Paris St Germain revived their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in Group C on Wednesday, leaving the English club's hopes of reaching the last 16 hanging in the balance.
A round-up of Saturday's action in La Liga and the Bundesliga.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Friday he would leave Paris Saint Germain after four years during which he played an integral part in turning the club into a force to reckon with on the European stage.
Messi's contract with Barcelona is set to come to an end this season
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The death of a Paris St Germain fan after a UEFA Cup game has sparked a nationwide debate in France on how to rid soccer of violence and racism, and prompted a change in policy on ticket sales.
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win Europe's Golden Shoe award for three straight years after his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe failed to score the four goals he needed in Paris St Germain's final league match of the season on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
'We have to think today about those people who died due to COVID before their time, those many grandparents who took their grandchildren to see Atalanta for the first time and who aren't with us anymore. I am thinking about them above all'
Liverpool were beaten 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid in their last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Paris St Germain forward Neymar has said he was the target of a racist slur during the French champions' 1-0 defeat by Olympique Marseille on Sunday.
France forward Kylian Mbappe has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and will miss this week's Nations League international against Croatia.
The winner will be named on August 26, along with UEFA's women's player of the year and Champions League positional award winners, at the Champions League group stage draw in Istanbul.
Jose Mourinho and Juergen Klopp's conflicting views on Neymar's imminent move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain offer an insight into how the 222 million euro (199 million pounds) deal has divided opinion across football.
United are 16th in the standings with a game in hand heading into the international break.
Neymar faces a race against time to be fit for this year's World Cup finals after the Brazil team doctor was quoted on Thursday saying that he would be out for up to three months with a foot injury.
Consecutive injuries in 2017 and 2018 saw Kingsley Coman miss the major part of both seasons and followed ankle ligament injuries in 2016 after he had joined the Bavarians the previous year. The France international even considered retiring.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to preserve Barcelona's unbeaten run in La Liga with a sensational late equaliser in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Sevilla on Saturday as the runaway leaders came back from two goals down in the space of a minute.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
PSG coach Unai Emery said he wanted to be optimistic that his 222-million euro ($273 million) signing would be available to face Real as the French league leaders bid to overcome a 3-1 deficit to avoid an early exit from the tournament.
Atletico Madrid took a giant step towards the La Liga title
Javier Pastore's brilliant individual goal in stoppage time put the gloss on Paris St Germain's 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Chelsea, While, Real Madrid closed in on the semi-finals with 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
The rumblings of discontent from Righteous Europe over Qatar's admittedly appalling human rights record can only be viewed as deeply disingenuous and phoney, argues Kanika Datta.
Last month, Barcelona had announced that the club's presidential election will be held on March 7. The election had previously been scheduled for January 24 but got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Neymar was in a class of his own again on Sunday, scoring a double to help Paris St Germain extend their Ligue 1 lead to 10 points with a 2-0 win at Lille. The Brazilian dedicated his goal to former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, by raising two fingers in one hand and four fingers with the other to signal the number 24 -- Bryant's shirt number.
Brazil forward Neymar denied he had problems with his team mates at his club Paris St Germain and was moved to tears after being given the backing of his national team coach Tite.
'I wanted a bigger challenge, and my heart made this decision and I followed my heart'
Barcelona are suing Neymar for 8.5 million euros for alleged breach of contract and demanding he return the loyalty bonus paid after he renewed his deal in October, less than a year before he signed for Paris St. Germain, the club said Tuesday.
A round-up of Saturday's football action in La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Losing is part of the sport, a dejected Neymar said after Paris Saint Germain lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich, in Lisbon.
Bayern Munich's stellar season has been capped off with being crowned champions of Europe.
Inter, Liverpool sweating on last-16 spots
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winner as Paris St Germain beat Chelsea 2-1 to knock them out of the Champions League for the second successive season at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda produced a superb performance to help Olympique Marseille grab a 0-0 draw at Lille on Sunday, leaving Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain nine points clear with six games left.
Andres Iniesta admitted this week that Barcelona suffer from "Messi-dependence" and his view was painfully highlighted as the favourites laboured in the Champions League quarter-final clash against Paris St Germain on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi has gone from being the first name on Barcelona's team sheet to the last, as they await a late fitness test ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Paris St Germain.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A first-half double from Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid cruise to a 3-0 victory away to Cadiz that moved them top of La Liga.
Former England captain David Beckham enjoyed a promising French league debut for Paris St Germain, riding warm crowd support in a late cameo during the 2-0 home victory over Olympique Marseille on Sunday.
Striker Costa ends second spell at Atletico Madrid.
