Robbie Dunne – Football Scout

Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema fall flat as Real Madrid find no joy in Moscow

Sid Lowe explains that Real Madrid’s recent results are normal individually, but they have prompted reminders of Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.
Real Madrid failed to trouble the scoreboard for the third game in a row against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night at the Luzhniki Stadium. The only goal of the match came via Nikola Vlasic in the second minute as Real Madrid tried but failed to break through the home side’s rearguard.

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– Newcomers to pick and avoid
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– La Liga names to know
– Breaking down ESPN’s scoring system

There are none. Real Madrid have gone over 300 minutes without scoring and while they dominated possession, the fact that they couldn’t score makes it even worse. They won’t play a worse attacking team this…

Real Madrid thriving in post-Cristiano Ronaldo era – Atletico boss Diego Simeone

Craig Burley feels Antoine Griezmann’s comments are a bit arrogant when he said he’s at the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ateltico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has said Real Madrid are handling life after Cristiano Ronaldo extremely well, adding that he would not read too much into their 3-0 midweek defeat at Sevilla.
Portugal captain Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in the summer, but new coach Julen Lopetegui has his side second in La Liga, level on points with leaders Barcelona, despite the Sevilla loss.
“Real Madrid are managing the absence of Ronaldo very well and they are competing enormously in every game,” Simeone…

Julen Lopetegui: Real Madrid defeat to Atletico Madrid won’t pile pressure on me

The FC crew question how Real Madrid could turn in such a poor performance against Sevilla when they had a chance to gain ground on Barcelona.

The ESPN FC crew break down why Real Madrid couldn’t take advantage of Barcelona’s upset loss against Leganes, instead losing themselves to Sevilla.
Julen Lopetegui has said he is not thinking about what might happen if Real Madrid lose to Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Lopetegui’s side were beaten 3-0 at Sevilla on Wednesday in a game that saw them three down at half-time.
But asked whether defeat to city rivals Atletico could put him under pressure, the coach said he was focused only on an improved performance from his players.
“We don’t think about what can happen before a game but on what we can do to help the team to compete,”…

Diego Costa: Antonio Conte behaviour at Chelsea reason for Atletico Madrid return

Craig Burley feels Antoine Griezmann’s comments are a bit arrogant when he said he’s at the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Diego Costa has criticised his former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, saying he left Stamford Bridge because of the Italian’s behaviour.
Costa was unveiled as an Atletico Madrid player for the second time in December, three months after it was agreed that he would leave Chelsea in a £57 million transfer.
The Spain international, who had to wait because of a ban on the La Liga side registering new players, had been told by Conte in a text message that he was no longer part of his plans at Chelsea.
“I…

Real Madrid move would be ‘unthinkable’ – Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez

Craig Burley feels Antoine Griezmann’s comments are a bit arrogant when he said he’s at the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sergio Ramos makes fun of Antoine Griezmann’s claims that he ‘eats at the same table as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.’

Diego Simeone feels every team have their own characteristics and must not try to play in Pep Guardiola or any other managers style.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has said playing for rivals Real Madrid would be “unthinkable” ahead of facing them at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
The 23-year-old played for Los Blancos at youth level but left after being the victim of bullying, but he has since become a key player for Diego Simeone at Atletico.
“It would be very difficult, unthinkable,” he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser’s “El Larguero.”  Asked if there was any chance, he added: “No way.”
Saul signed a new contract…

Real Madrid’s Julen Lopetegui: Sevilla ‘superior’ and ‘deserved’ to win

The ESPN FC crew break down why Real Madrid couldn’t take advantage of Barcelona’s upset loss against Leganes, instead losing themselves to Sevilla.

Real Madrid posted a 3D conceptual rendering of the plans for their redesigned and renovated Barnabeu stadium. Julen Lopetegui accepts that his Real Madrid side were beaten by a better team on Wednesday night after Sevilla picked them apart 3-0 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
“Sevilla were far superior and they deserved to win,” he said. “We weren’t as we would have liked and we paid in the first half by letting in quick goals. Later, in the second half we matched them and after that we hoped that if we scored, we could get back into the game and we did score, but the goal didn’t count on the scoreboard. Then,…

Real Madrid’s Isco undergoes appendectomy, likely to miss Sevilla, Atletico games

The ESPN FC crew assess Luka Modric’s credentials after he claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Player award over Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric broke a decade long dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by winning FIFA’s best player award for the 2017-18 season.

Croatia captain and Real Madrid star Luka Modric has been named the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018 after winning the Golden Ball award at the World Cup.

Marco Asensio’s first-half goal was all Real Madrid needed to secure a home-win over visiting Espanyol.
Real Madrid have confirmed midfielder Isco underwent a successful operation for acute appendicitis.
Isco is now likely to miss Real Madrid’s game against Sevilla on Wednesday and the derbi against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
“Our player Isco was operated on successfully for acute appendicitis at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital,” the club said on Twitter. “The operation was carried out under the supervision of the Real Madrid medical services. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”
The midfielder,…

Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi’s The Best absence showed ‘a lack of respect’ – Fabio Capello

The ESPN FC crew assess Luka Modric’s credentials after he claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Player award over Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

Croatia captain and Real Madrid star Luka Modric has been named the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018 after winning the Golden Ball award at the World Cup.
Fabio Capello says Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s absence at FIFA’s The Best awards showed a lack of respect from the pair.
“It’s a lack of respect,” Capello, who used to manage Real Madrid, told TVE in Spain. “You have to be here when you win and when you lose.”
FIFA says the pair “discredited football” by not showing up.
“They don’t realise, the one affected is the sport and then them.”
Ronaldo’s former teammate, Sergio Ramos, said it would have been nice if the pair attended.
“Cristiano…

Real Madrid hope ¬525m Bernabeu renovation gives them ‘best stadium in world’

Marco Asensio’s first-half goal was all Real Madrid needed to secure a home-win over visiting Espanyol.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic believes Luka Modric has been the best player in every competition he played in last season and was more consistent than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Sid Lowe weighs in on the Ballon d’Or debate that has seen Real Madrid’s players split in their support for Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid’s general assembly voted in favour of putting the club €525 million into debt in order to fund the remodelling of the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 92 percent of voters who supported the works — 1,017 were in favour, 57 were against and 23 abstained — did so on Sunday based on president Florentino Perez’s promise that the new stadium would generate €150m a year in additional revenue.
Here is a look at what the majority voted for on Sunday:
The renovation
The stadium will be wrapped…

Real Madrid eye ‘best stadium in world’ after ¬525m Bernabeu renovation

Marco Asensio’s first-half goal was all Real Madrid needed to secure a home-win over visiting Espanyol.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic believes Luka Modric has been the best player in every competition he played in last season and was more consistent than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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