Real Madrid's Spanish record 22-match winning streak ended in a 2-1 La Liga defeat at Valencia on Sunday with Nicolas Otamendi heading in the second-half winner.
Lionel Messi is back in the Argentina squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Colombia after missing the last three due to injury in which his team have dropped seven points. Messi was named on Friday in coach Edgardo Bauza's 26-man squad and will captain Argentina away to arch-rivals Brazil in Belo Horizonte on Nov. 10 and at home against Colombia in San Juan five days later. Argentina have slipped down the South American group standings to fifth after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Paraguay and 2-2 draws with Peru and Venezuela, all without Messi.
Higuain had a disappointing Copa America tournament in July, scoring two goals during the competition and missing his spot kick as Argentina lost on penalties to Chile in the final.
A bullet header from Nicolas Otamendi put Valencia on course for a 3-1 victory over Eibar in La Liga on Sunday that boosted their hopes of claiming a Champions League place.
The 'Noodle' has broken again with Angel Di Maria injured during a third consecutive major tournament playing for Argentina at the end of a busy club season.
Goals from Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne secured a comfortable win at the Etihad
Oldham Athletic and Barnet provided some old-fashioned FA Cup magic with shock victories against much more illustrious opponents but English champions Manchester City proved ruthless as they scored seven times in the third round on Sunday.
The visitors' display was enough to earn them applause from their fans at the end.
Argentina finished their 2021 Copa America campaign unbeaten. Lionel Scaloni's side finished top of their group with three wins and a draw against Chile. In the quarter-final, they beat Ecuador 3-0 to progress to the final four.
Atletico Madrid failed to build on Wednesday's notable Champions League success against Juventus when they were beaten 3-1 at a resurgent Valencia in La Liga on Saturday.
Stopping the stars won't be enough to win World Cup
The 28-year-old, who joined Arsenal in 2006, scored 108 goals in 397 appearances but has struggled to hold down a first-team place this season under manager Arsene Wenger.
'It was a bad day, sometimes it happens,' said Guardiola
The current generation of Argentina players is one of the best ever even though the team have not won a major trophy in 22 years, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
From bloody noses to sparks on the race track, Rediff.com has the best pictures from the last week snapped right here...
David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday.
Coach Gerardo Martino believes Argentina can improve on Tuesday's 6-1 Copa America semi-final demolition of Paraguay, adding that aspects of the goalless draw against Colombia in the previous round had pleased him more.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Four years after his miss in a penalty shootout sent Argentina spinning out of the Copa America, Carlos Tevez slammed home the winning spot kick against Colombia to book his country's place in this year's semi-finals.
Last term, stung by City's woeful performance the previous season in a 3-0 Champions League loss at Anfield, Guardiola adopted a cautious approach in a goalless draw.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on Friday as Argentina hammered Panama 5-0 and eased into the quarter-finals of the Copa America.
The question is whether Manchester City can combine a gradual freshening up of their squad at the same time as they fight on the domestic and international front for trophies.
In the week of his 31st birthday, Messi was again a largely anonymous figure as they lost 4-3 to France in a thrilling last-16 match in Kazan.
Manchester City had to come from behind to hold Liverpool 1-1 as both teams lost ground in the Premier League following victories for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City failed to fire in a frustrating 0-0 home draw with StokeCity on Wednesday that dealt a damaging blow to their Premier League title hopes and left them 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Celebration was tinged with disappointment for Manchester City who eased into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time on Tuesday but lost Vincent Kompany to injury in a 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kiev.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Manchester won the English Premier League, the English League Cup and FA Cup this season
Carlos Tevez has been included in the squad for the first time in three years for next month's friendlies in England against Croatia and Portugal.
Images from the English Premier League matches played across England on Sunday.
Liverpool were sent spinning to a 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley in the English Premier League on Saturday while Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford thanks to late goals from Michy Batshuayi and Diego Costa.
Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp has beaten Manchester United only twice in his career and never at Old Trafford -- his worst record against any Premier League side.
Manchester City moved within touching distance of a first appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals after a dynamic first-half display at Dynamo Kiev helped them secure a 3-1 last-16 first-leg win
It was not so much the maths, though Liverpool's nine-point advantage over defending champions City, with one point less over Leicester City and Chelsea, is a significant gap, especially as Juergen Klopp's side have lost one league game in 18 months.
'We can work and fight for it' 'Yes, they had much more of the ball. Yes, they had that apparent control of the game but the biggest save is the double save of their goalkeeper and the biggest decision of the game is the unlucky decision of Michael (Oliver)'
City were not at their all-action best early on as Burnley looked comfortable at the back, but the game turned on a penalty decision that incensed the visitors when Bernardo Silva was adjudged to have been brought down by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope just before the half hour.
Lionel Messi announced on Friday that he wants to return to play for the national team, reversing his decision to retire earlier this year. Messi said in June that he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America.
Seconds after Bournemouth had a chance to snatch victory the ball went back down the other end and Sterling's deflected shot looped past helpless Bournemouth keeper Asmir Begovic.
Manchester City to beat second-tier Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals but Jose Mourinho's problems piled up as his Tottenham Hotspur side were bundled out in a penalty shootout by Norwich City.
Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty.
