UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk thrashed Club Bruges 4-1 away on Thursday when top-level football began experimenting with five-man refereeing teams in the opening Europa League group stage games.
UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk were knocked out of the Europa League after being held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Fulham in their round of 32 tie Thursday. Former European champions Liverpool and Juventus progressed to the last 16 and Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro scored a hat-trick as his side went through with a 4-1 win over former England manager Steve McLaren's Twente Enschede.
Brazilian Jadson struck an extra-time winner to secure Shakhtar Donetsk a 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen in the last UEFA Cup final Wednesday.
Dynamo Kiev clinched their 13th Ukrainian league title since 1993 with three matches to spare after coming from behind twice to beat Tavria Simferopol 3-2 on Sunday.
Claudio Ranieri resigned as coach of AS Roma following their shock 4-3 loss at Genoa on Sunday in a game they had led 3-0.
Javier Saviola and Oscar Cardozo scored two goals apiece and defender Luisao was also on target as Benfica thumped Everton 5-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.
Barcelona added the UEFA Super Cup to four other trophies they have won this year when a goal late in extra-time from substitute Pedro Rodriguez secured a 1-0 win over Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in Monaco on Friday. Pedro, who came on for Zlatan Ibrahimovic after 81 minutes on a hot and humid night at the Stade Louis II, fired past Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov from just inside the box in the 115th minute and with the game seemingly set for a penalty shootout.
Barcelona and Sporting advanced to the Champions League knockout stage while Inter Milan and Chelsea missed the chance to guarantee their places on Tuesday.
Real Madrid scored seconds from time to force a 2-2 draw at AC Milan, secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League and leave coach Jose Mourinho with a smile on his face on his return to the San Siro on Wednesday. Real went through to the knockout stage along with Bayern Munich and Chelsea, although Arsenal, who could also have qualified with two matches to spare, lost 2-1 at Shakhtar Donetsk and will have to wait.
The UEFA Cup final will be contested by German and Ukrainian teams after Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV along with Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk set up domestic semi-final showdowns. The semi-final first legs take place on April 30 with the return matches on May 5. The final is in Istanbul on May 20.
Hamburg SV will play Manchester City in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals and could meet Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen in the last four. Shakhtar Donetsk will play Olympique Marseille and Dynamo Kiev face Paris St Germain with the winners lined up to meet in the semis after the draw was made by UEFA on Friday.
Holders Milan finished top of UEFA Champions League Group D while Celtic came second on nine points.
Substitute Lionel Messi scored two late goals, including one in stoppage time, to lead 2006 winners Barcelona to a 2-1 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday. Last season's runners-up Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at surprise packages CFR Cluj, who were playing in Romania's third division just six years ago.
The Italians scored with a flattering 4-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League Group D on Wednesday.
Struggling holders AC Milan will be without suspended goalkeeper Dida for the Champions League group match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Manchester United were forced to dig deep to reach the Europa League semi-finals as Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes converted a 95th-minute penalty to secure a 1-0 win over a stubborn FC Copenhagen side after extra time on Monday.
Liverpool received a relatively kind draw for the group stage of this year's Champions League
A round-up of the weekend soccer action in eastern Europe.
Inter Milan face Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven in Group B which features three former European champions.
Ukraine champions Shakhtar Donetsk dented Sevilla's bandwagon as the UEFA Cup holders wobbled before securing a 2-2 draw.
Celtic are chasing a win at already qualified AC Milan later on Tuesday even though they just need a draw to reach the Champions League last 16.
The Brazilian's return to fitness is a much-needed boost for AC Milan, who have endured a woeful start to their Champions League campaign.
AC Milan goalkeeper Dida's two-match Champions League ban for feigning injury against Celtic was reduced by the UEFA to one game on Monday.
The European champions are likely to play CSKA Sofia in the Champions League third qualifying round.
UEFA Cup holders Sevilla, rescued by a last-gasp goal in normal time from goalkeeper Andres Palop, kept their defence alive by overcoming Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Bayern Munich conceded a stoppage-time equaliser through VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy from the penalty spot for a 2-2 on Saturday, the champions' third consecutive Bundesliga draw.
A late goal by the midfielder gave AC Milan a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening Champions League Group F match.
A toe injury threatens to rule Robin van Persie out of the Netherlands' World Cup qualifier against Hungary in Amsterdam on Friday.
Bayern Munich go into their Champions League last-16 second leg at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday knowing the game will make or break their season.
Brazil playmaker Willian and has agreed terms to join Chelsea from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, the Premier League side said on Sunday.
Five-time winners Sevilla made light work of AS Roma when first half goals from Sergio Reguilon and Youssef En-Nesyri gave them a 2-0 win over AS Roma and sent them into the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.
Arsenal will face manager Arsene Wenger's former club Monaco with defending champions Real Madrid pitted against German club Schalke.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine was condemned by the sporting community on Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin's country losing hosting rights for the UEFA Champions League final while Formula One drivers said it was "wrong" to race there this year.
Robin van Persie will play no part in Manchester United's busy holiday programme after being ruled out for a month with a thigh injury, manager David Moyes said on Friday.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos once again proved to be the man for the big occasion as he converted a fiercely debated penalty to help his side to a 3-1 win over rivals Barcelona at an empty Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday.