Real Madrid were made to wait, but eventually conjured a stylish 2-0 victory at Cadiz on Saturday in La Liga, ahead of their Champions League trip to face Chelsea.

A brilliant Lionel Messi goal helped Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 home win over Lens on Saturday to surely end any doubt about the outcome of this season's Ligue 1 title race, after an early sending-off left the visitors with a mountain to climb.

Erling Haaland equalled the Premier League record of 32 goals in a 38-game season as Manchester City outclassed Leicester 3-1 to close within three points of Arsenal at the top of the table on Saturday.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland equalled the goal-scoring record in a 38-game Premier League season when he scored twice against Leicester City on Saturday to take his tally to 32.

Leaders Napoli were held to a goalless home draw by relegation-threatened Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday as Luciano Spalletti's side finished winless for the third time in their last four games in all competitions.

Manchester United may be without key defenders Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the coming weeks, but manager Erik ten Hag said Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof can plug any gaps in the Premier League club’s backline.

Bangladesh’s football fraternity was rocked on Friday when FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee sanctioned the general secretary of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Abu Nayeem Shohag, imposing on him a two-year ban from all football-related activities for having used false and/or falsified documents to justify payments made by the BFF with FIFA funds.

Arsenal’s players must pull out all the stops and “finish the job” if they hope to fend off rivals Manchester City and win the club’s first Premier League title since 2004, manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Ham United.

Despite the heatwave, the whole nation celebrated the Bengali New Year on Friday with utmost zeal and the hope of a prosperous future but had ended up receiving a jolt by the FIFA in the evening.

The FIFA-imposed suspension of Bangladesh Football Federation general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag due to financial irregularities and misuse of funds has been the talk of the town, with many pointing their fingers at the federation’s top brass for turning a blind eye for so long. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, who is serving his fourth consecutive term at the helm of Bangladesh football since 2008, spoke to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman after a short media brief. The excerpts of that conversation are below:

Borussia Dortmund failed to take advantage of Bayern Munich's 1-1 home draw against Hoffenheim on Saturday, blowing a two-goal lead against 10-man Stuttgart before conceding a last-gasp equaliser.

 Brighton & Hove Albion ruined Chelsea boss Frank Lampard's return to Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 comeback win on Saturday as substitutes Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso condemned the Blues to a third defeat in three games under their interim coach.

 Striker Diego Costa netted his first goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers, getting on the scoresheet in the first half of a 2-0 Premier League win at home over Brentford on Saturday that moved his side seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Gavi signed a contract renewal with Barcelona until 2026 in September but because of the club's financial difficulties, they have not been able to register it with La Liga

Watkins added Villa's second with a sharp strike on the turn from point-blank range in the 64th minute and grabbed his 11th goal in his last 12 matches six minutes from time with a simple finish at the back post

Bangladesh football has once again hogged the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as FIFA handed a two-year ban to Abu Nayeem Shohag on Friday, accusing the general secretary of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) guilty of corruption while handling financial transactions in several cases.

U.S. buyout firm Carlyle Group Inc CG.O is in talks about a "major" investment in Manchester United as the auction of the Premier League team enters its final stages, Sky News reported on Saturday.

Manchester City's medical team is working round the clock to keep key striker Erling Haaland fit for the season run-in, manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of Saturday's Premier League game at home to Leicester City.

On Friday,  FIFA's adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee sanctioned  General Secretary of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Abu Nayeem Shohag, imposing on him a two-year ban from all football-related activities and a fine of approximately BDT 12 lakh (CHF 10,000) for having used false and/or falsified documents to justify payments made by the BFF with FIFA funds.

FIFA has published a 51-page Decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee at its website about the charges against BFF General Secretary Sohag.