Diego Simeone took full responsibility for Atletico Madrid's disappointing performance after their unbeaten LaLiga run ended with a 1-0 loss at Real Betis on Sunday.

Atleti failed to recover from Jose Maria Gimenez's fourth-minute own goal and wasted the few chances they created in a game riddled with errors that the coach blamed on himself.

Hosts Betis had 24 shots to Atleti's 10, albeit both teams only got three attempts on target.

Simeone, though, accepted Atleti were not up to standard, as his team lost their 24th game in all competitions in 2024, which is their joint-worst total in a calendar year under the Argentine's tutelage.

"I didn't prepare this match well. I am responsible for the plan not working," said Simeone, whose side lost 3-1 to Lille in the Champions League in midweek.

"Starting with myself first, we have work to do and things to improve. I didn't imagine anything different. The new players need to keep adapting, and I need to get more out of their strengths.

"Betis are a competitive team who have improved as they showed today, they outplayed us. We clearly couldn't play our game.

"This happened to us against Lille last week, we fell behind in the game and that didn't allow us to level this game.

"Ultimately, as a coach, I have to resolve these situations first and have a clear idea (of tactics) so that the players can perform in the way I like."

Atleti's first defeat of the season leaves them fourth in the Spanish top flight on 20 points, two clear of Betis and ten behind leaders Barcelona.

They face UE Vic in the Copa del Rey on Thursday before hosting Las Palmas in LaLiga three days later. 

Jose Maria Giminez's own-goal dealt Atletico Madrid their first defeat of the LaLiga season as they lost 1-0 to Real Betis on Sunday. 

Having won 10 of their previous 15 visits to the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Diego Simeone's side were outclassed as they lost pace with the early leaders in the table.

The decisive moment in the contest came in the fourth minute when Giminez deflected Abde Ezzalzouli's cross beyond Jan Oblak to hand the hosts a perfect start. 

Betis looked to increase their lead before the break with Ezzalzouli striking the woodwork, while Vitor Roque also spurned several glorious opportunities. 

Manuel Pellegrini's side continued to dominate proceedings, but struggled to find their second goal, with Roque seeing his effort ruled out for offside after the break. 

Visiting substitute Angel Correa was twice denied by the woodwork late on, with the Argentine first hitting the post before cannoning an effort off the crossbar.

Atletico now sit fourth in the standings after 11 games of the season, finding themselves 10 points behind leaders Barcelona after their stunning win over Real Madrid.

Data Debrief: Unwanted history

It was a night to forget for Giminez, with his telling contribution at the wrong end of the pitch putting him in the history books, but for all the wrong reasons. 

The Uruguayan's unfortunate error hit the back of the net with three minutes and 15 seconds on the clock, the earliest own-goal Atletico have conceded in the 21st century.

Simeone's side have now lost three of their last five matches in all competitions (W1 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 20 matches (W13 D4 L3).

But Betis deserved their long-awaited victory on home soil against Atletico. They ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.95 from their 24 shots, compared to their opponents' 0.54 from their 10 attempts. 

Marc Casado praised Barcelona’s daring high line following a resounding 4-0 Clasico victory against Real Madrid in LaLiga.

The win put an end to Madrid’s aspirations of a record unbeaten run in the league as they were unable to equal Barcelona’s streak of 43 games without loss between 2017 and 2018.

Instead, the Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a finessed Hansi Flick offside trap as the hosts were caught offside a whopping eight times in the first half, representing their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013. 

They were ultimately caught out 12 times in total, and Barcelona midfielder Casado, who bagged an assist, was enamoured by his side's defensive display.

"It's incredible, to have the b**** to have the defensive line this high," he said in the mixed zone.

"We've been doing it all season, the defensive work of this team is spectacular. It's incredible and at the moment it's working for us."

His delight was unsurprising. Barcelona managed to nullify the Real Madrid threat with forward Kylian Mbappe caught offside eight times through the duration of the match.

It is the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.

Barcelona were firing at the other end too, as Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha doubled their margin of victory late on.

It means Barcelona now have 10 wins in 11 games so far this season under Flick, leaving them six points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who came through the ranks at Barcelona, has been impressed by the turnaround in form since the coach's off-season arrival.

"I'm super happy now, I am a proper Culer. We suffered a lot towards the end of last season, it was a tough time," he told Barca's official media channels.

"Flick came in and just told us how much we had to believe in ourselves, on a personal level and on a collective level."

Both Casado and Pena came through La Masia, which remains a key source of talent for the Catalan giants.

"We know that this club always brings out very good players from the academy, I don't know how it happens but it always comes out. The work at La Masia is spectacular and that's why we arrive so prepared for the elite," Casado added.

Hansi Flick is loving his time at Barcelona as he celebrated a resounding 4-0 success over Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Flick's side ran out convincing victors at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in quick succession before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha sealed the result.

Barca snapped a four-game losing streak against their fiercest rivals, while they also ended Madrid's hopes of matching their LaLiga-record unbeaten run of 43 games, which was set under Ernesto Valverde in 2018.

The Blaugrana's win came on the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Flick's former club Bayern Munich, and the ex-Germany coach is enjoying life at Barca.

"I'm delighted to be working at Barcelona and to live in Barcelona," he said after collecting his 10th LaLiga win from 11 games this season.

"It's a fantastic job, I'm very happy.

"We have played a fantastic game and I am so proud.

 

"We pressed better with and without the ball [in the second half]. We had more possession and that's why the game changed."

Barca's high line was a key factor in their victory, with Madrid caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe in particular struggling to stay on the right side of the defence.

"The defensive effort was key," Flick added.

"We have trained a lot on how to defend with a high line and on how we want to press on the ball. It's also important not to leave spaces when you play Real Madrid because they have incredible players.

"I think we are doing well. We are sticking to our idea and right now we are fluid and we want to move forward."

Lewandowski has now scored 10 goals in 16 meetings with Madrid in all competitions, while he has already netted 14 times in LaLiga this term.

"We are very happy, very happy. To win here like this is a great victory," Lewandowski told DAZN.

"The season is long, but this victory can help us with a lot more, with confidence and football. So far we haven't won anything, but the important thing is that we have a clear idea, we know where we want to go on."

Michel acknowledged the impact of the rigorous schedule on his Girona players following a loss at Las Palmas on Saturday.

Last season's third-placed team experienced a 1-0 defeat against struggling Las Palmas, with a first-half goal from Alex Munoz proving decisive.

The result left Girona languishing in 13th place in the standings.

And Michel conceded a demanding schedule, which includes Champions League games in Girona's maiden European campaign, is taking its toll.

"I have a lot of faith in all the players, and I believe we competed very well in the first half," Michel said.

"I can't make substitutions due to the lack of available players. That's the main issue.

"The credit goes to [Las Palmas] for winning a match at a lower rhythm than they usually have with the ball, yet remaining solid," Michel concluded.

Girona will play CD Extremadura in the first round of Copa del Rey on Wednesday, before they take on Leganes in LaLiga.

Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid will not "throw everything in the trash" despite losing the first Clasico of the season 4-0 to a rampant Barcelona side at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid suffered their first league defeat since September 2023 – when they went down 3-1 to Atletico Madrid – on Saturday, as Robert Lewandowski netted twice and was joined on the scoresheet by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Los Blancos fell just short of equalling the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, a 43-match streak by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona between 2017 and 2018.

They are now six points adrift of the Blaugrana at the top of LaLiga, but Ancelotti is choosing to remain calm, recalling that his side lost another Clasico by the same scoreline in their double-winning season of 2021-22.

"We don't have to throw everything in the trash, we have to forget the last 30 minutes," he said. 

"It does not reflect what happened on the field. We couldn't get ahead on the scoreboard and they took advantage. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances.

"We already lost 4-0 here to Barca and won LaLiga and the Champions League. We won't be far from last season." 

 

Madrid were continually caught out by Barca's high line, being caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe being flagged eight times throughout the game.

Ancelotti said Madrid had chosen to target Barca's defence with balls in behind after watching them play a high line in Wednesday's Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

"It was known that they use the high line and we almost didn't take advantage of it. He had chances and sometimes he was offside," Ancelotti added of Mbappe.

"But we had three or four opportunities where they needed more success. I don't regret our approach. We did have opportunities. 

"It's a tough moment, as always when you lose. And even more so when you do it after so many games unbeaten."

 

Barcelona crushed rivals Real Madrid 4-0 in the first Clasico of the season to move six points clear at the top of LaLiga and halt Los Blancos' year-long unbeaten run.

Madrid entered Saturday's game hoping to equal the longest unbeaten run in LaLiga history – a streak of 43 games set by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona between 2017 and 2018.

However, they were blown away in front of a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd as Robert Lewandowski scored twice in two second-half minutes, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha later joining him on the scoresheet.

While Carlo Ancelotti's side slumped to their first league defeat since September 2023, Hansi Flick's Barca made a statement regarding their title aspirations, recording their 10th win in 11 games this campaign.

Madrid were on the front foot early on, though they were continually caught out by Barcelona's offside trap. Mbappe dragged one shot wide after going too early, then saw another shot clawed off the line by Inaki Pena before the flag went up again.

Mbappe broke clear to chip Pena on the half-hour mark, but his celebrations were short-lived as the flag went up once more. 

The momentum switched after half-time, though, and Barca made the breakthrough nine minutes after the restart as Lewandowski took in Marc Casado's pass before finishing low from the edge of the area.

Lewandowski had his second just over two minutes later, directing a wonderful header into the bottom-right corner after being picked out by Alejandro Balde.

Madrid desperately sought a response as Pena denied Mbappe with a one-on-one save, while Lewandowski missed two golden chances for a hat-trick, clipping the post with the goal gaping then blazing over from a tight angle.

But Barca did get their third when Raphinha sent Yamal racing into the box and the 17-year-old lashed his shot inside Lunin's near post.

And things got even better with six minutes to play as Raphinha got in on the act, dinking a shot over Lunin after latching onto Inigo Martinez's searching pass. 

A sky full of stars

Ahead of Saturday's game, each of Barca's last five head coaches had lost their first match in charge against Madrid (Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique), since Gerardo Martino oversaw a 2-1 win in his first Clasico in 2013.

However, Flick bucked that trend as Barca made it a perfect week, having also routed their boss' former club Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lewandowski dragged them clear with his quickfire double, and he now has 10 goals in 16 career games against Madrid in all competitions, though these were his first strikes against them in LaLiga.

Yamal and Raphinha then added some gloss to the scoreline. The latter is one of just three players to register at least five goals and five assists in one of Europe's top five leagues this campaign (six goals, six assists).

 

The match stats were all in Barca's favour, painting the picture of a dominant display. The visitors had 15 shots to Madrid's nine, got seven of those on target and accumulated 2.45 expected goals (xG) to Los Blancos' 1.48.

Donning their Coldplay-sponsored kits, it really was a sensational Clasico display from Barca, who face Espanyol next as they bid to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack.

Madrid caught out as unbeaten run ends

Having gone 42 games unbeaten in LaLiga since a 3-1 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid last year, Madrid were chasing a slice of Spanish top-flight history on Saturday.

With bottom club Valencia up next for Ancelotti's men, this felt like the final real obstacle between them and the outright record unbeaten run in LaLiga. 

However, just like Bayern in midweek, Madrid continually struggled to spring Barcelona's aggressive offside trap, with Flick's bold out-of-possession approach paying off again.

Madrid were caught offside eight times in the first half – their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013.

Mbappe alone was caught offside eight times, the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.

Girona suffered a 1-0 defeat at lowly Las Palmas as a first-half goal from Alex Munoz proved decisive in LaLiga.

Munoz put Las Palmas ahead three minutes before the break with a first-time strike, capitalising on a cross that sailed over the box to find him unmarked.

The visitors showed little urgency in chasing an equaliser, allowing Las Palmas to control most of the match with the home side coming close to doubling their lead.

Girona saw their substitute goalkeeper Juan Carlos sent off from the bench in the 74th minute for abusive language, with their team also awarded a further five yellow cards.

As the clock ran down, Girona intensified their efforts to find a leveller, but their momentum was disrupted by injury stoppages, and Las Palmas secured the victory.

After defying expectations to finish third last season, Girona now sit 13th with 12 points, while Las Palmas are just outside the relegation zone in 17th with nine.

Data Debrief: Las Palmas clinch victory against the odds

Prior to facing Girona, Las Palmas had not won any of their last 12 home games in La Liga (D6 L6), their longest winless run at home in the top flight.

They had a similarly poor record against Girona. At home, Las Palmas had not won any of their last five games in all competitions against their opponents (D1 L4).

Defeat ends Girona coach Michel's unbeaten streak against Las Palmas. He had previously faced them six times in all competitions without losing (W5 D1). 

Atletico Madrid cannot provide a timeline for defender Robin Le Normand's return from a traumatic brain injury, Diego Simeone said on Saturday.

The 27-year-old defender collided with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni late in their 1-1 draw in September, and needed medical attention on the pitch.

Atleti confirmed that Le Normand had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with subdural haematoma.

And ahead of Atleti's clash with Real Betis in LaLiga on Sunday, Simeone said there is no update on Le Normand's comeback.

"We still don’t have a clear idea about his return. The important thing is that he comes back well. That's the only thing we care about," Simeone told reporters.

"Once he is healthy, he can start anew with us like he has just arrived having rested after winning the European Championship."

Le Normand had made eight appearances since joining from Real Sociedad in the close season after winning Euro 2024 with Spain.

Atletico have now played four games across all competitions since he was sidelined, losing twice, winning once and drawing once, while conceding nine goals.

Asked about the team's poor defence following their 4-0 loss at Benfica and 3-1 home loss to Lille in the Champions League, Simeone said it came down to decision-making in the crucial moments.

"Both defence and offence prowess make you better... but the reality is decisiveness in the areas, and the team that is better in those situations will always be the one closer to winning," he said.

Sunday's opponents Betis, who are seventh in LaLiga, have lost only once in their five home matches this season, earning 10 of their 15 points from home fixtures.

Hansi Flick hailed his "brilliant" Barcelona players as they look to further their advantage at the LaLiga summit against rivals Real Madrid on Saturday. 

Flick watched on as he helped his side end a run of six-straight Champions League defeats against Bayern Munich with a stunning 4-1 victory in midweek. 

Barcelona are now unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, scoring 17 goals in those matches, but they face a stern test at the Bernabeu to keep that run going.

Los Blancos produced an equally impressive Champions League display, coming from two goals down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, inspired by Vinicius Junior's hat-trick.

Flick will be managing his first competitive game as a coach against Real Madrid, and has been impressed with his side's ability to understand his way of playing.

"We have our ideas. Our philosophy is to press high and make it hard for the opponent to play out. Too much space between the lines doesn't work for us," Flick said.

"The players are brilliant and continue to adapt from game to game.

"The changes have worked, I believe in the team, they have so much quality and that’s what we want to see."

Flick will also be looking to become the first Barcelona coach since Gerardo Martino in 2013 to win their first official Clasico. 

The Barcelona coach also heaped praise on Lamine Yamal for his performances this season, with the 17-year-old preparing for his fourth Clasico against Real Madrid. 

Yamal made his 10th start in the Champions League in Barca's win over Bayern, becoming the youngest player at the time of doing so in the competition’s history (17y 102d).

He has also impressed in LaLiga this term, notching 10 goal involvements (four goals, six assists), a total only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (14) in the division.

"Specifically for the game against Bayern I wanted him to do one thing among many that he needed to do, which was to press (Alphonso) Davies from the last line into midfield because we knew how important he was when he started to attack," Flick said.

"Yamal is a fantastic player with the ball, you could all appreciate that against Bayern.

"It’s an honour to see what Lamine did for all of us and it’s important that he can improve as a defender. And he’s doing that very well."

Carlo Ancelotti said he has the utmost respect for Barcelona, but he does not fear the LaLiga leaders, who they meet in Saturday's Clasico.

Barcelona currently have a three-point lead at the top of the table, having won all but one of their 10 matches. 

But Madrid are unbeaten in the league this campaign and are in fact on the cusp of history. They are one game away from matching the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, recorded by Ernesto Valverde's Barca (43) between 2017 and 2018.

They have won 31 and drawn 11 of the matches in that timeframe, with their last league defeat coming against rivals Atletico Madrid on September 25 last year.

And Ancelotti, who pointed out that Madrid are the reigning champions in Spain, said his team will not be intimidated by the task ahead of them.

"Fortunately, at the moment nobody keeps me awake at night," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

"[Barcelona] are doing very well. But in a match like the Clasico, it's very difficult to pick a favourite beforehand. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It's a matter of how you are able to handle the pressure, to deal with the tempo and how to identify the moments of the match...

"Barca have a very clear idea of how they play the game, they are performing very well. They are a very brave team, and we need to prepare well for the game and try to play our best version."

Barca travel to Madrid on the back of a 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, maintaining Flick's outstanding start with 11 wins from 13 matches in all competitions.

Madrid, however, have come under moderate criticism from pundits about starting their games slowly, raising questions about their motivation after winning both the LaLiga and Champions League titles last season.

The latest example was in their Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, when they had to fight back from two goals down after a dismal first half, only to score five goals after the break, with Vinicius Junior netting a hat-trick.

Ancelotti is not worried about his players' mindset, though, and believes they will be ready from the start due to the seriousness of their rivalry.

"Usually, in this style of match, you don't have to talk as much beforehand... The idea is to define a very clear, very simple strategy... and nothing else," Ancelotti added.

"It's not a type of match where you have to give big speeches. Playing like we did in the second half against Dortmund for 90 minutes is impossible, but that should be our starting point, what we will try to achieve. I think we did a lot of things right.

"We will prepare the game to do the right things with and without the ball. We have to play a complete game to win, and we will try to do that."

With a respective seven and four-point gap having already developed between first and second and their nearest challengers, Barcelona and Real Madrid look likely to go head-to-head to rule LaLiga once again this season.

After the two sides lit up the Champions League in midweek – Madrid recovering to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, while Barcelona trounced Bayern Munich 4-1 – Saturday's Clasico is the must-watch fixture in the European calendar this week.

Hansi Flick's side lead the way with nine wins from his first 10 league games in charge, while Madrid have one of two unbeaten records remaining in the division, alongside neighbours Atletico Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti's reigning Spanish and European champions have an opportunity not only to knock Barca off the top this weekend, but to earn a slice of history.

They are one game away from matching the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, recorded by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona (43) between 2017 and 2018.

Can Los Blancos match their great rivals' feat at the Santiago Bernabeu? Here, we dive into the Opta data to preview the first Clasico of the campaign.

 What's expected? 

Despite Barcelona making a flying start to Flick's reign, it is Madrid who are made favourites by the Opta supercomputer at home.

Ancelotti's team were victorious in 56% of the 10,000 match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, with Barca winning 21.3% and 22.7% finishing all square. 

Madrid have an excellent record versus Barca lately, winning each of their last four matches against them in all competitions. They could now record five straight victories in El Clasico for just the second time in the last 59 years, having done so between 2020 and 2022.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, could become just the third coach to win five or more successive Clasicos in the history of the fixture, after Miguel Munoz between 1962 and 1965 (seven) and Pep Guardiola between 2008 and 2010 (five).

Jude Bellingham struck dramatic winners in both league fixtures between these great rivals last season – a 2-1 triumph in Catalonia last October and a 3-2 victory in Madrid in April.

 

On their own turf, Madrid have won four of their last five meetings with Barca (one defeat), winning each of their last two.

They have not won three straight home Clasicos in the competition since they enjoyed a run of four consecutive wins between 1988 and 1991, a period in which they won LaLiga three times in four campaigns. 

History beckons for Los Blancos

Incredibly, Madrid have not been beaten in league action since September 25 last year, when they went down 3-1 to rivals Atletico.

Their unbeaten run in LaLiga now stands at 42 matches, with 31 wins and 11 draws in that timeframe. 

Saturday's game offers them the chance to draw level with the mark brought up by Valverde's Barca between April 2017 and May 2018 (34 wins, nine draws). With bottom club Valencia their next opponents after this match, they have a great opportunity to snatch that record outright.

While last season's Clasico hero Bellingham is yet to score in LaLiga this term and has only provided one assist in his six appearances, Madrid have another player with a knack of breaking Barca hearts.

Vinicius Junior has been involved in seven goals in his last four games in El Clasico in all competitions, scoring five goals and laying on two assists.

In total, the Real Madrid forward has scored seven goals in 17 games against Barcelona. They are his second-best goalscoring opponent after Valencia (eight goals).

Vinicius also got Los Blancos' winner as they overcame Celta Vigo 2-1 in their last league game on Saturday, then scored a wonderful hat-trick in Tuesday's comeback victory over Dortmund, taking him to 35 goal involvements (20 goals, 15 assists) in his last 35 Champions League starts.

With the Brazilian dovetailing with Bellingham, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe, Madrid have the firepower to halt Barca's brilliant start to life under Flick, and seal their own place in the record books in the process.

Major test for Flick

Flick could hardly have wished for a better start to his tenure at Barca, with a 4-2 defeat at Osasuna last month the only blot on his record in LaLiga. 

Last week's 5-0 rout of Sevilla also took the Blaugrana to 33 goals in 10 league games under Flick. Only Zinedine Zidane has enjoyed a more prolific start through 10 games as a manager in LaLiga this century (34).

Three of the nine players in the big five European Leagues to be involved in 10 or more goals this season, meanwhile, represent Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski (12 goals, two assists), Lamine Yamal (four goals, six assists) and Raphinha (five goals, five assists). 

Only three players from those five leagues have at least five goals and five assists this term: Mohamed Salah (five goals, five assists with Liverpool), Cole Palmer (six goals, five assists with Chelsea) and Raphinha.

Flick got one over on his former club in style on Wednesday, with Raphinha's hat-trick helping them end a run of six straight Champions League meetings with Bayern.

If that result was not enough of a statement, Barcelona achieved it with a youthful starting XI with an average age of 24 years and 185 days, their youngest lineup for a Champions League match since December 2011 versus BATE Borisov (23 years, 93 days).

A trip to the Bernabeu, however, will surely represent Flick's toughest test to date.

Each of the last five Barcelona coaches – Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique – have lost their first competitive Clasico, with Gerardo Martino the last to oversee a victory in his first one (2-1 in 2013). If Flick can buck that trend, it will be advantage Barca in the title race.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Real Madrid – Vinicius Junior

As well as having a fine record in Clasico matches, Vinicius has also been involved in at least one goal in each of his last six matches in LaLiga (four goals, three assists), netting the winner at Celta Vigo last weekend.

The Brazilian is widely considered the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or and last time out against Dortmund, led all players on the pitch for xG (1.26), shots (seven), shots on target (four) and dribbles completed (six), also creating two chances and contesting a joint-high 16 duels.

Barcelona – Lamine Yamal 

While Raphinha stole the headlines against Bayern in midweek, his fellow winger Yamal also shone, recording an assist as he became the youngest player to make 10 Champions League starts, aged 17 years and 102 days.

He already has six assists in LaLiga this season, becoming the first Barca player to reach that figure within the opening 10 matchdays since Lionel Messi in 2014-15 (seven).

 

Real Madrid have confirmed that both Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo will miss their upcoming Clasico encounter against Barcelona through injury. 

The LaLiga champions revealed that Courtois had sustained an injury to the adductor in his left leg during their 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. 

Madrid also said that Rodrygo, who was replaced by Aurelien Tchouameni in the 85th minute against Dortmund, will undergo an MRI scan later this week. 

The Brazilian was seen holding the back of his leg shortly before playing a role in Lucas Vazquez's goal seven minutes from time. 

Rodrygo has impressed for Carlo Ancelotti's side this term, notching five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in 13 appearances in all competitions. 

His 16 chances created is a total only bettered by Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior (both 21), though Madrid are not without their reserves at the top end of the pitch. 

Real are already without Dani Carvajal and David Alaba for the visit of their fierce rivals, but have welcomed Brahim Diaz back into training after a month-long lay-off. 

Gavi is thrilled to be back in action for Barcelona after his long-awaited return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 20-year-old underwent surgery after suffering the injury in Spain's Euro 2024 qualifying win over Georgia last year.

He subsequently missed the rest of the season, along with Spain's triumph at the Euros.

But Gavi made his return to action on Sunday, coming on as a substitute during Barca's 5-1 win over Sevilla in LaLiga, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium.

"I'm very happy to be back with the team. I've been dreaming about this moment for many months and I'm grateful to everyone because they've made it so much easier for me," an emotional Gavi told Movistar Plus.

"The worst thing during the lay-off is not playing with my teammates. Seeing the team from the outside is very hard and gives you a different perspective, you learn that you have to enjoy every moment and appreciate things.

"I feel very lucky to be here today, recovered, because this is my life and what I've been doing all my life and I've missed it a lot.

"When you see all the fans and team-mates over there and they show you that they love you and appreciate you, you feel very lucky."

Hansi Flick added: "For him [Gavi] it was a fantastic moment, a fantastic feeling.

"The result was great. It was a perfect day for him and also for us."

Barcelona are top of LaLiga on 27 points, three ahead of Real Madrid in second and seven clear of Atletico Madrid in third.

They will host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before next weekend's Clasico against Madrid.

"Winning like this is very important for the games to come," Gavi's team-mate Pedri told Movistar Plus.

"Today we had to leave with more than just the three points, we needed that good feeling we got.

"The coach told us that there was going to be spaces at the edge of the box and we took advantage of that."

Diego Simeone praised the impact of Atletico Madrid's substitutes, who sparked a comeback as they claimed a 3-1 win over Leganes in LaLiga.

Yvan Neyou's superb goal in the first half put Atletico on the back foot as they were left frustrated by missed chances in a wasteful first half.

However, Simeone made five substitutions, which gave them a much-needed boost, as Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone got key assists as Alexander Sorloth scored twice on either side of Antoine Griezmann's goal to help them earn the victory. 

The hosts dominated overall, creating 3.58 expected goals (xG), and having 24 shots, nine of which were on target, even though it took them until the 69th minute to find a breakthrough.

Giuliano, Simeone's 21-year-old son, entered the fray in the 57th minute, and the head coach was particularly pleased with how well he is developing into a winger.

"The work of the boys who came in was very good, they gave us an offensive aggressiveness that was crucial to guide us to the win," Simeone told Movistar Plus.

"[Giuliano] has been training in that position lately and doing really well. In Argentina, he also trained in the right sector, and we are seeing a lot to improve.

"But what I really appreciate is the hunger and enthusiasm that he transmits. In the second half, I think we had a bit more space to explore the back of their defence and the boys deserve this prize for their work. We hope they give us more things."

Atletico sit third in the table, now seven points behind leaders Barcelona, and four behind local rivals Real Madrid, but they now turn their attention to their Champions League tie against Lille on Wednesday.

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