Severely depleted Real Madrid conceded a fourth penalty in two games as it drew 1-1 at Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday, dropping points for the second game in a row.
Zinedine Zidane's side was missing seven players through injury and illness, including the indispensable trio of Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Casemiro, but the champions went ahead in the second minute with a diving header from Mariano Diaz.
MADRID — Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has played down notions of a rift between club great Lionel Messi and fellow forward Antoine Griezmann.
Earlier this month Griezmann's former agent, Eric Olhats, told France Football that the Argentine had a problem with his ex-client, leading Messi to snap at journalists upon his return from international duty.
When asked about the subject ahead of Saturday's visit to Atletico Madrid, Koeman said the duo get along.
Real Madrid are set to be without captain Sergio Ramos for their Champions League trip to Inter Milan after they confirmed on Thursday that he suffered a hamstring injury on international duty with Spain.
Ramos was substituted in the first half of the team's 6-0 thrashing of Germany on Tuesday.
"After undergoing tests under the supervision of Real Madrid's medical team, Sergio Ramos has picked up a hamstring problem," Real said in a statement.
When Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann returns to face his former club Atlético Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday the Frenchman could be forgiven for wondering how things might have been different had he stayed at the Wanda Metropolitano.
First of all, the chances are that Griezmann will be on the bench as his current and former employers battle. After leaving Atléti, where he was the star man, for the Camp Nou in 2019 few things have gone right for Griezmann. He has struggled to find the form that persuaded the Catalans to pay his $141.98 million release clause.
A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the LaLiga club.
BARCELONA — With Barcelona's glory days rapidly becoming a fading memory, presidential hopeful Victor Font believes luring former midfield great Xavi Hernandez back to the club would spark another golden age for the Catalans.
Xavi, one of the architects of Barca's decade-long rule of world football, is the coach of Qatari side Al Sadd but has agreed to play a leading role back with Barca if Font wins the club's election on Jan. 24.
While Font expects to see Xavi, 40, in the Barca dugout at some point, he is equally enthusiastic about the long term role he can play.
Time waits for no one at FC Barcelona, but there’s a feeling in Catalonia that this squad — the club’s youngest in the last decade — has an incredibly promising core of young talent centered around the likes of Ansu Fati, Francisco Trincão and Sergiño Dest.
Ecuadorean footballer Pervis Estupiñan lost his passport after his country's World Cup qualifying win over Colombia and took to social media on Wednesday to appeal for help in finding it.
"I want to make a call to help me find three black bags and a passport I lost yesterday in Carapungo (Quito)," the Villarreal player said on Twitter.
"I'd be so thankful if anyone who finds them can send me an email" he added alongside his personal email address.
Spain forward Ferran Torres scored a first career hat-trick as his side crushed helpless Germany 6-0 at home on Tuesday to storm into the final four of the Nations League.
Goals from Alvaro Morata, Ferran and Rodri gave Luis Enrique's side a convincing 3-0 lead at halftime, while Ferran struck again early in the second half and completed his treble with a classy finish. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal tapped in the sixth goal in the 89th minute to adorn an incredible Spain display and deepen four-time world champion Germany's misery.
LaLiga has slashed spending limits for its clubs by $724.25 million for the 2020-2021 season due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain's top soccer league said on Tuesday.
Barcelona's salary cap has been cut to $454 million from last season's $796 million, while defending champions Real Madrid can spend $555 million, down $205 million from last season's spending limit.