Real Madrid paid for defensive mistakes as they were held to a 3-3 draw at lowly local rivals Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Barcelona can no longer afford to shell out huge sums in transfer fees for top players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, coach Xavi Hernandez said.
A closer look reveals a team riddled with selection issues courtesy of a string of injuries to key players
The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France's World Cup winning campaign.
'You're going to bring home the victory against this virus. You protect us, you care for us. So to help you, we stay home'
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday
While the tournament saw the emergence of young stars, the usual suspects, the big names flattered to deceive.
Bayer Leverkusen crushed hosts VfL Bochum 5-0 to stretch their remarkable unbeaten run across all competitions this season to 50 consecutive matches.
Mbappe, 18, has scored 18 goals in his last 18 competitive games, including three in the 6-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight.
A round-up of Tuesday night's matches in the UEFA Champions League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Girona thrash Osasuna for first win of the season
Real Madrid fought back from two goals down as Vinicius Jr grabbed a hat-trick in a thrilling 5-2 win over visitors Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Greece beat England for the first time as striker Vangelis Pavlidis's double earned the visitors a richly-deserved 2-1 victory.
La Liga champions Barcelona began the new campaign with a 3-0 win over Alaves on Saturday with the help of a spectacular under-the-wall free kick from Lionel Messi, who scored twice, and a curling shot from substitute Philippe Coutinho.
'Les Bleus' will be inspired by the two-decade anniversary of their only World Cup win in 1998, while double winners Uruguay's modern generation are desperate to recreate the black-and-white-era glories of their 1930 and 1950 trophies.
Israel debutant Yarden Shua scored an 86th-minute winner as they upset more fancied Belgium 1-0 in Budapest on Sunday.
A round-up of Saturday's matches in Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga.
France qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League despite a lacklustre goalless draw against Israel on Thursday.
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
Robert Lewandowski and substitute Pablo Torre each scored twice to help leaders Barcelona thrash visitors Sevilla 5-1 in LaLiga on Sunday in a confidence boost for Hansi Flick's side ahead of key clashes against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Defensively, however, France conceded only a single goal -- a penalty to Poland that Robert Lewandowski converted at the second attempt.
Voting for the eighth annual awards opened on Thursday on FIFA.com and closes in mid-October. National team coaches, captains, journalists and fans make up the list of voters.
Spain v France, a knockout clash which usually leads to Euro triumph
Erling Haaland had the same points as Lionel Messi but lost out by having fewer first-place votes from national team captains.
'He is strong, he feels strong, he is a leader for the defence; we will need him (to stay performing) at that level.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar and PSG's owner, was a happy man as he enveloped PSG players Messi, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria with a warm hug.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The quarter-final draw was the last in the current format with UEFA adopting an all-new format from the 2024-25 season onwards.
Both players have been timed among the fastest in the game, with top speeds of around 36.5kpm (22.6 mph), but it is how quickly they get there that makes them different.
Xavi furious at referee as Barcelona knocked out by PSG
Real Madrid have avoided defeat in their last 41 LaLiga games, the second best streak by a team in the competition's history.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric came off the bench to net a stunning strike from the edge of the box late in the second half to secure a 1-0 home win over Sevilla on Sunday and stretch their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points.
Kylian Mbappe is now expected to be paired with his favoured attacking partner in Olivier Giroud.
Spanish winger Asensio cost Real a mere 3.5 million euros from Mallorca in 2014 and entered the game only in the 79th minute but played a decisive role in Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo each scoring late on to give the European champions the edge in the tie.
A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the UEFA Nations League matches played on Monday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field on Thursday
