Real Madrid Hosts Real Sociedad. Everton Faces Arsenal in Premier League

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (C-L) participates in his team's training session at sports city of Valdebebas, Madrid, central Spain, 16 September 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (C-L) participates in his team's training session at sports city of Valdebebas, Madrid, central Spain, 16 September 2023. (EPA)
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Real Madrid Hosts Real Sociedad. Everton Faces Arsenal in Premier League

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (C-L) participates in his team's training session at sports city of Valdebebas, Madrid, central Spain, 16 September 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (C-L) participates in his team's training session at sports city of Valdebebas, Madrid, central Spain, 16 September 2023. (EPA)

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:

SPAIN

Real Madrid hosts Real Sociedad with Jude Bellingham leading the Spanish league with five goals since the 20-year-old England midfielder joined the club. Madrid will still be without the injured Vinícius Júnior. Madrid opens its Champions League group stage against Union Berlin on Wednesday at home. Madrid has won all four games it has played and entered the round as the league leader.

Sociedad's Japan forward Takefusa Kubo has scored three goals this campaign. Villarreal’s new coach Jose “Pacheta” Martín debuts at home against Almeria after he replaced the fired Quique Setién. Sevilla hosts Las Palmas whose team had to make the trip from the Canary Islands in two separate flights after the club said 15 players missed the first flight. Osasuna is at Getafe.

ENGLAND

Everton, which is set to come under new ownership, has a chance to get out of the relegation zone of the Premier League when it faces undefeated Arsenal at Goodison Park. It's not an easy task. The Gunners rallied to beat Manchester United 3-1 in their last game. Bournemouth hosts Chelsea in the early game with both clubs struggling so far this season.

ITALY

Roma is still searching for its first win of the season and it hosts newly promoted Empoli, which has lost its opening three matches back in Serie A. Roma has just one point. Roma coach Jose Mourinho confirmed that Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala will both start, with the two strikers playing together for the first time.

Promoted Cagliari also has just one point and Claudio Ranieri’s side hosts Udinese. Lecce, which is surprisingly fourth, can move level with second-place Juventus with a win at Monza. Atalanta is a point behind Lecce and visits Fiorentina. Frosinone hosts Sassuolo.

GERMANY

Three of the four teams in Bundesliga action haven't yet won a game this season. Borussia Monchengladbach plays at last-place Darmstadt with both teams winless. Heidenheim, which also has yet to win a league game, hosts midtable Werder Bremen in the day's other match.

FRANCE

Unbeaten Monaco looks to strengthen its lead with victory at midtable Lorient. Monaco has been scoring freely so far this season under coach Adi Hütter, with 13 goals in the first four matches. Marseille is also unbeaten and can jump to at least second place with a home win against Toulouse at Stade Velodrome, which has been hosting Rugby World Cup matches. Also, struggling Lyon desperately needs a home win against promoted Le Havre.



Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
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Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)

With Paris Saint-Germain already crowned champions and Marseille and Monaco assured of Champions League spots next season, attention turns to the race to avoid relegation on the final matchday in France's Ligue 1.

At the bottom of the standings, last-place Montpellier has been demoted. It remains to be seen which other club will be relegated to the second tier next season, with Saint-Etienne and Le Havre fighting for their survival.

A former French league powerhouse, Saint-Etienne dominated French soccer during the 1960s and ’70s. Having just returned to the top-flight, the 10-time French champions have struggled throughout the season despite brilliant individual efforts from Zuriko Davitashvili and Lucas Stassin.

Ahead of its final match against Toulouse at home on Saturday, Saint-Etienne is second-to-last in the standings, but just one point behind 16th-place Le Havre, which is in the relegation playoffs spot. Saint-Etienne needs to win, hoping that Le Havre either loses or draws at Strasbourg.

“Our presence in the playoffs? It doesn’t just depend on us, we know that. We can win this last match and still be relegated,” Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland said, according to The Associated Press. "We’re going to have to create an incredible atmosphere and take the fans with us."

Two other teams, Reims and Nantes, have yet to secure their place in the elite heading into the final matchday. Both teams are two points ahead of Le Havre. Nantes hosts Montpellier, and Reims travels to Lille.

Top scorer race PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé is in a good position to succeed his former teammate Kylian Mbappé as the league's top scorer.

Dembélé, who was named the league's best player of the season, has been prolific since PSG coach Luis Enrique repositioned him in a false nine role — a center-forward who, instead of leading their team’s offensive line, drops into deeper positions. Among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or, Dembélé has scored 21 league goals, two more than Marseille's Mason Greenwood. Behind them, Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo has found the net 17 times.

PSG, which won a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title with six games to spare, plays its final match at home against Auxerre. Second-place Marseille hosts Rennes. Monaco, which is one point behind Marseille, travels to Lens.

PSG is hoping for its first-ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team will have another shot at more silverware against Reims the week before in the French Cup final.

Champions League qualifying The final spot in the Champions League is the last big prize up for grabs on Saturday.

Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon all lost on the penultimate matchday and can no longer secure a top-three finish. With 57 points each, the three teams are battling for the fourth place, which gives a ticket for the third preliminary round of Europe's elite tournament. With 54 points, seventh-place Lyon can still aim for the fourth spot but will need to beat Angers and hope that the trio of teams all lose.