By: Casey Rhine
Ohhhh El Clásico, where to begin. One of soccer's most heated, yet most deeply cherished rivalries.Few of you readers get to experience El Clasico, in Barcelona, while it's happening. This was my mission on December 23rd and should be your mission on May 6th if you are not lucky enough to go to the game in the Camp Nou.
Jude Bellingham has put his wonderful individual debut season with Real Madrid aside and called one of his teammates the best player in the world.
Bellingham calls Vinicius Jr. the best player in the world
If you’ve seen the hit show “Ted Lasso” then you might remember the scene where Lasso, Roy Kent and the gang convince Jamie Tartt to be a prick and get on the other team’s nerves.
One player who excels at this in the real world is Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. Not only do Tartt and Vini have incredible footwork and finishing abilities, but they both know how to get under opponent’s skin.
MADRID — Real Madrid striker Joselu was in dreamland after he came on in the dying moments of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and turned the game on its head with two goals to snatch a stunning victory.
Joselu, whose journeyman career has included spells at clubs such as Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City and Newcastle United, only touched the ball a few times in their 2-1 second-leg win, but it was a night he is likely to remember for a long time.
Real Madrid pulled off another stunning last-minute comeback victory against Bayern Munich to win 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) in the Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. One major talking point is a late Bayern offside call.
In the dying seconds of the game with Real Madrid leading 2-1, Bayern’s Matthijs de Ligt thought he’d netted a dramatic equalizer. He’d be denied as the linesman raised his flag for an offside call just before his goal.
MADRID — Real Madrid claimed a record-extending 36th LaLiga title on Saturday after Girona's 4-2 thrashing of local rivals Barcelona left Carlo Ancelotti's side with an unassailable lead in the standings.
With four games left, Real Madrid moved to 87 points on top of the standings after their second-string players earned a 3-0 win over relegation threatened Cadiz earlier on Saturday, 13 ahead of Girona in second and 14 clear of third-placed Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti has created some controversy following his statements in Real Madrid’s press conference on Friday, with the Italian manager giving no answer as to which goalkeeper he would plan on playing in a hypothetical Champions League final: Lunin or Courtois.
This weekend will see the return of starting Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after missing all what has been played in the 2023-24 season due to an ACL and meniscus injury. He will start in their home LaLiga bout against Cadiz this Saturday.
We could see Johnny play in the Champions League next season. And not with Real Betis.
USMNT's Johnny Cardoso has been in incredible club form since signing for LaLiga’s Real Betis last winter, making himself an undisputed starter for the Spanish club since his arrival in January and quickly becoming a fan-favorite in Sevilla.
MUNICH — Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr scored twice, including a late penalty, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in an entertaining Champions League semifinal, first leg on Tuesday, leaving the tie wide open.
The Brazilian, who put Real in front after 24 minutes, has now scored in the semifinals for a third successive season.
Bayern had struck twice in four minutes early in the second half through a Leroy Sane strike and Harry Kane penalty to turn the game around before Vinicius' spot kick.
Antonio Rüdiger shut down Erling Haaland and is now aiming to shut down Kylian Mbappé.
Rüdiger has been in incredible form with Real Madrid this season (taking the reigns of the central defense following the injuries of teammates Eder Militão and David Alaba), leading the team to a very likely LaLiga title as well as to a spot in the UEFA Champions League semifinals through the deciding kick in a penalty shoot-out.