La Liga's title race is going to the wire, as all three contenders claimed important victories yesterday. In recent weeks they seemed to have been taking it in turns to drop points, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to predict who will claim the crown. The Barcelona derby opened proceedings. Espanyol kept the match tight against their local rivals despite tipping site Gamblingsites.net who write about the importance of gambling safely, predicting a Barca rout. It looked as if Tata Martino's points were in danger of dropping more points, until the wizard came to their rescue again. … [Read more...]
Bale Caps Great Week For Real Madrid
Gareth Bale scored yesterday in Real Madrid's 4-2 victory over plucky Villareal. It capped a great week Los Blancos. They beat Atletico 3-0 in the Copa Del rey semi-final and have now overtaken their local rivals, to go top of La Liga. Bale returned from injury to replace the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo. It took just seven minutes for him to open the scoring, a delicate chip over Asenjo. Karim Benzema scored Madrid's second after 25 minutes, before Villareal full back Mario pulled a goal back before half time. It could have been so much more, Real Madrid are full of confidence. It's now 23 … [Read more...]
Bale Injury Not As Bad As Feared
When Gareth Bale failed to re-appear for the second half of Real Madrid's game against Granada on Saturday, fans feared the worst. But there is good news on the injury front. Carlo Ancelotti has rushed to quell the rumours about the world's most expensive player: “Bale tried to train but had discomfort in his left leg. We prefer that he recovers and he will not play on Tuesday. He should be available on Sunday.” Bale suffered a heavy challenge from Granada's Murillo, and limped off the field at half time in some discomfort. It has been a stop start first season at the Bernabeu, he has spent as … [Read more...]
Real Betis 0-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid moved joint top of La Liga yesterday after a 5-0 demolition of rock bottom Real Betis. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will see an ominous shadow looming as they prepare for their matches today. Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off his magnificent week with the opener, a fantastic power strike, but the greatest smile of the night was on the face of Gareth Bale. On 25 minutes he curled a perfect free kick past an unmoving Stephan Anderson in the Betis goal – his first goal in two months and his tenth for Madrid. The best is yet to come from Bale but he is showing signs of improvement. Madrid … [Read more...]
It’s Real Madrid 3, Barcelona 0
It was Real Madrid 3 Barcelona 0 today as UEFA announced their official team of the year for 2013. The dream team is voted for by ordinary football fans through social media and via the UEFA website, but they failed a recognise a single Barcelona player, despite their runaway success in La Liga last year. There was another snub for Lionel Messi, who finished 13th in the votes, after losing out to Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or on Tuesday. Even with his injury problems it seems absurd to leave him out of a European league 11. Ronaldo himself made, the squad, of course and it marked the … [Read more...]
Ancelotti not right for Los Blancos claims ex Madrid president
Is Carlo Ancelotti the right man to lead Los Blancos? Not according to Ramon Calderon. "It seems to me that Ancelotti does not have the personality and charisma to lead Real Madrid" said the ex-CEO earlier this month. He went on to attack their style of play under Ancelotti saying it wasn’t 'defined' or 'organized' and that they 'concede too many goals'. In Calderon’s eyes, the hiring of Ancelotti was a mistake. … [Read more...]
Real Madrid face battle with Chelsea to sign Benfica star, Nemanja Matic
Both Chelsea and Real Madrid are in competition to sign Benfica's talented playmaker Nemanja Matic in the January transfer window reports the Correio da Manha. The Serbian's footballing stock has risen dramatically over the past twelve months after a string of impressive displays for the Portuguese giants both domestically and in Europe. … [Read more...]
El Clasico Review
El Gran Clasico certainly lived up to it’s name with the star names on show. The likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Bale and Neymar all started the world’s most famous fixture. But what was the fallout after Barcelona’s 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou? With none of the four superstars at their dazzling best, it was the Barca possession coupled with Real’s defensive frailties and tactical naivety that widened the gap between the two global icons to six points. … [Read more...]
Neymar outshines Bale in Clasico
The Brazilian striker cost roughly half of what Real Madrid spent on Gareth Bale in the summer but the difference on the pitch was staggering. Neymar opened the scoring and gave the Real defence a horrid evening at the Nou Camp during Barca's 2-1 win whilst Bale was subbed late on after making a minimal impact. The two have endured contrasting periods since signing for their clubs with Bale yet to properly settle in in Madrid. Bale's battle with injury has been well documented as he awaits his first chance to play for Los Blancos as a fully fit member of the squad - a squad he has yet to … [Read more...]
Real May Regret Ozil’s Sale
The seemingly endless Gareth Bale saga is finally over and Real Madrid have landed their man, but with the last-minute departures of the likes of Mesut Ozil and Kaka, are Carlo Ancelotti’s side really any stronger? … [Read more...]