Page 575

By -
0
Malaga Real Madrid match preview

Real Madrid visit Malaga tonight for what could a crucial game in the race for La Liga. A win for Los Blancos would see them move six points clear of Atletico de Madrid, who play immediately afterwards, and seven clear of Barcelona, who play tomorrow.

Three points would ensure Carlo Ancelotti’s men go into next weeks Clasico fixture as league leaders, and would also pile the pressure on the other two to pick up wins.

They come up against a side sitting in mid table in La Liga with 29 points from their 27 games. Because of financial difficulties in recent years, Malaga have had to let go of some of their biggest stars – Isco and Santi Cazorla to name a couple. But they still have some dangerous players in their ranks.

The last time these two met, Los Blancos won 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero put in a magnificent performance, and Madrid will have to be at their best to get past him again today.

In terms of team news, Madrid will have to have a reshuffle at the back with Sergio Ramos missing through suspension. Alvaro Arbeloa is on the long-term injury list, but the back line should be boosted by the return of Daniel Carvajal who has overcome a hip problem. Isco could be in line for a start against his former teammates as Angel di Maria is a yellow card away from suspension and may not be risked with the Clasico in mind.

Malaga boss Bernd Schuster, formerly in charge at Real Madrid, has his own problems to deal with in defence. Full back Jesus Gamez is suspended for the clash while centre half Ferreira is also out with an injury. Midfielder Darder also misses out through suspension.

Probable Line-Up
Malaga (4-2-3-1): Caballero; Angeleri, Sanchez, Wellington, Antunes; Camacho, Tissone; Samuel, Duda, Portilo; Santa Cruz

Real Madrid: (4-3-3): Lopez; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Alonso, Modric, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo;

By -
0
Malaga Real Madrid betting preview

Real Madrid travel to the Costa del Sol this evening to take on Malaga in a vitally important clash ahead of next week’s Clasico.

A win for Los Blancos would take them seven points clear of Barcelona and crank up the pressure on the Catalan side, who play tomorrow. But Carlo Ancelotti’s men are up against an unpredictable side on the south coast of Spain.

Malaga have just 29 points from their 27 games played and sit in 13th place in La Liga. Things are so tight in the bottom half of the table that defeat this evening could throw them right back in the relegation scrap. On the other hand, they went to Osasuna on Monday night and picked up a notable 2-0 win. Much more impressive when you consider the fact Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid failed to take full points from the Navarra side.

However, Madrid are on a 29-game unbeaten run, and have only conceded six goals in 17 games in 2014 so far. For that reason, they are considered the favourites by the bookies with odds of around 1/4 to come away victorious. The hosts, managed by former Madrid boss Bernd Schuster, are at 10/1, with a draw priced at 5/1.

By -
0

Fernando Sanz, the former Real Madrid defender, has said playmaker Isco will become a key player for club and country.

The 20-year-old signed for the Santiago Bernabeu club in the summer in a 25 million euro deal from Malaga. He started the campaign in fine form and quickly became a popular figure amongst the Madridista faithful.

But with a change in formation to the 4-3-3 system, and the brilliant form of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, Isco has found first team opportunities more difficult to come by of late.

Sanz said in an interview with the LFP that the Spain international must remain patient, but that his chance will come.

“Throughout the history of Real Madrid we have seen cases like Isco,” said Sanz. He added:“Players that have a great season for one team and then they join Madrid for a considerable amount of money and they start strong and then disappear a little.

“He is young and I think Carlo Ancelotti knows exactly how to treat him. Perhaps being given excessive praise can be harmful. It’s typical of a young player at Madrid. Isco will be the benchmark of Madrid and the Spain national team but it takes patience because he is very young and still learning.”

By -
0

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has said he is grateful for the help and support offered to him by fellow striker Cristiano Ronaldo since he signed for the club last summer.

The Welshman moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Tottenham Hotspur in a 91 million euro deal, and after initially struggling with life in the Spanish capital, has begun to flourish alongside Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The front three, dubbed the BBC by the Spanish press, have scored 72 goals between them this campaign, with the Portugal captain netting more than half of them alone.

Bale has contributed 14 goals and 12 assists in 29 appearance in all competitions, and told Cadenaser.com that Ronaldo was a large factor in helping him settle in. He added the 29-year-old Ballon d’Or winner will be the difference between success and failure, saying Ronaldo will lead the club to glory at the end of the campaign.

He stated: “Cristiano, at the moment, is the best player in the world for me. We all know the level that he plays at, it’s absolutely extraordinary. It helps me so much to play in an attack that Cristiano is part of.”

Bale continued: “I hope that we are all going to improve in order to secure trophies this season. It’s important for any footballer to be playing these high level matches. Winning trophies is always difficult, every time you reach a final you will always play very good teams. We want to play in these great matches and if we can, win them.”

By -
1

Real Madrid take on Malaga tonight at the Rosaleda on the south coast of Spain looking to increase their lead at the top of La Liga before the other two in the battle for the title play.

And the focus in the Madrid press this morning is on the match, with Marca and AS both stating how important it is ahead of next week’s Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu. In his press conference ahead of the game, Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti told his players the game at Malaga is the most important game of the season because it’s the next game. He added that having one eye on the game with Barcelona would be foolish.

Marca also looks in detail at comments by Angel di Maria, who was quoted as saying he would be happy to sit out today’s game in order to be available for next weekend. The Argentine winger is a yellow card away from an automatic one match ban.

Ancelotti responded to those comments by saying: “If di Maria really said that, I’d be surprised because every match is of equal importance. I’m not going to pick the team based on cards. I know what my team will be but I’m not saying just yet. But if I pick di Maria and he picks up a booking, someone else will play against Barcelona, it’s simple.”

By -
1

Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro believes that his former side can win the league, cup and Champions League treble, but admitted only if they have no bad days.

Hierro has legendary status at the Santiago Bernabeu, having played over 500 matches and scoring an incredible 126 goals from centre back, whilst also representing Spain almost 90 times.

The Spaniard also won the Champions League three times and La Liga five times whilst wearing the famous white shirt, so has experience in winning trophies and believes that the current crop can win the treble.

When asked in an interview with  Esports en Xarxa whether Real could win the lot, Hierro replied “Without a doubt.

“Real Madrid can claim the treble. I can easily see it [happening]. Madrid are very strong, very powerful. They have undergone a complete change in five months and now have great potential.”

Hierro however warned Madridistas about the potential dangers of the Champions League, saying: “However, in the Champions League, they can not have a single bad day. Madrid are now at an extraordinary level but do not rule out Barca, Bayern [Munich] or PSG, who could also be very dangerous.”

Real take on Schalke at home in the second leg of their Champions League tie next week.

By -
0

Real Madrid playmaker Isco is happy at the club after overcoming a difficult few months in the Spanish capital, according to his older brother.

Antonio Carlos Alarcon Suarez told Marca that Isco feels integrated into the team  and gets on well with his teammates. He added that he is sure his younger brother will get the playing time he strives for and will eventually go down as a Los Blancos legend.

Antonio Carlos, who stole the limelight on Isco’s unveiling back in the summer by kissing the badge on his chest, said: “He has been a bit down, but now he seems perkier and he’s working hard. Isco is very integrated into the group and gets involved. He’s getting on well with his teammates and has a good time.”

He added that Isco is someone who needs more playing time to get up to speed with the game. “He’s a player that needs contact with the ball; that’s his style. Other players may be more explosive and in just a few minutes can get into the game,” he stated.

When asked about what kind of reception Isco will get when he returns to Rosaleda this weekend to take on former club Malaga, his brother commented that he’ll get a warm welcome back.

He also said his brother has the ability to build up a rapport with fans very quickly wherever he plays. “What the Real fans have with my brother is something really nice. They took to him from the very beginning.”

By -
0

Alvaro Arbeloa has confessed that he would rather win the Champions League for Real Madrid than lifting the World Cup trophy in Brazil if he was given the chance to make a choice. “If I had to pick, I would choose La Decima,” he stated.

In an interview with Yahoo, the Spanish international spoke about his recent injury and how it is going to affect his immediate future.

“My intention is to recover from the injury on time to help the team in a possible Champions League final, and afterwards join Spain in the World Cup if Vicente del Bosque picks me for the squad,” he revealed.

The veteran right-back will miss at least eight weeks, since his knee injury is more serious than first medical tests showed. Arbeloa explained “the injury is not painful”, but he has to wear a prosthesis that makes his day-to-day life more comfortable.

The 31-year-old explained his injury “was caused by stress in the joint, and it’s a two-millimetres fracture in the kneecap.” Thus, Arbeloa rubbished the rumours that he might be sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Spartan was also asked about his rivalry with Daniel Carvajal for the right-back spot: “I was in a good state of form before the injury. Dani is a great player and competency is good because it makes you demand more from yourself. The boss thought it was convenient to do rotations and it’s working.”

* Follow Alejandro Gonzalez on Twitter @alejandrognieto

By -
2

Alberto Moreno has told his Sevilla teammates that his is signing for Real Madrid in the summer, according to reports.

Madrid-based daily AS claimed the left-back will be the replacement for Fabio Coentrao, who looks set to finally leave the club.

According to the paper, 21-year-old Moreno has his heart set on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu and had told his teammates at the Andalucian club that he will be joining Los Blancos at the end of the campaign. Although he has a buyout clause of 30 million euros, it is believed the two clubs could actually settle for a fee of just 15 million euros.

AS claimed other clubs are interested in signing Moreno, including Seria A side Napoli – managed by former Real youth coach Rafa Benitez.

Coentroa, meanwhile, may yet complete a switch to Manchester United, having missed out on a move to Old Trafford in the past. He was close to signing for the Premier League champions on deadline day in the summer transfer window, but the deal collapsed when Los Blancos could not bring in a replacement – leaving Coentrao reportedly in tears. David Moyes remains in the hunt for a left-back though, with Patrice Evra set to leave the club at the end of the season, with Inter Milan the most likely destination.

By -
4

Real Madrid take on Malaga at the weekend in a game that Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti has called a ‘cup final’.

But the Madrid press has yet to fully shift its attention to that match on the south coast of Spain, and today we have news on the front cover of AS of a personal award for Ancelotti. The Italian boss was named as the winner of this year’s Enzo Bearzot prize, a prestigious award named after the man who led Italy to World Cup glory in 1982.

The award recognises career success, and a panel of judges decided Ancelotti was a worthy winner this year. It has previously been won by Prandelli, Mazzarri and Montella.

In a statement, the judges said: “He is one of the few people to have won the Champions League and World Club Cup as a player and manager. He’s won titles in Italy, England and France.”

They went on to praise Ancelotti for his humility and dignity, as well as his paternal approach to his players that brings out the best in themm

Elsewhere, Isco could fill in the role of Angel di Maria against his old club this weekend, while Alvaro Arbeloa could be out of the side for more than the six weeks predicted earlier this week.

 

1...574575576...733Page 575 of 733

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