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.  

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.

Karim Benzema proudly showed his Ballon d’Or award to fans at the Santiago Bernabéu and then sat back as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 3-1 and increased its lead of the Spanish league on Saturday. Benzema was ruled out of the match when the club said he had muscle fatigue. It appears that the striker, who won soccer’s prestigious individual prize on Monday, is being extra cautious to avoid the risk of any injury that might jeopardize his participation with France at the World Cup in Qatar starting in less than a month. Vinícius Júnior set up two goals for Madrid as the Brazil winger continues to excel both with, and without, Benzema playing by his side. Madrid extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games since starting the season across all competitions and increased its lead at the top to six points over Barcelona, which plays Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Luka Modric and former Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, both former Ballon d’Or winners, handed Benzema his award in a ceremony before kickoff. The Madrid striker hoisted it high to receive the applause of fans, who turned out for the celebration and the match amid steady rain in Spain’s capital. Modric then proceeded to ensure that Madrid did not miss Benzema’s goals, scoring from an assist by Vinícius to give Madrid the lead five minutes into the game. Vinícius pounced on a poor pass by Gonzalo Montiel near Sevilla’s own area, took on the backtracking defenders, and found Modric all alone at the far post to tap in. While Vinícius squandered an opportunity to add to the lead in the 44th — when he tried to round goalkeeper Yassine Bounou instead of shooting from point-blank range — Sevilla was toothless with midfielder Isco Alarcón up front as a “false nine.” Sevilla had its share of possession but had no strikers in the box to feed. In the 45th Jesús Navas drew the first save from Thibaut Courtois, who was back after missing six matches due to sciatic pain. Jorge Sampaoli’s plan, however, started to click in the second half when Sevilla’s greater number of midfielders, including Óliver Torres and Ivan Rakitic, and playmakers like Isco took control for half an hour. Montiel made up for his mistake by gaining possession and using the exterior of his boot to slip a ball through Madrid’s well-positioned defensive line to meet Erik Lamela's nice run. Lamela also showed his skill by sending a ball around Courtois from a tight angle with the tip of his boot to equalize in the 54th. Isco then hit the side netting and Montiel set up Lamela for him to curl a ball just wide in the 60th. But Carlo Ancelotti sent on fresh legs in attack and a counterattack cued by substitute Marco Asensio led to Vinícius drawing in Bounou before he laid off for substitute Luas Vázquez to fire into an empty net in the 79th. “Today I want to highlight the work of Vinícius,” Ancelotti said. “He gave two assists for teammates to score practically in empty nets. He should be pleased. Those assists are worth more than scoring goals. He showed a lot of generosity.” Federico Valverde added a blistering third goal from long range two minutes later to put the result beyond doubt with the midfielder's seventh goal in all competitions this campaign. His powerful shot sailed over Bounou and hit the net just inside the top of the post. It was the first loss for Sevilla in four games since Sampaoli replaced the fired Julen Lopetegui. Sevilla fell into 14th place. “We played against a rival that makes you pay for even the smallest error," Lamela said. "We had a stretch when we played well, but it wasn't enough. We are still adapting to a new coach, to adjust to his new ideas, and we need time.” END OF THE RUN Real Sociedad missed a chance to pull level with Barcelona on points after its eight-game unbeaten streak across all competitions came to an end in Valladolid. Sergio León’s goal in the 16th and some staunch defending under heavy rain at the José Zorrilla Stadium gave Valladolid the 1-0 victory. MALLORCA RALLY Mallorca fought back 2-1 at Valencia after Edinson Cavani had put the hosts ahead with a penalty for his fourth goal in three games. Vedat Muriqi, who had missed two matches serving a suspension, scored his fifth goal of the campaign when he equalized from the spot. Former Valencia forward Lee Kang-In completed the comeback in the 83rd. RAYO ROUT Rayo Vallecano central defender Florian Lejeune scored twice to lead its 5-1 rout of 10-man Cádiz, with all five goals coming after Iza Carcelen was sent off with a direct red near the end of the first half.

Robert Lewandowski shook off his disappointing return to Bayern Munich by scoring twice to lead Barcelona to a 3-0 victory at home over 10-man Elche in the Spanish league on Saturday. They were Lewandowski’s seventh and eighth goals in a five-round scoring streak and took his overall tally to 11 in eight games since he transferred to Barcelona from Bayern this summer. The easy win came after Xavi Hernández’s side suffered its only loss of the season at Bayern by 2-0 in the Champions League this week. Lewandowski missed some clear chances against the team he helped lead for eight seasons before coming to Camp Nou. Barcelona moved to the top of the league standings at one point above Real Madrid before the defending champion plays a derby at Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Athletic Bilbao continued its strong start under Ernesto Valverde with a 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano to move into third at three points off Barcelona's pace. Elche was left with a hole in its backline in the 15th minute when defender Gonzalo Verdu pulled Lewandowski down when the striker was in position to latch onto a pass that would have left him all alone in the area. The referee didn’t hesitate in sending off Verdu with a direct red since he was the last defender. Verdu, who was making his season debut after recovering from injury, recognized that his sending off hurt his team’s already tough task of facing Barcelona at their stadium. “I hadn’t played in a long time due to injury, and to come here and start … I was very excited, but in the 15th everything went wrong. I stumbled with the striker, the ball was free in a space where he could reach it,” Verdu said. “I assume the responsibility for the result and for my team having to make a tremendous effort.” Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 33rd when he tapped in a cross from 18-year-old left back Alejandro Balde. Memphis Depay doubled the lead in the 41st when he received a pass from Balde, spun around his marker and fired home. Lewandowski made it a double three minutes after halftime when he finished off a dangerous cross by Ousmane Dembélé. Balde, who has assisted on three goals this season, has clearly won the starting job over veteran Jordi Alba, who appears to be third in the pecking order at left back, also behind new arrival Marcos Alonso. Balde has started five straight league games, while Alonso played well at Bayern. “I am constantly surprised by what an 18-year-old can do at this level," Xavi said. "He is in great shape and gives us a lot.” WILLIAMS BROS Iñaki Williams and younger brother Nico Williams, who was called up by Spain this week, both scored in Atheltic's entertaining win at home over a Rayo that led 2-1. Rayo’s second goal was superbly struck by substitute Radamel Falcao, who used the side of his boot to redirect a cross while fending off Bilbao’s Iñigo Martínez. Ander Herrera started his second stint at Bilbao eight years after first leaving the club for Manchester United. He returned, at age 33, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. CAVANI DEBUTS Valencia rolled to 3-0 over 10-man Celta Vigo in the subdued debut of Edinson Cavani. The veteran Uruguay striker, bought off the transfer market, trained for the past three weeks to get into playing shape. The 35-year-old Cavani wants to play for Uruguay in the World Cup in November. “I was excited to finally live this moment, to run on the field, to feel the atmosphere,” said Cavani, who was substituted in the 72nd. “This is the first step.” Also, Mallorca edged Almería 1-0 for its first home win.

Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Koundé showed why Barcelona mortgaged part of its future for them by producing goals in a commanding 3-0 win at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Saturday. Lewandowski made it five goals in four appearances since moving from Bayern Munich, ex-Leeds winger Raphinha scored his first for Barcelona, and Koundé provided two assists against his former club to secure a third straight win. Barcelona climbed into second place, two points behind Real Madrid, which ended Real Betis’ perfect start to the league after beating Seville’s other club 2-1 in Spain's capital. Read:Lewandowski leads Barcelona; Benzema keeps Madrid perfect Barcelona turned the momentum from the 18th minute when Gavi Páez launched Ousmane Dembélé on a counterattack. The forward, a constant menace to Sevilla, played Lewandowski clear for him to chip the ball over goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Fernando cleared it off his line but it fell to Raphinha to nod home. Lewandowski, who has failed to score only in his debut, doubled the lead when he controlled a long ball from Koundé with his chest, and without letting it touch the ground, swept it past Bounou with his right foot. Éric García added a third goal in the 51st when Koundé generously headed down a cross by Raphinha for his fellow defender to tap in. Only Bounou stopped Lewandowski from recording a third brace in a row. All told, this was why manager Xavi Hernández urged Barcelona president Joan Laporta to do whatever he must to give him the talent to renew a team whose decline was accelerated by Lionel Messi’s departure last year. Heavily indebted, Barcelona sold off part of its future television rights and other assets to sign the trio for 160 million euros. Xavi praised 18-year-old Gavi for his tackling in midfield, and Lewandowski. “It’s not only the goals, but how he wins high balls; he is a wonderful outlet. And how he commands our pressure to recover the ball. He is a fantastic player with his sense of timing,” Xavi said about the Poland striker. “He is helping us a lot with his leadership, with the things you don’t see when you watch the game, how he helps the staff and his teammates. It is amazing to have him on the team.” Read:Mbappé scores twice in PSG win but Vitinha injured Sevilla, which finished fourth last season, remained winless with one draw and three defeats. Julen Lopetegui's team next faces Manchester City in the Champions League opening round on Tuesday. MADRID'S BRAZILIANS Young Brazilian forwards Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo proved the difference for Madrid again in a meeting of the top two teams through the first month. Madrid made it four wins in as many matches, while Betis was left three points behind in third place. Carlo Ancelotti moved into third place on Madrid’s list of coaches with the most career victories. With 133 wins, he trails only Miguel Muñoz (357) and Zinedine Zidane (172). Before kickoff, Madrid’s players presented the Champions League trophy and the recently won UEFA Super Cup to their fans in their first home game of the season. The club played the first three rounds on the road as it continues renovation work on Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Betis hadn’t lost at Madrid in five seasons, winning two and drawing three while not conceding a goal at the powerhouse. But that drought was broken after just nine minutes. Madrid starts its defense of its European title on Tuesday against Celtic in Glasgow. SCORING DEBUT Sadiq Umar scored five minutes into his debut for Real Sociedad to draw with Atlético Madrid 1-1. Sadiq went on at halftime and soon showed his prowess in the area when he jumped over his marker to head in a cross by fellow newcomer Mohamed-Ali Cho. Sadiq almost scored another but it was waived off for offside. Álvaro Morata opened the scoring early when he pushed in a rebound off the post from a corner kick by Yannick Carrasco. It was his third goal since returning from a one-season loan at Juventus. Sociedad paid Almería a club record 20 million euros ($19.9 million) for Sadiq to replace Aleksander Isak, who joined Newcastle on a record sale for Sociedad of 70 million euros ($69 million). Atlético lost goalkeeper Jan Oblak apparently to a knock in the final minutes. Elsewhere, Girona's Samuel Sainz converted a penalty in stoppage time in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca.

With a defender moving in front of him and blocking his view inside the area, Robert Lewandowski stayed calm. The veteran striker patiently waited for a gap, then quickly used his backheel to gently send the ball into the far corner for a beautiful goal. Lewandowski continues to make scoring look easy after joining Barcelona from Bayern Munich. Barcelona's top signing this season found the net twice on Sunday to lead the Catalan club to a 4-0 rout of Valladolid in the Spanish league. Real Madrid relied on Karim Benzema, its trustworthy striker for years, to maintain a perfect start with its third straight away victory. Benzema scored in the 88th minute and deep into stoppage time to give the defending champion a 3-1 win at Espanyol. It was the third league goal for Benzema, while Lewandowski took his tally to four. The Poland striker had also scored a double in the 4-1 victory at Real Sociedad last weekend. He was also twice denied by the woodwork at the Camp Nou on Sunday. “He is extraordinary," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said of Lewandowski. "He is a natural leader who has been helping us greatly.” Pedri González and Sergi Roberto also scored for Barcelona, which had opened with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano at home. The 34-year-old Lewandowski, signed from Bayern for nearly $50 million, got on the board in the 24th by completing a nice pass by Raphinha, another one of Barcelona new signings who has been playing well. Pedri added to the lead in the 43rd from near the penalty spot after an assist by Ousmane Dembélé, who also set up Lewandowski's superb backheel goal in the 64th. Roberto closed the scoring in stoppage time. “We knew what kind of player we had signed,” newly signed Barcelona defender Jules Koundé said of Lewandowski. “He is a top striker and he shows it with his goals and with how he helps the team.” Barcelona finally could count on Koundé, who had not been registered ahead of the first two rounds because the club wasn't able to abide with the league’s fair play regulations. The former Sevilla defender started in the right back position and impressed in his debut. Valladolid, owned by former Brazil and Barcelona great Ronaldo, is back in the first division after a one-year absence. It was coming off a home loss against Villarreal and a draw at Sevilla. Read:PSG drops points after 1-1 draw with Monaco; Marseille wins MADRID STAYS PERFECT Madrid was a few minutes away from losing its perfect record when Benzema came through with two late goals against Espanyol. Madrid was far from its best but Benzema helped to salvage the win with a nice close-range touch to complete a well-placed cross by Rodrygo. Benzema than easily converted a free kick after Espanyol defender Leandro Cabrera had to play in goal because goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was sent off and all substitutions had been made. Vinícius Júnior had put Madrid ahead in the 12th and Joselu equalized for the hosts in the 43rd. It was the third match in a row on the road for Madrid, which asked to start away from home because of renovation work at its Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The team will be back at the venue for its match against Real Betis on Saturday. Madrid beat Almería and Celta Vigo in its first two games. Espanyol stayed winless after having drawn at Celta before losing to Rayo Vallecano at home. VILLARREAL HELD Villarreal ended its perfect record with a 0-0 draw at Getafe, which was yet to win a point this season. Unai Emery's Villarreal had most of the scoring chances. A penalty kick in its favor deep into stoppage time was reversed after video review. Getafe had conceded three goals in each of its first two matches. Cádiz was the only other team without a point entering the weekend. It will have a chance to end its losing streak when it hosts unbeaten Athletic Bilbao on Monday. FAN VIOLENCE Police had to intervene after a confrontation between fans of second division clubs Racing Santander and Oviedo on Sunday. Authorities said the fans threw rocks and other objects at each other. There were no reports of injuries or arrests. Oviedo won the match 1-0 in Santander.

In a dominating season for Real Madrid, it was fitting that they did not even need their best players to win the Spanish league. Using their backups ahead of the Champions League semifinals, Madrid earned a record-extending 35th Liga title with a comfortable 4-0 home win over Espanyol Saturday. Players and coaches celebrated with the crowd at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium long after the match ended, then paraded to the team's usual party spot at Cibeles plaza, but there was not a lot of time to rejoice. Wednesday, Madrid is back at the Bernabéu to host Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. Madrid lost 4-3 in the first match in England. "We know we have an important match ahead of us, but today we have to celebrate," said Brazilian veteran Marcelo, who reached a milestone with his 24th career title with Madrid, the most in the club's history. "We have to enjoy it, this could help us Wednesday," said Carlo Ancelotti, who became the first coach to lift trophies in the top five European leagues. The Italian manager won with AC Milan in Serie A, Chelsea in the English Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Rodrygo scored twice and Marco Asensio and substitute Karim Benzema added on to give Madrid their second league title in three seasons, and third in six years. Madrid have an insurmountable lead with four rounds to go. It was 17 points in front of Sevilla, who drew with Cádiz 1-1 Friday, and 18 points ahead of Barcelona, who host Mallorca on Sunday. "This is how you win leagues," Madrid midfielder Casemiro said. "We've done a great job the entire season, being consistent from the start." Madrid has nine more league titles than Barcelona. Ancelotti rested most of his regular starters against Espanyol, including Benzema and his attacking teammate Vinícius Júnior. Only goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfielders Casemiro and Luka Modric made the starting lineup. Benzema, Vinícius and Toni Kroos entered the match in the second half, and Benzema closed the scoring in the 81st for his league-leading 26th goal. Casemiro had to play improvised as a central defender because David Alaba was out injured, and Nacho Fernández and Éder Militão were suspended. Marcelo started at left-back and surpassed the 23 titles won by Francisco "Paco" Gento, who died this year at age 88. The 33-year-old Brazilian tied Gento when Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup in January, a few days before Gento's death. Marcelo gave the pass to countryman Rodrygo to open the scoring from near the penalty spot in the 33rd minute. Rodrygo added to the lead 10 minutes later, and Marco Asensio scored the third goal in the 55th. It was a well-deserved title as Madrid got off to a good start and fended off every run by their challengers. They led after all but six rounds early in the season, being at the top since the 14th round in November. The only question now is if Atlético Madrid will agree to give its city rival a "guard of honour" before the teams meet at Atlético's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium next Sunday.

With a statement win against Sevilla, Barcelona showed it wasn't giving up yet in the fight for the Spanish league. Barcelona’s revamped team under coach Xavi Hernández kept its momentum and moved into second place for the first time this season after beating Sevilla 1-0 at home on Sunday. Pedri González broke the deadlock by scoring a beautiful goal in the 72nd minute at Camp Nou Stadium to move the Catalan club past Sevilla and keep its slim title hopes alive. Read:Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient The result left Barcelona 12 points behind leader Real Madrid but it has a game in hand. Madrid salvaged a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday with a couple of goals by the league scoring leader Karim Benzema. “We will keep fighting until the math shows that we have no chance,” Xavi said. “We were hoping (Madrid) would have stumbled yesterday but it didn't happen. Xavi has slowly turned Barcelona into a competitive squad again in his first year with the club. Barcelona has the same points as Sevilla and defending champion Atlético Madrid, which won at Alavés 4-1 on Saturday. Sevilla dropped from second to fourth because of the head-to-head tiebreakers. Barcelona hadn’t been as high as second after a tough start to its first season without Lionel Messi. It reached the top three only a few rounds ago. Barcelona has won eight and drawn one of its last nine matches in all competitions. It hasn’t lost in 13 consecutive games. Sevilla had been second since the 16th round but gradually lost ground. It had drawn its last three in a row. Barcelona was mostly in control but struggled to create significant scoring chances. Veteran defender Gerard Piqué almost opened the scoring with a header that struck the crossbar in the 69th. Pedri finally got the winner by faking his shot twice outside the area before firing in a low strike. The match came a few hours after the club ratified an agreement with Spotify for at least 12 seasons. The agreement, initially announced in March, was approved by 89% of votes in Sunday’s general assembly. Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16 BETIS STAYS NEAR TOP Real Betis routed Osasuna 4-1 to stay within range of the final Champions League place. Juanmi scored twice and William Carvalho and Álex Moreno added a goal each for the hosts' second victory in the last nine matches in all competitions. The result left Betis four points behind Sevilla, Atlético and Barcelona. ATHLETIC WINS AGAIN Athletic Bilbao ended a two-match winless streak with a 2-1 win over Elche to stay in eighth place, near the European spots. It was the fourth loss in five matches for Elche, which is six points above the drop zone. OTHER RESULTS Mid-table Valencia was held at home by relegation-threatened Cádiz to 0-0, while 10-man Rayo Vallecano was held at Granada to 2-2 after conceding a penalty kick four minutes into stoppage time.