HELSINKI (AP) — This time, there were only two goals.
David Alaba and Karim Benzema scored in each half for Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
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.
PARIS (AP) — The last time Lyon won the French league title in 2008, the club's new American owner was celebrating a prize of his own.
John Textor's visual effects company won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking work on the making of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a huge box office hit starring Brad Pitt.
GENEVA (AP) — UEFA cleared its own executive committee member Nasser al-Khelaifi of any punishment on Friday despite finding his club Paris Saint-Germain guilty of misconduct for confrontations with match officials after losing in the Champions League.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:
NATIONS LEAGUE
Defending champion France is under big pressure as it hosts Croatia in a must-win game at Stade de France. Les Bleus have picked up just two points from the first three games in League A, where only the group winner makes it to the Final Four and the last-place team gets relegated.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is signing another young, highly rated French midfielder after reaching agreement with Monaco for the transfer of Aurélien Tchouaméni on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Tchouaméni will join for six seasons, Madrid said, and will be presented on Tuesday once he passes his medical examination.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool has confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Loris Karius four years after his last appearance for the club when his concussion-related gaffes contributed to a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.
PARIS (AP) — France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has dropped his appeal against a conviction for complicity in blackmail in a sex-tape case that rocked French soccer, his lawyer said Saturday.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Denmark stunned titleholder France 2-1 in their opening Nations League match at the Stade de France on Friday, ending the world champion's seven-match winning streak.
After Karim Benzema put the hosts in front, substitute Andreas Cornelius scored twice to earn Denmark its first win over France since the 2002 World Cup.
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — According to Lionel Messi, there is “no doubt” that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to win his first Ballon d’Or award this year.
Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards as the world's best player, but saw his new club Paris Saint-Germain eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League this year — after Benzema scored a hat trick in the second half of the return leg.
PARIS (AP) — For a player who doesn’t consider himself to be a striker, Mohamed Salah is the envy of many forwards with his scoring record for Liverpool.
“I don’t play No. 9, I play on the wing,” Salah said.
MADRID (AP) — The last time Karim Benzema was in a Champions League final, it was in a supporting role to Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was just another forward on a Real Madrid team in which Ronaldo attracted most of the attention.
MADRID (AP) — For Real Madrid and its fans, it was not about whether it would happen. It was just a matter of when it would happen.
Signing Kylian Mbappé was seen as a done deal in the Spanish capital.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe won the French league's best player award for the third time in his career on Sunday, then diplomatically swerved a question about his future.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema continues to add his name to Real Madrid's record books, scoring his 323rd goal on Thursday to draw level with Raúl González as the club’s second-highest scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
MADRID (AP) — The “Si se puede! (Yes we can!)” chants gradually faded at the Santiago Bernabéu as the minutes passed and Real Madrid looked beaten.
As the end of regulation approached, many in the stands — and on the field — were close to giving up as Manchester City defended its 1-0 lead.
A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Wednesday:
REAL MADRID vs. MANCHESTER CITY (3-4)
Manchester City will look to fend off another Real Madrid comeback to return to the Champions League final and keep alive its hopes of winning the competition for the first time.
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) — Veteran Brazilian defender Marcelo won his 24th title with Real Madrid on Saturday, becoming the club’s most trophy-laden player.
The left back started in the 4-0 home win over Espanyol, which clinched Madrid the Spanish league.
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.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid was holding on to the positives after coming close to being routed by Manchester City but staying alive in the Champions League semifinals.
Madrid lost 4-3 in the first leg in England on Tuesday, but it was one of those defeats that allowed for some celebration.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It was the coolest of penalties at the end of one of the wildest matches in Champions League history.
With his cheekily dispatched “Panenka,” Karim Benzema might just have kept Real Madrid's chances alive against Manchester City in the semifinals.
MADRID (AP) — Not even an off-day for Karim Benzema was enough to keep Real Madrid from moving closer to clinching the Spanish league title.
Benzema missed two penalty kicks seven minutes apart in the second half but Madrid went on to earn a 3-1 win at Osasuna Wednesday to open a 17-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid, which can no longer catch its rival as both teams have five games left to play.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema came up big yet again.
He scored in second-half stoppage time on Sunday as Real Madrid rallied to a 3-2 win at Sevilla and moved closer to winning the Spanish league title for the second time in three seasons.
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) — With Real Madrid looking beaten and on the verge of elimination after a fierce comeback by defending champion Chelsea, Karim Benzema came up big once again in the Champions League.
Having scored a hat trick in the first leg to give Madrid a 3-1 lead, Benzema spoiled the English team’s comeback by netting the decisive goal in extra time on Tuesday to put the Spanish club back into the semifinals.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — At an age when most top athletes are hoping to maintain their form, Karim Benzema is reaching the pinnacle of his career.
The 34-year-old France striker is enjoying the best season of the 13 he has spent at Real Madrid and making a strong argument for being considered the top player in the world.
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 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.
MADRID (AP) — 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.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — With Karim Benzema back from injury, Real Madrid got back on the road to winning the Spanish league after the France striker scored two penalties in a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid will try to overcome the absence of Karim Benzema when it hosts fierce rival Barcelona and its revamped attack.
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.
PARIS (AP) — AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud has been called up to France's national squad for upcoming friendly matches as a replacement for the injured Karim Benzema.
The French football federation said Saturday that Benzema has been ruled out because of a left calf injury.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema stayed hot as Real Madrid kept momentum from its epic win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League with a 3-0 victory at Mallorca to extend its Spanish league lead on Monday.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — There was a time when Karim Benzema was jeered by Real Madrid fans for not tapping all his talent, for not scoring enough goals, for not rising to the challenge.
Even though he had quieted most of his critics in recent years, nobody can ever again doubt the France striker after he etched his name into the club's long Champions League lore.
Lionel Messi stood frozen, stunned in the Santiago Bernabéu.
His right hand was on his hip. His left hand was holding his head. His eyes were closed.
It looked like he wanted the field to swallow him up.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid fans started the evening by applauding Kylian Mbappé and ended it by cheering Karim Benzema and celebrating another epic Champions League night the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga struck scorching goals from outside the area to lead Real Madrid from behind to beat Real Sociedad 4-1 and increase its lead of the Spanish league on Saturday.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Like so many times this season, when Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior click for Real Madrid, defenses crumble against the leader of the Spanish league.
Benzema scored late from an assist by Vinícius to snatch Madrid a 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, helping to increase the gap over second-place Sevilla to nine points.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Sébastien Haller can add to his scoring run in the Champions League when Ajax plays at Portuguese club Benifca in the opening leg of their round-of-16 tie on Wednesday.
Haller became the first man to score 10 goals in his first six games in Europe’s top-tier competition as Ajax stormed through the group stage by winning all of its matches.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Struggling like never before under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid got the convincing win it needed before facing Manchester United and old nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo.
The class of João Félix and Luis Suárez — combined with some team defending finally living up to Simeone's standard — gave Atlético reasons to feel better about its upcoming Champions League clash after a 3-0 win at Osasuna on Saturday in the Spanish league.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Tuesday:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Three of the competition's top teams are in action in the first games in the last 16. The headline match of the round is Paris Saint-Germain versus Real Madrid, which sees Lionel Messi go up against the team he caused so much pain in the Spanish league with Barcelona.
The Champions League is back.
It's the start of the knockout stage, with the headline match being the meeting between European football's aristocrat — the 13-time winner Real Madrid — and an upstart in Paris Saint-Germain, which is looking to be continental champion for the first time.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The only positive that Real Madrid could take away from its scoreless draw with Villarreal on Saturday was Gareth Bale, whose good form belied his return to the pitch after more than five months on the sidelines.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid is hoping Karim Benzema will be fit to play in next week’s highly anticipated clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
That tasty Champions League round-of-16 tie in Paris on Tuesday will pit Madrid against the team of former nemesis Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the player many in Spain hope will become Madrid's next star.