Spain is living turbulent days because Catalonia wants to get the independence from Spain and they are trying to organize and illegal referendum on Sunday. These facts are agitating the whole society including football and it’s affecting Real Madrid and their players.
For instance, Julen Lopetegui, the Spanish national coach, has to elaborate a list for the upcoming international games. In this list there will be Catalan players and some of them are supporting this illegal referendum, but still they will travel and wear the Spanish t-shirt.
Among these players we can find Gerard Piqué, the Barcelona captain. He published a controversial tweet supporting the celebration of this polemic referendum.
Des d'avui i fins diumenge, expressem-nos pacíficament. No els hi donem cap excusa. És el que volen. I cantem ben alt i ben fort. #Votarem
“From today until Sunday, we will express ourselves peacefully. We shouldn’t give them any excuse. It’s what they want. And sign strong and high, #we’ll vote”, the tweet says. Piqué said that he will leave the national team after the World Cup in Russia, but he never thought about quitting before even if he does want to vote to leave Spain.
This cause a fast reaction in sports, including Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos, the captain, wanted to criticize Gerard Piqué for his words, especially now that he’s going to play with Spain: “Piqué’s tweet is not the best if you don’t want to get booed”, Ramos said mentioning the problems Piqué had when he goes with the national team, because part of the country whistles him.
“Perhaps this tweet is not the best for the group, but everybody is free to say what they think”, the Real Madrid captain said. Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué will see each other again next week, when the national team gathers in Madrid.
The press conference room at Santiago Bernabéu stadium is always busy. Florentino Pérez continues renewing the contracts of the key players of the squad and this time the protagonist was Raphael Varane, one of the best defenders in the world.
The French player spoke about the importance of Zinedine Zidane in his career: “He was key to come and he also helps me every day. I want to thank him for his support and trust. He gives me tips and we respect him a lot and listen when he speaks. In the tough moments we spoke, so he could be calm”.
Varane is very happy in Madrid: “My history with Real Madrid is very beautiful and I want it to be great. I want to enjoy this moment and continue wearing this t-shirt”. Besides, he never thought about leaving the club: “In these six years there were good and difficult moments. I wouldn’t change anything in this time. I hope I could live more good moments”.
The defender doesn’t want to speak about goals: “I don’t set boundaries and I work in a daily basis. I try to learn from the best, people that convey strength and positive feelings. I don’t know where I’ll arrive, but I hope to keep winning titles. My mentality is working and winning”.
Will Varane retire at Real Madrid?: “It would be great and the most beautiful thing I can dream. I’d be 29 years old at the end of my new contract and I hope I’ll keep the honour of wearing this t-shirt”.
Varane also spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo, who complained about the critics: “If you like football, you can only admire him for what he’s done and keep doing. His numbers speak by themselves. He’s so good and amazing that he’s setting the history of football and it’s difficult to criticize him”.
The start of the season hasn’t been easy for Gareth Bale. Actually, it was also very tough the last months of the last season, even if the club was able to win the Champions League and La Liga. But Gareth Bale wasn’t protagonist in both achievements because he was spending his time in the nursery room instead of in the pitch.
In the first weeks of the present season, he’s been facing several criticism for his poor performances. Bale was struggling to score goals and to participate in the game, whereas his competitors, Marco Asensio and Isco Alarcón, were shining in every game.
Zinedine Zidane asked for patience when he was interrogated about Bale’s performance. The Welshman is always in the line-up, especially after Benzema’s injury, and little by little he’s playing better. The first shed of light was against Real Sociedad, when he scored a brilliant goal, summing up his skills: speed, technique and ability to score.
Zinedine Zidane insists to put Bale in the attacking line, together with Cristiano Ronaldo, instead of in the left wing. However, from the left side he’s provoking several chances, assisting Cristiano Ronaldo. At Dortmund, he improved his level, scoring a superb goal with a subtle volley and giving one assist to Cristiano Ronaldo. This is what the supporters expect from Gareth Bale.
Now the Welshman has to continue with this level and convince everybody that he’s able to show a great level for several months. At Dortmund, he was substituted with some physical problems, but Zidane said it wasn’t important. It’s very likely that Bale can have some rest against Espanyol, but we expect the best of him after the international break, when Real Madrid need to put some pressure on Barcelona, With 2 goals in La Liga so far, he’s still very far from the numbers he got in his first three season -15, 13 and 19-. Hopefully the best Bale is still to come, as Zidane insists.
Real Madrid got the victory for the first time at Signal Iduna Park at Dortmund, so the players and the coach were very happy. Zidane spoke in press conference about this important achievement: “This is not one game more. We’ve never won here before. Yesterday we spoke that this is a rival that put you in difficulties at any time. We did a great game. It’s a victory where we never won before”.
One of the best players of the game was Gareth Bale: “I hope there are more turning points. We found Gareth in a great shape. The important thing is to score. I’m happy for him and for Cristiano. We have many chances. Finally we found a great game in a very tough venue. We never won here it’s an important result because it’s a very difficult stadium. Bale doesn’t have anything important, it’s only calf pain”.
Real Madrid changed their performance when they play the Champions League: “I don’t know what we have with this tournament. When you play like this you can think it’s the tournament, but we also did it last season in La Liga. On Sunday we’ll try to do the same at home. But of course the Champions League is special”, Zidane commented.
This time, Zidane cannot complain about anything: “It was a perfect game from the start until the end. Especially, how we started, playing very well football. The first half was amazing, the second also. We can be very happy after an effort like this. Playing with authority was the key”, the coach analyzed.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were also key to win the game: “We understood the game in the midfield very well. They key was stealing the ball to Borussia and we did it in the best way. The first half was amazing, in position and in the pressure. It was they key”.
Cristiano Ronaldo highlighted again in a very important venue in Europe. The Champions League suits the Portuguese and he looks very comfortable in this competition. After the great victory at Dortmund, the striker spoke with the press and he looked quite angry about all the information published about him in the last months.
The striker was especially bothered by the criticism he faced when he hadn’t scored in two games in La Liga: “It seems that I have to show game by game what I am; I’m surprised by what the public thinks of me. Once again, the numbers speak by themselves, I’m very happy for my game number 400 and I don’t know how many goals… People who speak about me know better than I. It’s the normal thing, when I’m fine and there is a chance, I score. Sometimes goalkeepers or bars prevent it. My life’s ethic is the same, I’m a professional and I never exasperate. I have always a healthy mind, ready for the challenges and the criticism, that it’s worse. I’m fine with my team mates and happy”.
Besides these words, Cristiano was very happy with the victory: “Before the game we spoke that we wanted to win at Dortmund. We did what the coach asked, be motivated. The team was great, we created chances and score three goals there is tough. We did a complete game, offensively and defensively, it was a great game for us”.
Many of his colleagues are renewing his contract with the club and perhaps the Portuguese striker is the next one: “This is a good question. I’m happy, the things go out in a natural way. This is a question that the president might answer better than me… I’m happy, I’m doing what I like. I’m happy happy for my colleague who renewed because their contracts were about to expire”
The team changes a lot when Cristiano is not in the pitch, although the Portuguese sees the things different: “When Cristiano is not there, I see Real Madrid as strong as always. When Cristiano is playing, it’s the same, a team. These are not individual players, this is a team. The team has potential and talent enough, so when myself, Bale or Benzema are not playing, the team is always good”.
Finally, Cristiano was asked if he’s not comfortable in Madrid: “I never said that. People spoke about me every day all around the world. I live for football and for my family, not for the press. Sometimes everything starts in Portugal, Spain, Germany… Everyone who says the name of Cristiano is world news. When you are big people speak about you”.
Real Madrid showed their power in a very tough stadium and they were able to win (1-3) for the first time in their history at Dortmund. Bale and Cristiano lead the team to get an important victory away in the Champions League. The champions delivered an important message: they want the third title in a row.
Toni Kroos finally started the game and Zidane put Cristiano and Bale in the front, as it was expected. The game started very vivid, but the first chance was for Real Madrid. Carvajal broke the defense but he shot on target instead of trying to assist. Borussia Dortmund reacted very quickly but Sergio Ramos saved the goal with a handball on the line and Aubameyang couldn’t score.
The first goal arrived in the 18th minute. Carvajal crossed and found Bale, who scored the first goal with a great volley. After this great goal, Real Madrid tried to control the game and there weren’t any clear chances until the half time. Los Blancos took the control and the game was on their side. It could be even better but Sergio Ramos missed a clear header in the injury time.
The second half couldn’t start better. Gareth Bale put a perfect cross from the left wing and Cristiano Ronaldo tapped in. He’s always there when the team needs him. The joy didn’t last a lot of time because Aubameyang shorten the gap only four minutes later. The game was completely broken, so any team could score and both arrived with danger to the rival box.
After that, Real Madrid took control and they have several chances to close the game. For instance, Isco missed an important chance after a great assist from Ramos. Los Blancos wanted to wrap up the game and Cristiano Ronaldo did it in the 80th minute with a header. Real Madrid were doing better and, this time, they scored their chances. This could be a turning point in the season, because Los Blancos showed their power in a very difficult venue. They will defend their crown with honour.
The La Liga may already be on full blast, but not for Cristiano Ronaldo. The 32-year-old superstar is clearly struggling in the Spanish League as he’s trailed by rival Lionel Messi by nine goals. This comes to a surprise to most football fans as never before had Ronaldo have a bad start to the Primera Division season.
Unexpected Slow Start
The Portuguese forward had a rough season start with Real Madrid, and up until now, he’s still looking to get his bearings right. Ronaldo is still left scoreless despite doing his seeming best in the first few games he had with the Spanish team.
This is an unprecedented season start for the elite forward as he averaged one goal in the first three games of the La Liga in seasons past. With this, people point to the probably poor striking form that led to the decrease of his efficiency in the field. However, expert analysts and the recent happenings prove that it’s more than just a case of poor performance.
The Effects of the Infamous Ban
The whole world was caught off guard after Ronaldo was issued a 5-game suspension in La Liga. This happened during Real Madrid’s whirlwind match against Barcelona. Ronaldo’s first 20 minutes in the season left him with two yellow cards that led to his temper getting out of control. The result — Ronaldo pushing the referee.
This is probably the first time Ronaldo failed to contain his disappointment after his previous Supercopa game proved to showcase his improvement over the break. So what does this mean for Zinedine Zidane’s team? Well, they obviously need to make up for their shortcomings as they’ve fallen to the 5th spot in La Liga’s power rankings.
Ronaldo surely is one of the factors to blame for the team’s mediocre performance. As of now, Real Madrid trails Barcelona in the outright betting rankings as Barca gets strong 8/13 odds. Meanwhile, the Meringues is still working on their 7/4 odds. They need to double up their efforts as fellow Madrid-based club, Atletico Madrid is likely to improve on its 20/1 odds especially that they’re currently in 2nd place in La Liga standings.
Real, together with Ronaldo, sets their eyes on retaking the throne as their game betting odds suggest. If you’re looking for the top free bets no deposits required, you’re most likely going to get 6/5 favorite odds for Real. This will then go head-to-head against Dortmund’s 2/1 odds. They even still are the 1/14 and 1/5 favorite over Espanyol’s meek 25/1 and Getafe’s 10/1 odds.
Ronaldo Sets His Eyes on Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo is considered to be the face of the game by many before Messi entered the football scene. However, things turn the other way around in today’s current situation. Ronaldo is now 9 goals behind his counterpart.
This is a pretty big deal knowing that the two are recently referred to as a Ferrari and a Porsche as a result of their same-level-caliber. The Portuguese might have a better resume when it comes to the number of goals he scored. Having made a total of 25 career goals, Messi’s 16 scores are quite of an understatement. But then again, it’s not just about the number of goals as it’s more on the overall performance.
Ronaldo wouldn’t settle with him being regarded as a second-rate player, as this means tarnishing his already-stunning reputation. At the end of the day, it all boils down to the fact that these two players are in for an endless pursuit to superiority.
Let’s just hope that Ronaldo gets it right this time as his legacy lies in the balance.
Real Madrid squad is in Dortmund to face Borussia in a very difficult game in the Champions League. (You can read here the full preview). Los Blancos won the first game at home against APOEL and they want to get a point, at least, to face the rest of the group stage with confidence to go through.
Borussia Dortmund lost their first game in the competition against Tottenham and they need to win. It will be a difficult match, according to Zidane: “It’s hard to play in all the pitches. We’ve never won here and it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge trying to win. Here you can breathe Champions and football. We want to play football and we want to watch a good game”.
Real Madrid are not getting the expected results but this game could change the tendency: “It could be a turning point, but every three days we have to show it. But I didn’t speak with the players about the moment. This is another game, another competition”.
Despite suffering against Alavés, the manager doesn’t think they’ve lost confidence: “We believe in what we do. At the weekend, they game got difficult, but it’s going to be like that every three days. We know every game is going to be more difficult. I’m not concerned about the way we play”.
Los Blancos missed a lot of chances again at Mendizorroza and perhaps now they can change this: “Hopefully it’s like that. I’ve always said that the most important thing is creating chances. If you miss them, you cannot be very happy. Then, it doesn’t mean anything because on Sunday we have another game. We keep doing the same. Tomorrow is a good venue to show it”.
Luckily, Toni Kroos is available to play and also Daniel Carvajal, who is playing all the games. Besides, Zizou was asked about Casemiro’s role: “You can compare him with Makelele or Deschamps. Every time a player gives balance between the defense and the attacking lines, they do a job like they did. It doesn’t surprise anybody. He’s confident. Every day and every year, he feels better”, Zidane finished.
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid play in the second game of the Grupo Stage in the Champions League on Tuesday (19:45, UK Time) in a key game for both squads. Perhaps, this is one of the best matches that we can see in Europe right now.
Borussia Dortmund are right now one of the best teams in Europe. They thrashed (6-1) Borussia Monchedgladbach in Bundesliga, where they are topping the table with 16 points. In the Champions League they have more difficulties because they lost at Wembley (3-1) against Tottenham, so they are forced to get something possitive against Los Blancos. André Schurrle is doubtful for this game, whereas Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus, Schmelzer or Erik Durm are not available for Bosz.
Real Madrid suffered to get the three points (1-2) against Alavés, who hit the bar twice in the second half. Dani Ceballos was the protagonist of the game with two goals in his first appearance in the line-up. Perhaps he can start the game, because Toni Kroos is still doubtful, although Isco and Asensio have more odds to start. Marcelo, Theo Hernández, Kovacic, Benzema and Vallejo don’t travel to Germany.
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid Predicted Line Ups
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Burki; Troljan, Toprak, Sokratis, Pisczek; Sahin, Gotze, Dahoud; Yarmolenko, Kagawa and Aubameyang. Real Madrid (4-4-2): Keylor Navas; Nacho, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Isco, Asensio; Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Borussia Dortmund have won 7, drawn 2 and lost 1 games out of the last 10.
Real Madrid have won 7, drawn 2 and lost 1 of the last 10 games.
In the last 10 games, Borussia Dortmund have scored an average of 3,1 goals and have received an average of 0,8 goals.
In the last 10 games, Real Madrid have scored an average of 2,1 goals per game and have conceded 0,8 goals per game.
There have been over 2,5 goals in 8 of the last 10 Borussia Dortmund games.
There have been 2,5 goals in 7 of the last 10 Real Madrid games.
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid Prediction
This is a very tough game for Los Blancos. Real Madrid are playing better away than at Santiago Bernabéu, although winning at Signal Iduna Park is never easy. We expect them to get at least one point, but it won’t be easy. If you want to secure your money, back more than 2,5 goals in the game, because both teams attack better than defend.
Last season, Real Madrid drew (2-2) at Dortmund despite taking the lead twice during the game. Schurrle finally equalize the game in the last minutes. At Bernabéu, both teams draw (2-2), so Dortmund got the first position in the group.
Who is Marco Asensio? This is the question everyone’s asking after the youngster smashed the third goal in a Clasico match to push Real Madrid to victory in the Spanish Super Cup Final.
It turns out that the same person Barca rejected 3 years ago has now become the next rising star at Real Madrid, with an incredibly huge potential. Asensio has shown why he’s such a great asset for Real Madrid, not just at the moment, but also for the future.
If the tides were to change, maybe it would have been Marco playing in Barca jersey on Sunday night but history wouldn’t have it. Instead, the Spanish forward is out to batter the same team that could have signed him for just 4 million euros (€4m) 3 years ago.
Unarguably, the 21-year-old has proved that he can be incredibly dangerous at goal. Latest victory against Barcelona saw him walloping a 30-yard strike past Gerard Pique into the roof of the net. It was a well-deserved victory for the club he supported growing up as a kid.
Now it’s Barca who regrets letting the youngster slip out of their hands. If only the prodigious forward had been signed after being spotted by Andoni Zubizarreta, Barcelona’s Sporting Director, perhaps it would have been a different story. It could have been Asensio humiliating Madrid not the other way round. And with the recent departure of Neymar, having a player like Asensio could have made the difference for Barca.
This season, Marcos Asensio has been nothing less than a sensation. Scoring in two successive Clasicos is not a feat that is very common in La Liga. Especially for a player who has just got more playing role following Ronaldo’s recent five-match ban. He did it first with a thunderbolt from the edge of the box in the first leg of the Spanish Cup on Wednesday. Then he repeated the same feat with an incredible volley from a 30-yard angle after playing for just three minutes in the hard contested game.
Even the real boss, Zinedine Zidane, couldn’t hold himself back. He would never have expected such a shot from the wunderkind youngster. Well, not only him – many of us are still wondering how he did it.
Marcos Asensio’s incredible accomplishment puts him in the front light in Real Madrid’s future. Since he can play any forward position, it won’t be surprising to see him take the centre stage after the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema or Bale. Or even win a future Ballon d’Or like his namesake Van Basten. With the way he’s playing recently, anything is possible!
The Complicated History of Signings
It was in 2014 when the teenager could have been signed from Mallorca by the Catalans. Unfortunately for Barcelona, the promising forward was bounced for a price which would sound ridiculous today. He was later signed in December the same year for the $4.5 million.
The Spanish forward was described as a great player by then Madrid Manager, Carlo Ancelotti, during his first months at the club.
Asensio’s decision to switch allegiance to Barcelona was rather complicated considering the fact that he grew up supporting Madrid. By the time he was ready to play for Mallorca in 2013, the Spanish forward was already contemplating to play for the Catalans if given the opportunity.
Eventually, the opportunity came in 2014 – though for a short term, when he was signed by Real Madrid but kept on loan at Mallorca. The next season, they loaned him out to Espanyol, where he performed really well.
The forward then joined Real Madrid last year and has played for the club since then. Though he has turned some heads in the past, it was not until the UEFA Super Cup that he announced himself to the whole world. Now he’s definitely going to be the Spanish player of his generation and a great hope for Madrid.
But seriously, if you compare the €4.5 million price Madrid had to pay for him with the €180 million spent by PSG on Mbappe, you could say Madrid got really lucky. All in all, it could be their best deal yet.
It is even more humorous when you consider how both players are faring. Who do you think will dominate the centre stage in the next 2 or 3 years? The answer is obvious – that’s football for you!
What Does the Future Hold for Asensio?
No doubt, Marco van Basten would have been very proud to see the terror Asensio has become. The goal the forward scored against Sevilla and those scored in both legs of the Super Cup finals will continue to make the highlights for a long time.
Considering the remarkable feat he has attained since returning from Espanyol, we can say that his short spell at the Spanish club was really worth it. He has become faster, more skillful and more dangerous with the ball. His movement is terrific and that wand of his left foot is just incredible. Indeed, he has added more steel to his game.
Having been announced as the player of the same club he was fond of, the 21-year-old has every right to be emotional. Not to mention the feat of having been recently enlisted in the Spanish first team by Julen Lopetegui.
Although many of the fans at Bernabeu would definitely like to see him play as a starter, it doesn’t seem to be happening at the moment. He might just have to jostle between playing from the bench and starting with the first eleven. But since Ronaldo will be serving his 4-match ban, we can expect to see more of him in the next few weeks.
