Barcelona provisionally went top of La Liga for the first time since October after Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi scored in a 6-0 thrashing of Alaves on Saturday although the win was overshadowed by a serious injury to Aleix Vidal.
Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa reignited his long-running war of words with Barcelona's Gerard Pique by suggesting that the Spanish League leaders manage to win only if opposing teams have had players sent off. La Liga leaders Barca surprisingly succumbed 1-0 to mid-table Real Sociedad on Saturday, a result that not only condemned the Catalans to their second successive league defeat but also blew the title race wide open. They now lead second-placed Atletico Madrid by three points and third-placed Real by four. "Look how difficult it is to win against 11 men," Arbeloa mocked on Twitter, referring to the fact that Barcelona have often benefited from opposing players being sent off. Barca were trailing 1-0 in last Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Atletico Madrid but secured a 2-1 win after Atletico goal scorer Fernando Torres was dismissed in the 35th minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off the boos of his own supporters to fire Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The sea 'n' sand is calling. Hit the beach no matter what!
Spain's interior minister characterised the arrested suspected militants as 'highly organised radical Islamists' and added that there was a possibility of some of the 14 arrested being innocent.
Barca dominated possession and Luis Suarez had several early chances but it was Villarreal who took the lead with Denis Cheryshev redirecting a Mario Gaspar shot past keeper Claudio Bravo on the half hour.
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Spain's La Liga on Thursday rejected payment of a record-breaking release clause that would allow Neymar to leave Barcelona for Paris St Germain, a source from the national soccer league said.
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Portugal star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been out of action since injuring his knee in the successful Euro 2016 final, has vowed to return soon after stepping up training at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training base.
Liverpool were beaten 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid in their last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
'I feel as confident and motivated as at the beginning. I can't control rumours, but I still have faith'
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Manchester City suffered from deja vu as Luis Suarez's double gave Barcelona a 2-1 first leg lead in a Champions League last 16 tie at the Etihad although Lionel Messi's late penalty miss left the door ajar on Tuesday.
In a statement, the prosecutor's office said Ronaldo had knowingly used a "business structure" created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.
Midfielder Dani Ceballos added: "It looks like us changing our coach worked. We have recovered some sensations we had lost and we have got the three points. Now our objective is to win all the games left and finish the season as well as possible."
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday night.
It was always going to be a tough task for Rafa Benitez to replace his popular, Champions League winning predecessor Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Saturday's woeful 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona has turned the pressure up a notch.
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Saturday's La Liga game at Athletic Bilbao, coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday, after the Wales international picked up yet another injury on his return to action on Tuesday after 63 days out.
Luis Suarez struggled to get into his stride with new club Barcelona after his ban for biting an opponent expired in October and the Uruguay striker is determined to avoid the same fate when the new season starts next month.
World-record signing Neymar greeted delirious fans at a grand welcome event at Paris St Germain's stadium on Saturday but must sit out the French club's Ligue 1 opener after his transfer was not registered in time.
Paris Saint Germain's Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said there were no excuses for not going through to the quarters as he came to terms with the team's earliest exit from the Champions League since the club was taken over by the Qatar Investment Authority in 2011.
The Catalan club is also close to reaching a deal to sign Sporting Lisbon's highly rated young winger Ricardo Quaresma.
"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)."
Spain's Nolito clueless about British referendum moniker
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the club and Spain after being accused of committing tax fraud in the country, a report in Portuguese sports daily A Bola said on Friday.
Mexico captain Andres Guardado said his side have become fearless after following up their hugely impressive win over world champions Germany by beating South Korea 2-1 on Saturday to take a huge leap towards topping Group F.
Paris St Germain coach Unai Emery cursed his side for switching off in the final minutes of their 6-1 defeat at Barcelona which sent the French champions out of the Champions League before the quarter-finals for the first time in five years.
The Bavarians have now won the German league title a record 29 times.
The incident took place at Dubai airport where Messi landed last month to attend the seventh edition of the Globe Soccer Awards, in which he received the prize of best team and best player, local dailies said.
Pogba publicly criticised United's tactics in their 1-1 home draw with Wolves at the weekend, and is reported to have annoyed Mourinho by posting an Instagram video of himself laughing in the stands during the team's League Cup defeat to Derby County on Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho, sacked as manager of Chelsea in December seven months after winning the English Premier League title, has said he is not enjoying his time out of work and will soon be back in management.
AC Milan have confirmed their interest in signing Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o.
Venus Williams has pulled out of the upcoming Brisbane International after suffering a 'setback' in training
Barcelona first struggled to come to terms with their shock 4-0 defeat to Paris St Germain in the Champions League last 16 first leg but have sparkled in their last two games and are daring to believe they can defy history by reaching the quarter-finals.
Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has expressed his desperation to finally prove himself at Stamford Bridge under new boss Jose Mourinho, and hopes to persuade him that he is still the man to fire the Blues to glory.
Influential Spain defender Gerard Pique has said he will retire from international soccer after the 2018 World Cup, because he is "tired" of the criticism levelled at him from supporters. The Barcelona centre-back was the focus of attention in Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Albania after having cut off the sleeves from his shirt which bore Spain's colours of yellow and red. Pique, who has an awkward relationship with Spain fans for his repeated jibes at Real Madrid and his support for a referendum on Catalan independence, was heavily criticised on social media and in the sports press for the act.
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Andres Iniesta will always be a hero to Barcelona.
Klopp has led Liverpool to back-to-back Champions League finals but is adamant that their impressive recent track record does not make them the title favourites.
