NYON, Switzerland - Barcelona and Manchester United will meet in the Europa League playoffs for a place in the competition's last 16.
Spanish side Barcelona met the 2017 Europa League winners twice in the 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals, winning on both occasions, while United lost both legs of the 2018-19 UCL quarterfinal meeting between the pair.
BARCELONA - Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué called time on his glittering career on Thursday, saying he will retire from football when LaLiga breaks for the World Cup this month.
Piqué, 35, said in a video posted on social media that Saturday's league clash with Almería on Saturday will be his last at Barcelona's Camp Nou after 14 years with the Catalan giants following his return from Manchester United in 2008.
Barcelona will travel to Osasuna on Tuesday for their final fixture before the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup.
It's early in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, but with the season now over 30 percent complete, there's no denying that Real Madrid utility man Federico Valverde has put himself in the conversation with some unbelievable contributions in the Champions League and LaLiga.
It used to be that Valverde was the unsung hero of either the midfield (deputizing effectively for Luka Modrić or Toni Kroos) or right wing (with Karim Benzema and Vini Jr in the spotlight), but this year, whether deployed on the wing or in midfield, the 24-year-old has blossomed into the star of the show.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday with a commanding 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates, and the Gunners dedicated their win to on-loan defender Pablo Marí, who was stabbed Thursday during an attack in an Italian supermarket that left one dead and five injured.
United States men’s national team and Celta Vigo midfielder Luca de la Torre is expected to miss the next three weeks of action after suffering a muscle injury in his left leg. His club announced the news on Friday.
| Luca De la Torre
The footballer suffers a grade I fibrillar rupture@delatorreluca !
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will be back on the pitch for their LaLiga games this weekend, licking their wounds after disastrous midweek performances in the Champions League.
For the first time in history Spain had three teams knocked out of the top European tournament in the group stage, as Barcelona, Atlético and Sevilla failed miserably to advance past their groups to the round of 16.
Even champions Real Madrid, who were already through and playing to wrap up top spot, lost 3-1 at Leipzig on Tuesday, their first defeat in all competitions this season.
Two second-half goals from Antoine Griezmann, one scored directly from a corner kick, gave Atlético Madrid a 2-1 win at Real Betis on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run in LaLiga to five games.
Atlético climbed back to third in the standings on 23 points, eight behind leaders Real Madrid and two from second-placed Barcelona, who have a game in hand and host Athletic Bilbao later on Sunday. Betis are fifth on 20 points.
It was Atlético's fifth win in six away games this season, and Betis's first loss at home.
BARCELONA - Barcelona bounced back from their painful Clásico loss in style as they cruised to a 3-0 home LaLiga win over Villarreal with a brace from Robert Lewandowski on Thursday.
Barcelona remained second in the standings on 25 points, three behind Real Madrid and three clear of third-placed Real Sociedad, who have won their last five league games and eight consecutive wins in all competitions.
To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Here's the Spain World Cup 2022 preview. La Roja will play in Group E against Costa Rica, Germany and Japan.
World Cup appearances: 16th
Best finish: Champions (2010)
When you think of Karim Benzema on the pitch, it's hard not to imagine him without the bandage he wears over his right arm. The piece of fabric has become a signature accessory for the Real Madrid striker. However, during the ceremony in which he received a well-deserved Ballon d'Or, people got a good reminder of why he always has to use it.