For the first time in 11 years, there was no Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch when Real Madrid took on Barcelona, but there was no dearth of drama in what turned out to be an absolute rout (5-1) for the Blaugrana.
So, could we possibly start from any other place? Here are the best numbers from the 239th Clasico and the rest of the weekend’s football.
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Barcelona have won El Clasico for the first time without Lionel Messi since he made his debut in the fixture (1 draw, 1 defeat,…
Attention now turns toward the World Cup final as Croatia must find the legs to face France on Sunday.
ESPN shows the agony and ecstasy of both England and Croatia in a sketch as Croatia advance on to the World Cup final.
The FC panel applauds Croatia for its resilience after defeating England in yet another come-from-behind victory.
Ahead of the World Cup final between France and Croatia, which happens to be the 900th game in the tournament’s history, we compiled a list of key stats and figures that will be at play with the help of the ESPN Stats & Information Group.
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1. Deschamps could join elite trio
France manager Didier Deschamps has his country on the brink of a second World Cup title, and the 49-year-old will also have fond memories of the first one Les Bleus won. Deschamps was the captain of the France team that beat…
Manchester City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League has come to an end at the hands of Liverpool.
Manchester City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League has come to an end at the hands of Liverpool.
Stewart Robson takes a closer look at Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance against Manchester City and asks whether he can be the long-term replacement for Coutinho.
Stewart Robson takes a closer look at Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance against Manchester City and asks whether he can be the long-term replacement for Coutinho.
Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol describes his wave of emotions and explains what Jurgen Klopp’s side did right in their win over Man City.
Pep Guardiola congratulated Liverpool on their victory against Man City, but said his players got too involved in the Anfield atmosphere.
Jurgen Klopp says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is developing well at Liverpool because he is playing in his ‘dream’ midfield role.
With Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp consolidated his status as Pep Guardiola’s nemesis.
No manager who has managed more than 10 matches against Guardiola has a better record than Klopp, with the German boss winning six of their 12 meetings — a superior record than such luminaries as Jose Mourinho.
Klopp and Guardiola’s rivalry started in the Bundesliga — at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively — and has been renewed in the Premier League with their contrasting…
While the Coutinho-to-Barcelona rumours continue to swirl, Gab Marcotti explains why the deal should be made in the summer.
Jurgen Klopp has branded questions on the future of Philippe Coutinho as a waste of time, with increasing speculation linking the Brazilian with Barcelona once again.
With the January transfer window upon us, the FC panel discuss the latest on Philippe Coutinho’s future in a Liverpool shirt.
ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop delves into the latest rumours surrounding Philippe Coutinho, Mesut Ozil, Riyad Mahrez and more.
When Liverpool host local rivals Everton in their FA Cup third-round tie on Friday, they will be missing their two star attacking players.
Mohamed Salah (23 goals in 29 games this season) and Philippe Coutinho (12 goals and nine assists this season) are ruled out of the match at Anfield through injury, manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Thursday.
Coutinho missing matches has become a more common occurrence this season. His absences have been more frequent ever since he became Barcelona’s main target…
Craig Burley says Arsenal continue to get worse every year as the FC crew grade the Gunners’ season so far.
Arsene Wenger equalled Sir Alex Ferguson’s record for the most matches as a Premier League manager in Arsenal’s win against Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Wenger’s 810th game since taking charge of the Gunners in 1996 moves him alongside the long-serving former Manchester United boss. Ferguson, however, managed United for 225 First Division games from his appointment in Nov. 1986 to the advent of the Premier League in 1992.
The Frenchman will surpass the Scot by taking charge of the game at West Bromwich…
Patrick Mullins had a night to remember as he scored all four goals for DC United to down San Jose at RFK Stadium.
Patrick Mullins didn’t finish first in this weekend’s Audi Player Index — he had to settle for second best to Darren Mattocks — but the D.C. United forward had an historic evening in Saturday’s 4-0 demolition of the San Jose Earthquakes; let’s delve into his accomplishments.
The 25-year-old scored all four of D.C.’s goals, having scored none in all of his 15 appearances prior to the weekend. Even more impressive, his quadruple arrived in the second half, making Mullins the first player in MLS…
Coach Joachim Low open the Confederations Cup on Monday against Australia.
Even though several of their biggest stars will be staying home, Germany still have the best chance of winning the Confederations Cup when it begins in Russia on Saturday.
Germany, who qualified for the eight-team event by winning the World Cup in 2014, have a 38 percent chance of winning the final in St. Petersburg on July 2, according to ESPN’s Soccer Power Index (SPI).
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Bayern Munich’s Mats Hummels are among the most notable players who were not…
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid defeated Juventus to win their second-straight Champions League title.
Real Madrid won their 12th Champions League title on Saturday, beating Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff. The Spanish giants become the f…
Paul Pogba had a message for all those saying Manchester United had a bad season.
The FC crew assess Man United’s style of play under Jose Mourinho after criticism from Ajax after the Europa League final.
Anthony Richardson recaps an eventful Europa League final, but was Man United’s season deemed a success?
The FC crew rate the success of Manchester United’s season and debate which Prem team will have the most UCL success next season.
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United proved all doubters wrong by winning the Europa League and ensuring a spot in next season’s Champions League.
With rumours surely to intensify surrounding Antoine Griezmann and Manchester United, the FC panel talk what the striker will bring to Old Trafford.
The FC panel were all positive after watching Manchester United thoroughly dominate an electric, albeit young Ajax side.
Paul Pogba began the season as the world’s most expensive footballer and ended it with a goal in the Europa League final.
The France international, 24, signed off with the first goal in the 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm to help Manchester United book a place in next season’s Champions League.
The midfielder’s £89.3 million price tag has put his form under intense scrutiny this season.
Pogba scored nine goals in 51 games in his first season back at Old Trafford.
But Jose Mourinho has admitted…
Relive Arsenal and Chelsea’s respective journeys to Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Chelsea vice-captain Gary Cahill feels that anything could happen when they face Arsenal in the 2017 FA Cup final.
ESPN FC’s Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey has his say as to whether or not Chelsea will seal the double against Arsenal.
ESPN FC’s Arsenal correspondent Mattias Karen feels Wenger will remain with Arsenal despite how they fare in the final.
Chelsea will try to complete a domestic Double while Arsenal will attempt to win the FA Cup for a record 13th time when the two sides meet in the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The eventual top-flight champions have won the FA Cup on 11 occasions, with Chelsea the most recent club to do so in 2010. The last time a team failed to win the Double having reached the final was in 2007, when Chelsea defeated Premier League champions Manchester United.
If Chelsea were to win, they would capture…
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