The 2024 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 1 June 2024. The two finalists are German club Borussia Dortmund and Spanish club Real Madrid.  In this 69th season of Europe's premier club football tournament, Real Madrid will fight for their 15th Champions League trophy. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund will look to add a 2nd UCL trophy to their cabinet, after their 1st one in 1997.  Road to the Final: How the finalists got there Stats of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 Table: Match Results of Real Madrid in the ongoing Champions League So Far Round Opponent Home/Away Result Group Union Berlin Home 1-0 Win Napoli Away 3-2 Win Barga Away 2-1 Win Barga Home 3-0 Win Napoli Home 4-2 Win Union Berlin Away 3-2 Win Round of 16 RB Leipzig Away 1-0 Win RB Leipzig Home 1-1 Quarter-Finals Manchester City Home 1-1 Manchester City Away 3-3 Semi-Finals Bayern Munich Away 2-2 Bayern Munich Home 2-1 Win Real Madrid had an incredible run this season. They are yet to be beaten in this season’s Champions League. They were drawn into a group with Napoli, S.C. Braga, and Union Berlin, where they topped the group winning all the matches, the only team other than defending champions Manchester City to do it this season.  Read more: FIFA World Ranking: Bangladesh drops to 184th In the knockouts, they faced RB Leipzig in the round 16, winning the tie 2-1 on aggregate. Their quarter-final tie was their toughest this time when they clashed with Manchester City. After an exhausting tie of two legs which finished 4-4 on aggregate, they got the edge over City on penalties. They won the semi-finals in the most Real Madrid manner possible.  After getting a 2-2 draw from Allianz Arena, they trailed by 1-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu until the 88th minute. Then Joeslu scored two in a matter of 3 minutes to take them to the finals.  Stats of Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 Table: Match Results of Borussia Dortmund in the ongoing Champions League So Far Round Opponent Home/Away Result Group PSG Away 2-0 Loss AC Milan Home 0-0 Newcastle Away 1-0 Win Newcastle Home 2-0 Win AC Milan Away 3-1 Win PSG Home 1-1 Round of 16 PSV Eindhoven Away 1-1 PSV Eindhoven Home 2-0 Win Quarter-Finals Atletico Madrid Away 2-1 Loss Atletico Madrid Home 4-2 Win Semi-Finals PSG Home 1-0 Win PSG Away 1-0 Win Borussia Dortmund was drawn into the group of death this season with PSG, AC Milan, and Newcastle. They started their campaign with a 2-0 loss against PSG and a 0-0 draw against Milan but gradually gained momentum. They won their next three games and ended the group stage with a 1-1 draw against PSG to top the group.  Read more: SAFF U-16 Women's Champs: Bangladesh come from behind to beat India on penalties in final Later they came away with an aggregate 3-1 win against PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16. Their quarter-final battle was against Atletico Madrid. Atletico won the first leg by 2-1. But Dortmund turned things at home with a 4-2 win to proceed to the semi-finals where they were facing PSG. PSG had the upper hand in the group games between these two. But Dortmund fought all the odds and beat PSG by 1-0 in both legs to advance to their 3rd ever UEFA Champions League final. It is their first one since 2012-2013. Stats of Previous Finals  Table: Performances of the 2024 UEFA Champions League Finalists in Previous Finale Matches  Team Previous Final Appearances Wins  Borussia Dortmund 2 (1997, 2013) 1997  Real Madrid 17 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1981, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) 14 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) Note: Final matches until 1992 were in the European Cup era. Since 1993 the finals were in the UEFA Champions League era. Read more: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh concede 0-1 goal defeat against Palestine in last moment debacle H2H Records between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund So Far in UEFA Champions League Table: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Head-to-Head Records Matches Played Real Madrid Win Draw Borussia Dortmund 14 6 5 3 Table: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Goal Records Goals Scored Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund 24 19 Full Squads of Real Madrid Goal Keepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Diego Piñeiro, Fran González, and Lucas Cañizares. Read more: Real Madrid will be out for revenge against Man City in the Champions League. Expect fireworks Defenders:   Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba, Nacho, Fran García, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Rafel Obrador, Alvaro Carrillo, Marvel, Vinicius Tobias, Edgar Pujol, and Jacobo Ramón.  Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, Eduardo Camavinga, FedericoValverde, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, Mario Martín, Nicolás Paz, and Théo Zidane.  Forwards:  Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Joselu, Álvaro Rodríguez, and Gonzalo.  Read more: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh to play Lebanon in Qatar June 11 Full Squads of Borussia Dortmund Goal Keepers: Gregor Kobel, Silas Ostrzinski, Alexander Meyer, and Marcel Lotka. Defenders:   Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini, Mats Hummels, Ian Maatsen, Emre Can, Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, Lion Semic, and Guillermo Bueno.  Midfielders: Salih Özcan, Felix Nmecha, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, Julien Duranville, Marius Wolf, Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Abdoulaye Kamara, Kjell-Arik Wätjen, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Forwards: Sébastien Haller, Niclas Füllkrug, Youssoufa Moukoko, Donyell Malen, Karim Adeyemi, Paris Brunner, and Samuel Bamba. Read more: César Luis Menotti, coach who led Argentina to its first World Cup title in 1978, dies at 85 Key Players for Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior Vinicius is a player who is made for big occasions and is a difference-maker for such games. He scored 5 and assisted 5 in this campaign. But 2 of his 5 goals came against Bayern in the semis and one came against Leipzig in the Round of 16. Similarly, 4 of his 5 assists came against Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the quarter and semi-finals. He has been the guy for Real Madrid to deliver at the big moments and he has to do it once again. Andriy Lunin The Ukrainian shot-stopper has been saving almost everything that has been thrown at him. He is a big factor for Real Madrid coming this far despite having all the injuries in the squad. He has the third most saves in this UCL. He has to step up in the final also. Key Players for Borussia Dortmund Gregor Kobel Borussia Dortmund has been progressing so far thanks to their defensive grit and resilience. Their Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had played a big part in it. He conceded only 8, the lowest among keepers, playing at least 10 matches this season. He also has the most clean sheets and saves this season. Against a team with such attacking prowess as Real Madrid, Kobel surely has to bring out his best to win it for his team. Read more: Maradona's 1986 Golden Ball heads to auction Mats Hummels Borussia Dortmund conceded the 2nd least amount of goals amongst clubs who have reached at least the quarter-finals. Their defense has driven them to the finals this season. Mats Hummels is the leader of this defense.  He is the player with the most balls recovered, most tackles, most tackles won, and most clearances attempted. Therefore, if Dortmund is to win the game, he has to play a big part in it. Prediction and Final Words Real Madrid won 14 matches out of 17 finale matches so far. In the UEFA Champions League era, started in 1993, Real Madrid did not lose any final matches. Therefore, they always had the upper hand against any team in the Champions League because of their pedigree. Nobody has mastered the art of winning this competition like them. Not to mention, they are the favorites in the 2024 UEFA Champions League finale.  However, Borussia Dortmund cannot be written off as well for the performance and determination they have shown during this UCL 2023-24 season.  Therefore, it will be a tough battle and the winner is to be seen on the 1st of June. Read more: From fan to hero, super sub Joselu lifts Real Madrid past Bayern and into Champions League final

Xavi Hernández won't continue as Barcelona's coach after this season, saying he can't get the team out of a slump. Xavi announced his decision on Saturday, minutes after Barcelona lost to Villarreal 5-3 in the Spanish league, leaving it 10 points adrift of leader Real Madrid. "I would like to announce that on June 30 I will cease being the coach of Barça," Xavi said. "As a Barcelona fan, I can't allow this situation to continue, we need a change of course and of dynamics." BPL Football: Both fixtures end goalless on Saturday Xavi said he made the decision "several days ago," and although the hard defeat to Villarreal set the scene for him to announce the decision, he "would have made" it soon enough. He said he hoped this decision will decrease the stress and tension his team is enduring. "The feeling of being the coach of Barcelona is cruel, it is unpleasant, you feel like you don't get the respect you deserve," Xavi said. "It wears you down, affects your mental health, your emotions, up to the point that you say you can't go on. My loved ones know that." Xavi returned to Barcelona as the coach in November 2021 with his only experience a stint in Qatar. He has a contract through the end of next season. The 44-year-old Xavi led Barcelona to the Spanish Super Cup title and the Spanish league title last season, the club's first trophies since the exit of Lionel Messi. The club mortgaged its future to help him do that by signing players like Robert Lewandowski. BPL Football: Holders Bashundhara Kings to play Dhaka Abahani Ltd in a titan battle on Friday But Barcelona has struggled this season and has shown severe signs of suffering a collapse this month. Barcelona saw its best two chances of getting a title in this campaign evaporate recently. Xavi's side exited the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after losing in extra time at Athletic Bilbao 4-2 on Wednesday, a loss that came two weeks after Barcelona was dismantled by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. After the Villarreal debacle Xavi said his players' lacked the "maturity" to know how to hold onto leads, and after the Bilbao loss he also underscored that he was playing with several young players. But that seemed at odds with the fact that his starting side was led with veterans like Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan and players in their prime like Pedri González and Frenkie de Jong. Federation Cup Football: Sheikh Jamal DC assure knock out stage outplaying Rahmatganj MFS 4-1 Barcelona is set to play Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 next month. Xavi said he was still motivated to lead the team at what is no doubt a long-shot bid at ending his stint with a European Cup.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has joined soccer clubs and players in coming out to support star striker Vinícius Júnior after he once more faced racist abuse in a Spanish league match on Sunday. The latest incident took place in Real Madrid's 1-0 loss at Valencia, a match that had to be temporarily stopped after the Brazil forward said he was insulted by a fan behind one of the goals at Mestalla Stadium. Valencia fans were filmed making monkey chants toward Vinícius, who is Black. Lula told a news conference in Japan on the sidelines of a G7 meeting that he hopes FIFA, the Spanish League and other soccer bodies "take measures so we don't allow racism and fascism to take over" in the sport. Also Read: Vinicius Junior says Spanish league ‘now belongs to racists’ after enduring more abuse "It is not fair that a poor boy who is winning in his life, becoming one of the best in the world, certainly the best at Real Madrid, is insulted in every stadium he goes to," Lula said. Several of his cabinet ministers also backed Vinicius and were critical of the Spanish league. Brazil's Human Rights Minister Silvio Almeida, who is Black, said on Twitter: "The behavior of Spanish authorities and of the entities that govern its soccer is criminal." "It shows undeniable acceptance of racism," Almeida said. "(Vinicius) I will be on your side to hold those that attack you accountable, but also those who omit themselves." Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes used expletives on Twitter to insult Spanish league president Javier Tebas, who criticized Vinicius following the incident for his comments on the lack of action of the sport's national authorities every time he is racially abused during matches. "You want to blame the victim, you idiot?" Paes posted. Ednaldo Rodrigues, the first Black president of the Brazilian soccer confederation, said he is troubled by the lack of action in Spain after another racist incident against Vinicius. "Until when will we have to see episodes like the one we just witnessed, yet again in La Liga?" Rodrigues said. "Until when will we have to fight for concrete and efficient measures on and off the pitch? There is no joy where there is racism." Flamengo, the club where Vinicius started his career, issued a statement saying "it is even more shocking to know that it is not the first time and that so little has been done to fight (racism in the Spanish league) and stop it from happening again." Other Brazilian clubs made similar comments. Many of Vinicius' teammates in the national team also showed their support for the 22-year-old forward, who has been subject to racist abuse since moving to Spain five years ago. "They always did whatever they could to stop Blacks from coming near the top," striker Richarlison said. "They enslaved, marginalized and killed. But they will never knock down those who were born to be big. History forgets the rats and makes those fighting these bad people much bigger. I am with you always, Vini." Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti considered replacing Vinícius after he said fans at the Mestalla Stadium chanted "monkey" toward him. He said Vinícius initially didn't want to continue playing. He was later sent off after an altercation with Valencia players, and gestured to home fans about their team's fight against relegation as he left the field.    

Vinícius Júnior was subjected to racist abuse yet again on Sunday with the Brazil star saying the Spanish league "now belongs to racists." The latest abuse against Vinícius came in Real Madrid's 1-0 loss at Valencia, a match that had to be temporarily stopped after the Brazil forward said he was insulted by a fan behind one of the goals at Mestalla Stadium. "It wasn't the first time, or the second or the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. The competition thinks it's normal, as does the federation, and the opponents encourage it," Vinícius said on Instagram and Twitter. "The league that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi now belongs to racists ... But I'm strong and I will fight until the end against the racists. Even if far from here." Also Read: Brazil’s president, players support Vinícius Júnior, criticize racism in Spanish league The 22-year-old Vinícius, who is is Black, has been subjected to racist abuse since moving to Spain five years ago. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti considered replacing the star forward after Vinícius said fans at Mestalla chanted "monkey" toward him. He said Vinícius initially didn't want to continue playing. "What happened today shouldn't happen," Ancelotti said. "When a stadium yells 'monkey' to a player, and the coach considers taking him out of the field because of that, it means that there is something bad in this league." The veteran coach refused to talk about the game after what happened, saying his team's loss meant nothing. "The game should have been stopped," Ancelotti said. "This shouldn't happen. It wasn't only one person, as it has happened in several stadiums. Here, it was a stadium racially insulting a player, the game had to stop. I would have said the same thing if it was 3-0 for us. You have to stop the game, there was no way around it." Ancelotti said he asked the referee to stop the match, but was told that the protocol was to first make an announcement to fans, then take other action if the problem continued. Ancelotti said Vinícius didn't want to keep playing but he told the player that he wasn't guilty of anything and that he was the victim. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he would have left the field with Vinicius if his teammate had decided to stop playing. "Vinícius is upset, obviously, but more than upset, he is sad," Ancelotti said. According to Spanish media reports, Valencia has identified two fans who allegedly insulted Vinícius behind one of the goals. Some comments on social media claimed fans were saying the Spanish word "tonto" (silly) instead of "mono" (monkey). Valencia later said it expected Ancelotti to apologize to Valencia fans for accusing them of racism after misunderstanding what was said. The coach told a news conference that the referee wouldn't have started the racism protocol if he didn't think there was racism in the stadium. Vinícius was later sent off after an altercation with Valencia players, and gestured to home fans about their team's fight against relegation as he left the field. Valencia took a huge step toward avoiding the drop with the 1-0 victory opening a five-point gap to the bottom three teams entering the final three rounds. "The reward for the racists was my ejection!" Vinícius said on Instagram, along with the Spanish league's slogan "It's not soccer, it's LaLiga." Vinícius had called the referee around the 70th minute and started pointing to a person sitting among the Valencia supporters. The player went near the stands and confronted the fans while players from both teams tried to restore calm. Police eventually arrived in the stands to deal with the supporters. An announcement was made asking fans to behave. The match at Mestalla was stopped for about seven minutes, and not long after it resumed Vinícius clashed with Valencia players and was sent off for pushing one of his opponents away with a hand to his face. After the decision of his ejection was made following a video review, Vinícius started applauding ironically. As he was leaving the field, he made a "going down" gesture over relegation. That upset players on the Valencia bench and some charged toward Vinícius as he left the field, causing the game to be temporarily stopped again. Valencia coach Rubén Baraja condemned the behavior of Valencia fans but also criticized Vinícius, saying he should have respected the club and its supporters. Vinícius' teammate Dani Ceballos criticized the fans but said he also expected Vinícius to apologize for his gestures after being sent off. Ancelotti said Vinícius' reaction was normal considering what he had gone through moments earlier. The Spanish league said it has requested images from the game to investigate what happened. It will also probe possible insults against Vinícius outside Mestalla, when a large group of fans also allegedly called the player a monkey as the Madrid bus arrived. League president Javier Tebas criticized Vinícius for attacking the league without fully understanding what it has done recently to combat racism, and saying the player didn't show up for talks on the subject that he had requested himself. The league has made nine formal complaints over racist abuse against Vinícius over the last two seasons, with many of the cases being shelved. A Mallorca fan may end up going on trial after allegedly racially insulting the Brazilian during a game. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined a wave of Brazilian politicians, players and clubs coming out to support Vinícius and criticize racism in the Spanish league. Lula told a news conference in Japan on the sidelines of a G7 meeting that he hopes FIFA, the Spanish League and other soccer bodies "take measures so we don't allow racism and fascism to take over" in the sport. The first trial against a fan accused of racial abuse in Spanish professional soccer is expected to happen at some point this year in a case involving Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams, who was insulted by an Espanyol supporter in a match in 2020.  

Real Madrid will side against Barcelona in the legal proceedings that the rival is facing over its payments of millions of euros over several years to a company that belonged to the vice president of Spain’s soccer refereeing committee, Madrid said Sunday after an urgent board meeting. The decision came two days after prosecutors formally accused Barcelona of alleged corruption in sports, fraudulent management and falsification of mercantile documentation. An investigating judge will decide whether the accusations should lead to charges. “Real Madrid wishes to express its utmost concern regarding the gravity of the facts and reiterates its confidence in the legal system,” Madrid said in a statement after the board meeting. “The club has agreed that, in defense of its legitimate rights, it will appear at the trial when the judge opens it up to the affected parties.” It was the first time Madrid officially weighed in on the matter. Other clubs had already expressed their concerns over the Barcelona payments, as did the Spanish league and the Spanish soccer federation. The league also planned to take action against Barcelona in the legal proceedings. Barcelona has been under scrutiny since the payments to the committee official became public last month. The payments were initially investigated as part of a tax probe into the company. Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, saying it paid for technical reports on referees but never tried to influence their decisions in games. Prosecutors said in court documents seen by The Associated Press that the payments by the club added up to 7.3 million euros ($7.7 million) from 2001-18. They added that this “quantity was not justified because it was not foreseen in the statutes of the club nor approved by its general assembly (of club members).” Prosecutors alleged that the former vice president of the committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, “in exchange for money, was to carry out acts tending to favor Barcelona football club in the decision-making process of referees in the games played by Barcelona, and in the results of the competitions.” There is so far no evidence that referees or game results were actually influenced.

While both Real Madrid and Liverpool are rightly considered Champions League royalty, there can only be one king. Down by two goals after 14 minutes at Anfield, defending champion Madrid came back to win 5-2 on Tuesday and take a commanding lead into the second leg of the round of 16 matchup. Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema scored two goals each to stun the hosts — Liverpool conceded four goals in a home European match for the first time — and confirm the Spanish giant will take some stopping in its defense of the trophy. “We played with personality, we produced goals. We want this Champions League again," Benzema said. “And that produced a match which was lovely to play in and for those who were watching.” If anything, this Madrid team looks more complete than the one that beat Jurgen Klopp's team in last year’s Paris final. Yet this win echoed the memorable comebacks that led to that record-extending 14th Champions League title. There was the chaotic defending that allowed Liverpool to race into a 2-0 lead as Darwin Nunez struck with a backheel in the fourth minute and Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage thanks to Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ blunder. Then came the rousing fightback, led by one of European soccer’s emerging stars in Vinicius and sealed by an aging icon in Benzema. Eder Militao was also on the scoresheet when he headed Madrid into a 3-2 lead just after halftime. The 22-year-old Vinicius became the youngest player to score two goals against Liverpool at Anfield since Johan Cruyff for Ajax in 1966 when the Dutch great was 19. Read more: Chandika Hathurasingha takes over as head coach of Bangladesh cricket The Brazil international is establishing himself as Madrid’s star player and, in the face of a typically daunting Anfield atmosphere, he rose to the occasion. “Vinicius right now in my opinion is the most decisive player in world football, the man who can make the biggest difference and if he can keep this consistency let's hope he can continue in this vein,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. Just as the visitors looked in danger of buckling under the pressure, Vinicius produced a moment of magic with his first goal in the 21st. Exchanging passes with Benzema just inside the box, there didn’t look to be any obvious danger until he flashed a low shot through a crowd of legs and into the bottom corner. Vinicius evened the score in the 36th when Alisson’s attempted kick rebounded straight off him and looped into an empty net. While the goal was a moment of good fortune, it was also a measure of the panic he sparked in Liverpool’s defense that Alisson was rushed into making the mistake. Two minutes after halftime, Madrid took the lead when Militao headed in Luka Modric’s free kick from the left. It went from bad to worse for Liverpool as the 35-year-old Benzema, the inspiration for Madrid’s triumph last year, got in on the act. His shot was deflected off Joe Gomez in the 55th to make 4-2 and he added and fifth when rounding Alisson in the 67th. It had all started so well for Liverpool, which went into the game with confidence after back-to-back wins against Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League. Those victories had sparked hope of an unlikely run in Europe and came just in time for the ultimate test of trying to halt Madrid. Nunez struck early to shock the visitors before Salah capitalized on Courtois’ mis-control to tap in from close range in the 14th. The home fans were rocking until Vinicius sparked a comeback that looks likely to propel Madrid to the quarterfinals. “I think Carlo thinks the tie is over and I think it as well in the moment," Klopp said afterward. "But the closer you get to the game, the bigger our chances become. Tonight 5-2 they are pretty good in counter attacking and we have to go there and take some risks to score three goals. We go there to try and win the game.”  

Vinícius Júnior had his share of chances to break the deadlock. More than once, the Brazil forward was in front of the opposition goal with only the 'keeper to beat. But Vinicius and his teammates couldn't get the job done on Sunday as Real Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw at home by third-place Real Sociedad to lose ground to Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league. The result left defending champion Madrid five points behind the Catalan rival, which won 1-0 at Girona on Saturday. Sociedad stayed three points behind Madrid, and eight behind Barcelona. Both Madrid and Barcelona have a game in hand. Vinícius played well overall and created some good opportunities for himself, but in the end was thwarted by a great performance from Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro. He made three key saves against close-range attempts by Vinícius, and also saw the Brazilian send the ball wide in a one-on-one situation. “Vinícius played a good match, if he had scored it would have been a spectacular one," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “He has been playing well. Sometimes he will miss, but he is always trying.” Karim Benzema and Rodrygo also couldn't break through the Sociedad defense as Madrid was held scoreless for the first time this season despite more than 20 attempts against Sociedad, which also had its opportunities in an intense match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Read more: Benzema keeps on scoring, Madrid stays close to Barcelona “We played a very complete game but couldn't score,” Ancelotti said. “We were close. I'm satisfied with the draw because we played well.” Madrid, coming off a home win in the derby against Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, remains unbeaten against Sociedad since a 4-3 home loss in the quarterfinals of the Copa in 2020, a competition the Basque Country side won. Sociedad was coming off a 1-0 loss at Barcelona in the Copa quarterfinals, a result that ended its nine-game winning streak in all competitions. It had been one of the hottest teams in Spain until the consecutive setbacks against the powerhouses. ATLETICO REBOUNDS Atletico Madrid bounced back from its Copa elimination against Madrid with a 1-0 win at seventh-place Osasuna. Substitute Saúl Ñíguez scored the winner less than 10 minutes after he had entered the match in the 65th. Atletico relinquished a late 1-0 lead against Madrid to lose 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday. The cup was the only competition Atletico realistically had a chance to win as it had already been eliminated from the Champions League and the Europa League, and it currently trails league leader Barcelona by 13 points. “We are out of the Champions (League) and the Copa, but the motivation to play for Atletico remains,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “I’ll always demand that from my players.” Read more: Barça beats Betis to set up Super Cup final against Madrid It was the third win in four games in all competitions for Simeone’s team, while struggling Osasuna remained winless in four straight. Osasuna has only one victory in eight matches overall, though it hadn't lost since last year. Atletico hadn’t won an away match in the league since October at Real Betis. WILLIAMS’ RUN ENDS Iñaki Williams’ absence in Athletic Bilbao’s 1-0 loss at Celta Vigo ended his record of 251 consecutive league appearances. He did not play in Vigo because of injury. Williams had played in every league match for Bilbao since April 2016. Veteran striker Iago Aspas scored Celta's winner in the 71st. The result moved Celta to 16th place, while Bilbao remained eighth. Bilbao is winless in five league games, since a 3-0 home victory against Valladolid before the World Cup. VALENCIA’S STRUGGLES Valencia’s struggles continued with a 1-0 loss at Valladolid, adding pressure on coach Gennaro Gattuso. Valencia has only one win in its last 10 league games, against Real Betis before the World Cup. It dropped to 14th place and one point above the relegation zone. Canadian forward Cyle Larin scored a 90th-minute winner for 17th-place Valladolid, which ended its five-game losing streak across all competitions.

Goal after goal, Karim Benzema keeps putting his World Cup disappointment behind him. Benzema scored for the sixth time after being dropped from France’s World Cup squad because of an injury, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Sunday. “He came back with the same quality,” Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti said. “He helps us a lot in attack.” The goal allowed Benzema to join former Madrid great Raúl with 228 league goals with the club — second to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311. It also helped Madrid get back within three points of league leader Barcelona, which earlier Sunday had defeated Getafe 1-0 at the Camp Nou. Read more: Benzema posts tweet indicating international retirement Toni Kroos sealed the victory for Madrid with a low shot from outside the area in the 90th. Benzema’s sixth goal in six matches since the World Cup came with a left-footed volley from inside the area in the 24th minute at San Mames Stadium. “It’s incredible. Karim has been spectacular,” Madrid defender Nacho said. “He continues to help us with his goals, just like he did last season.” Benzema won the men's Ballon d’Or award after a great season and had high expectations heading into the World Cup, but he was dropped from France's squad because of a thigh injury sustained in training just days before the team’s debut. The only game in which he had not scored after the World Cup was in Madrid's 3-2 come-from-behind win at Villarreal in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday. Eighth-place Athletic had advanced past Espanyol in the Copa but remains winless in three consecutive league games. It lost the Basque Country derby to Real Sociedad in the previous round. Madrid had not won a league game since December. BARCELONA'S WINS ANOTHER Barcelona defeated relegation-threatened Getafe to extend its winning streak to three matches in all competitions. Pedri scored a first-half winner for the Catalan club, which has won four of its last five matches, with its only setback a draw against Real Betis in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where it advanced in a penalty shootout before eventually winning the title in a final against Madrid. “We didn't play well but it was an important victory," Barcelona coach Xavi said. Getafe players did the guard of honor before the match at the Camp Nou because of Barcelona's Super Cup title. Captain Sergio Busquets also was honored for having surpassed 700 appearances with the Catalan club. Barcelona defeated Getafe despite playing without suspended striker Robert Lewandowski, the league’s leading scorer. The Poland player was serving the second of a three-game suspension for disrespecting a referee in a league game last year. Forward Ferran Torres also wasn't available for Barcelona coach Xavi because of a red-card suspension. Pedri scored the winning goal from close range after an assist from Raphinha in the 35th minute. Getafe has lost four in a row, including three consecutive in the league. The Madrid club has only four league victories and sits in 16th place, just outside the relegation zone. Read more: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory LATE PENALTIES FOR VILLARREAL Villarreal converted one penalty kick and missed another in stoppage time in a 1-0 home win over Girona. Striker Gerard Moreno had his spot kick saved four minutes into added time, but playmaker Dani Parejo converted his attempt in the final play of the game in the 111th minute. The late win left Villarreal in fifth place, tied on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which holds the final qualification spot for the Champions League. Mid-table Girona played a man down from the 78th as defender Santiago Bueno was sent off with a second yellow card. Villarreal was coming off a 3-2 home loss against Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, when it squandered a two-goal first-half lead. It had beaten Madrid 2-1 two rounds ago in the league, then drew 1-1 at Celta Vigo. Last-place Elche drew 1-1 with seventh-place Osasuna at home to remain the only team yet to win after 18 Spanish league games this season.

Marc-André ter Stegen saved two penalties and Pedri converted the deciding spot kick as Barcelona defeated Real Betis 4-2 in a shootout Thursday to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against rival Real Madrid this weekend in Saudi Arabia. Madrid defeated Valencia on penalties in the other semifinal on Wednesday, when Thibaut Courtois made the decisive save. “Ter Stegen makes the difference,” Barcelona coach Xavi said. “He makes the two saves and sends us to the final.” Read more: Ronaldo set to face PSG, Messi in first game in Saudi Arabia The decisive match will be on Sunday at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. Barcelona converted all four of its penalties in the shootout and Ter Stegen stopped the efforts by Juanmi and Willian Carvalho to give the Catalan club the victory. “The match was super difficult, Betis made it tough for us,” Ter Stegen said. “In the end it’s about making it to finals, and we've made it. You also need some luck in the shootout, and this time it was on our side.” The teams drew 1-1 in regulation after Robert Lewandowski scored for Barcelona in the first half and Nabil Fekir equalized for Betis near the end. The score was 2-2 after extra time as Ansu Fati gave Barcelona an early lead and Loren Morón equalized again for Betis. In the shootout, Fati, Lewandowski and Franck Kessie also scored for Barcelona. Morón and Willian José converted for Betis. It will be the first time Spanish powerhouses Barcelona and Madrid meet in the Super Cup final since the competition was revamped and taken to Saudi Arabia in 2020. “It will be a beautiful match,” Ter Stegen said. “Everyone here wants to see a match like this and I’m thrilled to be able to play in it and to try to win it.” Madrid will try to equal Barcelona with 13 Spanish Super Cup trophies, the most among all clubs. Barcelona will be trying to win its first Super Cup trophy since 2018. Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis was trying to reach its first Super Cup final since 2005, when it lost to Barcelona. “We are disappointed, the team played a great match," Pellegrini said. “We felt like we deserved to win in regulation but it wasn't possible, and then Ter Stegen made some good saves.” Read more: Late goals help PSG beat 3rd-tier Châteauroux in French Cup The Super Cup used to be played only between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner, but now the runners-up in both competitions also participate in Final Four tournament that was taken to Saudi Arabia in a lucrative deal for the Spanish soccer federation. Madrid defeated Barcelona 3-1 at home in the first “clásico” of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in October. Lewandowski scored his first goal since the World Cup after a pass from Ousmane Dembélé in the 40th minute. He scored in Poland’s 3-1 loss to France in December in the round of 16 in Qatar, but hadn’t found the net for Barcelona since a 1-0 win at Valencia in the Spanish league in October. Betis equalized in the 77th when Fekir sent a low shot past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. Lewandowski thought he had scored his second — and a possible winner late in regulation — but the goal was disallowed for offside in the buildup. Fati scored early in extra time with a volley from just inside the area, and Morón evened the match about 10 minutes later with a backheel touch from close range. Betis played the final minutes of extra time with 10 men as Andrés Guardado was sent off with a second yellow card for a hard foul.

As Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to point out, he has spent his storied career playing for the “most important” clubs in Europe. That also meant playing in the most popular leagues in the world in England, Spain and Italy for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. His move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, however, signals a step into the unknown. The Saudi Pro League is unlikely to have been on the radar of the majority of his loyal following, but it is where the next and likely last chapter of his career will be played out after signing a 2 1-2 -year contract with Al Nassr. He will also hope to compete in the Asian Champions League next season if his new club qualifies for the biggest competition in Asian soccer. “In Europe my work is done,” Ronaldo said when presented by Al Nassr in Riyadh on Tuesday. But what can the 37-year-old five-time Champions League winner expect from Saudi soccer? “I know the league is very competitive. People don’t know that, but I know because I saw many games,” he said. He joins a team that is aiming to become Saudi champions for the 10th time, having last won the title in 2019. Read more: Ronaldo joins Saudi Club Al Nassr: End of an Era in European Football The Saudi Pro League, in its current guise, was established in 2008, but the competition dates to 1976. Current champion Al Hilal is the most successful team, having won 18 titles and four Asian Champions Leagues. Like Al Nassr, it is also based in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and was linked with a move for Ronaldo. While Saudi soccer may not be widely watched in the western world, it is hugely popular in Arabic countries. More than 1.25 million spectators attended matches in the 2021-22 season, according to official statistics, with a television audience of more than 215 million during that campaign. And Ronaldo is not the only international player to make his way to Saudi Arabia, with Brazilian former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo already at Al Nassr, as well as ex-Arsenal and Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina. Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo plays for Al Hilal. Ever Banega, who has played for Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Inter Milan and Sevilla, is now at Al Shabab. Statistics produced last year stated the league of 16 teams has 128 international players. But none as big as Ronaldo. “Cristiano is one of the best players in the world. In the history of football he is a legend,” Al Nassr coach Rudi Garcia said on Tuesday. “It is an honor for sure for me, but also for Al Nassr to welcome Cristiano." Read more: Ronaldo's career at Manchester United may be over Saudi officials and fans will hope Ronaldo’s arrival prompts more elite players to follow in his footsteps — and that could be his lasting legacy beyond whatever trophies he wins in his time in the country.