Barcelona and Real Madrid are looking over their shoulders in La Liga at in-form Atletico Madrid, wary of a letdown after taxing wins away from home in the Champions League this week. A 3-2 victory at Borussia Dortmund ensured Barcelona will advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s top club competition, while Madrid won by the same scoreline away to a previously unbeaten Atalanta. That win kept the holders in contention for automatic qualification to the last 16, but Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted the match drained a lot of energy from his injury-hit squad.

“It was a tough match because Atalanta demanded a lot from us physically,” said Ancelotti, whose side trail leaders Barcelona by two points but have a game in hand.

Vinicius Junior scored on his return from a hamstring injury in Italy on a night Kylian Mbappe netted his 50th Champions League goal before going off injured. 

“We have to hang in there until Christmas,” added Ancelotti, who also welcomed back Rodrygo and is expecting to have Eduardo Camavinga fit again soon.

“The calendar is very demanding, we have a reduced squad and that doesn’t allow us to rotate players as much. We have to hang in there for the time being.”

Madrid make the short trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday knowing they can snatch top spot from Barcelona, for 24 hours at least, before next week’s Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar. 

But they could be without Mbappe due to the hamstring problem he suffered on Tuesday.

“Mbappe has some discomfort in his hamstrings. It doesn’t seem serious but we’ll see,” Ancelotti said after the Atalanta game.

“He couldn’t sprint, it hurt him a bit and we thought it best to replace him.”

Barcelona host a struggling Leganes on Sunday attempting to arrest their domestic dip in form, with a run of one win in five games opening the door to their title rivals.

Atletico are three points adrift of Barcelona having also played a game less, and have won five in a row in La Liga going into Sunday’s home derby with Getafe.

Not far behind are Athletic Bilbao, whose 2-0 win at Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on Wednesday pushed them closer to the Europa League last 16.

Athletic, unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, are going for a fifth straight league win away to Alaves this weekend, while Villarreal and Real Betis meet in a clash of teams whose results have tailed off recently.

Player to watch: Julian Alvarez

The Argentine is Atletico’s top scorer with 12 goals overall since his August arrival from Manchester City.

The 24-year-old left England seeking a new challenge after largely playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland despite his critical role in his country’s 2022 World Cup triumph.

Alvaraz set Atletico on their way to a 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava midweek with a terrific curling effort before Antoine Griezmann‘s double sealed the points.

“He’s a great player,” said Griezmann, who himself is in a rich vein of form with seven goals in his last five outings. “It’s a joy and a source of pride to have him with us and to be able to help him.”

Key stats

5 – after failing to score until November 9, Jude Bellingham has now found the net in each of Madrid’s last five league games

8 – months since Valencia’s last away league win, a 1-0 victory at Osasuna in April 

10 – consecutive wins for Atletico in La Liga, the Champions League and Copa del Rey

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Friday

Valladolid v Valencia (2000)

Saturday

Espanyol v Osasuna (1300), Mallorca v Girona (1515), Sevilla v Celta Vigo (1730), Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid (2000)

Sunday

Atletico Madrid v Getafe (1300), Alaves v Athletic Bilbao (1515), Villarreal v Real Betis, Real Sociedad v Las Palmas (both 1730), Barcelona v Leganes (2000)

File image of Julian Alvarez.© AFP

Argentina bounced back from the chaos of their opening game in the Olympic men’s football tournament to beat Iraq 3-1 on Saturday, while Spain got the better of 10-man Dominican Republic. Two-time gold medallists Argentina began their campaign at the Paris Games with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Morocco on Wednesday in Saint-Etienne in a match marred by crowd trouble. However, Javier Mascherano‘s side registered their first points in Group B thanks to goals by Thiago Almada, Luciano Gondou and Ezequiel Fernandez in Lyon, with Aymen Hussein replying for Iraq.

The result allows Argentina to move level on three points with Iraq — who beat Ukraine 2-1 in their opening game — and Morocco. Ukraine and Morocco were due to meet later Saturday in Saint-Etienne.

The South Americans were reeling after the circumstances of their defeat by Morocco, in which they thought they had equalised in the 16th minute of injury time through Cristian Medina.

The teams were taken off the pitch due to the crowd trouble that followed, and Medina’s goal was eventually disallowed after a VAR review before the final moments of the match were completed in an empty stadium.

There was no such controversy in Lyon, where Argentina went ahead on 14 minutes when Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez laid the ball off for Almada to fire in the opener.

Iraq, who qualified after finishing third at this year’s Under-23 Asian Cup, drew level in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time as captain Hussein rose to head in a cross from the left wing.

But Argentina went back ahead just after the hour mark. Argentinos Juniors forward Gondou had been on the pitch barely two minutes when he appeared unmarked at the back post to head in an inviting cross.

The third goal that secured the points came five minutes from time as Kevin Zenon laid the ball back for Fernandez, of Boca Juniors, to curl in a beauty from range.

Spain claimed a second win from as many games in Group C as the Tokyo silver medallists beat the Dominican Republic 3-1 in Bordeaux.

They went ahead midway through the first half as Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez — a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad — intercepted a pass out by goalkeeper Enrique Boesl to control and fire in.

It was all one-way traffic but the Dominican Republic — appearing at their first Olympics — surprisingly equalised on 38 minutes when Angel Montes de Oca headed in at a corner.

However, they were reduced to 10 men in first-half stoppage time when captain Edison Azcona received his marching orders for kicking out at Pau Cubarsi while on the ground.

Spain made the extra player count after the break, with Alex Baena’s deflected strike restoring their lead before substitute Miguel Gutierrez, of Girona, tapped in on 70 minutes.

His goal was initially disallowed for offside before being given after a VAR check. Argentina bounced back from the chaos of their opening game in the Olympic men’s football tournament to beat Iraq 3-1 on Saturday, while Spain got the better of 10-man Dominican Republic.

Two-time gold medallists Argentina began their campaign at the Paris Games with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Morocco on Wednesday in Saint-Etienne in a match marred by crowd trouble.

However, Javier Mascherano’s side registered their first points in Group B thanks to goals by Thiago Almada, Luciano Gondou and Ezequiel Fernandez in Lyon, with Aymen Hussein replying for Iraq.

The result allows Argentina to move level on three points with Iraq — who beat Ukraine 2-1 in their opening game — and Morocco. Ukraine and Morocco were due to meet later Saturday in Saint-Etienne.

The South Americans were reeling after the circumstances of their defeat by Morocco, in which they thought they had equalised in the 16th minute of injury time through Cristian Medina.

The teams were taken off the pitch due to the crowd trouble that followed, and Medina’s goal was eventually disallowed after a VAR review before the final moments of the match were completed in an empty stadium.

There was no such controversy in Lyon, where Argentina went ahead on 14 minutes when Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez laid the ball off for Almada to fire in the opener.

Iraq, who qualified after finishing third at this year’s Under-23 Asian Cup, drew level in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time as captain Hussein rose to head in a cross from the left wing.

But Argentina went back ahead just after the hour mark. Argentinos Juniors forward Gondou had been on the pitch barely two minutes when he appeared unmarked at the back post to head in an inviting cross.

The third goal that secured the points came five minutes from time as Kevin Zenon laid the ball back for Fernandez, of Boca Juniors, to curl in a beauty from range.

Spain claimed a second win from as many games in Group C as the Tokyo silver medallists beat the Dominican Republic 3-1 in Bordeaux.

They went ahead midway through the first half as Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez — a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad — intercepted a pass out by goalkeeper Enrique Boesl to control and fire in.

It was all one-way traffic but the Dominican Republic — appearing at their first Olympics — surprisingly equalised on 38 minutes when Angel Montes de Oca headed in at a corner.

However, they were reduced to 10 men in first-half stoppage time when captain Edison Azcona received his marching orders for kicking out at Pau Cubarsi while on the ground.

Spain made the extra player count after the break, with Alex Baena’s deflected strike restoring their lead before substitute Miguel Gutierrez, of Girona, tapped in on 70 minutes.

His goal was initially disallowed for offside before being given after a VAR check.

Their Group C rivals Uzbekistan and Egypt were due to meet later in Nantes.

Also on Saturday, heavily-fancied hosts France chase a second straight win when they play Guinea in Nice in Group A.

Their Group C rivals Uzbekistan and Egypt were due to meet later in Nantes.

Also on Saturday, heavily-fancied hosts France chase a second straight win when they play Guinea in Nice in Group A.

World champions Argentina get an expanded Copa America under way on Thursday with Lionel Messi looking to add a second continental title in what is almost certainly his final appearance in the tournament. The 108-year-old competition is being held in the United States with the host nation among six teams from the CONCACAF region joining the 10 South American nations looking for a place in the July 14 final in Miami. While FIFA will be looking closely at the organization of the event, two years out from the World Cup which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, the tournament’s rich history and prestige means it is much, much more than a ‘trial event’.

Argentina have won the Copa 15 times but only once, in 2021, during the Messi era and coach Lionel Scaloni has stuck largely with his World Cup-winning squad, with veterans Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi likely taking their final bow in a major tournament.

Whether this is Messi’s goodbye to elite international football is yet to be seen – the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner, now playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, will turn 37 four days after Thursday’s opener in Atlanta against Canada and has yet to decide whether he will try to play in a record sixth World Cup.

“It’s great to have records and continue to achieve things but I won’t take part in a World Cup just to say I’ve done six,” Messi told ESPN last week.

“If I feel good and everything is in place for me to be there, fine, but I won’t go just to go. It’s very difficult to imagine what can happen because it’s still two years away. I don’t need to commit right now to whether or not I’ll be there,” he added.

What is certain is that Messi, who has managed his workload to try to be in peak condition for the tournament, would relish the chance to win a third straight major tournament with his country after so many years of frustration with his national team.

Tough opposition

After facing Canada, Argentina take on Chile in New Jersey before finishing their group A action against Peru in Miami but they know that tough opposition awaits in the knock-out stage with rivals Brazil and Uruguay the two expected challengers for the title.

Brazil have struggled in CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup having won just two of their opening six games and they currently sit in sixth place in the standings having lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina.

There are several familiar names missing from Dorival Junior’s Brazil squad with Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus and Thiago Silva left out while Richarlison and Neymar are both missing due to injury.

The pressure will be on the Real Madrid attacking pair of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo to translate their club form into success for the Selecao while there is much excitement around the senior tournament debut of 17-year-old talent Endrick, who is set to join Real next month from Palmeiras.

Uruguay, also 15-times winners, have impressed under their 68-year-old Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa, who has brought his trademark high-energy style to the team and raised expectations with recent wins over Argentina and Brazil.

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez will lead the line although Bielsa has the option of introducing veteran Luis Suarez from the bench.

Colombia head into the tournament without a loss in over two years and with Liverpool’s livewire winger Luis Diaz a constant threat and James Rodriguez enjoying a late career revival, Nestor Lorenzo’s team can’t be discounted.

The USA will hope that they can generate some sorely needed excitement after losing their way since a creditable run to the last-16 at the World Cup.

Coach Gregg Berhalter is under some pressure to show he can get his team, which relies on the smart wing play of Christian Pulisic, to compete with teams from outside of CONCACAF.

Mexico have guested frequently in the Copa in the past and reached the final in 1993 and 2001, but they look well below their usual level although they can, as always, count on huge support in the USA.

This is the second time the Copa America is being held in the USA, after the Centenary tournament in 2016, and while that is a break with tradition the presence of significant immigrant communities from all the competing nations, should ensure big crowds at the mostly NFL stadiums being used.

Argentina begun their 2024 Copa America title defence with a 2-0 win over Canada, as talisman Messi played a crucial part in both goals. However, Messi was on the receiving end of trolling and criticism on social media, as he missed an open goal chance while Argentina were 1-0 up. A video went viral, where Messi, having been sent through on goal, failed to score the chance as well as the rebound. Messi later made up for the miss by assisting Argentina’s second goal, scored by Lautaro Martinez.

Watch: Lionel Messi‘s miss

Time to retire pal

pic.twitter.com/jXQ0CbEqS5

— (@pessisfinishedx) June 21, 2024

In the video, an inch-perfect long ball from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez finds Messi through on goal, 1v1 against the Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Messi’s first shot is straight at the keeper. On the rebound, Messi manages to fake a dummy past the goalkeeper, but scuffs his shot, which is blocked.

Messi wasn’t the only one to squander a golden opportunity, as Angel di Maria too missed one earlier in the game.

After a goalless first half, Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez had fired home the opening goal. Messi had penetrated the Canada backline with a superb throughball, reaching Alexis Mac Allister, who passed it to Alvarez.

Messi’s chance, which came in the 65th minute, would’ve doubled the lead. However, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions had to wait till the 88th minute, when Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez sealed the result, again after a delicate throughball by Messi.

Copa America 2024 is being held in the United States of America, in what is the 48th edition of the tournament. Argentina have been placed in Group A, alongside Canada, Peru and Chile.

Messi and Argentina will be hoping to bury the demons from 2015 and 2016 by beating Chile, who had defeated them in the final of both editions.

Arch-nemesis and fellow favourites Brazil begin their 2024 Copa America campaign on 25 June.