It's a strong bet that those trying to assess how Philippe Coutinho might flourish at Barcelona this season will first draw conclusions from his goal and assist in last season's Copa del Rey final, the La Liga winners' medal already in his possession and the absence of legend Andres Iniesta, whose "space" the Brazilian will be asked to occupy.

There's another, probably more significant, way to assess Coutinho: his mentality, the greatest value he can now offer the Spanish champions.

In winning...

It would, of course, be silly to draw conclusions from a single, gentle preseason friendly, disputed by two teams a little short of full strength, and which inevitably turned into a parade of second-half substitutions. Even so, Barcelona's 3-0 win Wednesday over Boca Juniors provides more evidence toward a clear conclusion: how rich South American football is, and how poor the continent's club game has become.

Boca Juniors were not disgraced -- and yet they could have lost by a much wider margin....

La Liga is back! After a summer of big-name departures, might there be a shake-up at the top? Graham Hunter previews the new season.

Are Atletico the best team in Madrid?

Does no Cristiano Ronaldo and no Zinedine Zidane mean a red-and-white opportunity for Diego Simeone & Co.?

In Julen Lopetegui, the Atletico Madrid manager faces his fifth different coach since he became manager of Los Colchoneros in 2011. What is more, the No. 1 obstacle to Simeone's side regularly overtaking Real Madrid in the...

For someone regarded as one of the best footballers ever, Diego Maradona's career is littered with regrets and what-ifs, and his disappointing and chaotic two-year stay at Barcelona ranks particularly high among them.

Maradona signed for Barcelona in 1982 after a protracted transfer from Boca Juniors, who visit the Camp Nou on Wednesday as Barca's opponents for the traditional Trofeo Joan Gamper, the team's final preseason friendly.

A statue of Maradona greets visitors at Boca's museum and...

Spain's UEFA Super Cup dominance will continue on Wednesday evening in Tallinn as the country are guaranteed a ninth victory from the past 10 years.

Champions League winners Real Madrid face Europa League victors Atletico Madrid in the Estonian capital, and Los Blancos will go level with Barcelona on a record five successes in the competition if they win.

Since 2008, a La Liga side has won the Champions League on seven occasions -- while they have also boasted Europa League winners six...

The English transfer window is closed, but the rest of Europe is still open for business, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow along with our daily blog throughout the summer.

When does the transfer window close in the top European leagues?

All completed moves: Prem | Champ | La Liga | Serie A | Bundesliga | Ligue 1

Barcelona to continue Pogba pursuit

Barcelona's interest in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is far from over, according to the Telegraph.

It reports...