Arsenal named a strong side captained by Mesut Ozil while Real had Bale on the bench and Eden Hazard, wearing the number 50 shirt, starting alongside fellow new signing Luka Jovic in attack.
Inter Milan again wasted the chance to retain their Serie A title when they were held 2-2 at home by Siena on Sunday with Marco Materazzi having a penalty saved.
Holders AS Roma will meet Inter Milan in the Italian Cup final for the fourth consecutive season after drawing 1-1 at Catania on Thursday to progress 2-1 on aggregate. Serie A leaders Inter and second-placed Roma are assured of a Champions League place next season so Italy's third UEFA Cup spot will now go to the seventh-placed team in the league.
"The price of Ronaldinho is a little high," Moratti told reporters on Tuesday. "We are following the affair but I don't think we are the most interested. Others have officially said they are. There is no derby (to sign him)."
After years of trying, South American coaches are finally gaining a foothold in European football and their growing influence will be heavily felt as the Champions League round of 16 gets under.
After a glittering career spent at European giants Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan, former Dutch international Edgar Davids has dropped to the basement of English soccer to join fourth tier side Barnet.
Italian soccer is back in fashion and next week three of the four teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League will be from the peninsula.
Twelve of Europe's leading soccer clubs from England, Italy and Spain announced a breakaway league on Sunday but after 48 hours of massive pressure from fans, politicians and even British royals the six English clubs backed out
Former England soccer captain David Beckham was banned from driving for six months on Thursday after admitting using his mobile phone while driving.
The Brazilian ace said he is close to his best after making his first competitive appearance for over six months in AC Milan's 2-1 win at Cagliari on Sunday.
World Cup winners Ronaldinho and Kaka were both left out of the Brazil's Confederations Cup squad on Tuesday as coach Luiz Felipe Scolari opted for youth ahead of experience.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised as inadequate a 50,000 euro fine handed to AS Roma for racist behaviour from their fans and said lessons had not been learned in Italian soccer.
If Barcelona require extra inspiration as they prepare their bid to overturn a 4-0 Champions League semi-final deficit at home to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, they need look no further than La Liga rivals Deportivo La Coruna.
The Champions League is set for some much-needed drama this week with the conclusion of a group stage which has been all too predictable and produced an embarrassing procession of one-sided matches.
Maverick forward Mario Balotelli was given a three-match ban on Tuesday for insulting the fourth official at the end of AC Milan's 2-2 draw at Fiorentina at the weekend.
Sunderland entrusted flamboyant Italian Paolo Di Canio with the task of securing their Premier League survival when they appointed him as head coach in place of the sacked Martin O'Neill on Sunday.
AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who led a walk-off in a club friendly in January after being racially abused, believes the game needs to be more multi-cultural.
World Player of the Year Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona became the first team to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit without the benefit of an away goal to advance to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate. Following is a selection of reactions to Barcelona's 4-0 Champions League victory against AC Milan on Tuesday.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked.
Italy will even be back to four teams in the Champions League group stage this season -- although that is thanks to a controversial re-formulation of the competition by UEFA rather than a significant improvement in performances by Serie A clubs.
If Mario Balotelli had left his "Why Always Me?" T-shirt behind in Manchester, his former manager Roberto Mancini might well have fancied wearing it on Friday.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid dropped their first points of the season on Saturday, missing the chance to equal the record for the best-ever La Liga start.
German referee Herbert Fandel will be in charge for Wednesday's Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool.
The AC Milan striker says it's not revenge against Liverpool but another chance for his team to make a mark on history.
The 38-year-old is struggling to shake off a knee injury he picked up in Milan's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford last week.
Thirteen teams have now qualified for the last 32 including Bayer Leverkusen, FC Zurich and Lazio who had already secured places in the next stage of the competition.
Two goals by Wayne Rooney, the second in stoppage time, gave the English side victory in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Deducting points from teams whose fans or players are guilty of racism is a better way of tackling the problem than players walking off the pitch and abandoning matches, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Monday.
A touch of romance has returned to the Champions League quarter-finals with seven countries, including Cyprus, represented in this week's first legs with AC Milan-Barcelona topping the bill.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was charged with improper conduct by UEFA Wednesday for comments made about the referee following Arsenal's Champions League exit to AC Milan.
AC Milan has made a 4 million-pound offer offer for the Brazilian striker.
Juventus slumped to another surprise defeat on Wednesday when the champions lost 1-0 at Sassuolo while AS Roma reclaimed top spot in Serie A with a 3-1 home victory over Udinese.
Arsenal's miserable week got worse on Saturday when they were knocked out of the FA Cup in a 2-0 fifth round defeat at Sunderland while beleaguered Chelsea fared only slightly better by scraping a 1-1 draw against second tier Birmingham City.
Kyle Walker extends Manchester City stay until 2026
Retired Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has been asked to coach the national team seeking to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, the Ukraine soccer federation said on Monday.
Former World Footballer of the Year Rivaldo, 40, has left Kabuscorp after completing a short-term contract with the Angolan team.
