The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Real Madrid

  • Omeruo returns as Leganes hold Real Madrid

    Nigeria defender, Kenneth Omeruo returned to Leganes starting line up on Monday in their 1-1 draw at home to Real Madrid in a La Liga clash.

    Omeruo who had missed Leganes’ last three games against Getafe, Real Valladolid and Alaves starred in a five-man defence which paraded Allan Nyom, Unai Bustinza, Dimitrios Siovas and Jonathan Silva.

    Jonathan Silva scored for Leganes in the waning seconds of the first half when the defender curled a shot past Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas inside the box.

    Karim Benzema drew Real Madrid level six minutes into the second-half from a tight-angle rebound after Ivan Cuellar blocked the Frenchman’s initial shot.

    The draw strengthened Los Blancos’ third-place spot in the table but remain four points behind second-place Atletico Madrid.

    While for Leganes the draw extends their unbeaten streak to four league games, but have not defeated Madrid in league play in the last six matchups.

    Omeruo who is currently on loan from Chelsea has made 22 La Liga appearances this season.

  • La Liga: Real Madrid stumble again in disappointing 1-1 draw with Leganes

    Real Madrid stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Leganes on Monday, the latest disappointing result in a nightmare season for the European champions.

    Zinedine Zidane’s side, who are third in the table and 13 points behind leaders Barcelona, were uninspired against local rivals Leganes.

    Madrid put in the kind of lethargic performance which has plagued their season, with Marco Asensio and Raphael Varane missing good first-half chances.

    Jonathan Silva fired Leganes ahead in the 45th minute with their first chance of the game, driving home from the edge of the box.

    Karim Benzema equalised at the start of the second half and Marcelo saw a shot tipped away as Madrid enjoyed a short period in ascendancy.

    Leganes, 11th in the table, went close to winning the game but Youssef En-Nesyri had a goal correctly disallowed for offside. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Real Madrid budgets £240m for ‘Operation Mbappe’

     

    Real Madrid have made Kylian Mbappe their No 1 target this summer and are plotting a staggering £240million bid for the Frenchman.

    Zinedine Zidane has made the Paris Saint-Germain forward his main target as he begins his overhaul of the squad after returning to the Bernabeu for a second spell as manager.

    Despite Zidane’s admiration for Mbappe, it had been thought that any deal to get him out of the French capital was impossible but Real are now said to be confident that they can get a deal done.

    France Football, who have both Mbappe and Zidane on their front cover with the headline ‘Operation Mbappe’, are reporting that the manager will have significant funds to strengthen his squad.

    Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has guaranteed Zidane a minimum of €500m (£430m) to splash out on first-team personnel.Of that figure, €400m (£340m) is already available while the remaining €100m (£90m) will come from the sale of Gareth Bale ‘to a Premier League club’.

    Real are desperate to make radical changes to their forward line in the next transfer window. A failure to replace Cristiano Ronaldo sufficiently last summer has cost them in La Liga and the Champions League this campaign.

    PSG will be extremely reluctant to sell their crown jewel though and the scenario in which he tries to force a move because he is impatient to win the Champions League, still seems some way away.

    Mbappe, who won the World Cup with France last summer, has thrived in Paris since arriving from Monaco in the summer of 2017.

    The 20-year-old is PSG’s top scorer this term with 31 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions.

    The Spanish giants have been linked to several players in recent weeks as they look to catch up with Barcelona domestically and the rest of Europe’s elite in the Champions League.

    Liverpool have forcefully declined any approach for their winger Sadio Mane, according to Monday’s edition of Marca.

    The interest in the 26-year-old has grown amid his current run of form and his record of 53 goals and 21 assists in 111 matches for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

    Zidane is also said to be keen on Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. The Belgian has been a long-term target for Real and, as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, this could be the summer he finally leaves.

  • Isco, Bale get Zidane’s second coming off to winning start for Real Madrid

    Zinedine Zidane’s second spell as Real Madrid coach got off to a promising start with a 2-0 win at home to Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday.

    The two goals came thanks to goals from Isco and Gareth Bale, who had fallen out of favour with previous coach Santiago Solari.

    Spain midfielder Isco was handed his first start in the league since October by returning hero Zidane and broke the deadlock in the 62nd.

    He only had to tap in a low cross from Karim Benzema at close range.

    Luka Modric had a goal ruled out for offside earlier in the second half and Bale, who had struck the crossbar in the first period, sealed victory with a shot in off the post in the 77th minute.

    The goal further lifted the mood at the Santiago Bernabeu.

    Real are third in the league standings with 54 points after 28 games, two behind second-placed Atletico Madrid who visit Athletic Bilbao later on Saturday.

    They are nine points behind leaders Barcelona who play at Real Betis on Sunday.

    This was not quite as resounding a performance as the 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna in Zidane’s first game as Real coach in 2016.

    Yet it was still a therapeutic win for a team which had looked lost since the Frenchman announced his resignation after last year’s Champions League final.

    Zidane had said on his return that changes were needed at Madrid after haphazard results had seen Julen Lopetegui sacked in October.

    Lopetegui’s replacement Solari was also dismissed and the team was left with no trophies left to fight for this season.

    The Frenchman’s line-up showed he was serious as he brought back goalkeeper Keylor Navas, as well as Isco and Marcelo into the side.

    Read Also: Real Madrid reappoints Zidane as coach after sacking Solari

    Those were players who had all started in the Champions League final win over Liverpool but had been cast aside by Solari.

    Navas was called into action early to palm away a goal-bound header from Maxi Gomez, but Madrid had the better of the first half.

    They nearly took the lead when Bale smashed against the bar, while Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos also came close.

    Madrid looked to have gone ahead when Modric’s shot bounced into the net.

    The goal was however ruled out after a pitchside Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review ruled Raphael Varane had been offside and obstructing Celta goalkeeper Ruben Blanco’s view.

    Isco soon brought a smile back to the Bernabeu faithful by guiding Benzema’s cross into the net after an impressive run by Marco Asensio.

    Much has been said about whether Zidane’s return could mean the end of Bale’s career in Madrid, but the Wales forward capped a strong display by sealing victory.

    He has now scored three goals in his last two games under Zidane and further adding to the celebratory mood

    NAN

     

  • Chelsea’s Sarri unhappy with sorry state of Kiev pitch

    Chelsea’s manager Maurizio Sarri has expressed unhappiness with the pitch at Kiev’s NSC Olympic Stadium ahead of his team’s UEFA Europa League last 16 second leg tie later on Thursday.

    Chelsea, who won last week’s first leg game in London 3-0, trained at the stadium on Wednesday.

    “The pitch is not good and I think that it’s really dangerous to play any football here. It’s really very dangerous for injuries,” Sarri told reporters.

    “I don’t know the reason, probably winter, because I played here two years ago and the pitch was wonderful (but it is now) very, very dangerous.”

    Read Also: Chelsea battle past Fulham in West London derby

    The NSC Olympic Stadium hosted last season’s UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, which the Spanish side won 3-1.

    Sarri was in charge of Napoli when the Italian side beat Dynamo 2-1 at the stadium during the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League group stages.

    Chelsea coach Sarri also criticised UEFA for not paying more attention to player welfare.

  • ‘Messi, Casemiro, Three Others May Decide El Clasico’

    The duo of Barcelona ace Lionel Messi and Real Madrid Casemiro jhave been spotted among the five players who could prove to be crucial in determining the fate of tomorrow’s El clasico.

    Real Madrid would take on arch-rivals Barcelona in an important La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Saturday. Barcelona beat Real 3-0 in the second leg of the Copa Del Rey semifinal on Wednesday to continue their dominance over the Los Blancos in their own backyard.

    Barcelona have now won 10 of their last 17 matches against Real at the Bernabeu. However, if Real manage to get the better of the Blaugrana tomorrow, they could still have an outside chance of winning the LaLiga. Madrid now have 48 points from 24 matches, while Barca have 57 from 25.

    It is not going to be easy for Real to beat Barca, as the latter hold the psychological edge over them. Real have conceded 9 goals in 3 matches against their arch-rivals in the ongoing season, and will have to put up a much better display if they are to reverse the trend.

     

    SEE The FIVE PLAYERS WHO COULD DECIDE EL CLASICO BELOW

    Lionel Messi

    We couldn’t start anywhere else. The Argentine is this fixture’s all-time top scorer, with 26 goals to his name. He’s come up big time and time again and while Barcelona were able to comfortably win the first El Clasico of the season 5-1 back in October, Barça’s number 10 has a habit of being the difference maker at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he’s netted 15 of his 26 El Clasico goals.

    Karim Benzema

    Karim Benzema has emerged as Real Madrid’s main goal threat this season and has proven over the years that he is capable of netting in this rivalry. He already has nine El Clasico goals to his name and is having one of his best-ever seasons in front of goal, so Barcelona’s centre-back pairing will need to keep a close eye on him.

    Marc-André ter Stegen

    The Barcelona goalkeeper has been in excellent form this season and will have to be once again as he faces up to a determined Real Madrid attack, one which will be spurred on by the home crowd. The German has already made the difference in a number of LaLiga Santander fixtures this season and is second only to Atleti’s Jan Oblak in clean sheets (10). If Barça can come away with a win he’ll have a lot to do with it.

    Casemiro

    As Real Madrid’s main defensive midfielder, Casemiro is a busy man during El Clásico. The Brazilian is tasked with winning back the ball, with effectively breaking up counter attacks and with dealing with Lionel Messi. If he can provide extra protection to his back line, then Los Blancos will have an excellent chance. The 27-year-old also has the potential for a goal in his boots, with four to his name already this season.

    Sergi Roberto

    There’s something about Sergi Roberto and big games. The man who scored the winner in the comeback triumph over PSG in 2017 rises to the occasion and there is no bigger occasion than El Clásico away from home. His forward burst through the middle led to Barça’s last-gasp winner in this fixture two seasons ago, while he also had an assist in the 3-0 win in the capital last campaign. In fact, the youth graduate has five assists against Real Madrid in his career, more than against any other club. Talk about a player made for the big stage.

     

  • This Weekend El Clasico Live on World Of Champions

    Multichoice said this weekend rivalry El Clasico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, in Round 26 of the 2018/19 La Liga season will air live on DStv and Gotv.

    The satellite television service provider made this known in a media statement made available on Thursday in Lagos.

    The 240th competitive match between Real and Barca is set to be a key factor in the La Liga title race this season: a win for Los Blancos will bring them back into the battle for Spain’s top honour, while the Blaugrana will feel that a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu will remove one of their last major hurdles on the path to glory.

    Both teams enjoyed victories in the previous round of La Liga: Real claimed a controversial 2-1 away win away to Leganes (thanks to two penalties), while Lionel Messi was in ominous form for Barca as they won 4-2 away to Sevilla. The Argentine master netted a hat-trick at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to move further clear at the top of the Spanish top-flight scoring charts.

    READ ALSO: Why Oshoala picked FC Barcelona

    Second-placed Atletico Madrid will be hoping their derby rivals can beat Barca at home on Saturday night, which would then give them the chance to close the gap at the top to just four points with a win away to Real Sociedad at Estadio Municipal de Anoeta on Sunday.

    Atletico continued their good form with a 2-0 home win over Villarreal this past weekend (featuring goals from Alvaro Morata, his first since joining on loan from Chelsea, and Saul) and Diego Simeone will be highly motivated should the chance to put pressure on leaders Barcelona arise.

    Elsewhere in Spain, DStv and GOtv viewers can also look forward to Valencia hosting Athletic Bilbao at Estadio Mestalla on Sunday night. Both teams are in good form (Los Che are unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions ahead of a Copa del Rey match on Thursday, while Bilbao racked up a second successive win when they beat Eibar 1-0 this past weekend) and chasing a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League.

    Other games for DStv and GOtv viewers to watch out for include the round’s opening game on Friday night, which is a relegation six points between Rayo Vallecano and Girona at the Estadio de Vallecas; Villarreal will be desperate for a victory when they host high-flying Deportivo Alaves; and Real Betis could bring themselves into Champions League contention with a win at home to fourth-placed Getafe on Sunday.

    Key match stats

    Real Madrid v Barcelona – Head-to-head, all competitions

    Matches played 239

    Madrid wins 95

    Barcelona wins 93

    Draws 51

    Saturday 2 March

    8:45pm: Real Madrid v Barcelona – LIVE on SS7 & SelGo4

  • Real Madrid suffer shock home defeat to Girona

    Real Madrid’s resurgent La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 1-2 defeat at home by struggling Girona on Sunday.

    The loss, in which captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, left them nine points adrift of leaders FC Barcelona.

    Real Madrid looked on course for a sixth consecutive league win when Casemiro leapt highest to meet a Toni Kroos cross and head them in front midway through the first half.

    Read Also: Real Madrid beat Atletico to go second in La Liga

    But Girona, who had not won in the league since November, came out with a vengeance in the second half.

    They leveled in the 65th minute with a Cristhian Stuani penalty kick, after a handball by Ramos.

    Spanish striker Cristian Portu gave Girona an unlikely lead 10 minutes later, nipping in front of Real Madrid’s lacklustre defender Marcelo to nod in on the rebound.

    That was after Thibaut Courtois could only parry a shot from visiting forward Anthony Lozano.

    Real Madrid substitutes Gareth Bale and Vinicius Jr each squandered opportunities to level for the European champions.

    Things got worse when Ramos earned a second yellow card in added time and was sent off for the 25th time in club football.

    Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois came close to salvaging an equaliser but headed wide deep in stoppage time.

    The defeat left Real Madrid third in the standings on 45 points, nine behind table-toppers FC Barcelona and seven back from second-placed Atletico Madrid.

    NAN

     

  • Real Madrid beat Atletico to go second in La Liga

    Real Madrid leapfrogged 10-man Atletico Madrid into second place in La Liga thanks to a 3-1 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

    Real took the lead on 15 minutes thanks to Casemiro’s opener but parity did not last long as Antoine Griezmann levelled things up 10 minutes later.

    Sergio Ramos then put the visitors back in front two minutes before the break after converting from the penalty spot. And substitute Gareth Bale rounded things off 16 minutes from time before Thomas Partey was dismissed for picking up two bookings.

    “It was a tough hard game in which they were better than us, more forceful, that is why they won,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

    “They played a very good game and we congratulate them.”

    Real captain Ramos said: “La Liga is there to fight for, there are a lot of points to win and any team can make your life hard.

    “Winning the league motivates us, it’s a really balanced competition and we have to keep fighting for it and making life difficult for Barcelona.”

    Alvaro Morata, facing his former club, thought he had equalised in the second half but after he lobbed Thibaut Courtois, VAR ruled the former Chelsea striker offside.

    And once Bale finished off after good work from Luka Modric, it was game over.

    The VAR officials were busy throughout, checking both the Griezmann goal and Ramos penalty and Simeone added: “I do not usually talk about the VAR.

    “It will clearly improve for the good of everyone. I’ve not seen the replays. VAR is not why we lost today.

    “The penalty incident is important in a game, it’s true, but we are used to VAR now. We know you can celebrate a goal and then it does not count.”

    In a typically frantic opening, Atletico had a lot of the ball to begin with while the home fans whistled Courtois mercilessly, even launching toy rats in his direction in reaction to his decision to join Atleti’s bitter rivals last summer.

    But Courtois and Real were smiling early on thanks to Casemiro’s opener, an acrobatic finish from the Brazil midfielder after Atletico failed to clear their lines. Griezmann got the hosts back on track, though, after latching on to Angel Correa’s pass to slot past Courtois. After a delay to check via VAR if the goal should have stood, it was ruled that there was no foul by Correa on Vinicius Jr.

    Vinicius then stormed past Jose Gimenez just before the break and after another VAR intervention, a penalty was given that Ramos converted for his 11th of the season — the best scoring season of his career.

    Atleti were quick out the blocks in the second half and on 53 minutes, Morata had the ball in the net with a superbly taken finish over Courtois. VAR came to Real’s rescue, though, declaring Morata offside.

    Atletico pushed for a way back into the match for a second time and Morata went down in the box, but appeals for a penalty were turned down before Bale made the game safe and Partey saw red.

    Asked why Bale headed straight to the dressing room on full time when his teammates were still celebrating on the pitch, Solari praised the impact the impact made by a player still returning from his latest muscle injury.

    “[Bale] was very happy going to the dressing-room, and happy with his goal,” he said.

    “The game was alive, and then Gareth killed it. Every day he is feeling better.”

    Real Madrid moved up to second with the victory, five points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of their clash with Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

  • Alleged tax fraud: Mourinho accepts one-year prison sentence

     

    Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has accepted a one-year prison sentence for defrauding the Spanish state of €3.3million (£2.9m), a Spanish court filing showed on Tuesday, although the Portuguese will not serve any jail time.

    The filing said the tax ministry and Mourinho’s defence team had agreed to exchange the 12-month prison sentence with a daily fine of €250 (£220) for 24 months, equivalent to €182,500 (£160,000), as under Spanish law jail terms under two years can be served under probation.

    The court filing said Mourinho leased his image rights to companies based in the British Virgin Islands and Ireland in 2004 but left those earnings out of his tax returns from 2011 and 2012, when he was coach of Real Madrid and a fiscal resident in Spain, ‘with the aim of obtaining illicit profits’

    Aside from the one-year prison sentence, Mourinho has been fined €1.9m (£1.7m), 60 per cent of the amount defrauded, as well as €121,764 (£107,000) in interest.

    The 56-year-old and his representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

    The news comes less than two months after Mourinho was sacked from his job as Manchester United manager.

    He left Real Madrid in 2013 after three seasons at the club, in which time he won one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey.

    The settlement is the latest in a line of tax cases involving players and managers from Spain’s two biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

    Lionel Messi exchanged a 21-month sentence for a €2m (£1.8m) fine in 2016, the same year his then-Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano was given a one-year suspended sentence.