With the Champions League group stage concluding Wednesday, let’s look back at the biggest lessons we learned from the opening phase of Europe’s marquee club competition.

Solskjaer must take blame for United’s exit

Tuesday’s defeat at RB Leipzig wasn’t what dumped Manchester United from the Champions League. Nor was it the 3-1 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Rather, it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactical blueprint – or lack thereof – for Matchday 4 at Istanbul Basaksehir.

Solskjaer’s desperation to kill off Group H’s supposed minnows encouraged him to position all of his players ahead of the halfway line during a short-corner routine when the score was 0-0, and United were caught out. Basaksehir thwarted the move, and a punt upfield found Demba Ba all alone near the center circle.

No one could catch the Senegalese striker. Basaksehir went on to win 2-1, collecting their only points of the group stage.

That’s not to say Solskjaer can’t also be blamed for the PSG and Leipzig losses. He failed to substitute Fred when the Brazilian seemed to be willing referee Daniele Orsato to send him off throughout PSG’s visit. Then, his decision to select three center-backs and wing-backs against Leipzig allowed the hosts to dominate the midfield.

But the oversight in Istanbul was the most inexcusable.

United should’ve strolled into the knockout rounds after three wins to open their group-stage campaign. Unfortunately, for Solskjaer, the subsequent collapse is completely on him.

Ramos might be tournament’s most important player

Sergio Ramos’ overall importance to Real Madrid’s backline grew throughout the group stage, and he played in only half of the matches.

The three games he missed were the two defeats to Shakhtar Donetsk and the 2-0 win over an imploding Inter Milan when goals came courtesy of a penalty and an own goal. Across those fixtures, Raphael Varane didn’t take charge of situations in the same way – his number of interceptions, tackles, and clearances fell significantly – and, overall, the defense lacked organization without Ramos barking instructions at his teammates.

Real Madrid took seven of their 10 group-stage points in the games Ramos started.

The skipper’s absence – just as much as his presence – should be enough to convince Real Madrid to extend his contract beyond its current expiry of June 30, 2021.

“I have no doubt that he will stay and that it will continue to make history,” Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said of Ramos in November.

Lampard faces tough task to keep squad happy

Chelsea easily progressed after being drawn into one of the weaker groups, allowing Frank Lampard to rest several members of his squad for Tuesday’s 1-1 home draw with Krasnodar.

Starts for Billy Gilmour and Tino Anjorin were among 10 changes to the side that defeated Leeds United a few days earlier, and the teenagers’ performances served as a reminder of the youth movement that occurred during Lampard’s first season in charge of the Blues.

Gilmour, 19, carried on from where he left off last season with progressive play, tenacious tackling, and a low center of gravity that makes him hard to knock off the ball. Anjorin, also 19, took some time to settle into his first professional start before he almost laid on an assist for Kai Havertz and pleased the locals with his work rate.

However, with the transfer ban lifted and Chelsea spending big, it’s hard to envision a way for Gilmour and Anjorin to establish themselves in the starting XI anytime soon.

Lampard’s man management will be tested in this campaign. The Blues have already been eliminated from the League Cup, so he’ll have to find enough minutes for Gilmour & Co. in the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League to avoid discontent in the camp.

It wasn’t too long ago that Callum Hudson-Odoi tried to force a transfer to Bayern Munich, and Gilmour and Anjorin could soon follow suit if Chelsea ruin last season’s youth progression by placing another cap on their academy.

Barcelona lack any kind of plan

Outside of hoping for some trademark Lionel Messi magic, there doesn’t appear to be a unified approach to Barcelona’s play under Ronald Koeman. It’s understandable, to a certain extent: “Give it to Messi” is about as foolproof a game plan as you could have over the last decade.

But Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Juventus made the club’s current malaise painfully obvious.

Barca had seven shots on target in the match, and all of them came from Messi. Antoine Griezmann clipped the top of the crossbar with a glancing header, sure, but nobody was capable of making a meaningful impact.

Worse yet, none of the Argentine’s shots would be categorized as gilt-edged chances. Messi largely had to settle for efforts from the fringes of the penalty area, often with a wall of black and white shirts in his way after wriggling free of the first wave of defenders trying mercilessly to slow him down.

And that’s the biggest problem. He has to do it all on his own: beat multiple would-be tacklers, create space for himself, and score goals after doing the work to get into advantageous positions. Obviously, he still can, but the help simply isn’t there the way it used to be. Even Messi needs a hand every so often – as Tuesday’s loss illustrated – and Koeman doesn’t appear capable of figuring out how to generate that assistance.

Injuries have robbed him of key partners (Ansu Fati being the most glaring absence), but Barcelona’s downfall runs deeper than the starting XI. The club needs to hit the reset button.

Should Barca draw the likes of Bayern Munich or Liverpool in the last 16, they may get another painful reminder of how far they’ve fallen from the pantheon of Europe’s dominant institutions.

Torres makes quick impression at City

What an incredible few months it’s been for Ferran Torres.

Many expected the young winger to be gradually phased into the Manchester City setup, but with four goals in five Champions League group-stage appearances and a hat-trick in Spain’s 6-0 Nations League rout of Germany, his importance for club and country has skyrocketed.

One unexpected bonus from the start of Torres’ City stint is his versatility. At Valencia, the attacker often worked on the right wing, but an injury crisis led Pep Guardiola to rely on the 20-year-old to spearhead his attack – not a false nine, but an out-and-out center-forward – and the results were impressive. Torres was selected as the striker in each of his four starts in the competition so far, scoring three times and troubling defenders with his intelligent work off the ball.

And, worryingly for City’s rivals across Europe, Torres is already striking up an impressive understanding with one of England’s brightest talents, Phil Foden.

Haaland must be wrapped in cotton wool

Erling Haaland’s numbers are, quite frankly, ridiculous. The 20-year-old already surpassed the all-time Champions League goal tallies of Brazilian frontmen Ronaldo and Adriano by notching 16 strikes over 12 appearances in the competition.

Unsurprisingly, Borussia Dortmund are a completely different team without the ruthless Norwegian in attack. Since Haaland was sidelined until the new year with a hamstring injury, Der BVB have drawn twice and won once across all competitions, and their shot conversion rate has taken a notable hit.

Dortmund’s shot conversion:

Dortmund must carefully control his workload when he returns to fitness because there isn’t another natural striker who can be relied upon in Lucien Favre’s squad. Marco Reus, Julian Brandt, Thorgan Hazard, and 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko have all cropped up in central positions during his absence, but none can begin to replicate Haaland’s physical presence or his cold-blooded finishing.

Conte, Inter can’t figure it out in Europe

For the third consecutive season, Inter Milan bowed out of the Champions League in the group stage; this year, they were the only Italian side to falter at the first hurdle, adding to the disappointment for Antonio Conte.

“It’s unbelievable that in 180 minutes against Shakhtar, in two games dominated, we didn’t manage to score,” Conte said after a goalless draw against the Ukrainian side condemned Inter to last place in the topsy-turvy Group B.

“There is a lot of regret but I honestly don’t hear that there was a lack of desire, of determination and focus,” he added. “There was a lack of goals. If you don’t score, you don’t win.”

True as that may be, there shouldn’t have been a lack of goals – not with the talent at Conte’s disposal this season. This was, in no uncertain terms, a failure, and not an uncharacteristic one for the fiery Italian manager. He’s never been beyond the quarterfinals of the Champions League as a manager, and, incredibly, he’s won just three of the 12 games managed in the competition since being stationed on the Nerazzurri touchline.

Simple bad luck played its part, but Conte’s inability to deliver in midweek can’t be ignored.

Finishing fourth and not having to worry about any European competition for the rest of the season may actually be beneficial in the long run. Inter can now focus exclusively on their Serie A title push, but it certainly won’t feel that way right now.

Glass ceiling remains firmly in place

This isn’t so much a new development as it is an affirmation of something already widely known, but there’s an inevitability about the Champions League group stage that is sapping the tournament of intrigue. The proverbial top five leagues – the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 – continue to dominate proceedings.

This season, only one club from outside those competitions – FC Porto of Portugal – survived the group stage. There’s really no stopping that trend now, considering the financial power those leagues and countries wield compared to their peers within the UEFA pyramid. Ultimately, we want to see the continent’s elite make the latter stages of the tournament. That’s really the whole point, even if it breeds repetition.

Everyone loves an underdog run, though, and it seems they’re becoming less plausible with each passing season.

Over the last 12 unprecedented months, soccer leagues across the globe shut down, opened back up, and played on despite numerous health and logistical challenges. The sport never looked – or sounded – so different. But it wasn’t only the coronavirus pandemic that made headlines in the world of soccer. Here, theScore chronicles the year’s five biggest soccer stories. Part 1 of this series – running through stories 10-6 – can be found here.

5. Players take knee to combat racism

When the Premier League resumed play in June, bringing an end to a 100-day hiatus, players and staff had something other than the pandemic on their minds. Teams decided to take a knee to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained steam after the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. Protests erupted across the United States, and after a number of Bundesliga players, including English winger Jadon Sancho, made anti-racism statements, the Premier League followed suit with demonstrations at its venues. Players wore “Black Lives Matter” on the back of their shirts and kneeled in silence before kickoff.

The campaign, which carried into the 2020-21 season, had its critics, and some believed it was too political. Queens Park Rangers director of football Les Ferdinand said the gesture had become little more than a public relations stunt, claiming the movement was “diluted.” QPR players stopped taking a knee as a result.

“The message has been lost,” Ferdinand, the only Black director in English soccer, said. “It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge. What are our plans with this? Will people be happy for players to take the knee for the next 10 years but see no actual progress made? Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game. Actions will.”

Later, fans of second-tier side Millwall booed players who took a knee before a match in early December. The incident overshadowed what was supposed to be a triumphant return of fans to stadiums across England. The Football Association condemned the display and offered its support to all players and staff that “wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes the taking of the knee.”

4. Liverpool end 30-year title drought

Liverpool needed just six points to clinch the Premier League title when play was suspended in March. Nothing, it appeared, could stop them. But as the coronavirus pandemic worsened, West Ham vice chairman Karren Brady called for the season to be rendered null and void, sparking a huge debate over the integrity of the 2019-20 campaign and providing an opportunity to deny Liverpool at the final hurdle.

However, the Reds cut out the white noise when they returned to the pitch in June. And when Chelsea beat second-place Manchester City toward the end of the month, Liverpool officially became champions of England, ending a title drought that had lasted three long decades.

Jurgen Klopp’s side ultimately captured the title with seven games remaining.

Despite coronavirus restrictions and calls to celebrate privately, fans showed up in droves outside Anfield and around the city centre, lighting flares and waving flags in large groups. Police issued a dispersal order as thousands of people flooded the streets, and emergency services had to respond to a fire that broke out on a prominent balcony. A victory parade was put on hold until a later date.

3. Messi tries to leave Barcelona

Shortly after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich, Lionel Messi informed the club’s executives via burofax he was terminating his contract. Messi admitted afterward he was frustrated by Barcelona’s lack of direction and fed up with president Josep Maria Bartomeu in particular.

Messi’s camp argued that a termination clause in the Argentine’s contract, which had been due to expire in the summer, was still valid because the season was delayed by the pandemic. His father, Jorge Messi, pleaded for Barcelona to release his son, but to no avail. Bartomeu refused the request and said any team interested in signing Messi would have to pay his €700-million release clause. Unwilling to take the matter to court and leave the club he joined as a 13-year-old in a blaze of fire, Messi agreed, albeit reluctantly, to stay.

“I would never go to war against the club of my life,” Messi said.

Amid talk of a potential divorce, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain emerged as the favorites to sign Messi. Neither side made an official bid.

Bartomeu eventually resigned as a result of the fiasco. Messi said he had told Bartomeu all year he wanted to leave. Fans called for the club to remove the president and hold elections early. An election will now take place in January.

Messi could still leave Barcelona next summer. His contract expires on June 30, and he’s allowed to speak with any interested club from January on. The story may not be over just yet.

2. Maradona dies of heart attack

The death of Diego Maradona, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, made international headlines. Argentina observed three days of national mourning, and athletes from various sports paid tribute to a man who, while flawed, inspired millions of people with his masterful dribbling ability and colorful personality. After captaining Argentina’s national team to World Cup glory in 1986 and leading Napoli to multiple titles in Italy’s Serie A, Maradona struggled with cocaine and obesity, and his health deteriorated.

Though his career was cut short due to weight and drug problems, Maradona became an idol to his people, not just for his match-winning performances but for his improbable rise from the poor outskirts of Argentina to the pinnacle of world soccer.

His infamous goal against England in the 1986 World Cup – scored with, as he called it, the “Hand of God” – was everything that people liked and hated about him. He was supremely talented, capable of arcing beautiful free-kicks and gliding past multiple defenders at a time. He paid the price for his brilliance on the pitch, suffering nasty fouls that left his back in devastating pain.

After his death at the age of 60, Maradona’s coffin lay in state as tens of thousands gathered in Buenos Aires to pay their respects. Police later raided the office of Maradona’s doctor as part of an investigation into possible manslaughter. Dr. Leopoldo Luque insisted he gave Maradona the best possible care and said he cooperated with the authorities.

1. Leagues shut down due to COVID-19

At the start of March, soccer in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the U.S. had suddenly ground to a halt. The Premier League, widely regarded as the sport’s most popular division, persisted until March 12 before Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19, forcing his entire team into quarantine. A day later, the Premier League shut down entirely. Play didn’t resume until June.

By then, soccer had changed. Clubs faced bankruptcy. Leagues forfeited huge sums of money from broadcasters. Euro 2020 was postponed by a year, a decision taken at a “huge cost” to UEFA. In France and the Netherlands, the Ligue 1 and Eredivisie seasons ended prematurely, and later, a lucrative TV deal worth billions of euros collapsed, threatening the health of France’s top teams. Without fans in attendance, teams lost out on matchday revenue, plunging the lower tiers into crisis.

But the show went on. In May, the Bundesliga became the first of Europe’s top leagues to restart, and in August, the Champions League concluded over two whirlwind weeks in Portugal. Soccer around the world slowly resumed, and for a brief period, fans were allowed to attend matches.

Doctors later discovered that two fixtures in particular had accelerated the spread of COVID-19 in Europe. One expert described Atalanta’s match against Valencia as a “biological bomb,” claiming it set off a wave of cases in Italy. Another study linked 41 coronavirus-related deaths to Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Atletico in March.

Over the next 12 months, a fresh crop of footballers will establish themselves atop the men’s game. Here, theScore takes a look at some talented youngsters – aged 21 and under – who are set to flourish in 2021, while deliberately excluding those who made our lists for 2019 and 2020.

Thiago Almada

Club: Velez Sarsfield | Age: 19 | Position: Winger, attacking midfielder

Velez Sarsfield’s Copa Sudamericana hunt is still alive, and much of that is down to Almada’s efforts. The agile Argentine attacker assisted one and scored the other as they progressed from the first round, and he then scored twice in the last-16 before injury cut short his quarterfinal involvement. He can switch direction in an instant.

Mitchel Bakker

Club: Paris Saint-Germain | Age: 20 | Position: Left-back

Juan Bernat faces a fight for the left-back spot when he overcomes his cruciate ligament injury. Bakker hasn’t been cowed by his premature promotion to the Paris Saint-Germain XI, as he neatly combines his imposing physicality (6-foot-1) with attacking quality (a dangerous left-footed delivery).

Jude Bellingham

Club: Borussia Dortmund | Age: 17 | Position: Midfielder

Many European giants tried to tempt Bellingham from Birmingham City during his time in the academy, but he and his family decided staying put was best for his development. Now, after becoming the youngest debutant and goalscorer in the Blues’ history, he’s already making an impression at Dortmund following his July transfer.

Moises Caicedo

Club: Independiente del Valle | Age: 19 | Position: Midfielder

Ecuador hasn’t been great at producing deep-lying midfielders over the years, but Caicedo looks set to redefine the country’s footballing identity. His skill and composure allow him to wriggle away from opponents, and he always tries to progress play up the pitch. Manchester United are apparently interested.

Rayan Cherki

Club: Lyon | Age: 17 | Position: Attacking midfielder

Cherki’s workload has been carefully managed since his breakout performance in the Coupe de France last January, as he’s started only three matches in the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season. His outrageous street skills, willingness to take on players, and vision make him a joy to watch.

Sergino Dest

Club: Barcelona | Age: 20 | Position: Right-back

Signing a right-back was a priority for Barcelona last summer and, after entertaining a move for Max Aarons, they opted to dish out €21 million for Dest. The American international is settling well in Catalonia after progressing through Ajax’s ranks. He’s a great two-way full-back and a general improvement on Nelson Semedo.

Harvey Elliott

Club: Liverpool | Age: 17 | Position: Winger

With little chance of usurping Mohamed Salah or finding an alternative place in Liverpool’s attack, right-winger Elliott has been granted regular minutes during a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers. He’s among the Championship’s best for key passes and has directly contributed to 10 goals so far.

Wesley Fofana

Club: Leicester City | Age: 20 | Position: Defender

Fofana’s transition into English football has been seamless, as he’s contributed to seven clean sheets across all competitions. His reading of the game is phenomenal for a defender of his tender years, and he’s much more assured in possession than long-term Leicester absentee Caglar Soyuncu.

Marc Guehi

Club: Chelsea | Age: 20 | Position: Defender

Guehi has legitimate hopes of following Reece James into Chelsea’s starting XI next season. The center-back is on his second loan spell with Swansea City, where he’s garnering attention for his incisive distribution, athleticism, and leadership. He could be Thiago Silva’s natural successor.

Reece James

Club: Chelsea | Age: 21 | Position: Right-back

James’ reputation continues to grow since breaking into the Chelsea lineup following a season-long loan with Wigan Athletic in 2018-19. His crossing is pinpoint, he has a venomous shot, and he doesn’t have any clear weaknesses to his defensive game. He’s already one of the Premier League’s finest right-backs.

Curtis Jones

Club: Liverpool | Age: 19 | Position: Midfielder

Jones is turning into a key player for Jurgen Klopp and could be a wise pick for Gareth Southgate’s England squad at this summer’s European Championship. The Liverpool product can create and kibosh attacks in midfield with equal success and is seemingly primed for stardom.

Sekou Koita

Club: Red Bull Salzburg | Age: 21 | Position: Forward

Left-footed Malian marksman Koita is yet another player plotting a rise to the top of the game via Red Bull Salzburg. The 21-year-old has netted 10 times despite starting only five matches in the 2020-21 Austrian Bundesliga term and has a knack for catching out goalkeepers by taking his shots early.

Tariq Lamptey

Club: Brighton & Hove Albion | Age: 20 | Position: Right-back

Lamptey didn’t see enough openings at Chelsea while he was behind James and Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order, so he completed a transfer to Brighton last January. The diminutive right-back is arguably the Seagulls’ most prized asset, as his tireless attacking and combative style consistently light up matches.

Youssoufa Moukoko

Club: Borussia Dortmund | Age: 16 | Position: Forward

Moukoko became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history at 16 years and 28 days when he latched onto Raphael Guerreiro’s through-ball and rifled an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net against Union Berlin in December. It was a fitting way for the Cameroon-born phenom to open his account.

Michael Olise

Club: Reading | Age: 19 | Position: Midfielder

Olise’s current productivity may not last the season – he’s scored four and assisted eight – but the French teen is already one of the Championship’s most creative players. He’s destined to be another EFL-schooled star to graduate to the top flight, following the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze.

Pedri

Club: Barcelona | Age: 18 | Position: Attacking midfielder

Pedri’s twinkle-toed footwork has been a welcome highlight of a largely miserable campaign for Barcelona. He’s second to Valencia’s Yunus Musah for 2020-21 La Liga minutes tallied by a player born in 2000 or later and is forging a promising on-pitch partnership with Lionel Messi.

Giovanni Reyna

Club: Borussia Dortmund | Age: 18 | Position: Attacking midfielder

As a son of two former U.S. internationals, Reyna was probably a waste of the school guidance counselor’s time. Soccer is in his blood. His fidgety movement and ability to ride opposition lunges make him one of the most slippery attackers in Europe, and his vision and weight of pass are reminiscent of his father, Claudio.

Perr Schuurs

Club: Ajax | Age: 21 | Position: Defender

Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs most interested in acquiring Schuurs from Ajax. He twice performed well against the Reds’ vaunted attack in the Champions League group stage and has consistently shown similarities to fellow Ajax academy alumnus Matthijs de Ligt.

Ferran Torres

Club: Manchester City | Age: 20 | Position: Winger, forward

Torres rarely ventured too far from the right flank with Valencia, but he’s already cropped up in various positions at Manchester City – including as a striker – and has impressed. His tactical intelligence, work rate, and vision are ingredients Pep Guardiola can use to turn Torres into a world-class operator.

Florian Wirtz

Club: Bayer Leverkusen | Age: 17 | Position: Midfielder

Kai Havertz, Julian Brandt, and Benjamin Henrichs all played in the Champions League as youngsters at Leverkusen, and considering the club’s current domestic performance, Wirtz could soon follow suit. He can fulfill a range of midfield roles, his dribbling can be hypnotic, and he’s blessed with sublime creativity.

Joshua Zirkzee

Club: Bayern Munich | Age: 19 | Position: Forward

Zirkzee started getting game time at Bayern in 2019 and has arguably the game’s finest tutor in Robert Lewandowski. “He’s the kind of player who is highly sought-after: a powerful striker who keeps his cool and doesn’t let himself be caught out,” the club’s academy boss, Holger Seitz, said when Zirkzee reached the senior ranks.

Honorable mentions: Riccardo Calafiori (Roma), Billy Gilmour (Chelsea) Yunus Musah (Valencia), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka (both Arsenal)