Latest news with #Koundé
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona win thrilling Copa del Rey and drive Madrid to red card fury
It was late and they were tired, but with four minutes left and long after midnight in Seville, everyone prepared for penalties, Jules Koundé found the strength to send a shot flying into the net and the Barcelona fans into raptures. The fireworks were lit and the men in blue and red sprinted towards him from all sides: here, at last, it was. An epic Copa del Rey final, a first clásico final in 11 years, had a winner. They had been a goal up and a goal down, they had thought they had a last-minute penalty to win it only to have it taken away, but now it was 3-2 and the Catalan side had done it. Done? Not quite, but very nearly. On an extraordinary night, there was still one last opportunity for Real Madrid when Kylian Mbappé was fouled in the area and the referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, pointed to the spot, only for the linesman's flag to be up. They had fought and rebelled, but they were defeated and, in a chaotic end, when all the emotion exploded at the final whistle, somewhere in the noise and the pandemonium they had three players shown red cards: Lucas Vázquez, Antonio Rüdiger and Jude Bellingham. The German had to be held back from going at the referee. This had been some night, swinging one way and then the next. You might call it a game of two halves, but there were four of them and they had all been superb. They also had an unlikely man at the heart of a decisive moment: Pedri, Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferran Torres had all scored and then it was Koundé who did so. Not, though, before it had a very, very likely man standing in the middle of what might have been the decisive moment: after all the talk about referees, after Real had boycotted pre-match activities and the threat that they might refuse to turn up for the game, it was indeed the officials who took the spotlight at the decisive moment. With 30 seconds left of normal time De Burgos Bengoetxea, who had cried in the pre-match press conference, gave Barcelona a penalty. But Pablo González Fuertes, the video assistant referee who had accompanied him in that press conference and whose talk of taking action against those who criticise officials had so incensed Real, called him to the screen. So there was De Burgos Bengoetxea alone in a 70,000-strong crowd at midnight with time having run out, a career-defining decision to make that would ever be with him. After three long minutes, replays on the giant screens and players surrounding him, offering not entirely neutral advice, the penalty was withdrawn, and so it went to extra time and Koundé's moment. What a relief that Real had shown up, even if at the end they might have wished they had not, even if the fury and the frustration overflowed. They played their part in an enthralling final in which exhausted players gave everything – one that dignified this competition more than what happened the day before. At the end of it, Barcelona, whose high line, life lived on the edge, had already seen a Real goal and a penalty ruled out for offside before that last-minute decision against Mbappé, had the trophy. They hope it could be the first of three. Real face the prospect of winning none. How exhausted everyone was. How this game had shifted, changed, mutated. How the noise had travelled from one end to the other, the psychology of it all. How long ago, those early moments felt. It took 56 seconds for Madrid to even touch the ball and then, when they did, they immediately lost it. That set the tone for a first half that Barcelona dominated and led with a lovely Pedri goal, made by Lamine Yamal. Yet the half-time introduction of Mbappé and a new mentality shifted everything. Arda Guler and Luka Modric also tipped the balance. Real were alive, and could sense a vulnerability hidden, every action feeling like an opportunity. They got an equaliser when Mbappé was dragged down by Frenkie de Jong. Real wanted a red card but they got something better: from the free-kick, Mbappé bent beyond Wojciech Szczesny's right hand, celebrating with a gesture borrowed from Cristiano Ronaldo: calm down, I'm here. Barcelona knew: here was a speed and intent about Real, a directness, that soon led to Tchouaméni heading them into the lead. Into the corner they went, leaping about. But as the celebrating players broke Rüdiger needed a huge bandage applied to his leg, the significance of which was perhaps seen when with six minutes left, he could not catch Torres as the forward ran on to Lamine Yamal's lovely pass, went past Thibaut Courtois and struck a clean, low, angled finish into the empty net to make it 2-2 with only six minutes left. Rüdiger, in his defence, then made a huge interception to deny Lamine Yamal. He also might have been fortunate not to be punished for what then appeared to be a foul in the area on Torres. That was when the seemingly inevitable happened with just 30 seconds left. Raphinha went down under a challenge from Raúl Asencio. De Burgos Bengoetxea gave the penalty, González Fuertes called, and the referee was back in the middle of a storm. A single decision, a million consequences, so many thoughts to be blocked out until he said no penalty. Let someone else take the stage. In extra time when blows were exchanged and everyone lived on edge, Torres shooting just wide and Bellingham diving to just miss a header, someone did. A loose pass from Modric and Koundé stepped up to win the trophy.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Barcelona win all four El Clasicos in a season for the first time since 1982/83
Image Source: Getty Barcelona has made history by defeating Real Madrid in all four El Clasico matches this season. The latest was a thrilling 4-3 win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys on Sunday. With this, Barca are now just a few points away from lifting the LaLiga trophy. No other team has ever beaten Real Madrid four times in one season with so many goals. The total tally? A record-breaking 16 goals across the four clashes. Barca coach Hansi Flick's dream start against Real Madrid Not even Barcelona's German coach Hansi Flick, has had a dream run in his debut season, especially in El Clasico games. That result was a commanding 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu — Real Madrid's stadium — in October for Barcelona's first official victory over Real Madrid this season. The second came in January's Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia, which Barca won 5-2 despite playing with ten men for more than half an hour. It was also Hansi Flick's first trophy with the club. In April, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey final 3-2 in extra time with a late goal from Koundé. And on Sunday, in front of over 50,000 fans in Montjuïc, they sealed a 4-3 win that puts them close to the LaLiga title. All four Clasico wins under Flick had something special: high scoring, attacking football, and a never-give-up attitude. Scoring 16 goals against Real Madrid in one season is a new record. Even the famous Barcelona team of 2011-12 didn't manage this. Real Madrid's defense crumbles under pressure As expected, Real Madrid started well but again failed to protect the lead. Kylian Mbappé scored twice early on Sunday, but Barca were soon on equal footing at 4-2 by the break. Madrid were missing their prime defenders, such as Carvajal, Militao, and Rüdiger. Their replacements, especially Lucas Vázquez and Fran García, struggled to stop Barca's fast attacks. One major mistake from Vazquez led to Raphinha's second goal right before the break. Kylian Mbappe did complete his hat-trick at the later stages of the game, but it wasn't enough. This was the third time this season that Barcelona scored four goals in a short time against Madrid. Madrid now trails Barcelona by seven points in the LaLiga table with only three matches left. Their chances of winning the title are almost over. Also Read: Szczesny and Lewandowski families spotted celebrating Barcelona's ElClasico win
Business Upturn
06-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Chelsea eyeing a move for this Barcelona's defender?
Chelsea are reportedly in search of a new defender, especially in the right side position. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on May 6, 2025, 19:15 IST Chelsea are reportedly in search of a new defender, especially in the right side position. According to multiple reports, Enzo Maresca's side are eyeing a move for Barcelona's centre-back Jules Kounde. The French international is a versatile player who can play both – right back and centre-back, and thus, this versatility have made him one of the names in the Blues' list for the next season. Chelsea are reportedly in the market for a new defender ahead of the 2025/26 season, with a particular focus on strengthening the right side of their backline. According to multiple sources, Enzo Maresca's side have identified Barcelona's Jules Koundé as a potential target. The French international has emerged as a key name on Chelsea's shortlist due to his versatility. Capable of operating both as a centre-back and a right-back, Koundé offers tactical flexibility—something Maresca is keen to add to his defensive setup. Koundé joined Barcelona from Sevilla in 2022 and has since featured regularly under Xavi, showing his strong defensive awareness, technical ability, and comfort in possession. However, with Barça open to sales this summer to ease their financial situation, a move could be on the cards. Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
Hamilton Spectator
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Barcelona defender Koundé faces a spell out with hamstring injury
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona defender Jules Koundé sustained a left hamstring injury against Inter Milan in their Champions League semifinal, likely ruling him out of next week's return leg. Koundé has a distal hamstring injury and there's no timeframe on his return, Barcelona said on Thursday. 'His evolution will determine when he returns to first team activities,' the five-time Champions League winner posted on its website . Distal hamstring injuries can take around two weeks to heal and sometimes cause pain behind the knee. Barcelona plays Inter on Tuesday and is also fighting for the La Liga title, with a potentially decisive home game against defending champion Real Madrid on May 11. Koundé has been an almost ever-present for coach Hansi Flick this season and Wednesday's thrilling first-leg match — which finished 3-3 and saw some spectacular goals — was his 53rd appearance of the season. Koundé scored a fine goal last Saturday when he hit the winner in extra time against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. It was his fourth goal of a season where the France international has emerged as a key player under Flick. A few weeks ago, Koundé was outspoken about how soccer's congested schedule was having an impact on players' bodies and warned of the risk of injury. Manchester City midfielder Rodri raised similar concerns early this season, shortly before sustaining an ACL injury which needed surgery. ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Barcelona defender Koundé faces a spell out with hamstring injury
Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona defender Jules Kounde sustained a left hamstring injury against Inter Milan in their Champions League semifinal, likely ruling him out of next week's return leg. Koundé has a distal hamstring injury and there's no timeframe on his return, Barcelona said on Thursday. 'His evolution will determine when he returns to first team activities,' the five-time Champions League winner posted on its website. Distal hamstring injuries can take around two weeks to heal and sometimes cause pain behind the knee. Barcelona plays Inter on Tuesday and is also fighting for the La Liga title, with a potentially decisive home game against defending champion Real Madrid on May 11. Koundé has been an almost ever-present for coach Hansi Flick this season and Wednesday's thrilling first-leg match — which finished 3-3 and saw some spectacular goals — was his 53rd appearance of the season. Koundé scored a fine goal last Saturday when he hit the winner in extra time against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. It was his fourth goal of a season where the France international has emerged as a key player under Flick. A few weeks ago, Koundé was outspoken about how soccer's congested schedule was having an impact on players' bodies and warned of the risk of injury. Manchester City midfielder Rodri raised similar concerns early this season, shortly before sustaining an ACL injury which needed surgery. ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic
