European champions Real announced their decision to skip Monday night's gala ceremony in Paris just hours before it took place after apparently learning that their Brazilian striker Vinicius had not won the men's award.

Vinicius was not among the nominees who paraded onto the stage at the Paris' Chatelet Theatre where the ceremony was held.

Flick's tactical approach, featuring an extremely high defensive line, also seemed ripe for Mbappe and Vinicius to pillage with their pace.

Defending champions Real Madrid are set to host archrivals Barcelona in a LaLiga game at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight.

Kylian Mbappe's start at Real Madrid has been satisfactory, his performances neither spectacular nor underwhelming, but Saturday's La Liga Clasico offers the French superstar a springboard to kick on from.

Vinicius Jr's remarkable performances at Real Madrid have put the 24-year-old forward as the odds-on favourite to claim his first Ballon d'Or when the award for the best player in the world is announced in Paris on Monday.

Vinicius Junior scored a sublime hattrick as Champions League holders Real Madrid came back from two goals down to hammer Borussia Dortmund 5-2 on Tuesday.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday he wants striker Kylian Mbappe to focus on scoring goals over pressing to help the team.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti heaped praise on Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric after the 39-year-old Croatian worked his magic with a terrific assist to help Vinicius Jr score the winner in a hard-fought 2-1 LaLiga win at Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior's goals earned Real Madrid an entertaining 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday to pull them level with La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Mbappe's lawyer told AFP this week the France captain was "shocked" to see his name linked to the investigation and he will take action for libel.

Swedish prosecutors on Tuesday confirmed an investigation had been launched -- without naming Mbappe -- following an alleged rape at a plush Stockholm hotel on October 10.

The reigning European champions do not appear to be overly concerned about the reports about the player who joined this summer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Kylian Mbappe is hoping his recent move to Real Madrid will take his already glittering career on the pitch to new heights, but the French superstar has become embroiled in off-field difficulties in recent months.

A tipping point has seemingly been reached in world football’s increasingly hectic schedule, as evidenced by the several high-profile injuries in recent weeks leading up to the latest FIFA window.

"Serious cruciate ligament injury confirmed, I'll have to undergo surgery and be off the field for a few months," Carvajal said on Instagram as he posted his picture in an ambulance.

Two absolute screamers -- from Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior -- helped Real Madrid bounce back from their first defeat since January with a 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday in LaLiga.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday that two of the main factors behind his team's poor play this season are "lack of intensity in defence and slow ball circulation".

France captain Kylian Mbappe has been left out of his team's UEFA Nations League matches this month after coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday named his squad.

A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday, ending the 15-time European Cup winners' 14-game unbeaten run in the competition.