LaLiga

There’s another Real Madrid game-changer Carlo Ancelotti needs to stop forgetting about
18Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

There’s another Real Madrid game-changer Carlo Ancelotti needs to stop forgetting about

As Real Madrid prepare for their fixture following the November international matches, they are staring down a six-point deficit in the title race against Barcelona, and even though they have a game in hand, the gap actually feels wider than just six points. That's because Real Madrid were annihilated in their last matchup against Barcelona, falling 4-0 in El Clasico for the second time in Carlo Ancelotti's second reign, which has been more famous for its two Champions Leagues but is now in its biggest moment of crisis. Although Real Madrid bounced back from both the Clasico defeat and a 3-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League with a 4-0 victory over Osasuna, until Los Blancos comfortably win a big match, Carletto won't stop feeling the heat. The legendary manager has come un...
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It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025
18Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga, Premier League

It looks like Erling Haaland is about to be off the table for Barcelona in 2025

Manchester City superstar striker Erling Haaland hasn't received as much fanfare this season with the Citizens falling further behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but he's actually on pace for his best goal-scoring numbers of the season. The clear top dog in Manchester with Rodri injured, Haaland has scored 12 goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, putting him on pace to potentially flirt with a historic 40-goal season. Haaland already holds the Premier League record for most single-season goals after smashing home 36 with 8 assists in Man City's treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. Although the Norwegian sensation's all-around numbers have slipped in recent seasons, his displays in 2022/23 and then prior to that with Borussia Dortmund show that his all-around ...
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There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona
17Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

There is only one true dream transfer target for Barcelona

Barcelona already have the most fearsome attacking quartet in world football, as Hansi Flick has turned Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo into a multi-faceted machine capable of averaging well over three goals per game in any competition. Flick has brought Lewandowski back to his status as being world football's finest goal-scoring machine - sorry, Erling Haaland - and he has gotten much more out of Raphinha and Olmo than any manager who had ever coached either before. And Yamal? Well, he didn't really have to do anything with him, but it also feels like the teenage sensation has more freedom to be himself and pull the strings as a wide creator under the German manager. Despite the embarrassment of riches in the attack, Barcelona are still looking to make t...
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A struggling Real Madrid star might be the best case for hiring Xabi Alonso
17Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

A struggling Real Madrid star might be the best case for hiring Xabi Alonso

Following the 4-0 loss to Barcelona and the 3-1 defeat to his former club AC Milan, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti received a great deal of pressure both internally and externally. It's familiar territory for the two-time Champions League winning coach at Real Madrid, and he'll readily recall being fired for no apparent reason - other than the nebulous, "a cycle has ended" reasoning from Florentino Perez - after his first successful stint at the club. But even though Real Madrid bounced back with a 4-0 win over Osasuna and have much bigger squad issues defensively than anything that has to do with Ancelotti, this time, the pressure feels different. Even when things were going swimmingly for Ancelotti last season, there was a constant backdrop of noise that 2025 would be the y...
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Barcelona might have a clear path to another perfect fit at CB
16Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

Barcelona might have a clear path to another perfect fit at CB

Barcelona came into the season knowing they had the best center back prospect in world football in Pau Cubarsi, who is effectively the defensive equivalent of Lamine Yamal in terms of his quality, readiness, and projected future. Next to Cubarsi, Barcelona had no shortage of options in Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo. All three are also legitimately among the best central defenders in the world. Kounde has been excelling on the right flank again, while Christensen and Araujo have been sidelined by injuries. In their steads, Barcelona have found an even better center back than any of them, Inigo Martinez. A veteran of La Liga, Martinez was a secret star - at least, hidden to those outside the Spanish footballing bubble - for iconic Basque sides Athletic Club an...
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Deco is dousing the two biggest Barcelona striker transfer rumors with cold water
16Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

Deco is dousing the two biggest Barcelona striker transfer rumors with cold water

Barcelona have the most electrifying attack in world football this season after Hansi Flick took the reigns from Xavi and made this show his own. The Blaugrana have four of the best attacking players in La Liga right now in Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. With a commanding lead in the league after their 4-0 drubbing of Real Madrid in El Clasico, Barcelona have a lot of momentum in mid-November, even if their most recent match was a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad. Yamal is undoubtedly the star of the show, but Lewandowski has been leading the line excellently as Europe's top goal scorer, proving many people, including within his own fanbase, horribly wrong when they declared him "finished". Before the season started, a possible transfer for Manchester City s...
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Positive Florian Wirtz transfer rumors are actually a worrying sign for Real Madrid
16Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

Positive Florian Wirtz transfer rumors are actually a worrying sign for Real Madrid

Real Madrid have the worst defensive injury crisis in world football after Eder Militao joined Dani Carvajal with a torn ACL, leaving the Merengue club with only Antonio Rudiger as a healthy, full-time senior starter in the back four. Los Blancos have been without a top left back these last two seasons and continue to waffle on signing Alphonso Davies, in the hopes they can steal the Bayern Munich superstar for free. Their right back situation is now a certified disaster with even Lucas Vazquez, who is not actually a right back, injured. In central defense, it will be Rudiger holding down the fort on his own with only Castilla star Raul Ascencio to help, unless if Real Madrid finally get serious about signing the center back help they should have already added in the summer when Nach...
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3 underrated right backs Barcelona can sign in summer 2025
15Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

3 underrated right backs Barcelona can sign in summer 2025

Barcelona have been the most exciting team to watch in European football this season under Hansi Flick, and despite losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad this past Sunday, the Blaugrana are a deserving first in La Liga after previously being blown out of last year's title race by Real Madrid. Although Barcelona have been led by a relentless attack that features the best front quartet in football - Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski - the defense has been quite solid with Pau Cubarsi and the underrated Inigo Martinez anchoring the back line. But if there's one position Barcelona can afford to add more talent, it is right back. Jules Kounde has been exceptional at the position, but he is a center back by trade and projects to switch back to central defense long-term. Al...
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Real Madrid’s top January CB transfer target just got more likely to sign
14Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

Real Madrid’s top January CB transfer target just got more likely to sign

Real Madrid have to sign at least one center back in January. Even before Eder Miltao's season-ending injury against Osasuna, it was already abundantly clear that Los Merengues needed to sign one more central defender so that the would at least have three healthy senior players at the position. With Militao injured and David Alaba still unaccounted for after his own ACL tear last December, Real Madrid have just one senior center back in the squad, Antonio Rudiger. Real Madrid should have already signed an experienced center back in a previous transfer window, such as this past summer when they failed to replace Nacho Fernandez, who moved to Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the club viewed prospect Joan Martinez as the Nacho replacement, but, sadly, the teenage sensation suffered - here it is...
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The biggest problem Hansi Flick has to fix after Barcelona’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad
14Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

The biggest problem Hansi Flick has to fix after Barcelona’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad

Barcelona suffered their first truly poor result of the 2024/25 La Liga season thus far, falling 1-0 to Real Sociedad on Sunday night in the penultimate match before the November international fixtures. It was a truly bizarre performance from Barcelona in comparison to their displays in other matches this season, because they went from a team exploiting space on the counterattack to a plodding outfit that more closely resembled their struggling rivals Real Madrid. Juxtaposed to Real's own 4-0, Vinicius Junior-fueled romp of Osasuna - the only other team to beat Barcelona in the league this season - the Blaugrana's poor performance against La Real appeared to be that much more striking. There's no need for any panic in Barcelona, of course. They are still in the lead in La Liga hea...
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