Football

Atletico Madrid's hopes of recovering from their humiliating Champions League defeat were dashed by Luka Sucic's stunning strike, which earned Real Sociedad a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Sunday.Diego Simeone's team, still reeling from their 4-0 thrashing by Benfica midweek, took an early lead in San Sebastian through Julian Alvarez. However, their advantage proved short-lived as Sucic's long-range effort in the 84th minute secured a point for the home side.Atletico's draw leaves them third in the standings, level on points with Villarreal but seven behind leaders Barcelona. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, remain in 15th place."It's a bad feeling because we wanted to win the game," said Atletico defender Axel Witsel. "We let in a late goal and it hurts, we had a good game defensively... everyone was working hard. The goal we let in was a great strike but I think we could have avoided it."Former Manchester City striker Alvarez put Atletico ahead within the first minute after Antoine Griezmann backheeled the ball into his path. Griezmann, who recently retired from international duty with France, made his 400th appearance for the club.Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a superb save to keep out Nayef Aguerd's close-range effort and also denied Takefusa Kubo. The visitors looked set to claim three points before Sucic's late intervention.Rodrigo de Paul gave the ball away cheaply in his own half and Sucic hit a first-time shot that spun over Oblak and into the net. Kubo fired narrowly off-target in the final minutes as the hosts tried to snatch all three points.

Real Madrid regained their winning ways in La Liga with a 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, bouncing back from their midweek Champions League defeat at Lille. Fede Valverde and Vinicius Junior scored the goals for Los Blancos, who moved level on points with leaders Barcelona ahead of their match on Sunday.Valverde's deflected effort gave Madrid the lead in the 14th minute, while Vinicius sealed the win with a stunning strike from outside the area in the second half. The victory was marred by an injury to defender Dani Carvajal, who was stretchered off in stoppage time.Madrid's victory was hard-fought, as Villarreal put up a strong challenge. The visitors came close to equalizing on several occasions, but Madrid's defense held firm. The win extends Madrid's unbeaten run in La Liga to 10 matches, and they remain the only team in the division yet to lose a game.Villarreal, meanwhile, remain in third place, four points behind Madrid. They have now lost two of their last three matches, but they will be encouraged by their performance against the league leaders.

Reigning Spanish and European champions Real Madrid have endured a sluggish start to the season, culminating in their first defeat since January. Carlo Ancelotti's side succumbed to a setback at Lille in the Champions League and trail Barcelona by three points in La Liga.Madrid host Villarreal on Saturday, aiming to level points with their Catalan rivals at the summit of the table for the first time this season. Los Blancos commenced the campaign with a draw at Mallorca and have been playing catch-up ever since.Barcelona's seven-match winning streak was halted at Osasuna last weekend. Madrid failed to capitalize fully, drawing 1-1 with Atletico Madrid. However, they can apply pressure on Barca, who visit Alaves on Sunday, with a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.To achieve that against a formidable Villarreal side, just a point behind Madrid in third, they will need to elevate their performance significantly. Madrid's loss in France marked their first defeat in 37 matches across all competitions."When we lost the derby (against Atletico) last year, it was a fantastic wake-up call, and hopefully, this defeat can also be a fantastic wake-up call," said Ancelotti. "We did everything wrong -- with the ball, transitions, the intensity, we lost the duels... we have to look at things with a cool head and not throw everything away, but we have to improve."Madrid welcomed Kylian Mbappe against Lille after a thigh injury, and the French striker could start against Villarreal. Despite Villarreal's strength, led by Spain international Ayoze Perez, they have conceded in every match this season.Madrid continue to struggle without midfield maestro Toni Kroos, who retired after helping the team to a La Liga and Champions League double. Los Blancos will also field Ukrainian goalkeeper Andre Lunin between the sticks with Thibaut Courtois out injured."We have to analyze and improve in the next game because there is no time -- there are many games, and we have to win," said Lunin after the Lille defeat.Villarreal may be without Perez, who missed Monday's win over Las Palmas with muscular discomfort, and Gerard Moreno is also sidelined. However, striker Thierno Barry is finding form for Marcelino Garcia Toral's side. The French striker scored and got an assist as Villarreal moved up to third with the 3-1 win.Girona and Atletico Madrid also suffered Champions League defeats on Wednesday and both are in action on Sunday, against tricky Basque sides Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad respectively.

Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has made a stunning return to football, signing for Spanish giants Barcelona on Wednesday. The 34-year-old, who retired from international duty after Euro 2024, has agreed to a contract until June 30, 2025.Szczesny's arrival at Camp Nou comes as a timely boost for Barcelona, who have been without first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen since September 22 due to a severe knee injury. The German international is expected to be sidelined until the end of the season, leaving Barcelona in need of a reliable replacement.Szczesny, who has over 600 appearances for club and country, brings a wealth of experience to Barcelona. He has won three Serie A titles and three Italian Cups with Juventus, as well as two FA Cups with Arsenal. His impressive performances for Poland at Euro 2024 also showcased his ability to perform at the highest level.Despite retiring from international football, Szczesny has now decided to return to the game and make his La Liga debut. He had previously stated that his "heart was not there anymore" to play football, but the opportunity to join Barcelona has reignited his passion for the sport.Szczesny's signing is a significant coup for Barcelona, who have been struggling with injuries in recent weeks. The Polish goalkeeper is expected to slot straight into the starting lineup and provide much-needed stability between the posts.

The Madrid Derby, a fierce rivalry in football, will witness Real Madrid's visit to Atletico Madrid's Civitas Metropolitano on Monday (IST). Real Madrid, undefeated in their last 50 matches across La Liga and the Champions League, will face Atletico Madrid, who have strengthened their squad with key additions.Real Madrid's last defeat came against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey at the same venue. Since then, they have embarked on an impressive 33-match unbeaten streak. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, have bolstered their team with the signings of Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, and Conor Gallagher.Real Madrid manager Carlos Ancelotti believes the match will be a "spectacle" and has suggested that Atletico Madrid will be contenders for the title this season. The match will be played on Monday, September 30, at the Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, and will start at 12:30 AM IST.While there will be no live telecast of the match in India, it will be streamed live on the Galaxy Racer (GXR) website (gxr.world). The match promises to be an intense battle between two of Spain's top clubs, with both teams eager to secure a victory in this prestigious rivalry.

Osasuna's stunning 4-2 victory over Barcelona on Saturday shattered the Catalan giants' perfect start to the La Liga season. The defeat marked a significant setback for Barcelona, who had won all seven of their opening fixtures.Osasuna's triumph was orchestrated by Ante Budimir, who scored a brace, and Bryan Zaragoza, who netted the opening goal. Pau Victor briefly gave Barcelona hope with a lifeline goal, but Budimir's second-half penalty and Abel Bretones' sensational strike sealed the victory for the hosts. Lamine Yamal pulled one back for Barcelona, but it was too little, too late.Barcelona coach Hansi Flick took full responsibility for the defeat, acknowledging that his heavily rotated side had made numerous mistakes in the first half. "We had a lot of changes in the team and this is maybe one reason for that," Flick said. "I think it was necessary. We had so many matches, a lot of players had so many minutes, I have to take care about that. This is my responsibility."Flick's decision to rest key players ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match against Young Boys backfired, as Barcelona failed to ignite in the first half. Osasuna, on the other hand, seized the opportunity, with Zaragoza playing a pivotal role in the opening two goals.Barcelona's struggles continued in the second half, despite the introduction of Yamal and Raphinha. Top scorer Robert Lewandowski was taken off with 20 minutes remaining after a disappointing display. Osasuna capitalized on Barcelona's defensive lapses, with Budimir converting a penalty and Bretones adding a fourth goal.The defeat leaves Barcelona with a four-point lead over second-place Real Madrid, who face Atletico Madrid in a derby clash on Sunday. Osasuna, meanwhile, climbed to sixth place in the standings.

Real Madrid will face their rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday in La Liga without star signing Kylian Mbappe, who is sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury. Despite the absence of their star forward, coach Carlo Ancelotti remains confident in his team's ability to cope."Obviously playing without Mbappe changes things a bit, but not much," Ancelotti said. "We're used to playing without him because last year he wasn't here. It's a pity that he's not here, but his absence we can cover for well."Real Madrid boasts a formidable attacking lineup that includes Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, and Vinicius Junior, who is a potential Ballon d'Or winner. The Brazilian has been in scintillating form lately and is expected to lead the charge against Diego Simeone's side.However, Vinicius has been subjected to racial abuse in the past, including during previous visits to Atletico's Metropolitano stadium. This week, a group of Atletico supporters launched a campaign encouraging fans to wear face masks to the stadium to facilitate undetected abuse.Ancelotti declined to comment on the issue but expressed confidence that the match would be an entertaining spectacle. "It's a difficult game, that's clear, but each match has its own story and we have a plan, let's see if it goes well," he said.Real Madrid lost to Atletico in September 2023 but has remained unbeaten in 39 La Liga matches since. "We have to avoid the mistakes of last year, that's quite obvious," Ancelotti said. "What we've learned could serve us well for tomorrow's game."Ancelotti confirmed that French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has recovered from an injury and is fit to participate in the derby.

Julian Alvarez's late heroics secured a dramatic 1-0 victory for Atletico Madrid at Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday. Despite a lackluster performance, the Argentine substitute's 90th-minute strike snatched all three points for Diego Simeone's side.Atletico struggled to create chances in the first half, failing to register a single shot. Celta, on the other hand, threatened through Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias, but Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak made crucial saves to keep the visitors level.Simeone introduced Alvarez in the second half, and the former Manchester City striker made an immediate impact. He stayed alert to prod home Antoine Griezmann's deep cross at the back post, securing a vital victory for Atletico."We didn't play well in attack in the first half," Simeone admitted. "The subs gave us a bit more creativity to be able to win the game."Earlier in the day, Ayoze Perez scored twice to lead Villarreal to a 2-1 win at Espanyol. The Spain international now has six goals this season, trailing only Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski in the scoring charts.Real Betis, however, could only manage a 1-1 draw at bottom-of-the-table Las Palmas. Barcelona remain top of the league after their 1-0 win over Getafe on Wednesday, with Real Madrid second following their 3-2 victory against Alaves on Tuesday.

Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish and European champions, face their toughest test of the season so far when they travel to the Wanda Metropolitano to take on city rivals Atletico Madrid in a highly anticipated La Liga derby clash on Sunday.Atletico, under the astute leadership of Diego Simeone, are the only team to have defeated Real Madrid in the league in the past year, inflicting two losses on Carlo Ancelotti's side. The Rojiblancos also eliminated Madrid from the Copa del Rey in January 2024, marking the only defeat Madrid has suffered in the calendar year.Real Madrid will be without star summer signing Kylian Mbappe, who sustained a thigh injury in the midweek win over Alaves. However, Ancelotti still has a plethora of attacking options at his disposal. Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who has been a frequent target of abuse from Atletico supporters, has hit top form ahead of the derby. Jude Bellingham, the highly-rated English midfielder, could be given more attacking responsibilities.Another option for Ancelotti is to deploy Luka Modric as an extra midfielder in a return to the 4-4-2 formation, rather than maintaining the 4-3-3 used so far, to help Madrid minimize Atletico's threat.After a sluggish start to the campaign, Madrid have won five consecutive matches across all competitions. "We're getting better and it suits us because the schedule is very demanding," said Ancelotti. "We've come back well after the break and we want to continue like this for Sunday's game, which is going to be very tough."Madrid, currently second in the standings, trail leaders Barcelona by four points. Atletico, meanwhile, are two points behind their city rivals after a fortunate late 1-0 win at Celta Vigo.Atletico forward Julian Alvarez, who scored the winning goal against Celta, could start after coming off the bench in recent matches. Simeone has praised Alvarez's versatility, saying, "He's a versatile player, he can play upfront, he can play (in midfield), he gives us more options."