Gianluca Nesci

Find the biggest stories from across the soccer world by visiting our Top Soccer News section and subscribing to push notifications.Borussia Dortmund are halfway there.The German club defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. A first-half goal from Niclas Fullkrug was enough for Dortmund to take a slender lead into next week's decisive fixture in Paris.More to come.

Find the biggest stories from across the soccer world by visiting our Top Soccer News section and subscribing to push notifications.Germany's Bundesliga has secured an additional place in next season's revamped Champions League following Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their semifinal clash Wednesday.The 2024-25 tournament is expanding to 36 teams, and UEFA has allocated an extra place each to the two leagues with the best overall performance in European competitions this season.Italy's Serie A built an insurmountable coefficient advantage and sealed one of the extra spots last month. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga has now beat out England's Premier League, the other primary contender, for the final berth, as outlined by Dale Johnson of ESPN.The Premier League looked to be in a strong position going into the quarterfinals of this season's European competitions. However, wins over English opposition for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, who knocked out Arsenal and West Ham United, respectively, helped turn the tide.Ironically, Dortmund themselves are the biggest beneficiaries, as they can finish no lower than fifth in the Bundesliga with three games remaining; Edin Terzic's side is five points back of fourth-placed RB Leipzig, but 12 points up on Eintracht Frankfurt.The Bundesliga could have six teams in next season's Champions League if Dortmund go on to win this year's tournament and also finish fifth in the domestic table.

3 things PSG must change to avoid another Champions League failure

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Elliott's screamer helps Liverpool overwhelm Tottenham

Find the biggest stories from across the soccer world by visiting our Top Soccer News section and subscribing to push notifications.Four of Europe's top leagues have already crowned their champions with plenty of time to spare, but there's still much to play for as we head into the final weeks of the domestic seasons. With the continent's top tiers all barreling toward a conclusion this month, here's what's left to be decided across the biggest leagues. Note: This story will be updated weekly until the end of the season.Premier League 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Stuart MacFarlane / Arsenal FC / GettyTitle raceThis is the only actual race remaining in Europe's top five leagues. What was once a three-team battle has effectively been whittled down to two, as Liverpool's untimely slump has left Arsenal and Manchester City in a straight scrap. The Reds are still mathematically alive but will almost certainly finish third. The Gunners are seeking their first league title in 20 years, while Pep Guardiola's side is chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown.Club GP GD Points1. Arsenal 36 +60 832. Man City 35 +54 823. Liverpool 36 +43 78European qualificationThe Premier League was unable to net an additional Champions League place for next season, so only the top four will qualify. Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool are already in.Aston Villa are on the verge of securing fourth place. Tottenham Hotspur were in a very strong position just a couple of weeks ago, but they've cratered at the worst time, losing four consecutive matches. Even with a game in hand on Unai Emery's men, Tottenham's top-four hopes are hanging by a thread.Club GP GD Points4. Aston Villa 36 +20 675. Tottenham 35 +11 60Villa are assured of at least fifth place and a spot in the Europa League should they miss out on the top four. Spurs, despite their rotten run, are still the favorites to finish fifth. Their margin for error is shrinking, though, with Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Manchester United in the hunt.The remaining European places are dependent on the outcome of the FA Cup final. If Manchester United win the trophy, they automatically go to the Europa League. If Manchester City beat their rivals in a second consecutive final and retain the silverware, that Europa League spot transfers to the sixth-placed finisher in the league, which could end up being ... Manchester United.Club GP GD Points6. Newcastle 35 +22 567. Chelsea 35 +11 548. Manchester United 34 +1 54The aforementioned FA Cup outcome will also play a role in deciding the Europa Conference League (UECL) representative. If Man City are victorious, the UECL berth will go to the team that finishes seventh in the table; the same is true if Man United win the FA Cup and also finish sixth.Relegation and promotionSheffield United, with just three wins from 36 games so far this season - and a whopping 100 goals conceded - have already been relegated. That leaves Burnley, Luton Town, and Nottingham Forest in a dogfight to avoid the drop. Only one from that trio will survive, with Burnley needing a minor miracle. Forest are still awaiting the result of an appeal over their four-point deduction for breaching the league's profit and sustainability rules, which could have an enormous impact on the final table.Club GP GD Points17. Nottingham Forest 36 -18 2918. Luton 36 -29 2619. Burnley 36 -35 2420. Sheffield United 36 -65 16Leicester City and Ipswich Town grabbed the two automatic promotion places from the Championship; the Foxes are making an immediate return, while the Tractor Boys are going back to the top flight after a 22-year absence. The always thrilling promotion playoffs will decide the last team to make the jump, with Leeds United, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, and Norwich City taking part. The playoff final is slated for May 26.La Liga 🇪🇸 Florencia Tan Jun / Getty Images Sport / GettyTitle raceReal Madrid were crowned Spanish champions for a record-extending 36th time this past weekend.European qualificationReal Madrid and Barcelona are assured of Champions League spots. They'll be joined, incredibly, by Girona, whose Cinderella season will yield a first-ever berth in the competition. Michel's team clinched the spot by defeating Barca. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are in pole position to finish fourth.Club GP GD Points4. Atletico Madrid 34 +24 675. Athletic Club 34 +22 616. Real Sociedad 34 +13 547. Real Betis 34 +4 528. Valencia 34 -2 47Athletic's Copa del Rey triumph, combined with the fact that they're likely to finish in the top six, means La Liga's Europa League places should go to the fifth- and sixth-placed finishers in the table. The team that finishes seventh will head to the Conference League.Relegation and promotionAlmeria picked up just their second win of the season this past weekend. They've already been relegated. Granada will almost certainly join them, especially with games against Real Madrid and Girona still on their calendar. Several other teams are still in danger of going down, too, with Cadiz in the most precarious spot of that bunch.Club GP GD Points15. Celta Vigo 34 -12 3416. Rayo Vallecano 34 -16 3417. Mallorca 34 -13 3218. Cadiz 34 -26 2619. Granada 34 -28 2120. Almeria 34 -34 17Nobody has secured promotion from the second tier as of yet, but Leganes, Valladolid, and Eibar are in pole position with four games left.Bundesliga 🇩🇪 picture alliance / picture alliance / GettyTitle raceXabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, still unbeaten in all competitions this season, have already clinched their first-ever Bundesliga title.European qualificationThe Bundesliga earned an extra Champions League spot for next season, meaning five teams will compete in the 2024-25 event. Those places have already been determined; Leverkusen, whose unbeaten run now stands at 48 games, will be joined by Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund. The latter's win over PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal sealed the additional berth for Germany's top flight.There's still intrigue here, though. If Dortmund finish fifth and win the Champions League this season, the sixth-placed finisher in the Bundesliga will also head to the tournament next year.The identity of Germany's two Europa League entrants will be dictated, in part, by the DFB-Pokal final on May 25, where Leverkusen will take on a Kaiserslautern side that's mired in a relegation battle ... in the second tier. Should they pull off the stunning upset, they'll earn one of Germany's Europa League berths, while the other will go to the Bundesliga's sixth-placed finisher. If Leverkusen win, the Europa places go to the sixth- and seventh-placed finishers.Club GP GD Points6. Eintracht Frankfurt 32 +1 457. Freiburg 32 -12 418. Hoffenheim 32 -8 409. Augsburg 32 -8 3910. Heidenheim 32 -8 3811. Werder Bremen 32 -9 3812. Wolfsburg 32 -11 37At present, the seventh-placed team will make the Conference League, but the DFB-Pokal final result could bump that berth down to the eighth-placed squad.Each of the clubs listed in the table above will be Leverkusen fans on May 25.Relegation and promotionThe bottom two in the 18-team Bundesliga are relegated automatically, while the squad that finishes 16th enters a playoff against the third-placed finisher from the 2. Bundesliga. Darmstadt have already been sent packing, FC Koln appear likely to join them, and as many as four teams are fighting to avoid finishing in the playoff spot, including Union Berlin, who participated in the Champions League group stage this season. How quickly fortunes change.Club GP GD Points13. Monchengladbach 32 -7 3314. Bochum 32 -24 3315. Union Berlin 32 -25 3016. Mainz 32 -17 2917. Koln 32 -30 2418. Darmstadt 32 -46 17Nothing has been decided as of yet in the second tier, where Holstein Kiel and St. Pauli currently occupy the top two spots.Serie A 🇮🇹 Francesco Scaccianoce / Getty Images Sport / GettyTitle raceInter Milan, the dominant force in Italy this year, clinched their 20th Scudetto with last month's win over city rivals AC Milan.European qualificationJust like Germany, Italy also earned an extra Champions League place for next season, so at least five teams will qualify. Both Milanese clubs have punched their tickets. Despite a horrible run in 2024, Juventus need just one win to qualify. Bologna's fairytale campaign also looks set to culminate with a Champions League place.That likely leaves Roma, Atalanta, and Lazio to battle for fifth place. Serie A could yet send six teams to the Champions League if Roma or Atalanta, both currently in the semifinals of the Europa League, win that competition. Atalanta are tied 1-1 going into the second leg of their duel with Marseille, while Roma fell 2-0 to Leverkusen in the first leg of their clash.In that scenario, it's possible that finishing sixth in the league could be enough to reach the Champions League.Club GP GD Points3. Juventus 35 +21 664. Bologna 35 +22 645. Roma 35 +20 606. Atalanta 33 +24 577. Lazio 35 +8 568. Fiorentina 34 +12 509. Napoli 34 +9 50Only eight clubs in total from any one country can qualify for Europe in a given season, so if Italy was to have six Champions League participants, it would have to forfeit a European place elsewhere, either one of its two Europa League spots or its Conference League berth. Those are currently slated to go to the teams that finish sixth through eighth in the table, but the Europa League exploits of Roma and Atalanta could alter that. Relegation and promotionThe bottom three sides go down to Serie B. Salernitana, who have just two wins all season, have been relegated. Two Serie A mainstays could join them. Sassuolo, despite beating Inter twice this season, are in serious danger of seeing their 11-year run in the top flight come to an end. Meanwhile, Udinese, who have been in the top division since 1995 and have made several appearances in Europe in that time, are on their third manager of the campaign as they look to avoid a shocking relegation. With matches against fellow relegation battlers Empoli and Frosinone to close out the year, Udinese, now coached by Fabio Cannavaro, control their fate.Club GP GD Points14. Verona 35 -13 3415. Cagliari 35 -23 3316. Frosinone 35 -20 3217. Empoli 35 -24 3218. Udinese 34 -19 2919. Sassuolo 35 -29 2920. Salernitana 34 -47 15Iconic Italian outfit Parma have already secured promotion back to Serie A. Como, the ambitious club from the picturesque city that counts Thierry Henry among its minority shareholders and employs Cesc Fabregas as an assistant coach, are on the verge of joining them. A playoff will determine the third and final promotion place.Ligue 1 🇫🇷 CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP / GettyTitle raceParis Saint-Germain were crowned Ligue 1 champions for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons, claiming a record-extending 12th French title in the process.European qualificationLigue 1, unlike its peers on this list, only gets three automatic Champions League places, while the fourth-placed finisher goes into the qualifying stage of the tournament. Four teams are duking it out to grab the final two automatic spots and join PSG at Europe's top table.Club GP GD Points2. Monaco 32 +20 613. Brest 32 +16 574. Lille 31 +18 555. Nice 31 +11 516. Lens 32 +8 497. Rennes 32 +8 458. Marseille 31 +9 449. Lyon 31 -9 44France could have five teams in the Champions League if Marseille, locked in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta heading into the second leg of their Europa League semifinal, go on to win that competition.Currently, fifth place in Ligue 1 will go to the Europa League, while finishing sixth will be rewarded with a Conference League spot. That could change if PSG win the Coupe de France, though; they're in the final against Lyon on May 25, and victory for the capital-based outfit will see the league's sixth-place finisher jump into the Europa League.That cup final will also have a direct impact on France's Conference League spot, which could yet go to the seventh-place finisher.Relegation and promotionThe bottom two finishers in Ligue 1 are relegated automatically, while the team that ends in 16th place heads to a promotion/relegation playoff.Clermont Foot are still alive, barely, with two games remaining, but the best they can hope for is the playoff place.Club GP GD Points14. Nantes 32 -20 3315. Le Havre 32 -9 3216. Metz 32 -20 2917. Lorient 32 -26 2618. Clermont Foot 32 -28 25In the second tier, Auxerre, Saint-Etienne, and Angers are all assured of at least a place in the promotion/relegation playoff. Auxerre, though, have all but sealed automatic promotion, as they sit six points clear of their two foes with only two games remaining.

Find the biggest stories from across the soccer world by visiting our Top Soccer News section and subscribing to push notifications.Off the bench and into the history books.Joselu etched his name in Real Madrid lore Wednesday, scoring two late goals to send the eternal European kings back to the Champions League final in dramatic fashion. With Madrid trailing Bayern Munich in the final moments of their semifinal second leg, the substitute scored in the 88th and 91st minutes to turn a 3-2 aggregate deficit into an incredible 4-3 triumph.He pounced on an untimely Manuel Neuer error for his first tally and then completed the stunning turnaround with a close-range finish that was initially called offside. The goal was awarded after a VAR check, and the Santiago Bernabeu erupted.(Available to view in U.S. only) REAL MADRID ALWAYS FIND A WAY 🤯 pic.twitter/ZynoERYRV4— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 8, 2024 REAL MADRID TURN IT AROUND AT THE DEATH 😱 pic.twitter/gwWLFaknOC— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 8, 2024 (Available to view in Canada only) UNBELIEVABLE SCENES!!!! 😱Manuel Neuer spills the ball & Joselu POUNCES!! 1-1 GAME ON!! 🍿🤩Watch the #UCL LIVE on https://t.co/6e0eQThQd3 pic.twitter/LBIHzoLvfK— DAZN Canada (@DAZN_CA) May 8, 2024 JOSELU COMPLETES THE COMEBACK IN INJURY TIME!!! 😱🔥Watch the #UCL LIVE on https://t.co/6e0eQThQd3 pic.twitter/YJTe6tH212— DAZN Canada (@DAZN_CA) May 8, 2024 Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1. They'll be looking to win the European Cup for a record-extending 15th time.

Find the biggest stories from across the soccer world by visiting our Top Soccer News section and subscribing to push notifications.The Champions League semifinal stage is in the books. Before we look ahead to the showpiece match at Wembley, we're reviewing the dramatic action that left Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund as the last two teams standing in Europe's premier club competition.Winner: JoseluIt's not always the big names who step up.Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo fruitlessly combined for nine shots at the Santiago Bernabeu. Toni Kroos crafted four big opportunities. Despite his best efforts to find space and out-wrestle defenders, Jude Bellingham couldn't muster a shot on target across both matches against Bayern Munich.Instead of those superstars, the difference-maker was someone who was a fan, wearing his Real Madrid shirt, at the 2022 Champions League final. The hero was a forward who could only muster 10 Premier League goals over four seasons on the books of Stoke City and then Newcastle United.Nobody would've guessed it before hand, but this was The Joselu Game.Manuel Neuer was producing one of his best performances of the past decade before Joselu, in his role as a poacher, anticipated an error in the 88th minute. Joselu was running ahead of his marker, Eric Dier, before Vinicius' shot spilled from Neuer's arms, and Bayern's resistance was broken by a confident right-footed slap past the beleaguered goalkeeper.The nomadic striker would go one better. With the semifinal locked at 3-3 on aggregate, Joselu was maintaining his position on the last defender. He was waiting for scraps, but he was served something much more substantial on 90 minutes when Antonio Rudiger pinged a ball across the six-yard box. Joselu was beyond the defenders when the delivery arrived, and the offside flag was raised. However, a VAR review determined he was behind Rudiger's pass, and his finish was legal. Joselu, a selfless, unheralded figure whose loan deal from Espanyol expires next month, was miraculously sending his club to the Champions League final. 2 - @JoseluMato9 🇪🇸 (34 years, 42 days) has become the oldest substitute player to score a brace in a knockout game in @ChampionsLeague. Bernabéu. pic.twitter/nUfCJzoZhJ— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 8, 2024 "Joselu deserves it all, he has been an amazing squad member this season," Bellingham told TNT Sports post-match, according to BBC Sport.Strangely, another former Stoke flop was on the pitch during Joselu's unexpected starring role. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was brought on as a late substitute for Harry Kane, and in a stark contrast from Joselu's new hero status, his introduction is already widely tipped as the moment the tie slipped from Bayern's grasp.Losers: Tuchel and the Bayern attackersThomas Tuchel said Kane "couldn't keep going" due to back pain, hence his 84th-minute swap for Choupo-Moting. If that's the case, it would be harsh to highlight that as the precise moment Bayern's first trophy-less campaign since 2012 was confirmed.It would also absolve the Bayern attackers of blame for what was ultimately an unimaginative and toothless effort.It's in Kane's remit to fling balls out wide to his speedier teammates - deliveries that risk possession - but his passing accuracy of below 45% was a hindrance for his team. For the most part, he was easily contained by Rudiger and Nacho. He recorded the assist for Alphonso Davies' goal, but that was a technicality, really. The Canadian did all the heavy lifting, scoring what was essentially a solo stunner.Serge Gnabry could only last 26 minutes before his injury issues caught up with him, and by that time he had already shown his rustiness as he slammed a cross out of Kane's reach. Jamal Musiala was absent for large portions of Wednesday's match. Leroy Sane, meanwhile, was invisible in attack and barely supported right-back Joshua Kimmich in the defensive effort against Vinicius."We started with a front four and all four has to go out with injury or cramp," Tuchel explained after the soul-crushing defeat.That's true, but the outgoing tactician can't use that to wipe his hands of all responsibility. Before he was forced into the Kane switch, he invited Real Madrid's late onslaught by introducing Kim Min-jae for Sane, effectively forcing his own team to retreat into a defensive shell and hope for the best.That's a risky move at the best of times. Doing it while nursing a one-goal lead against Real Madrid, in the Champions League, at the Bernabeu? That's willing a late collapse.Winner: Aleksandar PavlovicThe defeat will sting for Bayern Munich fans, but they should take solace in that they have a genuine phenom in midfield.Thomas Tuchel has expressed his displeasure at the club's failure to sign a No. 6 numerous times during his 13-and-a-half months at the helm. Joao Palhinha's transfer from Fulham collapsed last summer and Tuchel has never fully appreciated the midfielders he inherited. He wanted to rely on somebody to screen his defense and provide a springboard for his attack.Leon Goretzka could do neither of those things in the opening fixture against Real Madrid. He was substituted at halftime. His replacement was Raphael Guerreiro, who's spent most of his career as a left-back, and he comfortably outclassed Goretzka with better ball retention and defensive graft in his half-match shift. Mateo Villalba / Getty Images Sport / GettyHowever, an injury to Guerreiro meant Tuchel had to rethink his midfield duo for the trip to Real Madrid, and Aleksandar Pavlovic was paired with Konrad Laimer.Pavlovic, who only turned 20 last week, was authoritative in the middle. Only Toni Kroos, Eric Dier, and Nacho touched the ball more times than the youngster, who didn't misplace a pass in the opening half, made a crucial interception to deny a ball through to Jude Bellingham, and immediately upped the tempo and instigated an attack with a smart pass slid between Rodrygo and Kroos.He's a gift for whoever's in charge at Bayern next season.Loser: Luis EnriqueIt wasn't an approach you'd associate with a team trying to overturn a one-goal deficit in front of an encouraging home crowd. Paris Saint-Germain started the second leg tentatively, plagued by the fear of conceding rather than consumed by the will to level the tie, and therefore played the opening half with the aggression and tempo of a gooey Coldplay ballad.PSG's performance picked up in the second stanza - it had to - but their skirmish with Borussia Dortmund was lost over the preceding 135 minutes. In both fixtures, there were tactical missteps and puzzling selections that granted Der BVB advantages in certain areas of the pitch.Luis Enrique got it wrong.PSG were unfortunate across two legs against Borussia Dortmund, hitting the woodwork six times. They attempted 30 shots on Tuesday alone, the most a knockout team has racked up without scoring since Opta started collecting data from the 2003-04 season. Milan Skriniar was an unused substitute for both legs - he's trying to regain fitness after a troublesome ankle issue - so Lucas Hernandez suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in the opening fixture was a huge loss. The next in line to replace Hernandez is 20-year-old Lucas Beraldo, who is prey to experienced Champions League campaigners.But Luis Enrique mishandled plenty of elements within his control.Kylian Mbappe was deployed centrally in Dortmund rather than in his best position on the left wing, and he struggled to influence the game in a crowded area of the pitch. Not a great deal could be done about the brilliance of Jadon Sancho and Karim Adeyemi in the same meeting, but Luis Enrique's midfield trio lacked the physicality to adequately compete in the middle and offered nothing to protect full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes from Dortmund's vibrant wingers.And then PSG started the second leg like that.Luis Enrique's stock was climbing once more after underwhelming and fractious spells in charge of Spain. Now, his reputation will be much harder to repair. PSG were limping out of the quarterfinals before Barcelona's Ronald Araujo's red card kindly ushered them through, and now they've slumped in the semifinals after an avoidable elimination to the fifth-best team in Germany.Winner: Mats HummelsMany thought Mats Hummels was past his prime when Bayern Munich decided to offload him after a patchy campaign, dubbing the World Cup winner surplus to requirements and shipping him back to Borussia Dortmund. That was five years ago.Instead of wilting away, the 35-year-old is enjoying a remarkable renaissance this season, anchoring the Dortmund defense as the club unexpectedly finds itself in the final. He was brilliant against PSG. Sure, there was luck involved - PSG's profligacy, outlined above, was unusual - and Hummels was millimetres away from conceding a penalty for a foul on Ousmane Dembele in the second half on Tuesday. But his luck, and that of his team, felt earned. Hendrik Deckers / Borussia Dortmund / GettyWhenever PSG looked menacing, Hummels popped up on the scene. A last-ditch intervention on Mbappe almost certainly saved a goal. That's just what he's been doing all tournament long. The suave center-back leads all players in a collection of key defensive metrics in this season's Champions League, including tackles, interceptions, clearances, and duels won. That he scored Dortmund's goal in Paris was icing on the cake.He's both a calming presence and inspirational leader, and his play is emboldening his teammates, inspiring them to dig in with him for the battle; Nico Schlotterbeck, in particular, rose to the occasion alongside Hummels to send PSG and their enviable array of attacking stars packing. Hummels' success is also a victory for narratives. He and fellow BVB icon Marco Reus are the only Dortmund players who were part of the side that lost the 2013 Champions League final to rivals Bayern Munich. That match, like next month's final, was held at Wembley. His journey now comes full circle.Losers: Manchester United and ChelseaJadon Sancho was banned from Manchester United's training sessions in September after claiming Erik ten Hag made him a "scapegoat" at the underachieving club. Once considered one of the brightest young talents in European football, the Englishman hadn't made a United appearance since May 2023 and hadn't played for his country since a routine win over Andorra in October 2021 before returning to Dortmund on loan in January.How quickly things can change.In the Champions League semifinals - and either side of Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace - Sancho torched Nuno Mendes. Few will begrudge the winger relishing his appearance at the tournament's showpiece at Wembley Stadium, around 14 miles from his old backyard in south London, while Ten Hag's United plumb new depths in eighth place in the Premier League table.Chelsea fans must also look upon this Dortmund team - and the left side of its defense in particular - with some envy.There's optimism that a new inverted role will revive Marc Cucurella's career at Chelsea, but he's struggled with heightened expectations since his 2022 move from Brighton & Hove Albion and is a regular source of frustration for Blues fans. Fellow left-back Ian Maatsen, meanwhile, has displayed maturity beyond his 22 years during Dortmund's Champions League knockout matches following his loan move in January. He now has the chance to add another medal to his collection after romping to the Championship title with Burnley last season.Chelsea co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly was determined to splash the cash. Manchester United went through a phase of predominantly signing players from Ten Hag's address book. While they've been distracted by their own foolish frivolity, they've unwittingly strengthened a team for a run to the Champions League final.Winner: NarrativesThe second the semifinal bracket for the tournament was revealed, all eyes were on the potential for Mbappe to meet - and possibly beat - Real Madrid in the Champions League final before joining them in the summer. It was as tantalizing a narrative as they come.Obviously, it won't come to fruition. What we are getting, though, could be even better.The connective tissues linking Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich together are deep. The Englishman could only watch in horror last season as Dortmund threw the Bundesliga title away on the final day of the season, gifting it to Bayern. Wednesday's comeback against Bayern was surely a little bit sweeter for the midfielder after that heartache.His reward? A meeting with the club he left and former teammates he forged strong bonds with during his three-year spell in western Germany. After the spectacular debut season he's enjoyed in Madrid, he could cap it by beating the team he just left, in his home country, no less.The script has been written. Jude Bellingham scoring the winner against Borussia Dortmund in the final: pic.twitter/jLDYBKK80q— Project Football (@ProjectFootball) May 7, 2024 "At Wembley against Dortmund, it's a weird one and I can't believe it, but I'm so looking forward to it. When I was seven years old in Birmingham, I was dreaming of nights like this," Bellingham said of the impending encounter.Eat your heart out, Hollywood.

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