Despite wrapping up their 35th LaLiga title and retaining a chance of winning the Champions League this term, Real Madrid find themselves at something of a crossroads.
The individual brilliance of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior may have fired Los Blancos to a dominant triumph in LaLiga, but attention will soon turn to Madrid s attempts to defend the title for the first time since 2007-08.
With the potential arrival of a true global superstar and one of the Premier League s best defenders, as well as the matter of refreshing a brilliant but ageing midfield, it promises to be an interesting few months at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Here, Stats Perform analyses what Carlo Ancelotti s men could do to fend off the potential challenge of an improved Barcelona next season…
Lionel Messi is staying put, meaning he will be able to add to his stunning goal haul for Barcelona.
Messi made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old and has gone on to become Barca s all-time leading scorer with 634 goals and 276 assists in 731 appearances in all competitions for the club.
His incredible feats in front of goal have helped him win 34 trophies with the Catalan club, but his days had looked numbered when he expressed a desire to leave following a trophy-less campaign in which the club suffered a humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich.
However, after running into issues over the release clause in his contract, the Argentina superstar confirmed a dramatic U-turn on Friday.
Despite all of the drama, Messi s goals…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Kylian Mbappe should be confident of winning another World Cup but does not expect Argentina to do likewise after their disrespectful title celebrations.
Mbappe s France lost on penalties to Argentina in December s Qatar 2022 final despite their talisman scoring a hat-trick.
Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Lionel Messi instead added the final major medal he was waiting for to his collection.
Despite Mbappe matching Messi almost stride for stride, he was the subject of taunts from the Argentina players both immediately after the game and in their celebrations back home.
PSG great Ibrahimovic criticised the Albiceleste s lack of class and suggested it was a sign they will not repeat their win.
I said Argentina will for sur…
Boca players in moving Maradona tribute to legend´s daughter: ´To honour the best, you must play wel
Boca Juniors made a moving tribute to the daughter of club legend Diego Maradona during their 2-0 win over another of his former sides Newell s Old Boys on Sunday.
Argentina great Maradona, regarded by many as the best footballer ever, died at the age of 60 last Wednesday.
Such was his influence on the sport, homage has been paid across the world – from compatriot Lionel Messi revealing a Newell s shirt during a goal celebration earlier in the day, to Napoli confirming plans to rename their stadium Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and revealing an Argentina-inspired fourth kit in their weekend win over Roma.
Boca, where Maradona spent two spells, had their Copa Libertadores clash with Internacional postponed just a few hours after the 1986 World Cup winner die…
Best Odds: 1/2
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Looking to make one final statement on Sunday evening, newly-crowned Europa League champions Atalanta will welcome Fiorentina to Bergamo.
Atalanta
Starting with the hosts, making real history on May 22nd as they stormed their way to a famous first piece of European silverware, the mood in Atalanta’s camp is certainly at an iconic high. Eventually stormed their way to a remarkable 3-0 romp against German record-breakers Bayer Leverkusen, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men will be looking to make one final statement this weekend. Putting in another stellar performance last time out in Serie A action as they secured a routine 3-0 victory against Torino on home soil, La Dea have continued to receive a string of plaudits from across the contine…
Best odds: 11/10
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Greece and the Republic of Ireland are set for a duel at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, also known as the OPAP Arena for commercial purposes, on Friday evening. The match is to be a part of the second round of the Euro 2024 qualifying process in Group B, where France, Netherlands and Gibraltar have already played two games each.
These two teams are relatively close to each other in the FIFA rankings, with Greece currently occupying place number 52, and Ireland three spots above in 49th.
Greece
Greece got off to a strong start in their quest for Euro 2024 qualification when they comfortably secured a 3-0 victory against the underdog team Gibraltar in late March.
The team scored two goals in the first half, courtesy…
Sergio Aguero has retired at the age of 33 due to a heart problem.
The Barcelona forward announced his decision to retire in a statement on Wednesday that was delivered at an event featuring president Joan Laporta and the club s first-team players.
Aguero, who starred for Atletico Madrid before becoming a Manchester City great, suffered chest pain in the draw with Deportivo Alaves on October 30, which the club confirmed was down to a heart arrhythmia.
Sergi Barjuan, interim coach at the time, said Aguero told him he was feeling a little dizzy .
Further tests resulted in Aguero being ruled out for three months to undergo a diagnostic and therapeutic process .
However, after consultations with specialists, the Argentina international has been t…
Barcelona are setting records as they plough through the Women s Champions League draw, but Wolfsburg are not intimidated as they prepare for a semi-final against the mighty Catalans.
A crowd of 91,553 saw Barcelona crush Real Madrid 5-2 on Wednesday to seal a last-four place, and Jonatan Giraldez s team have won their last 37 games, scoring five or more goals in 18 of those victories.
They last failed to win in pre-season, when edged out 3-2 by Lyon at the Women s International Champions Cup in Portland, and remain on course to successfully defend the Champions League title they won by thrashing Chelsea 4-0 last May in Gothenburg.
Barcelona men s coach Xavi said the packed Camp Nou for the Real Madrid clash marked a historic day for football and society…
Best odds: 5/11
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Flamengo head into gameweek 18 of the Brasileiro eager to end their recent slump as they host Criciuma at Arena BRB Mane Garrincha on Saturday.
Third-placed Mengao are winless in their last two games, causing them to fall behind league leaders Botafogo. However, they aim to secure all three points against a Criciuma side that has managed to claim just one point from their last three matches.
Flamengo
Despite having played fewer games than the two clubs above them — Botafogo and Palmeiras — recent results have hindered Flamengo s pursuit of their first league title since 2020.
A 1-1 home draw against a resilient Cuiaba was followed by a surprising 2-1 loss to Fortaleza at Maracana, causing Tite s team to fall five p…
Manchester City want to hand defender Ruben Dias a new contract, according to . The report has claimed that City, who won the Premier League title last season, are keen on tying down Dias to a new deal until the summer of 2030.
Dias has been on the books of City since the summer of 2020 when he joined from Benfica. The 27-year-old Portugal international centre-back has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world and is a key figure in Pep Guardiola’s team at City. Dias has scored three goals, given four assists and kept 43 clean sheets in 117 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.
Football Transfers has reported that City plan to increase the weekly salary of Dias from £180,000 to £220,000 and will also give him assurances of makin…