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From Aston Villa to Bologna, how these overachievers broke into the Champions League
This season has seen some surprising teams book Champions League places for next season, from Aston Villa in the Premier League to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga and Brest in France's Ligue 1. How did they do it?
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TOP HEADLINES
Early look at the UCL final: Madrid (again) or Dortmund?
Who prevails at Wembley: 14-time winners Real Madrid or 1997 champs Borussia Dortmund? The Spanish giants will be favored, but their German counterparts know how to shock.
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SOCCER TRANSFERS
Transfer Talk: Madrid look at Wirtz to be Kroos replacement
Real Madrid will look to Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz to replace Toni Kroos next year if he decides to leave. Transfer Talk has the latest.
Why MLS is a 'good option' for Marco Reus
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AN INCREDIBLY DOMINANT RUN
How is Bayer Leverkusen's 49-game unbeaten streak even possible? Crunching the numbers
No one has been able to stop Bayer Leverkusen -- no one in Germany and no one in Europe. How is a 49-game unbeaten streak even possible, and can other teams replicate it?
Bayer Leverkusen's absurd late-game heroics this season
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GLOBAL SOCCER SCOREBOARD
THURSDAY'S GAMES
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USMNT STAR OF THE FUTURE?
How big a deal is Manchester City's deal with 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan?
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WHERE'S THE BEST FAN EXPERIENCE?
Ranking every NWSL stadium from worst to best, with photos: Where should you see a game?
We rank every NWSL stadium with photos -- from hard-to-get-to and no-atmosphere venues to the ones that should be on your bucket list.
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FALLOUT
UCL talking points: How did Madrid win? What is Mbappe's PSG legacy?
With the 2023-24 Champions League finalists now set, Gab Marcotti, Alex Kirkland and Julien Laurens give their takes on the semifinal matches.
VAR Review: Explaining Bayern's offside 'goal'
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel called it 'a disastrous decision,' but was the linesman right to raise his flag?
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DRAMATIC NIGHT IN MADRID
Julien Laurens brands Bayern Munich a 'humiliation' in explosive rant
Burley: Real Madrid are 'just incredible' at rescuing games
Top Headlines
- Record-setting Leverkusen 'want, deserve more'
- Sources: Dest back to Barca as PSV decline option
- Sullivan, 14, inks Union deal with Man City clause
- Sources: Tchouaméni in race to be fit for UCL final
- Leverkusen makes UEL final, streak at record 49
- Azteca box owners protest FIFA World Cup plans
- Atalanta advance to first-ever European final
- FIFA warned of legal action over playing calendar
- USMNT Player Performance Index 2.0
Best of ESPN+
Lars Baron/Getty Images Making sense of Bayer Leverkusen's historic unbeaten streak
No one has been able to stop Bayer Leverkusen -- no one in Germany and no one in Europe. How is a 49-game unbeaten streak even possible, and can other teams replicate it?
Dennis Bresser/Soccrates/Getty Images How Liverpool's data decided Arne Slot should replace Klopp
With Klopp leaving, Liverpool must replace an irreplaceable coach. They've landed on Arne Slot, and digging into the data explains why.
Peter Powell/EPA Ranking all 16 Man United player signings under Erik ten Hag
Man United spent more on players than all but two clubs in the world under Ten Hag, but the team still isn't good. Let's go through all 16 signings to figure out why.
Trending Now
Jan Kruger/Getty Images Welcome to Wrexham Women: A bright future ahead
Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have taken Wrexham's men to a different level, but what about the women's team?
Donald Page/Getty Images Messi tracker: Inter Miami games, goals, assists, more stats
Lionel Messi is in first full season with MLS side Inter Miami. Here's game-by-game analysis of how the World Cup winner is performing for his team.
Tables, fixtures and scores
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images League tables
Updated tables from the Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, English Football League and more.
Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images Upcoming fixtures
Keep track of all the important upcoming fixtures for all the clubs and countries in world football here.
Guillermo Martinez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Latest scores
Results and scores from the Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, English Football League and more.