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Zinedine Zidane said Gareth Bale's absence from Real Madrid's squad for their draw with Leganes was a "technical decision".

Bale was left out of the squad as Madrid drew 2-2 with Leganes on Sunday, having already clinched the La Liga title.

The Wales international seems set to leave the La Liga giants after making just two appearances since the season resumed last month, with his behaviour while on the bench being questioned.

James Rodriguez has been left out of the past five matchday squads – with personal reasons cited initially – and Zidane discussed the duo after finishing the La Liga campaign.

"You know what happened with one [James]. The other is a technical decision," the Madrid coach said, via AS.

Luka Jovic, meanwhile, came off the bench for what was just his second appearance since the coronavirus-enforced break.

The forward has been linked with a move away after scoring just twice in 26 appearances in his first season in Madrid.

"As always when I talk about Luka, what I say is that he is young," Zidane said.

"He has talent, but it has been a difficult season for him, especially with injuries.

"Of course things that have happened to him, I trust him. We will see next year."

Despite the La Liga season being over, Madrid stiill have their Champions League last 16 match against Manchester City to come next month - which they currently trail 2-1 heading into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Zidane says his players will be allowed some time to relax, but is adamant the next few weeks will not be a holiday.

"It is not a holiday that we have now," he said. "Now, I don't think about City. We want to disconnect a bit, then we will have all the time to think. We will have 10-15 days to think. We will disconnect.

"Until the last second we are going to fight to go to that final, but now you don't have to think about the Champions League. It is time to rest and think about gathering strength. The final stretch has been a tremendous effort. Now we all need some relaxation. This is what we are going to do.

"After these four or five days off, we go back and think about the Champions League. No stress or worries."

Madrid were far from their best against Leganes but Zidane refused to be too critical of his players. 

"During the game you can get angry because we didn't play at our level," he said. "We didn't win but we didn't lose either. In the end I prefer to focus on what we did before today. The season has been spectacular. We have to be happy with what we did."

Kerala Blasters left-back Jessel Carneiro opened up about the struggles he endured before achieving his goal of playing in the Indian Super League (ISL) and threw some light over the unwavering determination that helped him get through it.

The Goa-born defender was a late entrant into the ISL, making his debut at 28, an age where most players are halfway through their career. He spent his formative years and the early years of his career in Goa, plying his trades for the likes of Raya FC, Curtorim Gymkhana FC, Salgaocar, Dempo, FC Bardez and so on.

Despite having speed and ability on the ball, injuries prevented the left-back from realising his dream much earlier. However, injuries to both his knees were not enough to prevent him from working towards his goal and age never seemed like a barrier as he went on to make a career in football.

“My father used to play football and I was motivated because of that at a young age. I tried joining an academy, but they did not accept me. Dempo signed me up for their U20 team. My father asked me to find a smaller club so I can get more chances. The choice was up to me, but I choose Dempo. I think that was a great decision. I think I developed there, playing under Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda who made me a better player due to their experience,” he said.

“When Dempo called me for the senior team, I decided this would be my profession. I told my parents I want to play football for a living. They ask me what I would do after football. I told them I will do something in football, manage my life with football. They were supportive of me."

Carneiro spoke about the opposition he received from well-wishers who preferred he pursued another path after constant injuries acted as roadblocks to his footballing career. But a strong will kept him on the path and ensured he reached his goal.

“When I got my first knee injury, they were very helpful. I just kept going and the opportunity came after a very long time, but it arrived,” he explained.

“Many people asked me to stop playing football after my knee injury. But I told them that this is a part of life and football. No one would want an injury but it’s part of the journey. I even went through an injury in my other knee and they asked me if it had opened my eyes. But I still told them that it is part of life and I need to keep going. I worked hard and eventually got the contract from Kerala Blasters.

“You need someone to guide you and for me, that is my father. He was a defender himself so he helps me out and gives me advice.

“I told my agent to find any ISL club and I will join. Don’t tell me about the money, I will join any club that wanted me. One day an agent told me that a rep from Kerala said they wanted to sign me. We had lost the Santosh Trophy semi-final in Punjab when I received the message. I went straight to my agent’s house in Goa from the airport there and signed the contract."

Carneiro bagged five assists in 18 games during his debut season with the Blasters. He was arguably one of the best players for the side and was bound to be a sought-after player at the end of his one-year contract.

However, the Goan had made it clear to his agent that should an offer from Kerala arrive, he would not even consider other clubs.

“I was searching for a club since the start of the (2014) season. Kerala was the club that gave me the first contract and I want to be loyal to them. Now when my agent told me that many clubs are after me, I just asked him about Kerala’s offer. And then I told them I was ready to sign,” he explained.

“Ishfaq (Ahmed) got me to Kerala. Whatever I do here is because of him because he gave me the contract. Initially, he saw my ability and tried taking me to some other club, but it did not work out. He asked me to keep trying and that he will get me to some other club. And he is the one who helped me come to Kerala. After signing the contract also, he helped me a lot during training sessions.”

The 29-year-old is excited at the prospect of playing under Kibu Vicuna. He admitted to watching Mohun Bagan’s games when Vicuna was the head coach during the lockdown to get a feel of what the southern club will witness next season. He also had nice things to say about Kerala youngster Abdul Sahal Samad and Rahul KP.

He said – “I had a chat with Kibu Vicuna. I started watching Mohun Bagan’s games during the lockdown to get to know the new coach, to see what role the full-backs have. I think his game is attack-minded. I think it is how he likes to play. It will be a good season for us. It is up to the coach; I will play like how he wants me to play. He will see the player’s strengths and weaknesses and tells us what to do.

“I think Sahal is a very good player with a bright future. Not only on the pitch but off the pitch also he is very humble and sincere. I think he can be a good player for the national team as well. Rahul KP is the fastest sprinter and has a bright future ahead of him.

“Roy Krishna was the toughest opponent I faced last season. He has a lot of pace and is very aggressive. In my team, I found it hardest to defend against (Raphael) Messi. He is strong and also has the height advantage.

“Bartholomew Ogbeche has good leadership skills on and off the pitch. Even when we conceded he asks us to keep the head high and try to score."

The left-back is excited at the prospect of becoming an India international and winning the ISL with Kerala. But he admitted that he marginally prioritises the former.

“Both winning the ISL with Kerala Blasters and playing for the national team would bring great joy, but the latter will bring me bigger joy. I am confident that day will come and I will work hard for it. No one can stop me from reaching my dream. I will try my best to try and win the ISL with Kerala in these three years, maybe even a hat-trick. Until I retire from football, I will never give up,” he concluded.

Antonio Conte hit out at Serie A chiefs for their scheduling of Inter's fixtures and accused the match officials of making a big error in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Roma.

The visitors salvaged a late point at Stadio Olimpico through Romelu Lukaku's penalty after Leonardo Spinazzola and Henrikh Mkhitaryan cancelled out Stefan de Vrij's opener.

It was Inter's fourth match in 11 days, each of those games in the late kick-off slot, whereas title rivals Juventus have had a four-day rest ahead of Monday's clash with Lazio.

And Conte feels that playing late in the day has been a big disadvantage for his side given the quick turnaround in fixtures.

"I want people to look at the fixture list for Inter," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Our calendar is insane and made to cause us problems. 

"We are always playing late at night, the teams we face always have an extra day of rest compared to us. These are facts.

"It's an anomaly, so if you are honest, look at what happened in the last round. Evidently Inter weren't present when the fixture list was drawn up, because our calendar is crazy.

"Some teams get five days of rest. We play late at night in an away fixture and basically end up getting home at 4am.

"Everyone has to make compromises, but it's always Inter that ends up getting the short straw. Always. It's funny, that. If someone has to get a slap, it's always Inter."

Inter were a goal ahead before Spinazzola equalised in first-half stoppage time, the strike allowed to stand despite Aleksandar Kolarov catching Lautaro Martinez in the build-up.

Conte was unhappy with the decision but held back from being overly critical of the officials, who awarded Inter a late penalty for Spinazzola's clumsy challenge on Victor Moses.

"It's not a dubious situation. It was a very clear situation," he said. "The Roma player does not get the ball, he gets Lautaro's ankle. 

"I have the utmost respect for referees – they too are going through a strange and anomalous situation, so I don't think they deserve that kind of criticism. 

"They too can make mistakes, and the referee tonight made a mistake, it happens.

"Of course, if you go into the break at 1-1 with the knowledge it was an unjust situation, it is going to make you angry."

The draw does little for Inter's Scudetto hopes, leaving them five points behind Juventus ahead of the reigning champions' game in hand against fourth-placed Lazio.

They are now assured of a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League, however, and Conte called for Inter's season to be put into perspective.

"We are talking about a team that in my view is doing some very good things," he said. 

"Aside from second place, if you look at the goals scored and conceded, we are in the Champions League with four rounds to spare and 14 points clear of fifth place.

"Let's not forget Inter started with the same objectives for the season as Roma and Napoli. 

"Serie A has become very competitive indeed and everyone is set up to have great campaigns. Only four go into the Champions League.

"If people say Inter are below par, then what do you say about the other teams who didn't finish in the top four?"

Santi Cazorla said Villarreal will always be his "home" after the veteran star bid farewell to the La Liga club amid links to Xavi's Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Cazorla and long-serving captain Bruno Soriano played their final match for Villarreal in a 4-0 final-round rout of Eibar on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Cazorla, who has made a big impact in his third spell with Villarreal after returning from a serious Achilles injury in 2018 following 636 days on the sidelines, has been linked with a move to Al-Sadd – coached by former Barcelona skipper Xavi.

And former Arsenal playmaker Cazorla bowed out on a winning note with Villareal, providing the assist for Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's 71st-minute opener at home to Eibar.

Cazorla ended the 2019-20 campaign with 11 goals and 10 assists as Villareal finished fifth in LaLiga to qualify for the Europa League.

"I'm eternally grateful to this club and the fans for having opened the doors to me and for all the love they've shown me for so long," Cazorla, who was replaced in the 82nd minute, said via the club's website.

"I've had a great time, but it's time to end this stage of my career. It's a decision I've thought about a lot. Every game I find it harder to give 100 per cent and I had to be honest with myself and the club.

"I feel that this club is inside me. It isn't a goodbye, it's a 'we'll meet again', because Villarreal CF will always be my home."

Bruno also made an emotional swansong on the final day of the season at Madrigal, with the 36-year-old retiring after more than 300 appearances for Villarreal.

The one-club player returned to the field in June following more than three years on the sidelines due to two operations and a painful recovery.

"I've thought about it a lot and I've taken this tough decision. I've realised that my body is no longer able to give 100 per cent and play 90 minutes week in, week out, which is what I've always wanted to do. That's why I've taken the decision to end my career," Bruno said.

"This club is part of my life and that doesn't stop here. I am going to continue coming to cheer on the team every Sunday, alongside the rest of the fans and those who love this club."

Lionel Messi secured a record seventh Pichichi award after the Barcelona star finished the 2019-20 season as the leading scorer in La Liga.

The Argentinian equalled Athletic Bilbao great Telmo Zarra's record of six awards last season, but he is now out on his own after another superb campaign in front of goal.

His double in the final-day 5-0 rout of Deportivo Alaves took him to 25 goals in 33 appearances, while his cross to Ansu Fati for the opening goal saw him set a new record for most assists in a single La Liga campaign, breaking the previous best set by former team-mate Xavi.

It was not enough to guide Barca to a third consecutive title, however, with Real Madrid pulling away in the final weeks to seal top spot.

“I always say that the awards and individual goals are secondary,” Messi said when asked about winning the award.

“It is true that it could have been taken as an important achievement for being the seventh Pichichi, but I would have liked it to come accompanied by the league title.”

Madrid striker Karim Benzema was four goals behind in the race for the award with 21, while Villarreal's Gerard Moreno was third with 18 goals, two ahead of Messi's Barca team-mate Luis Suarez.

The Catalan side will turn their attention to the Champions League next, as they face Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie on August 8. The first leg ended in a 1-1.

“We need some peace of mind, which hopefully we will get with this little break between competitions,” Messi told reporters when asked about preparations for the return to European competition.

“As I said the other day, it'll give us the chance to clear our minds a little. “We've said what needed to be said, we have been self-critical with ourselves. Nothing more needs to be said, now we just have to show it out there on the pitch.”

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says his players will "disconnect" as they prepare for the resumption of the Champions League next month.

Los Blancos, who secured a first La Liga title since 2017 this week, travel to the Etihad Stadium on August 7 looking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat in their quarter-final against Manchester City.

Speaking after Madrid wrapped up their domestic campaign with a 2-2 draw against Leganes on Sunday – a result that condemned their neighbours to relegation – Zidane says his players will be allowed some time to relax, but is adamant the next few weeks will not be a holiday.

"It is not a holiday that we have now," he said. "Now, I don't think about City. We want to disconnect a bit, then we will have all the time to think. We will have 10-15 days to think. We will disconnect.

"Until the last second we are going to fight to go to that final, but now you don't have to think about the Champions League. It is time to rest and think about gathering strength. The final stretch has been a tremendous effort. Now we all need some relaxation. This is what we are going to do.

"After these four or five days off, we go back and think about the Champions League. No stress or worries."

Madrid were far from their best against Leganes but Zidane refused to be too critical of his players. 

"During the game you can get angry because we didn't play at our level," he said. "We didn't win but we didn't lose either. In the end I prefer to focus on what we did before today. The season has been spectacular. We have to be happy with what we did."

During an emotional TV interview after the final whistle, Leganes captain Unai Bustinza said he was proud of his team-mates' willingness to fight until the end.

"We're all so upset and frustrated and can't believe this," he said as Leganes' four-year stay in the top flight came to an end. "We kept going right until the end and we never let our heads drop. We wanted to do everybody proud. Football can do this to you.

"It's been a difficult year and we haven't had a great deal of luck. Everyone will be upset but we have to lift ourselves back up and come back strongly."

Barcelona boss Quique Setien insisted he and Lionel Messi have a strong relationship after a palate-cleansing thumping of Deportivo Alaves got rid of a bad taste in the mouth.

Morale was low after Thursday's 2-1 home defeat to Osasuna, which came on a night when Real Madrid clinched the LaLiga title, having overtaken Barcelona on the final lap.

But now Barcelona are looking forward to their Champions League last-16 reunion with Napoli, buoyed by Sunday's 5-0 win over a shaky Alaves side on the final weekend of the Spanish season.

The European second leg at Camp Nou on August 8 offers Barcelona a chance to reach what is effectively a mini-tournament to be staged in Portugal later in the same month.

Two-leg ties will be abandoned from the quarter-finals and replaced by a straight knockout format.

With Messi scoring twice against Alaves, and further goals coming from Ansu Fati, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo, Barcelona suddenly sense an opportunity to end the season on a high.

Despite speculation surrounding his position, Setien stressed he and Messi, who is arguably the most powerful individual at the football club, get along well enough to work together.

"It is the same as with everyone, more or less," Setien said. "There are players who are more open and have more of a relationship, but the relationship is good."

Messi spoke after the Alaves game and revealed there had been soul-searching talks among the squad since the Osasuna game.

"It is true, that we have had a deep reflection on the situation," Setien said.

"We are all excited about the Champions League. It is true that we have spoken and it has served us well, because some things have been cleaned up.

"It is something that has been backed up with this game and with this result, which will allow us to face the future with more confidence and in a different state of mind."

Setien said it had been a "special" day in the Basque Country, and stressed he will not allow himself to think, or worry in any way, about his future.

"I focus on improving and convincing my players to do certain things," Setien said, quoted by Catalan newspaper Sport. "Then there are things that I can't control."

There are areas where Barcelona need to improve that cannot be resolved in a matter of weeks and perhaps need significant investment and changes of personnel.

But if they head into the Champions League resumption with a swagger back in their step, and belief in their coach, the Blaugrana could threaten Europe's elite again.

The essence of youth is also growing, and could benefit a squad that contains a number of players coming towards the end of their peak years, or already on the down slope.

Even Messi, now a record seven-time Pichichi winner at the age of 33, cannot go on setting records and carrying the weight of the Catalan public's expectations forever.

Fati, Ronald Araujo and Riqui Puig all started against Alaves, and Setien described the youngsters as "certain to be the future of this club".

"They will be great footballers," he said.

Parma lost 3-2 at home to Sampdoria in Sunday’s Italian topflight outing with Cote d’Ivoire star Gervinho finding the net at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Claudio Ranieri’s men spent much of the season hovering around the relegation zone, but they put up an impressive showing to climb up the log.

Gervinho put Parma ahead after 18 minutes with a trademark solo goal. Six minutes later, Gianluca Caprari doubled the lead but VAR ruled out the goal for an offside.

Five minutes from the half-time break, the hosts doubled their lead after opposing goalkeeper Bartosz Bereszynski fumbled Dejan Kulusevski’s cross into his own net.

I Blucerchiati looked down and out, nevertheless, manager Ranieri brought in Federico Bonazzoli and Gonzalo Maroni for Gaston Ramirez and Fabio Depaoli respectively at the beginning of the second half.

That seems to be the tonic they needed as Julian Chabot pulled a goal back in the 48th minute by heading home Maroni’s corner kick.

In the 69th minute, last season’s Fabio Quagliarella levelled matters for the visitors for his 11th strike this term after being set up by Morten Thorsby.

Twelve minute before the full time Quagliarella teed up Bonazzoli for the winner which earned the visitors their sixth away win this season.

Gervinho’s strike was his seventh strike of the season in 27 appearances. The 33-year-old was replaced in the 82nd minute for on-loan Inter Milan forward Yann Karamoh, while Gambia international Omar Colley was an unused substitute for Ranieri’s side.

With this result, Sampdoria climbed to 12th in the log with 41 points after recording their fifth win in their last six outings, while Parma are 12th after garnering 40 points from the same number of matches.

In their next outing, Sampdoria welcome Genoa to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday before heading to Juventus on July 26, while Roberto D'Aversa’s men will be aiming to end their run of six games without victory when they host Napoli on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi has set a new record for most assists in La Liga in a single season, surpassing former Barcelona team-mate Xavi in the process.

The Barcelona forward played the ball into the box for 17-year-old winger Ansu Fati to knock in for the opening goal against Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.

The assist was Messi's 21st in the league this term, breaking the record his former team-mate Xavi set in 2008-09.

Messi matched Xavi's figure in last week's 1-0 victory against Real Valladolid, when he became the Spanish top-flight's first player to register 20 goals and 20 assists in a single campaign.

Just 10 minutes after setting up Fati, Messi scored a goal of his own when he ran onto a pass from Riqui Puig before knocking past Alaves goalkeeper Roberto to double the Catalan side's lead.

The Argentina international struck again in the second-half as his side went 5-0 up, taking his tally to 25 goals in La Liga this season, stretching his lead over Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to five goals..

Messi then claimed the Pichichi Trophy, given to the league's top scorer, for the seventh time in his career when the France international failed to make up the difference in Madrid's final game of the season at Leganes on Sunday.

Barcelona extended their lead against Alaves to 3-0 when Luis Suarez struck just before half-time and Nelson Semedo added another 12 minutes into the second half. 

Quique Setien's team had already been confirmed runners-up, as they lost 2-1 to Osasuna at home on Thursday while  Madrid sealed the league title on Thursday with a 2-1 win over Villarreal  to move seven points ahead of their fierce rivals.

After Sunday's encounter, Barca will turn their attention to the Champions League campaign ahead of its return in August.

The Camp Nou outfit will face Napoli on August 8 in the second leg of their last-16 tie, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg in February before the competition was suspended because of the coronavirus.

And Messi warned in midweek that his side must step up their game if they are to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals to face either Chelsea or Bayern Munich.

"We have to be self-critical," he said after the match against Osasuna.

"Starting with the players but doing a global self-criticism. We are Barca and we have to win everything.

"We can't look at Madrid…Madrid have done their job, but we have helped them a lot.

"If we want to win the Champions League, we have to change a lot. If we continue like this, we will lose the game against Napoli."

Jose Mourinho praised Tottenham's progress after recovering from a "complicated" start to his tenure and believes his side are ready to push on next season.

A couple of first-half strikes from Harry Kane after James Justin's own goal saw off Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday and made it three Premier League wins in a row for Spurs as they climbed into sixth place.

Mourinho inherited a side that were 14th and had won just three of their first 12 matches, but the north London club are now on course to qualify for the Europa League.

And Mourinho has hailed the character of his players to come through a tough spell before lockdown that saw them exit the FA Cup and Champions League in quick succession.

"The team is being a team. Even against Sheffield United we were a team, a bad team, but we were a team," he said at his post-match news conference. 

"I think the team is understanding better the principles of playing and what we want to do. I think it's a good step.

"As I said, to come mid-season is always a complicated situation that I couldn't imagine was so complicated after so many injuries.

"But it's a situation that helps you to organise the next season.

"I think there are some important steps that we have done already and next pre-season when we start we are one step ahead."

Spurs will secure a European spot should they finish above Wolves and Sheffield United, who are two and four points behind respectively and each hold a game in hand.

Seventh place may also be enough if Chelsea beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final, meanwhile, and Mourinho is looking to end the campaign on a high.

"I think we are one of the teams with more points after the break, and I think that is a very, very good feeling," he told Sky Sports.

"Now we have to fight to finish sixth, but it doesn't just depend on us. We have to win and that is difficult to do at Crystal Palace, but we have to wait for something from others. 

"If not, seventh, because that is what we can achieve dependent on others. 

"We will still depend on the FA Cup, but getting or not getting to the Europa League, the feeling of what we are doing, what we are improving, is very important for next season."

Tottenham's win over a depleted Leicester side came despite them having just 29.5-per-cent possession - their lowest share in a league game since September 2012.

"I think it was an intelligent performance," Mourinho said. "I knew that for them to play with this back five is not a very comfortable situation.

"It was about being compact and controlling the game, so I'm very happy because it's a lot of pressure for us."

Thomas Partey delivered an impressive performance to help Atletico Madrid secure a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in Sunday’s La Liga game.

The Ghana international was handed a starting role and formed a four-man midfield along with Koke, Hector Herrera and Vitolo.

The highly-rated 27-year-old shone in his role to help Diego Simeone’s men clinch their second consecutive victory and seal a third-place finish.

Partey had 97% successful pass rate, completed one dribble, won one aerial contest and made one tackle in the encounter.

After the half-hour mark, Koke opened the scoring for the Mattress Makers when he got a timely pass from former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata.

With the game looking to go the way of Atletico, former Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj scored an equalising goal at the death to save his side from defeat.

Partey featured for 56 minutes in his 34th league game for the Mattress Makers this season before he was replaced by Diego Llorente.

The 25-year-old has made 45 appearances across all competitions in this campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

The midfielder has been with Atletico since 2011 when he joined the club’s reserve team and after loan spells at Mallorca and Almeria, he was promoted to the senior team in 2015.

 Partey has since made 128 league appearances for the Mattress Makers and scored 12 goals which have generated interests from a number of European clubs including Arsenal.

The 27-year-old midfielder was part of the team that won the 2018 Europa League and Uefa Super Cup titles.

Partey, who has 27 caps for Ghana, will hope to continue his consistent performances when Atletico take on RB Leipzig in their Champions League game on August 13.

Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to keep Inter’s slim Serie A title hopes alive as his late penalty secured a 2-2 draw with Roma.

Antonio Conte's men could have closed the gap on leaders Juventus to three points with victory at Stadio Olimpico but instead had to settle for a draw, which came courtesy of Lukaku's spot-kick following Leonardo Spinazzola's clumsy challenge on Victor Moses.

Inter had earlier squandered an early lead given to them by Stefan de Vrij's 15th-minute header –  a Serie A record 500th goal scored in this fixture – as Spinazzola and Henrikh Mkhitaryan turned the game on its head with goals either side of half-time.

However, Inter were handed a reprieve when Spinazzola recklessly kicked out at Moses four minutes from time – Lukaku keeping his composure to salvage a point.

But with Marcelo Brozovic squandering a chance to double Inter's lead, Spinazzola drilled in an equaliser in first-half stoppage time – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for Kolarov's nudge on Lautaro Martinez in the build-up.

A pivotal three-minute spell shortly before the hour saw the game swing in Roma's favour as Martinez's strike was ruled out for offside, with Mkhitaryan then profiting from slack defending to hit home from six yards.

As Inter's hopes of keeping the pressure on Juve faded, Conte turned to Moses and Lukaku from the bench and they proved to be inspired changes – the latter scoring from the spot after his fellow substitute was fouled by Spinazzola.

What does it mean? Inter fail to capitalise on Juve's slip-ups 

Juventus have drawn two and lost one of their last three matches, opening the door for Inter to pounce in their pursuit of a first Scudetto since 2010.

However, a third win in a row eluded them and in the end they were fortunate to claim a point, meaning Juve can now open up an eight-point gap at the summit with four matches to go if they beat Lazio in Monday's game in hand.

Lukaku the saviour for Inter

Sanchez tried his best to carry Inter's attack, the on-loan forward registering his seventh assist since last month's restart for De Vrij's opener – only Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi – has managed more in Europe's top five leagues, but the visitors struggled to get going from that point on and in the end they needed Lukaku to rescue a result.

Spinazzola's moment of madness

Even with Lukkau on, Inter looked devoid of ideas, but they were gifted a penalty thanks to Spinazzola's comical defending. The Roma wing-back failed to control the ball with a bad first touch and then caught Moses on the leg when attempting to hoof it clear.

What's next?

Roma return to action with a trip to already-relegated SPAL on Wednesday, the same day that Inter host mid-table Fiorentina in their penultimate home game of the campaign.

Ivory Coast's Roger Assale was on target as Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem's Leganes suffered relegation from La Liga following their 2-2 draw against Real Madrid.

Assale came off the bench in the 55th minute to score a 78th-minute equaliser for Javier Aguirre's men after goals from Sergio Ramos and Asensio had put the league champions ahead.

Omeruo and Awaziem could not help the hosts from avoiding relegation to the second division as they were unused substitutes alongside Morocco's Aymane Mourid at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on Sunday.

Assale's goal was his second in the Spanish top-flight this season, after opening his goal account against Athletic Club on Thursday.

Since the resumption of football in Spain after the coronavirus hiatus, Leganes were the only team that took points off Zinedine Zidane's men with the draw.

Omeruo joined Aguirre's men permanently from Chelsea last summer and he made 23 league appearances this season with a goal to his name.

The Super Eagles defender recently recovered from a hamstring injury and did not play for the Cucumber Growers since his last outing against Sevilla on June 30.

Awaziem who is on loan from Portuguese outfit Porto, played 26 games for Leganes and was a key fixture in Aguirre's defence.

After winning eight matches and losing 18 matches, Leganes ended the 2019-20 La Liga in the 18th spot with 35 points from 37 matches, a point adrift of safety.

They will be playing in the Segunda division next season with Espanyol and Mallorca.

Nigeria's Anthony Nwakaeme and Ghana's Caleb Ekuban could not stop Trabzonspor from suffering a 4-3 defeat against Konyaspor in Sunday's Turkish Super Lig encounter.

The African stars started for Huseyin Cimsir's side at the Senol Gunes Stadium but their contributions did not prevent the hosts from suffering their second straight loss in the Turkish top-flight.

Ekuban assisted Alexander Sorloth in opening the scoring for Trabzonspor in the 12th minute but he could not add to his tally of five league goals this campaign.

The Black Stars striker was in action for the entirety while his Nigerian teammate Nwakaeme featured for 46 minutes before his replacement and Senegal's Badou Ndiaye, who is on loan from Stoke City, played for 83 minutes.

Nwakaeme, who last scored a league goal on June 12 against Goztepe, could not increase his tally of 11 goals and six assists after 29 league outings so far.

Uganda's Farouk Miya was missing in action for Konyaspor after bagging a brace in their 4-3 win over league champions Istanbul Basaksehir on Monday.

Despite the loss, Trabzonspor remain unmoved in the second spot in the Super Lig with 62 points after 33 games, seven points behind champions Basaksehir and two points ahead of third-placed Sivasspor.

The Black Sea Storm will be aiming to return to winning ways when they travel to Kayserispor for their final league match of the season on July 25 and also confirm their spot in next season's Uefa Champions League qualifiers.

Konyaspor, meanwhile, moved to 13th and they have avoided relegation with the win having gathered 36 points from 33 matches

They host Alanyaspor for their final 2019-20 season fixture on Saturday.

Adnan Januzaj's 87th-minute equaliser saw Real Sociedad fight back for a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid that secured a place in next season's Europa League.

Atleti looked on course for victory in their concluding LaLiga fixture at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday after Koke's close-range finish in the first half.

But Januzaj's curling free-kick late on went through a crowded box and found a way past the otherwise superb Jan Oblak.

The point was enough for Atleti to claim third place in LaLiga but Sociedad were the happier of the two sides as they finished in sixth spot, when defeat would have left them without European football.

Sociedad showed early adventure and Alexander Isak combined well with Nacho Monreal, but the latter's shot was comfortably saved by Oblak in the Atleti goal.

Atletico seized the initiative with half an hour played when neat build-up play allowed captain Koke to poke the ball past goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya after he latched on to Alvaro Morata's lay-off.

A subdued Martin Odegaard went close for Sociedad shortly after half-time when his well-struck effort was kept out by the strong hand of a diving Oblak.

Diego Costa's ambitious scissor kick went wide at the other end, before substitute Ander Barrenetxea sliced a volley for Sociedad as the game opened up.

Diego Simeone introduced fit-again Joao Felix just after the hour and only a last-ditch block kept out a dangerous cross from the Portugal playmaker, with Costa poised to capitalise inside the six-yard box.

Sociedad piled on the pressure late on and Januzaj's low angled effort brought a fingertip save out of Oblak before they were awarded a free-kick with three minutes left.

Belgium playmaker Januzaj stepped up and teased the ball into a packed box to deceive Oblak, who was waiting for a touch, and despite getting a hand on it he could not keep it out.

What does it mean? Atleti a distant third , joy for Sociedad

Atleti suffered just four LaLiga defeats this season – only Real Madrid with three, have been beaten fewer times – but 16 draws left them some way off challenging for the title.

Simeone must figure out how to convert more of them into wins next season to bridge the gap between themselves and the top two, but of more immediate concern is the conclusion of the Champions League next month.

Sociedad went from despair to joy in the space of a few minutes and will relish Europa League football in San Sebastian next season.

Oblak almost unflappable

It was another superb display by the Slovenia goalkeeper, who was only beaten very late in the game. Atleti's goal was put under intense pressure in the second half and Oblak produced several superb saves. He will be a key man if they are to finally achieve elusive Champions League glory.

Off-colour outing for Odegaard

Odegaard has been the creative fulcrum of Sociedad's attacking play this season but struggled to make an impact. The Real Madrid loanee was bullied by Atleti's players on the few occasions he was able to get on the ball and substituted with 25 minutes left.

What's next?

Atleti will turn their attention to a Champions League quarter-final showdown with RB Leipzig in Lisbon on August 13. Once fans are allowed back into Spanish stadia, Real Sociedad will finally tackle a Basque derby in the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.

Leganes were relegated from LaLiga following a 2-2 draw with champions Real Madrid at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on the final day of the season.

Javier Aguirre's side had won three of the four games ahead of the visit of Los Blancos but ultimately fell short of the three points required to overhaul Celta Vigo, who drew 0-0 with Espanyol.

Madrid, who sealed their first title since 2017 with victory over Villarreal on Thursday, went ahead through Sergio Ramos' early header before Bryan Gil equalised for the hosts.

Roger Assale set up a grandstand finish following Marco Asensio's strike shortly after the interval, but Leganes were ultimately unable to find a precious winner, with Madrid surviving a late VAR check for a possible penalty.

Madrid looked lively in the opening stages, Federico Valverde forcing Ivan Cuellar into a superb save with a swerving effort from distance.

Their early dominance was rewarded after nine minutes – an unmarked Sergio Ramos heading home his 11th league goal of the campaign from Isco's free-kick.

Recio and Gil tested Alphonse Areola as the hosts responded well, and Leganes had their reward in stoppage time when Gil opened his account with a neat finish from an acute angle.

Leganes' hopes suffered a blow six minutes after the interval, though, with Asensio slotting past Cuellar after latching onto Isco's sublime pass.

Yet Leganes refused to go down without a fight and they drew level again 12 minutes from time when substitute Assale fired underneath Areola.

Javier Aviles inexplicably lashed wide from eight yards in the closing stages, while a lengthy VAR review into a potential handball from Luka Jovic gave Leganes hope of a dramatic penalty. Nothing was given, though, as their four-year stay in LaLiga ended in agonising circumstances.

What does it mean? Leganes fall just short of a great escape

Leganes had been in sensational form in their previous outings to give themselves a fighting chance of survival but, though they poured forward in the closing stages and came so close to securing a sensational win, it was not to be, with Madrid having enough quality to see out the draw.

Record-setting Ramos on target yet again

The Madrid icon has been a talismanic presence since the resumption of action last month, and the 34-year-old became the first defender to score over 10 LaLiga goals in a season in the 21st century with his fine header in the opening stages.

Anguish for Aviles

Aviles will be haunted by his miss for a long time to come. He was given the space of the Madrid penalty area late on but skewed his shot wide. It proved to be the difference between survival and relegation.

Key Opta Facts:

- Ramos has scored 11 goals in LaLiga in 2019-20, the most by a defender in a single season in the 21st century.
- Leganes have been relegated from LaLiga for the first time. The previous time they were relegated was in 2003-04 when they fell to the third tier of Spanish football. 
- Madrid have conceded just 25 goals in LaLiga this campaign, their best defensive total in a 20-team season in the competition.
- Los Blancos defender Ramos now has 100 club goals to his name in all competitions (97 for Madrid, three for Sevilla).
- Isco provided two assists in a game for Madrid for the first time since February 2017 against Espanyol.

What's next?

Real Madrid have a Champions League campaign to resume, with the second leg of their last-16 tie against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on August 7. Leganes, meanwhile, will have to pick themselves up for a campaign in the second tier.

Watford parted company with head coach Nigel Pearson on Sunday in a dramatic split ahead of their final push to avoid Premier League relegation.

Sitting three points above the Premier League drop zone, Watford announced the shock change ahead of games against Manchester City and Arsenal, naming Hayden Mullins as interim boss.

Pearson took charge in December, when Watford sat bottom of the table with eight points from 15 games, but his deal only ran until the end of the campaign.

Despite guiding the team out of the bottom three, the former Leicester City boss will not lead them into the critical closing seven days of the campaign.

Watford's turnover of head coaches is unusual for a Premier League club. Javi Gracia began the season in charge of the Hornets, before being replaced by Quique Sanchez Flores, whose second stint at Watford was over inside three months.

Pearson appeared to be the saviour of their faltering 2019-20 effort as Watford's results picked up, but a 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Friday proved to be his final game in charge.

Losing to the Hammers led Pearson to reflect he and his team had "let an opportunity pass us by".

That setback followed valuable back-to-back wins over Norwich City and Newcastle United.

Pearson leaves the club having guided them to seven wins and five draws in his 22 matches in charge.

Watford will be visited by second-placed City on Tuesday, before the Hornets travel to FA Cup finalists Arsenal on Sunday, with former West Ham and Crystal Palace midfielder Mullins at the helm.

A statement from the Vicarage Road club said: "Watford FC confirms that Nigel Pearson has left the club with immediate effect.

"Hayden Mullins, with Graham Stack as his assistant, will take up the position of interim head coach for the Hornets’ final two Premier League fixtures of the 2019/20 season."

Mullins has been coaching Watford’s Under 23s since 2016 but took over as interim coach for two games in December after Sanchez Flores was sacked, losing 2-0 to Leicester and drawing with Crystal Palace before Pearson took over.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was proud of his side’s performance in Sunday’s 3-1 win against Manchester United.

The Blues dominated the FA Cup semi-final tie against Ole Gunnar Solskjear’s side at Wembley to book their place in the final against Arsenal.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount and an own goal from Harry Maguire put the Stamford Bridge side well ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team before Bruno Fernandes converted a late penalty for the Red Devils.

Lampard was delighted with the way his team rose to the challenge and controlled the game.

"I can't ask for any more from my players than that,” he told . The work ethic and the level of performance. We were on top and when they changed their system we were even better. I am very proud of that performance.

"Where we are at it is going to happen that we have some bad displays like against Sheffield United. We have done a lot of work in the last few days and the players deserve a huge amount of credit.

"They should take confidence form that display. We have leaders, you can't compare across eras but we have leaders in the team. It was a performance full of character and personality.”

Chelsea will conclude their Premier League campaign next week when they visit Liverpool on Wednesday and then host Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The London side are third in the English top-flight and a point ahead of Leicester and United and Lampard hopes his side treat the games like finals before they return to Wembley to face Arsenal on August 1.

"We have finals ahead, Two in the league and then Arsenal. We want to win things. Three games won't define the progress we have made but we are at the business end.”

After the cup final, Chelsea will return to Champions League duty when they meet Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

Bayern hold a significant advantage as they beat Lampard’s team 3-0 in London in February.

Kevin-Prince Boateng helped Besiktas maintain their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 victory over Fenerbahce in Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The 33-year-old joined the Black and Whites from Fiorentina in January on loan and has been in fine form for the side.

The Ghana international was afforded his sixth start and 11th league appearance at Vodafone Park and made an impressive contribution in the encounter.

Boateng had an 88% successful pass rate in the match, made one tackle and won one aerial contest to help his side secure all three points.

Besiktas played most of the game with a one-man advantage after Fenerbahce were reduced to 10 men following the red card received by Vedat Muriqi in the 26th minute.

The advantage did not count much in the first half as they were frustrated by the solid defensive displays by the Yellow Canaries, failing to find the back of the net.

After the restart, however, Domagoj Vida opened the scoring for the Sergen Yalcın’s side in the 63rd minute after he was set up by Tyler Boyd.

Seven minutes later, Gokhan Gonul doubled the Black and Whites’ lead after benefitting from Caner Erkin’s assist, which was enough to seal the victory.

Boateng featured for 59 minutes before he was replaced by Mali international Abdoulay Diaby while his teammate and Egypt international Mohamed Elneny, who is on loan from Premier League club Arsenal, featured for the duration of the games.

The victory boosted Besiktas’ hopes of nicking a Champions League ticket, as it reduces their gap to second-placed Trabzonspor to three points.

Boateng has scored three league goals and provided one assist for the Black and Whites since his January move and will hope to make a more significant contribution when his side takes on Genclerbirligi on July 25.