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Champions League: Anderlecht stuns Arsenal; Young stars make mark
The start of the fourth week of Champions League action saw Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund book their places in the last 16, while Arsenal threw away a 3-0 lead to draw against Anderlecht and Bayer Leverkusen won a vital game away to Zenit St Petersburg to all but secure its place in the knockout phase.
Here's what caught our eye, on a day when young stars rose to the occasion:
Player of the Day: Breel Embolo, FC Basel
Basel needed a convincing win over Ludgorets if it was to have a chance of going through, and it achieved it. The key man in the 4-0 success was the 17-year-old Cameroon-born Switzerland Under-21 international Embolo, who opened the scoring after 34 minutes, chesting down a chipped through ball, holding off Georgi Terziev and slipping in a neat finish.
He was a handful all night, leading the line with invention and aggression, and setting up the third goal for Shkelzen Gashi.
Goal of the Day: Son Heung-Min, Bayer Leverkusen
A 2-1 away win over Zenit St-Petersburg all but guaranteed Bayer Leverkusen’s place in the last 16. It was largely down to one man, the 22-year-old South Korea international Son Heung-Min, who scored both goals. His second was a neat but straightforward goal, Stefan Kiessling slipping the ball through for him to run on, and, showing admirable strength and composure, tuck the ball low past the keeper. But it’s the first that will live in the mind.
True innovation is rare in football these days, but Leverkusen showed it when awarded a free-kick 40 yards out. Hakan Calhanoglu played the ball forward to Karim Bellarabi on the edge of the box, and he touched it back for Son to curl a shot from just outside the box inside Yuri Lodygin’s left-hand post:
Turning-Point Moment of the Day: Juventus strikes back, leaves door open
Twenty minutes into the second half in Turin, Olympiakos led Juventus 2-1 and looked on course for a win that would have taken it through to the last 16. But then a Fernando Llorente header hit the post, bounced back onto the shin of the goalkeeper Roberto and dribbled over the line. It was an extremely fortunate goal, but within a minute Paul Pogba had given Juventus the lead.
The Italian champion held on to win, pulling level with Olympiakos on six points, three adrift of the group-leading Atletico Madrid, which won 2-0 in Malmo, but there was a further twist as Arturo Vidal missed a late penalty. As a result, Olympiakos retained the head-to-head advantage on away goals, which could prove crucial if the sides finish level on points.
• GLOCKNER: What have we learned 10 games into the EPL season?
Surprise of the Day: Liverpool's lineup
On a day of few shocks, the biggest surprise, perhaps, was Liverpool’s team sheet. Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho were all left on the bench for the game away to Real Madrid, presumably with an eye to Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea.
The much-weakened team rode its luck and defended relatively well to get away with a 1-0 defeat, and Liverpool will still go through with wins in its final two games, providing it beats Basel by more than one at Anfield.
• WATCH: Young La Liga pitch invader latches onto Ronaldo, won't let go
The Reds also managed to keep Cristiano Ronaldo off the scoresheet, snapping his 12-game goal run and postponing his tying and breaking Raul's Champions League goal mark of 71. Lionel Messi, sitting one behind Ronaldo and two behind Raul, gets a crack at that on Wednesday.
Major Takeaway of the Day: Dortmund is better than its league record
Best soccer tifos from around the world
Galatasaray fans display a sensational "Rocky" tifo ahead of their clash against rival Fenerbahce. It didn't inspire a victory, though. The Turkish rivals played to a 0-0 draw.
Borussia Dortmund fans channel their 1963 cup triumph over Benfica ahead of the teams' second leg in the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans turn to Moses for tifo inspiration, with his splitting the Red Sea illustrating how "impossible is nothing" in their Europa League series against Besiktas.
Fans of Tunisia's Club Africain display this pointed tifo at a friendly against PSG, whose Qatari owners have pumped millions and millions into the club.
U.S. fans in Columbus, Ohio, make a "One Nation, One Team" statement ahead of the USMNT's World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on November 11, 2016.
Germany fans display their heart for the team colors ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in October 2016.
Italy fans spell out their support for the Azzurri ahead of a massive World Cup qualifier vs. Spain in October 2018.
Iceland fans keep up their world-famous passion for the national team during a World Cup qualifier against Turkey in October 2016.
Fans in the United Arab Emirates set their sights on reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia during a qualifying match vs. Australia in September 2016.
Colombia fans send a massive jersey around the stadium during a World Cup qualifier vs. Venezuela in September 2016.
Seattle Sounders fans turn to Game Of Thrones for inspiration in a game against the Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps in September 2016.
Djurgardens fans go all out in Sweden for a match against AIK in September 2016.
Zulte Waregem fans prepare Kortrijk for the absolute worst in this Belgian top-flight match in September 2016.
Seattle Sounders fans turn their pop culture reference to Poltergeist in March 2016 ahead of the season home opener against Sporting Kansas City.
The Timbers Army doubles down on their Eastbound and Down theme, adding another wrinkle during the club's MLS Western Conference final first leg vs. FC Dallas on November 22, 2015 at Providence Park.
Fans make a French flag tifo at Wembley Stadium during the singing of Le Marseillaise ahead of England's friendly vs. France, which took place days after the terrorist attacks in Paris.
The Timbers Army referenced Eastbound & Down's Kenny Powers with their "Cup Bound and Down" tifo for the Portland Timbers' MLS playoff elimination game against Sporting Kansas City on October 29, 2015.
Brondby IF fans display a gladiator holding up a lion's head during the team's Danish Alka Superliga match against FC Copenhagen, whose logo is a lion's head, on September 27, 2015.
New England Revolution fans equate Jermaine Jones to Indiana Jones on their quest to capture the 2015 MLS Cup on September 26, 2015.
New England Revolution fans display a Lion King theme in honor of Orlando City FC's first visit to Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2015.
Red Bulls fans take a shot at NYCFC's two summer arrivals, 37-year-old Frank Lampard and 36-year-old Andrea Pirlo, ahead of their third MLS meeting of 2015.
Germany fans in Cologne salute their World Cup champions ahead of a friendly against the United States in June, 2015.
Real Madrid fans went all out prior to the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League semifinal vs. Juventus.
Lazio fans display a stunning eagle tifo ahead of the Rome derby against AS Roma in their penultimate Serie A match of the 2014-15 season.
Barcelona fans bid farewell to veteran midfielder Xavi with this banner at his last league game at Camp Nou before he departs for Qatari club Al Sadd.
Fans at Anfield pay tribute to Steven Gerrard in his final home match as a Liverpool player in May 2015.
Juventus fans state their case to beat Real Madrid in the 2014-15 Champions League semifinals and reach the final in Berlin.
Fans at Benfica's Estadio da Luz remind rival Porto who the Primeira Liga reigning champion is during an April 2015 match in Portugal.
New York Red Bulls fans send a pointed message to their NYCFC counterparts prior to the teams' first MLS meeting in May, 2015.
Inter Milan's Curva Nord announces its presence ahead of the April 2015 Derby della Madonnina–the annual clashes between city rivals Inter and AC Milan.
Bayern Munich fans implore their club to (translated) "Never give up" in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg vs. Porto. Bayern then turned a 3-1 first-leg deficit into a 7-4 aggregate win and a place in the semifinals.
Dortmund fans commemorate their 1997 Champions League trophy in the club's clash vs. Juventus–the opponent on the wrong side of that title bout.
Portland Timbers fans speak out against homophobia with this tifo in a 2013 match against Chivas USA
Atletico's supporters display a banner reading "Atleti crushes" before the Spanish league match between Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid,
Borussia Dortmund fans put on a remarkable display ahead of a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match.
Brondby IF fans unveil a tifo ahead of a match in Denmark against Randers FC.
FC Barcelona fans display a huge banner in memory of former head coach Tito Vilanova.
Galatasaray fans support their team during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul.
The American Outlaws unveil a huge tifo ahead of a 2014 World Cup send-off match between the USA and Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Marseille's supporters use paper sheets to create an "OM" (Olympique de Marseille) tifo at the beginning of the French L1 football match between Marseille and Genoble.
Seattle Sounders fans display their tifo that shows coach Sigi Schmid playing cards and holding a Royal Flush before a match against the Portland Timbers.
Panathinaikos Athens fans display a banner during the UEFA Europa League match against Dynamo Moscow.
Fans of the Saudi Al-Hilal team celebrate after the scoring of a goal against Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor.
Seattle Sounders fans unveil a tifo inspired from the “Build a Bonfire” chant, featuring Sounder players holding torches on horseback ahead of a game against the Portland Timbers.
Fans of Hertha BSC before the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen in Berlin.
Sporting Kansas City fans channel their inner Mario ahead of the 2013 MLS Cup final vs. Real Salt Lake.
Brondby IF fans.
Thousands of Barcelona fans hold up cards to spell out "Barca! Orgull," which translates to "Barcelona pride" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich at Camp Nou.
Fans raise a tifo celebrating “Community, Club and Country” ahead of a CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the USA and Belize in Portland, Oregon.
Vitesse fans unfurl a massive Eagle banner at the Dutch Eredivisie match against Ajax at the GelreDome.
Valencia fans drape a banner featuring a king for a Copa del Rey ("The King's Cup) match against Atletico Madrid.
Juventus fans make a statement in Turin in a match vs. Inter Milan.
Dortmund fans put on another strong display at a Bundesliga match against Mainz 05.
German fans boast the newest star earned by the national team, symbolizing its 2014 World Cup triumph, at a Euro 2016 qualifying match in Dortmund.
Real Madrid fans make a point to display the club's 10 European championships ahead of the October 2014 clash against rival Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
San Jose Earthquakes fans unleash a massive tifo to mark the opening of Avaya Stadium, MLS's newest soccer-specific venue, in March 2015.
Barcelona fans show all who the real 12th man is ahead of the March 2015 Clásico vs. Real Madrid.
Ahead of a clash with Mexican foe Monterrey, Tigres players are treated by this message by its fervent supporters.
Standard Liege fans have a pointed message for Steven Defour, who departed the club for Belgian rival Anderlecht.
Orlando City fans mark their club's inaugural MLS game vs. fellow expansion side New York City FC with a statement that the Lions' "reign begins now."
Real Madrid fans salute Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo after he captured the most prestigious individual prize in world soccer again.
Vitesse fans pay homage to Operation Market Garden ahead of an Eredivisie match against SC Heerenveen.
Sevilla's fans deploy a giant banner in the stands before the UEFA Europa league final match between Benfica and Sevilla.
Fans in Liverpool’s Kop End at Anfield commemorate those lost in the Hillsborough disaster.
Lyon fans during a game against Saint Etienne.
Borussia Dortmund may be second-to-last in the Bundesliga, but it clearly is rather better than that fact suggests. Four wins out of four in the Champions League has taken it through to the last 16, but the more remarkable statistic is that it has scored more goals in those four games than in 10 domestically.
Marco Reus’ return from injury should help on both fronts, and he looked to be approaching his best as he put Dortmund ahead against Galatasaray.
Further goals from Sokratis Papasthopoulos and Ciro Immobile and a Semih Kaya own goal completed a 4-1 win. A point from its final two games will ensure it tops the group.
Late Twist of the Day: Anderlecht's Mitrovic answers critics
Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is only 20, but already in Brussels he has begun to create irritation among those who feel he isn’t as committed as he might be. His arrival from the bench, though, wrought a major transformation on Anderlecht’s game at Arsenal. He is awkward and aggressive, and, when he came on after Anthony vanden Borre had pulled one back against the run of play, he bullied Nacho Monreal, who looked horribly far from his comfort zone in the center.
First he induced the Spaniard to tug his sleeve, conceding a thoroughly needless penalty. Then he got across the near post to head in the equalizer off Andy Najar's cross. All Alexis Sanchez’s fine work of the early stages was undone and Arsenal, feckless and brittle as ever, only drew a game it should have won with ease.
An accomplished author of multiple books, Jonathan Wilson is one of the world’s preeminent minds on soccer tactics and history.