FC Barcelona

The race for the top 8 spots that will earn automatic qualification into the knockouts has intensified and each point will count from here on.

Barcelona got back to winning in the Spanish league in style, routing Mallorca 5-1 with a pair of goals by Raphinha. Ferran Torres, Frenkie de Jong and Pau Vctor also scored for Barcelona, which hadn't won in three consecutive league games to allow Real Madrid to inch closer at the top of the standings. Madrid is now four points back although it has two games in hand. Torres, who got to start in place of league-leading scorer Robert Lewandowski, opened the scoring in the 12th minute after Mallorca defenders failed to clear an easy ball from inside the area. One defender tried to kick it away but it ended ricocheting off a teammate to give Ferran an easy shot on goal. The hosts equalized with Vedat Muriqi in a breakaway just before halftime in what was Mallorca's only shot on target, but Raphinha put Barcelona back in front by converting a 56th-minute penalty kick. He added to the lead in the 74th after a nice assist by Lamine Yamal. Raphinha now has 11 goals in 16 league games thi

Barcelona lost at home for the first time this season when the Spanish league leader was stunned 2-1 by Las Palmas on Saturday. Barcelona had played superbly in the first three months under new coach Hansi Flick and was flying high after convincing victories over Real Madrid in the domestic competition and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It had won all eight home games overall. But it has now gone three rounds of La Liga without a win. Prior to the loss to Las Palmas, it fell 1-0 at Real Sociedad and drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo. Madrid, despite its own troubles especially in the Champions League, can now move ahead of Barcelona in the Spanish league. It trails Barcelona by four points with two games more to play. Sandro Ramirez and Fbio Silva scored for the Canary Islands club on either side of Raphinha's equalizer. I don't care about scoring, I care about winning," Raphinha said about his good performance that was unable to end his team's slump. We have to take a hard look at

Raphinha knew he would have a hard time getting off Barcelona's bench with the soccer world enthralled by teen phenom Lamine Yamal and the club eyeing to sign another hot prospect in the attack. Instead of pouting, he evolved. While the entire Barcelona team improved under new coach Hansi Flick, no player has made such a leap forward this season as Raphinha. His 12 goals and team-leading 10 assists across all competitions are a big part of why Barcelona is playing its best soccer since the exit of Lionel Messi more than three years ago. But, if a player looked to be on the out when the season started, it was the Brazil forward. Raphinha seemed destined to become a second-choice right-side winger after 17-year-old Yamal helped Spain win the European Championship in dazzling style. To make matters worse, the club was heavily linked to a possible transfer bid to pry Spain left-side winger Nico Williams away from Athletic Bilbao. That move never materialized for Williams, but Raphinha

Barcelona showed its attacking prowess yet again in another big Champions League win. The Catalan club routed Red Star Belgrade 5-2 on Wednesday, marking the seventh straight match in all competitions that it as scored at least three goals. Hansi Flick's team has averaged four goals per match in that run of victories. Robert Lewandowski netted twice to extend his scoring streak to 15 goals in his last 10 matches with the Catalan club, while an in-form Raphinha also scored for Barcelona, taking his recent Champions League tally to eight goals in his last six appearances. "We played very well again today," said Lewandowski, who took his tally in the competition to 99 goals. "We had the match under control and got the three points." Barcelona leads the Champions League in goals scored with 15 in four matches. "We knew that Barcelona were in good form before the match, winning the clasico' and scoring a lot of goals," Red Star midfielder Timi Elsnik said. "It was quite a challenge b

Real Madrid and the Spanish league on Sunday condemned racist insults against Lamine Yamal during Saturday's Clasico, and Madrid said it was working to identify those who abused the Barcelona forward. Madrid said it has opened an investigation in order to locate and identify the perpetrators of these deplorable and despicable insults so that the appropriate disciplinary and judicial measures can be taken. The league said it was going to formally denounce the intolerable racist insults and gestures against Barcelona players at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The league said it strongly condemns these events and remains firm in its commitment to eradicate any type of racist behaviour and hatred inside and outside stadiums. There is no place for this scourge in sport. The reaction came after videos on social media showed the alleged insults against Yamal after he scored Barcelona's third goal in its 4-0 rout of Madrid. The 17-year-old celebrated in a corner in front of Madrid fans and

The Spanish league is trying to get approval to play a match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Miami in December. The league said its partner in the US, Relevent Sports, is working with FIFA to make sure the league is cleared to host the match outside of Spain. The league first tried to play a regular season match in the United States about five years ago, but its plans at the time were scrapped after opposition by Spain's soccer federation and the players' union. Staging the match abroad is part of the league's goal of promoting soccer and its brand in other countries. It has been expanding internationally for some time, hoping to close the gap on the powerful English Premier League. Critics say playing abroad would create unfair competition in the league.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is expected to miss Saturday's Clasico against Barcelona after sustaining a muscle injury in Tuesday's Champions League match. Courtois has "an adductor injury in his left leg," the team said Wednesday. The Belgium goalkeeper had been nursing an abductor injury recently. He missed most of last season with an ACL injury. Rodrygo is also expected to miss the Clasico, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday after the forward was substituted in the 85th minute of Madrid's 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Madrid trails Barcelona by three points in La Liga standings.

Robert Lewandowski scored two more goals to extend his league-leading tally to 12 and Barcelona routed Sevilla 5-1 to open a three-point gap on Real Madrid ahead of next weekend's "clasico." Pedri and Pablo Torre also scored Sunday for the Catalan club, which restored its lead of La Liga a day after second-place Madrid won 2-1 at Celta Vigo. Barcelona midfielder Gavi came off the bench to replace Pedri in the 83rd minute, making his return to action nearly a year after a serious knee injury. I had been dreaming about this moment for several months, Gavi said. It's tough to watch from the outside. I have to enjoy every moment. I feel very lucky to be here today. Barcelona will play Madrid on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Both teams have Champions League matches midweek Madrid hosts Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday and Barcelona hosts Bayern Munich on Wednesday. This was an important win considering the matches that we have ahead, Pedri said. We had to leave with a good ..

Bayern Munich and Manchester City extended their winning starts in the Women's Champions League group stage, while Arsenal and Barcelona rebounded from early-season setbacks with big victories. One day after Arsenal's coach Jonas Eidevall resigned, the team took just one minute to score in a 4-1 win over Norwegian team Vlerenga. United States defender Emily Fox's goal after exactly 60 seconds set Arsenal on its way for interim manager Rene Slegers. Arsenal lost 5-2 in Munich one week ago and Bayern impressed again, winning a rain-soaked game 2-0 at Juventus. The statement win last week was Man City beating Barcelona, but the two-time defending champion was back in dominant form in a 9-0 drubbing of Sweden's Hammarby. Man City rallied from an uneasy spell either side of halftime at St. Plten to win 3-2 in Austria, sealed by an 80th-minute header by Mary Fowler. Arsenal revival Arsenal's start to October had been about as bad as it gets. Winless in two home games in the English Wom

Teenage standout Lamine Yamal has left Spain's squad after he strained a muscle in his left leg. Yamal will miss Spain's Nations League home game against Serbia on Tuesday. A day after the 17-year-old forward helped Spain beat Denmark 1-0, the Spanish soccer federation said Sunday that tests indicated the Barcelona star had strained a leg muscle and was being sent back to his club to avoid the risk of injury. Yamal was a key player in Spain's triumph at this year's European Championship. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called up Atletico Madrid player Rodrigo Riquelme in Yamal's place. Barcelona's next game is at home against Sevilla on Oct. 20 in the Spanish league.

Forward Ferran Torres will be sidelined because of a right thigh injury sustained in Barcelona's victory over Alaves in the Spanish league, the club said Monday. Torres had to be replaced five minutes into the 3-0 win at Alaves on Sunday, when striker Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick. Barcelona said tests carried out on the first team player Ferran Torres confirm that he has an injury to the biceps femoris muscle in his right thigh. His return to training will be dependent on his recovery. Torres has made 10 appearances this season, six as a starter. His only goal came in the 7-0 league win against Valladolid in August. Barcelona is going into the international break with a three-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish league standings.

Barcelona will go for its third straight Women's Champions League title with a squad boosted by Poland's star striker Ewa Pajor and with Aitana Bonmat and Alexia Putellas playing on new contracts. The group stage of the European club competition begins Tuesday and the Catalans are trying to become only the second team after Lyon to win three titles in a row or reach five straight finals. Barcelona beat Lyon in last season's final, when Ballon d'Or winners Bonmat and Putellas scored a goal each. Both had their contracts with the club extended ahead of the new season, and now they will have Pajor as a teammate. Pajor, who joined from Wolfsburg, was the competition's top scorer in 2022-23 as the German club reached a final that it lost to Barcelona despite a goal by her. In her nine seasons with Wolfsburg, Pajor won 14 titles and scored 136 goals despite a series of injuries. She was not able to win a Champions League crown even though she played in three finals and was part of a run

Bryan Zaragoza scored one goal and set up another to spark Osasuna's stunning 4-2 win over Barcelona, dealing the Spanish league leader its first loss. The lightning-fast forward on loan from Bayern Munich crossed for Ante Budimir to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Zaragoza then showed some fancy high-speed dribbling to round goalkeeper Iaki Pea on the break for 2-0 in the 28th on Saturday. Barcelona youth player Pau Vctor pulled one back for the visitors in the 53rd, but Budimir earned and converted a penalty to put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd. Abel Bretones made it 4-1 in the 85th and substitute Lamine Yamal scored Barcelona's second goal. Barcelona recorded wins in the first seven rounds of the league. An eighth victory would have equaled a club record established in 2013. Barcelona remained atop the league standings at four points ahead of Real Madrid before the defending champion visits Atletico Madrid in a derby on Sunday. Osasuna moved into sixth place and sta

The defending La Liga and UCL champions Real Madrid suffered a massive blow when their star signee Kylian Mbappe picked up an injury during their match against Alaves

Barcelona extended their perfect start to the Spanish league season but lost goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a serious knee injury. Barcelona routed host Villarreal 5-1 on Sunday night to pick up its sixth straight victory in the competition, but saw captain Ter Stegen leave the match on a stretcher just before halftime after his right knee buckled when he fell awkwardly after going up for a ball crossed into the area. Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the injury appeared to be a torn ligament but more tests would be conducted. Local media reports said Ter Stegen went from the stadium to the hospital in an ambulance, and left the hospital in a wheelchair. This injury makes us sad. I think the injury will be huge but we have to wait for more information," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. We have to accept it. It's not easy. It was an accident. It's very tough. Players from both teams immediately called for medical assistance after Ter Stegen fell to the ground in pain. He

Barcelona extended the contract of women's Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmat on Monday until 2028. The 26-year-old playmaker signed a new contract to June 30, 2028, the club said. Bonmat has played 275 games for Barcelona, scoring 96 competitive goals. She is the club's all-time top goalscorer and is tied with Alexia Putellas for the Champions League record of 22. One of her Champions League goals came in last season's final, where Barcelona defeated Lyon for its third European title. Bonmati, also a Spain international, has won 23 trophies with Barcelona, the eighth most in the club's history.

Barcelona got some bad news a day after extending its perfect start to the season, with winger Dani Olmo being diagnosed with a leg injury that will sideline him for four to five weeks. The club said tests conducted Monday showed he sustained a right hamstring injury in the second half of the 4-1 win at Catalan rival Girona in the Spanish league on Sunday. Olmo had to be replaced in the 61st minute, less than 15 minutes after he had scored the team's third goal in the match. The Spain international was signed from Leipzig this season and had been a crucial piece for coach Hansi Flick in the team's perfect start. Barcelona has won its first five games in the Spanish league, which it leads by four points ahead of Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Villarreal.

Teams from the top five European leagues will return to action later this week after a short seven-day international break.

Barcelona will face Bayern at home, while Real Madrid will travel to Anfield for their match against Liverpool