Football action from across Europe in matches played on Saturday
Holders Barcelona will begin their defence of the Champions League with a home match against AC Milan after the two old rivals were drawn in the same group on Thursday.
Former Real youth player Joselu pulled a goal back for Alaves in the 59th minute, powering in a header from a free kick, but Benzema rounded off the victory for second-placed Real with an exquisite solo run and goal in the 70th minute.
AC Milan earned the early bragging rights by beating city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup played in Beijing Sunday.
European champions Inter Milan will rewrite the record books and claim a place among the greats if they retain the Champions League trophy this season.
AC Milan went a point clear in Serie A on Saturday after Antonio Nocerino and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty gave the champions a hard-earned 2-0 win over lowly Siena at the San Siro.
Gennaro Gattuso faces the prospect of disciplinary action for his headbutt on Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan after UEFA said on Wednesday it was opening a case against the AC Milan captain.
Modest Udinese, whose coach Francesco Guidolin's target this season is to avoid relegation, went top of Serie A on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Chievo while AC Milan were held 2-2 at Bologna.
Inter Milan were confirmed as 2006 Serie A champions on Monday after Italy's football federation (FIGC) said it did not have the authority to revoke the decision which stripped Juventus of the title.
AC Milan shrugged off an unbelievable Robinho miss, and an interruption caused when teargas was thrown outside the ground, to record a 2-0 win at Genoa that took them to the top of Serie A on Friday.
AC Milan are still interested in Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez but only want to sign players on loan in the January transfer window, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday.
Manager Juergen Klopp has told Mario Balotelli that with so much competition for places up front at Liverpool he should look for another club.
Pep Guardiola believes he contributes little to Barcelona despite winning three Spanish league, one Spanish Cup, one club World Championship and two Champions League titles in three seasons as coach.
Xavi scored a typical Barcelona goal to give the European champions a 3-2 win over AC Milan in a Champions League match which was enthralling but of little importance on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old midfielder though he said he could not see himself playing against his beloved Manchester United.
AC Milan have signed midfielder Stephan El Shaarawy from Genoa and sent German Alexander Merkel in the opposite direction, the Italian champions said in a statement on Saturday.
Brazil winger Ronaldinho has become the central figure in the latest embarrassment to befall Blackburn Rovers' Indian owners, Venky's, following a Twitter post suggesting that they had offered the AC Milan ace a six million a year deal.
Barcelona and AC Milan qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League as expected with room to spare on Tuesday and surprise package APOEL Nicosia are poised to join them after continuing to punch above their weight.
Last season's AC Milan coach Leonardo was named manager of city rivals Inter Milan on Friday in a move which has stunned the soccer world despite the Italian game's celebrated eccentricities.
Barcelona and Manchester United clash in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday (1845 GMT) to decide who are the undisputed kings of Europe.
Marco Materazzi shook Zinedine Zidane's hand last month for the first time since the Frenchman's infamous headbutt on him in the 2006 World Cup final, the Italian said on Thursday.
Former France World Cup winner Marcel Desailly is among the candidates to become new Ghana coach, the Black Stars said on their website (www.ghanafa.org) on Monday.
Former Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to manage again in England and has hinted he would be interested in the Tottenham Hotpur job if Harry Redknapp takes over England when Fabio Cepello retires after Euro 2012.
Images from soccer matches played across different leagues in Europe on Sunday
Holders Barcelona barely broke a sweat in a ruthless 5-0 hammering of BATE Borisov while former champions AC Milan made harder work of finding the net before overcoming new boys Viktoria Plzen 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Coaches finally put World Cup hopefuls out of their misery on Tuesday when they named their final squads for the tournament, shattering some dreams while also handing out the opportunity of a lifetime.
Striker Edinson Cavani scored a superb hat-trick to give Napoli a 3-1 home win over defending Serie A champions AC Milan on Sunday.
A hat-trick by Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to an 8-0 rout of Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday as the champions responded with a devastating performance after a poor week by their high standards.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's much-anticipated return to Barcelona was scuppered on Monday when the AC Milan striker was injured in training and ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League Group H opener at the Nou Camp.
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi plans to bid for Real Madrid's former world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo if his side win the Serie A title, the Italian prime minister has said.
Real Madrid's Brazil playmaker Kaka believes he retains the full confidence of club coach Jose Mourinho despite a spate of injuries and loss of form since his move to La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the knockout blow for Real Madrid in their aristocratic battle with AC Milan on Tuesday, as Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich maintained their own perfect Champions League starts.
Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke 04 belied their reputations to knock seven-times winners AC Milan and twice finalists Valencia out of the Champions League on Wednesday with performances that went entirely against type.
Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke 04 belied their reputations to knock seven-times winners AC Milan and twice finalists Valencia out of the Champions League on Wednesday with performances that went entirely against type.
Images from football matches played in La Liga and Serie A in Spain and Italy on Wednesday.
Gennaro Gattuso finally had fans talking about his talent rather than his temper after his rare goal gave AC Milan a 1-0 win at beleaguered Juventus and stretched their Serie A lead to eight points on Saturday.
AC Milan captain Gennaro Gattuso has been given a four-match European ban for head-butting the assistant coach of rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last week's Champions League tie, UEFA said Monday.
Chelsea have signed Germany's highly-rated attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Friday.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his first three goals for Barcelona in a 4-1 win at Valencia, but Inter Milan suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat by Sassuolo. Images from the football matches played on Sunday.
Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski was named The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020 on Thursday, beating off competition from last year's winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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