Lionel Messi dragged a nervous Barcelona to a 1-0 win at home to Levante in La Liga, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted two late penalties on his 100th appearance for Juventus in all competitions as the Serie A titleholders ground out a 3-1 win away to a dogged Genoa side.
Images from the Champions League round of 16 first leg matches played on Tuesday.
Fernando Alonso delighted his legions of Spanish Formula One fans on Wednesday with the quickest time in testing on an emotional debut for Ferrari. The double world champion, who was cheered on by an astonishing 36,000-strong weekday crowd at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit, played down suggestions of being the early favourite in the title race, however.
Around 35,000 Barcelona fans went to the Nou Camp to see striker David Villa presented on Friday as the club's first signing since they won a second consecutive La Liga title last weekend.
"According to the report issued from the city hall in Vigo, they consider that the Balaidos stadium is not safe for spectators or for players to attend the game on Sunday," said a statement from La Liga.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Cristiano Ronaldo took his tally for the La Liga season to a phenomenal 13 goals in six appearances with his third treble of the campaign as Real Madrid romped to a 5-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Real Madrid made the most of Barcelona's slip-up to close to within one point of the La Liga leaders on Sunday with a 2-0 win over third-placed Valencia at the Bernabeu.
Premier League-based trio Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla were among a high-profile list of absentees when Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his provisional 25-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Costa injured his hamstring against Liverpool in Chelsea's penultimate game of the season. Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was also absent from the squad despite his improved form towards the end of the season, as were Arsenal midfielder Cazorla and Valencia forward Paco Alcacer, Spain's top scorer in their qualifying campaign.
Barcelona's fourth defeat of the season left them seventh in the standings on 14 points after 10 games, 12 points behind leaders Atletico.
A gold medal in the prestigious World Cup Final eluded Deepika Kumari once again as she settled for her third successive silver after being pipped by Korean Olympic champion Ok-Hee Yun, in Paris on Sunday.
Five head-to-head battles to watch out for in Saturday's potentially decisive 'Clasico' at the Bernabeu, when La Liga leaders Real Madrid host title rivals and defending champions Barcelona.
A win for Real Madrid or a draw for Barcelona in Saturday's El Clasico at the Bernabeu could be the deciding act in the La Liga title race this year.
Spain's Dani Pedrosa claimed the 50th Grand Prix win of his career on Sunday, taking victory in the Japanese MotoGP as runner-up Valentino Rossi extended his lead in the championship standings.
Wolverhampton Wanderers may face a Premier League rap after manager Mick McCarthy made ten changes in the team at Manchester United.
The old men of Formula One were first and last in opening European Grand Prix practice on Friday with Rubens Barrichello quickest while Ferrari stand-in Luca Badoer was a second slower than anyone else. Badoer, the 38-year-old Italian preparing for his first start in a decade after Brazilian Felipe Massa was seriously injured in Hungary, was watched by retired seven-times champion Michael Schumacher.
The shuttlers led by Saina Nehwal will make their first appearance in the Olympic Games on Thursday along with men golfers as India still waits for its first medal after five days of fruitless labour in this Brazilian city.
Chennai driver Parthiva Sureshwaren has secured a place on the FIA Formula Two grid, joining Armaan Ebrahim as the second Indian driver on the circuit this season.
Napoli will not allow questions about coach Rafael Benitez's future at a news conference on Thursday amid widespread expectations the Spaniard is poised to replace the sacked Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
Chelsea struck the woodwork twice but could not find a breakthrough in an entertaining 0-0 Champions League draw at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday that left everything to play for in Group G.
Michael Schumacher has not ruled out standing in for injured Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa although a comeback is highly unlikely, the retired champion's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
A dominant yet wasteful Real ravaged their rivals in the first half while spurning a string of clear chances at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona got their bid for a third consecutive La Liga title back on course when Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique struck to lift the champions to a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Barcelona's Luis Suarez has come to the rescue of under-fire teammate Neymar and added it was important to get back to winning ways against Deportivo after Barca suffered three consecutive league defeats for the first time since 2003, allowing Atletico Madrid to draw level on points with them and Real Madrid to move one behind.
Zinedine Zidane lamented Real Madrid's home woes as the Spanish and European champions slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Wednesday.
European champions Barcelona have injury worries up front for their Champions League Group F match at home to Rubin Kazan on Tuesday.
Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher, once brothers in arms but now Formula One rivals, returned to the racetrack on a day of comebacks on Monday. Both the Brazilian and the German had moments when they thought their eyes were deceiving them but the lap times in Valencia were real enough.
Excited as a little boy with a new toy, seven times world champion Michael Schumacher rolled back the years in his first Formula One test with Mercedes on Monday. On a day of comebacks, Brazilian Felipe Massa returned to set the pace for Ferrari six months after he suffered life-threatening head injuries in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
Sevilla missed a chance to get their La Liga campaign up and running when the Europa League holders surrendered the lead and were held to a 1-1 draw at Levante on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
David Moyes notched his maiden victory as coach of Real Sociedad as Carlos Vela scored a classy hat-trick in a morale-boosting 3-0 win at home to Elche in La Liga on Friday.
Formula One teams have jettisoned a cost-cutting plan to launch their 2010 cars publicly at the same time in Spain next month. The 13 teams had planned to present their new cars in Valencia at the end of January instead of the individual launches they have staged in the past.
Indian men's hockey team lost 0-1 to New Zealand to slump to its its second defeat in the six-nation Invitational tournament and will now face the formidable Argentina in its penultimate round-robin match, in Valencia, on Friday.
Manchester United thrashed a weakened Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 on Tuesday to move level on points with leaders Chelsea as manager Alex Ferguson marked his 900th league game in charge.
Frederic Kanoute's emphatic finish early in the first half fired Sevilla to a 1-0 win at Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Sunday to lift the Andalusians above Valencia into third.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello ended five years of frustration on Sunday with an emotional victory for championship leaders Brawn GP in the European Grand Prix. Barrichello, whose last victory was with Ferrari in China in September 2004, beat McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton by 2.3 seconds on a sizzling afternoon at the Valencia street circuit.
Real Madrid have sacked coach Rafa Benitez after less than half a season in charge and promoted their former France great Zinedine Zidane from the B team to replace him, president Florentino Perez said on Monday.
Liverpool have cashed in on midfielder Xabi Alonso and their lack of financial muscle means they have been unable to compete for stellar signings like Valencia striker David Villa.
Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri astonishing equalising goal against Poland in their Euro 2016 last-16 match brought back memories of great goals of the past from club and international football.
