Raphael Stevens

UEFA might have (accidentally) landed on the perfect model for its second-tier championship, a way to make it distinctive and special and, yes, valuable. More

A thrashing in the Champions League quarterfinals showed Bayern Munich at the peak of its powers and Barcelona at the end of the line. More

Hansi Flick has turned Germany’s best team into one of the most formidable squads in Europe. His secret is that there is no secret. More

LISBON — The American midfielder Tyler Adams scored on a deflected shot in the 88th minute on Thursday to lead RB Leipzig, a team founded in 2009, into the Champions League semifinals for the first time.Adams’s goal, on a shot from the top of the penalty area that deflected off Atlético defender Stefan Savic and past goalkeeper Jan Oblak, gave RB Leipzig a 2-1 victory.Tyler Adams does it!!The American man puts Leipzig up 2-1 with minutes remaining! pic.twitter.com/HShBjxNXGz— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) August 13, 2020
“I was told that I wasn’t going to start but I needed to be ready to come off the bench and make an impact,” Adams said. “I had to get myself in the right mind-set to come out and help the team in any way possible.”RB Leipzig, founded 11 years ago with investment from the energy-drink maker Red Bull, will face the French champion Paris St.-Germain, which stunned Italy’s Atalanta with a similarly dramatic, late goal on Wednesday, in the semifinals on Tuesday.Dani Olmo opened the scoring for RB Leipzig in the 51st minute before João Félix equalized for Atlético from the penalty spot in the 71st.The result ended yet another title run for Atlético Madrid, which was seen as a heavy favorite to reach the semifinals but again will endure a disappointing elimination. Manager Diego Simeone’s team knocked out Liverpool, the defending champion, in the round of 16 and was looking to return to the last four for the first time since 2017.The Champions League, which normally ends in late May, is finishing the competition amid the coronavirus pandemic with closed-door tournament in Lisbon. The final will take place on Aug. 23. More

Two late goals lifted the French champions past Atalanta and into the Champions League semifinals. Can their talent finally finish the job? More

This has been the most painful of years in Bergamo, a proud Italian city that became synonymous with the coronavirus. As it emerges from the pandemic, one bright spot has been its title-chasing soccer team. More

The Bubble’s Best TV Innovation Deserves a Longer LookWhen Major League Soccer began airing video review discussions in real time, it gave fans a rare glimpse inside its games’ biggest calls. More sports should try it.[embedded content]By More

The plans for European soccer’s showpiece competition seem to account for every possibility. But even before the teams arrive, the coronavirus is asking hard questions. More