Page 501

By -
2

The Madrid-based papers are focusing on Atletico de Madrid’s win over Real Madrid last night. While the Rojiblancos players said it was not about revenge, Marca and AS say the 2-1 overall win the in the Supercopa goes some way to make up for the painful loss in the Champions League in May.

There is plenty for Real Madrid to reflect on following the loss. Firstly, all talk of winning a possible six trophies has been ended – and in the long run could be a good thing as the pressure is immediately lifted.

But boss Carlo Ancelotti has plenty to think about. The obvious question, and one that is covered in both Marca and AS, is why is he allowing Angel di Maria to be sold. The winger has the ability to take the ball past defenders and open games in a split second. Despite paying 80 million euros for James Rodriguez, he is not the same sort of player and never looked like unlocking the Atletico defence last night.

The questions remain over whether Real have enough firepower too. Karim Benzema has one goal in his last 15 appearances for Los Blancos, and it is clear the club needs to address the situation. The Frenchman needs some competition and he can’t be expected to play as the lone striker for the whole season.

Attention now switches to the opening fixture of La Liga, with Los Blancos hosting Cordoba on Monday evening.

By -
1

Atletico de Madrid got the revenge they wanted for their Champions League final loss in May by beating Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa.

Los Colchoneros won a tightly fought battle 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon to achieve 2-1 win overall after the two games between the sides this week.

The visitors were without Cristiano Ronaldo from the start, with Ancelotti choosing to put him on the bench as concerns continue over his injuries carried over from the end of last season. Iker Casillas started in goal ahead of Keylor Navas.

There was no room in the matchday squad for either Angel di Maria or Sami Khedira – perhaps the clearest indication yet the pair have no future at the club.

It was the hosts who started the brightest, and could have been ahead within 30 seconds, with only some last ditch defending preventing Mario Mandzukic geting his effort away, But Los Blancos didn’t learn though, and the summer signing from Bayern Munich gave the hosts the lead on two minutes, combining with fellow new striker Antoine Griezmann before rifling home.

The goal seemed to shock Madrid into life and they began to grow into the game. Despite plenty of possession though, they would have to wait until the 25th minute to get a shot at goal with James Rodriguez going close. Gareth Bale also dragged a couple of efforts wide.

Los Rojiblancos’ boss Simeone was then sent to the stands for arguing with the fourth official and appearing to hit him on the back of the head. Raul Garcia went close for the hosts while James, Real’s most dangerous looking player curled an effort just around the post before the interval.

Toni Kroos was removed at the break for Cristiano Ronaldo and Real started the brighter of the two teams in the second period. But Atletico remained dangerous on the break, and Iker Casillas was alert to the threat of the new striker pairing for the hosts. The 33-year-old then pulled off an amazing save from a Raul Garcia header that hit the bar.

Tempers threatened to spill over at times and there was a flurry of bookings in the first 15 minutes of the second period. On the 70 minute mark, Koke was inches away from sealing the trophy for the hosts, sending an incredible long-range effort just over the bar. Seconds later, Griezmann dragged a shot wide as Atletico looked to finish off the game.

Madrid pressed in the closing stages but didn’t create any clear cut chances. Luka Modric picked up a second yellow card stoppage time as home side held firm to secure the Supercopa in front of a delighted Vicente Calderon.

By -
0
Atletico Madrid Real Madrid match preview

Real Madrid visit Atletico de Madrid later on in the second-leg of the Spanish Supercopa.

The teams are level at 1-1 after the first game at the Santiago Bernabeu, Raul Garcia rescuing the La Liga champions with just three minutes to go.

Despite having to visit the home of their city rivals, Los Blancos will go into the game confident of winning their second trophy of the campaign having already picked up the European Super Cup. The 10-time European Cup winners have lost only once in the last 20 visits to the Calderon, and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who should start tonight, has never lost a match against Los Rojiblancos in 28 starts against them.

The major issue for Carlo Ancelotti is whether to play Cristiano Ronaldo from the start or not. The 29-year-old, who has 13 goals in 15 games against Atletico, was taken off at half-time in the first leg, and there were fears his thigh injury would keep him on the sidelines for a while. But the Portugal front man trained as normal with his team mates on Thursday and looks likely to be fit. The question is whether Ancelotti will gamble on the fitness of the Los Blancos star or save him for bigger tests that lie ahead in the coming weeks and months.

Angel di Maria and Sami Khedira are likely to miss out after Ancelotti revealed in his press conference that both players look set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

For the hosts, Mario Mandzukic should keep his place up front, while there could be a start for new signing Antoine Griezmann too.

Possible line-ups:
Atletico de Madrid: Moya; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Siqueira; Mario, Gabi, Koke, Raul Garcia; Greizmann, Mandzukic
Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Alonso; Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema

By -
2

Another day, another transfer story involving a Real Madrid player heading for the exit door at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And the UK press is getting even more creative in its thinking – this time the Express linking veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso with a move to Manchester United. The paper claims new Red Devils boss wants to add some more bite in his midfield at Old Trafford and sees the 33-year-old as the perfect man to add to the ranks.

There are a number of reasons why a switch to the North West of England will be extremely unlikely. Firstly, Alonso is a former Liverpool player and remains a favourite among the Reds fans at Anfield. A switch to bitter rivals United would be acrimonious.

A move is also unlikely because of the other departures that will happen at Los Blancos in the coming weeks. The club has already allowed Casemiro to leave for Porto, while Sami Khedira and Angel di Maria are both heading towards the exit. It would be a ludicrous move on behalf of Ancelotti and Florentino Perez to allow Alonso to leave when two other experienced midfielders are already on their way.

Here at realmadridnews.com, we sense this story amounts to little more than mischief making.

By -
2

Carlo Ancelotti has called on his Real Madrid players to play with more intensity in the second-leg of their Spanish Supercopa match against Atletico de Madrid tonight.

Despite having the better of the chances at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening, Los Blancos were held to a 1-1 draw by Los Rojiblancos, allowing Diego Simeone’s men to have a slight advantage going into this evening’s match.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the game, Ancelotti said everyone knows how Atletico will play – defensively, with men behind the ball, looking to break quickly when they can. And he called on his players to take the game to their hosts and play a high intensity match.

“Atlético won’t change their style and will play as they did at the Bernabéu because they have the advantage given the positive result. To win at the Calderón we must play with intensity and more velocity than in the first leg,” Ancelotti stated.

And he added: “We are used to playing against Atlético and they’re used to us. They will try to take advantage of the chances on the counterattack and strategic plays. We played the second half of the first leg more quickly and not as slow as the first half.”

The Champions League-winning boss also refused to give much away in terms of his line up, but revealed Cristiano Ronaldo had trained as normal and would start if he was passed fit.

“I’m not going to say what the XI is, but I will change various positions on the pitch”. Cristiano Ronaldo trained with the side today as usual. He is fine and is available for tomorrow. If he’s available, he could start,” Ancelotti told reporters.

By -
2

Tonight sees Real Madrid visit the Vicente Calderon to take on city rivals Atletico de Madrid in the scond-leg of the Spanish Supercopa.

The teams are tied at 1-1 after the first-leg earlier this week and there is everything to lay for tonight as Los Blancos go in search of their second trophy of the season. They have already picked up the European Super Cup.

The goalkeeping position is a talking point in the press this morning, as manager Carlo Ancelotti has remained silent over who will start between the sticks tonight. AS runs an article on the situation and says the Italian has chosen his keeper for La Liga and the Champions League – Iker Casillas. But has has yet to decide whether to start the club captain or summer signing Keylor Navas tonight.

There are also concerns in the press about the form of striker Karim Benzema. Los Blancos already look short on forwards, having sold Alvaro Morata and with Jese Rodriguez still recovering from a serious knee injury. Benzema has only scored once in his last 14 competitive outings – something that could prompt Madrid to splash and and sign some more firepower before the window closes.

Finally, despite concerns over his fitness, Cristiano Ronaldo trained as normal yesterday and should win his battle to make the line up this evening, according to Marca.

By -
0

Veteran Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso says it is easy to play alongside new signing Toni Kroos.

The German World Cup winner arrived in July from Bayern Munich in a 25-million-euro deal and has slotted straight into the team, putting in towering performances against Sevilla in the European Super Cup and Atletico de Madrid in the first-leg of the Spanish Supercopa.

Kroos is just 24 years old but has vast experience thanks to his time with the Bavarian giants. He has already won a host of trophies including the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League as well as the World Cup with his country.

And 32-year-old Alonso says that experience shines through already, despite being at Los Blancos for just a short time.

Speaking to AS, Alonso stated: “It’s easy to play with big players like him. Despite his youth he has experience at the highest level and is a great signing for the club.”

Alonso also took the chance to talk about the second-leg of the Spanish Supercopa, and told the paper the tie is wide open, despite Atletico de Madrid scoring a late away goal in the 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

“They [Atletico] demanded a lot of us and are very compact. It’s a strategy they’re good at,” he added. “They drew level and it could have been a better result for us but it’s still open for the return.”

By -
1

Real Madrid defender Pepe has said Atletico de Madrid didn’t deserve a draw in the first-leg of the Spanish Supercopa and showed no intention to score or win the game.

Diego Simeone’s team snatched a late draw thanks to Raul Garcia’s effort and take a precious away goal with them back to the Calderon. The two teams meet again tomorrow night in the second-leg.

But Portugal defender Pepe wasn’t impressed with what he saw from Los Rojiblancos and said the Real players are keen to finish off the job and lift their second piece of silverware this season having already won the European Super Cup.

“They didn’t deserve a draw, they killed time and all they did was try to prevent us from scoring a goal. In the second half, we came out strong, but they scored on us from a set piece and there was an uncalled penalty as well,” said Pepe.

He went on to tell journalists that the players would rest and then prepare well for the game on Friday night.

“We leave feeling good about our performance.  I don’t think any fan wants to see their team running behind the ball the entire match.  Now we have to rest and clear our minds of the result in order to be stronger for the return leg.  We have a lot of quality players who can decide a match,” he stated.

By -
2
Angel di Maria

Carlo Ancelotti has admitted Angel di Maria has asked to leave Real Madrid this summer. The Argentinian has been long linked with a move out of the Santiago Bernabeu, with Manchester United being the most interested club, and this new announcement could have got him closer to the Red Devils.

A journalist asked the Italian about the rumours on him and the club having different views on Di Maria, and Ancelotti came clear: “I am surprised to read that there is a disagreement between myself and the club. There is no disagreement and we both think the same way. The situation is clear.”

“The player asked to leave in the summer and rejected an offer from the club. Therefore we have tried to look for other players. It is a situation that the player himself has to resolve. If he doesn’t find a solution, he will stay with us and there won’t be any problem,” Ancelotti added.

The Argentinian came close to completing a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but the French club finally ruled his signing out claiming “he is too expensive.”

Manchester United have also been in contacts with Di Maria, but they haven’t made an official offer yet. Despite Di Maria’s desire to leave, the English club will have to bid high in order to please Florentino Perez.

Ancelotti also spoke about Sami Khedira, who has also been rumoured to leave Madrid. “He’s only got one year left in his contract and has rejected the renewal offer. It’s a different situation from Di Maria because he hasn’t asked to leave,” Ancelotti explained.

By -
0

Real Madrid have announced that Croatian international Luka Modric has signed a new deal, which ties the midfielder to the Bernabeu until 2018.

Modric arrived at Los Blancos in the summer transfer window of 2012 for €37m from Premier League side Tottenham, after a long drawn out transfer saga.

Despite initial problems in his debut season, in which Modric struggled with lack of game time, the Croatian has become a key cog in the Madrid midfield.

And with speculation that Real are keen to offload one of their midfielders after the arrivals of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, the announcement will bring a sense of relief to fans of Real, with Modric being a fan favourite at the Bernabeu.

Modric has had a trophy laden career so far in Spain, winning a Copa del Rey, a UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, as well as playing a key part in winning La Decima for Madrid.

His corner that met the head of defender Sergio Ramos in the 93rd minute of the 2014 Champions League final will live long in the memory of any Blancos fan, as the key goal in injury time meant that Real would go onto win the trophy in extra time.

1...500501502...733Page 501 of 733

www.gambleaware.co.uk or www.gamcare.org.uk
Please gamble responsibly