Can Real Madrid ignite trophy surge after late team-bonding dinner?

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is counting on a team-bonding dinner reportedly paid for by the team's biggest stars will boost their late-season pursuit of the La Liga and Champions League trophies.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe paid the bill at the restaurant in Madrid on Tuesday, midfielder Dani Ceballos told reporters. The tab ran over 1,000 euros ($1,100), according to accounts by Spanish media.

Vinicius posted a photo of the entire squad during the dinner near the city center in a fancy location that features "Art Dining Club."

Fans waited outside the restaurant to try to talk to the players after the dinner, which went well past midnight.

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa and his assistants were not part of the dinner, Spanish media said.

The show of unity came a week before Madrid faces Benfica in the first leg of the knockout stage of the Champions League. The team dropped out of the top eight that automatically qualified for the round of 16 after a 4-2 loss at the same Benfica in the final round of the league phase.

Defender Raul Asencio told media after the dinner that the team was "very united."

Madrid went through turmoil at the end of last year, with some players reportedly not on the same page with coach Xabi Alonso, who was replaced by Arbeloa last month.

Madrid improved, but under Arbeloa it was eliminated by second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16, and lost to Benfica in the match that relegated the team to the Champions League's first knockout stage.

In La Liga, Madrid has won seven in a row to be one point behind leader Barcelona. A victory against Real Sociedad on Saturday would lift Madrid into first place before Barcelona’s trip to face Girona on Monday.

Eighth-placed Sociedad is coming off a 1-0 win at Basque Country rival Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.