Paris St Germain believe they can learn from their run to the Champions League final and become European champions after coming closer than ever in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich have won 21 consecutive matches in all competitions and are on a 30-game unbeaten run despite a two-month break in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lionel Messi still wishes to leave Barcelona after meeting new coach Ronald Koeman, according to reports in the Spanish media on Friday, as all four sports newspapers dedicated their front covers to the Argentine's uncertain future.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday it had upheld PSG's appeal against UEFA on the grounds that the body took too long to review its own decision to clear the French champions of breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
In the other pairings, English champions Manchester United will take on Greek club Olympiakos, while AC Milan take on Atletico Madrid.
Ronaldo, who won the award last year, topped the scoring charts with 15 goals in the competition as Real Madrid won a third consecutive European crown.
Paris St Germain fielded a second-string side and were held 0-0 at home by Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Saturday as they restored a 23-point advantage at the top of the table.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal "does not know why" Angel Di Maria has not joined the Premier League club's pre-season tour of the U.S following media reports the winger is close to signing for Paris St-Germain.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field...
Barcelona have signed centre back Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon for 25 million euros ($27.75 million), the La Liga winners said on Tuesday.
The death of a Paris St Germain fan after a UEFA Cup game has sparked a nationwide debate in France on how to rid soccer of violence and racism, and prompted a change in policy on ticket sales.
A summary of sports events and persons in the news on Saturday.
Atalanta, who had a fairtytale run, making it to the quarter-finals of Europe's top club competition, were looking good to progress when Mario Pasalic scored the opening goal in the 26th minute to hand the Italians a one-goal lead.
Juventus have 13 points from seven games, three behind leaders AC Milan who host Verona later on Sunday. Lazio have 11 points.
La Liga champions Barcelona began the new campaign with a 3-0 win over Alaves on Saturday with the help of a spectacular under-the-wall free kick from Lionel Messi, who scored twice, and a curling shot from substitute Philippe Coutinho.
Paris St Germain would be odds-on certainties to easily beat Chelsea and take a big step towards the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday if statistics and domestic form decided matches.
"Barcelona and Sergio Busquets signed this morning an agreement to renew the player's contract, which will end on June 30 2023," Barca said in a statement.
Barcelona have agreed a fee for the transfer of Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele to Spain, ending a saga that led to the talented 20-year-old winger being suspended by the Bundesliga club, Germany's Bild newspaper said on Thursday.
Thirteen-times European champions Real, who had come through each of their last three Champions League semi-final ties, had been second best for much last week's first leg which ended 1-1.
Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City reached the Champions League final for the first time thanks to a 2-0 victory over Paris St Germain at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday that secured a 4-1 aggregate win.
Lionel Messi's fifth-place finish in this year's Ballon d'Or vote was absurd, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said of the Spanish champions' Argentina forward on Tuesday.
Arsenal have signed forward Nicolas Pepe from French club Lille for a club-record fee, the Premier League side said on Thursday.
Chelsea are banking on a lavish shopping spree to give them more bite up front and much-needed solidity in defence after coach Frank Lampard spent last season relying heavily on a crop of inexperienced home-grown players.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Gilberto Fleitas, the head of the investigations unit of the Paraguayan police, said Ronaldinho and his brother were taken into custody just hours after a judge refused to ratify a prosecutor's proposal for an alternative punishment.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Neymar's imminent arrival at Paris St Germain can help France's Ligue 1 grow to match Europe's powerhouse leagues, according to the director general of top flight side Lille.
Javier Pastore's brilliant individual goal in stoppage time put the gloss on Paris St Germain's 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Chelsea, While, Real Madrid closed in on the semi-finals with 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Neymar faces a race against time to be fit for this year's World Cup finals after the Brazil team doctor was quoted on Thursday saying that he would be out for up to three months with a foot injury.
Barcelona eased into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Manchester City on Wednesday and Paris St Germain joined them after overwhelming Bayer Leverkusen 6-1 over the two legs of their last-16 tie.
A statement from the club on Thursday said they had made record turnover of 990 million euros last season and projected an increase to 1.047 billion euros for the 2019/20 campaign.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi says Neymar remains determined to return to the club
Manchester City and Paris St Germain, two of the newly rich clubs in European soccer, have been fined up to 60 million euros ($82.23 million) and had their squads capped for next season's Champions League after breaching UEFA's financial rules.
Leicester City will play Barcelona, Celtic and Paris St Germain in this year's International Champions Cup (ICC), the Premier League leaders said on Tuesday.
Paris St Germain will play Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona were pitted against an unpredictable Napoli, while Chelsea were drawn against Bayern Munich. City, who will be at home in the second leg, have yet to beat the Spanish side with two draws and two defeats in their previous four meetings.
IMAGES from soccer matches played across Europe on Sunday.
The move would end a turbulent spell at the club for the Argentine, who has fallen out with fans along on the way and provided fodder for the gossip columns thanks to his marriage to Wanda Nara, a media personality who also acts as his agent.
Paris St Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a first-half penalty for a 1-0 home win against Nice that took his side back within a point of Ligue 1 leaders Olympique de Marseille.
PSG will need to rely on their attack against the team they knocked out in the semi-finals last season.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is expecting Angel Di Maria to begin pre-season training on August 5 and has no information about the Argentina winger leaving for Paris St Germain.
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