Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League group stages after beating Girona 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. The Spanish giants took control early on and were rewarded with a first-half goal from Karim Benzema, who added a second late on to secure all three points.

Meanwhile, in another match, Brentford defeated Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium. The Bees struck twice in the first half through goals from Ryan Sessegnon and Ben White, before adding two more in the second period to seal a comfortable victory.

In the final game of the day, Liverpool drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Reds had the better of the contest for much of the game but failed to break down the Palace defence, while the Eagles managed to hold out for a draw.

Elsewhere, Chelsea beat Burnley 2-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The Blues have now won four consecutive league games and sit top of the table heading into next week's fixture against Arsenal.

Finally, in the Women's Super League, Arsenal secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Reading at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners scored both goals in the first half through goals from Vivianne Miedema and Fran Kirby, before securing a narrow win in extra time.

Overall, it was a busy weekend of football across Europe as teams fought for their place in the competition and made important statements of intent.