A summary of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League Knock-out phase play-offs.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich powered past third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 with an impressive display of high-pressing football on Sunday.
The French and English sides, two of European football's most powerful and richest clubs, will compete for the honour of being the first champions of FIFA's expanded competition, created with the promise of revolutionising club football and as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The Indian men's team, seeded ninth, fared no better, suffering an equally disappointing exit in their opening round (also the pre-quarterfinals), losing 2-6 to eighth seed Brazil.
Winning back-to-back titles for the first time since 1984 is likely to prove a rather more arduous challenge for Liverpool.
Jude Bellingham converted a penalty and Kylian Mbappe added another goal before halftime to spur Real Madrid to a 2-0 victory over Getafe.
IMAGES from football matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
A fan who racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr and Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze in two games at Mallorca last year has been found guilty and handed a suspended prison sentence.
Meanwhile, the recurve archers continued to disappoint.
Former England soccer captain David Beckham officially received Knighthood from King Charles III on Saturday. He was honoured for his outstanding contribution to sport and charity.
Iga Swiatek, who beat American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday to win her sixth Grand Slam title.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
As the spotlight shines on Carlos Alcaraz's title defence and Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam, a determined group of challengers is quietly preparing to shake up the draw.
Real Madrid paid for defensive mistakes as they were held to a 3-3 draw at lowly local rivals Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
'We were happy with the win because we played a great game until the 88th minute, when two lapses in concentration led to two goals and we had to suffer a bit more than we should have.'
'Did I leave too soon? No, my story was over, it had to end. There was no bitterness, I'd reached the end of my tether.'
Real Madrid signed Mbappe as a free agent in a five-year deal after the Frenchman's contract expired at Paris Saint Germain (PSG).
Man City to face Spurs in League Cup
Leicester City part ways with head coach Van Nistelrooy after Premier League relegation
Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League side announced on Thursday, which will keep the Portuguese forward at the club well past his 42nd birthday.
Indian club East Bengal produced an utterly dominant show to crush Bangladesh's Bashundhara Kings 4-0 in their AFC Challenge League match in Thimphu on Tuesday.
23-year-old Brazilian forward, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for 60 million pounds ($81.5 million) last week, stars in victory over boyhood club Fluminense
"Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last 'El Clasico' of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup."
Manchester City secured top spot in Group G of the Club World Cup with a 5-2 thrashing of Juventus on Thursday, exposing the Serie A side's defensive frailties in emphatic fashion.
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which sells dairy products, has launched Amul Milk in Spain.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova announced on Thursday that she will retire from tennis at the conclusion of the US Open later this year.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona overcame a two-goal deficit to secure a crucial 4-3 home victory against rivals Real Madrid in a pulsating Clasico on Sunday, edging them closer to the LaLiga title.
Djokovic, 38, is winless on clay this year after exiting the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open with straight-sets losses last month, and his form is a concern heading into Roland Garros, which kicks off on Sunday.
Spain and Portugal suffered a major power outage on Monday, affecting millions and disrupting airports, metros, and telecom companies.
Gauff seeks to eliminate service errors ahead of French Open tilt
Real Madrid fight back to beat Mallorca and put Barca party on hold
Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals.
Lille coach Genesio hails perfect night after win over Real
Images from Sunday's action in LaLiga and Serie A.
The players celebrated in front of the fans and video footage showed them dancing and making gestures towards the Atletico supporters, who responded by throwing objects from the stands.
Versatility is essential and it has come to the fore for Sabalenka in recent tournaments, where she has used not just her brutal strength to put opponents on the back foot but also applied a touch of finesse to leave them wrong-footed.
Marc Marquez delivered a clinical masterclass at MotoGP's Cathedral of Speed on Sunday to claim victory at the Dutch Grand Prix
Images from Friday's Women's Euro 2025 Group C action between Germany-Poland and Denmark-Sweden.
A wake is expected to take place at a chapel in Gondomar from 4 PM (1500 GMT) and a funeral on Saturday at a church nearby at 10 AM local time, Gondomar's mayor's office said.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored a hat-trick to help the LaLiga champions snap a two-game winless run in all competitions.
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