In a big blow to Real Madrid's title hopes, Real Betis held them to a goalless draw in their La Liga encounter on Sunday.
European champions Real Madrid will face former champions Liverpool, FC Basel and debutants Ludogorets of Bulgaria following the draw for the group stage of the Champions league on Thursday.
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.
An off-key Liverpool were frustrated for a second successive game by struggling opponents as they were held to a 0-0 Premier League draw at Newcastle United on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's double strike helped Barcelona scrape a 3-2 victory over Real Sociedad on Saturday to keep the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid, who needed a brace from Isco to beat Sporting Gijon by the same scoreline.
Real Madrid became La Liga champions for the first time since 2012 on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Malaga, denying arch-rivals Barcelona three consecutive league titles.
Rodrygo and new recruit Jude Bellingham scored first-half goals to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao to kick off their LaLiga season.
Real Madrid were dumped out of the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage on Thursday after losing 4-3 at home to Real Sociedad, while record 30-times winners Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Copa del Rey in a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
Champions Real Madrid were beaten at home by promoted Cadiz, while Barcelona fell to their first defeat in La Liga under new coach Ronald Koeman as they lost to Getafe.
The Welshman has a contract until 2022 and was set to make a lucrative move to the Chinese Super League last year before the transfer was scuttled when Real made a last-minute decision to insist on a transfer fee rather than terminate his contract.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso declined to comment on Saturday after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal suggested the capital club "cheat" and "complain" in a televised interview on Friday.
Manchester City reached the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Real Madrid 2-1 (4-2 on aggregate) at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, with scorers Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus taking advantage of errors by defender Raphael Varane.
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.
Exactly four months after succeeding Rafael Benitez and inheriting a Real Madrid side on the brink of institutional crisis, Zinedine Zidane completed the team's revival by guiding them past Manchester City to the Champions League final.
Real are on 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona and the top two will go head-to-head in next Sunday's El Clasico. Getafe are 12th in the standings on 11 points.
Real Madrid crashed out of the King's Cup quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate after being held to a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo on Wednesday in another major setback for the stuttering European champions.
Real Madrid have enviously looked on as Barcelona claimed six La Liga titles in the last eight years, but Zinedine Zidane's side can take a huge step towards a first crown since 2012 with victory over their bitter rivals at the Nou Camp on Saturday.
The two teams have met eight times in the European Cup, with Real winning four times and Liverpool three.
Constantine interviewed by Chennaiyin FC
Turkey, Poland, and Denmark secured crucial victories in their respective World Cup playoff semi-finals, moving one step closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Real hold a 2-1 lead after the first leg in Germany last week, however the Frenchman insists the job is nowhere near complete.
Bayern edge closer to Bundesliga title after win at Arminia
Newly-crowned European club football champions Real Madrid took their Champions League celebrations on to the streets of Madrid.
David Zurutuza struck twice to help Real Sociedad seal a remarkable comeback and beat Real Madrid 4-2 in La Liga.
Thirteen-times European champions Real, who had come through each of their last three Champions League semi-final ties, had been second best for much last week's first leg which ended 1-1.
Here is a quick fact-box on new Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez, who was appointed to replace Italian Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday.
Real Madrid overcame an early howler from Sergio Ramos to beat Real Sociedad 3-1 at home on an eventful Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Gareth Bale was loudly booed by his own supporters and Luka Modric returned to his very best form.
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid resume a nail-biting La Liga title race on Saturday after all notched up victories on Wednesday. Leaders Barcelona, who ended a four-game winless streak by hammering Deportivo La Coruna 8-0 away from home, host struggling Sporting Gijon on Saturday. Atletico battled to a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao to stay level on 79 points with Barcelona, who top the table with a superior head-to-head record and host Malaga. Real stayed one point behind their title rivals after beating Villarreal 3-0 and are expected to be without top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for their visit to struggling neighbours Rayo Vallecano. The Portuguese forward was unable to finish the game against Villarreal after suffering cramp in stoppage time but eased concerns he had suffered a serious injury.
Real Madrid claimed their first Spanish Super Cup in four years and a morale-boosting success against their arch-rivals when Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo struck in a 2-1 win against 10-man Barcelona on Wednesday.
Striker Robinho scored twice in a virtuoso second-half display to help Real Madrid to a 4-2 victory over 10-man Olympiakos in an action-packed Champions League game at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Real Madrid will be targeting a sixth consecutive victory since the COVID-19 hiatus when they host Getafe, looking to capitalise on Barca's 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday
English champions Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the season but Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid were held 0-0 at Real Mallorca and German champions Bayern suffered a shock defeat to Kaiserslautern.
Sevilla ended defending champions Barcelona's unbeaten streak in the Spanish League with a crushing 4-1 defeat, in Madrid, on Sunday.
A round-up of Saturday's action in Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick helped Real Madrid fight back to beat classy Villarreal 4-2 on Sunday to cut Barcelona's La Liga lead to two points.
Whoever won, Madrid was never going to miss out on a night of celebrations.
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.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. score twice as his side punished a sloppy Liverpool to win 3-1, while Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City will play Borussia Dortmund with the winners to face either Bayern or PSG in the semi-finals.
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