Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane looked supremely relaxed as he smiled his way through yesterday’s press conference ahead of tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg at home to Paris Saint Germain.

Only at Real Madrid could the manager be potentially under pressure for his job at the end of a week which began with the team returning home as world champions.

When Zinedine Zidane took over as Real Madrid coach just 17 months ago, and almost immediately started winning matches, the local media quickly labelled him a ‘lucky manager’.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 40th goal of the season as Real Madrid claimed a first LaLiga title since 2012.

Barcelona must win tonight’s Clasico at Real Madrid or Luis Enrique’s final season in charge at the Catalan club has the potential to go very sour.

Barcelona scored three goals in the space of nine first-half minutes to brush aside Sevilla 3-0 and return to the La Liga summit for a couple of hours at least.

Barcelona 1 Real Madrid 1: Real Madrid dug out a draw in Saturday afternoon’s ‘Clasico’ at Barcelona to remain in control of the La Liga title race - and leave further questions hanging around Luis Enrique’s future at the Camp Nou.

The hype around the La Liga ‘Clasico’ between Barcelona and Real Madrid continues to burst through all barriers — with millions worldwide due to tune in this afternoon to see Lionel Messi and company take on Cristiano Ronaldo and his colleagues.

When Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho renew acquaintances on Saturday lunchtime at Old Trafford, one of modern football’s great personal rivalries will take another twist.

Gonzalo Higuain scored the winner on his league debut to clinch reigning Serie A champions Juventus a 2-1 opening-day win over Fiorentina.

Atletico Madrid kept up the pressure on rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race for the Primera Division title with a 1-0 home win over a stubborn Malaga side.

Just weeks ago it seemed that Barcelona were set to do something unique — a ‘double treble’ by retaining the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey trophies they won last season.

Arsenal 0 Hull City 0: Arsene Wenger has set aside thoughts of an FA Cup replay trip to Hull and back to concentrate on how to defeat Champions League holders Barcelona in the first leg of their last 16 tie tomorrow night.

Unlike their Premier League counterparts, Spain-based players usually have their feet up around this time. But a shortened La Liga winter break this year means everything is speeding up and in places hurtling out of control.

La Liga went into the last international break on the back of something bizarre — both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had failed to score in both of the opening two games.

La Liga is returning, a little later than first expected, with plenty of new and old questions to be resolved.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Arda Turan wants a move to the Premier League this summer and has three offers from top English clubs, according to his agent.

Xavi Hernandez is determined to end his Barca career in Berlin tomorrow by collecting his 25th trophy in 17 remarkable years; but measuring his contribution to Barcelona history in silverware alone, even bearing in mind those remarkable statistics, doesn’t even come near to over-estimating his influence on the most successful team of the 21st century.

Rafa Benitez emotionally hailed the “closing of a circle” as he returned to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu yesterday as first team coach - but the former Los Blancos youth team player and reserve trainer now has to quickly show that he can handle his dream job as Real Madrid first team coach.

Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez has confirmed he will join Qatari side Al-Sadd this summer, ending his 24-year run with the Catalan giants.

Not for the first time in his almost two seasons at Real Madrid, Gareth Bale goes into tonight’s Champions League semi-final second leg with debate raging over his talents.

There will be a very strange atmosphere at the Camp Nou on Wednesday May 6, when Barcelona host Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final first leg, and ex-Barca coach Pep Guardiola returns “home” with his new team.

Barcelona enter their biggest week of the season in optimistic mood.

Lionel Messi has warned Manchester City they could not have picked a worse time to face Barcelona.

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final: Corofin (Galway) v St Vincent’s (Dublin): Their lifestyles and, most probably, bank balances are poles apart but Ger Brennan believes Diarmuid Connolly and Lionel Messi are two players cut from the same cloth.

La Liga: This January’s transfer window has been a relatively quiet affair, especially in Spain. But one big name has made a huge, and not widely expected, impact since switching clubs earlier this month.

It is fair to say that the local reaction to Fernando Torres rejoining Atletico Madrid this week will have surprised many outside Spain.

Arsenal 2 QPR 1

David Moyes’ new club Real Sociedad is often considered one of the most attractive coaching jobs in La Liga, but the former Manchester United and Everton manager faces a difficult challenge in turning around the fortunes of a side which — like himself — has endured a difficult few years.

Fernando Torres has no hard feelings towards Chelsea after the London club’s decision to loan him to AC Milan.

Black cats are traditionally supposed to be unlucky but this one didn’t do Barcelona any harm during their La Liga tie against Elche.

That’s what you call a statement of intent; New York City FC signing striker David Villa on Monday was an impactful moment.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL:

Barcelona 1 Atletico Madrid 1

LA LIGA

Defender Rio Ferdinand will leave Manchester United this summer after 12 years at the club.

Barcelona defender Dani Alves sparked an ingenious social media campaign against racism in football as support flooded in from fellow professionals for his decision to eat at banana thrown at him by an opposition fan.

Barcelona’s reaction to the news that it had been banned from making transfers by Fifa has shown yet again that the Camp Nou club’s directors operate at a level well below that of its football team.