-knockout-stage-bound clubs.  Here, we see Andrea Barzagli (right) and joyous teammates celebrating their group-clinching victory.

AFP/Getty Images photo

At London:

Fernando Torres scored twice (45'+2, 56', that's him celebrating after his first goal) as Chelsea destroyed visiting FC Nordsjaelland 6-1.  Despite the win, the Blues, due to losing a tiebreaker to Shakhtar Donetsk (fewer away goals in the two games between the clubs), will settle for Europa League knockout-stage play as a new Champions League winner will be decided this coming May.

Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Juventus (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 12)
2. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Chelsea (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
4. FC Nordsjaelland (GP: 6; GD: -18; PTS: 1)

Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the group stage of the Champions League while Chelsea, dethroned as European champs, will play in the group stage of the Europa League.

Ajax Cape Town Dominated In Johannesburg

At Johannesburg, South Africa:

Bernard Parker (36'), Siboniso Gaxa (66'), and Siphiwe Tshabalala (76') each scored a goal on Tuesday as South African Premier League-leading Kaiser Chiefs ran over visiting Ajax Cape Town 3-0.

You The Man, Tom: Hat Trick Stretch U's League Unbeaten Run To Three

At Northfleet, England:

Tom Elliot delivered a hat trick (1', 64', 76') as Cambridge United, who trailed 2-1 early in the second half, scored three unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 Tuesday English Conference National win over struggling Ebbsfleet United.  The win stretched the U's unbeaten runs to three in league play and four in all competitions. 

UEFA Champions League, Group D: Dortmund Clinch Top Spot Ahead Of Galacticos; Europa League Berth For Ajax; Citizens Crash Out Of Europe

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group D action in the UEFA Champions League came to a conclusion.

At Dortmund, Germany:



Julian Schieber scored the only goal in the 57th minute as Borussia Dortmund locked up top spot in Group D with a 1-0 home win over Manchester City, knocking the Citizens out of European competition.  We see happy Dortmund players here celebrating.

Getty Images photo

At Madrid:



Jose Callejon scored twice (28', 88') as Champions League knockout-stage-bound Real Madrid dominated visiting Ajax Amsterdam 4-1.  Despite the defeat, the Dutch club will be playing in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  It was the sixth victory for Los Galacticos over Ajax in Champions League play in the last three years.  That's Real's Kaka fighting Ajax's Christian Poulsen for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Borussia Dortmund (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 14)
2. Real Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 11)
3. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 4)
4. Manchester City (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while Ajax Amsterdam will play in the Europa League Round of 32.

UEFA Champions League, Group C: Zenit Top Rossoneri To Reach Europa League Knockout Rounds, End Anderlecht's European Campaign

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group C action in the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At Malaga, Spain:



Sergio Duda scored twice (45', 61', that's him battling Anderlecht's Guillaume Gillet for the ball) as knockout-stage-bound Malaga gained a 2-2 home draw with RSC Anderlecht. Milan Jovanovic (50') and Dieumerci Mbokani (89') each scored once for the visiting Belgian club, now eliminated from European competition. 

At Milan, Italy:



Danny scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as Zenit Saint Petersburg locked up a Europa League knockout-stage berth with their 1-0 road win over Champions League Round-of-16-bound AC Milan.  That's the Rossoneri's Cristian Zapata (left) battling Zenit's Hulk for the ball.

Photos from Yahoo-Eurosport website

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Malaga (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. AC Milan (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
4. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 5)

Malaga and AC Milan advanced to the Champions League knockout stage while Zenit Saint Petersburg qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group B: Royal Blues Claim Top Spot As Gunners Stumble Against Legend

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group B play in the UEFA Champions League concluded.

At Montpellier, France:



Benedikt Howedes scored in the 56th minute as FC Schalke gained a 1-1 draw on the road against Montpellier and clinched top spot in Group B, thanks to Arsenal's defeat against Olympiacos. Emanuel Herrera scored in the 59th minute for the French club, who now exit European competition.  Here, we see Montpellier's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (left) challenging the Royal Blues' Ciprian Marica for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

At Piraeus, Greece:



Konstantinos Mitroglou scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute as Olympiacos knocked off visiting Arsenal 2-1 to deny the Gunners (who already clinched a Round-of-16 berth) top spot in Group B.  The Legend will play in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  Giannis Maniatis, who equalized for Olympiacos in the 64th minute, is shown here celebrating after scoring.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Arsenal (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Olympiacos (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
4. Montpellier (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

Schalke and Arsenal advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while Olympiacos qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group A: PSG Top Dragons To Win Group

The final match day of UEFA Champions League action began on Tuesday with eight games, two of them in Group A, being contested.

At Zagreb, Croatia:



Ivan Krstanovic delivered the equalizer with his stoppage-time penalty kick (90'+5) as Dinamo Zagreb earned their only point in group-stage play with a 1-1 home draw with Dynamo Kiev.  Andriy Yarmolenko had scored (45'+1) for the visiting Ukrainian club, who will move on to the group stage of the Europa League.  Here we see Dynamo Kiev's Lukman Haruna (left) battle Dinamo Zagreb's Sammir for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

At Paris:



Ezequiel Lavezzi (that's him being celebrating)scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as Paris Saint-Germain captured the Group A title with a 2-1 home win over fellow knockout-stage qualifiers FC Porto.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 15)
2. FC Porto (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
3. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
4. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 6; GD: -13; PTS: 1)

Paris Saint-Germain and FC Porto advanced to the knockout stage of the  Champions League while Dynamo Kiev qualified for the Europa League's knockout stage.

Wild Montevideo Derby

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Miguel Agustin Gutierrez (38', 62') and Liber Quinones (67', 77') each scored twice as Racing Club de Montevideo still blew a two-goal lead and had to settle for a 4-4 Sunday Uruguayan Primera Division road draw with Liverpool (NOT that one).  Rodrigo Aguirre  (31'), William Ferreira (71'), Paulo Pezzolano (PK-88'), and Max Rauhofer (90') each scored once for the hosts. 

Home Win For Club Africain

At Tunis, Tunisia:

Mourad Hedhli scored the winning goal in the 51st minute as Club Africain held off visiting Marsa 2-1 in Sunday Tunisian Ligue 1 (Group A) action.

League-Leading Grasshoppers Back On Winning Track

At Zurich, Switzerland:

Izet Hajrovic delivered the only goal of the match with his successful penalty kick in the 21st minute on Sunday as Swiss Super League-leading Grasshoppers defeated local rivals FC Zurich 1-0 at home.

Yellow Sub Beaten On Road

At Elche, Spain:

Coro scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute on Sunday as Spanish Segunda Division-leading Elche defeated visiting fellow promotion candidates Villarreal 1-0.

Easy Win For Table-Topping Legia

At Warsaw, Poland:

Jakub Kosecki scored twice (29', 63') as Polish Ekstraklasa-leading Legia Warsaw dominated visiting Ruch Chorzow 3-0 on Sunday.

Sheriff Grab Tiraspol Derby

At Tiraspol, Moldova:

Marko Stanojevic (19') and Alexandr Pascenco (34') provided the scoring that carried league-leading FC Sheriff to a 2-0 Sunday home Moldovan National Division victory over local rivals FC Tiraspol.

Home Win For Metalurg

At Skopje, Macedonia:

FK Metalurg found themselves in third place, two points behind Macedonian First League-leading Vardar, following their 2-1 Sunday home win over struggling Rabotnicki.

FC Seoul Claim Season Finale

At Seoul, South Korea:

Dejan Damjanovic (43') and Jo-Gook Jung (58') each scored once as FC Seoul concluded their K-League Championship-round campaign with a 2-1 come-from-behind Sunday home win over Busan I'Park.

FC Seoul, who finished atop the overall league standings, will be joined in the group stage for next year's AFC Champions League by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Pohang Steelers, and Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Gwangju FC were relegated to the K-League's second division.

Greens Dominate Haifa Derby On Road

At Haifa, Israel:

Eyal Golasa (59'), Wiyam Amasha (74'), and Hen Ezra (76') each delivered a second-half goal as Maccabi Haifa dominated a scoreless stalemate and ended up dominating Hapoel Haifa 3-0 on the road in Sunday Israeli Premier League action.

Road Win For The Shamrock

At Athens:

Antonios Petropoulos (24') and Loukas Vyntra (28') each scored a first-half goal as Panathinaikos held off home-standing Panionios 2-1 in Sunday Greek Super League action.

Impressive Show From League-Leading Dinamo Tbilisi

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Xisco Munoz delivered a Sunday hat trick (7', 36', 56') as Georgian Umaglesi Liga-leading Dinamo Tbilisi manhandled visiting Chikhura 5-2.

Home Win For League-Leading Lions

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Andreas Cornelius (11') and Ragnar Sigurdsson (25') provided the scoring as Danish Super League-leading FC Copenhagen shut out visiting Randers 2-0 in Sunday action.

You The Man, Wilberto: Millonarios Still Hopeful Of Advancing To Final

At Bogota, Colombia:

Wilberto Cosme scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute on Sunday as Millonarios kept their hopes of finishing atop the Colombian Primera A Clausura playoff Group A standings following their 1-0 home win over Deportivo Pasto.

Colo Colo Knocked Out In Semis Of Clausura Playoffs

At Santiago, Chile:

Braulio Leal (77') and Rodolfo Madrid (83') provided the scoring on Sunday as Union Espanola blanked Colo Colo 2-0 on the road in the second game of what for them would be their triumphant Chilean Primera Division Clausura playoff semifinal series as they won the two-match set 5-1 on aggregate.

Goose Eggs For Sky Blues And Heart

At Sydney, Australia:

The Sunday Hyundai A-League match between two struggling clubs, Sydney FC and the visiting Melbourne Heart, played to a 0-0 stalemate.

Home Win For Tirana

At Tirana, Albania:

Gilman Lika scored the winning goal in the 75th minute on Sunday as KF Tirana came from behind to upend visiting Laci 2-1 in Albanian Super League action.

Goose Eggs For Grenada And Parakeets

At Grenada, Spain:

The Sunday Spanish Primera Division contest between Grenada and visiting Espanyol ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

CLUB TIJUANA LAY CLAIM TO LIGA MX APERTURA TITLE

At Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico:

Richard Ruiz (70') and Dubier Riascos (71') each scored a goal a minute apart in the second half on Sunday as Club Tijuana defeated Toluca 2-0 on the road in game two of Mexico's Liga MX Apertura playoff final and won their two-game series 4-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal---Not That One---Top Boca Juniors At Home (NOT In London)

At Avellaneda, Argentina:

Emilio Zelaya scored the only goal of the match in the 47th minute on Sunday as Arsenal de Sarandi shut out visiting Boca Juniors 1-0 in Argentinian Primera Division action.

Road Win For TNS

At Bangor, Wales:

Chris Jones scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute on Saturday as The New Saints defeated Welsh Premier League-leading Bangor City 1-0 on the road and have now moved level on points for the top of the league standings.

Road Win For Metalist

At Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine:

Cleiton Xavier scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 51st minute on Saturday as FC Metalist Kharkiv defeated Metalurh Zaporizhya 3-1 in Ukrainian Premier League action.

Road Win For The Black Eagles

At Ordu, Turkey:

Ibrahim Toraman (34') and Oguzhan Ozyakup (54') provided the scoring that carried Besiktas to a 2-1 Saturday Turkish Super League road win over Orduspor.

Road Draw For The Roses

At Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Kris Jogan (3') and Matija Sirok (68') each scored once on Saturday as ND Gorica gained a 2-2 1.SNL road draw with Olimpija Ljubljana.  Filip Valencic (50') and Aris Zarifovic (55') each scored once for the hosts.

Road Draw For Sky Blues

At Ruzomberok, Slovakia:

Goals from Mulumba Mukendi (4') and Lukas Bielak (76') carried MFK Ruzomberok to a 2-2 Saturday Slovak Super League home draw with league-leading Slovan Bratislava.  Lester Peltier (31') and Filip Hlohovsky (70') scored the Sky Blues' goals.

Chalk Up Another Win For OFK Belgrade

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Petar Grbic (19') and Dragan Bogavac (53') provided the scoring that propelled OFK Belgrade to their fourth straight Serbian Super League victory on Saturday, 2-0 on the road over BSK Borca.

Chalk Up Another Loss For The Snow Leopards

At Vladikavkaz, Russia:

Maksim Grigorjev scored the only goal of the match in the 12th minute on Saturday as Lokomotiv Moscow defeated lowly FC Alania Vladikavkaz on the road in Russian Premier League action.

Late Goal Gains Road Draw For Blues

At Ballyskeagh, Northern Ireland:

Gary Browne equalizer in the 82nd minute enabled Linfield to gain a 1-1 Saturday IFA Premiership road draw with Lisburn Distillery. Jordan Forsythe scored for the Whites in the 38th minute.

1-1 Road Draw For Buducnost

At Bar, Montenegro:

The Saturday Montenegrin First League contest between Petrovac and visiting Buducnost ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

FC Tokyo End Season With Easy Home Win

At Chofu, Japan:

Lucas Severino (8', 17') and Nemanja Vucicevic (82', 90'+2) each scored twice on Saturday as FC Tokyo concluded their J.League Division One campaign in 10th place following their 6-2 home fistbeating of second-placed Vegalta Sendai.

Senfrecce Hiroshima, who own the league title (and a berth in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup), Vegalta Sendai, and third-placed Urawa Red Diamonds, all qualified for the group stage of next season's AFC Champions League.

They would be joined in Asia's most prestigious club tournament by the winner of the Emperor's Cup.  Should one of the top three clubs in the final league standings win the Cup, fourth-place Yokohama F. Marinos would play in the Champions League's group stage.

Vissel Kobe, Gamba Osaka, and Consadole Sapporo, who finished in the bottom three places in the league standings, were relegated to J. League Division Two and will be replaced by Ventforet Kofu, Shonan Bellmare, and promotion-playoff winners Oita Trinita.

East Bengal Settle For Scoreless Road Draw

At Shillong, India:

The Saturday I-League contest between Shillong Lajong and visiting East Bengal ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Honved Beaten On Road

At Miskolc, Hungary:

Jeff Silva (3'), Gergo Goher (88'), and Patrik Bacsa (90'+3) each scored a goal on Saturday as Diosgyor defeated visiting Budapest Honved FC 3-1 in Hungarian NB I action.

Warriors Held To Home Draw

At Larnaca, Cyprus:

Dede delivered the equalizer in the 70th minute on Saturday as AEL Limassol gained a 1-1 Cypriot 1.Division road draw with league-leading Anorthosis.  Jan Rezek scored in the 36th minute for the Warriors.

Neymar Scored Twice As Santos Close Out Serie A Campaign With Home Win

At Santos, Brazil:

Neymar scored twice (PK-23', 39') as Santos closed out their Brazilian Serie A campaign with a 3-1 Saturday home win over already-relegated Palmeiras.

Fluminense, who finished atop the league standings, Atletico Mineiro, who finished second, sixth-placed Corinthians, who qualified as the tournament's defending champions, and Palmeiras, despite being relegated for next season to Serie B, because of their Copa do Brasil championship this year, all have qualified for the group stage for next year's Copa Libertadores.

Gremio and Sao Paulo, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, will enter the Copa Libertadore's preliminary round.

The bottom four clubs, Sport Recife, the aforementioned Palmeiras, Atletico Goianiense, and Figueirense, all were relegated to the second-tiered Serie B.  Their places in the top flight will be taken by Goias, Criciuma, Atletico Paranaense, and Vitoria.

Late Goals Carry League-Leading Anderlecht To Home Triumph Over Basement Dwellers

At Brussels, Belgium:

Lucas Biglia (PK-71') and Ronald Vargas (89') each provided a late goal as Belgian Pro League-leading RSC Anderlecht came from behind on Saturday to upend basement-occupying Cercle Brugge 2-1 at home.

Home Win For Ajax At PSV's Expense

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Siem de Jong (29'), Danny Hoesen (72'), and Viktor Fischer (87') each scored a goal on Saturday as Ajax Amsterdam defeated visiting PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in Dutch Eredivisie action.

Not So Nice A Saturday For PSG

At Nice,  France:

Valentin Eysseric scored the winning goal in the 86th minute on Saturday as Nice knocked off visiting Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in French Ligue 1 action.

Dortmund Hold Bayern To Home Draw

At Munich, Germany:

Mario Gotze's equalizer in the 74th minute enabled Borussia Dortmund to gain a 1-1 Saturday German Bundesliga road draw with Bayern Munich.  Toni Kroos scored for the home-standing league leaders at 67 minutes.

FA Cup: Blades Advance To Third Round; Stanley Battle To Stalemate With Oxford United, Set Up Replay; Late Goals Rescue Blades

A roundup of Saturday second-round action from England's FA Cup of game involving clubs being followed this season on this blog:

At Accrington, England:

In a battle of League Two clubs, Michael Raynes scored a stoppage-time equalizer (90'4), enabling Oxford United to gain a 3-3 road draw with Accrington Stanley and force a home replay.  The visitors' goal came two minutes after Lee Molyneux had scored to give Stanley what proved to be a short-lived lead.

At Sheffield, England:

Shaun Miller scored twice in the final minutes (90', 90'+5) as Sheffield United (League One) came from behind to upend visiting Port Vale (League Two).

You The Man, Kevin: Double Helps Wolves Devour Robins, End Winless Streak

At Bristol, England:

Kevin Doyle scored twice during the first half (25', 41') as Wolverhampton ended their nine-match winless streak on Saturday with their 4-1 English League Championship road beat-down of Bristol City.

Red Devils Take Thriller On Road

At Reading, England:

Wayne Rooney scored twice (PK-16', 30') while Robin Van Persie scored the winning goal in the 34th minute on Saturday as Manchester United found themselves atop the English Premier League standings following their 4-3 road win over Reading.

BECKS GOES OUT A CHAMPION (MAYBE LANDON DONOVAN, TOO): GALAXY TOP DYNAMO AGAIN TO REPEAT AS MLS CUP WINNERS

At Carson, California:

Goals from Omar Gonzalez (60', he was named the game's Most Valuable Player), Landon Donovan( PK-65') , and Robbie Keane (90'+4) enabled the Los Angeles Galaxy to overcome a one-goal halftime deficit and defeat the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup Final for the second straight year, this time by a 3-1 score on Saturday as David Beckham played his final Major League Soccer contest.

The championship was the Galaxy's fourth MLS Cup triumph, tying them with DC United for most MLS Cup titles.

Calen Carr scored the lone Houston goal in the 44th minute.

Triumphant Visit To Sicily For Rossoneri

At Catania, Italy:

Stephen El Shaarawy scored twice (53', 90'+2) as AC Milan continued their resurgence as they climbed to seventh place in the Italian Serie A standings following their 3-1 road win over Catania.

Road Draw For Eindhoven

At Sittard, Netherlands:

Serhat Koc delivered the game-tying goal in the 53rd minute on Friday as FC Eindhoven, having their struggles in the Dutch Eerste Divisie this season, gained a 1-1 road draw with Fortuna Sittard.  Patrick N'Koyi-Kiabu scored for the hosts at 19 minutes.

Road Draw For TSV

At Aalen, Germany:

Honolulu's own Bobby Wood delivered the equalizer in the 69th minute, lifting TSV 1860 Munich to a 1-1 Friday German 2.Bundesliga road draw with Aalen.  Robert Lechleiter scored for the hosts in the 62nd minute.