Carlo Ancelotti snapped back at suggestions Karim Benzema is playing less for Real Madrid as a precautionary measure ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup with France.

The veteran forward has not played since a 3-0 win over Elche in LaLiga almost a fortnight ago, instead reduced to a spectator on the sidelines for Los Blancos with a hamstring problem.

With the World Cup set to start later this month, Benzema – who was omitted from Didier Deschamps' title-winning squad at Russia 2018 – is hopeful of making the cut.

Speaking ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Celtic on Wednesday, Ancelotti shut down discussions the Ballon d'Or winner has been absent in order to facilitate his ticket to Qatar.

"Benzema hasn't played because he's picked up a couple of injuries," said the Italian. "He's 34, he looks after himself, and he's in good shape.

"He just hasn't been available. I am sure it is nothing to do with the World Cup, because a player needs to be fit and in good shape ahead of such a tournament.

Ancelotti hinted Benzema could make his return in midweek, as Madrid look to lock up top spot in Group F against their Scottish visitors at Santiago Bernabeu.

"He is training now," he added. "I have to decide if he starts, or if he features in the match. It depends on how he is feeling."

Benzema will be among the names Deschamps will almost certainly wish to include when he picks his squad for their title defence next week.

France will already be without World Cup winner Paul Pogba after the Juventus playmaker was confirmed to have fallen short in his recovery timetable.

Carlo Ancelotti is not losing sleep over a possible four-game ban, but the Real Madrid boss remains adamant his side were hard done by to concede a penalty against Girona.

Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw in LaLiga on Sunday after Marco Asensio was deemed by VAR to have handled in the area.

Cristhian Stuani converted the subsequent spot-kick, while Toni Kroos was sent off late on, to prompt a furious reaction from Ancelotti after the full-time whistle, with the Italian claiming the "penalty is an invention".

Ancelotti's comments could land him with a four-game ban, with a decision due this week, but ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Celtic on Wednesday, he was unrepentant.

"They can suspend me, or not – four games, we'll wait and see," he stated. "I've sat on the bench 1,200 times or more. If I miss four, I miss four.

"I still sleep at night. I want to clarify that I haven't disrespected anyone. I've said one thing that everyone in football understands.

"What is clear is that the referee association have complained about something I said. I'm not doubting the professionalism of a referee, I've never not respected a referee, I try and respect everyone."

Ancelotti believes the referee did not interpret the rules in the same way it was described to LaLiga's coaches at the start of the campaign.

He added: "The problem is, was it a penalty or was it not a penalty? I don't think it was, based on what they told us at the start of the season.

"Maybe they've changed the rules. If so, they should let us know, or is this always going to be a penalty from now on.

"We'd just like things to be clear. If it was a mistake, just say it was a mistake – everyone can make mistakes.

"If they tell us that this is a penalty, they have to explain it. I am not stupid and the rule that they have explained to us has told us that it was not a penalty."

Asked if VAR should have overruled the on-pitch official, Ancelotti replied: "Sometimes the VAR has more prominence than the referee.

"The VAR came in to clarify clear errors... I understand that it is a very, very fine line, but it did seem to me that awarding the penalty was a clear error."

Toni Kroos is "calm" about his future and plans to hold contract talks with Real Madrid next year.

The former Germany midfielder's current deal expires at the end of the season and it has been reported he is considering his options.

Kroos has experienced a glorious eight years with Los Blancos following his move from Bayern Munich, winning the Champions League four times, claiming three LaLiga titles and lifting the FIFA Club World Cup on four occasions.

The 32-year-old plans to end his career with Madrid and is happy to wait until 2023 to begin contract negotiations.

He said on the eve of Wednesday's Champions League game against Celtic: "I'm very well physically, I'm feeling in good shape and things are going well on the pitch.

"I'm happy and very calm. Right now I'm very relaxed, I see things printed in the press and I don't know what is going to happen myself. 

"During the break [for the World Cup] I'm going to think about what could happen and then I'll decide. I'm going nowhere, I'm going to retire here, the only thing I don't know is when that will be. 

"It's funny that a lot of people know what I think when I don't even know. There's nothing new, the club and I are very calm."

He added: "We've arranged a talk next year, we're calm, the relationship with the club is very special. I've been here for eight years and I've said before I want to end my career here. We'll talk in January, February, March... Everything will be fine, that's for sure."

Kroos was sent off for the first time in his club career in the closing stages of Sunday's 1-1 LaLiga draw with Girona, but will face Celtic when Madrid attempt to win Group F at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It's fair to say LaLiga's reputation took a battering last week as three of its four representatives were eliminated from the Champions League with a match still to be played in the group stage.

What made this scenario even uglier for Spanish football is that none of it was even that surprising.

Barcelona's elimination before they'd even played was the headline-grabber, but Atletico Madrid and Sevilla both had their fates sealed as well, albeit in rather different circumstances.

Sevilla won 3-0 at home to Copenhagen, though the score flattered them greatly, while Atletico drew 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen, Yannick Carrasco seeing a last-gasp penalty saved before Saul Niguez headed the rebound against the crossbar and a follow-up effort was blocked on the line by Carrasco.

Last week's woes mean that for the first time since the Champions League expanded to 32 teams in 1999, there will only be one Spanish side in the knockout stages – Real Madrid.

But given LaLiga's decline, that might become the norm before long.

Dark days

Barcelona and Sevilla can at least point to having particularly difficult groups.

Most would still have expected Barca to at least get in the top two, but Bayern Munich and Inter were always likely to be problematic, and so it proved. As for Sevilla, realistically the best they could've hoped for was second behind Manchester City, but Borussia Dortmund's starting XI simply boasts far more quality than the Andalusians'.

And then there's Atletico. Alongside Club Brugge, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen, Diego Simeone's side would've been most people's favourites, and yet they head into matchday four with the possibility of finishing bottom.

They also go into Tuesday's trip to Porto winless in their past four Champions League games, their worst run since going nine without a win between December 2008 and December 2009.

That, of course, makes it their worst such run in the competition under Simeone, although Barca can beat that in the 'woes' stakes as they fail to get out of the group for the second year in a row.

Before last season, Barca got to at least the last 16 for 19 campaigns in succession, and if they lose away to Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, it'll be the first time they've lost four consecutive Champions League away games since October 1997.

The fall from grace

It wasn't so long ago that LaLiga was at worst considered the main 'rival' – if leagues can have rivals – of the Premier League. It had superstars, El Clasico, teams winning at various levels in Europe and there was a brand of football widely associated with the competition.

LaLiga still has its draws, and let's not forget we've seen Spanish teams win the Champions League and Europa League in the past 18 months, but the Premier League is now undoubtedly world football's biggest domestic league in virtually every way.

This has more or less become the case through money, something many LaLiga clubs do not have much of.

For example, last season in the Premier League, Sporting Intelligence estimated only Norwich City received less than £100million (€116.1m) across prize money and TV revenue. Even then, Norwich raked in £98.6m (€114.5m), and £79m (€91.7m) of that was the equal share every club gets.

By comparison, that's roughly the same as the €115m (£99.1m) Barcelona took in last season. Only Atletico Madrid (€154m, £132.7m) and Real Madrid (€158m, £136.1m) earned more in LaLiga, which highlights the financial might of the Premier League.

In football, few issues can be completely separated from money, but there's an argument Spanish football has suffered from a lack of evolution.

The Premier League's always been regarded as "physical", but the competition has so much power now that the clubs are able to sign most of the best technical players as well. Their resources and the improved coaching make it easier than before to turn technical players into greater physical specimens and physical players into greater technicians.

Similarly, the competition can boast a range of different playing styles and philosophies. Again, it would be unfair to say this is exclusive to the Premier League, but the point is there are signs of evolution everywhere in English football when it might once have been seen as somewhat insular.

Barcelona's ingrained principles make it pretty difficult for them to alter course; stylistically, Atletico have hardly changed at all through Simeone's tenure; and Sevilla work with the same buy-to-sell model as they have for 20 years, while on the pitch they're currently paying the price for failing to adapt to key defensive losses and signing too many ageing players over the past three years.

Of those three and Madrid, Los Blancos are probably the only ones you could say have evolved with the times, with Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti both valuing approaches regarded more pragmatic than perhaps the club is known for.

Nevertheless, there's a perception LaLiga football is slow, and this certainly doesn't help the idea the Spanish game has struggled to modernise. It considers itself a greater financial power than the German Bundesliga, and yet, in eight Champions League meetings between teams from those countries this term, Spain has one win to Germany's five.

Too little, too late?

Coaching remains a high standard in Spain, and that's highlighted by the technical qualities of the players, but with money at a premium compared to the biggest clubs and the Premier League, the best managers and players soon move on.

Evolution is difficult: you're just hoping your team lands on the perfect combination of coach and sporting director, but after one or two – if you're lucky – good seasons, one is lured away and the cycle starts again.

That may be a simplistic way of looking at it, granted, but it's difficult to shake the notion LaLiga is paying the price for its own lack of vision.

In 2015, a new TV money distribution agreement came into effect, with 50 per cent of all revenue being shared equally among all clubs. It was much needed but arguably too late.

LaLiga had the world's best players for over a decade, but much of the money from that era just went into the pockets of the big two rather than to improving the league's infrastructure or commercial clout.

However, the new TV money distribution deal was a big win for LaLiga as a whole, and the league's crackdown on financial irregularities also stands to help the competition build a sustainable future.

In that regard, the future could be quite bright for LaLiga. But will it ever be the same again? Due to the might of the Premier League, probably not.

Karim Benzema returned to individual training ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Celtic, having missed Los Blancos' past three games.

The Ballon d'Or winner sat out league meetings with Sevilla and Girona, as well as a Champions League defeat at RB Leipzig, after suffering from muscular fatigue in his left leg.

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti recently revealed Benzema had undergone tests that came back clear, but the Champions League holders have been unwilling to take any risks with his fitness.

Benzema limped out of Madrid's 3-0 win at Celtic in September with a knee injury, and defending World Cup champions France will be watching on with interest as he prepares to return from his latest setback.

On Monday, a club statement revealed Benzema and Aurelien Tchouameni – who missed Sunday's draw with Girona due to a muscle injury – had trained individually ahead of Wednesday's match.

Benzema has missed five of Madrid's 12 games in LaLiga this season but has found the net five times in his seven appearances in the competition. 

Toni Kroos has enjoyed one of the most garlanded careers in world football, but on Sunday he finally collected something rather less treasured than his many medals: a red card.

In his 634th competitive top-flight game at club level, Kroos was dismissed for the first time as Real Madrid were held 1-1 by Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Germany international had already been booked when he cynically fouled Aleix Garcia as Girona looked to break at speed in stoppage time.

That meant the 32-year-old had to go, with referee Mario Melero Lopez ordering him off.

Kroos played at the highest level in Germany for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, where he had an 18-month loan spell early in his career.

After making his Bundesliga debut in 2007 and gradually developing into a Bayern star performer, Kroos was signed up by Madrid in July 2014, days after helping his national team win the World Cup.

He has won the Champions League five times, landed three Bundesliga titles and three LaLiga crowns, and added five Club World Cup wins.

That is just scratching the surface, with Kroos scoring 59 goals and adding 130 assists while prompting skilfully from midfield.

The 634-game total consists of all competitions, including Kroos playing 253 times in LaLiga, 173 games in the Bundesliga, and 132 matches in the Champions League.

Kroos was not entirely a stranger to referees over that time, but they had always held off showing him red. He had totted up 84 bookings before Lopez decided the moment had arrived for an early bath.

Carlo Ancelotti claimed referee Mario Melero Lopez invented a decision to award Girona a penalty after Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw.

Los Blancos moved back above Barcelona to the top of the table but dropped points for only the second time in LaLiga this season.

Vinicius Junior put the champions in front in the 70th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, but Cristhian Stuani equalised from the spot 10 minutes later.

Referee Melero Lopez adjudged Marco Asensio handled in the box after a VAR check and there was more late drama, with Rodrygo having a goal disallowed as Paulo Gazzaniga was deemed to have had control of the ball with one hand when the forward poked it into the back of the net.

Toni Kroos was then sent off for the first time in his club career in stoppage time as Madrid slipped up, but Ancelotti felt they were hard done by.

The Madrid head coach said: "I never like to talk about the referees, but today I am going to. I have spoken with Asensio and it is very clear that he does not touch the ball with his hand, it hits him in the chest.

"It is true that the position of his left hand is a little strange, but it covered the body, it did not make it bigger. There may be doubt if he touches it, but he simply did not touch the ball with his hand. This penalty is an invention."

Ancelotti conceded Madrid fell short of the standards he expects after they slipped up on the back of a Champions League defeat at RB Leipzig.

The Italian expects a response when they face Celtic on Wednesday, when the holders can secure top spot in Group F.

He said: "We're not at the level we were last week, we've had some problems, with the return of injured players, Rodrygo, [Luka] Modric, [Aurelien] Tchouameni.

"We're playing a lot of games and we're feeling tired. they have affected us a lot. We have the opportunity on Wednesday to be first and the goal is to be leaders at the break. At the moment we have everything in hand."

Toni Kroos was sent off in a 1-1 draw against lowly Girona as Real Madrid returned to the top of the table but dropped LaLiga points for only the second time this season.

Vinicius Junior's ninth goal of the season with just over 20 minutes of normal time remaining put Los Blancos in front at the Santiago Bernabeu.

That was not enough to secure the victory, though, as Marco Asensio was penalised for handball following a VAR check and Cristhian Stuani converted from the spot in the 80th minute.

Rodrygo had a late goal disallowed and Kroos was sent off for a second bookable offence as Los Blancos had to settle for a result that inched them a point above Barcelona at the summit, while Girona are out of the relegation zone.

Luka Modric shot wide in the second minute on his return from injury before Valentin Castellanos fired an early warning shot at the other end, drilling narrowly off target.

Rodrygo let fly with a rasping right-foot drive that was superbly tipped wide by Paulo Gazzaniga, but Girona continued to look dangerous and a header from captain Valery Fernandez flashed just past the left post.

A strike from Madrid forward Rodrygo rattled the right post and Yangel Herrera's left-foot effort for Girona crashed against the crossbar after Fernandez outmuscled Dani Carvajal.

There was a flashpoint early in the second half when David Lopez was perhaps fortune to only be shown a yellow card for a clash with Vinicius, who went down claiming the Girona defender headbutted him.

It was Vinicius who made the breakthrough in the 70th minute, Federico Valverde spinning away from a defender and giving the forward a tap-in from inside the six-yard box.

Gazzaniga brilliantly palmed Asensio's powerful strike against the bar soon after that opening goal, before the Madrid winger was adjudged to have handled in the box following a VAR check.

Stuani sent Thibaut Courtois the wrong way with a superb spot-kick, and there was more drama when Rodrygo found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out as Gazzaniga had a hand on the ball when the striker poked it past him.

Kroos was then dismissed for a second bookable offence after a cynical stoppage-time foul as Madrid slipped up.

Real Madrid will once again be without Karim Benzema when they face Girona on Sunday and Rodrygo is also an injury doubt.

Captain Benzema trained on Friday, but the Ballon d'Or winner is still being troubled by muscular fatigue in his left leg.

Los Blancos head coach Ancelotti on Saturday revealed his star striker has undergone tests, which came back all clear.

But Madrid will not take any risks with the France international's fitness, while forward Rodrygo may also miss the LaLiga clash with Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti said of Benzema: "Yesterday he trained, after that he wasn't feeling very well. We had some tests and everything was fine, but we just want to be careful.

"The tests were quite positive, there was no problem at all, but he isn't feeling 100 per cent, so we are going to remain calm with him."

Rodrygo did not train on Saturday due to an unspecified injury and his fitness will be assessed on the day of the game.

Luka Modric, Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos are set to return for the league leaders.

Madrid were beaten 3-2 by RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday and Ancelotti expects a response from his players.

The Italian said: "I think the team learned [from the loss to Leipzig] that we need to prep for every game as if it's the most important of the season.

"Sometimes when you play every three days you need to recover physically and it is not easy to always stay motivated."

Chelsea are reportedly the latest Premier League club to signal their interest in 25-year-old Inter striker Lautaro Martinez.

Martinez, who has also scored 21 senior goals for Argentina in 40 international appearances, is coming off a career-best season in the Serie A.

He set a new personal-best with 21 league goals in 35 games in 2021-22, and has started this season in similar fashion, netting six times in 11 Serie A fixtures.

Martinez also showed his quality with a goal and an assist in the dramatic 3-3 Champions League draw against Barcelona.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA LOOK TO INTER FOR STRIKER SOLUTION

According to InterLive, what separates Chelsea's chances from Martinez's other Premier League suitors is their potential to include current loanee Romelu Lukaku in their bid.

The report states Inter's starting point for an acceptable price tag will be €90million, which is what Tottenham are said to have offered before the beginning of last season.

Tottenham are one of the other Premier League teams named in the report, while Manchester United and Newcastle United have previously been connected with a pursuit of Martinez.

Inter will have all the leverage in any negotiations, with Martinez's contract tying him to the club until 2026.

ROUND-UP

– De Telegraaf claims PSV are in such a dire financial situation that they will be forced to accept a €30m bid for 23-year-old breakout star Cody Gakpo. 

– According to Calciomercato, Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham are all circling 21-year-old Midtjylland winger Gustav Isaksen.

– Diario Sport is reporting Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites to land prized 16-year-old Palmeiras prospect Endrick, while Real Madrid are also said to be all-in, and Barcelona may turn their attention to more pressing matters.

– Spezia are looking for €30m to part ways with 22-year-old centre-back Jakub Kiwior, with Milan, Juventus and West Ham said to have strong interest, per Tuttomercatoweb.

– The Chronicle is reporting Newcastle are weighing up a move for 18-year-old winger Eguinaldo, who plays for Vasco Da Gama in the Brazilian second division and has a £26m release clause in his contract.

Bruno Guimaraes is playing a major role in Newcastle United's impressive start to the 2022-23 season.

The 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder has scored two goals and provided two assists for the Magpies this Premier League season.

Guimaraes joined Newcastle from Lyon in January on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL AND REAL JOIN GUIMARAES PURSUIT

The list of suitors for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is growing with Liverpool and Real Madrid keen on the Brazilian, according to TNT Sports.

Newcastle are eager to sign the midfielder to an improved and lengthy contract extension, making him their highest paid player to ward off interest.

Last week, Goal linked Chelsea with him, with clubs reportedly monitoring his contract status ahead of potential January offers.

ROUND-UP

– Premier League leaders Arsenal are looking to spend in January with three players on their radar according to The Sun. The Gunners are chasing Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Mykhaylo Mudryk and Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino .

– L'Equipe reports Bayern Munich are weighing up moving for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram as they look for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona in the close season.

– Juventus have commenced talks with English teenager Samuel Iling-Junior on a new deal, claims Calciomercato. The 19-year-old made his Champions League debut on Tuesday.

– Football Insider claims Nottingham Forest will spend another £50m-£100m in the January transfer window to enhance their Premier League survival hopes. Forest made a record 22 signings following their promotion last term.

– Former Bochum boss Thomas Reis will take over as Schalke head coach, reports Sky. Schalke sacked Frank Kramer last week after their DFB-Pokal exit.

Timo Werner said RB Leipzig could not have played "much better than that" after defeating European champions Real Madrid to keep their Champions League fate in their control.

Werner scored what proved to be the winner in the second half, making it 3-1 after Vinicius Junior had pulled a goal back following first-half strikes from Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku.

Although Rodrygo netted a late penalty, becoming the youngest Madrid player to score from the spot in the Champions League, Leipzig earned a deserved victory to remain in the hunt for qualification.

Marco Rose's side will progress by avoiding defeat at third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk on the final matchday, and Werner hailed the efforts of his team against the reigning Spanish and European champions.

"I think we performed similar to the first match, but this time we scored! And once we take a lead, it's tough to play us, even for the Champions League winner," the striker said.

"If you lead Madrid by 2-1, you cannot play much better than that. We knew Madrid are strong on the ball and there would be phases where we are pushed back.

"Rose told us to be brave when in possession and that's what we did. Celtic would have done us a big favour by winning, but we still have achieved what we wanted.

"We have it in our own hands [to go through] and don't even need to win against Shakhtar now."

While Werner insisted the memorable victory showed the quality of Leipzig, David Alaba lamented the failings of Madrid, who were without the injured Federico Valverde, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema.

"We were lacking right from kick-off. Leipzig is a team with lots of intensity, very fast in transitions and we went down," the Los Blancos defender said.

"Of course, the players that were missing are very important for our game, real world-class players. Nevertheless, we have the quality to compensate for that and have shown that in the past. We have to do better than this."

Madrid were far from their usual high standards that guided them to domestic and continental glory as they fell to their fourth Champions League defeat in 2022, only in 2001 (five) have they lost more.

However, Carlo Ancelotti's side will still progress as Group F winners as long as they match RB Leipzig's result at Shakhtar Donetsk on the final matchday, when they host Celtic.

Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged "sooner or later" Real Madrid had to lose but Thibaut Courtois lamented Los Blancos' defensive concentration after a 3-2 defeat at RB Leipzig.

Madrid were without the injured Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric and fell two goals behind after strikes from Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku on Tuesday.

That marked the first time Madrid conceded twice in the first 20 minutes of a Champions League in a group stage match and just the fourth time in the competition in total.

Vinicius Junior pulled one back and Rodrygo scored a late consolation, but Timo Werner's strike inflicted a fourth Champions League defeat on Madrid in 2022, only in 2001 (five) have they suffered more.

However, Ancelotti refused to criticise Los Blancos – who sit top of LaLiga and remain favourites to win Group F – as he suggested a defeat was expected at some point.

"I'm not angry. It's a defeat, annoying, but it doesn't do much damage," the Madrid coach told Movistar. "Sooner or later it had to happen. Go on, you can't look back.

"I can't criticise a team that has done very well. From defeats, you learn more than ten wins in a row. We are very forceful at set-pieces, but we were not tonight."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was far less forgiving in his assessment, lamenting Ancelotti's visitors for failing to defend two early set-pieces that brought goals for Gvardiol and Nkunku.

"It is what sometimes happens to us. We went out asleep, without intensity and you pay for it," the Belgium international added to Movistar. "The coach warned us and it still happened.

"We can't go out like that. We put in before the break. But in the second half the same, we missed a lot of passes.

"As a goalkeeper, you are noticing that we are not in the game. In many duels, we did not win. That happens in both goals, due to lack of intensity. We have to wake up.

"A bad day can happen but intensity cannot be missing. There are many on the bench and if you can't do it any more, you can't do it any more."

Madrid host Celtic on the final matchday and only have to match Leipzig's result at Shakhtar Donetsk to progress to the knockout stages as group winners.

Real Madrid missed the chance to progress as Champions League Group F winners after RB Leipzig closed on the knockout stages with a 3-1 home win over the European champions.

A memorable victory ensured Marco Rose's side will now advance on the final matchday if they avoid defeat at third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk, while Madrid – facing Celtic at home – will top the group if they match Leipzig's result.

Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku struck in the opening 18 minutes on Tuesday before Vinicius Junior reduced the deficit, but Madrid struggled without Federico Valverde, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema.

Madrid so often produced late drama in last season's European success, yet Rodrygo's penalty was not enough to rescue a result as Leipzig substitute Timo Werner had already stretched the home lead further.

An acrobatic Andre Silva flick from Dominik Szoboszlai's inswinging corner forced a smart Thibaut Courtois save after 13 minutes, only for the unmarked Gvardiol to head in the rebound.

Nkunku whipped wide when Courtois inexplicably raced out of his area, but the forward made amends shortly after as he smashed a left-footed effort in off the underside of the crossbar.

Rodrygo was thwarted by a fine Janis Blaswich stop, yet the Leipzig goalkeeper was powerless to stop Vinicius heading in Marco Asensio's right-wing centre to pull a goal back.

Vinicius spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise in the closing stages as he poked wide with just Blaswich to beat, and Werner made the winger pay as he tapped home Mohamed Simakan's drilled cross.

That goal meant Rodrygo's late strike from the penalty spot was a mere consolation after he was felled by Nkunku.

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is reportedly looking towards his "next career step", with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said to have a keen interest.

Son tied with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the Premier League's Golden Boot after a career-best 23 goals last season and was the only player with more than 16 goals to not take a penalty.

It was the sixth Premier League season in a row Son has tallied at least 11 goals, and despite the South Korean's slow start to this campaign, he has shown his class in spurts, including a hat-trick off the bench against Leicester City and an important brace in a 3-2 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham sit in third place, five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, but if Son does not believe he can realistically win silverware with the club, the 30-year-old may view a move to a Champions League stalwart as now or never.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON SPURS' SON

According to Sport1, Ancelotti is monitoring Son's situation closely, however his contract situation gives Tottenham all the leverage as he is tied to the club until 2025.

The report claims there is also interest from world powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and that an impressive performance in the World Cup – where South Korea will play Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal in the group stage – could see a club spurred into action in January.

Bild is reporting Bayern will not have an active January window, which would rule them out for the immediate future as any serious bid for the Tottenham star would need to be substantial.

However, with Tottenham desperate to retain the services of Antonio Conte – who the Times reported as saying he needs three more transfer windows to build the necessary depth at the club – selling one of his top players would be a step in the wrong direction.

ROUND-UP

– Ser Deportivos is reporting Real Madrid have offered an improved contract to Marco Asensio amid speculation that he may head to the Premier League when his contract expires after this season.

– According to O Jogo, Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in 18-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva.

– Arsenal are preparing an offer for 27-year-old Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that is believed to be worth in the range of €50m, with their bid also including Albert Sambi Lokonga in a player exchange, per Calciomercato.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona view 25-year-old Ajax player Edson Alvarez as a potential successor to Sergio Busquets in the centre of midfield, although the Dutch giants supposedly rejected a €50m offer from Chelsea in the previous transfer window.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United are eyeing Lille's Jonathan David, Lyon's Moussa Dembele or Bayer Leverkusen's Patrick Schick as potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo.