Atletico Madrid
Liverpool take risky approach at the back, Barcelona set to attack
The Champions League has reached the knockout stage and the round of 16 features some exciting UCL fixtures. We’ll update this story with reports, results and the latest Champions League highlights as the first-leg games are played. Paris Saint-Germain produced a superb performance to demolish Barcelona 4-1 at the Nou Camp – Kylian Mbappe (3) and Moise Kean got the goals. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were on target as Liverpool triumphed 2-0 against RB Leipzig in Budapest. Erling Braut Haaland (2) and Mahmoud Dahoud bagged the goals as Borussia Dortmund triumphed 3-2 at Sevilla. Porto secured a 2-1 victory at home to Juventus – Mehdi Taremi and Moussa Marega were on the scoresheet for the Portuguese side. Olivier Giroud scored a stunning goal as Chelsea ran out 1-0 winners on the road agai...
La Liga preview: Real Madrid’s injury crisis, Barcelona’s season might be over, and more
The La Liga season continues this weekend, with the 24th round of fixtures featuring some exciting match-ups. The action gets underway on Friday evening, with Real Betis aiming to stay in touch with the top six as they host Getafe. Atletico Madrid will be eager to maintain their place at the top of the standings when they face Levante on Saturday. Joao Felix should be available for selection for Atletico, but Thomas Lemar, Hector Herrera and Moussa Dembele remain on the sidelines. Real Madrid have numerous injury concerns for their visit to Real Valladolid, with Marcelo, Eder Militao, Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Odriozola all ruled out. Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes and Dani Carvajal will also miss the game. Elche versus Eibar and Valencia vs Celta Vigo completes the Saturday line-up. Barcel...
La Liga preview: Real Madrid’s injury crisis, Barcelona’s season might be over, and more
The La Liga season continues this weekend, with the 24th round of fixtures featuring some exciting match-ups. The action gets underway on Friday evening, with Real Betis aiming to stay in touch with the top six as they host Getafe. Atletico Madrid will be eager to maintain their place at the top of the standings when they face Levante on Saturday. Joao Felix should be available for selection for Atletico, but Thomas Lemar, Hector Herrera and Moussa Dembele remain on the sidelines. Real Madrid have numerous injury concerns for their visit to Real Valladolid, with Marcelo, Eder Militao, Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Odriozola all ruled out. Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes and Dani Carvajal will also miss the game. Elche versus Eibar and Valencia vs Celta Vigo completes the Saturday line-up. Barcel...
Atlético Madrid – La Liga’s surprise runaway leaders
We’re just over halfway through 2020/21, but it is already proving to be quite the season all over Europe. In England, we have an intensely fluctuating title race with eight different table-toppers already. In Italy, Juventus are not leading for a change, as AC Milan are at the top of Serie A, with Inter Milan, Roma, Napoli, the defending champions and Lazio not too far behind. In France, we actually have a title race as Lille and Lyon are in front of third-placed Paris Saint-Germain, who finally might actually have to fight for a domestic trophy. In the Bundes- *sees Bayern Munich seven points clear at the top* oh well, never mind that actually. But down in Spain, there is an even greater gap between first and second place. Atlético – the other club from Madrid – have a 10-point cushion w...
Arsenal clearout, last-ditch Liverpool – the best of January transfers across Europe
It’s been a rather quiet January transfer window. Previous years have seen the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Virgil van Dijk make big money moves, but nothing of that magnitude happened this time around. Nonetheless, while there wasn’t a headline-making move, there were still some exciting deals being made. Here’s a look at the best signings of the 2021 January transfer window. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal to Fenerbahce, free transfer) Ozil in his first training session at Fenerbahce Once one of the world’s best playmakers, Mesut Ozil’s time at the Emirates had gone sour, having been left out of Mikel Arteta’s 25-man squad back in October. Sitting on a contract estimated to be worth £350k-a-week, the World Cup winner couldn’t be left to sit in the reserves much longer. Along came Fenerbahce, who off...
Cash-strapped Barcelona wants Sergio Aguero, David Alaba for free
Barcelona are hoping they can land Sergio Aguero and David Alaba on free transfers this summer after their contracts expire at Manchester City and Bayern Munich respectively. Aguero is expected to depart the Etihad Stadium after 10 years which have seen him become the club’s all-time top goal scorer with 256 goals and lift four Premier League titles in a glittering career. However, injuries have since caught up with the 32-year-old and he has now gone a full year without scoring a Premier League goal at the Etihad. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca see the striker as the ideal No 9 replacement for Luis Suarez, who departed for Atletico Madrid in the summer, in providing a big name signing for supporters. Barca are in desperate financial struggles following the coronavirus outbreak, and t...
IFFHS: Diego Simeone the best club coach of the decade
Diego Simeone’s consistency at Atletico Madrid has been rewarded. The International Federation of Football and History Stats (IFFHS) have put the Argentine ahead of managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. This will be talked about for a while. The IFFHS have voted Cholo Simeone as the best coach of the latest decade (2011-20). Ahead of Pep Guardiola (Man City) and Champions League winners like Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) and Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), who win three straight Champions Leagues, the IFFHS have gone for the Argentine’s consistency. After arriving at Atletico in 2011, he took a struggling Atleti to Champions League regulars. He has won 203 matches, drawn 118 and lost 82, as well as seven titles. A La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, two Europa Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and...
Islam Slimani set for medical ahead of Lyon move
Islam Slimani is set to have a medical tomorrow ahead of his proposed transfer to Lyon, as reported by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. The Algerian joined Leicester City in the summer transfer window of 2016 following their title win, becoming the club’s record signing – although this has since been beaten by Youri Tielemans. Slimani underwhelmed at Leicester City His time at the King Power Stadium did not work out as planned, scoring just 13 times in 48 appearances in all competitions. The striker was sent out on loan three times by the Foxes, returning good numbers at Monaco, but failing to make an impact at Newcastle United and Fenerbahce. And now it seems like he is set for another spell in the French league, with Di Marzio reporting that Slimani is on his way to Lyon as a replacement f...
Atletico Madrid decide on Lyon striker as Diego Costa replacement
Atletico Madrid have decided to sign Lyon striker Moussa Dembele as their replacement for Diego Costa, report Deportes Cuatro. Costa terminated his contract at Atleti at the end of last month so the club have been compiling data on his potential replacement with his wages now freed up in the squad. Striker Luis Suarez is now the main frontman at the club but with Alvaro Morata having also left over summer, there is a dearth of attacking options in the squad. French striker Dembele had netted an impressive 44 goals across his first full two seasons at Lyon – whom he joined from Celtic in 2018 – but has struggled this campaign, netting just once in 16 Ligue 1 appearances, of which just six have been from the start. It is now said by the report that Atleti are hopeful of taking advantage of t...
Diego Simeone welcomes back Kieran Trippier after FA explains betting ban
Kieran Trippier’s 10-week ban for betting offences is on hold as FIFA considers an appeal, although the FA has explained its decision. Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone welcomed Kieran Trippier back to training after his 10-week suspension for betting offences was put on hold by FIFA. The 30-year-old defender was issued with the ban and a fine of £70,000 on December 23 after the Football Association (FA) found him guilty of four of seven alleged breaches of rule E8(1)(b). Atletico appealed against the punishment to FIFA, and world football’s governing body has cleared Trippier to play while its appeal committee considers the matter. In the written reasons explaining its independent regulatory commission’s decision, which the FA published on Tuesday, it was revealed Trippier told a friend,...
Opinion: Out of favour Premier League ace would be the ideal signing for Atletico this month
Atletico Madrid have done very well in the Spanish League so far this season and they will be one of the favourites to win the title. Diego Simeone’s men are currently at the top of the table with 38 points from 15 matches. Their closest challengers Real Madrid are two points adrift having played two matches more. Atletico Madrid will be hoping to pull further clear of their cross town rivals in the coming weeks and a clever January addition could make a world of difference for them during the second half of the season. The fixture list during the second half of the season is going to be a lot more congested and teams will need more options at their disposal. Key areas that need strengthening Atletico Madrid could certainly use some depth in their attack and it will be interesting to...
Arsenal interested in signing Diego Costa on a free transfer
Arsenal are interested in signing Diego Costa on a free transfer, according to Spanish media outlet AS. The Atletico Madrid striker has six months remaining on his deal but has requested the club to terminate his contract with immediate effect so that he can take care of some family problems. He was absent from the Spanish club’s training session on Monday as he looks increasingly certain to leave the club in January. In January, Costa would be free to speak with clubs regarding a free transfer in the summer if Atletico refused to cancel his contract. The club are aware of this and are open to letting him leave the club next month as long as he does not join a direct rival. It would also allow them to get his wages off their books and look to sign a new striker. They were linke...
