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Kylian Mbappé added to his scoring streak with a superb strike in Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Sevilla in the Spanish league on Sunday to finish the year on a positive note after hitting what he called "rock bottom” in early December. Mbappé sent a right-footed shot into the upper corner 10 minutes into the match for his fourth goal in as many games with Madrid in all competitions. It was Mbappé’s sixth goal in his last eight matches with Madrid. He struggled early on with his new club, and Mbappé said his lowest point came when he missed a penalty kick in the team's 2-1 league loss at Athletic Bilbao on Dec. 4. “I know I have a lot more to give,” Mbappé said Sunday. “The last few games I’ve played better, I took a lot of positives from the Bilbao game, when I hit rock bottom.” The France star said that made him realize "I have to give my all for this jersey and play with personality.” Mbappé said he feels his period of adjustment with the club is finally over. “I think we now know each other better," he said. "I’ve joined the team and that changed a lot of things. The settling-in period is over, as the coach says. I feel very comfortable in the team and I play better with the others on the field. The team is playing much better.” Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Brahim Díaz also scored in the comfortable home victory that allowed Madrid to finish the year one point behind Spanish league leader Atletico Madrid. Atletico rallied to shock Barcelona 2-1 Saturday with a stoppage-time goal by Alexander Sorloth. Third-place Barcelona is two points behind Madrid, having played an extra game. Valverde scored in the 20th and Rodrygo in the 34th before Sevilla got on the board with Isaac Romero in the 35th. Díaz extended Madrid's lead in the 53rd and Dodi Lukebakio got the visitors' other goal in the 85th at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. “It was a well-played game, with many scoring situations, a good end to the year,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "That was what we wanted, to be near the top and get some good rest for 2025.” Read: Kylian Mbappé is enduring a tough Euro 2024. It might not stop France winning the title Madrid next faces Valencia on Jan. 3 in a match postponed because of the deadly floods that hit Valencia in October. Sevilla, sitting in 14th place, had won two of its last two games in all competitions. Navas' farewell It was the last game for Sevilla and Spain great Jesús Navas, who is officially retiring at the end of the year. The defender was honored by Sevilla and Madrid players and fans at the Santiago Bernabeu. Players from both teams made a guard of honor for Navas before the match, lining up as he entered the field, and Madrid’s veteran midfielder Luka Modric handed him a jersey of the club signed by players. Fans gave Navas a standing ovation during the ceremony. Substitute Navas came on midway through the second half. “What happened today was spectacular,” the 39-year-old Navas said after the match, unable to hold back tears. “I had never seen anything like it in my life on a rival field. It was crazy. In those last few minutes I couldn’t see anything. I was looking at the ground recalling all the moments I’ve went through and the joy I’ve been able to give to Sevilla and the national team.” Navas helped Sevilla win four Europa League titles and Spain clinch the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 and 2024 European Championships. He was with Manchester City when it won the 2014 Premier League. Read more: Ligue 1 Crowns Kylian Mbappe as Player of the Season for the Fourth Time in a Row “Navas really deserves it,” Ancelotti said. “Navas is an example for everyone.” Valencia draws late Second-to-last Valencia salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Alaves, thanks to a goal by Dani Gómez eight minutes into second-half stoppage time after the visitors had taken the lead with Joan Jordán in the 88th. The setback drew more protests from Valencia fans who have been unhappy with the administration of team owner Peter Lim. Other results Thierno Barry scored a hat trick and Gerard Moreno and Pau Cabanes added one goal each as fifth-place Villarreal won 5-2 at Leganes, while Las Palmas won 1-0 against 18th-place Espanyol. Ninth-place Real Betis was held by 12th-place Rayo Vallecano to a 1-1 draw at home.

Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards flooded the streets of Madrid on Sunday for the largest protest yet against the regional government’s management of the capital city’s health care services. Over 250,000 people rallied in the city center, according to the central Spanish government. Organizers claimed the crowd was bigger by several hundred thousand. Many protest participants carried homemade signs with messages in Spanish like “The right to health is a human right. Defend the health service.” Health worker associations led the demonstration, which was backed by left-wing parties, unions and normal citizens concerned with what they see as the dismantling of the public health care system by the Madrid region’s conservative-led government. ALso Read: Spain’s support sought to expedite release of 5 detained Bangladeshi nationals These groups have taken to the streets on a regular basis in recent months, and their movement is gathering strength. Madrid’s regional chief, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, alleges the protests are motivated by the political interests of left-wing rivals ahead of May regional elections across most of Spain. Health care workers claim that Díaz Ayuso’s administration spends the least amount per capita on primary health care of any Spanish region even though it has the highest per capita income. They say that for every 2 euros spent on health care in Madrid, one ends up in the private sector. Critics of her administration say that produces long waits for patients and overworked doctors and nurses. Spain has a hybrid health care system, but the public sector is larger than the private one and is considered a basic pillar of the state. It is run by Spain’s regions.  

Young Brazilian Rodrygo's goals in the 90th minute and in stoppage time have inspired another win for the ages. The 3-1 victory over Manchester City Wednesday gave Madrid yet another comeback and set it up for a showdown with Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 in Paris. City were moments away from returning to the final before Rodrygo, the substitute forward, stunned the English team with his back-to-back goals, inspiring Madrid to victory like a bruised boxer who lands a knockout combination. Madrid, who had trailed City ever since minute 2 of their first-leg match in Manchester, were finally level. Pep Guardiola's team still had another half hour of extra time, but they never recovered. It seemed inevitable that once resuscitated there was no stopping Madrid. And fittingly it fell to Karim Benzema, the man who had carried Madrid to the final four with hat-tricks in the previous two rounds, to earn and convert the decisive penalty that clinched a 6-5 aggregate victory. "I couldn't hear what my teammates were saying to me because I couldn't believe what was happening," the 21-year-old Rodrygo said about the mayhem that erupted after his goals. "We were dead, and then what happened was what happened." Perhaps City can take solace in that Paris Saint-Germain and defending champion Chelsea were also zombified by whatever wizardry Madrid somehow conjure up at the biggest moments of the biggest games. All good teams occasionally score against the flow of the game. But most, and especially this City engineered by soccer's top stylist in Guardiola, need to dominate stretches of play to produce lots of goals. Not Madrid. Not when they play in front of their fans. The clock becomes meaningless for Madrid at home. The 13-time European Cup winners produce those magic moments when time is suddenly compressed, the crowd roars, opponents freeze, and the goals just flow in quick succession. Ask PSG how Benzema was able to score three goals in less than 20 minutes of the second leg of their round-of-16 series that Kylian Mbappé's team had once controlled to advance 3-2 overall. Ask Chelsea how it was they could have the momentum going into the final period of their quarterfinal in Spain's capital only for Rodrygo and Benzema to score late for a 5-4 aggregate win in extra time. City entered the second leg against Madrid with the advantage after coming out on top of their 4-3 shootout last week. Riyad Mahrez's goal in the 73rd minute appeared to give them the cushion they needed to avoid any last-minute scares. Jack Grealish then went oh-so-close to padding that lead. But that just set the scene for Rodrygo, who coach Carlo Ancelotti had sent on for a tired Toni Kroos, looking to spark his attack. First, he slipped to the near post to tap in a cross knocked to him by Benzema just when City suffered a momentary drop in concentration. Seconds later, with Madrid seizing the moment, came his header when the slight forward managed to open up a bit of space in a packed area to push in a cross by Dani Carvajal flicked on by Marco Asensio. Once again, faith had trumped reason at the Santiago Bernabéu. "The whole world thought the game was nearly over – it was a little detail, a good combination, the goal of Rodrygo, and from there we put in all the energy we had. You need a bit of luck," Ancelotti said. While Ancelotti embraced his son and assistant Davide Ancelotti, Guardiola was left to run a hand over the top of his head and put on his best sportsman's grin as he shook hands with the players. The Catalan coach had just witnessed his grand design to finally win a European Cup for City succumb before that gift that Madrid have of making their players believe that by donning the all-white shirt they are destined for glory. Only the golden years of Lionel Messi's Barcelona, which Guardiola helped forge, was able to somewhat dim that mystique. Also read: Madrid clinch record-extending 35th Spanish league title

Real Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard is facing another spell on the sidelines, this time with a thigh problem that could keep him out for a month.

A loud explosion partially destroyed a small building flanked by a school and a nursing home in the center of Spain’s capital on Wednesday. It was not clear what caused the blast.

Lionel Messi demanded that Barcelona settle its inner turmoil and regain the focus needed for a successful title run.

It took less than 15 minutes for Real Madrid to erase fears of another setback at home as it put its Champions League campaign back on track.

Paris, Sept 19 (AP/UNB) — With two first-half goals from Angel Di Maria and a rare late strike from right-back Thomas Meunier, a new-look Paris Saint-Germain missing its headline stars brushed aside a flat Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League to go top of Group A in an impressive start to its European campaign on Wednesday.