Down with the bunting, box up the tinsel. The league is over and we can all relax in the afterglow of our trophy gluttony. No late-campaign jitters, sleepless nights worrying about goal difference and whether our little star will shine brightest. It’s over and everyone knows it is.

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

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

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.

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

It has been a week of uncomfortable introspection in Rugby Country.

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

Plenty of goals!

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

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

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

Happy anniversary to us, dear reader. It’s 20 years to the week since this column began, and how very different the United world is today.

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

Meh. As European Cup triumphs go, I’ve seen better… OK, I’ll stop being an unbearable gobshite. For now.

The phrase ‘boyhood dream’ is rather over-used in football, but even the most cynical amongst us could not fail to tingle, surely, at the thought of winning the Champions League playing for the club we supported as a child.

Bayern know a win would put pressure on rivals Borussia Dortmund, who are two points behind and play Werder Bremen later that evening.

Bayern Munich's Bundesliga title push has been thrown into turmoil.

Jurgen Klopp claims Liverpool could be a major force in the “future” of football as he aims to steer them a step closer the Champions League crown in tonight’s quarter-final tie with Porto.

Jurgen Klopp was at his snappiest with the Anfield press corps when it was suggested before this match that an exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich would only boost their chances of winning a first domestic title in 29 years. He said the suggestion was mad. Now we will see if the energetic German coach is right.

It wasn’t as exhilarating as many of this season’s remarkable last 16 ties and it certainly didn’t have the quality of football that’s been on show over the last fortnight; but Liverpool’s wonderful victory in Munich, inspired by two-goal Sadio Mane, has nevertheless put down a marker that is hugely significant.

The match, which followed a goalless first leg, was finely balanced after Joel Matip's own goal had cancelled out Sadio Mane's brilliant opener.

Are Bayern back in business?

On the eve of the match at Anfield three week ago, Bayern Munich seemed like a side that might not last the pace against Liverpool’s lightning attack.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists it is “mad” to suggest accepting a Champions League exit to help their domestic title push would be a preferred option.

Like it or loathe it, this is the moment when the away goals rule comes into play in the Champions League. It could play an important role in determining which sides go through to the quarter-finals, both this week and next.

Tonight’s match at Anfield is round two in a three-way Champions League clash that should tell us a lot about the relative strengths of English and German football, or at least the Premier League and the Bundesliga.

It was hard to imagine that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is entering the most pivotal spell of his brief, and spectacular, reign as Manchester United’s interim manager as he sat, as relaxed and on-message as ever, at his beloved Old Trafford yesterday.

Will Keane has become the first of what Mick McCarthy hopes is a steady stream of Ireland recruits under his reign.

Tottenham can see the glint of silverware at the end of what has been a very long tunnel after they held on to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Three of the four English teams will face German opposition.

There is a point in the career of a retired footballer when they go Full Pundit.

Robert Lewandowski has reiterated his commitment to Bayern Munich after scoring his third goal in two games against AEK Athens in the Champions League.

Defender Jordi Alba says it is now up to every Barcelona player to stand up and perform as the club prepares to cope without talisman Lionel Messi.

The past week or so has been so tricky for some of Europe’s elite clubs that they might be looking forward to the Champions League as a welcome diversion, writes David Shonfield

Leon Goretzka put an injury scare firmly behind him to score his first goal for Bayern Munich as the defending Bundesliga champions enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win at Stuttgart.

Arsenal misfit Lucas Perez is closing in on a move to West Ham, with the forward keen to remain in the Premier League.

The same day Roy Keane adorned the front page of this paper by flying back into his hometown to launch the Liam Miller tribute match also happened to be the 25th anniversary of him joining Manchester United for a then record British transfer fee.

Germany 2 Sweden 1

It seems churlish to use the word ‘crisis’ after only one defeat but Germany’s World Cup defence is looking increasingly nervous as criticism of Mesut Ozil reached abusive levels yesterday and players had to rebut reports of cliques and disunity in the camp.

The FAI were making no comment yesterday on Sepp Blatter’s suggestion that the UK and Ireland could jointly host the 2030 World Cup.

Some day, while suffering a demoralising runaround of the type France treated us to last Monday, Irish football may locate its inner George Costanza.

Jerome Boateng has provided a boost to Germany's World Cup squad by stepping up his return to training following a hamstring injury.