Joachim Low's much-changed Germany opened their Confederations Cup campaign with a 3-2 victory over Australia in Sochi.

Should next Saturday’s Champions League final resolve itself into a head to head contest between Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon, the outcome might not only decide the game but also the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Bayern Munich 1 - Real Madrid 2: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to beat 10-man Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Allianz Arena.

There was a time when Arsene Wenger’s sides did this to the best in Europe.

Arsene Wenger saw Arsenal humiliated again as their 10 men crashed out of the Champions League after another five-goal mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The scrutiny in Munich was meant to be on under-performing Mesut Ozil but whatever the German could do, Bayern’s Thiago Alcantara could do far, far better as Arsenal were outclassed in Europe yet again - leaving Arsene Wenger as the man feeling the heat of the spotlight instead of his star midfielder.

Bayern Munich 5 - 1 Arsenal

This was the night when France began to heal before our very eyes, a night when La Marseillaise was sung louder than it has ever been sung, a night when Antoine Griezmann became a national hero — and when Les Bleus dramatically and deservedly reached the final of Euro 2016.

Thomas Muller says Germany are not afraid of France ahead of tomorrow night’s Euro 2016 semi-final in Marseille.

Germany 1 Italy 1 (AET, Germany won 6-5 on penalties): Some stereotypes simply refuse to go away.

Bayern Munich 2 Atletico Madrid 1

Benfica 2 Bayern Munich 2, Bayern win 3-2 on aggregate: Arturo Vidal’s thunderbolt and Thomas Muller’s tap-in comfortably put Bayern Munich through to the Champions League semi-finals for the fifth successive season, this time with a 3-2 aggregate win over Benfica.

Bayern Munich 4 Juventus 2 AET (Bayern Munich win 6-4 on aggregate): Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich completed an impressive Champions League comeback over 120 minutes to reach the quarter-finals at the expense of Juventus.

Scotland 2 Germany 3: Scotland would probably have settled for two goals against the world champions before this Euro 2016 Group D qualifier kicked off but, crucially, the three they conceded leaves them behind Ireland in the playoff hunt.

Germany 3 Poland 1: Germany followed the example of Georgia last night by doing the Ireland a major favour in the Euro qualification pursuit.

Three days on from the 76th anniversary of Germany invading Poland, a movement of sorts has occurred in the opposite direction for tonight’s top-of-the-table Group D tie in Frankfurt (7.45pm).

Two quick-fire moments of individual magic from Lionel Messi made the difference, and Neymar added a late added goal, as Barcelona beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg at the Camp Nou.

1. Messi was somehow capable of getting even better

There is enough intrigue as well as quality in the Champions League semi-finals this week to have any football fan salivating, writes David Shonfield.

Bayern Munich 6 Porto 1 (Bayern win 7-4 on aggregate): Pep Guardiola’s reputation as the world’s greatest football coach, under threat this week amid rumours could be jettisoned by Bayern Munich in the summer, has been spectacularly and emphatically revived by a breathtaking 6-1 victory over Porto in the Champions League that sends his side into the semi-finals and keeps the Treble dream alive.

Ricardo Quaresma is one of football’s greatest nearly men.

Porto capitalised on a string of defensive mistakes to beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final last night.

Euro 2016 Qualifier Group D

Manager Pep Guardiola says he opted to play the most offensive formation of his career as Bayern Munich put seven past hapless Shakhtar Donetsk to march to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Champions League Last 16 First Leg

Manuel Neuer is philosophical over missing out on the Ballon d’Or but hinted it would be tough for a goalkeeper to win the prestigious award.

Cristiano Ronaldo already has his eye on more major honours after being crowned the world’s best player for the third time.

No sooner was Cristiano Ronaldo crowned the world’s best player for the second straight year than he declared his desire to go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time.

Lionel Messi insists he is staying at Barcelona and has hit out at “lies” linking him with a move to the Barclays Premier League.

This evening’s 2014 Ballon D’Or ceremony in Zurich brings an end to a long build-up period to the award which seems to have started almost as soon as Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2013 prize last January, writes Dermot Corrigan.

Republic of Ireland Women’s team striker Stephanie Roche is still on course to win the FIFA Goal of the Year award after the list of nominees was reduced to three today.

The Real Madrid propaganda machine cranked back into action this week, when Uefa president Michel Platini had the temerity to suggest Blancos superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was not necessarily the most deserving winner of the 2014 Ballon D’Or.

Manchester City 3 Bayern Munich 2

Germany picked up their obligatory group win over Gibraltar but the expected flurry of goals failed to arrive as they only managed to score four without reply in Nuremberg.

It has been an international period dominated by his assistant Roy Keane, but Martin O’Neill was entitled to the final word last night.