La Liga
Celtic finally set for windfall as Arsenal reportedly eye £25m 51-goal hitman
Arsenal are weighing up a move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Telegraph Sports. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen his attack, and while it appears that he has missed out on Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, another Frenchman and former Hoops star is now on his radar. Dembele is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, but he has not scored or assisted in six appearances across the La Liga and Champions League. Injury and fitness issues have hindered the 25-year-old from impressing, and whether Diego Simeone’s side will be keen to activate the option to buy him for around £30 million remains to be seen. Dembele’s form has not stopped Arsenal from casting glances at him, though, and he is available for £25 million this summer. Celtic a...
La Liga title race: Barcelona and Real Madrid playing catch-up, but can the league leaders manage a win?
In what looked set to be a crucial round of fixtures in the La Liga title race, points dropped by Atlético, Barcelona and Real Madrid over the weekend leaves us with no clear title favourite with three games left to play. Atlético maintained their two-point lead at the top of the La Liga table despite their stalemate with the Catalans on Saturday afternoon, as Real Madrid also drew with Sevilla on Sunday night in an entertaining 2-2 clash. The tense race for La Liga glory will continue, and with the unpredictable nature of the chasing pack’s results – we can expect plenty of surprises as the season draws to a close. Will wasteful Barca rue missed opportunity? Ousmane Dembélé was guilty of missing a glaring opportunity five minutes from time Victory over Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou woul...
Eden Hazard vs Philippe Coutinho – Who has been the biggest La Liga flop?
It may seem like a long time ago now, but there was once a time when Eden Hazard and Philippe Coutinho were two of the best players in the Premier League. At Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, the two playmakers were putting in regular dazzling displays. Hazard’s mesmerising dribbling struck fear into the heart of any right-back, while Coutinho’s gem of a right foot could pick out the top corner from anywhere within 40 yards of the goal. Fast forward a few years, and they both probably wish they had stayed in England. Coutinho has fallen wildly out of favour with manager Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou, while Hazard has become public enemy number one in Madrid. But who has been the bigger flop in Spain? Let’s have a look. Transfer fee Eden Hazard at the Santiago Bernabeu after completing his tr...
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid – La Liga Preview, Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Barcelona and league-leaders Atletico Madrid will go head-to-head at Camp Nou in a titanic La Liga title six-pointer on Saturday. Ahead of the kick-off, the hosts sit two points adrift of their opponents and are looking to maintain their imperious home streak against Atletico to leapfrog them in the standings. Meanwhile, the visitors harbour a slender lead over Barca and Real Madrid and cannot afford another slip-up if they are to capitalise on impressive domestic performances this season. Barcelona Preview Barcelona prevailed in a five-goal thriller at Mestalla last time out, coming from behind to beat Valencia 3-2 and bounce back from a 2-1 home defeat to Granada. Ronald Koeman’s men have racked up the most La Liga points (49) since the turn of 2021 (W16, D1, L2), at least eight more tha...
Eden Hazard apologises to Real Madrid fans for laughing after Champions League exit
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard has apologised for laughing with Chelsea players after his side were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals. The former Chelsea man, 30, was seen joking and smiling with his former team-mates at the final whistle. Hazard said on Instagram it was “not my intention to offend Real Madrid fans”. Hazard was substituted before full-time after failing to have an impact on the game, which the Spanish giants lost 2-0 as Chelsea progressed 3-1 on aggregate. Hazard, who left Stamford Bridge in 2019, has received much criticism from Real Madrid fans and the Spanish media, with some calling for him to be transferred. Hazard helped Chelsea, who will face Manchester City in an all-English Champions League final, to two Premier League and two Europa League trophies...
Real Madrid sweating on key star’s fitness, Barcelona trio miss crucial game
The La Liga season continues apace over the next few days, with the 35th round of fixtures featuring some crucial match-ups. It could be a pivotal few days for La Liga results, with the top four sides set to face each other this weekend. Atletico Madrid travel to Barcelona on Saturday afternoon hoping to hang onto their place at the top of the La Liga table. Diego Simeone’s side are two points ahead of Barca and Real Madrid heading into the weekend, and a win at the Nou Camp would put them in a strong position. Martin Braithwaite, Philippe Coutinho and Ansu Fati miss out for the home team, while Renan Lodi is the only doubt for Atletico. Sevilla visit Madrid on Sunday evening, knowing that anything less than a victory will end their faint title hopes. The Andalusian side are six points off...
Real Madrid set price for Eden Hazard
Real Madrid have reportedly named their price for out-of-favour star Eden Hazard. Hazard joined Madrid from Chelsea in 2019 for a club-record fee, believed to be up to £143 million. After seven incredible years in the Premier League, it was hoped that he would be the club’s star man following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo a year earlier. Big things were expected of Hazard when he arrived He won the league title in his first season but played a small role due to several injury problems. He managed just one goal and three assists in 16 league appearances. His fitness worries have continued into this campaign, making even fewer appearances than before. He has played just 481 minutes for Los Blancos in La Liga, scoring twice and assisting once. His enormous price tag and underwhelming per...
‘Hazard cannot stay at Madrid for another second’: TV host issues damning verdict
Eden Hazard was filmed laughing and joking with his former Chelsea teammates after they had knocked his side out of the Champions League on Wednesday. Dominant Chelsea Real Madrid took a 1-1 draw to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in pursuit of their 14th trophy in Europe’s major club competition. Despite having Hazard and club captain Sergio Ramos fit to start the game, Los Blancos could not break through a strong Chelsea side. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount ensured Chelsea booked their place against Manchester City in the final as they progressed 3-1 on aggregate. Madrid were fortunate not to have lost the game by three or four goals. Chelsea had several chances to put the game to bed, with the likes of Mount and Kai Havertz being thwarted by an inspired Thibaut Courtois o...
‘Impressive’: Barcelona star talks about Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland
In an interview with Sport1, Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen spoke about the progress made by Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland. Haaland has immensely built his reputation over the past one-and-a-half seasons and is currently regarded as one of the best centre-forwards in the world. The 20-year-old has already been linked with some of Europe’s elite clubs including the Blaugrana, who are eyeing a new striker. When asked about Haaland, ter Stegen said that he has been impressed by the style of play and scoring record of the Norwegian international. There has been speculation that he could leave Dortmund if they fail to make the top four, but ter Stegen feels Haaland could continue his development in Germany for another year. He added that any club which succeeds in s...
Arsenal eliminated from Europa League after being held to goalless draw by Villarreal
Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League by Villarreal after playing out a 0-0 draw in the second leg, with the tie ending 2-1 on aggregate. The first half was seriously flat, with neither side able to create anything clear cut. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had the best chance of the opening 45, doing well to strike a volley against the outside of the post. As for the visitors, the closest they came to changing the scoreline was through Dani Parejo. The former Queens Park Rangers loanee took a free kick from just outside the box, but put it marginally over the crossbar. It was a first half that will have satisfied Unai Emery more than Mikel Arteta. On his return to the Emirates Stadium, his side were limiting Arsenal to half-chances while also providing a bit of threat. The second half b...
Barcelona looking at trio as they aim to find a long-term replacement for club legend
Barcelona have got their eye on three central midfielders as they look for a long-term replacement for club legend Sergio Busquets. Busquets first joined Barcelona in 2005, arriving at the famed La Masia academy. He made his debut for the first team in September 2008 under Pep Guardiola. Since then, he has been a key part of their side. He has made over 600 appearances for the Catalan giants, winning eight La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues, and seven Copas del Rey, as well as a World Cup and a European Championship with his national team. Busquets was part of Barcelona’s best side The defensive midfielder is renowned for his class and composure on the ball, controlling things in the middle of the park while offering protection to the back four. However, the time is approaching when B...
Chelsea see off Real Madrid to reach Champions League final
Chelsea defeated Real Madrid 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach their first Champions League final in nine years. It was a cagey opening 20 minutes, with neither side creating anything clear cut. Antonio Rudiger had a shot from distance beaten away by Thibaut Courtois, while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric both had long-range strikes saved. Timo Werner thought he had opened the scoring when he tapped in from Ben Chilwell’s low cross, but the offside flag was raised. But the German was not to be denied a second time ten minutes later. After some brilliant footwork and link up play by N’Golo Kante, he found Kai Havertz. The German’s chipped effort came back off the bar, but compatriot Werner was on hand to nod home from about a yard out. Los Blancos were struggling to create anything, with wingers E...
