Real Madrid s 33rd LaLiga title triumph was confirmed on Sunday as they defeated Malaga thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

The 2-0 victory ensured Madrid held off Barcelona in a thrilling race for the Spanish title, their first since 2012, winning the league by three points.

After Barca and Atletico Madrid had spells at the top of the table, Madrid have led the standings all the way since the ninth week of the season.

There have been many crucial steps on the road to glory, but we have narrowed things down to five pivotal matches. 

REAL BETIS 1-6 REAL MADRID (15/10/2016)

Madrid came into October s match away to Betis under pressure having drawn four consecutive matches, three of which had been in the league, while key stars Luka Modric…

Jurgen Klopp has reiterated that Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho is not for sale amid reports Barcelona are targeting the Brazil international.

Coutinho is thought to be high on Barca s wishlist should Paris Saint-Germain prise Neymar from Camp Nou by triggering the player s release clause.

The Catalans have identified Coutinho as a like-for-like replacement but Klopp is not willing to countenance the departure of a player bought by Liverpool from Inter Milan in January 2013.

Speaking ahead of the Audi Cup, which also features hosts Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, Klopp said: He is not available to be sold. The word is NOT. There is nothing to interpret.”

Asked on Liverpool s hopes for the forthcoming season, the German added: We will …

Switzerland international defender Fabian Schar has joined Newcastle United from Deportivo La Coruna for a reported £3million.

The 26-year-old centre-back, who spent just a single season in LaLiga with Deportivo, has signed an initial three-year contract with Rafael Benitez s side.

I m really happy to be here, he told Newcastle s website. The club is a really big club for me. It has a big name, and it is a brilliant chance for me.

I m not like a typical defender. I, of course, defend, but I m quite good with the ball – I like to play, I want to build up the game from behind, and I think that is a strength of mine. I have also scored some headers – that could also be a strength and hopefully I can use it here.

Schar was highly rated as a young play…

Carlos Sanchez acknowledges Colombia face a tough challenge living up to expectations at the 2018 World Cup after flying under the radar four years ago.

After a 16-year absence from the tournament, Colombia reached the last eight for the first time in their history in Brazil.

They topped Group C before seeing off Uruguay at the start of the knockout stages and, while the hosts ended their run in the quarter-finals, Jose Pekerman s squad received plenty of plaudits for their performances.

Fast forward to this year s event in Russia and Colombia are no longer an unknown quantity, increasing the pressure on the players, according to Espanyol midfielder Sanchez.

I think this World Cup won t be the same as the last one, he told the media.

We go…

Rafa Benitez was involved in a number of memorable Merseyside Derbies back in his Liverpool days, but his first at the Everton helm was far from a pleasant experience. Jurgen Klopp s team marauded to victory at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening, with Demarai Gray offering a flicker of hope to the Toffees after Jordan Henderson scored the opener and assisted Mohamed Salah for Liverpool s second, but only to see that hope shatter completely with Salah again and Diogo Jota making sure there were no late surprises in the match.

The result has left Everton in 14th place just five points above the relegation zone. On the other hand, Liverpool don t look like dropping out of the title race any time soon; they are two points behind leaders Chelsea and one behind defending champions Ma…

Ryan Fraser has refused to sign a short-term contract extension which would have enabled him to play out the rest of the season for Bournemouth, the club have .

The winger arrived to Bournemouth from Ipswich Town in 2016, and signed a new contract after a year. With that contract set to expire at the end of this month, his future has been a subject of much speculation in recent months. The Premier League season continues today (Wednesday) after a three-month break, and the Cherries had hoped he would at least agree to remain at the Vitality for the remaining fixtures, which will break into July. Defenders Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels, midfielder Andrew Surman and goalkeeper Artur Boruc have all put their name on the one-month extension, but Fraser declined to do so.

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Market: Lazio win

Odds: 7/10 @

Hoping to try and close their top-four deficit this weekend, Lazio will welcome a struggling Bologna to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while Lazio might have shown some extended issues with their consistency this season, they are enjoying what has been a much-welcomed boost on Serie A duties. Putting in a stellar display last weekend and storming their way to a 3-0 romp against Fiorentina on the road, Head Coach Maurizio Sarri finds his side sat in pole position to book another European finish this year. Suffering just a pair of defeats from any of their last nine matchups across all formats, a run that stems back to the middle of December, Lazio should be smelling a golden chance here. Gaining …

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for two or three high-profile signings if Manchester United are going to challenge for Premier League glory next season.

United are second in the table, 12 points behind champions Manchester City going into Sunday s final match of the domestic season at Wolves.

Next week s Europa League final against Villarreal provides Solskjaer with the chance of his first piece of silverware after a season of progress.

But as United are linked to the likes of Raphael Varane, Pau Torres, Declan Rice, Jadon Sancho and Harry Kane, Solskjaer does not want the club hierarchy to make the mistake of thinking the last step to the top of the table will occur naturally.

Of course we re planning as we normally do, Solskjaer said when asked about …

Manchester United s EFL Cup tie with Burnley will be played in front of a reduced capacity, following advice from safety authorities.

The Red Devils welcome the Championship leaders to Old Trafford for the last-16 clash on Wednesday, with Clarets boss and ex-Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany returning to the home of his former rivals.

The match coincides with a day of industrial action affecting North West Ambulance Service, culminating in the unavailability of ambulance service personnel.

At the request of the authorities, tiers in the West Stand and North Stand are required to be closed as part of a robust medical plan, which will allow around 62,000 fans to be in attendance, with Old Trafford usually able to house around 74,000.

Everyone at Manc…

Norwich City are interested in signing Adam Armstrong from Blackburn Rovers in the summer transfer window, according to . It has been reported that West Ham United are also among the clubs who have scouted the former Newcastle United striker this past season.

Armstrong failed to make a huge impact at Newcastle, but the 24-year-old is a very good striker who has shown at Blackburn what he is capable of. The English striker scored 28 goals and gave five assists in 40 Championship matches for Rovers this past season, according to . Armstrong scored 16 goals and gave six assists in 46 Championship games in 2019-20, according to .

Norwich will play in the Premier League in 2021-22 after winning automatic promotion from the Championship. Striker Teemu Pukki scored 26 goals an…