Real Madrid
After Scoring Winner Vs. Ajax, Marco Asensio Got A Classic Visit From Grandma
Last Wednesday, Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio scored one of the most important goals of his career, earning his side a vital 2-1 away win over Ajax in the Champions League Round of 16.
Despite impressing intermittently over the course of his three-year stay at Real, the 23-year-old has struggled for consistency this campaign — much like the rest of his teammates.
But the victory over Ajax was a massive moment for both club and individual as Asensio’s strike made a NINTH STRAIGHT APPEARANCE in the UCL quarterfinals look very attainable for Real.
Sergio Ramos Red Card Total Reaches A Quarter-Century
When you think about LaLiga records, you’re automatically drawn to things like Lionel Messi’s haul of 405 goals and counting, Cristiano Ronaldo’s 34 hat-tricks and personal ratio of 1.07 goals per game, and Messi’s single-season record of 50 goals. Those are records that rightly seem untouchable; these are spectacular times indeed.
But in the land of Spain, in the confines of the Santiago Bernabéu, there is another record that’ll likely never be touched: Sergio Ramos’ collection of 20 red cards in LaLiga. Ramos' 20th in domestic play is a record across Europe's top five leagues.
Contentious First Use Of VAR In Champions League Helps Real Madrid Edge Ajax
The Video Assistant Referee is in use in the Champions League Round of 16 for the first time this week. So of course conspiracy theorists are already hard at work trying to figure out the Ajax disallowed goal that helped Real Madrid grab a 2-1 away win in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday.
UEFA, thankfully, is smarter than the English FA and decided to start using VAR for the Champions League in the Round of 16 instead of waiting for next season. The first two matches Tuesday were without controversy and the VAR was not required.
Alvaro Morata Scored Most Amazing Chip In Madrid Derby, So Of Course VAR Disallowed It
Alvaro Morata had to leave Chelsea — he really had no choice after his form and confidence seemingly dissipated after a slew of shocking missed opportunities. So he returned to Madrid, where he started his professional career back nearly 10 years ago. Except, he joined Atletico, not Real.
El Clasico Begins With Over 90,000 Singing The Barca Anthem A Cappella
As is customary, FC Barcelona walked out to "El Cant del Barça" during Wednesday's Copa del Rey semifinal first leg against Real Madrid. But due to the significance of the occasion — what with it being an El Clásico semifinal — the accompanying music was turned off and the anthem was sung a cappella.
Wednesday night's announced attendance was 92,008, so the result was staggering.
Absurd Goal From Malcom Gives Barcelona 1-1 Draw With Real Madrid In Copa Del Rey Clásico
Because someone somewhere loves us, we’re being treated to three El Clásicos between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the next month. It started on Wednesday at the Camp Nou, the first leg in the Copa del Rey semifinals, with a Malcom goal vs Real Madrid leading to a 1-1 draw.
The match didn’t feature Lionel Messi or Gareth Bale in the starting lineups, though that didn’t worry Barça fans too much after they watched their side eviscerate Los Blancos 5-1 without Messi in October.
Good News For Barcelona And Lionel Messi Ahead Of Copa Del Rey Clásico
On Wednesday, FC Barcelona will host Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at the Camp Nou. This will be the 239th competitive meeting of the sides — and the 34th in the Copa — but it’s one that many feared Lionel Messi would miss. The Barça captain suffered a thigh injury during last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Valencia, and he only just returned to training today.
6 Expensive Signings Currently Rotting On The Bench
Big European clubs have a large war chest to use for summer and winter transfers (usually). This massive amount of money is used to either fill a void left by a player leaving, add players to complement the current team or to improve squad depth.
Usually, the expensive signings are meant to move straight into the starting lineup. Sometimes, new signings don’t always settle or play well and can spend some time on the bench. Here are some players with a high transfer market value that're rarely getting game time.
Here are the most expensive players on the bench.
Karim Benzema Reminds Everyone That He’s Insanely Good With Virtuoso Performance
After scoring only five league goals in 32 appearances last season — coupled with the celebration of his 31st birthday in December — the limelight had decidedly shifted away from Karim Benzema at Real Madrid and onto potential transfer targets like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Eden Hazard.