REAL MADRID MEME 🤣

 

'BAD DAY AT THE JOB' FOR FC BARCELONA AS THEY WERE ROUTED 4-0 BY ATLÉTICO MADRID

 

RANKING ALL GOALS BY LAMINE YAMAL

 

EL CLASICO | FC BARCELONA VS. REAL MADRID | SUPERCOPA DE ESPAÑA FINAL

 

BARCELONA TRANSFER NEWS: BARCA ARE 'MONITORING' THE FULL-BACK WHO 'STOPPED' YAMAL DURING THE DERBY

© Iconsport

Espanyol youngster was one of the most talked-about points by Barca after the final whistle.

Barcelona's victory over Espanyol last Saturday (3rd) was far from celebrated with euphoria. In the dressing room, the tone was more one of relief than celebration. The difficulty of the triumph was a recurring topic — and, according to AS, amid the internal analysis, the name of an opposition player stood out with admiration: Carlos Romero.

Romero keeps Yamal quiet in impressive derby display

© Imago / Pressinphoto

The 24-year-old left-back, on loan from Villarreal until the end of the season, delivered a top-level performance in the derby. Tasked with marking Lamine Yamal, Romero fulfilled his mission with impressive discipline: he went the full 90 minutes without committing a single foul and managed to hold his own in individual duels against one of the most devastating players in world football.

There was cover at times, it is true, but his one-on-one performance was solid from start to finish. And, beyond his defensive consistency, Romero was also a constant threat when he pushed forward in attack.

Down his flank, Barcelona suffered. One of his crosses found Pere Milla's head, forcing Joan Garcia to make a superb save. In the second half, the left-back almost got on the scoresheet with a right-footed finish inside the box — again denied by the opposition goalkeeper.

Manolo Gonzalez, Espanyol's manager, was fully aware of Romero's potential impact in the derby and exploited this asset relentlessly. It was no coincidence that the left-back finished the match as the home side's player with the most involvements, totalling 54 actions. He recovered five balls — behind only Urko Gonzalez — and won half of his defensive duels, figures that underline his constant presence on both sides of the pitch.

Carlos Romero interests Barcelona

The display in the Catalan derby merely confirmed a run of form that has been attracting attention for months. Carlos Romero has shown defensive maturity while also posing a regular attacking threat. Recently, he had already made his mark with a stunning goal against Athletic Bilbao.

This growth puts Villarreal in front of an important decision next summer. With a contract valid until 2029 and competition for the position — names like Sergi Cardona and Alfonso Pedraza are already part of the squad — the club will need to decide the Valencian full-back's future. Meanwhile, Romero continues to offer Espanyol consistent arguments to be kept as a key player.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, even by rivals. As mentioned, his display in the derby impressed the Barcelona dressing room and put the player's name on the Catalan club's radar, even with the left-back position theoretically well covered. However, any move faces a significant obstacle: the release clause set at €45m (£39.5m), a figure that turns admiration into caution.

This article was originally published on Trivela.

- Axel Clody

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EL CLASICO DAY 🔥

 

MARCUS RASHFORD SPEAKS OUT ON MAN UNITED FUTURE AFTER BARCELONA LOAN

Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan from Manchester United this summer and the LaLiga giants have the option of making the deal permanent next year

Marcus Rashford is enjoying life at his new club (Getty Images)

Marcus Rashford has made it clear he wants to leave Manchester United permanently and stay at Barcelona beyond this season.

Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan from Manchester United this summer and the LaLiga giants have the option of making the deal permanent next year.

Having scored five goals in 12 games including a double in the midweek Champions League thrashing of Olympiacos, the 27-year-old is clear where his future lies, ahead of this weekend’s Clasico showdown with Real Madrid.

Marcus Rashford says he is loving life with Barcelona (Martin Rickett/PA)

Asked if he wanted to stay, Rashford told ESPN: “Oh yeah, for sure. I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it’s an honour.”

Rashford has a contract at Old Trafford until 2028 but having also spent a brief spell on loan at Aston Villa last season it is highly unlikely he will return under current boss Ruben Amorim.

“People forget this, but 24, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United, so sometimes you just need a change,” added Rashford. “I think maybe this is the case with me and I’m enjoying everything.”

Injury problems loom before Clasico

Real Madrid host Barcelona this weekend as both sides grapple with a mounting injury crisis that has left them severely depleted.

Former Real midfielder Alonso faces his first Clasico after replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who departed for Brazil's national team in May following a trophyless campaign in which Barcelona dominated their rivals with four wins from four meetings.

Barcelona's superiority was emphatic, scoring 16 goals against Madrid en route to a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double, as well as the Spanish Super Cup title, as Ancelotti's Real Madrid finished the campaign empty-handed.

Alonso's tactical experiments have yielded mixed results. A humbling defeat to Paris St Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final and a loss to local rivals Atletico Madrid in LaLiga have raised questions about his project, with Real often looking exposed to counter-attacks.

Their star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been forced to work his magic, producing crucial saves to help them secure many valuable points.

Jude Bellingham epitomises Real's season, with the England midfielder still finding his rhythm after shoulder surgery that sidelined him for several months. On his first start after surgery against Atletico Madrid, he was one of Real's worst performers and clearly out of rhythm.

Bellingham did manage his first goal of the season in Real's 1-0 Champions League victory over Juventus on Wednesday, offering hope of a return to form.

Real's attack remains a bright spot, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr flourishing while 20-year-old Turkey international Arda Guler is experiencing a breakout season. They have won all but one of their 12 games across all competitions this season.

They are top of the LaLiga standings on 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona, who appear to be travelling in the opposite direction under Hansi Flick after last season's double triumph.

The German coach guided his team to within minutes of their first Champions League final in a decade, but recent form has been concerning.

Getty

The Catalans needed a goal in added time by defender-turned-centre-forward Ronald Araujo to beat Girona on Saturday and avoid going three consecutive games without victory.

They were also struggling against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday until the Greek side were reduced to 10 men with a controversial red card which helped Barcelona take control before they romped to a 6-1 victory.

Barca's injury crisis has reached alarming proportions, with 10 players lost since August.

Lamine Yamal, who finished second in the Ballon d'Or vote, is struggling with lingering groin injuries and faces questions about his work ethic and off-field distractions.

The injury list makes for grim reading for both sides. Barcelona will be without Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, while coach Flick cannot be on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu after receiving a red card against Girona.

Real Madrid are monitoring right backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, who returned to training this week but may not be risked in such a high-stakes encounter.

Club sources suggest key defender Dean Huijsen is on track to play after missing recent matches with a calf muscle injury, while David Alaba and Antonio Ruediger remain ruled out.

additional reporting by agencies

- Lawrence Ostlere

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FC BARCELONA ANNOUNCE SQUAD FOR LA LIGA MATCH AGAINST MALLORCA

Getty Images

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana travel to Palma de Mallorca for a game against Mallorca at Son Moix to begin their defense of the La Liga title, and Hansi Flick has called up the following 23 players for Saturday’s clash:

Goalkeepers: Iñaki Peña, Joan Garcia, Diego Kochen

Defenders: Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, Eric García, Jofre Torrents

Midfielders: Gavi, Pedri, Fermín López, Marc Casadó, Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Dro Fernández, Guille Fernández, Toni Fernández

Forwards: Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford

The good news for this one is that Barça achieved their two biggest goals ahead of the season opener, registering Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford in time for the trip to Son Moix. Wojciech Szczesny, Gerard Martín and Roony Bardghji have not been registered yet, however, and are forced to sit this one out. Marc-André ter Stegen (back), Robert Lewandowski (hamstring) and Marc Bernal (knee) are out due to injury, while Oriol Romeu and Héctor Fort are no longer in the coach’s plans and are also left out.

Predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1):

Garcia; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsí, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermín, Raphinha; Ferran

The match kicks off at 7.30pm CET (Barcelona), 6.30pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 1.30pm ET, 10.30am PT (USA), 11pm IST (India), and you’re welcome to join us to follow and comment all the action.

VISCA EL BARÇA!

- Renato Gonçalves

ICONIC NO. 10 BARCELONA JERSEY GOES TO LAMINE YAMAL

 

WHY ARE BARCELONA NOT PART OF THE FOOTBALL SHOWPIECE EVENT?

The new-look FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will include 32 football clubs from across the globe but there will be no FC Barcelona in the competition. We explain why the La Liga champions Barcelona are not a part of the tournament.

The revamped FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will have some of the best 32 teams from across the globe fighting for glory in the United States. The tournament kicks off on 14 June with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami taking on Egypt’s Al Ahly. However, one of the biggest football clubs from the world is missing from the scene – FC Barcelona.

It’s stunning that Barcelona, who are five-time UEFA Champions League winners, are not going to be a part of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which will include 12 teams from Europe including Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid from Spain.

Even teams like European clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City and Juventus, who failed to win their respective domestic leagues this season, will also be there in the USA to take part in the Club World Cup. But La Liga champions Barcelona are not a part of the tournament.

Why are Barcelona not a part of the FIFA Club World Cup?

Barcelona were edged out by domestic rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, who earned Spain’s two available slots. Real Madrid secured their place by winning the UEFA Champions League in both 2021–22 and 2023–

Atletico, meanwhile, booked their ticket by amassing more UEFA coefficient points than Barcelona over the four-year qualification window starting from the 2020–21 season.

Barcelona’s absence is largely due to their failure to make a deep impact in Europe during this period, having not lifted the Champions League trophy once in the last four years. The next realistic shot for Barça to return to the Club World Cup stage will come in 2029.

- FP Sports Desk

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