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Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates after scoringduring the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 10, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Real Madrid can finish the year touching silverware for third straight year. Los Blancos face Al-Ain in the FIFA Club World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi at 16:30, UK Time. After beating Kashima Antlers (1-3) in the semi-finals, Solari’s men are ready to conquer another title in 2019.

Santiago Hernán Solari should repeat the same starting eleven that beat Kashima on Wednesday. So Marcos Llorente should be the stopper even if Casemiro played his first minutes in the semi-finals, but the Brazilian is not ready yet to play 90 minutes. In the attacking line, Benzema, Lucas Vázquez and Gareth Bale are set to start.

The Welshman will be the player to follow as he scored a hat-trick in the semi-finals. Even if his season has been disappointing so far, Bale is a specialist in the important games, as he showed in the Champions League final in Kiev. Besides, if the Welshman scores one goal, he would be the top scorer in the history of the competition, catching Cristiano Ronaldo.

Marco Asensio is the only absence for muscular problems. The former Mallorca player entered in the pitch in the second half against Kashima but he had to be substituted after 10 minutes. For this reason, Solari doesn’t have many solutions in the attacking line, with Isco and Vinicius Junior as the only offensive players on the bench.

Los Blancos could wrap up another successful year with another title. Last two years they were able to lift this trophy beating Gremio Portoalegre with a goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 and Kashima Antlers in 2016. It will be also very important for Santiago Hernán Solari’s future as he’s been unable to improve the team so far even if the results haven’t been that bad.

After this game, Real Madrid players will be able to enjoy their holidays for Christmas. However, they will be back to work quite soon as they will face Villarreal on the 3rd of January, a game postpone for this final.

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Isco-ESP_GI

Real Madrid got their ticket to the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday after beating Kashima Antler in the semi-finals thanks to a hat-trick scored by Gareth Bale. Isco Alarcón saw this performance from the bench, his usual space in the last games with Los Blancos. Will he be able to change his situation?

This is the worst moment since his arrival to Real Madrid in 2013. Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane didn’t trust him by moments, but his situation didn’t seem as bad as it is now. At least, he was able to play some minutes on Wednesday, as he came in to the pitch in the 67th minute after missing the whole game against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

His bad behaviour in the Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow with the supporters allowed Solari to take the decision of saving him and keeping him on the bench at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The manager didn’t want any reaction for the public after being booed in the Champions League game.

However, the worst thing about his situation is that he is losing weight in the team. With Lopetegui on the bench, Isco was the star of the team, but his appendicitis changed everything, putting him on the bench too many times. Actually, he has only started 5 times in La Liga this season, the last time in El Clásico, the last Lopetegui game, back in October.

The end of the year is drawing close so it’s time to look back and thing ways to improve. Also for Isco Alarcón. He is the player with more technique in the squad, but his level has been very poor and his behaviour even worse. It’s not too late, but Isco needs to react and change his situation. The final against Al-Ain on Saturday could be a good start.

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Real Madrid will play on Saturday the final of the FIFA Club World Cup against Al-Ain after beating (1-3) Kashima Antlers in the second semi-finals. Los Blancos were warned after River Plate knockout and they didn’t give any chance to the Japanese team. Despite playing a bad first half, Gareth Bale again was decisive in a very important game and he scored a great hat-trick. Los Blancos will play their third staright final in this tournament.

Santiago Hernán Solari introduced his best starting eleven, with Lucas Vázquez and Gareth Bale as wingers. The Welshman was finally recovered after getting injured against CSKA Moscow. Marcos Llorente was again the stopper because Casemiro is not yet fit for this tournament.

The line-up showed that Real Madrid manager respected too much Kashima Antlers. And he was totally right. Actually, in the first two minutes, the Asian champion could score twice, but Courtois saved the first one and the corner kick didn’t find any head. Los Blancos tried to reply after the first 10 minutes and they took control of the game. However, they weren’t able to create clear chances, with Benzema very active but far from the goal.

Real Madrid played very slow, without finding the rival goalkeeper until the 43rd minute. Marcelo served a great pass to Gareth Bale, who found the net unblocking the scoreboard. A very important goal just before the half-time. It was a bad first half for Los Blancos, but they took the lead.

The second half was totally different, especially because Kashima gave too many options to Los Blancos. Gareth Bale nailed the second goal after a big mistake of the defense and just two minutes later he repeated. A hat-trick for the Welshman to qualify Real Madrid for the final against Al-Ain.

After these two goals, the game was over. Solari started to make changes and saved Bale for the final. At least, we could see Isco again, always good news. It wasn’t everything positive, because Asensio got injured in the last minutes. Casemiro, who played after several weeks out of the team, was his substitute. Real Madrid played very relaxed and Kashima could scored his goal in the 78th minute thanks to Doi.

Real Madrid should win this tournament as they are a much better team than their rivals, especially if they take the games seriously as they did today. However, the team is still very slow and they are very far away from playing well football.

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Champions Leaguetrophy_GI

Real Madrid will face Ajax in the Last 16 Round of the Champions League 2018/19 after the decisive draw. Los Blancos were quite lucky to meet the Dutch team in the knock-out stage as there were some rivals with more potencial like Liverpool or Tottenham. The first leg will be held in Amsterdam, on the 13th of February, and the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu stadium on the 5th of March.

Ajax is currently second in the Eredivise after PSV, the current title holder. However, the capital team made a great group stage with tough rivals like Bayern Munich, Benfica and AEK Athens. Actually, they were very close to end up topping their group. De Jong, Tadic or Huntelaar are the main stars of the team managed by Ten Hag.

The head to head is very positive for Los Blancos, who have won the last six games. The last meeting between the two giants was in the group stage in 2012 and Real Madrid won 1-4 in Amsterdam with a hat-trick of Cristiano Ronaldo and 4-1 in Madrid.

Solari’s men were very lucky in the draw but they shouldn’t relax. The team is playing really bad and Ajax have shown this year that they are able to compete against every single team. Actually, Bayern Munich was unable to beat them in the two games in the group stage.

Atlético Madrid were unlucky and the draw and they will face Cristiano Ronaldo with Juventus. Barcelona face Olympique Lyon, so the three Spanish teams have had different chance. The other games will be Roma-Porto; Liverpool-Bayern Munich; Schalke-Manchester City; Tottenham Hotspur-Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United-PSG.

Will Los Blancos be able to go through again to the quarter final of the Champions League? Will Florentino Pérez sign any player in this winter market? We will have to wait until March to see these answers.

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Real Madrid got another suffered victory (1-0) in La Liga against a team in the relegation zone. Rayo Vallecano could get a point in the last minute but Courtois saved Los Blancos, who still chase Barcelona in the top of the table. At the end, Benzema’s goal gave an important triumph before travelling to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Solari put a starting eleven very similar to the one that we could see in a week, in the FIFA Club World Cup final, probably against River Plate. Isco was again on the bench, whereas Asensio replaced Bale, again injured.

The start of the game was totally different from the Champions League game against CSKA Moscow. Los Blancos moved quickly the ball and they found the goal in the 12th minute. Karim Benzema introduced the ball in the goal after a good assist from Asensio. The Frenchman was the best player in the first half.

Los Blancos were better in the first 45 minutes, although Rayo Vallecano had a very good chance with a header of Velázquez after a corner kick. Asensio could also scored, but he missed a one on one action with Dimitrevski. Also Kroos was close to score, but his shot hit the post. It was not the best version of the team, but at least the image improved.

The second half was quite similar. Real Madrid had the control, but the goals didn’t arrive. Asensio had the most clear chance again, after a great move from Luka Modric. Sergio Ramos was the only one who could score, but he was in offside. Bad news arrived in the 78th minute when Benzema had to be changed, perhaps with an injury. But the worst was still to come.

Rayo Vallecano had two clear chances in the injury time. Again Courtois saved two clear chances from Alex Alegría. Bernabeu booed once again their team, because the situation has not improved. Actually, Los Blancos travel now to the FIFA Club World Cup with really bad sensation. Let’s hope that the new year brings more positive things.

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Real Madrid accomplished the goal in their first visit to El Alcoraz (0-1) beating Huesca thanks to a great volley scored by Gareth Bale. It was the only thing positive in the game because Los Blancos played really bad and showed all the problems again. Thibaut Courtois was the best player, saving the team and wrapping up the three important points to continue in the title race.

Solari didn’t introduce many changes in the starting eleven. Isco and Asensio were again on the bench despite their good game in Copa del Rey, with Ceballos and Lucas Vázquez in the line-up. Both were really poor again, risking their participation in the next La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano. The Champions League fixture against CSKA Moscow will give Solari another chance to try new players.

The weather conditions were very tough to play good football. There was a strong wind blowing, difficulting the quality of the players. However, there is no excuse for this poor game against the bottom of the table, a team with only 7 points and new in the Primera División. Especially when Los Blancos found the goal in the first half, quite early, thanks to a great volley from Gareth Bale after a good assist from Álvaro Odriozola.

It looks like Los Blancos could have a quite game. Finding the goal early usually means being relaxed. But it wasn’t like this. The game seemed very similar to the one at Eibar, but the Basque team has more quality than Huesca, who missed many chances. Actually, Thibaut Courtois showed once again that he is one of the best goalkeepers of the world and he saved the three points for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid suffered until the very last minute, when Carvajal saved a goal on the line and also Courtois made a couple of saves. Solari’s team is already in Champions League positions but the game of playing is not improving. Only four points behind Barcelona means that La Liga title is still very open, but there are many improvements to be done.

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Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates after scoringduring the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 10, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Real Madrid will travel on Sunday to Huesca for the very first time in the history of Primera División. The team is currently at the bottom of the table with only 7 points and one victory against Eibar (1-2) at Ipurúa. Los Blancos need to get the three points to catch the leader, who is playing the Barcelona derby on Saturday.

Huesca is a small town in the North of Spain with over 50.000 population. Their football team was promoted for the very first time to the Primera División in June even if they were not favourites in Segunda División. Actually, it was a big surprise for everybody as this team has no history at all in Spanish football.

Former agent of Fernando Torres, José María Martín Petón is the person in charge of making this miracle together with Lasasoa. Atlético Madrid supporter, Petón is very famous in Spain for being a successful footballer agent and also sports commentator in some radio stations and TV. Last season, Rubí brought the team to the first division but he decided to join Espanyol afterwards.

As it was expected, their change to the first division has been tough. They signed Leo Franco to take over Rubi’s job, but the former goalkeeper was axed in October. Now, with Francisco as main coach the situation has not changed. Huesca is seven points behind the last position to save the category, so they need another miracle in 2019 to avoid relegation.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will travel with all their power to Aragón. After the harsh defeat at Ipurúa, the team should not relax and play with intensity and pace to obtain the three points. Isco and Asensio are back after a good game in Copa del Rey, so Solari has many options to design his starting eleven. It will be a very special day for all Huesca inhabitants.

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Real Madrid thrashed Melilla (6-1) again the Copa del Rey game at Santiago Bernabéu stadium after the clear victory obtained (0-4) in the first game with Solari as a manager. The Argentinian coach took this match to make many changes and the players shine, especially Isco and Asensio, the best footballers of the game.

Both have too much quality for games like this. However, they haven’t showed it this season, so they need to take advantage of every opportunity to convince the coach that they are able to play more important games. And they did it this afternoon -the game was played at 16:15 local time because it was bank holiday in Spain-, scoring two goals against a team from Segunda División B, the Spanish third division.

Solari included many youngsters in the starting eleven. Javi Sánchez had again another opportunity and even Jesús Vallejo made his season debut, now in December, due to his many injuries. Another two youngsters made their debut with the first team -Fran García and Fidalgo-, so Solari’s bet for the young players look very serious.

In the first 30 minutes, Melilla pressured high and we didn’t see any goal, but Asensio started with his show scoring two consecutive goals and giving one assist to Javi Sánchez, his first ever goal with the white t-shirt. In the second half it was time for Isco Alarcón, who scored two great goals with stunning shots. Even Vinicius Junior scored his goal, although his game was very poor, missing many chances and easy passes. It is still early days, but the Brazilian needs to improve a lot to play in the Spanish first division.

Overall, the most important players could rest and the rest could show Solari they can be trusted. Now it’s time for Isco and Asensio to wake up and show this in La Liga. Huesca and Rayo Vallecano are the next rivals before the winter break and the FIFA Club World Cup. These should be easy games to close the year with hopes of touching silverware in spring. Until then, the team needs to improve a lot.

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marcosllorente_RM_GI

All his colleagues were very happy after his last week. “Marcos Llorente is a professional”. “He deserved these opportunities”. “He did a great game”. Lucas Vázquez, Dani Carvajal, Santiago Solari… all his colleagues and team mates have good words for Marcos Llorente, who has been one of the best players in the last two games after missing the whole season for technical decisions.

Zinedine Zidane didn’t have trust on him. He played only 540 minutes, starting five games. This season was even worse with Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. He only appeared against Espanyol 11 minutes before playing in Copa del Rey against Melilla. Then, Casemiro got injured and Solari put Ceballos as a stopper against Eibar, with a very harsh defeat as a result.

The Argentinian coach rectified against AS Roma in the Champions League. He included Marcos Llorente in the starting eleven, the only stopper he has available in the squad. And the midfielder did a great job despite not having the ideal physical conditions due to his lack of minutes. As a result of this, he played the whole game against Valencia with another good performance and no one doubts now that he can substitute Casemiro when the Brazilian is not available.

He is son, nephew and grandson of great footballers. His professionalism is out of question as he has been always training very hard despite not having opportunities in one year and a half at Real Madrid. Actually, he told the journalists at the Olímpico that he was thinking on leaving the club in the winter break, most likely to go on loan to Alavés, a club he knows very well because he shone there in the season 2016/17.

Now he has the chance to revert completely the situation and continue in the squad as an important footballer. Casemiro won’t be available until the FIFA World Club at the end of December. Meanwhile, Llorente will have the opportunity to show his skills and his quality.

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The perfect way to close the year. Luka Modric received on Monday evening in Paris the Golden Ball Award given by the prestigious magazine France Football. The great midfielder gets the UEFA Best Player of the Season, The Best Award by FIFA and now the Ballon D’Or Trophy. All the individuals trophies available for one of the most talented players of the world. Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann were the other finalists in the award ceremony.

With this award Luka Modric made history. He is the first Croatian footballer to receive the golden ball and he set an end to Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s era. They have won the last 10 awards, being Kaká the last footballer to get it in 2007. However, both fill fight again for the award in 2019, so this is not over.

Modric was a key piece in the World Cup for Croatia, being able to arrive to the final, although they were beaten by France. This is the crucial moment for Modric career, because it´s the bigger difference with Cristiano Ronaldo’s year, who also won the UEFA Champions League for third year in a row with Real Madrid.

It’s also important to highlight that France Football, a French magazine, has not given the award to a French player even if ‘The Bleus’ won the World Cup. Antoine Griezmann or Kylian Mbappé had also a lot of chances to bring home the award.

The veteran midfielder gets all the credit deserved after an amazing career. He’s been the leader in the midfield at Santiago Bernabéu in the last five years, celebrating four Champions League trophies. His elegance, style and behaviour inside and outside the pitch make him one of these unforgettable players. Luckily, he would retire with the most important individual trophy a player can get. Now, Real Madrid fans can enjoy another Golden Ball player at Santiago Bernabéu.

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