Rampant Wales defeated Belgium 3-1 to reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals with a victory that included a sensational strike by Hal Robson-Kanu and a goal for captain Ashley Williams on Friday.
A superb second-half strike from Adnan Januzaj gave Belgium a 1-0 win over England on Thursday to see them top World Cup Group G with a perfect record and consign England to second place, with both sides already assured of going through to the last 16.
Real, who have not won the title since 2017, lead the table on 74 points, four ahead of Barca with five games left and have a superior head-to-head record over the Catalans which would give them the trophy if both teams finished the season level on points.
European champions Real will play host side Al Ain FC in Saturday's final in Abu Dhabi as they bid to win the title for the third year in a row.
Chelsea, however, were unlucky after they were again denied by the woodwork.
Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at Liverpool
Doctor Eva Carneiro has left Premier League champions Chelsea in the wake of last month's public spat with manager Jose Mourinho, according to several media reports on Tuesday.
Rediff.com brings you the top highlights of the soccer weekend.
Chelsea pair Diego Costa and Eden Hazard were named on Thursday on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos once again proved to be the man for the big occasion as he converted a fiercely debated penalty to help his side to a 3-1 win over rivals Barcelona at an empty Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday.
Madrid's trip to San Sebastian was full of intrigue after Barca failed to beat Sevilla and the Catalan side's defender Gerard Pique said the title was now Madrid's for the taking.
Real Madrid fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time and 6-5 on aggregate in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
With no fans allowed into venues and Real playing their home games at the 6,000-capacity Alfredo Di Stefano stadium while the Santiago Bernabeu is being refurbished, it will be a title race unlike any other.
Real Madrid moved back to the top of La Liga as Vinicius Junior scored both goals in a 2-1 victory at Elche on Saturday.
Finland, who came third with three points, must wait until the end of the group stage to see if their adventure in a first ever major tournament will continue and they need a series of results to go their way if they are to make the last 16.
Chelsea have enough experience to keep their composure in the title race after Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United cut their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points with six games left, goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has said.
Paris St Germain had a chance to extend their Ligue 1 lead to five points after RC Lens drew 1-1 at Troyes and Olympique de Marseille and Monaco shared the spoils on Saturday.
It was the third game in a row in which Real had broken the deadlock thanks to a penalty and they sealed the win when Benzema turned provider and allowed Marco Asensio to tap into an empty net early in the second half.
Real have three days to recover from the humbling defeat before Saturday's crunch local derby against Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid were given a big boost ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid in Milan with the news that coach Diego Simeone will be staying on next season. President Enrique Cerezo said on Thursday that the former Atletico player would remain at the club until at least June 2017, when his contract expires. "Simeone will stay next season," Cerezo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
Chelsea's inability to score a second goal proved costly as Karim Benzema's effort levelled things up
Brazil's Willian told reporters he will be doing everything he can to send his team mate Eden Hazard home early from Russia.
Zinedine Zidane's side joined Atletico Madrid on 66 points and moved top of the table
Madrid were not at their best but moved three points clear of rivals Barcelona.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr both scored a brace to give the LaLiga leaders a 4-1 home win over Valencia
Renault's Chinese test driver Guanyu Zhou won a virtual Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday as Formula One sought to entertain fans with esports action in a season stalled by the spreading coronavirus. The first seven rounds of the real championship have been cancelled or postponed, including the showcase Monaco Grand Prix, and it remains to be seen how many there will be ultimately.
World champions France recovered from two goals down to beat Belgium 3-2 in a thrilling Nations League semi-final on Thursday with a last-minute strike from Theo Hernandez securing a place in Sunday's showpiece match against Spain.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte gave short shrift to media reports linking him with a move away from the English Premier League leaders and said he was eager to build "something important" at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid did well to hold Atletico in regulation time and then win the match 4-1 in penalty shootouts.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were named as the three finalists.
There was eye-catching sports action the world over and we summarise it all in this breathtaking photo feature...
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has given an insight to the multinational shape of the modern Premier League by revealing he speaks to his defenders during matches in three languages.
Barca feel familiar February blues as tiredness sets in
The head of FIFA's medical committee Michel D'Hooghe has stated his support for Chelsea's former club doctor Eva Carneiro, who has brought a legal case against the club for constructive dismissal, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
Real Madrid's resurgent La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home by struggling Girona on Sunday in which captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
Real Madrid endured their toughest test at Granada on Monday since La Liga restarted but showed real determination to grind out a 2-1 win and record their ninth consecutive victory as they moved within touching distance of reclaiming the title. Early goals from Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema were enough to restore a four-point lead over Barcelona and Real will clinch their first league title since 2017 with a win over Villarreal on Thursday or at Leganes on the final day of the season.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas says the signing of Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois has not affected his desire to remain at the triple European champions as he emphatically ruled out leaving the club in order to be assured of first team football.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sprung to the defence of new goalkeeper Asmir Begovic after the Bosnian conceded four goals against the New York Red Bulls.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech believes Arsenal are ready to clear the final hurdle needed to end the Premier League title drought, and said he was overwhelmed by the support he has received from fans and teammates at his new club.
