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Tag: Real Madrid

  • Pochettino slams VAR after PSG’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid

    Pochettino slams VAR after PSG’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid

    Mauricio Pochettino slammed match officials on Wednesday and questioned why VAR was not used to rule out Real Madrid’s first goal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their 1-3 loss.

    The French side were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League in sensational circumstances, losing 2-3 aggregate after having won the first leg match 1-0.

    The Ligue 1 leaders looked set for the last eight after Kylian Mbappe had put them 2-0 up on aggregate with a cool finish in the first half.

    Real Madrid, and Karim Benzema in particular, had other ideas, though.

    The France international scored a breathtaking hat-trick —- the second and third of which came inside the space of just 106 seconds —- to book Los Blancos’ quarter-final berth.

    PSG have now been eliminated from four of their nine UEFA Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg.

    Only Real Madrid have done so more often in the competition’s history (six times).

    Pochettino will be under intense pressure after the defeat.

    The former Tottenham manager believes the result only came about due to the officials’ decision not to penalise Benzema.

    That was for a foul on goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during the build-up to the first goal.

    “What a shame! There was a foul on Donnarumma for the first goal,” he said. “It is not possible to not talk about this gross mistake. It is not possible for this to happen in 2022.

    “Real Madrid’s first goal changed the game. I wonder what the VAR does because there is a foul. It’s a shame. When you see the action, it’s a foul.

    “After that, the match changed. For 60 minutes we dominated and that goal changed everything.

    “It’s not easy to explain the defeat. After the goal, the nervousness and the feeling of injustice hurt us a lot. The little details mark these games. We felt the impact of the equalising goal.”

    With a 13-point lead at the Ligue 1 summit, PSG look likely to reclaim the domestic title.

    But Pochettino concedes the final months of the campaign could be challenging, given they are no longer in European football’s premier competition.

    “The rest of the season is going to be very difficult,” he added. “The Champions League has been PSG’s goal for years, everyone knows it. The fans are going to be upset, we know it.

    “At a time like this, we will still have to analyse and remember the good things we have achieved against this excellent Real Madrid team. But what happened tonight is not normal.”

    PSG return to domestic action on Sunday when they host Bordeaux.

  • UCL: City expect to cruise pass Sporting as Real Madrid face uphill task with PSG

    UCL: City expect to cruise pass Sporting as Real Madrid face uphill task with PSG

    With five (5) goals advantage, Manchester City expect to cruise past Sporting CP in their Wednesday UEFA Champions League encounter.

    The Premier League champions have a tremendous lead from the first leg and will be confident of another win in Manchester.

    Manchester City are all set to sail into the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they host Sporting CP in the second-leg of their last-16 tie later today.

    Pep Guardiola’s team thrashed the Portuguese side 5-0 in Lisbon last month to all but confirm their spot in the next round.

    Real Madrid on the other hand, have a daunting task in their hands this evening as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) look set to seal their place in the UCL quarter-finals.

    The La Liga side suffered a one (1) goal defeat in the hands of the French side in February with the only goal of the game coming from Kylian Mbappe.

    Real Madrid have been eliminated from nine of their last 10 knockout ties in the UEFA Champions League when losing the first leg, with the exception being a 3-2 aggregate victory over VfL Wolfsburg in the 2015-16 quarter-final.

    Paris Saint-Germain have been eliminated from three of their eight UEFA Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg – only Barcelona (4) and Real Madrid (6) have been eliminated in this fashion more often.

  • UCL: We’re preparing for Mbappe to be fit for PSG – Ancelotti

    UCL: We’re preparing for Mbappe to be fit for PSG – Ancelotti

    Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he’d like to see Kylian Mbappe fit for PSG on Wednesday night.

    Real need to overturn a 1-0 deficit on Wednesday night to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Mbappe is battling to make the second-leg due to an ankle injury.

    Ancelotti said, “There are many factors in these kinds of games. The most important aspect is the mental side of things and the excitement levels. The important thing is that we will enjoy the backing of our fans, which is big motivation. I see the team as being in good shape, motivated and relaxed and we’re going to produce our best.

    “I was a player myself and I never want players to get injured. What happened yesterday to Mbappé means that he’s in with a chance of playing and we’re going to prepare for the match as if Mbappé was going to play. Looking back historically in games at the Bernabéu, great players have always received a good reception. I’d obviously understand it if the fans clap him. The Bernabéu fans enjoy watching good players and also like to see Madrid play well and win.

    “Our game plan isn’t just all about stopping Mbappé, it involves Neymar and Messi and all of PSG’s good players. Our plan is to play as a unit, both with and without the ball, display intensity for over 90 minutes and put in a strong all-round performance and produce a smart display. We mustn’t go crazy out there because we’ve got to win in the game, it’s not a case of having to thrash them. We may go infront early on or in the last minute. The important thing is to be in the game and play with intensity.”

    He continued: “I don’t usually think about what I fear. I think about what we need to do to produce our best and to perform better than we did in the first leg, play out well from the back and apply a better press. In the build-up to a game, I usually focus on the things that we have to do and not on what we have to avoid.

    “When we lose, we lose as a group. Our objective is to remain in what’s a very important competition for this club and we’ve got the same to lose: being knocked out of a competition that’s very important to us. This season goes on after this and let’s hope we’re still in the Champions League. I’m certain that we will be, but PSG will be thinking exactly the same.

    “Applying a high press is part of a defensive mechanism. When you play against the likes of Mbappé and Neymar, you’ve got to be very wary and I think that the fans will have a very important role to play tomorrow. In that sense, we want to produce a performance that the fans want to see and that’s what we’ll do.”

  • Ruthless Real Madrid go eight points clear in La Liga

    Ruthless Real Madrid go eight points clear in La Liga

    Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric scored stunning long-range goals as ruthless Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1 to go eight points clear at the top of the Spanish LaLiga.

    Mikel Oyarzabal’s early penalty kick put the sixth-placed Basques in front at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, but Real Madrid fought back to stay on course for the title.

    Two brilliant strikes in the space of three minutes late in the first half from Camavinga and Modric put Carlo Ancelotti’s side ahead.

    Karim Benzema was on target from the penalty kick spot after having two goals disallowed.

    Marco Asensio added a fourth goal to cap a hugely impressive performance from Los Blancos.

    Oyarzabal drilled La Real into a 10th-minute lead from the penalty kick spot, firing into the bottom-right corner after Dani Carvajal had upended David Silva.

    The leaders ramped up the pressure after that early setback and were level four minutes before half-time.

    That was when Camavinga let fly from 30 yards out with his left foot and gave Alex Remiro no chance with a thunderous drive.

    Benzema had a goal ruled out for offside moments later.

    But Modric put Real Madrid in front by bending a sublime left-foot strike into the top-far corner after creating space for himself with his quick feet.

    Los Blancos carried on where they left off after the break.

    Benzema had another goal chalked off for offside but slotted home from the penalty kick spot.

    This was after a VAR check ruled Vinicius Junior had been fouled by Aritz Elustondo just inside the penalty box.

    Asensio put the icing on the cake, tucking in after the marauding Carvajal cut the ball back into his path as La Real were swept aside.

  • Real Madrid target Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen

    Real Madrid target Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen

    Real Madrid will be tabling a bid for Nigeria and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer. The Nigerian marksman is Madrid’s alternative if they can’t sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.

    Osimhen, a Nigerian international, is valued at €80m by Napoli. He’s scored ten goals in the 21 games he’s played for the Southern Italian club so far this season. Osimhen’s career began at Wolfsburg before spells with Charleroi and Lille, who Napoli signed him from. They want to keep him but they are preparing for the eventuality should he leave.

    Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain is Madrid’s number one target this summer but they’d like to bring in another centre-forward as well as the Frenchman. Their current number nine is Karim Benzema, but he isn’t getting any younger and there isn’t really a viable alternative at the Santiago Bernabeu at the moment. Osimhen would be an asset.

    According to reports from Italy, to avoid any vacuum should Osimhen eventually join Real Madrid, Napoli have already started shopping for potential replacements for the Nigerian, with Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca their preferred replacement.

    Mbappé continues to be the priority for Real Madrid though, even if in recent days the news has leaked that Barcelona have also signified an interest in the French striker. It is for this reason, according to AS, that Los Blancos continue to closely monitor Osimhen.

  • Real Madrid welcome Chelsea interest for Eden Hazard

    Real Madrid welcome Chelsea interest for Eden Hazard

    Real Madrid management are ready to offload Eden Hazard this summer.

    AS says Real management accept Hazard’s time with the club has been a “fiasco” and will encourage him to leave at the end of the season.

    For his part, the Belgium captain also recognises he needs to leave in order to be in shape for this year’s World Cup.

    Ok Diario reports a return to Chelsea could be on for Hazard.

    Chelsea would prefer to take Hazard on-loan next season rather than commit to a hefty fee due to his recent injury record.

  • PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino rejects Man Utd job

    PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino rejects Man Utd job

    PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino has turned down a move to Manchester United.

    Sport says Pochettino has already turned down United in hope of landing the Real Madrid job.

    The 49-year-old knows that if experienced boss Carlo Ancelotti fails to win the LaLiga or continue their progress in the Champions League, the job could be his to take.

    Pochettino and Ancelotti are currently going head-to-head in the last-16 of the Champions League with the French side leading 1-0 after the first leg.

    Pochettino, alongside Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, remains among the main contenders to replace current interim boss Ralf Rangnick – although things have become more complicated with Madrid now showing interest.

  • Pochettino defends Messi, says Neymar could start at Nantes

    Pochettino defends Messi, says Neymar could start at Nantes

    Mauricio Pochettino has moved to defend Lionel Messi after the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward missed a penalty kick against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

    Although Kylian Mbappe’s superb late winner put the Parisians on the brink of the 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Messi’s performance in the first leg game drew criticism.

    Since his first season in the competition (2004/2005), no player has missed more UEFA Champions League penalty kicks than Messi, who has failed with five kicks.

    But speaking ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 trip to Nantes on Saturday, Pochettino launched a strong defence of his fellow Argentinian.

    “Messi is the best in the world,” said former Tottenham manager Pochettino. “A player like him, with his experience, and what he means, is the essence of football.

    “If you want to explain to someone what football is all about, it is Leo Messi.

    “In no way will missing a penalty kick affect his confidence. That is impossible. If anyone thinks that, they do not understand this sport.

    “I am pleased with his performance. He played well [against Real Madrid], which was down to his ability to link difference pieces together on the pitch.

    The former FC Barcelona captain was joined on the pitch against Real Madrid by Neymar, and the substitute provided the assist for Mbappe’s match-winning strike with a sumptuous backheel.

    Pochettino has confirmed the Brazilian is now in contention to make his first start since suffering an ankle injury against Saint-Etienne last November.

    “Neymar could start [against Nantes],” Pochettino said on Friday.

    “He has been doing well in training, and he has been very focused at every stage of his recovery, showing his commitment to get back to his best level and help the team.

    “We hope that he is over these problems now, and through playing competitive games, that he can reach his best level.”

    Neymar has suffered a plethora of injury issues since making his own move from Barcelona to Paris in 2017.

    He has failed to make over 20 Ligue 1 starts in a single season to date.

    However, the Brazilian has managed 59 goals and 34 assists in his 80 league appearances for the capital club.

  • UCL: Courtois slams Toni Kroos over Mbappe’s late goal

    UCL: Courtois slams Toni Kroos over Mbappe’s late goal

    Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois has slammed teammate, Toni Kroos over his wayward pass that led to Kylian Mbappe’s goal in Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday.

    The Spanish giants had managed to hold the French side until the 94th minute before Mbappe struck to give his side a slender win.

    And the Belgian goalkeeper vented his frustration after the defeat, singling out the very moment that led to the goal and argued that Real Madrid would have returned to the Santiago Bernabeu with a point.

    Courtois had already saved Lionel Messi’s 62nd-minute penalty, but Kroos lost possession just past the halfway line in stoppage time which Mbappe pounced on.

    Kroos’ pass, which was meant for Eden Hazard, was intercepted by Marquinhos and PSG worked their way up the pitch to Neymar, who in turn found Mbappe with an exquisite backheel.

    “We had defended really well, then we gave away a very stupid pass… it’s very hard,” the Madrid goalkeeper told BT Sport.

    “We had not played great, but bringing a 0-0 to the Bernabeu would have been better.

    “We will have to win no matter what. We know we have to win and hopefully, we can do it with the support of the fans.”

  • Mbappe scores late to give PSG win against Real Madrid

    Mbappe scores late to give PSG win against Real Madrid

    Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant goal in stoppage time as Paris St-Germain beat 13-time Champions League winners Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

    The France striker, linked with a move to Real in the summer, received the ball on the left from a clever backheel by Neymar, and got between two defenders inside the box before slotting through Thibaut Courtois’ legs to send the Parc des Princes wild.

    It was a dramatic finish to a game that had looked set to end in frustration for PSG, especially after Lionel Messi saw his penalty saved just after the hour mark.

    The hosts had dominated possession but struggled to break down a well-organised Real defence that had limited PSG to one shot on target in the first half, when Mbappe saw a shot denied by Courtois’ legs.

    But the introduction of Neymar, making his first appearance since November after recovering from injury, proved decisive. He caused Real a number of problems with his dangerous crosses and clever runs before providing the crucial pass for Mbappe to work his magic with seconds remaining.

    The win will give PSG hope that they can head to Madrid on Wednesday, 9 March and get the result they need to keep alive their hopes of winning a first Champions League title.

    BBC