A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
'I have much more freedom here (than at PSG). The coach knows that there is a number nine like Olivier who occupies the defences. I can wander around, go into space, ask for balls.'
Mbappe becomes PSG's all-time highest goal-scorer as French champions extend lead
France striker Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday fell short of saying he would leave Paris St Germain when his contract expires at the end of the season.
'After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the US league to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.'
Now, if he can keep at bay an England attack that might include club mates Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount, Mendy could yet finish the year on another high note, having started it with success in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi transported fans back in time to the heyday of their storied rivalry, as both forwards got on the scoresheet in an exhibition match in Riyadh on Thursday.
Play was stopped in the first half and players left the field over the banners displayed by Nice fans. French media also reported homophobic chanting by the home supporters.
Karim Benzema scored twice in the final few minutes to give Real Madrid a 3-1 win at Espanyol, while Barcelona breezed past Real Valladolid with a comfortable 4-0 LaLiga victory.
Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Mueller has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Club World Cup final against Mexico's Tigres UANL on Thursday
A summary of the opening day's action in the UEFA Champions league on Tuesday.
With Crystal Palace dangerously close to being relegated, manager Patrick Vieira was sacked after 20 months in charge.
Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe suffered an ankle sprain in Friday's French Cup final win over St Etienne and his injury will be reassessed in three days' time, the Ligue 1 champions said on Saturday. A rough tackle from Loic Perrin saw the St Etienne defender catch Mbappe on the ankle and the 21-year-old collapsed on the pitch in pain before he was substituted. Perrin was sent off for the challenge as PSG won 1-0.
All the latest news from the summer transfer window...
He is scheduled to testify on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
PSG's big buy has been left out squad for the Ligue 1 match against Brest.
Juventus have 13 points from seven games, three behind leaders AC Milan who host Verona later on Sunday. Lazio have 11 points.
Real Madrid's France forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award for the best men's player in the world on Monday, while Barcelona's Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's award for a second time.
'I was told Doctor Gonzalez had left a note in which he mentioned that he had tested positive for COVID-19'
PSG made hard work of beating Strasbourg 4-2 in the French Ligue 1, while Real Madrid registered a comfortable 4-1 win away to Alaves in their opening game.
The training centre will be closed until Monday and another screening session will be carried out on Friday.
Leeds United's Premier League relegation fears heightened as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Friday, leaving Jesse Marsch's side without a win in their last seven games in all competitions.
Real Madrid forwards Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema struck to give their side a 2-0 win at home to Eibar in La Liga
Union Berlin's Paul Jaeckel scored a 76th-minute winner to give his team a 1-0 victory at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday and send them two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
The 34-year-old Argentine joined PSG on a two-year contract with the option of extending it by another year after Barcelona made it clear they could not afford to keep him because of LaLiga's financial fair play rules.
IMAGES from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
Mihaila late show for Romania stuns Swiss in thrilling draw
Mauricio Pochettino, who played for PSG as a defender in the early 2000s and also captained the side, has been out of a job since being dismissed by Spurs in November 2019.
The Argentine striker had hosted a team meeting on Monday to kick start preparations for the clash against Atletico Madrid.
Ferran Torres scored a brace and Ousmane Dembele made two assists as a red-hot Barcelona rolled over Osasuna 4-0 on Sunday to earn their fourth consecutive LaLiga win.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said they were committed to "qualification based on sporting merit".
Chelsea have completed the transfer of defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City, both Premier League sides said on Wednesday, with the Frenchman signing a seven-year contract with the west London club.
Paris St Germain completed a domestic treble as they beat Olympique Lyonnais 6-5 on penalties to lift the French League Cup on Friday with the match ending in a 0-0 stalemate after regular and extra time. Second-half substitute Pablo Sarabia scored PSG's final penalty in the shootout after goalkeeper Keylor Navas had saved Bertrand Traore's spot kick to give the Ligue 1 champions and French Cup winners their ninth League Cup trophy.
Paris St Germain players Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos were robbed during their club's Sunday home game against Nantes, French sports daily L'Equipe said, adding members of their families were held hostage during the events.
He acknowledged that police had been caught off-guard by local delinquents who turned up to cause trouble at the match. But defending the security protocols in place, the minister said France had only had three months to prepare after the venue was moved from Russia.
Although players have been allowed to start individual training, Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said it is too early to talk about the resumption of football season.
Paris St Germain will look at playing Champions League home matches in another country after the French government on Tuesday decided to end the 2019-20 domestic season, the Ligue 1 club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Tuesday.
Stephanie Frappart made history by becoming the first female to referee a men's UEFA Champions League match.
A summary of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga.
