Rafael van der Vaart scored an injury-time winner as Real Madrid came back to beat Sevilla 3-2 and replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday, after the champions were held 2-2 in Almeria.
Liverpool battled to a 3-1 victory at 10-man Hull City on Saturday to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the English Premier League. Chelsea maintained third place on 71 points with a low-key 1-0 victory at West Ham United courtesy of Salomon Kalou's goal.
Liverpool's stay might only last for 24 hours until overnight leaders Chelsea visit Aston Villa on Sunday.
Morientes was one of four Liverpool players named in the 22-man squad for a friendly against Uruguay.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is one of five players who have begun talks over new contracts.
Arsenal skipper and playmaker Cesc Fabregas will be out with a medial knee ligament injury for up to four months, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who was named Arsenal captain in place of William Gallas a month ago, was injured in a 50-50 challenge with Spanish team mate Xabi Alonso during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
Arsenal skipper and playmaker Cesc Fabregas will be out with a medial knee ligament injury for up to four months, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters on Tuesday.
Liverpool beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 at Ewood Park on Saturday to stay top of the Premier League and increase the pressure on Rovers manager Paul Ince whose team have now gone 10 league matches without a win.
Liverpool moved up to third in the Premier League after they won 3-0 at Charlton Athletic and rivals Arsenal could only draw 2-2 with Portsmouth after being two goals down on Saturday.
Xabi Alonso scored twice as the European champions rallied from 1-3 down to win 5-3.
A 3-1 victory set up a meeting with Brazil, who they beat in the final of the 1998 World Cup.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Bayern Munich earned a nervous 1-0 win at St Pauli thanks to a sensational 28-metre drive from Jamal Musiala to stay unbeaten.
Champions Leverkusen, who set a European record of 51 consecutive games without loss across all competitions last season, kept their unbeaten streak intact with a number of late equalisers.
Barcelona captain Raphinha scored twice as they returned to winning ways in LaLiga for the first time in a month with a 5-1 victory at Mallorca on Tuesday.
Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final
Schick on target again as Leverkusen win, Leipzig thrashed 5-1
Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has had successful surgery on torn knee ligaments and he may be available for the World Cup, according to Germany team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt.
IMAGES from the Europa League semifinal matches played on Thursday.
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo could make a return to Manchester United because he is disillusioned at the La Liga side.
An all-conquering Spain side were on the crest of a wave last time they faced Germany on the way to winning the 2010 World Cup but they now meet on Tuesday in what will be a stern test for a new fledgling team.
A round-up of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg matches.
Robert Lewandowski's brace earned depleted Barcelona a 2-1 comeback win at Valencia
Barcelona's Ferran Torres scored twice to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating LaLiga clash on Sunday.
Barcelona's Neymar struck twice to put the Spanish side in the Champions League final despite a 3-2 loss at Bayern Munich on Tuesday as they progressed 5-3 on aggregate and will face Real Madrid or Juventus next month.
It will be the fifth edition in a row that the two heavyweights have met head to head at a European Championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo will avoid serving a 23-month prison sentence after agreeing a deal.
Jose Mourinho's side top Group G with a maximum nine points, three clear of second-placed Slavia.
AC Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has dismissed complaints about a Nigel de Jong tackle during Tuesday's friendly match against Bayern Munich by saying that "football is not ballet."
A summary of the concluding day's action in the German Cup, French Cup and La Liga.
Liverpool are determined to end the trend of selling their best players during the close season in order to build a squad capable of consistently challenging for major honours, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Robert Lewandowski's hat-trick helped give coach Carlo Ancelotti a flying start to his first Bundesliga campaign as Bayern Munich cruised to an easy 6-0 win over Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena on Friday.
Bayer Leverkusen beat Freiburg 3-2 to edge closer to a first ever Bundesliga title.
Croatian forward Ante Budimir scored twice to help Osasuna earn a shock 4-2 home win over leaders Barcelona.
Robert Lewandowski struck twice to steer champions Bayern Munich to a 2-1 win at Hamburg SV on Friday that stretched their lead at the top to 11 points as the Bundesliga resumed following a one-month winter break.
Several players across the continent are poised to make a name for themselves on the international stage.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
