Sevilla kept up their LaLiga title bid as Lucas Ocampos' 88th-minute strike sealed a dramatic 2-1 home win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

The visitors looked like they would go back to the Spanish capital with a point after Felipe had cancelled out Ivan Rakitic's stunning early strike.

Ocampos had other ideas, though, slamming home with just two minutes remaining to inflict a third straight top-flight defeat on Diego Simeone's men.

The result moved second-placed Sevilla five points behind leaders Real Madrid, who play Cadiz on Sunday, while champions Atleti are a whopping 13 points adrift of their city rivals.

Massimiliano Allegri was pleased with Juventus' improved "attitude" as they ran out 2-0 winners over Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Saturday.

The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezia in their last Serie A outing, but they cruised to all three points against Sinisa Mihajlovic's side thanks to goals in each half from Alvaro Morata and Juan Cuadrado.

Juve have now kept five clean sheets in Serie A since November – a joint-record among the top five European leagues in this period, level with Inter.

The performance was a marked improvement from the one at Venezia, and Allegri wants plenty more of that from his sixth-placed team as they bid to climb the table.

"Everyone collaborated when defending, which is how it ought to be," he told DAZN. "Compared to Venezia, we had a better attitude from the start, but we need to do more going forward.

"Bologna have a lot of quality, so it's natural they were going to have some chances. We did well here, but cannot lower our guard now, as there are many head-to-head clashes coming up in January before the Champions League resumes.

"It is a good result that keeps us in the running for fourth place, but we mustn't lower our guard now. It's a long journey, with many young and inexperienced players. We knew from the start it would not be easy to finish in the top four or challenge for the Scudetto.

"We've got one game left in 2021, then we look forward to these exciting clashes in January."

Midfielder Arthur was replaced after 61 minutes by Manuel Locatelli, with the former Barcelona man looking less than impressed with the decision.

Allegri expressed no regrets over the call and had some words of advice for the Brazil international.

"We still need to improve our reading of the game and various moments of the match, for instance just before half-time Arthur made this vertical pass when it was the time to hold on and control the possession," he explained.

"It's different at Barcelona; he was in a three-man midfield and not accustomed to sitting in front of the defence.

"He also is used to taking a lot more touches than we do here. I think if he plays in front of the defence with the right mentality and his technique, he can do well.

"His head was wobbling as he ran. He seemed tired so I took him off."

Nico Gonzalez gave Barcelona just their third win under Xavi as they battled to a 3-2 home victory over Elche in LaLiga on Saturday.

The Catalans looked to be cruising to a much-needed win, Ferran Jutgla and Gavi each scoring their first goals for the club in a one-sided first half in which they had 12 shots to Elche's one.

However, Tete Morente pulled a goal back before setting up Pere Milla to level the scores barely a minute later as defensive concerns were again laid bare to the Camp Nou crowd.

But Nico swept home a fine finish in the 85th minute to snatch a morale-boosting win for the Blaugrana.

Juventus racked up an 11th consecutive Serie A win over Bologna as goals from Alvaro Morata and Juan Cuadrado sealed a 2-0 win at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezia in their last top-flight outing but they never looked in danger of dropping more points after Morata's early opener. 

Massimiliano Allegri's side largely toiled in the second period, yet Cuadrado ensured there was to be no nervy finish with a deflected strike in the 69th minute. 

The result lifted Juventus up to sixth, level on 31 points with fifth-placed Roma, while Bologna remained in 10th.

Juve went ahead in the sixth minute when Morata lashed past Lukasz Skorupski from six yards after being superbly picked out by Federico Bernardeschi.

Mattias Svanberg went close with an audacious overhead kick midway through the first half as Bologna responded well to that early setback, though they could not find a leveller before the interval.

Juve offered little in the way of attacking threat immediately after the break, only making sure of the win when Cuadrado's powerful strike from just inside the penalty area was deflected past Skorupski by Aaron Hickey. 

That goal freed up the visitors to push forward in the closing stages, with Bernardeschi's low strike tipped wide by Skorupski, yet they ultimately failed to add further gloss to the scoreline.

What does it mean? Juve swat aside hosts

It has been a challenging return to Juve for Allegri this season, but there were signs here that things might be clicking into place. They looked robust in defence – limiting Bologna to just three shots on target – while they were ruthless in attack.

He will be looking for plenty more of that as they look to cut into Inter’s 12-point lead at the Serie A summit.

Morata enjoying life on the road

Morata has now found the back of the net in three consecutive away games. It is the first time the Spain international has done that in one of the big five European leagues since May 2017 when he struck in four straight matches on the road with Real Madrid.

Kean off the pace

Moise Kean endured a difficult 71 minutes before he was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski, the Italy international failing to have a single shot or play a key pass. This was his sixth straight Serie A outing without a goal.

What's next?

Juve wrap up 2021 with a home game against Cagliari on Tuesday, while Bologna travel to Sassuolo a day later before the mid-season break. 

Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene has told supporters "they can forget" about the prospect of making big-money signings during the January transfer window, insisting the club must focus on stability.

The Bianconeri announced an increase in capital earlier this week, with 91.75 per cent of the overall shares subscribed for approximately €366.9million.

Juve been heavily linked with a move striker next month, with Dusan Vlahovic, Mauro Icardi and Anthony Martial touted as potential targets.

But Arrivabene explained that player recruitment is not the club's primary focus in the near future.

The CEO told DAZN: "I think it is important to clarify a few things, which is that the increase in capital showed the shareholders have faith in the club's plans to re-launch and resolve our issues.

"However, I want to make it very clear that this is to bring stability to the club accounts. It is absolutely not a financial operation, so we can make some big splash on the transfer market.

"If anyone is expecting some big coups in January, they can forget it. 

"This club has been hit hard by two years of COVID, and we are focused on re-launching, reflecting and evaluating, so we can then do what the economic situation allows us to do."

Barcelona hope to have clarity on the future of Ousmane Dembele by the end of this year, sporting director Mateu Alemany said on Saturday.

The winger's contract expires at the end of the season and, while head coach Xavi has insisted the player wants to stay, there has been no sign of an imminent new deal.

Clubs including Newcastle United, now bankrolled by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium, have been linked with January bids for the France international, who would be free to leave for nothing at the end of the campaign.

However, Alemany appears confident Barca will be able to keep the 24-year-old, who was signed in 2017 for an initial €105million following Neymar's world-record €222m move to Paris Saint-Germain.

"We've been at this for a long time, always with the will to find an agreement, because his idea is to stay and that gives us a lot of confidence," Alemany said to Barca TV.

"We're at a key moment. We hope everything will be cleared up by the end of the year."

Any new deal for Dembele would push Barca closer to breaching financial fair play regulations, with debts of more than €1.2billion having forced them to plan for this season with a greatly reduced salary cap.

However, Alemany says plans are in place to ensure they stay within parameters, insisting it will be possible for new signings to be made next month.

"There are several options in place to stay within financial fair play, and we're working on signings. We've worked on this with the coach," he said.

"We know what he wants, what he needs and what he has. And we're clear about what the market can provide. We're keen to secure departures and arrivals."

Stefano Pioli declared that league titles "are not won in December" but challenged Milan to raise their game when they face Napoli on Sunday.

Inter moved four points clear of the Rossoneri at the top of Serie A by hammering Salernitana 5-0 on Friday.

The champions have soared to the summit with six consecutive victories, while Milan dropped to second after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Udinese, after crashing out of the Champions League with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

Pioli says it is too early for talk of Inter running away with it, highlighting that Milan topped the table for much of last season before falling short.

The Milan head coach said in a press conference on Saturday: "I don't think we can talk about an escape, I think Inter are demonstrating the qualities they had already shown.

"Championships are not won in December. We were in the lead for a long time last year and we know how it ended. We have to improve ourselves.

"The first year we had 66 points starting from a difficult position. The second year 79 points.. This year's goal is to do better, especially in the second round [of fixtures]."

He added: "We are having a very good first round, there are still two games to go. I would like to surpass last year's 43 [before the break].

"Tomorrow's opponents have great qualities and an excellent coach, we certainly need to raise the level of performance.

"We are not racing against anyone, but only with ourselves. The last two performances weren't optimal, we must try again to bring our qualities into play with strength and conviction."

Milan have only won one of their last 13 Serie A games against Napoli, but at least it came recently – a 3-1 success in November 2020. Over that period they have had five draws and suffered seven defeats.

Neither team can point to particularly strong recent form, despite both sitting in the top four going into the San Siro game. After setting an electric pace in the early weeks, Milan and Napoli have been steadily reeled in.

Since the beginning of November, Milan have picked up eight points from six games and Napoli have managed only five, ranking them 10th and 16th respectively in Serie A across this period.

Milan's forwards may be interested in the fact Napoli have faced 28 shots on target in their last five league matches (5.6 on average per match), whereas they had faced 11 in total in their previous five (2.2 on average per game).

Pioli will check on Theo Hernandez for the clash with fourth-placed Napoli as the France left-back has been suffering with illness.

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino says Sergio Ramos could be involved in Sunday’s Coupe de France clash with fifth-tier Feignies-Aulnoye.

Ramos has only featured once for PSG since arriving from Real Madrid on a free transfer due a calf injury.

The veteran defender made his long-awaited debut in last month’s win at Saint-Etienne, but fresh muscle problems culminated in another spell on the sidelines.

Pochettino revealed he could return on Sunday when the runaway Ligue 1 leaders launch their Coupe de France defence against a side four divisions lower than them and the former Tottenham boss is also set to give young players an opportunity at Stade de Hainaut.

"We think [Sergio] will be in the squad tomorrow. We will see if he starts or is on the bench," Pochettino said.

"He has trained well over the last few days, so we will see if he can help in the game tomorrow.

"It is a good opportunity for the young players to get a chance, and some of them will get to play and be involved with the first team. 

"They are very motivated about that, and it is important for them to feel part of this project."

PSG boast a proud record in the competition, lifting the trophy in six of the last seven years.

They are unbeaten against lower-league opposition since 2010, and you must go back a further 20 years for their last defeat at this stage.

Nevertheless, Pochettino has called for respect and professionalism from his players.

"The priority is always to win. There is no other priority," he added.

"Playing against Feignies-Aulnoye gives us a chance to share something special against a team in the fifth tier. It is a wonderful thing in football that you only get in the cup.

"The motivation and excitement for them to play against Paris Saint-Germain is massive. We know how they play, what they are trying to do against us. 

"But for us, we must show respect, be professional and play in the way that we want to play; try to win and be in the next round."

Carlo Ancelotti says Barcelona "are not a direct rival" for Real Madrid at the moment, with the Blaugrana enduring a difficult season.

Los Blancos are eight points clear at the top of the table, having lost just once in La Liga this season against Espanyol on October 3.

Barca, meanwhile, are 18 points adrift of the leaders in eighth place and have won only six LaLiga games so far this term.

Madrid head coach Ancelotti feels that the likes of Sevilla and Real Betis, who are second and third respectively, pose a more immediate threat than the Catalan club.

"Now Barcelona is not a direct rival because we are closer [to] Sevilla, Atletico or Betis, but if I were Barcelona's coach I would say that we can't rule out LaLiga either," Ancelotti said to a news conference ahead of Los Blancos' league clash with Cadiz.

Ancelotti is without six players for Sunday's encounter due to COVID-19, with Marcelo, Luka Modric, Andriy Lunin, Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale and Rodrygo all unavailable, while Isco is a doubt.

The Italian gave fitness updates on the rest of the squad and was particularly optimistic about Eden Hazard's chances of playing a starring role.

"It is true that we have had setbacks but those who have tested positive are fine and the rest are ready to play tomorrow's game," Ancelotti continued.

"After the first positive tests, the [rest] all tested negative and we are determined to play. We have to live with it just as society is doing. This virus is less strong than before and we have to keep in mind that we have to take care of ourselves and follow all precautions.

"Hazard starts tomorrow. He wants motivation and he's going to play because he trained well and deserves it. He is always well. The problem is that he has not always been able to train 100 per cent and I think that tomorrow he will play a good game.

"Hazard is prepared. It is clear that in the first part of the season he had the competition of [Karim] Benzema and Vinicius [Junior] and now he can have a very, very good second part of the season.

"Benzema has trained very well. He is very well and will play. Modric has tested negative but remains confined. He is tired and has had a fever so he will not be there tomorrow. Then we have to assess what the regulations say."

Lyon have announced that their fans will temporarily be prevented from attending away games after crowd trouble saw their Coupe de France tie at Paris FC abandoned.

The last 64 clash at the Charlety stadium in the French capital was suspended in the second half, with the scoreline 1-1 after goals from Paris FC's Gaetan Laura and Lyon's Moussa Dembele.

Supporters appeared to be fighting in the stands and several flares were thrown before a number of fans made their way onto the pitch, stopping the game from continuing. 

It was the second time a game involving Lyon has had to be ended prematurely of late, with their Ligue 1 game at home to Marseille on November 21 also called off after a spectator threw a bottle that struck Dimitri Payet, leading to Lyon being docked a point as punishment.

Lyon released a statement on Saturday explaining their intention to identify the individuals responsible and serve them with lifetime stadium bans, and explained that supporters will not be allowed at away matches while the investigation is taking place.

"From Friday evening, Olympique Lyonnais made itself available to investigators and authorities so that light is shed on all the acts committed during this evening and that responsibilities are established, whether [an] agricultural bomb inside the parking lot at the start of half-time, smoke bombs, violence and the invasion of the ground," the club statement read.
 
"Olympique Lyonnais will assume all of its responsibilities and is now showing an extreme determination to see the people involved, whatever their club membership, be sanctioned.
 
"Thus, Olympique Lyonnais has decided to file a complaint after this outbreak of violence and will take the most severe measures against the people involved after the identifications, including against the Lyon supporters who would be concerned.
 
"Olympique Lyonnais security teams have already started to analyse all the images and will use all the tools at their disposal to punish each person who is identified. Olympique Lyonnais will apply with force and determination the maximum penalties, including the stadium ban for life.
 
"The individuals involved have no place in a stadium, violence can no longer be tolerated in the stadiums. These must be the subject of technological adjustments and be better organized to identify the troublemakers. Violence must be firmly condemned by all football players, including groups of supporters.
 
"More than ever, we must eradicate these phenomena of hooliganism and banish all those who are enemies, by their acts, of football, but also of the clubs they claim to be.
 
"In this context, until further notice, and until light is shed on the identification of the perpetrators, Olympique Lyonnais decides to ban groups of supporters for away matches."

France Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet explained that the disciplinary committee would meet to discuss potential courses of action to deal with the problem in French football.

"We are waiting to have all the elements before communicating," Le Graet said to RMC Sport. "Obviously, I deplore these incidents which are disastrous.

"I do not want to get into the controversy. Monday, all the teams of the Federation will be at work. The disciplinary committee should meet that same day, after discussions with our legal department."

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone declared he is "open to everything" when it comes to the future of Joao Felix, but urged the Portuguese talent to show he deserves to be a regular starter.

Simeone spoke out in response to a question of whether he would understand if Joao Felix asked to leave Atletico in the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old forward came off the bench to play the second half of the 2-0 derby defeat to Real Madrid last weekend, having two shots on target and creating one chance in a lively display

That display caught the eye of Simeone, who said that version of Joao Felix was "the footballer we need". In 13 games this season, including six starts, Joao Felix has managed just one goal and two assists across all competitions.

He scored 10 times last season as Atletico captured the LaLiga crown, and netted nine during his debut campaign.

There would likely be many willing takers if Atletico were serious about letting him leave the Wanda Metropolitano, but Simeone would be loath to lose a player he feels can contribute.

Asked about Joao Felix's future in the short term, Simeone told a news conference: "I always understand everything, I am open to everything, and the most important thing is always the team, where Joao is an important figure.

"He has to repeat performances like the one he had the other day at the Bernabeu. He showed all the talent he has, and I hope he would repeat it more times because he is the footballer we need."

The former Benfica forward was a big-money acquisition in 2019 as he arrived at Atletico in a jaw-dropping €126million deal, but he has yet to live up to that price tag.

Atletico tackle Sevilla in LaLiga on Saturday, facing the second-placed side in the Spanish top-flight after losing to leaders Real Madrid last weekend.

It remains to be seen what role Joao Felix will play in that game.

Simeone said: "He is a very good footballer, the same thing happens with Portugal where many times he does not start, but he does finish the games.

"With all the players, I look to improve them by thinking about what the team needs. I understand that the best way to grow is by working. Joao has conditions that just by seeing him, you realise he is a great player."

Barcelona are struggling financially but Xavi is desperate to reinforce his attack following Sergio Aguero's retirement.

Ferran Torres and Edinson Cavani are believed to top Barca's transfer list heading into the January window.

It could be a busy month ahead for the LaLiga outfit.

TOP STORY – TORRES, CAVANI TO BARCA?

Manchester City's Ferran Torres and Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani are priority objectives for Barcelona, according to Marca.

Barca continue to be linked with Spain international Torres as Xavi attempts to bolster the embattled LaLiga giants.

Cavani has also emerged as a top target after Sergio Aguero retired from football and the duo could reportedly arrive in January.

ROUND-UP

- The Daily Mail claims Arsenal are open to selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang next month, but the Gunners are more likely to move on from the former skipper at the end of the season. Aubameyang has been stripped of the captaincy and linked with Barca and Juventus.

- Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt are eyeing Yusuf Demir as Diario Sport reports Barca have decided to cut short the 18-year-old's loan spell from Rapid Vienna.

- Rafael Leao is poised to sign a contract extension with Milan until 2026, per Nicolo Schira.

- Calciomercato says Arsenal have not given up on signing Juve attacker Dejan Kulusevski. The Sweden international has also been linked to London rivals Tottenham.

- Barca are monitoring United sensation Mason Greenwood, reports El Nacional. England international Greenwood is highly rated at Old Trafford.

- Jeunes Footeux says Liverpool have joined the race to sign Lille star Jonathan David. The Canada international is reportedly wanted by Arsenal, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose lauded Erling Haaland's "extraordinary" maturity amid mounting transfer speculation.

Haaland is a player in demand, the Dortmund star linked with Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite the ongoing rumours, Haaland has stayed focus for Dortmund with 13 goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances this season, while the 21-year-old has 19 across all competitions.

Rose hailed Haaland ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga trip to Hertha Berlin.

"With all the things that are coming at Erling [Haaland], the speculation, and not just since day one, week one, or since they started talking about an exit clause in his contract," Rose told reporters.

"Actually almost every day he is confronted with some outrageous speculation, and the way Erling handles it as a young player is extraordinary, I think. All of us who work with him are used to it by now.

"There will be more and less of it and at some point someone will have an idea or someone will think they have to stir up a hornet's nest to make a fuss. We are prepared for that and we know what the facts are.

"We meet every day, we talk to each other, we exchange ideas. It shouldn't affect us too much now. If someone thinks that they have to force things from the outside, that they have to interpret certain things, then we're not really interested."

Haaland has scored 30 Bundesliga goals this calendar year – a new club record for a Dortmund player in a calendar year, surpassing Lothar Emmerich (29 goals in 1966) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29 goals in 2015).

Rose picked up 34 points from his first 16 Bundesliga games as coach of Dortmund. Among all BVB coaches, only Lucien Favre (39) and Thomas Tuchel (38) surpassed this.

Julian Nagelsmann expressed his satisfaction with Bayern Munich as the Bavarians head into the mid-season Bundesliga break top of the table.

Bayern cruised to a 4-0 victory on Friday over Wolfsburg, with Thomas Muller – who was making his 400th league appearance for the reigning champions – scoring the first and assisting Dayot Upamecano's second.

Leroy Sane soon added a curling third before Robert Lewandowski sealed victory as the Poland striker netted his 43rd top-flight goal of 2021, surpassing Gerd Muller's long-standing calendar-year record for Bundesliga goals, set in 1972 (42).

Bayern boast a nine-point lead over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who play their game in hand against Hertha Berlin on Saturday, and former RB Leipzig head coach Nagelsmann has been pleased with his side's efforts to date.

In the three points-for-a-win era, Bayern have won the title in 14 of the 15 seasons they have topped the league at the halfway point.

"I'm very satisfied with our first half of the season," Nagelsmann told reporters. "It's not simple to score this many goals against such a compact defence. 

"We had very good control and pressed even better in the second half. The key was counter-pressing: we won the ball high and closed all gaps.

"I'm very happy with the performance. We played a lot of games recently; the first half was more difficult. The initial phase was good, then we slowed down a bit. Then [Wout] Weghorst had a chance, we were lucky, or we had a good goalkeeper, maybe a mixture of both.

"The way we played in the second half was great. The goals were outstanding."

On Lewandowski's landmark strike, Nagelsmann added: "I was very happy that he scored. It was a wonderful goal – Lewy played a great game."

Nagelsmann also reserved praise for Upamecano, who made a staggering 103 passes in Wolfsburg's half – a game-leading figure – while also leading Bayern for tackles made (five) and possession won (14 times).

"He scored a goal, which is great," the Bayern head coach continued. "We know how important it is to have goalscoring defenders when the opponent sits very deep. 

"He was very focused today. Overall, he's having a good season, except for a couple of games. We shouldn't forget he's young, he isn't 28."

Barcelona head coach Xavi has claimed it is "strange" that some of his players "do not understand" the style of play he is attempting to impose.

Appointed to arrest the team's decline under predecessor Ronald Koeman, the former midfield star has struggled to reverse the problems at Camp Nou in terms of performances and results.

Barca have won just two of six games since Xavi's return to the club, while a goalless draw with Benfica and a 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich saw them fail to progress to the Champions League last 16 for the first time in 20 years.

Ahead of Saturday's game with Elche, the Catalans are eighth in LaLiga, 18 points behind leaders Real Madrid and five adrift of the top four.

Xavi has suggested part of the problem lies in his players' inability to grasp 'juego de posicion', a structured approach to play with and without the ball in which the former Spain international thrived.

However, he is refusing to give up on Barca's ambitions this season, telling reporters: "I have a lot of faith in my players, although the results are not following. We have to believe in the process.

"We're Barca and we have to compete against any opponent, regardless of injuries. We can't make excuses.

"The objective is to be in the top four and to win trophies, although the gap to the leaders is very big. We don't rule anything out.

"We need to understand the way we want to play football. It's strange there are Barca players who don't understand juego de posicion.

"This is about winning, and we're eighth in the table. We have to be positive and brave: press high, press after losing the ball, attack spaces... this is what we want."

Barca's well-documented financial problems leave them in a precarious position when it comes to bolstering the squad in the transfer window.

Indeed, amid reports president Joan Laporta had met with agent Mino Raiola to discuss the prospect of signing Erling Haaland next year, LaLiga boss Javier Tebas expressed his doubt that Barca would be able to afford the Borussia Dortmund star.

However, Xavi insisted Tebas would be as happy as anyone to see a talent of Haaland's pedigree move to Spain's top flight.

"In these moments we have a difficult economic situation, and you have to think that it's not going to be easy. We have a salary cap," Xavi said.

"In terms of names, we haven't spoken of that possibility. It would interest [Tebas] for players like Haaland to be here for the good of the league."

It has been suggested Barca could look to offload Ousmane Dembele to fund January arrivals, but Xavi appeared keen to keep the winger, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

"I spoke with him yesterday. I'm positive. He wants to continue. I can't say more; it's a matter of reaching an agreement.

"He already knows the importance he'll have if he stays with us. He looks good, he's playing more and more. He's a footballer capable of making a difference."