Spain scored a stoppage-time equaliser through Jose Luis Gaya to draw 1-1 away to Germany on Thursday in their Nations League opener and first international in almost 10 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paris' Champs Elysee avenue will be pedestrianised on Sunday evening and wearing face masks will be compulsory, officials said on the eve of Paris St Germain taking on Bayern Munich in soccer's Champions League final.
RB Leipzig's Timo Werner scored a hat-trick as they demolished hosts Mainz 5-0 on Sunday to reclaim third place in the Bundesliga with an emphatic victory after three straight draws. Schalke 04 slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by relegation-threatened Augsburg on Sunday, their fourth defeat in five games dropping them to eighth place in the Bundesliga.
The Champions League will resume in August after being halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 'Final Eight' tournament being held in Lisbon after the remaining second-leg games from the last 16 ties are decided.
Soccer in Germany has been suspended for almost a month and the German Football League (DFL) has said the ban will remain in place for the top divisions at least until April 30. Clubs, however, were given the all clear to resume training this week, with champions Bayern Munich deciding to train players in small groups to minimise the risk of infection.
RB Leipzig scored twice in the opening 13 minutes but had to survive a late comeback from Manchester United to cling on to a 3-2 win on Tuesday that sent them into the Champions League knockout stage and eliminated the English side.
Fans protested against Monday night football in the Bundesliga as Eintracht Frankfurt beat visiting RB Leipzig 2-1, delaying the start of both halves of the match, the second by throwing hundreds of tennis balls onto the pitch.
Robert Lewandowski struck twice as champions Bayern Munich eased past Freiburg 3-1 on Saturday to secure a record 15th win in a row and the Pole became the first foreign player to score 33 goals in a Bundesliga season. Erling Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund beat closest challengers RB Leipzig 2-0 away on Saturday to wrap up second place in the Bundesliga.
Defending champions Bayern Munich must face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid after they were drawn together in Champions League Group A alongside Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow.
'We do a lot of activities outside the pitch, maybe it's too much for some but that's how you win titles.'
If two or more clubs are level on points at the end of the group stage, a number of criteria will be taken into consideration to decide the qualifiers for the next round, starting with the head-to-head record among the teams in question. It then goes to superior goal difference and then goals scored in those matches.
Images from the Champions League football matches played on Wednesday night.
Austria are the favourites in their Euro Group C opener against the Balkan nation
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday night.
Manchester United have named German Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season, the Premier League club announced on Monday, eight days after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Bayern Munich celebrated their record-extending ninth consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday with a 6-0 demolition of Borussia Moenchengladbach and a hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski, who edged closer to a 49-year-old scoring record.
Scotland's Clarke names uncapped trio in Euro squad.
The result also ensured an unhappy start for Hoffenheim's unorthodox five-man coaching team who replaced Alfred Schreuder after his sacking on Tuesday. The hosts remain seventh on 43 points as they chase a Europa League qualifying spot.
Rangers joined Barca in the last eight despite losing 2-1 at Red Star Belgrade, progressing 3-2 on aggregate.
The two-legged ties will be played from February 16.
Sports bodies moved quickly to strip Russia of events,
The German football body will decide on the criteria for the distribution of the solidarity fund.
Barcelona moved six points clear at the top of La Liga by easing to a 4-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday with doubles from Luis Suarez and Paulinho ahead of next week's 'Clasico' against champions Real Madrid.
A summary of the concluding day's action in the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Saudi Pro League.
A round-up of Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool received a relatively kind draw for the group stage of this year's Champions League
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he expected matches to be played without fans, although there was a small chance that could change.
Tottenham Hotspur have called off talks with Antonio Conte to become their new manager to replace the sacked Jose Mourinho
Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg action
Bayern's Mazraoui suffers heart complications due to COVID
In a game which was short of clear-cut chances, Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka conceded a penalty in the second half when he tripped up Robin Quaison and RB Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg made no mistake in beating him from the spot.
IMAGES from football matches played in the Spain, Germany and Portugal on Wednesday.
Neuer sidelined for 'coming weeks' after knee surgery - Bayern
'It wasn't easy, but I called him last night (Sunday) and we had a difficult and tough conversation. I feel bad as he's a player who has always been at the top level and has a future with the national team.'
Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United caught up in a swirl of speculation.
In a statement, UEFA suggested alternative dates for the gesture during the tournament.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
A prolific striker in Germany's second division, Loew's first major coaching job was at VfB Stuttgart in 1996. After further stops at clubs in Turkey and Austria he joined Germany in 2004 as assistant coach.
RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer scored two early goals as they eased past last year's Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in their last 16 second leg tie on Tuesday to reach their first quarter-finals.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances