Managers Zinedine Zidane and Jupp Heynckes both believe tonight’s blockbusting Champions League semi-final between holders Real Madrid and Bayern Munich is wide open.

Bayern Munich are through to the Champions League semi-finals for the seventh time in nine years after a 0-0 draw in their quarter-final second leg with Sevilla.

Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title with a 4-1 win at Augsburg.

“We’ll just go out and prove them wrong!”

Bayern Munich look assured of a Champions League quarter-final spot for a seventh straight season after thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in Germany.

Champions League talking points with Ger McCarthy

Only at Real Madrid could the manager be potentially under pressure for his job at the end of a week which began with the team returning home as world champions.

Real Madrid are a team in crisis and free fall following their Champions League “nightmare” against Tottenham, according to the Spanish press.

Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 2: Celtic exited the Champions League on their shields after a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.

Celtic exited the Champions League on their shields after a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.

Ousmane Dembele has become the second-most expensive footballer in history after replacing the record-holder, Neymar, at Barcelona.

Most of the noise in Spanish football this summer was generated by superstars Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo — with the former leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint Germain, and the latter staying [for the moment at least] at Real Madrid.

Dani Alves has apologised for any hurt he might have caused Manchester City and their head coach Pep Guardiola by signing for Paris St Germain.

Juventus have signed Brazil winger Douglas Costa on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.

Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez has not told him he wants to leave Arsenal.

When Zinedine Zidane took over as Real Madrid coach just 17 months ago, and almost immediately started winning matches, the local media quickly labelled him a ‘lucky manager’.

Less than two years ago, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as most of the 80,000 Blancos supporters around him chanted ‘Florentino Dimision’ (‘Florentino Resign’).

The LaLiga title will be decided on the final day again this year, with Real Madrid going to Malaga tomorrow night (7pm Irish time) needing just a point to lift the trophy, no matter what Barcelona do at home to Eibar at the same time.

Real Madrid kept up the pressure at the top of LaLiga with a clinical 4-0 win at relegated Granada.

Monaco face a summer of tough decision-making — even more so if they win the Champions League. The 2004 beaten finalists face Juventus in the first leg of the semi-final tonight, the toughest test of a thrilling season that has seen them score 146 goals in all competitions.

Not even sharing a shortlist with Colombian James Rodriguez in 2015 for her Puskas Award nomination gave Stephanie Roche more pride than helping her Irish women’s team succeed in their drive for basic conditions earlier this month.

Big matches often fail to live up to their billing, but Real Madrid and Barcelona produced a belter on Sunday night that genuinely deserved the title of El Clasico.

Real Madrid regained their position at the top of LaLiga but not before being put through their paces by a spirited Leganes in a pulsating 4-2 victory.

Football has taken Stephanie Roche to places she could hardly have imagined as a kid who, growing up in Shankhill, was mad about the game.

Always prided yourself on knowing your Hamez from your James Rodriguez; your Molby from your Jan Molby, your Sol-shire-ah from your Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Premier League’s top six take stock this week ahead of the hectic festive football programme. How many of the clubs genuinely retain hopes of being top of the tree next May? The answer may dictate how busy they are in the January window.

Fifa will allow the public to vote in a rebranded version of its player of the year of the award, world soccer’s governing body said yesterday.

EA has revealed the results of the online poll that determines who will feature on the cover of FIFA 17 after more than 3 million votes were cast.

With FIFA 17’s release rapidly approaching, it’s time for EA to choose a player to put on the cover. This time, it’s leaving the choice up to the public with four players in the running.

Carlos Bacca's first-half strike earned Colombia a 1-0 victory over the United States and third place at the Copa America.

Real Madrid boosted their hopes of catching Primera Division leaders Barcelona by thrashing struggling Getafe 5-1 with goals from Karim Benzema, Isco, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona suffered their second straight Primera Division defeat after losing 1-0 at Real Sociedad.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez left Roma ruing a host of missed chances as Real Madrid moved into the quarter-finals of the Champions League 4-0 on aggregate with a 2-0 win last night.

Last week, many around Real Madrid were claiming that the selection of their youth talent was their best hope of getting something from this season.

Unlike their Premier League counterparts, Spain-based players usually have their feet up around this time. But a shortened La Liga winter break this year means everything is speeding up and in places hurtling out of control.

Real Madrid defender Marcelo has labelled tonight’s Group A showdown against Paris St Germain “a final”.

Much of the coverage of Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday afternoon focused on the disruption caused by injuries to stars Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. But blaugrana fans and pundits should really be asking why last season’s treble-winning squad looks so threadbare just a few months later.