Latest news with #Clasicos
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brahim Diaz injury leaves Real Madrid with 10 first-team players – what are La Liga squad rules?
Brahim Diaz has been added to Real Madrid's injury list, leaving them with 10 registered first-team players for Wednesday night's La Liga match against Mallorca. The club confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that tests showed the 25-year-old had suffered an injury to his left thigh and he joins another 11 first-team players in missing the game at the Bernabeu. Advertisement Madrid must beat Mallorca to avoid handing the La Liga title to rivals Barcelona, who are seven points clear of Madrid at the top of the table with three matches to play. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti's selection problems for this evening stem from 10 first-team absentees through injury while Aurelien Tchouameni will not be able to play due to suspension. Raul Asencio can play tonight, though the 22-year-old is technically registered by the club as a reserve-team player. Other players Ancelotti may call upon who are not registered first-team players include Jacobo Ramon, 20, and David Jimenez, 21, both defenders. With Real having only 10 first-team players available for the game against Mallorca this evening, Ancelotti will be limited in his options in terms of selection and even substitutions during the match. The Spanish top flight's rules state that a minimum of seven first-team registered players must be on the pitch at any one time during a match. Should this minimum be breached, then the referee can suspend the match. With only 10 first-teamers available to Ancelotti, that means during this evening's game, the head coach will be able to substitute only three of those 10 first-team players to avoid breaching the seven-player rule. Matches in La Liga allow teams to make five substitutions in total during matches. Should Madrid draw tonight, they would be six points behind Barca with two games left. In La Liga, if teams end the season tied on points, head-to-head results between the sides are the next decider to determine who takes the title and Barca have won both league Clasicos this season.
France 24
10-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Flick wants 'dominant' Barca in vital Liga Clasico
Barca lead the Spanish top flight by four points ahead of rivals and defending champions Real Madrid with four matches remaining. The Catalans were ousted in Europe on Tuesday by Inter Milan, ending dreams of a potential quadruple. "We spoke about what they (the players) are thinking, what they are feeling, it's important in a group that we speak about that," Flick told a news conference Saturday. "Everyone knows that in a Clasico you have to be on your highest level, that's what we have to do. "We want to be active, we want to see the team (play) with intensity on the pitch, dominant as normal, and we know it's a really fantastic team from Real (against us)." Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid in all three Clasicos played this season, beginning with a 4-0 win in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu in October. The Catalans then thrashed Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January and edged them 3-2 in extra-time in the Copa del Rey final in April. Even if Barcelona lost they would still be top of the table by a point, but Flick said his team was out to defeat Los Blancos again. "We always go into the match to win the match, doesn't matter about the table," he added. "(We'll) focus on this match, give everything to get three points... "The Clasico is important for our fans, everyone, for Barca, for the players, for me, my coaching staff, it's great to play against them and compete against them." Barcelona were handed a boost as Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado were passed fit to play on Saturday after injury. Midfielder Casado has been missing for almost two months after a knee ligament injury, while Balde missed the last month with a hamstring problem. Robert Lewandowski returned from injury to play as a substitute against Inter on Tuesday. Flick said all three players were more likely to be on the bench on Sunday than to be selected as starters. "After this match we have three more matches," noted the coach.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lamine Yamal vs Kylian Mbappe – A statistical story you must not miss
Lamine Yamal was once again one of Barcelona's standout performers during their 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. When comparing the direct battles between him and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, the most exciting players from Barcelona and Madrid, it is clear that the young Barça star has come out on top. Advertisement In fact, it looks like Yamal has completely gotten into Mbappe's head, winning the mental game as well as the battles on the pitch. In the last four meetings where Lamine and Mbappe faced each other, the Barcelona player has come out victorious every single time. Not only that, he has also been more decisive for his team in those matches, stepping up when it matters most. Yamal's dominance over Mbappe is clear Lamine Yamal has beaten Mbappe five times in six matches. (Photo by) So far, Yamal and Mbappe have met six times in official matches. Out of those, Yamal has been on the winning side five times. The first two clashes happened when Mbappe was still at Paris Saint-Germain. While PSG won their 2023/24 Champions League quarter-final tie on aggregate, it was Barça who won 3-2 in the first leg, a match where Yamal impressed. Advertisement Mbappe only tasted victory over Yamal once, in the second leg at Montjuic, when PSG won 4-1, with Mbappe scoring twice. Even then, Yamal made an impact by assisting Raphinha for Barcelona's only goal. Their only meeting on the international stage came in July 2024, when Spain beat France 2-1 despite falling behind early. The Barcelona star scored the equaliser for Spain in another big moment against Mbappe. Since then, the rivalry has shifted completely in Barcelona's favour. Under Hansi Flick, Barça have dominated the Clasicos — starting with a 4-0 win in La Liga, then a convincing victory in the Spanish Super Cup, and now a thrilling win in the Copa del Rey final. Even though Mbappe managed to score in the latest final, it was not enough to stop Barcelona and Yamal from lifting the trophy once again.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Real Madrid showcase fight in Copa del Rey final against Barcelona but lack class throughout
Real Madrid players protest against a decision during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in Seville. (AP) Real Madrid came into the Copa del Rey final on the back of a horrid month. Defeats against Valencia and over both legs against Arsenal had thrown them out of Champions League and dented La Liga title hopes. Even in the Cup, they needed to claw from 1-3 down to beat Real Sociedad in the semi-final. On the field, it hasn't been smooth sailing by a long shot. Over the last two days, off-the-field antics took a massive hit as well. A club that prides itself on its class and gentlemanliness, showed neither in a haughty display which veered on petulance. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! At La Cartuja in Sevilla, Real Madrid were outplayed by a superior Barcelona side , losing 3-2 in extra time to lift the Cup for a record-extending 32nd time. It marked a third straight defeat for Real Madrid in Clasicos this season, scoring four and conceding 12. Two of those came in the finals - first in the Spanish Super Cup and now in the Copa. As far as warming up to the big job is concerned, Hansi Flick has done an incredible job. And the job is far from finished, Barcelona remain on course for a treble. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Real Madrid, meanwhile, only have the league to play for. And that is hardly an easy passage. The Carlo Ancelotti-managed side are four points behind Barcelona with five matches to go. Winning the Clasico on May 11 is vital to the club's bid to avoid a trophy-less season. If it comes in a season where your arch-rivals win a treble, that is a recipe for disaster. Before all that, though, Real Madrid's conduct pre-and-post the Copa del Rey final has come under intense scrutiny. After the final whistle, Antonio Rudiger , Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez were sent off for protesting amid ugly scenes. Both Bellingham and Rudiger were required to be restrained as they had a pop at the referee. The latter could even cop a lengthy ban for throwing an object at the referee from the sidelines. Questioning the referees had started at an institutional level . For months, Real Madrid TV attacked referees for their decisions and after taking umbrage with a decision in February, the club issued an official statement labelling officiating in the country as "rigged" and "completely discredited". Antonio Rudiger issued an apology as an Instagram Story. Furthermore, the club has refused to make players available for pitch-side and mixed zone interactions during the league - a practice followed by every other club. Instead, Real Madrid players have kept their interactions limited to the club's official TV channel. Slamming of the referees and dissection of their decisions continued until it reached boiling point on Friday. In an emotional news conference before the Copa del Rey final, officials for the high-stakes encounter hit back. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears while explaining the impact Real Madrid's attacks have had on his family life and that of other referees. VAR referee Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, seated alongside him, suggested officials will have to take "much more serious measures" while hinting at a possible strike. In response, Real Madrid didn't buckle down. Instead, they went into counter-attack. They pulled out of the scheduled open training session for the media, a press conference, president's traditional dinner and a photo-call. The game went ahead, with the same officials, despite suggestions in the Spanish media that Real Madrid were considering withdrawing. The focus, well and truly, was on the referees. For the most part, the referees did a good job of keeping the game flowing despite 34 fouls being committed by both teams and seven yellow cards being brandished out. Ironically, Barcelona were awarded a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Raphinha fell under pressure from Raul Asencio. As tension crept up, the cameras panned squarely on the officials, De Burgos Bengoetxea was called to assess the incident by the VAR official. Following a brief look, the decision was overturned. In a game that had 50-50 decisions galore, and players of both sides upset with the referee, Jules Kounde drilled in a low shot past Thibaut Courtois to seal the deal. Poll Which team do you think will win the next Clasico? It's too close to call Barcelona Real Madrid As Real Madrid looked for yet another miracle, Kylian Mbappe was penalised for a foul, getting his hand in the face of a Barcelona player. That broke all the pent-up frustration for the Real Madrid players. Rudiger, already substituted by then, threw something at the referee and was sent off. It took several players and staff to contain him as a bag of ice burst in his hands - which may well have been his next projectile. After hours to cool down, the German defender has apologised for his behaviour. Bellingham, who had already vented to the officials in the tunnel before, was then sent off, too. As was Vazquez for coming onto the pitch to protest. Ancelotti admitted he had no idea about the last two red cards. A reflection of cluelessness that has plagued the Italian manager this season. The squad has struggled to find the right structure for the team. Since Toni Kroos, Nacho Fernandez and Joselu's departure in the summer, the club hasn't filled in the right replacements. Lamine Yamal's post-match message delivered the zinger. "They can't handle us this year, we've proven it," said the teenager, wearing two pairs of sunglasses, the ice-cool antithesis to Madrid's red-hot rage.
Malay Mail
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
‘No excuse': Real Madrid's Rudiger after throwing object at ref
MADRID, April 27 — Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger apologised today after his red card for throwing an object at the Copa del Rey final referee. The centre-back was substituted in extra-time and in the final stages of Barcelona's 3-2 Clasico victory, threw something at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in protest. Rudiger, who had to be held back from confronting the official by team-mates and staff, was shown a red card, with team-mates Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham also dismissed at the end of the game. 'There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I'm very sorry for that,' said Rudiger in a post on Instagram. 'Before the final whistle I did a mistake. Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed last night.' Rudiger could face a ban of between four and 12 matches for his actions, which could see him miss the upcoming La Liga Clasico on May 11. Vazquez and Bellingham's red cards are likely to lead to bans in next season's Copa del Rey for being less serious infringements of the rules. Before the final the two main referees complained about attacks from Real Madrid's club television channel against officials this season. De Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears as he spoke about the impact on his family life of Real Madrid TV's criticism. Los Blancos responded furiously, pulling out of pre-match commitments on Friday and labelling the officials' comments 'unacceptable'. Barcelona have beaten Real Madrid in all three Clasicos this season, with Los Blancos' last chance of major silverware the league title, where they trail their rivals by four points. — AFP
