Spain

Borussia Mönchengladbach have agreed to hire former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso as their manager for next season, German newspaper Bild reported on Monday without identifying its sources.

Alonso, who won the World Cup and two European Championship titles and was a Champions League winner at Liverpool and Real Madrid, became coach of boyhood club Real Sociedad's youth team in 2019 and has led them to the playoffs in the third tier.

Real Sociedad declined to comment on the Bild report, saying Alonso was focused on his side's promotion campaign.

With 10 matches remaining, it’s as you were in LaLiga with the three top sides all winning over the weekend. 

On Saturday, Karim Benzema’s brace lifted Real Madrid over Celta Vigo. On Sunday afternoon, Luis Suárez’s 500th career goal gave Atlético a nervy win over Alavés. On Sunday evening, Barcelona decimated fifth-place Real Sociedad 6-1 for a fifth straight league win.

After seeing its lead at the top of the table reduced because of a goalless draw with Getafe and following that up with a Champions League elimination at the hands of Chelsea, Atlético Madrid entered Sunday’s LaLiga match against Alavés in a precarious position.

Real Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 3-1 on Saturday to momentarily close the gap at the top to just three points, while Barcelona could apply even more pressure later on Sunday against Real Sociedad by recording its fifth straight league win. 

Goalkeeper Bono was Sevilla's unlikely hero as they snatched a 1-1 draw at struggling Real Valladolid in LaLiga on Saturday thanks to his strike deep in stoppage time.

Chilean midfielder Fabián Orellana put the hosts in charge with a 44th minute penalty after forward Shon Weissman had been barged over by Sevilla defenders Diego Carlos and Karim Rekik.

An unstoppable Barcelona won its 20th game out of 20 on Saturday, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 4-0 away from home to continue its record-breaking run in Spanish women's soccer's top flight.

Swiss international Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala struck in the first half while France's Kheira Hamraoui and Lieke Martens of the Netherlands completed the rout in the second period.

A drone carrying a flag opposing Euro 2020 matches in Bilbao interrupted Athletic Bilbao's match at home to Eibar in LaLiga on Saturday.

Play had to be halted in the 68th minute of the 1-1 draw while referee Valentin Pizarro Gomez picked up the drone and accompanying flag and carried it off the field before restarting the game.

Holder Bayern Munich will face the team it beat in last year's Champions League final in this season's quarterfinals after being paired with Paris Saint-Germain in Friday's draw.

In the other standout tie of the last eight 13-time champions Real Madrid faces six-time winner Liverpool in a repeat of the 2018 final won by the Spanish club.

Runaway Premier League leader Manchester City, seeking its first Champions League title, will play Borussia Dortmund, with the winner to face Bayern or PSG in the semifinals.

Last year, Atlético Madrid came to England and stunned reigning champion Liverpool. On Wednesday, the same team came to England and limped out of the competition, with American Christian Pulisic setting up the dagger in a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Thomas Tuchel’s side thoroughly stifled Diego Simeone’s men for a 3-0 aggregate victory in the Champions League Round of 16, and Pulisic provided the assist on the final nail in Atleti’s coffin.

Real Madrid was a bit fortunate to escape its first-leg Round of 16 Champions League match with Atalanta with a win. It fully deserved its win back at home on Tuesday. 

Karim Benzema capitalized on an awful mistake from Atalanta’s keeper to set Real Madrid on its way to a 3-1 win on Tuesday in Madrid. Los Blancos advanced to the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate.