Arda Guler scored from inside his own half and Fede Valverde capped an excellent week with another fine strike as Real Madrid thrashed Elche 4-1 on Saturday in La Liga.

Federico Valverde's sensational hattrick against Manchester City helped Real Madrid put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals, but his words after the game may prove more crucial still.

Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said his team surprised a lot of people who expected them to get "battered" by beating Manchester City 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Los Blancos were missing several key players including Kylian Mbappe but Uruguayan midfielder Valverde's stunning treble, netted inside a 22-minute spell, crushed Pep Guardiola's team at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said Tuesday his team should not feel inferior to Champions League opponents Manchester City, even without injured striker Kylian Mbappe.

Federico Valverde's heavily deflected 95th-minute drive snatched injury-hit Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday.

UEFA fined Real Madrid 15,000 euros ($17,000) on Friday after one of their fans performed a Nazi salute before a Champions League match last week.

Getafe's Diego Rico said Tuesday Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger tried to "smash my face in" in a LaLiga match in the Spanish capital the previous evening.

Real Madrid said Tuesday their winger Rodrygo has suffered a severe knee injury, and it is expected to keep him out of the World Cup with Brazil this summer.

Real Madrid fell to a damaging 1-0 defeat by Getafe at home in La Liga on Monday, leaving them four points behind leaders Barcelona.

France captain Kylian Mbappe was in Paris Monday for treatment on a knee injury but no surgery is planned, the Real Madrid superstar's entourage told AFP.

Benfica announced on Friday they had provisionally suspended five supporters for allegedly making racist comments during this month's Champions League first leg loss to Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City have learnt valuable lessons from their long-running Champions League rivalry with Real Madrid after they were pitted against the Spanish club in Friday's last 16 draw.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said that star striker Kylian Mbappe will not be making a speedy return from the knee injury that forced him out of the Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica on Wednesday.

Vinicius Junior scored the winner on the night as Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, progressing 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16.

Jose Mourinho has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, but his Champions League homecoming with Benfica on Wednesday has become far more complicated than initially anticipated.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe will miss the Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica on Wednesday because of a knee injury, AFP learned on Tuesday from a source close to the team.

Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 victory over Levante to reclaim pole position in La Liga on Sunday.

Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant goal, but the focus after Real Madrid's win at Benfica on Tuesday was on another incident of alleged racist abuse aimed at the Brazilian.

Vinicius Junior scored a sensational goal to earn Real Madrid a 1-0 Champions League playoff first leg victory at Benfica on Tuesday, although the match was marred by apparent racist abuse aimed at the Brazilian.