Real Madrid centre-back Dean Huijsen has leapt to the defence of his team-mate Vinicius Junior following his temper tantrum during the 2-1 win over Barcelona. The Brazilian was enraged after being asked to come off in the second half by Xabi Alonso, with the reaction drawing significant backlash. Huijsen, however, blamed the media for making a "huge fuss" over the incident.

Roberto Firmino has weighed in on some of football’s biggest debates ahead of Liverpool’s blockbuster clash with Real Madrid, picking Mohamed Salah over Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr over Luis Diaz. The ex-Liverpool star praised both rivals but revealed his admiration for Vinicius’ energy and Salah’s unmatched consistency ahead of Champions League clash.

Carlo Ancelotti has called out Vinicius Jr for his angry reaction after being substituted by Xabi Alonso during Real Madrid’s 2-1 Clasico win over Barcelona, describing the forward’s behaviour as “a mistake”. The Brazil boss revealed that he has since spoken directly with the 25-year-old, confirming the issue is now resolved as both player and coach look ahead to next month’s international fixtures.

The latest round of action across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues has predictably produced a plethora of talking points, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all in fine form. The Gunners are six points clear at the top of the Premier League after scoring yet another set-piece goal, and keeping another clean sheet, in their 2-0 victory at Burnley. Meanwhile, both Bayern and Real have five-point leads in Germany and Spain, respectively, after comfortable wins over the weekend.

Xabi Alonso has responded to Vinicius Junior's public apology in light of his unpleasant reaction to being taken off during the 2-1 win against Barcelona last weekend. Speaking to reporters, the Real Madrid head coach put all doubts to bed once and for all by claiming that the "matter is closed" while also admitting that the Brazilian was "impeccable" during the conversations they had.