Real Betis
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...
Everton hoping to snag Rui Silva from Real Betis
Everton are looking to sign Granada stopper Rui Silva on a pre-contract deal this January – despite reports claiming that the Portuguese has already agreed to join Real Betis in the summer. The 26-year-old has been at Granada since January 2017, arriving from Liga NOS side Nacional. He has since established himself as the club’s number one goalkeeper. Silva should be on the move this summer Silva’s contract is set to expire in the coming months, leaving him free to negotiate a pre-contract deal this January. Betis looked to have won the race for his signature, with reports emerging that he had signed with Los Verdiblancos. However, Estadio Deportivo are now claiming that the transfer has not been finalised, and that he could still move elsewhere. Everton are believed to be pushing to bring...
Spanish club interested in Arsenal and Palace defenders
Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi and Crystal Palace’s Mamadou Sakho have been named by Estadio Deportivo as potential incomings at Real Betis, as the Spanish side looks to bolster their centre-back options. Real Betis have made a somewhat concerning start to the 2020/21 campaign. After accumulating nine points from their opening four games, they have since lost six of the next seven fixtures. They currently find themselves in 14th place, just two points above the relegation zone. It’s not been an easy ride for Pellegrini this season What will be even more worrying for manager Manuel Pellegrini is the backline. Los Verdiblancos have conceded 23 goals in La Liga so far – three more than anyone else in the division. Estadio Deportivo has named both Mustafi and Sakho as possible targets for the La L...
Barcelona: Ansu Fati to undergo surgery on knee injury
Ansu Fati is to undergo surgery on the torn meniscus he suffered in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Real Betis. The 18-year-old forward was substituted at half-time in Saturday’s contest at Camp Nou and Barca later confirmed that he had sustained damage to his left knee. “Fati had some discomfort in the first half and we replaced him at half-time so as not to take risks,” coach Ronald Koeman told reporters after the game. Fati is now set to have an operation on Monday, after which Barca said they will release further details about the possible length of his absence. A club statement read: “The first team player Ansu Fati will undergo surgery [on] Monday for the injury to the meniscus in his left knee by Dr. Ramon Cugat under the supervision of the club’s medical services. “Once this intervention ...
Barcelona boss explains decision to rest Lionel Messi for Real Betis win
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has confirmed he opted to leave Lionel Messi on the bench for their 5-2 La Liga win over Real Betis as a precaution. Messi started as a substitute at the Camp Nou after reports of a minor injury picked up in the 2-1 midweek Champions League win over Dynamo Kyiv. Koeman brought the Argentinian international on as a second half substitute against Manuel Pellegrini’s side with the 33-year old playing a vital role in their first win for a month. Messi’s dummy created a perfect chance for Antoine Griezmann to make it 2-1 to the hosts before he netted twice himself in the final half hour. “Since yesterday we talked and he had some discomfort from the game against Dynamo Kyiv,” Koeman told a post game interview with Marca. “We decided it was best to leave him on the b...
Cristiano Ronaldo to make Portugal return against France, Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo was on Thursday named in the Portugal squad to play a friendly against Andorra and Nations League matches against France and Croatia. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner tested positive for coronavirus on October 13 when with the Portugal squad, going on to miss the 3-0 victory over Sweden. The 35-year-old finally tested negative 19 days later, returning to the pitch with a double for Juventus against Spezia in Serie A action on Sunday. The Portugal captain also played in Juve’s 4-1 victory over Ferencvaros in the Champions League on Wednesday. Reigning European champions Portugal take on Andorra on Wednesday before Nations League A3 matches at home against France on November 14 and away to Croatia three days later. The main absentee from Fernando Santos’ 25-man squad is Pep...
Ronald Koeman slams VAR after El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman was left frustrated at full time as his side slipped to a 3-1 El Clasico defeat at home to Real Madrid. Ansu Fati cancelled out Federico Valderde’s early goal at the Camp Nou but referee Juan Martinez Munuero’s decision to award a second half penalty turned the game on its head. The experienced official agreed with VAR and awarded a penalty in favour of Sergio Ramos after the Spanish international was pulled down by Clement Lenglet. However the home side were angered by the decision, as Ramos converted to make it 2-1, before substitute Luka Modric added a third goal late on. “We played well and created chances in the game. We did not deserve to lose and some of the referee’s decisions, I did not understand,” he told a post match interview with Marca. “The de...
Zinedine Zidane claims 100 La Liga wins as Real Madrid coach
Real Madrid’s win over Real Betis on Saturday was Zinedine Zidane’s 100th in charge of Real Madrid in La Liga Santander. The Frenchman has coached Los Blancos in 147 La Liga matches in total, with 55 at home and 45 away from home. In those games, Zidane’s sides have scored 342 goals and conceded 142. Only Miguel Munoz has won more La Liga matches in charge of Real Madrid than Zidane with 257. As well as his centenary of victories, the former Real Madrid midfielder has won two La Liga titles – in 2016/17 and 2019/20. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting...
FIFA celebrates Super Falcons star Chidinma Okeke at 20
World football governing body, FIFA, has sent congratulatory message to Super Falcons defender Chidinma Okeke on her 20th birthday on Tuesday. The post FIFA celebrates Super Falcons star Chidinma Okeke at 20 appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Report: Liverpool close to signing 28 y/o int’l on a bargain deal
Report: Liverpool close to signing 28 y/o int'l on a bargain deal – originally posted on Sportslens.com Liverpool are close to securing a deal for Aissa Mandi from Real Betis on a bargain deal, according to reports from Daily Star. While the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City are reportedly aiming for blockbuster signings, the Premier League champions seem to have a different transfer strategy. Jurgen Klopp probably feels that he has a well-equipped squad and that he won’t need too many additions. However, signing a defender is a necessity following the departure of Dejan Lovren, who has joined Zenit St Petersburg. The Croatia international made the switch after staying six years at Anfield, and his departure leaves a void in the team. The report claims that Liverpool ar...
Report: Leeds United want £22.47m Portuguese
Report: Leeds United want £22.47m Portuguese – originally posted on Sportslens.com Leeds United are interested in signing William Carvalho from Real Betis in the summer transfer window, according to Transfer20. It has been reported that Spanish club Betis want €25 million (£22.47 million) as transfer fee for the 28-year-old defensive midfielder. Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also reported to be interested in the Portugal international. The report has added that Carvalho will not force a move out of Spanish club Betis this summer. Stats Carvalho has been on the books of Betis since the summer of 2018 when he joined from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon. According to WhoScored, the 28-year-old made 11 starts and two substitute appearances in La Liga for Betis this ...
La Liga congratulates Bundesliga ahead football league return
The Spanish La Liga has congratulated Germany’s Bundesliga for announcing its imminent return as Spain’s top-flight stepped up its own comeback preparations. The Bundesliga was given the green light to resume later this month when chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement during a news conference on Wednesday. Strict testing and matchday procedures will be put in place by the German government, with football seemingly set to resume on May 15 having been paused in mid-March. LaLiga outlined its own plan for a staggered return to training on Monday, with teams set to begin individual work this week before gradually moving to group sessions, the ultimate aim being to re-commence the 2019-20 season in June. Spanish clubs began testing players for COVID-19 on Tuesday and LaLiga sees the Bu...
