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Tag: El Clasico

  • FC Barcelona humiliate Real Madrid in first El Clasico win in 3 years

    FC Barcelona humiliate Real Madrid in first El Clasico win in 3 years

    FC Barcelona hammered bitter rivals Real Madrid, humiliating them 4-0 at the Bernabeu in what is their first El Clasico win in the last three years.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports former Arsenal skipper, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice and had an assist in his first El Clasico ever to hand FC Barcelona the win.

    Prior to Sunday’s game Madrid had won the last five meetings between them and Barca. The last time Barca tasted victory against Madrid was 2nd March 2019, a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu.

    Aubameyang gave Barca the lead on 29 minutes as he headed Ousmane Dembele’s cross from the right past Thibaut Courtois.

    In the 38th minute Ronald Araujo put Barca 2-0 up with a powerful header as well from a Dembele corner.

    Just two minutes into the second half Ferran Torres made it 3-0 with an emphatic finish after Aubameyang teed him up with a clever back heel.

    In 51 minutes Aubameyang got his second and Barca’s fourth thanks to a lovely chipped effort with his left off Torres’ assist.

    The goal was initially flagged for offside but after consultation with VAR, it was awarded.

    The win saw Barca move up to third on 54 points and 12 points behind leaders Madrid on the Spanish La Liga table.

  • Real Madrid defender out of Champions League, El Clasico clash

    Real Madrid defender out of Champions League, El Clasico clash

    Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is out of tonight’s Champions League clash with Liverpool.

    Real host the first-leg of the quarterfinal at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium, but will do so without Varane.

    The France defender has tested positive for covid and has been forced into self-isolation.

    Varane will have to stay away from the Madrid team for nine key days in which Real Madrid play in the Champions League against Liverpool and in the LaLiga against Barcelona.

    Eder Militao is expected to be drafted in as a replacement for Varane tonight.

  • El Clasico: Barca fined, Camp Nou could be closed

    Barcelona have been fined 1,500 euros ($1,660) and warned the Camp Nou could be closed after beach balls were thrown on to the pitch during this week’s Clasico against Real Madrid, the Spanish football federation announced on Friday.

    Inflatable balls were tossed on to the field Wednesday in a politically charged fixture which originally had to be postponed due to violent demonstrations across Catalonia.

    The match, which finished goalless, was held up for 90 seconds as Barca made a substitution in the 55th minute due to the objects on the field.

    After the game, 10 people were arrested and more than 60 injured in clashes between Catalan separatists and police outside the ground.

    Some 3,000 police officers and private security agents had been deployed for the match amid calls for separatists to protest outside Camp Nou during the fixture.

  • Madrid challenge referee, VAR decision in El Clasico

    Real Madrid have aired their Clasico grievances about the referee and VAR on the club’s official website

    The Spanish side criticised Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez in the site, pinpointing what they believed constituted great mistakes in his decision during Wednesday’s derby with arch-rivals Barcelona at Nou Camp.

    Real’s complaint was that Rafael Varane suffered two fouls that in their opinion should have been given as penalties.

    A statement on the club’s website read: ‘Rafael Varane was stood on by Lenglet and two minutes later had his shirt pulled by Ivan Rakitic.

    “Varane was involved in two controversial moments in El Clásico at the Camp Nou. The Frenchman could have had two penalties in the first half but Hernandez Hernandez did not give either of them.

    “On minute 17, the madridista went to head a corner before Lenglet stood on his thigh muscle in the area, but neither the referee nor VAR (where De Burgos Bengoetxea was in charge) deemed it a penalty.

    “Two minutes later and following another corner, the central defender had his shirt pulled by Ivan Rakitic, which saw him end up on the ground in the penalty area. However, once again, neither the referee or (sic) the VAR system decided to award the penalty.’

    The article on the website was illustrated a screen grab of Rakitic holding onto Varane’s shirt as they jostle for a corner.

  • La Liga: Postponed El Clasico to hold in December

    La Liga: Postponed El Clasico to hold in December

    The postponed El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will now be played on December 18 despite opposition from La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed on Wednesday.

    Spain’s most prestigious fixture, which was due to take place at Camp Nou on Saturday, was postponed last week because of violent pro-independence protests in Catalonia.

    La Liga had proposed December 4 or 7 and have said they are considering an appeal.

    “The league does not agree with the decision,” La Liga said in a statement.

    “It is studying the documentation to decide whether to appeal, against whom and before what bodies.”

    An earlier statement from the RFEF read: “The decision of the Competition Committee has taken place after analysing in recent days the proposals of both clubs, who were invited to agree a date and decided on December 18.

    “It has also analysed a report from the RFEF Competitions Area as well as numerous reports submitted by La Liga, which are not binding.

    “At today’s meeting, the Committee also analysed the latest reports from both clubs, who maintain their initial proposal to play the match on 18 December.”

    It means Barcelona, who wanted the match to go ahead as originally planned this weekend, will face a testing few weeks before Christmas.

    In December, they are already scheduled to play away at Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan in the Champions League and Real Sociedad, who sit fourth in La Liga.

    Real Madrid will play away at Club Brugge in the Champions League and then Valencia, just before travelling to Barca.

    But both clubs swiftly settled on Wednesday, December 18 last week, hours after being instructed to agree a new date by the RFEF.

  • La Liga: El-Clasico postponed over unrest fears

    La Liga: El-Clasico postponed over unrest fears

    This month’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid has been postponed because of fears of civil unrest.

    The match was scheduled for 26 October but there have been days of protest in Barcelona after nine Catalan separatist leaders were jailed on Monday.

    Both Barcelona and Real Madrid disagreed with calls to switch the game to Madrid.

    The clubs have proposed Wednesday, 18 December as a new date.

    Manager Ernesto Valverde had said Barcelona were against switching the game to Madrid as they visit Slavia Prague in the Champions League on 23 October, three days before El Clasico had been scheduled.

    And on Friday the club issued a statement saying their “desire” was to play the match as originally scheduled because they had the “utmost confidence” in the fans who they say “always express themselves in exemplary fashion” at the ground.

    Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was asked about the postponement in a news conference on Friday and said “we will be ready to play on the date told by the right person”.

    “We will adapt to what we are asked,” he added

    La Liga made the postponement request because of “exceptional circumstances beyond our control” as more protests are expected in Barcelona on the day of the match.

    Protests have continued into a fifth day in Spain’s Catalonia region with protesters clashing with riot police.

    Hundreds of thousands of people waving pro-independence flags and chanting “freedom for political prisoners” took part in marches across Catalonia on Friday.

    At least 96 people have been hurt across the region.

    Catalonia is a semi-autonomous region in north-east Spain and in a referendum on 1 October 2017, declared illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court, about 90% of Catalan votes cast backed independence. Turnout was 43%.

    The nine separatist leaders were convicted of sedition over their role in the referendum and handed jail sentences of between nine and 13 years by Spain’s Supreme Court.

  • El Clasico: Barca coach wary of Madrid, plays down Ronaldo’s absence

    Barcelona manager, Ernesto Valverde, has said playing against their arch rivals, Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clasico, could be the perfect time for Julen Lopetegui’s side to rediscover their form.
    Real Madrid have failed to win a game in their last four LaLiga fixtures.
    “For that reason I’m wary of what they can do tomorrow (Sunday),” Valverde said during his pre-match conference on Saturday.
    “There have been times when Madrid have been brilliant in their collective play, in possession, in attack.
    “They have enough weapons to be able to overcome the absence of an important player like Cristiano [Ronaldo].
    “The same is true with us and Leo [Messi].
    “We have to recognise each other when we play. That is key. We do it with and without Messi.
    “That’s what we learnt last year, that we are all together and we are stronger for it.
    “We come into this on the back of two good games and now we have this match to top it all off.
    “The key to victory will be how we play, not momentum.”In the end we know what Madrid are like.
    “The more wounded they are, the more dangerous they are. I expect the best Madrid tomorrow.
    “They are a team that create chances, you could see that against Levante.
    “They created 10 clear goalscoring opportunities. That’s a clear indicator of the attacking quality they have.”

  • No Messi, No Ronaldo: Who will headline the El Clasico on Sunday ?

    Spanish La Liga biggest match will not feature Barcelona’s Lionel Messi or Former Real Madrid star Cristiano Roanldo on Sunday’s El Clasico clash at Camp Nou, which has been a personal playground for two larger-than-life global icons.
    Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, has departed for Juventus after a nine-year stay in Madrid that yielded 450 goals and 15 trophies including four Champions League crowns.
    And now Lionel Messi is absent too, with Barca’s talisman sidelined after breaking his arm in last weekend’s 4-2 victory against Sevilla – a result that sent the reigning champions top of the table and gives them the chance to move seven points clear of struggling Real on Sunday.
    Madrid Coach Julen Lopetegui has come in for fierce criticism this season, having presided over a run of five games without a win.
    The team going eight hours and one minute without scoring before Tuesday’s unconvincing 2-1 triumph over Viktoria Plzen that saw the team whistled off the pitch by their own fans.
    While, Barcelona maintained their 100% start in this season’s Champions League as they cruised to victory over Inter Milan at the Nou Camp on Wednesday in Messi’s absence.
    Messi has been in scintillating form this season, scoring seven and laying on another five goals in Spain’s top flight, while also hitting five in the Champions League.
    Where are Madrid’s goals without Ronaldo?
    To say that Madrid are finding it difficult to come to terms with the summer departures of Ronaldo and equally legendary coach Zinedine Zidane is putting it mildly.
    Los Blancos have drawn one and lost three of their past four league games, including shock defeats by Alaves and Levante, to drop down to seventh in the table and leave new manager Julen Lopetegui’s position hanging by a thread.
    The root of their problems is obvious: they have only scored once in those four games, and that came from left-back Marcelo in last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Levante.
    When Madrid won the league and Champions League double in 2017, 48 league goals were provided by Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez. All of them have now left, with only the unproven Mariano Diaz added.
    Who will replace Messi ?
    Barca boss Ernesto Valverde had a simple answer when asked how he intended to compensate for the loss of Messi in the aftermath of the Argentine’s injury last weekend, saying: “I don’t know.”, BBC reports
    But, for the short-term, Barca do have to find a way of replacing him, and at least Valverde has plenty of options at his disposal.
    The most obvious is Ousmane Dembele, the speedy winger who was signed in a £135.5m deal from Borussia Dortmund following the departure of Neymar before the start of last season.
    But Dembele’s time at the club so far has been maddeningly inconsistent, with the Frenchman looking equally likely to race past three opponents or sloppily concede possession whenever he receives the ball, and regularly provoking the ire of Luis Suarez by concluding a promising run with a wasteful cross or over-ambitious shot.

     
     
     

  • El-clasico: Barca beat real Madrid 3-0 to move 14 points clear

    Barcelona produced a superb away performance to secure a victory over Real Madrid that all but eliminates their arch rivals from the Spanish title race.

    A second-half Luis Suarez strike and Lionel Messi’s penalty, after Dani Carvajal was sent off for handball, helped move Barca nine points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga, and increased their advantage over defending champions Real to 14 points.

    Karim Benzema hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo missed two good chances in the first half, but the home side were blown away after the restart in the first El Clasico meeting of the Spanish league season.

    Los Blancos started with Gareth Bale on the bench, and although he forced a save form Marc-Andre Ter Stegen having been brought on following Carvajal’s dismissal, the Wales forward was unable to spark a comeback.

    Instead, late substitute Aleix Vidal added further insult in injury time with a third for Barca, as his shot from inside the box squeezed over the line after Messi’s cut-back, despite the Argentine losing his boot in the build-up.

    It is the first time Barca have won three consecutive away league matches at the Bernabeu, and the result leaves Zinedine Zidane’s side fourth in the table.

  • Ronaldo and Bale 100% ready to play in El Clasico – Zidane

    Real Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are both “100%” ready to play in El Clasico against Barcelona after fitness problems, says boss Zinedine Zidane.

    Fourth-placed Real are 11 points behind unbeaten league leaders Barcelona.

    Ronaldo worked alone earlier this week, with a calf knock, but trained properly on Friday – while Bale is recovering from a calf problem.

    “He’s OK. He’s 100%. He’s trained today,” Zidane said of Ronaldo.

    Bale has not played in La Liga since September, but featured twice off the bench in the recent Club World Cup, which Real won.

    “I’ll not choose a player because I want him to play in a Clasico,” said Zidane. “I trust my players and they can get injured, but the important thing is that I think he is 100% to play. We’ll see if he plays or not tomorrow.”

    Barca have not lost a league game this season under coach Ernesto Valverde, who said: “I don’t think we are favourites, the league table has no influence on games like this because of the tension there always is.

    “Madrid are such a powerful team that they can strike you down even when you’re in your best moment of form. Also, they will be at home.”

    Zidane does not think a defeat ends his side’s hopes of defending their title: “We have to not think about the difference in points. I don’t think it’s a decisive match in terms of the league.

    “You have to think positively. We’re very good and better in each area of ​​the field. Even if we lose, the league will not be over.”

    Zidane’s Real Madrid were favourites to win La Liga this season, having won last season’s Spanish title – as well as two Champions Leagues in a row.

    But they have struggled this season – arguably after losing some of their squad members in the summer like Alvaro Morata, James Rodriguez, Danilo and Pepe.

    They have won the Spanish Super Cup (against Barca), the Uefa Super Cup (against Manchester United) and the World Club Cup final (against Gremio). They are still in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, where they finished second to Tottenham in Group H.

    Barcelona, on the other hand, have enjoyed a great season since Valverde replaced Luis Enrique in the summer. They are yet to lose a La Liga game since his appointment, winning 13 and drawing three to sit six points above second-placed Atletico Madrid going into the weekend’s games.

    Their only two defeats were the first two games of the season, against Real in the Spanish Super Cup. They are also unbeaten in the Champions League, finishing top of Group D above Juventus, and are still in the Copa del Rey.