Al Ittihad striker Karim Benzema has opened up about his decision to leave Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia. Benzema made the move to the Middle East in the summer of 2023, and according to the French forward, he wanted to leave the La Liga giants on a high note. He also revealed that he never wanted to face Madrid during the rest of his career. “My decision to go to Saudi Arabia was also because I wanted to leave Real Madrid on top,” Benzema explained. “And I didn’t want to ever play against Real Madrid in my life.” During his…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde appears to be on track to return in time for this week’s Champions League derby against city rivals Atletico. Valverde has missed Madrid’s last two La Liga games against Girona and Real Betis, as well as the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Sociedad. His last appearance came in the Champions League knockout second-leg victory over Manchester City, a match in which he required painkilling injections due to thigh discomfort. On Sunday, COPE journalist Miguel Angel Diaz reported that Valverde was expected to fully participate in Monday’s training session with the rest of…
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso played down the heated exchange between Victor Boniface and teammate Emiliano Buendía following their 4-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Boniface appeared to lash out at Buendía after they collided while attempting to take a shot in stoppage time. The incident led to both players being separated by their teammates. Jeremie Frimpong spoke with Boniface, who was also closely followed by Alonso as the Nigerian forward left the pitch after the match. “I spoke with Boni,” Alonso explained afterward. “I don’t have all the details, but Boni wanted to shoot. These things happen. We don’t want…
Manchester United will be without one of their top academy talents for the rest of their Europa League campaign. Ruben Amorim’s side will head to the Basque Country this week to face Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash. After their FA Cup exit to Fulham on Sunday, United will be aiming for a strong rebound when they face Sociedad on Thursday. However, they will be missing Chido Obi, as the young forward was not included in their updated squad list for the UEFA competition. The 17-year-old, who impressed after coming on for Rasmus Hojlund…
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is looking beyond current setbacks and maintaining a focus on the club’s long-term goal of securing a 14th Premier League title. The Red Devils have won 13 league titles, all under the legendary management of Sir Alex Ferguson, who reshaped British football during his remarkable 27-year reign at Old Trafford. While United have never finished lower than eighth in a Premier League season, they are on track to break that record this term. Currently sitting 14th in the table, 10 points behind eighth-placed Brighton, they have suffered 12 losses in their 27 matches so…
Manchester United’s FA Cup defense came to an end after Fulham triumphed in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in their fifth-round clash at Old Trafford. The first half was uneventful, with both teams struggling to create significant chances. Fulham took advantage of a defensive lapse that will likely frustrate United head coach Ruben Amorim. Rodrigo Muniz flicked on an Andreas Pereira corner, with Calvin Bassey reacting faster than Noussair Mazraoui, glancing the ball beyond an outstretched Andre Onana to put Fulham ahead. United made changes in the second half, with Alejandro Garnacho coming on and injecting some life…
Manchester City will face Bournemouth in the standout match of the FA Cup quarter-final draw. The reigning Premier League champions kept their cup run alive with a 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, joining Aston Villa in the draw after they defeated Cardiff City on Friday night. City now travel to face Andoni Iraola’s in-form Bournemouth, while Villa will head to Preston North End, who knocked out Burnley in the fifth round. Fulham’s reward for eliminating defending champions Manchester United on penalties at Old Trafford is a London derby against Crystal Palace. The final quarter-final tie will see Brighton…
Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in La Liga on Sunday afternoon with an easy 4-0 win over ten-man Real Sociedad. Atletico Madrid had started the day at the summit after their win over Athletic Club and Real Madrid’s loss to Real Betis, but Barcelona moved ahead with a dominant home performance. Real Sociedad’s Aritz Elustondo was sent off in the 17th minute, and Barcelona capitalized swiftly. Gerard Martin and Marc Casado both scored their first goals for the club within four minutes of each other in the first half, giving Barcelona a commanding lead. Ronald Araujo then added a third…
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has surged into second place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, according to Goal. Last year marked the first time since 2003 that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo were nominated. In their absence, Manchester City’s Rodri claimed the award, edging out Vinícius Jr. This year, Mohamed Salah is widely considered the frontrunner. The in-form Egyptian is almost guaranteed to lead Liverpool to the Premier League title, with the Reds holding a 13-point advantage over Arsenal and 12 games remaining. Salah is having arguably the best season of his career, with 30 goals and 22…
A brace from Nico O’Reilly helped Manchester City come from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening. Pep Guardiola made a complete overhaul to his starting XI, making all 11 changes from the midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while Plymouth capitalized on the opportunity to face a much-changed City side, reminiscent of Brentford’s upset earlier in the competition. Despite a slow start, with Plymouth dominating early on, the hosts took the lead in the 38th minute through Maksym Talovierov’s header. This unexpected goal came from Plymouth’s first set piece…