DOHA, Qatar (AP) — From the sidelines at Real Madrid to one of Spain's most important players at the World Cup. It’s been a nice turnaround for forward Marco Asensio.
Asensio has made just a few appearances from the bench for Real Madrid under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid got back to winning — and moved closer to Barcelona going into the World Cup break.
Madrid halted its two-match winless streak in the Spanish league by defeating relegation-threatened Cádiz 2-1 on Thursday to cut Barcelona's lead to two points going into the World Cup stoppage.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid visits Rayo Vallecano needing a win to regain the lead of the Spanish league. Carlo Ancelotti's second-place team sits two points behind rival Barcelona, which beat Almería 2-0 at home on Saturday.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is suddenly showing some signs of weakness after a great start to the season.
Madrid was held by Girona to a 1-1 draw at home on Sunday in the Spanish league to follow up its first loss of the season in all competitions.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Arsenal tries to reclaim top spot in the Premier League with a win over last-placed Nottingham Forest at home, having fallen a point behind overnight leader Manchester City.
LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — Leipzig boosted its chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League by handing titleholder Real Madrid its first loss of the season on Tuesday.
The German club won 3-2 and now only needs to draw its last group match at Shakhtar Donetsk — which drew 1-1 at Celtic on Tuesday — to advance to the last 16.
A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Tuesday:
GROUP E
Chelsea hasn't failed to advance to the knockout stage since the 2012-13 season — when it was the defending champion — and would make it through to the last 16 again with a win at Salzburg.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
A month after its last game in the Premier League, Manchester United heads to city rival Manchester City on a four-match winning run and needing a plan to stop the irrepressible Erling Haaland.
MADRID (AP) — Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo came through in the absence of Karim Benzema to keep Real Madrid perfect this season.
Vinícius and Rodrygo scored second-half goals as Madrid came from behind to defeat Mallorca 4-1 for its fifth straight win in the Spanish league on Sunday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid is without Karim Benzema when it hosts Mallorca in the Spanish league. Benzema injured a tendon and a muscle in his right leg in Madrid's 3-0 win at Celtic in the Champions League.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid finally appears at home where it can reaffirm it's the team to beat in the Spanish league.
After three straight road games to start the season, defending champion Madrid returns to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Saturday for a showdown against Real Betis, the only other team with a perfect record.
ISTANBUL (AP) — Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas won UEFA’s player of the year awards on Thursday, making it a sweep for Spanish clubs.
Benzema had been the heavy favorite for the men's award after scoring 15 Champions League goals to lead Real Madrid to a record-extending 14th European title.
MADRID (AP) — Luka Modric is making it easier for Real Madrid fans to start getting over Casemiro’s departure.
A day after the Brazil midfielder announced he was ending his successful decade-long stint with Madrid to join Manchester United, his former teammate scored a beautiful goal and set up another to help the defending champion beat Celta Vigo 4-1 on Saturday for its second consecutive win to start the Spanish league.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:
ENGLAND
Arsenal goes for a third straight win to open the Premier League when Mikel Arteta's team visits Bournemouth. Defending champion Manchester City is the only other team to be on a maximum six points and doesn't play until Sunday at Newcastle.
MADRID (AP) — Manchester United reached a deal Friday to sign midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid, ending the Brazilian's successful stint in Spain and giving the struggling English giant a much-needed reinforcement.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Tottenham is seeking just a second victory at Stamford Bridge since the Premier League started in 1992 when it travels across London to play Chelsea in the headline game of the second round.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Two Real Madrid teammates made the three-man shortlist announced Friday for the UEFA player of the year award for last season, while no Liverpool player was included.
Champions League winner Madrid was represented by Karim Benzema, who scored a competition-best 15 goals, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was the standout in its 1-0 win over Liverpool in the final.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid starts the Spanish league season overflowing with confidence that it can retain the domestic title despite Barcelona spending big to add top talent to its team.
Barcelona hosts Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, a day before Madrid visits the newly promoted Almería in the opening round of the league.
MADRID (AP) — When Karim Benzema went down in pain after getting hurt in a practice session during Real Madrid’s preseason tour in the United States, it was understandable why his teammates and the coaching staff appeared concerned.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told Thibaut Courtois that he would take him to the Champions League final, then he would have to win it.
The goalkeeper did just that, with amazing save after amazing save to help the Spanish club win its record-extending 14th European title on Saturday.
PARIS (AP) — Yet another Champions League title for Real Madrid, the undisputed king of Europe.
Yet another showpiece European soccer game tarnished by chaotic crowd issues and disorder.
Madrid became European champion for a record-extending 14th time — double the number of any other team on the continent — after beating Liverpool 1-0 in a final that started 37 minutes late because of disturbing scenes outside the Stade de France on Saturday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Liverpool's injury concerns have eased ahead of the final against Real Madrid in Paris, with midfielders Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara back in full training.
One is a chest-beating, arm-waving, emotionally fuelled leader whose team’s high-energy style is in his own image.
The other is unruffled, unflappable, so nonchalant he almost appears uncaring, transmitting calm all around him with his seen-it-all-done-it-all approach.
MADRID (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti is the only coach to win titles in the top five European soccer leagues, and is a victory away from a record-fourth Champions League trophy.
Still, not even Ancelotti is immune to pressure, especially ahead of a Champions League final.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid wants to quickly forget about Kylian Mbappé and turn its focus back on the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Four days before the final in suburban Paris, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and his players tried their best to avoid talking about the France forward and his decision to stay with Paris Saint-Germain.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid’s regular starters were held by Real Betis to 0-0 on Friday in the team’s last match before the Champions League final.
Madrid began with the team that is expected to face Liverpool on May 28 in Paris, where it will try to win a record-extending 14th European title.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Friday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid is expected to get some of its regular starters back on the field in its final Spanish league match before the Champions League final against Liverpool.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Three teams are fighting to avoid relegation on the final day of the Spanish league, while Real Madrid gets its last chance to fine-tune before facing Liverpool for the European Cup.
ROME (AP) — José Mourinho sees no reason to stop now after reaching another European final while approaching his 60th birthday.
The 59-year-old Mourinho was asked Wednesday if critics had been too quick to write him and 62-year-old Carlo Ancelotti off too quickly.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid begins its countdown to the Champions League final against Liverpool by facing Atlético Madrid in a capital derby in the Spanish league.
Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid has mostly pride to play for on Sunday after it clinched the domestic league title in the last round.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — While Real Madrid's players went back to training after celebrating the club's latest Spanish league title, Barcelona had a peace offering for its fans by ending an embarrassing losing streak at Camp Nou on Sunday.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid made it look easy this time.
With a title-winning campaign few could contest, Madrid clinched its record-extending 35th Spanish league title on Saturday, lifting the trophy with four rounds left after routing Espanyol 4-0 with its backup players.
MADRID (AP) — Not long after being thrown into the air by his Real Madrid players, Carlo Ancelotti shed tears while speaking about his latest league triumph.
With Madrid clinching the Spanish league on Saturday, Ancelotti became the first coach to lift trophies in the top five European leagues.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior will likely be rested on Saturday for the match that can give Real Madrid the Spanish league title, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday.
Madrid needs a draw against Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to clinch its record-extending 35th league title, and second in three seasons.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti has a decision to make when Espanyol comes to town on Saturday.
The Real Madrid coach can play his top players to have the best chance of wrapping up the Spanish league title, or he can focus on the Champions League semifinal decider against Manchester City on Wednesday.
MADRID (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti doesn't seem bothered by hearing that Real Madrid isn't the favorite against Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals.
That has happened a couple of times already this season, and he knows the 13-time European champions can do just fine.
MADRID (AP) — Two Spanish clubs. Contrasting histories in soccer. The same magical Champions League night.
Real Madrid and Villarreal both found a way to advance to the semifinals of the European competition on Tuesday, with powerhouse Madrid surviving a comeback by defending champion Chelsea and modest Villarreal fending off German giant Bayern Munich.
MADRID (AP) — Just about everything has been going Real Madrid’s way recently, in the Spanish league and the Champions League.
Not even the resounding 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the “clásico” at home a few weeks ago was enough to knock the Spanish league leaders off track.
LONDON (AP) — Back-to-back Champions League hat tricks just reinforce the enduring value of Karim Benzema's clinical finishing to Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti sees so much more being provided by the 34-year-old forward he compares to a fine wine.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti tested negative for the coronavirus early Wednesday, allowing him to fly to London to be with the team for the Champions League match against Chelsea.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will likely be without coach Carlo Ancelotti for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Chelsea because of COVID-19.
Ancelotti tested positive for the coronavirus last week and did not travel to London with the rest of the squad on Tuesday.
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel believes the potential absence of rival manager Carlo Ancelotti for the Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday would hand his team a slight edge going into the quarterfinals.
More than two years have passed since a grinning Gareth Bale, celebrating a big win for his national team, held up a Welsh flag with the words “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In That Order” written on it.
At least in his soccer career, it appears little has changed.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema will miss Real Madrid's match against fierce rival Barcelona because of a leg injury, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Saturday.
Madrid hosts Barcelona on Sunday with an already commanding lead of the Spanish league.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — As the club moves closer to replacing its Russian ownership, European champion Chelsea was drawn Friday to play record 13-time winner Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.
A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Wednesday:
REAL MADRID vs. PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (0-1)
Real Madrid hosts Paris Saint-Germain looking to reverse the 1-0 first-leg loss in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
MADRID (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain expects Kylian Mbappé to play against Real Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, while the Spanish powerhouse still waits on whether Toni Kroos will recover in time to make it to the decisive match.