Real Madrid coach Mourinho surprised many by including Kaka in the starting lineup for Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League win at Ajax and he responded with a performance full of verve and creativity that suggests he may be working his way back into contention.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Real Madrid will go into next weekend's La Liga El Clasico at Barcelona eight points behind their great rivals after Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick in a 5-1 comeback win at home to promoted Deportivo Coruna on Sunday.
Kaka, who has yet to play for Real Madrid in an official game this season, gave a reminder of his abilities with a hat-trick in his team's 8-0 rout of Colombia's Millonarios in the annual Santiago Bernabeu Trophy on Wednesday.
Stuttering Spanish champions Real Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga but were well short of their scintillating best in a laboured 2-0 victory at lowly city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
A summary of football matches played across Europe over the weekend.
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.
Real Madrid notched their first victory of the La Liga campaign at the third attempt when Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-0 win for the champions at home to 10-man Granada on Sunday.
New Real Madrid signing Michael Essien is confident he has put a series of serious injuries behind him and is ready to fight for a place in the La Liga side after completing a loan move from Chelsea on Friday.
Erik ten Hag will succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick from next seaso
Records promise to tumble again in the 2012-13 La Liga season as world powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona resume their duel for supremacy, threatening to cast Spain's other 18 clubs even further adrift.
Israeli Avram Grant has returned to Portsmouth as director of football, the struggling Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Inter Milan have appointed Claudio Ranieri as their new coach, the Serie A club said on their website, on Thursday.
Ten-man Real Madrid slumped to a surprise 1-0 defeat at Levante on Sunday as the tiny Valencia-based club ended the nine-times European champions' perfect start to the season.
Gonzalo Higuain netted a neat volley to save dominant Real Madrid's blushes, helping the La Liga giants to a 2-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in Champions League Group G on Wednesday.
Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez marked their home debuts for Barcelona in La Liga with goals as the champions crushed Villarreal 5-0 in their opening match of the campaign on Monday.
English champions Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the season but Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid were held 0-0 at Real Mallorca and German champions Bayern suffered a shock defeat to Kaiserslautern.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Inter Milan have halted talks with Real Madrid about selling Maicon and the chances of Liverpool's Javier Mascherano joining the European champions look remote, club president Massimo Moratti said on Monday.
A Chelsea deal for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi would be impossible under financial fair play rules, assistant coach Steve Holland said on Friday.
Real Madrid have agreed to sign French defender Raphael Varane from Lens on a six-year contract, the Spanish club said on Monday.
Real, who have smashed the La Liga scoring record, clinched their 32nd league crown and their first in four years when Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo struck in a frenetic 3-0 win at 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 43rd league goal of the campaign to set Real Madrid on their way to a 3-0 home win over Sevilla on Sunday that put them within a whisker of a first La Liga title in four years.
Jose Mourinho shared the honours with former mentor Louis van Gaal as his Chelsea side drew at Manchester United in the Premier league on Sunday, but there was no doubt which of the pair was happier with the 1-1 result.
Long time Chelsea target Neymar has agreed on a deal with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. The nine-time champions of Europe have agreed a deal to sign the Brazilian ace from Santos, according to agent Ernesto Bronzetti, reports goal.com.
Real Madrid look like being crowned kings of Spain but need to overturn a 2-1 Champions League semi-final first leg deficit against Bayern Munich on Wednesday to continue dreaming of European glory.
Images from the El Clasico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid played at Camp Nou on Saturday.
Real Madrid have one hand on a first La Liga trophy in four years after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant winner in a 2-1 victory at Barcelona on Saturday that stretched their lead over their bitter rivals to seven points with four games left.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is trying to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who is worth 35 million pounds.
Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to a rampaging 5-1 win at Osasuna as the leaders hit the 100-goal mark this season and maintained a six-point lead over chasing Barcelona on Saturday.
Real Madrid signed Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year contract on Monday as coach Jose Mourinho began strengthening his squad for next season.
Real Madrid conceded a late freekick to draw for the second time in four days as they were held 1-1 at struggling Villarreal, cutting their lead at the top of La Liga cut to six points on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's sublime double lifted Barcelona to a 2-0 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid and lit up an acrimonious Champions League semi-final first leg in which the hosts finished with 10 men and had coach Jose Mourinho sent off.
Lionel Messi scored four as Barcelona came from behind to thrash Valencia 5-1 at home, closing the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid back to 10 points on Sunday.
Real Madrid's 10-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga should be more than enough to secure a first title since 2008.
With Manchester City drawing 2-2 at Arsenal and Liverpool suffering a shock 1-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were the big winners in the fourth round of Premier League games.
Chelsea have the chance to avenge their shattering penalty shootout defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 final after being drawn to play them in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday.
Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
Real Madrid moved seven points clear at the top of La Liga with a comfortable 3-1 win over bottom side Real Zaragoza as Barcelona could only draw 0-0 at lowly Villarreal on Saturday.
Clearly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggles as captain when it comes to Test matches overseas, as is being witnessed in Australia on the ongoing tour and in England last year.
