Barcelona midfielder Rodri says Paris Saint-Germain could be “possibly the best team in the world” as his side prepare for a Champions League meeting with the French club.

Rodri was speaking after Barcelona’s 5-2 away victory over Real Betis. Following that result, he said the team’s focus had immediately turned to their upcoming match against Paris Saint-Germain.

The fixture is being eagerly anticipated across Europe, with both sides having produced consistently entertaining performances in recent years. Their meeting will bring together two teams who have made a strong start to the season.

Barcelona go into the game in particularly impressive form. Hans-Dieter Flick’s side have won all 11 of their matches in the 2026/2027 season.

The result against Real Betis maintained that perfect record and provided further momentum before the Champions League contest. Rodri’s assessment underlined the scale of the challenge facing Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona midfielder Rodri Hernandez said the decision to disallow Real Betis’ goal was correct, describing the player’s hand position as “unnatural”.

The referee ruled out the goal in the 43rd minute of the match, which Barcelona won 5-2. Rodri also gave his view on the sending-off of Real Betis player Facundo Bernal in the 54th minute.

Barcelona had taken control of the game early, with Lamine Yamal scoring in the 10th minute. The forward’s goal helped set the tone for a convincing victory.

The result leaves Barcelona top of the league with 27 points.

Barcelona will next face Paris Saint-Germain on 20 October before hosting Real Madrid five days later.

Rodri Hernandez said Barcelona are allowing their opponents too much after their 5-2 victory over Real Betis in the ninth round of La Liga.

The Barcelona midfielder also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the pitch following the match.

“We allow our opponents too much,” Rodri Hernandez said.

The result leaves Barcelona top of La Liga on 27 points. Real Betis remain third with 19 points.

Barcelona continued their flawless start to the La Liga season with a 5-2 victory away to Real Betis on Saturday.

The result gave Hans-Dieter Flick’s side the maximum 27 points from their first nine matches. Barcelona have won every game, scoring 39 goals and conceding nine.

Flick’s team are averaging 4.33 goals per match in La Liga this season, underlining their impressive attacking record.

Barcelona’s next fixture will be at home against Real Madrid, with the first El Clasico of the 2026/2027 season scheduled for Sunday, 25 October.

The match at Camp Nou will kick off at 22:00 Moscow time.

Barcelona produced another five-goal performance in La Liga as they beat Real Betis 5-2 in Seville on 17 October, strengthening their position before their difficult Champions League visit to Paris Saint-Germain.

The ninth-round fixture brought together two of Spain’s representatives in the Champions League. Real Betis had made an impressive start to the domestic campaign, including a victory over Real Madrid, and began the match third in the table while pursuing Barcelona.

Barcelona took the lead after only 10 minutes. Jules Kounde found Lamine Yamal on the right, and after adjusting his position, the teenager curled a left-footed shot into the far top corner.

Real Betis responded positively and created danger in attack, despite looking less secure defensively. Midway through the first half, Pablo Fornals recovered the ball after a corner had been cleared and delivered a cross from the right. Gomez rose above Eric Garcia and headed into the net to make it 1-1.

Barcelona immediately increased the pressure. Yamal sent a cross with the outside of his boot towards the penalty spot, where Karim Adeyemi attempted to lift the ball over goalkeeper Valles with one touch but lost the duel. Earlier, Yamal had created a similar opening for Adeyemi, who failed to score and was also caught narrowly offside.

The visitors restored their advantage shortly before half-time. Fermin Lopez delivered the ball towards the six-yard line, where Rodri arrived unmarked and managed to beat Valles with an unusual header, making it 2-1.

Real Betis appeared to level again when Giovani Lo Celso struck a superb 22-yard effort into the top corner. However, after an extended review, the referee ruled that the move had begun with a handball and disallowed the goal.

Barcelona extended their lead soon after the restart. Fermin split the defence with a pass to Yamal, whose low delivery was turned in by Gabriel Jesus for 3-1.

The hosts responded quickly. Ez Abde exchanged passes with Lo Celso, broke into the area and fired under Joan Garcia from close range to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

Real Betis’ hopes of completing the comeback were damaged moments later when Yamal clashed with Bernal. Facundo was shown a red card, while Yamal received a yellow, leaving the home side with 10 players.

Barcelona took advantage. Yamal’s free-kick was awkwardly struck, but Pau Cubarsi reacted first to the rebound from Valles and sent the ball across goal. Eric Garcia tapped into an empty net from a metre out.

Dani Olmo completed the scoring 10 minutes before the end. Valles’ inaccurate clearance fell to Cubarsi, who supplied his second assist of the match by lifting the ball towards Olmo. The substitute controlled it near the edge of the area and placed his shot inside the post for 5-2.

Both teams contributed to an entertaining contest, but Barcelona secured a second successive five-goal victory and head to their meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in confident form.

Real Madrid host Sevilla on Sunday evening, 18 October, in the ninth round of La Liga, with both sides needing a positive result for different reasons.

Real Madrid have already fallen six points behind Barcelona after eight games and cannot afford another setback if they are to stay in the title race. Their position is not yet critical, but the gap has given Barcelona an early advantage, with the first El Clasico of the season scheduled for next week.

The hosts lost 2-1 away to Atletico Madrid in the capital derby before the international break. They responded by beating Villarreal 1-0 at home, although the match also brought a suspension for Vinicius Junior after he reacted angrily to a disallowed goal.

Jose Mourinho’s side were then involved in a dramatic Champions League match during the week. Real Madrid appeared close to defeat against Roma but produced a remarkable comeback to win 4-3 in Italy, scoring three times in the final 10 minutes.

That result may have lifted morale, but their domestic performances have been less convincing than in previous seasons. Real Madrid’s midfield has struggled to provide sufficient protection, while defensive errors have regularly given opponents opportunities.

The availability of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham remains a major advantage. Both players have the quality to change the course of a match, while Vinicius Junior’s absence is viewed positively by some supporters given his inconsistent displays this season.

Sevilla have offered their supporters more encouragement this campaign after several disappointing seasons. They currently sit directly below Real Madrid in fifth place, although they are already four points adrift of the Champions League places.

The Andalusian club made an impressive start but signs of their previous problems have begun to return. Three rounds ago, Sevilla won 1-0 away to Deportivo. They then lost 3-1 at home to Barcelona, despite scoring first midway through the opening half.

Their most recent league match ended in a frustrating 3-3 draw at Levante. Sevilla appeared to have secured victory with a goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, only to concede again afterwards.

Sevilla found it difficult to create much against Barcelona but still managed to score, and Real Madrid appear less commanding than the Catalan side this season. Their opponents have been allowed more freedom, particularly because of weaknesses in the holding midfield position and occasional lapses in defence.

Mikhail Beloborodov, a sports analyst and commentator, expects an open contest and believes the best option is a high-scoring total. His forecast is for the teams to score at least four goals between them.

A day earlier, Beloborodov said he had increased his bankroll without much stress after Lokomotiv and Krasnodar exchanged goals by the 16th minute, allowing him to watch the remainder of the match without pressure.

Vanja Drkusic’s agent, Mladen Ratkovica, says the Zenit defender produced a good performance for Espanyol despite their 1-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid.

Speaking exclusively to online publication Euro-Futbol.Ru, Ratkovica said: “Vanya played a good match, but the result was unfortunate.”

Drkusic, who is currently on loan at Espanyol, played 64 minutes against Atletico Madrid. After nine matches, Espanyol are 12th in the league table.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal scored a superb goal in Saturday evening’s La Liga match away to Real Betis, drawing applause from the home supporters.

Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute after producing an impressive piece of skill near the edge of the penalty area. He then curled the ball into the far top corner.

When the goal was shown on the stadium’s big screen, Betis fans applauded the 17-year-old, according to The Touchline. The reaction underlined the recognition Yamal’s talent receives, even from supporters of other La Liga clubs.

Live text coverage of the La Liga meeting between Real Betis and Barcelona is being provided by LiveResult. Barcelona began the match having gone through their previous eight league games without dropping points.

Villarreal and Elche shared the points after a 0-0 draw in the ninth round of the Spanish championship.

The home side had hoped to make the most of playing at home and add to their points tally, but found Elche difficult to break down. The visitors remained organised defensively, limited the available space and made it difficult for Villarreal to create clear openings.

Both teams tried to change the course of the match, but their defensive work proved more effective than their attacking play. Despite opportunities and attempts from either side to secure a positive result, neither Villarreal nor Elche managed to score.

Barcelona are away to Real Betis in the ninth round of the Spanish championship, with the score currently 0-0.

Live coverage of the match, including the starting line-ups and latest score, is available here.

Video coverage of Real Betis v Barcelona is available after registration.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has named Lamine Yamal and Gabriel Jesus in his starting line-up for Saturday evening’s La Liga away match against Real Betis.

Joan Garcia, Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Espart, Rodri, Pedri, Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Karim Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus will begin the game for the Catalan side.

Real Betis and Barcelona are scheduled to kick off at 19:30 Moscow time. The match will be followed through a live text commentary on the LiveResult portal.

Barcelona have made a perfect start to their La Liga campaign, winning all eight of their matches so far without dropping a point.

Diego Simeone said Alex Baena displayed an “incredible level” after his late goal secured Atletico Madrid a 1-0 victory over Espanyol in the ninth round of La Liga.

The match appeared set to finish without a goal until Baena struck in the 89th minute, giving Atletico all three points.

The result leaves Atletico Madrid second in the Spanish league table with 22 points.

Real have announced their squad for their La Liga home fixture against Sevilla, with Vinicius Junior absent as he begins serving a four-match suspension.

Head coach Jose Mourinho has selected the following players:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Navarro.

Defenders: Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, Trent, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Carreras, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Pitarc.

Forwards: Endrick, Kylian Mbappe, Espi, Brahim Diaz, Diomande.

Vinicius Junior is the notable omission from the Real squad. The Brazil forward is starting a four-match suspension.

Real’s match against Sevilla will begin at 22:00 Moscow time on 18 October. The game will be available to follow through a text commentary on the LiveResult portal.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has criticised Real Madrid after the club called for Javier Tebas to resign as president of La Liga.

“Real Madrid want to blow everything up – nothing satisfies them,” Laporta said.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are due to meet in La Liga on Sunday, 25 October.

Atletico Madrid secured a 1-0 victory away to Espanyol in the ninth round of the Spanish championship, with Alex Baena scoring in the final minute of normal time to settle a closely contested match.

Espanyol looked to make home advantage count and applied sustained pressure during the game. Atletico Madrid, however, managed to withstand the hosts’ attacks and remain in contention for a positive result.

The visitors also created opportunities of their own, but neither side could break the deadlock for most of the match.

The decisive moment came in the 90th minute. Julian Alvarez provided the assist, allowing Alex Baena to send a precise finish into Espanyol’s net and secure all three points for the Madrid side.

Former Spartak player Evgeny Lovchev has named Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal as the footballer he would present with the Ballon d’Or, describing the 19-year-old as “a derivative of Garrincha”.

Yamal has featured in 10 matches for Barcelona during the current season. The Spain international has scored eight goals and provided nine assists in those appearances.

The Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place in London on 26 October.

Atletico Madrid made it six consecutive wins as Alex Baena’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory over Espanyol in Barcelona.

The result also ended a run of four away head-to-heads without a win for Atleti and keeps them in touch with leaders Barcelona. Espanyol, meanwhile, have now lost three of their past four games.

Fresh from a hard-fought UEFA Champions League victory over Manchester United in midweek, Atletico started strongly and immediately put the hosts under pressure.

Lee Kang-in fired over from only a few yards after Jonathan David had neatly played the ball into his path. David then went close himself, meeting Giuliano Simeone’s pass into the danger area before sending his effort narrowly over the crossbar.

Espanyol gradually settled into the match but struggled to create a clear opening in the final third. Their best chance of the first half came shortly after the half-hour mark when a cleverly worked corner caught Atletico’s defence unprepared, but Bryan Zaragoza’s cross was headed inches wide by Roberto Fernandez.

David was then denied by Angel Fortuno, who reacted well to palm the shot against the right post. At the other end, Leandro Cabrera collected a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and struck the crossbar as the first half ended without a goal.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone responded to his side’s performance by making two changes at half-time, with Ademola Lookman among those withdrawn.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half were subdued, with both sides appearing short of energy and neither goalkeeper seriously tested. Marcos Llorente finally threatened in the 62nd minute with a long-range effort which beat Fortuno but struck the crossbar.

Fortuno was called into action again when Julian Alvarez unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards. The Espanyol goalkeeper tipped it over, while Morten Hjulmand headed into the side netting from the resulting corner.

Atletico continued to push for the breakthrough, and with Espanyol seemingly on course to hold out for a point, the visitors finally found a way through in the 89th minute.

Alvarez moved infield from the left before picking out Baena outside the penalty area. The Spaniard took one touch and calmly placed the ball into the bottom-left corner to settle the contest.

The victory maintains Atletico’s pursuit of Barcelona at the top of the table, while Espanyol’s latest defeat extends their difficult run.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Cristian Romero (Atletico Madrid)

Real Madrid will welcome Eder Militao back into their matchday squad for the first time this season when they face Sevilla in LaLiga at the Estadio Bernabeu on October 18.

The defender is returning to contention as he works towards full match fitness following another serious knee injury. Jose Mourinho confirmed Militao’s inclusion ahead of the fixture.

Real Madrid have been given a boost by the Brazilian’s return, although Rodrygo Goes and Raul Asencio remain long-term absentees.

Jude Bellingham is expected to start after signing a contract extension earlier this week. The England midfielder is included in Mourinho’s confirmed line-up alongside Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Rudiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Bellingham, Tchouameni; Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.

The match is scheduled to begin at 9pm local time in Madrid, with kick-off at 8pm in the UK.

Real Madrid return to domestic action after a dramatic UEFA Champions League victory against AS Roma in midweek. Mourinho’s side fell behind before recovering to secure a 4-3 win away against his former club.

There is pressure on Real Madrid to keep pace in the title race, with defending champions Barcelona having won all eight of their top-flight matches so far in the 2026/27 season.

Sevilla arrive at the Estadio Bernabeu having lost both home and away meetings with Real Madrid last season. The visitors are also seeking their first victory at the stadium since 2008.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick says Alejandro Balde must demonstrate his readiness to play if he wants to secure a future with the LaLiga champions.

The Spain international was strongly linked with a move away from Barcelona during the summer after concerns emerged over his position in the team following his return from injury.

Balde’s opportunities have become more limited since Flick decided to bring Joao Cancelo to the club on a permanent deal. Gerard Martin’s reliability as cover at left-back has also reduced the 21-year-old’s role.

He has played only 12 minutes in LaLiga this season, but Flick says the responsibility remains with Balde to show he deserves greater involvement.

“In my view, Balde should always show he's ready to play and send a clear message,” said Flick.

“I should be that ‘I'm ready and, if you need me, I'm prepared’, that's what I want.”

Balde has been included in Flick’s matchday squad for Barcelona’s return to action away to Real Betis tonight.

The decision gives him the opportunity to make an impression, although Flick’s comments indicate that the player must first convince the manager that he is prepared to compete for a place.

Jose Mourinho says he does not expect to ask Real Madrid to sign players during the January transfer window, despite the club’s budget being set to fall after a major summer spending spree.

The Portuguese manager spent about €225M building his squad for the 2026/27 season, including a club-record €125M move for Yan Diomande. Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi were also brought in during the summer.

That significant investment means Mourinho will have less money available when the transfer window opens at the start of the calendar year. However, he is content with the squad and intends to keep Endrick Felipe in Madrid.

“Eder Militao will be back in the squad soon. I'm not asking for signings, I'm happy. The players are improving, especially if we have time and peace,” Mourinho said.

The manager also said he prefers to work with a smaller group of players and would not seek additions unless there was a corresponding departure.

“I'm not the type to ask for players. I like a small squad. For someone to come in, someone would have to leave. If the board considers something, we'll evaluate it, but I don't take the initiative to request players.

“I'm not asking for one or two signings.”

Militao’s return from injury will further strengthen Mourinho’s options. Once the defender is back in the squad, Real Madrid will have only two long-term absentees: Rodrygo Goes and Raul Asencio.

Mourinho’s comments indicate that Real Madrid’s current priority is to continue developing the players already at the club rather than make further additions in January. He said the squad was improving and that stability and time would benefit the team.