Yesterday Sharjah FC pulled off a 2–1 comeback against Al Wasl. Tomorrow night, a former Manchester City captain walks into the Bernabéu and tries to eliminate Real Madrid from the Champions League. And today — quietly, 400,000 kilometres away — the Artemis II crew flew past the lunar far side, the farthest any human has been from Earth in 54 years.
Former Man City captain. Won the Bundesliga in his second full season as a manager. The first Black manager to win a major European top division title. Tomorrow night he walks into the Bernabéu as the man who could eliminate Real Madrid — the club that knocked out his former team three consecutive years — from the Champions League.
Mbappé: 43 goals this season. The statistics case is made. The Champions League case has not been made yet. Tuesday is that test.
Kompany: Burnley relegated → Bayern Bundesliga champions in 24 months. He faces the club that eliminated his former club three straight years.
Kane: 44 goals at Bayern. Has never won a major trophy. Tuesday is another attempt at the thing he came to Europe to find.