Arsenal will play their second leg at the Emirates on a Wednesday at 5pm.

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.

Dani Ceballos fired a LaLiga debut double to ease pressure on boss Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid edged out Alaves 2-1.

Arsenal are now highly unlikely to complete the signing of Monaco forward Thomas Lemar before the closure of the summer transfer window, it is understood.

Deportivo La Coruna failed to make certain of their LaLiga status after being held to a 2-2 draw at relegated Osasuna.

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

Has a team ever lifted a European trophy after going an entire season without winning an away game in their own league?

Barcelona maintained their position at the Primera Division summit after second-half goals from Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez lifted them to a 2-0 win at 10-man Real Betis.

Gary Neville’s position as Valencia manager looks increasingly insecure after his struggling side slumped to yet another defeat.

Gary Neville’s awful time as Valencia coach continued with a sorry 1-0 loss at also struggling Real Betis yesterday —and the former Man United defender is now surely close to losing his job.

Former Irish football player and manager Patrick O’Connell was last night officially honoured by Barcelona before the La Liga giants’ home clash with Real Betis.

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.

Real Madrid’s 5-0 hammering of Real Betis on Saturday evening helped to ease the pressure on both Gareth Bale and Rafa Benitez — but may have troubled Los Blancos longtime talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

Celtic have the prospect of facing Robin van Persie and Nani’s new side Fenerbahce plus Ajax and Molde from Norway in Group A after they were drawn together in the Europa League group stages.

Sevilla are targeting an immediate return to winning ways at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium when they host Fiorentina in tonight’s Europa League match (live on 3e, ITV4).

Ambiguous reactions in Spain to Real Betis fan chants, which caused dismay outside the country, have again shown how the idea of collective responsibility is missing at most La Liga clubs.

Arsene Wenger has hit out at being forced to justify handing his Arsenal stars two days’ rest this week.

West Brom’s search for a new manager took a fresh twist yesterday when the club pulled the plug on negotiations with former front runner Pepe Mel.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to be sidelined for up to two months with a hamstring injury he sustained during Sunday’s match with Real Betis.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of Johan Cruyff’s debut at Barcelona, last week Real Madrid celebrated Francisco Gento’s 80th birthday.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised match-winner Karim Benzema after the France forward’s goal saw off Granada last night – but acknowledged there was plenty of room for improvement from his team.

Barcelona central defender Javier Mascherano resumed training today after five weeks on the sidelines with knee ligament damage.

Real Madrid 3 Real Betis 1

“We were too emotional in the first game, and we were overwhelmed,” said Real Betis coach Pepe Mel ahead of Friday’s clash with Sevilla, where his side were looking to avenge their 5-1 hammering in November’s previous city derby.

Lionel Messi celebrated his fourth successive Ballon d’Or award by once again inspiring Barcelona to a 3-1 victory at Malaga.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been hailed as the greatest player of all-time by team-mate and fellow Argentinian Javier Mascherano.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi last night broke Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year as his double helped Tito Vilanova’s side to a 2-1 victory at Real Betis.

AC Milan picked up an important victory and did their city rivals Inter a favour by beating Juventus 1-0 at the San Siro last night.

Helder Postiga left it late to earn Real Zaragoza victory over 10-man Espanyol in the Primera Division.

Liverpool were last night mourning the death of their former player Miki Roque, who died in Barcelona at the age of 23 following a fight against cancer.

Fernando Torres has been called up for Spain’s upcoming friendly games, boosting the Chelsea’s striker’s chances of being included in the squad for the Euro finals which manager Vincent del Bosque will name on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in the second half as Real Madrid provisionally moved 13 points clear at the Primera Division summit with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Real Betis.

Spain

INTER MILAN denied their neighbours AC Milan a place at the top of Serie A and threw their own hat into the ring for the Scudetto in the process with a 1-0 win at the San Siro last night.

BARCELONA enjoyed another weekend of celebration as Lionel Messi reached another landmark with two more brilliant goals but it was tempered with some bad news on the injury front.

SEVEN graduates of Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy are likely to line out tonight against Manchester United at Wembley — an incredible achievement in an era of big-money transfers.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has warned “this isn’t over” despite seeing his side build a 5-1 first leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Shakhtar Donetsk.

UN final sin titulo: a final in all but name.

Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen has named star man Samuel Eto’o in his 23-man World Cup squad despite the striker’s claims he might walk away from the tournament.

INTER MILAN manager Jose Mourinho claims Barcelona’s aim of winning the Champions League at the home of their bitter rivals Real Madrid has become an unhealthy obsession.

Rafael van der Vaart has been recalled to the Real Madrid squad for tomorrow’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Liverpool at the Bernabeu.