A summary of Tuesday's matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Champions Barcelona turned on the style to hammer Atletico Madrid 5-2 and consolidate their position at the top of the Spanish Primera Liga on Saturday. The visitors, who were thumped 6-1 in the same fixture last season, have yet to win a game in the new campaign but came out with an ambitious attacking lineup.
Atletico Madrid have one foot in the final of the Europa League after a Radamel Falcao double fired the 2010 winners to a 4-2 semi-final first leg win at home to La Liga rivals Valencia on Thursday.
A downbeat Diego Simeone did not confirm whether he wanted to continue as Atletico Madrid coach on Saturday after suffering a second agonising Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid in three years.
'You realise the fear when Barcelona could get knocked out. It would hurt UEFA a lot. I don't know what they have to do for someone to send one of them off'
Atletico Madrid cruised to a 3-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Tuesday to close the gap behind La Liga leaders Barcelona to five points.
Atletico Madrid have moved to strengthen their forward line for next season following the exit of Mario Mandzukic by agreeing to buy Colombia striker Jackson Martinez from Porto.
Ronaldo had failed to score in his last four league games for Real and his rotten run in front of goal looked set to continue when his spot-kick was turned away by visiting goalkeeper Roberto.
Atletico Madrid stayed firmly on course for a surprise La Liga title triumph when Raul Garcia's header secured a 1-0 win for the leaders at home to seventh-placed Villarreal on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid have taken the decision to cut the wages of their staff, including the players, to ease the financial burden on the club as they struggle with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the La Liga club said
Gareth Bale would not pick any Atletico Madrid player over one of his teammates, the Real Madrid forward said, as the two Spanish sides prepare to square off in Saturday's Champions League final. Atletico's defence conceded just 18 goals last season in the league, fewer per game than any other team in Europe's top five leagues. But when Bale was asked to create an ideal 11 from both teams, he said he would pick Real Madrid players every time. Asked by radio station Cadena Cope if he would pick Atletico's Jan Oblak, who equalled the La Liga record for the fewest goals in a season, or Real's Keylor Navas, Bale said, "Keylor, 100 percent." Asked which side had the best midfield and defence, he added: "Real Madrid, everyone Real Madrid."
Property giant Dalian Wanda Group Co said on Wednesday it would buy a stake in Spanish soccer champions Atletico Madrid for 45 million euros ($52 million), becoming the first Chinese company to invest in a premier European football club.
Diego Forlan is to leave La Liga club Atletico Madrid after four seasons and will join Serie A side Inter Milan, the Uruguay striker announced on Monday.
While Real Madrid plot to clinch European Cup number 10, neighbours Atletico will look to thwart those plans.
Canadian striker Ian Hume made light of a bandaged head to score a fine hat-trick and help defending champions Atletico de Kolkata drub Mumbai City FC 4-1 in a fast-paced Indian Super League football match at the D Y Patil Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero scored a dramatic late winner as Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to stun visiting Barcelona 4-3 on Sunday, leaving the Catalans just four points clear at the top in Spain.
Atletico Madrid have a chance to pile more King's Cup misery on neighbours Real after eliminating Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to set up a last-four clash against the bitter city rivals they beat in last year's final.
Saul Niguez's second-half strike gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at home to Las Palmas on Saturday, their first victory in four games in all competitions.
Images from Europa League matches played across Europe on Thursday.
Arsenal took the race to the final day last season and are strongly tipped to end Manchester City's dominance this time.
Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw by Aberdeen, while Atletico Madrid lost 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup last 32 first-leg matches.
Atletico Madrid secured a place in the Champions League qualifiers on Sunday after a goal from Diego Forlan earned them a 1-0 win over Deportivo Coruna and ensured they could finish no lower than fourth in the table. Atletico are now level on 64 points with Barca, but are in fourth because the Catalans have a better record in head-to-heads.
Atletico Madrid put last week's painful defeat by Real Madrid behind them with a 3-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday that included two goals in the space of a minute and allowed them to return to the top four in La Liga.
Roundup of Champions League matches played on Wednesday night
Real Madrid can bury Atletico's hopes of winning La Liga with a third straight victory against their city neighbours on Sunday that would leave the capital's second club trailing by six points.
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce reckons Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone would be labelled boring for his defence-oriented style if the Argentine were managing a Premier League club.
A depleted Atletico de Kolkata, without star forward Fikru Teferra, put up a spirited show but could not score that elusive winner settling for a 1-1 draw against a lucky Kerala Blasters FC in their fifth ISL encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Bayern Munich are desperate to avoid losing a third consecutive Champions League semi-final to Spanish opponents when they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday but coach Pep Guardiola has his work cut out to end his time in Germany on a high.
Atletico Madrid moved a step closer to an unlikely Spanish title triumph when they battled back from a goal down to secure a 2-1 win at fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday.
Sevilla drew level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga when they snatched a 2-1 comeback victory at home to Villarreal, while champions Atletico Madrid won 1-0 in a bad-tempered clash at Getafe on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid knocked Barcelona off the top of La Liga, for a day at least, as a second-half strike by Koke earned a 1-0 victory over a stubborn Malaga side on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid stayed hot on the heels of second-placed city neighbours Real Madrid when Radamel Falcao netted his 25th goal of the La Liga campaign in a scrappy 1-0 win at mid-table Sevilla on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic's early goal secured a 1-0 win over Real Madrid and a 2-1 aggregate success to clinch the Spanish Super Cup and gain some revenge for last season's Champions League final defeat.
Coach Diego Simeone goes home 'content' after his team's 1-0 loss in their Champions League match on Wednesday
Holders Barcelona will face fellow Spaniards Atletico Madrid, runners-up two seasons ago, in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw in Nyon on Friday.
Radamel Falcao's penalty ensured 10-man Atletico Madrid preserved their 100 percent home record in La Liga with a 1-0 victory over resurgent Espanyol on Sunday.
Russian clubs ruled the Europa League roost on Thursday as Rubin Kazan upset holders Atletico Madrid while Anzhi Makhachkala and Zenit St Petersburg opened up commanding first-leg advantages in their last 32 ties.
A late goal by Toni Kroos sealed victory as Real Madrid defeated an impressive Celta Vigo side 2-1 to win their first home La Liga game of the campaign on Saturday.
Holders Barcelona produced a second-half blitz to come from behind and beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 to book a place in the King's Cup semi-finals after Atletico Madrid crashed out in a shock 3-2 defeat by Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid and their neighbours Atletico Madrid have both been banned from signing new players for the next two transfer windows for breaching rules over the transfer of minors, soccer's governing body FIFA said on Thursday. The ban does not cover the current transfer window, which runs until the end of this month. "The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players," said FIFA in a statement.
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