Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo faces an emotional reunion with boyhood club Sporting Lisbon when his side begin the defence of their Champions League crown on Wednesday. Ronaldo, who scored the decisive penalty in the shootout win over Atletico Madrid in last season's final, returned to club football following an injury layoff when he scored in the 5-2 thrashing of Osasuna on Saturday.
Lionel Messi squeezed home a stoppage-time penalty to grab a 3-2 win for champions Barcelona at Valencia in a thrilling and controversial La Liga match on Sunday.
Chelsea's Joao Felix endured a nightmare debut when he was sent off in a 2-1 Premier League defeat at local rivals Fulham.
Lionel Messi announced on Friday that he wants to return to play for the national team, reversing his decision to retire earlier this year. Messi said in June that he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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Barca are unbeaten and nine points clear at the top of La Liga this season.
Ferran Torres scored a brace and Ousmane Dembele made two assists as a red-hot Barcelona rolled over Osasuna 4-0 on Sunday to earn their fourth consecutive LaLiga win.
The Spaniard missed the 2-1 defeat after injuring his hamstring against Manchester City before the international break.
Luis Aragones, the coach of Spain's 2008 European Championship-winning side, has died at the age of 75, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Saturday.
Gareth Bale angered Real Madrid team mate Cristiano Ronaldo for the second La Liga game in a row on Saturday.
Villarreal went top with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday after a toothless Real Madrid were held 0-0 at home to 10-man Malaga and Lionel Messi suffered a serious injury as Barcelona beat Las Palmas 2-1.
Real Madrid top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo has signalled strong support for coach Carlo Ancelotti and sent a clear message to club president Florentino Perez that he does not want the Italian to be sacked.
Barcelona beat local rivals Espanyol 2-0 in the Catalan derby on Saturday to maintain their 10 point lead at the top of La Liga, while Real Madrid scraped a 3-2 win against bottom side Huesca on Sunday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action:
Angel Correa saw La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid snatch a 2-1 victory away to Granada on Saturday
Check out the top footballers of the weekend.
Barca must beat Villareal on the weekend if they are to stand a chance of overhauling Real in the run in.
Lionel Messi, 33, has been the team's spiritual leader throughout that time but the catalogue of failures in Europe has made the previously unthinkable scenario that he could leave Barca, where he has spent most his life, seem ever more plausible.
Real Madrid returned to winning ways after last weekend's drubbing at Atletico but failed to convince and were whistled by their own fans during a drab 2-0 victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Luis Rubiales' kiss of Jenni Hermoso triggered a torrent of allegations from other women in sport of predatory behaviour by men.
'That's what we're trying to do, by creating a tournament that is much more attractive than the current one, with more quality among participants and more clubs. That will attract more sponsors and television companies from around the world'
Chelsea have topped the spending list with Manchester United not far behind, but West Ham United's business epitomises the TV riches which give all Premier League clubs spending power that only the elite teams in Spain or Germany can dream of.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney did not have the faintest idea who Anthony Martial was when the Monaco forward was linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this week, according to team mate Morgan Schneiderlin.
We want to fight for that title and we are very excited to see the draw, says Ander Herrera
Real Betis right-back Emerson Aparecido's first year in La Liga went superbly well, but there is plenty to come from one of the league's most talented and determined rising stars.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti fended off questions about his future after the Champions League holders were dumped out in the semi-finals by Juventus 3-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
Casemiro headed an 89th minute winner to earn Real Madrid a barely deserved 2-1 victory at Las Palmas in La Liga on Sunday as they closed the gap on second-placed Atletico Madrid to four points.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
The Argentine then lifted his shirt to reveal a red and black replica kit of his hometown club Newell's Old Boys bearing the number 10 which Maradona wore during his brief spell at the Rosario side in 1993.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Angel Di Maria volleyed in with 15 minutes left to give Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 win at Stade Rennais on Friday and extend their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table to 10 points.
Lionel Messi netted the 400th goal of his storied career on Saturday as Barcelona trounced Granada 6-0 to maintain the pace at the top of La Liga.
Liverpool were beaten 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid in their last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Barcelona twice threw away the lead to draw 3-3 at Levante on Tuesday in a potentially fatal blow to their chances of winning the La Liga title.
A summary of all the Champions League matches played across Europe on Tuesday
The 24-year-old has scored three league goals already and Shevchenko, who never replicated his superb goalscoring record for AC Milan in three subsequent years at Chelsea, believes there is much more to come from the Spaniard.
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