“We’re just tapping the brakes now, we haven’t pulled up the handbrake.”

History tells us that Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 advantage ahead of tonight’s Champions League last-16 second leg at Anfield makes them warm favourites to progress.

Real Madrid’s clash with Manchester City was always going to be the Champions League tie of the round, but events since the draw have turned this week into a moment of truth for both clubs.

Even though Pep has reiterated his commitment to a club to which he is contracted until the summer of 2021, his body language this season says differently, writes Liam Brady.

City have fallen foul of Uefa’s curiously subjective FFP structures and now the roof is falling in, writes Simon Curtis.

Before Christmas, such theories were little more than that — fantasy football hypotheses to debate in the stands or the pub.

It's been a decade of thrilling drama, fantastic games, and great players but who makes our our team of the last 10 years? This lot would take some beating

The term annus horribilis was used by Queen Elizabeth to describe the year 1992, in which three of her children’s marriages split up and one of her castles burnt down. Quite how horribilis things can really be when you get paid millions by the taxpayer to wave and shake hands with people was never fully looked into at the time.

Separated by a few feet in the Goodison Park directors’ box, and several decades of experience on their managerial CVs, Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta viewed a drab and dour stalemate which offered little insight into which appointment will ultimately prove the right approach from these two slumping giants of the English game.

Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City will fancy their chances of making the Champions League last eight but Bayern Munich can end Lampard’s dream

The Scottish champions were handed a fine of €16,000 following a hearing of UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.

The Champions League round of 16 draw will see holders Liverpool take on Atletico.

Ireland’s Troy Parrott is set to make his Champions League debut this evening as Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho vows to give his fringe players a chance to impress against Bayern Munich.

With the Chrismas clasico just a few weeks away, Barcelona and Real Madrid put on impressive weekend displays at the top of La Liga.

Troy Parrott was handed his Premier League debut — and the match ball — by Jose Mourinho at the end of Tottenham’s 5-0 thrashing of Burnley, and could replace Harry Kane in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Jose Mourinho got a real taste of the size of the job he faces at Tottenham, and fans a taste of their new manager’s incredible influence, as his side came from 2-0 down to beat Olympiacos 4-2 in north London and reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

If José Mourinho did not appreciate the true meaning of the word Spursy before taking over, he surely does now after a topsy-turvy first home game in charge.

Mauricio Pochettino has left Tottenham Hotspur.

Germany and Holland secured their places at Euro 2020 from qualifying Group C as Northern Ireland were left to try their luck in the play-offs.

Nurtured in him by his parents, religion has always been part of the right-back’s life.

Daniel Storey looks at what we learned in the Premier League this weekend.

No one knows why good teams go bad, but they do. The Irish rugby team, for example, who, within the space of a year went from being very good to being really not very good at all.

Tottenham, who travel to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, began the job of saving their season with an encouraging 5-0 Champions League victory over Red Star Belgrade that answered Mauricio Pochettino’s prayers and provided genuine hope of a revival.

Parrott has now scored eight goals in eight appearances in the youth version of the Champions League.

Daniel Storey looks back at the weekend's action.

Daniel Storey Liverpool walk on, but Salah form will cause Klopp some concern

RB Leipzig continue to lead the Bundesliga after defeating Werder Bremen 3-0 at the Weser Stadium.

Plenty of goals!

Spurs’ run to last season’s final was littered with great escapes and last-ditch turnarounds but their group stage this term looked like getting off to a winning start in Athens.

Fiorentina have announced the signing of former Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.

Celtic have signed Republic of Ireland Under-19 international Jonathan Afolabi.

Ahead of the 2019/20 La Liga season — which kicks off tonight — Dermot Corrigan looks at the key storylines to follow in the months ahead

Liverpool return to Istanbul, scene of one of their greatest triumphs 14 years ago, for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup clash with Chelsea.

Croatia international Ivan Perisic is back in Germany after joining Bayern Munich on a season-long loan.

Ireland hopeful Ryan Johansson started for Bayern Munich as they lost 2-1 to Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in the United States.

Sweden pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over Germany in Rennes to reach the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup.

Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has refused to rule out the prospect of returning to the club in a technical role.

On the road up to Ennis on Saturday evening, Clive Tyldesley was being interviewed on the radio about his recollections of his 1999 Champions League final commentary on ITV, and specifically about those final, frantic minutes when Manchester United went from 1-0 down in injury-time to somehow turn the tables and beat Bayern Munich 2-1.

The age of Spain, bookended by two Liverpool triumphs. After the miracle of Istanbul in 2005, Barcelona and Real Madrid won the European Cup in eight of the next 13 seasons.

There was a cursory meeting of Arsenal and Tottenham supporters at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday morning, one side beating a retreat from Baku, the other en route to the Champions League final in Madrid.

“It is a proper European final,” said Jurgen Klopp this week. “It is not a third game against Tottenham. It is a proper European final.”