For the second time this season, Real Madrid found themselves frustrated by the officiating standards in La Liga, particularly following Jude Bellingham’s red card in their 1-1 draw with Osasuna on Saturday. Bellingham was sent off after allegedly telling referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero “fk you,” but Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti clarified that the Englishman actually said “fk off,” accusing the referee of misinterpreting the intent behind his words. Despite Madrid’s plans to appeal the decision, Bellingham has been handed a two-match suspension, meaning he will miss upcoming fixtures for the Spanish giants. Which matches will Jude Bellingham miss due…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Liverpool failed to extend their lead over Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Wednesday evening, drawing 2-2 with Aston Villa. The Reds took the lead early, capitalizing on a costly mistake by winter signing Andres Garcia. His misdirected pass was pounced on by Diogo Jota, who set up Mohamed Salah to score. However, Liverpool’s advantage lasted just nine minutes as Villa equalized through Youri Tielemans, who made the most of a weak header clearance by Dominik Szoboszlai to fire a shot past Alisson. In first-half stoppage time, Villa completed a dramatic turnaround when Ollie Watkins expertly converted Lucas Digne’s cross,…
Real Madrid booked their spot in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday night, defeating Manchester City 3-1 in the second leg and 6-3 on aggregate in the knockout play-off. City’s hopes were already hanging by a thread after a disheartening first leg, where two late goals left them trailing by a single goal heading into the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu. Their situation worsened further with a poor first-half performance in Madrid. Kylian Mbappe fired Madrid into the lead just four minutes in, calmly lobbing Ederson. The French forward then doubled his tally just before the half-hour mark,…
Barcelona have made further progress towards improving their financial stability after La Liga confirmed an increase in the club’s salary cap for the second half of the season. Barcelona’s squad has been hit hard financially in recent years, with only a few high-profile players and the majority of the squad either brought in on low fees or developed from their youth academy. Last January, the club’s salary cap was slashed to €204 million, down from €270 million at the start of the previous season, while rivals Real Madrid were operating with a cap of €755 million. Under president Joan Laporta’s…
Manchester City’s hopes of securing a spot in the Champions League knockout stages have received a boost with striker Erling Haaland joining Tuesday’s training session. Haaland had appeared to injure his knee during City’s 4-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend, raising concerns about his availability for Wednesday’s crucial second-leg clash with Real Madrid in their Champions League play-off tie. City are aiming to overcome a 3-2 deficit from the first leg and, based on footage from Tuesday’s session, it seems they will call upon their star striker, as Haaland was seen participating fully in team activities. In addition…
Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara is set to miss four key matches due to injury, including Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace. Kamara, who has recently been deployed as a center-back by Unai Emery due to a shortage of defenders, is also doubtful for the Emirates FA Cup fifth-round clash against Cardiff City. In the 16th minute of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, Kamara limped off the field, with Tyrone Mings—who was returning from an injury of his own—replacing him. Kamara is believed to be dealing with a muscular issue and is expected to be sidelined…
UEFA has appointed referee István Kovács to officiate the Champions League second-leg playoff between Real Madrid and Manchester City on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. This will be the fourth time Kovács has overseen a Real Madrid match in the Champions League. The Romanian referee previously officiated Real Madrid’s 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024/25 group stage, as well as their 5-2 win over Liverpool in the 2022/23 Round of 16 first leg. Kovács also refereed the Los Blancos’ 4-3 win over Manchester City in the 2021/22 Champions League semifinals first leg. Clément Turpin was the referee for…
Alphonso Davies’ dramatic 94th-minute goal spared Bayern Munich from a potential upset against Celtic, sending them through to the Champions League knockout stages after a 1-1 draw on Tuesday. Bayern came out strong and could have easily taken the lead within the first ten minutes, but Celtic also had their chances. Callum McGregor was left frustrated after failing to capitalize on a promising opportunity just seven minutes in. Nicolas Kuhn had a shot cleared off the line, and Daizen Maeda drilled wide soon after, with Celtic missing two of the best chances early on. Bayern’s Harry Kane hit the crossbar,…
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has acknowledged that the team is deeply missing midfielder Toni Kroos this season. Courtois and Kroos were teammates from 2018 until the end of the 2023-24 season, when the German midfielder decided to retire from professional football after Euro 2024 in Germany. Kroos, who had previously played for Bayern Munich, played a pivotal role in helping Real Madrid secure La Liga titles and UEFA Champions League victories. This season, Real Madrid has appeared to struggle at times without the steadying influence of Kroos in the midfield. In a conversation with Rio Ferdinand, Courtois shared (via…
Arsène Wenger believes Ethan Nwaneri is poised to take on a starring role for Arsenal, despite his young age, drawing comparisons to Cesc Fàbregas. The 17-year-old was Arsenal’s standout player in Saturday’s crucial 2-0 victory over Leicester City, providing the assist for Mikel Merino’s first goal of the match. Nwaneri is set to play a key role in Mikel Arteta’s squad as the Gunners face a shortage of forwards. His potential has already been recognized by Wenger, a legendary figure at the club. Wenger sees similarities between Nwaneri and Fàbregas, who also broke into the first team as a teenager…