Lionel Messi's exquisite finish set Barcelona on their way to a potentially decisive 2-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday to lift the champions three points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga.
Five head-to-head battles to watch out for in Saturday's potentially decisive 'Clasico' at the Bernabeu, when La Liga leaders Real Madrid host title rivals and defending champions Barcelona.
A win for Real Madrid or a draw for Barcelona in Saturday's El Clasico at the Bernabeu could be the deciding act in the La Liga title race this year.
Rafael van der Vaart admitted to handling the ball in the lead up to Real Madrid's opening goal in their 3-1 victory over Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Saturday.
Big-spending Real Madrid failed to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals for the sixth straight season when Olympique Lyon dumped the Spaniards out 2-1 on aggregate on Wednesday.
Rafael van der Vaart scored an injury-time winner as Real Madrid came back to beat Sevilla 3-2 and replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday, after the champions were held 2-2 in Almeria.
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo, the record 80 million-pound ($130 million) signing the club hope will help restore them to former glories, was welcomed by 80,000 jubilant fans at the Bernabeu on Monday.
Real Madrid need to sign two more players and off-load about 10 to round off their summer transfer dealings, club president Florentino Perez has said.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to sweep this year's awards for individual players, UEFA president Michel Platini predicted on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Cristiano Ronaldo took his tally for the La Liga season to a phenomenal 13 goals in six appearances with his third treble of the campaign as Real Madrid romped to a 5-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Real Madrid will not seek to boost their squad ahead of their transfer ban, which starts at the end of the month, club president Florentino Perez said on Wednesday. Perez's leadership at Real has been synonymous with glamour signings but the club will be unable to register new players during the next two transfer windows for breaching FIFA rules on signing non-Spanish Under-18 players. "We will not sign players during the winter market but this has nothing to do with the punishment. It is because we have the best players and the best trainer," Perez told France Football.
La Liga leaders Barcelona earned a narrow 1-0 win over Real Valladolid to move seven points clear at the top, while Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home against Girona to fall to third behind Atletico Madrid.
European champions Barcelona will quickly renew acquaintances with their former striker Samuel Eto'o when they begin the defence of their trophy at Inter Milan in their opening Champions League match next month. The draw also brought together AC Milan and nine-time European champions Real Madrid in another mouthwatering Italian versus Spanish clash with Brazil forward Kaka facing his old club at his new Bernabeu home on Matchday Three.
European champions Barcelona will face Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine and Russian newcomers Rubin Kazan when they open the defence of their crown following the draw for the Champions League group phase on Thursday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend in La Liga.
It compounded a woeful few months for the club as coach Julen Lopetegui came and went before former player Santiago Solari replaced him in November. They sat sixth in La Liga and appeared a team in decline, sorely missing forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who left for Juventus last summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal for Real Madrid netting the opener from the penalty spot in a 4-2 friendly win over Ecuador's Liga de Quito at the Bernabeu in Madrid on Tuesday. The Portuguese winger, signed from Manchester United for 80 million pounds last month, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way after being tripped as he dribbled into the area in the 48th minute.
Following September's 1-0 win over Espanyol, Real had five games without a win -- a run in which they went eight hours and one minute without scoring.
Third-tier Alcorcon lost 1-0 to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday but dumped the nine-times European champions out of the King's Cup 4-1 on aggregate. Alcorcon operate on a budget of just over one million euros ($1.50 million), some 400 times smaller than Real's.
The reigning Ballon d'or winner gave a perfect start to his side's new campaign by scoring twice in Madrid's comfortable 3-0 win over Cypriot visitors APOEL in the opening match.
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo completed his 80 million pound world record transfer to Real Madrid on Friday, signing a six-year deal with the Primera Liga club.
Real Madrid did not specify if he would be out of action for any length of time
Real Madrid striker Raul equalled Gerd Mueller's record of 66 goals in the three main European club competitions when he scored against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.
London's Wembley Stadium will be awarded the 2011 Champions League final, UEFA sources said.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Real Madrid to a 5-0 win over La Liga new boys Xerez at the Bernabeu on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid maintained a two-point lead in La Liga with a 3-0 victory at Las Palmas and Barcelona and Real Madrid stayed hard on their heels with thumping wins over Athletic Bilbao and Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
After a decade of trying, Sunday could be the day Villarreal finally claim three Primera Liga points from Real Madrid at the Spanish champions' Santiago Bernabeu home, according to midfielder Robert Pires.
Double strikes by Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi powered a rampant Barcelona to a 6-2 thrashing of champions Real Madrid in a spectacular Primera Liga clash at the Bernabeu on Saturday. The victory meant Barca, chasing their first title in three years, extended their lead over second-placed Real to seven points with four games left.
Spain will play an international friendly against England in Seville in February after the visitors refused to play at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday. In a statement, the RFEF said it had decided to hold the match at Sevilla's Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on February 11, without giving any further explanation.
Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy made his first appearance for the club on Monday since he was sidelined with a serious knee injury in November and underwent surgery.
Real Madrid look set to activate a buy-back clause to take Alvaro Morata back to the Bernabeu from Juventus, the Italian club's chief executive, Giuseppe Marotta, said on Tuesday.
Blackburn Rovers have signed former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado for two years on a free transfer, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action in La Liga.
Real Madrid have replaced coach Bernd Schuster with former Sevilla and Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos, sporting director Predrag Mijatovic said.
Sergio Busquets called on Barcelona to sign more players after the club's 3-1 Spanish Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid on Sunday.
Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his apology to teammates for his controversial remark that the club would be at the top of La Liga if every player was on his level.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Key head-to-head battles in Saturday's "Clasico" between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu stadium (1600 GMT)
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