ATLETICO MADRID BEAT REAL MADRID IN TENSE DERBY CLASH

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid edged 10-man Real Madrid 2-1 in a La Liga derby clash on Sunday to leave Jose Mourinho's side trailing leaders Barcelona by six points.

Grimaldo celebrates his goal. 

OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP

Dean Huijsen was sent off early in the second half for Los Blancos before Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David's goals earned Diego Simeone's Atletico victory, with Antonio Rudiger pulling one back late on.

Atletico rose to second, five points behind Barca and one ahead of Real Madrid, who chalked up a second defeat of the campaign.

The game hinged on Huijsen's red card early in the second period, for pulling down Giuliano Simeone in the box which led to a penalty, tucked away by Grimaldo to set Atletico on their way.

Real Madrid were unhappy about challenges from Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in in the first half which Mourinho said should have been red cards.

"They were two clear red cards... the difficulty we had after (Huijsen's red) with 11 (players) against 10, well imagine 50 minutes with 11 against nine," Mourinho grumbled.

"There are no miracles in football," he continued. "11 against nine, well we can imagine how that would have finished."

Atletico midfielder Koke said the victory proved his side are capable of winning trophies.

"We can compete against every team if we give 100 percent," explained Koke.

"(Real) Madrid are one of the best in the world and today we showed that."

Mourinho started with Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield over Bernardo Silva, opting for defensive clout over creativity.

There was more tension than footballing quality in the first half, with neither side capable of creating any clear chances.

The main talking point was an incident between Jude Bellingham and Atletico defender Romero.

The England international threw himself into a tackle and Romero trod on his leg, with Bellingham booked initially, but after a VAR review the referee removed the card and issued it to the Atletico man.

Madrid were also unhappy with a heavy tackle by Lee on Federico Valverde, which went unpunished just before half-time.

It was a scrappy battle, intense but lacking excitement comparative to the star power on the pitch, especially in Madrid's front line, with Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Bellingham kept quiet.

Pivotal moment

The game burst into life early in the second half when Huijsen pulled back Giuliano Simeone's arm as the forward ran through on goal and Atletico were awarded a penalty.

Huijsen was dismissed after a VAR review and Grimaldo beat Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from the penalty spot.

Mourinho reacted immediately by replacing the underwhelming Vinicius and Arda Guler and sending on club record signing Yan Diomande and Rudiger.

It was Atletico who struck next, though, with Canada international David tucking away Giuliano Simeone's raking low cross on 59 minutes for his third goal in three matches.

The hosts came close to getting a third but Courtois made an excellent save to deny Julian Alvarez and Ibrahima Konate reacted brilliantly to head Grimaldo's effort from the rebound off the line.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved from Diomande and Bellingham rowed with Giuliano Simeone as Madrid's frustrations showed, impotent to change the course of the game.

Madrid pulled a goal back in the final stages with Rudiger heading Bernardo Silva's cross past Oblak. However, it was too little too late for Mourinho's side.

"It wasn't a clean sheet, which is a shame, we had quite a good game but we left them a chance," said Oblak.

"It was important to win, but La Liga is very long."

- AFP

MOST VALUABLE DEFENDERS IN THE WORLD | SOCCER ⚽

 

Getty 

The Most Valuable Defenders in the World:

1️⃣🇫🇷 William Saliba — £78M

2️⃣🇪🇸 Pau Cubarsí — £70M

3️⃣🇲🇦 Achraf Hakimi — £70M

4️⃣🇮🇹 Alessandro Bastoni — £70M

5️⃣🇵🇹 Nuno Mendes — £65M

6️⃣🇧🇷 Gabriel Magalhães — £65M

7️⃣🇳🇱 Dean Huijsen — £61M

8️⃣🇪🇨 Willian Pacho — £61M

9️⃣🇭🇷 Joško Gvardiol — £61M

🔟🇳🇱 Jurriën Timber — £61M

1️⃣1️⃣🇫🇷 Dayot Upamecano — £61M

1️⃣2️⃣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Trent Alexander-Arnold — £61M

1️⃣3️⃣🇳🇱 Micky van de Ven — £57M

1️⃣4️⃣🇫🇷 Jules Koundé — £57M

1️⃣5️⃣🇪🇸 Álvaro Carreras — £52M

1️⃣6️⃣🇪🇸 Alejandro Balde — £52M

1️⃣7️⃣🇦🇷 Cristian Romero — £52M

1️⃣8️⃣🇵🇹 Rúben Dias — £52M

1️⃣9️⃣🇧🇷 Murillo — £48M

2️⃣0️⃣🇫🇷 Leny Yoro — £48M

2️⃣1️⃣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Marc Guéhi — £48M

2️⃣2️⃣🇩🇪 Nico Schlotterbeck — £48M

2️⃣3️⃣🇪🇨 Piero Hincapié — £44M

2️⃣4️⃣🇺🇦 Ilya Zabarnyi — £44M

2️⃣5️⃣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Levi Colwill — £44M

REAL MADRID PRESIDENT WELCOMES TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD - 'THE BERNABEU AWAITS YOU'

Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website

Two days after the official presentation of Dean Huijsen, it is now the moment of Trent Alexander-Arnold to be presented as the latest addition to the Real Madrid squad.

The England international arrives from Liverpool, a few weeks before his contract at Anfield fully expired, so that Real Madrid can have him represent them at the FIFA Club World Cup.

As such, for what would have been a free-transfer signing, Los Blancos had to shell out a compensation reported to be €10 million to secure Trent’s early release from the Premier League champions.

Alexander-Arnold arrived in Madrid today and underwent the customary medical check-ups before the ceremonial contract signing with club president Florentino Perez.

Florentino welcomes Trent Alexander-Arnold

Handed the No. 12 shirt, previously held by club legend Marcelo, the 26-year-old was presented formally in front of media and club members, following which Perez welcomed him with a touching speech.

“Dear Trent Alexander-Arnold, good afternoon and welcome to Real Madrid City. A player who has won everything and who is one of the best defenders in the world is coming to Madrid,” Perez said to kick things off.

“He has become a legend at Liverpool and wants to continue to make his history at Madrid. We welcome Trent Alexander-Arnold.”

👕 #WelcomeTrent 👕 pic.twitter.com/wsspXyM1q

- Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 12, 2025

Continuing, the Real Madrid chief added: “I want to thank you because we know what it means to you to play for Real Madrid. We will never forget it. You come from Liverpool, a club that is dear to us. You have won nine titles at Anfield.

“You must be proud of everything you have achieved both at Liverpool and with England. In all these stages of your life there has been your family, we know what they mean to you. They represent hard work and effort.

“They are here to accompany you on one of the most exciting days of your life. You are now part of Real Madrid. It is the most beloved and successful club in the world, the club of the 15 European Cups.”

Talking about what awaits Alexander-Arnold on his journey at Real Madrid, Perez said:

“Your talent and capacity for sacrifice lead you to the conviction that you are going to make it here. The Bernabeu awaits you, where you will experience unique moments. You will fall in love with its magic.

“At Madrid you will find a great family. There is a great friend of yours: Bellingham. Besides being great players, they are all Madridistas. You will soon understand what Madrid is all about. Our next challenge is the Club World Cup.”

Concluding, he added: “You are going to see what Real Madrid represents for millions of madridistas. The strength of the fans feeds this legend.

“One of the great figures of world football is coming to our club. Thank you Trent for coming to your new home. Thank you very much”, concluded the Real Madrid president.”

Source: RMTV

- Raghavendra Goudar

REAL MADRID ACTIVATE £50M RELEASE CLAUSE TO SIGN BOURNEMOUTH DEFENDER HUIJSEN

The 20-year-old defender is signing a five-year deal with the La Liga side after fending off other offers

(PA Wire)

Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen will move to Real Madrid in time to feature in the Club World Cup after the Spanish giants activated his £50m release clause.

Madrid have moved to sign the 20-year-old defender on a five-year deal after his impressive performances over the course of the season brought him to the attention of several clubs across Europe.

The deal was jointly announced by both clubs, with Madrid saying that Huijsen will join their ranks on June 1, two weeks before the Club World Cup kicks off in the United States. Madrid’s first match is against Al Hilal on June 18.

“Real Madrid CF and AFC Bournemouth have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Dean Huijsen, who remains tied to our club for the next five seasons, from June 1 2025 to June 30 2030,” the Madrid statement said.

The transfer represents a significant profit for the Cherries less than 12 months since they signed the Malaga academy product from Juventus for £12.6m on a six-year contract.

His former clubs Juventus and Malaga are also set to benefit, receiving 10% and 5% respectively, according to BBC Sport.

Since then Huijsen has made a huge impact, swiftly adapting to English football and excelling as Bournemouth have competed in the top half of the table, breaking the club’s highest points tally in the Premier League.

The Amsterdam-born player has made 34 appearances for the Cherries, scoring two goals, while this season also saw him make his international debut for Spain after switching his allegiance from the Netherlands, having played for the country of his birth at youth level.

Real had pursued Huijsen before but he turned them down to join Juventus aged 16.

- Ian Parker

SURPRISE! DEAL CLOSED BETWEEN REAL MADRID AND BOURNEMOUTH: FRAN GARCIA SAYS FAREWELL

Madrid says farewell to Fran García | Getty Images, Madrid-Barcelona

Real Madrid seeks to strengthen its defense with a new center-back, while evaluating Fran García's departure.

Real Madrid continues to seek solutions to strengthen its defense. The season has revealed weaknesses in the defense, especially due to the injuries of Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. These two players, pillars in Ancelotti's scheme, have forced the coach to make constant adjustments in the defense due to their absence.

The white club considers it essential to strengthen this position to maintain competitiveness in the long term, especially in high-level competitions. Real Madrid's sports management is working on signing a new center-back to complement the starters and provide stability to the defense.

Militão's injury affects the team | GETTY IMAGES

A center-back with potential: the ideal profile

Among the names that have emerged as possible reinforcements, a young center-back from Bournemouth stands out. Dean Huijsen, also from the lower categories of the Spanish national team, has a profile that fits Real Madrid's signing policy. The club's management is looking for young players with potential and a bright future ahead.

The player in question has a great ability to develop and adapt to Real Madrid's play style. His arrival would be a bet for the present and the future, offering a quality reinforcement in the long term.

An expensive but possible transfer

Although the player's profile is very interesting, the operation won't be simple. Bournemouth has valued the player at about 50 or 60 million euros (approximately 55 or 66 million dollars), which makes the transfer an expensive operation. However, in Santiago Bernabéu offices, the possibility of including Fran García in the deal is already being considered, which could facilitate the agreement.

Fran García, the key piece of the exchange

The Spanish full-back Fran García, who currently plays for Real Madrid, could be the key piece in this exchange. According to various media outlets, Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth's coach, has shown a clear interest in the player. The possible departure of Fran García would be surprising, as he has been key in the team, but it could be beneficial for both parties.

Bournemouth's interest in García is an indication that the player has significant market value. Including this full-back in the transfer could facilitate the arrival of the center-back that Real Madrid needs, without a greater investment.

If the exchange were finally completed, Fran García would say farewell to Real Madrid to continue his career in the Premier League. This transfer could be an excellent opportunity for the full-back, who would have the chance to grow in a high-level league like the English one.

- Minerva Pacheco