Robert Lewandowski scored two stunning goals as Barcelona beat Villarreal 3-0 at Camp Nou to bounce back from El Clasico disappointment.

Barca lost their first clash of the season with bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, but they quickly shook off that defeat as Villarreal were swept aside on Thursday.

Three first-half goals in a seven-minute spell left the Yellow Submarine all at sea, with Lewandowski netting a couple of brilliant efforts before Ansu Fati ensured it was essentially game over before the break.

Villarreal never threatened any kind of turnaround, as Xavi's side eased the pressure that had started to build following a run of just one win in four games.

After a frustrating opening half-hour, a moment of magic brought about the first goal with 31 minutes on the clock.

Pedri's wonderful pass released Jordi Alba and his subsequent low cross found Lewandowski, whose backheeled first touch took three Villarreal players out of the game and set up a simple finish.

A few moments later, Lewandowski did the damage from further out, curling his 25-yard effort beyond Geronimo Rulli's reach.

There was a bit more fortune about Fati's goal, though the finish was no less classy.

After a brilliant Ferran Torres run and cut-back, Fati should have tapped in, but his scuffed attempt came back off the post and allowed him to backheel over the line.

Chances largely dried up in an uneventful second half, though Raphinha should have made it 4-0 when guiding Ousmane Dembele's cross wide from close range.

The Brazilian's miss ultimately counted for nought, however, as Barca saw the second half out comfortably.

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali does not believe many clubs are interested in a revival of the Super League, despite a new proposal for the competition being in development.

The Super League's launch failed in spectacular fashion last year, with nine of the 12 founding clubs withdrawing in the face of fan, media and player pressure.

While all six English members quickly reversed their support for the competition, Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Juventus, remain committed to the project.

Media executive Bernd Reichart has been recruited to head up plans for a relaunch, and said on Wednesday: "Even fans will have a lot of sympathy for the idea".

However, Eghbali – part of the Todd Boehly-led consortium which acquired Chelsea earlier this year, says "vocal" duo Barca and Madrid are those most interested. 

"I think the sport needs more premium high-quality matches and content, but it doesn't have to be a Super League," Eghbali said at an event in New York on Wednesday. 

"Todd went there on an All-Star Game, the baseball talent competition or draft generates £200million to £300million of revenue on a Monday or Tuesday each year, none of that exists in the English Premier League. 

"Could there be a Premier League versus Serie A game? Could you see pre-season matches producing more premium content on the pitch? You could.

"But structurally, given how botched that episode was, does anybody have any appetite for something like that? A couple of teams in Spain do and they are vocal about it, but everyone else doesn't want to go there anymore."

Reichart, however, claims the Super League project is "very alive", though he was keen to stress the ability to qualify through sporting merit must exist in any reworked format.

"[The Super League is] very alive, there are some who want to declare that it is dead, but if they say it a lot, there is much to suspect," he told Cadena SER on Wednesday.

"There are clubs in Europe that surely share the vision of Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and now they have the opportunity to contribute what they think.

"It is a long road, but we have the humility to do it step by step, but without pause. The hand is extended to all the members of European football, we want to be inclusive.

"The concept of a fixed position is not something that we are currently contemplating. The design of the format ultimately has to be the result of dialogue, but we don't have a predefined format, the dialogue we propose is real and that's why I don't want to speculate on how it will definitely be. Sporting merit will be applied to all members of that Super League."

Federico Valverde has joked he does not want to be responsible for Carlo Ancelotti's retirement, after the Real Madrid head coach issued him with a 10-goal target for the season.

The Uruguayan is already well on the way to that landmark after opening the scoring in the 3-0 win against Elche to take his tally for the campaign to six across all competitions, with the win marking Madrid's ninth in 10 LaLiga matches.

That goal sees Valverde equal the tally he had achieved in his first 148 matches for Los Blancos and Ancelotti is confident he will exceed the double-figure mark this term.

"He has to have that responsibility. We have a bet, I think he will score more than 10 this season," he told DAZN after the match.

"He's a very important player for us. The energy he has is incredible. He has to score 10."

Valverde is determined to hit that landmark and does not want to disappoint Ancelotti, joking that he will not be the reason for the retirement of the Italian coach.

"I'm focused on doing it. It's a nice pressure. I don't want to be to blame for the coach retiring," he told DAZN.

Madrid's victory against Elche came despite seeing three goals, all scored by Karim Benzema, disallowed by VAR for offside, with Valverde acknowledging the "weird" feeling of having an effort chalked off.

"You have to get used to it. It's weird, you celebrate the goal and you think you're comfortable. They cancel one, then another and then another," he added.

Federico Valverde has joked he does not want to be responsible for Carlo Ancelotti's retirement, after the Real Madrid head coach issued him with a 10-goal target for the season.

The Uruguayan is already well on the way to that landmark after opening the scoring in the 3-0 win against Elche to take his tally for the campaign to six across all competitions, with the win marking Madrid's ninth in 10 LaLiga matches.

That goal sees Valverde equal the tally he had achieved in his first 148 matches for Los Blancos and Ancelotti is confident he will exceed the double-figure mark this term.

"He has to have that responsibility. We have a bet, I think he will score more than ten this season," he told DAZN after the match.

"He's a very important player for us. The energy he has is incredible. He has to score ten."

Valverde is determined to hit that landmark and does not want to disappoint Ancelotti, joking that he will not be the reason for the retirement of the Italian coach.

"I'm focused on doing it. It's a nice pressure. I don't want to be to blame for the coach retiring," he told DAZN.

Madrid's victory against Elche came despite seeing three goals, all scored by Karim Benzema, disallowed by VAR for offside, with Valverde acknowledging the "weird" feeling of having an effort chalked off.

"You have to get used to it. It's weird, you celebrate the goal and you think you're comfortable. They cancel one, then another and then another," he added.

Real Madrid extended their unbeaten streak this season to 15 games across all competitions with a 3-0 LaLiga victory against Elche, despite seeing three goals disallowed by VAR.

Federico Valverde opened the scoring with a fine strike from outside the box, his sixth goal of the season, with Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio sealing the result in the second half.

The Frenchman's goal came after he had seen three attempts disallowed by VAR for offside, which could have been decisive had Carlos Clerc headed home a glorious opportunity for an equaliser.

Andriy Lunin's save kept him at bay, however, with Benzema's goal then ensuring there would be no comeback and Asensio adding further gloss to the scoreline late on.

A frantic start saw Benzema tap home after six minutes, though the effort was disallowed for offside, but Valverde's strike just five minutes later did count, smashing home from outside the box after Vinicius Junior's shot was deflected into his path.

Three minutes before the half hour mark, Benzema was again frustrated by VAR after a second goal for the freshly crowned Ballon d'Or winner was chalked off, leaving Elche still in the game at the interval.

Benzema's frustrations would continue in the second period, the Frenchman seeing a goal disallowed for the third time by VAR for offside in the build-up on the hour mark.

Clerc should have made Real regret those spurned opportunities heading into the final 20 minutes but his header from close range was kept out by Lunin, who until that point had little to do throughout. 

Any hope of a late comeback for the hosts was quelled when Benzema finally got his goal, playing a neat one-two with Rodrygo and slotting home, with Asensio then delicately cushioning a volley over Edgar Badia to extend the advantage.

Xavi says under-fire midfielder Sergio Busquets remains "vital" to Barcelona, insisting his captain will make his own decision on whether to stay at Camp Nou next season.

Busquets was criticised for his performance as Barcelona fell to a 3-1 defeat to Clasico rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, having been replaced by Gavi on the hour mark at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The future of the 34-year-old, who has won 30 pieces of silverware during his decorated 14-year spell with the club, has been the subject of speculation, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Xavi, however, still views the defensive midfielder as a crucial component in his side, saying: "When you lose, we are all exposed. For me, Busquets is still important. 

"There will be games in which he plays less or doesn't play, but he'll still be vital. Busi and the other captains add up. 

"We have a healthy dressing room and that makes me feel that things will end up working out. There's a good atmosphere and positivity." 

Reports have suggested Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami are keen to take Busquets to the United States upon the expiration of his deal, and Xavi says his former team-mate will have the final say on his future.

"His contract ends, it's a reality and we'll see what happens throughout the season, how he feels and how he performs," Xavi added.

"It's a very personal decision of his. I also left Barcelona despite having an offer to renew. Nico [Gonzalez] and [Miralem] Pjanic decided to leave. 

"We have options; Frenkie [de Jong], Franck Kessie, or to try a central defender, which would not be the most advisable thing. That's why Busi is so important."

Barcelona are back in league action when they host Villarreal on Thursday, when they will bid to avenge May's 2-0 loss to the Yellow Submarine, their only defeat to Villarreal in the duo's last 26 league meetings (W19 D6).

Jose Gaya sees himself as a one-club man after signing a new deal with Valencia, as he outlined his hope to represent the club at the World Cup.

Gaya has been a regular in the first team since graduating from Valencia's academy in 2012 and has gone on to make 239 LaLiga appearances.

Named captain in 2020 following Dani Parejo's transfer to Villarreal, Gaya signed a new deal on Wednesday to keep him at the club until the end of June 2027.

The 27-year-old made his international debut in 2018 and hopes to be a part of Luis Enrique's squad for Qatar, though he has the likes of Marcos Alonso and Jordi Alba to contend with.

"Whenever I go away with the national team I try to represent Spain and I think it's the best a player can aspire to do," Gaya told Valencia's official website.

"The squad list hasn't come out yet, but I'm going to give it my all at Valencia to be able to be there."

When asked about any potential further renewals in the future, he added: "I would be excited to play 1,000 more games, but my mind is not thinking at that moment. I also have to earn that renewal and I will do my best for that."

Having been a part of Valencia's Copa del Rey success in 2019, Gaya hopes that in the years to come he can play a role in taking the club back to the top. 

He said: "In recent years I have been able to play in two finals and my ambition is to be able to continue at Valencia and work to be able to take us back to the top positions."

Xavi knows he must deliver success at Barcelona to keep his job but insists: "I'm not going to hide."

The Blaugrana have endured a miserable week, drawing 3-3 with Inter in the Champions League and then losing 3-1 at Real Madrid in the Clasico.

Barca are now relying on favours to advance in Europe and have been knocked off top spot in LaLiga.

Still, coach Xavi is not changing his outlook, reiterating on Wednesday "the goal is to win titles".

That is the expectation within the club, and Xavi knows the consequences for failure – although he was amused by the number of messages he received after Sunday's result.

"I think we've made a team to win titles," he said ahead of Thursday's game against Villarreal.

"I am excited, people give me encouragement. I have a mobile with so many messages that it seems like a family member has died.

"The transition was in the last half season. If we don't succeed, as the president said, there will be consequences, especially for me.

"I'm here to solve problems, and if we don't win, another coach will come. I'm not going to hide."

Asked when he might lose his job, Xavi replied: "Anytime, tomorrow. On the street, people raise their fists at me. But I am positive.

"We have lost at Madrid, and we can be knocked out in Europe. Well, I will keep fighting."

There was at least success on an individual level on Monday, as Gavi scooped the Kopa Trophy, Robert Lewandowski the Muller Trophy and Alexia Putellas the Ballon d'Or Feminin.

But Xavi wants to build on those "exciting" triumphs by repeating them as a team.

"For me, [Gavi's] award is more than deserved," the coach said. "I take this opportunity to congratulate Alexia and Robert Lewandowski.

"These awards mean that Barca is more alive than ever. It's exciting to see our players win individual prizes. Now the collective prizes are missing."

Karim Benzema "learned a lot" from Cristiano Ronaldo but was also "overshadowed" by his former Real Madrid team-mate, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner's academy coach told Stats Perform.

Madrid captain Benzema was named the world's best footballer by France Football for the first time in Paris on Monday.

The France forward was a deserving winner, having been Madrid's outstanding performer in scoring 44 goals in 2021-22 as they won LaLiga and the Champions League.

It was by far the most prolific campaign of Benzema's career, although his goalscoring form had already seen an upturn since Ronaldo's 2018 departure.

Benzema scored only 12 goals in 2017-18 as Ronaldo's final season at the Santiago Bernabeu ended with a fourth European crown alongside the former Lyon man. Benzema's fifth followed this year without Ronaldo.

Many might now wonder how Benzema's career could have panned out had he not joined Madrid in the same transfer window as Ronaldo back in 2009.

But Armand Garrido, an academy coach at Lyon between 1989 and 2019, pointed out to Stats Perform the ways in which Benzema also profited from playing with Ronaldo.

"Yes, the fact of playing with Cristiano Ronaldo, he was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo," Garrido said in an exclusive interview. "But at the same time, yes, he learned a lot with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"He certainly learned how to work, how to train, how to keep a healthy lifestyle.

"Nowadays, there are other players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who are old compared to the kind of players we can be expecting at a very high level, and [Ronaldo] is still playing at top level.

"So, yes, Benzema learned a lot from Cristiano, but he was also overshadowed by Cristiano."

Benzema will now be remembered as a Madrid great, but Garrido added: "When he leaves to sign for Real Madrid, my first thought was that he's crazy; he chose the toughest club.

"Not [crazy] to join Real, of course, but maybe [it would be better] joining before another club superior to Olympique Lyonnais.

"We did not think that it was the best way to earn a place at Real Madrid, but when he does it, it is when we realise that he's a world-class player."

Radamel Falcao's 92nd-minute penalty frustrated former club Atletico Madrid as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday.

Atletico looked to be on course for a fourth straight LaLiga win after Alvaro Morata netted a first-time finish from their only shot on target of the opening 45 minutes.

Diego Simeone's men protected that advantage until the final seconds of normal time, when Jose Gimenez handled and then, following a short delay, Falcao netted from the spot.

A point at home leaves Atletico still third, but they lost further ground on champions and leaders Real Madrid, who are five points better off with a game in hand.

Atletico were ahead within 20 minutes, Antoine Griezmann winning the ball high up the pitch before delivering an inch-perfect cross to Morata, who exquisitely swept past Stole Dimitrievski.

Axel Witsel then dragged a shot wide of the left post as Simeone's side looked to add a quick second, but Rayo improved as the half continued, and Ivan Balliu stung the palms of Ivo Grbic with a fierce drive before the break.

Pathe Ciss had a decent chance to level soon after the interval but could only head wide, before Morata nodded off target at the other end.

Sergio Camello sent a low effort agonisingly past the right post as Rayo pushed for an equaliser, and it appeared as though Grbic's save from Falcao when one-on-one would deny the visitors.

However, Gimenez handled from Randy Nteka's header with time almost up, allowing Falcao to snatch a point against his old side.

Thibaut Courtois suggested the Yashin Trophy had been "invented" to appease goalkeepers as he struggled to understand his seventh-placed Ballon d'Or finish – scepticism that was shared by Iker Casillas.

Keeper Courtois' Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema took the top award in Monday's Paris ceremony, named the best player in the world by France Football.

Benzema was a deserving winner, as Courtois himself acknowledged, having scored 44 goals in 46 games as Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League in 2021-22. He netted two hat-tricks among a record-equalling 10 goals in the Champions League knockout stage.

But Courtois was also a part of those two triumphs and had an equally vital role in the European success, making nine saves in the final against Liverpool – a record since Opta data was first gathered in 2003-04 and worth 2.5 prevented goals, according to expected goals on target data.

The Belgium international beat Liverpool's Alisson to the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world's best goalkeeper, yet he felt he should have fared better in the overall ranking.

"First of all, I want to say that I am very happy for Karim Benzema," Courtois told Cadena SER.

"It seems that it is better to score a goal than to stop one. It is a battle that remains to be won. Seeing the logic of the vote, I had no chance of finishing very high, nor of winning it of course.

"I'm not saying I had to win it! But you win La Liga, the Champions League, your team wins thanks to your saves... and you only finish seventh. You're not even on the podium.

"In the top 10, there wasn't even a defender. At least this year they invented the trophy for the best goalkeeper."

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Courtois shared a post from former Madrid keeper Casillas, which read: "I'm happy for Thibaut Courtois! By far he is the best goalkeeper in the world.

"What I'm not happy about is not having put him on the final podium for the Ballon d'Or. I still don't understand what those who choose this award are based on."

Carlo Ancelotti challenged Karim Benzema to launch his bid for back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards when Real Madrid head to Elche in LaLiga on Wednesday.

French striker Benzema captured world football's most prestigious individual annual prize on Monday, finishing ahead of Sadio Mane and Kevin De Bruyne in the podium places.

He was the obviously outstanding candidate after starring – and often captaining – Madrid on their way to LaLiga and Champions League success last season.

The timeframe for the award has changed, shifting from a calendar year gong to one that celebrates achievement from August 1 to July 31.

The new system will continue, so early season efforts in 2022-23 will count towards next year's Ballon d'Or.

Benzema has made a steady start to this campaign, certainly not as eye-catching as Erling Haaland at Manchester City, whose goals could put him in the picture, despite Norway failing to qualify for the World Cup.

Now Ancelotti is urging Benzema to kick on, saying of his prize: "We are very happy. He said that he is very proud of this award and has thanked all his colleagues.

"We have to think about the next Ballon d'Or. He can start tomorrow."

Ancelotti said he felt "proud" of the 34-year-old and also Thibaut Courtois, who landed the prize for the best goalkeeper and finished seventh in the main vote.

Courtois questioned whether a goalkeeper stood any chance of taking the top prize. Lev Yashin, in 1963, is the only keeper to have laid his hands on the trophy.

Speaking after the awards, Courtois said: "It seems that it is better to score a goal than to save one. It is a battle that remains to be won. Seeing the logic of the vote, I had no chance of finishing very high, nor of winning it of course."

At least Courtois could join Benzema in celebrating individual prizes, with Madrid surprisingly pipped to the team award by Premier League champions Manchester City, who Madrid beat in the Champions League semi-finals.

Ancelotti, who will be without the injured Courtois at Elche, saluted Benzema's development into a talisman for the Spanish capital giants.

"He is a player who has much more responsibility and feels much more like a leader than he was eight years ago," said Ancelotti.

"Technically he hasn't changed much, because his technical quality is the same. What has changed is his responsibility and his attitude."

Madrid will hope to follow the individual success with another win on the road, having won all of their five away games so far in LaLiga this term.

They lead LaLiga by three points from Barcelona after winning Sunday's Clasico.

Elche, meanwhile, are winless in their last 12 matches against Madrid in LaLiga (D2 L10), since a 3-1 victory in March 1978.

Florentino Perez says it is "out of the question" for Real Madrid to sign Kylian Mbappe in January, but did not rule out a move for the forward further down the line.

It was reported last week that Mbappe wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain as he feels "betrayed" by the club only five months after signing a new three-year deal.

The France international had been strongly linked with a move to Madrid as a free agent at the end of last season after his contract expired, but instead opted to stay with the Ligue 1 champions.

Mbappe has rubbished reports he wants to make a PSG exit and Madrid president Perez says the European champions are not planning to make a bid for the 23-year-old.

He told El Larguero: "It's not that I'm bored about Mbappe, it's that I don't even read it. We already had a good summer, so that's out of the question.

"You can't know anything about the future, but the Real Madrid players are progressing spectacularly in the forward areas. Rodrygo and Vinicius [Junior] still have a lifetime to prosper. I see them both as Ballon d'Or [winners]."

Perez added: "Real Madrid only looks at the players it has and we are delighted with them. We are not doing badly with the number of young players we have. We have a very promising future."

The Madrid supremo hailed Karim Benzema after the Los Blancos captain won the Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday.

He said: "I'm happy because at last he deserves to be the best player in the world. He has been the best for three or four years.

"He is a nine who is a mixture of Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane. He is a nine who does these two jobs at the same time. He moves forward like Zidane did and shoots on goal like Ronaldo Nazario did."

Robert Lewandowski earned the Gerd Muller Trophy by scoring 57 goals for club and country last season and is not about to shirk the challenge of reeling in Erling Haaland in the 2022-23 campaign.

Lewandowski was presented with France Football's award for world football's leading marksman for the second year in a row on Monday, before Karim Benzema landed the Ballon d'Or for the first time.

The honour – previously the Striker of the Year – has been renamed after Muller, the legendary Bayern Munich forward whose 40-goal single-season Bundesliga record Lewandowski broke en route to claiming the trophy.

But if the Barcelona man is going to retain the prize once again in 2023, he is going to have to overcome Manchester City's scoring sensation Haaland.

The City number nine has 20 goals for the club already, also netting once for Norway this season.

Meanwhile, Lewandowski, who was the fourth-best player in the Ballon d'Or rankings, has 14 for Barca and none for Poland to trail by seven.

The 34-year-old was asked about Haaland as he received the Muller Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with Didier Drogba telling him of "this kid" at City who is "on fire".

Lewandowski said: "The season is very long, and I know for me it's also a new chapter with Barcelona. Since the first days, I'm feeling very well in this club.

"From the first minutes, I see that with my team-mates we have big potential and I have the opportunity to score a lot of goals. I am sure that all together we are working on this.

"This is football, and we have to be always ready. I know the new generation is also coming, but still I am here."

Reflecting on his achievement, Lewandowski said: "I am very happy and glad and proud not only to win but because also of the name of this trophy. Gerd was a huge inspiration.

"Before the season, I wanted to be closer to him, and I always wanted to break some of his records. It was always a huge challenge.

"It was very emotional to score 41 goals in Bundesliga because I did not think it was possible to break this record. Everything I did was for him."

While Haaland's bid will wait another year, as he scored 42 times for Borussia Dortmund and Norway combined, City did not go away empty-handed.

The Premier League champions beat Champions League finalists Liverpool and Real Madrid to the Club of the Year prize.

Karim Benzema said he had realised a childhood dream by winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday.

The Real Madrid captain was rewarded for an outstanding 2021-22 campaign when he was named the best player in the world at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Benzema scored an astonishing 44 goals in 46 games as Madrid accomplished a LaLiga and Champions League double under Carlo Ancelotti last season.

The France striker, who turns 35 in December, became the oldest Ballon d'Or winner since the great Stanley Matthews way back in 1956.

Benzema was presented with the award by his former Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, who had been the last French player to win in 1998, on a special evening in his homeland.

He said: "Seeing this award in front of me makes me really proud of the work I have done. It was childhood dream, to have the motivation... I had two role models, Zidane and Ronaldo [the Brazil legend], and always I had this dream in my mind that anything is possible.

"There was a difficult period where I wasn't in the French team, but I never stopped working hard or gave up.

"Really proud of my journey here. It wasn't easy, it was difficult. To be here today for the first time, I am happy, pleased for my work and want to keep going.

"I want to thank all my team-mates at Real Madrid and France and my coach and the Real Madrid president, who is here this evening, and also the support of Jean-Michel Aulas [Lyon president].

"There are a lot of people to thank. It is an individual prize but still a collective one because of everyone who played a role in it."

Bayern Munich's former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was the runner-up, with Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne third and Robert Lewandowski fourth after an outstanding final season for Bayern Munich before joining Barcelona.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was ranked fifth and Paris Saint-Germain's prolific France international Kylian Mbappe only sixth.

Benzema added: "Age is just a number for me. People play until their later years now, and I still have this burning desire.

"It is this drive that has kept me going and never allowed me to let up. It kept this dream alive and was the fire behind me. I just want to make the most if it."