LaLiga

The most difficult player for Barcelona to replace
13Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

The most difficult player for Barcelona to replace

With 40 goals through their first 13 La Liga matches and 15 in 4 Champions League fixtures, Barcelona are averaging well over three goals per game to kick off the Hansi Flick era and are thus on pace to break some attacking records. Step aside MSN, because the quintet of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Pedri are leading the way for a Barcelona attack that is rapid-fire, multi-faceted, highly athletic, technical, and absolutely devastating on the counterattack. Yamal is the crown jewel of this Barcelona side as a 17-year-old who already has a serious case for being the world's best, especially since the entire attack floundered without him in a rare shutout defeat to Real Sociedad 1-0 this past Sunday. But as brilliant as Yamal is and as irreplaceable as ...
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Barcelona have found another phenom to replace Lamine Yamal
13Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Features, LaLiga

Barcelona have found another phenom to replace Lamine Yamal

Barcelona right winger Lamine Yamal just might be the best player in world football, because he was the biggest standout of the European Championships this past summer when Spain won the tournament and has started off the 2024/25 season on an absolute tear. Yamal is the best player on a Barcelona team loaded with attacking talent and in the midst of a historically great attacking season under new manager Hansi Flick. He has scored 5 goals with 7 assists in 11 starts thus far, averaging 2.2 key passes and 5.0 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game. Perhaps the best example of Yamal's value to Barcelona came this past weekend when the Blaugrana sputtered to a 1-0 loss against Real Sociedad, failing to win one-on-ones or produce much meaningful offense for the first time a...
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The top-class defender Real Madrid should have signed but foolishly chose not to
11Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

The top-class defender Real Madrid should have signed but foolishly chose not to

Real Madrid have the worst defense of any top club in world football right now, as they came into the season with a shorthanded back line after an inexcusably poor summer window that only the most shameless of Florentino Perez fanboys could have justified. And as literally everyone with a healthy amount of skepticism, perhaps even Carlo Ancelotti himself, could have predicted, Real Madrid are in crisis mode defensively after more injuries ravaged their back line. First, it was Dani Carvajal who exited the season with a torn ACL, and, now, Real Madrid are without their best center back after Eder Militao tore his ACL against Osasuna. Real Madrid only have one healthy senior center back in Antonio Rudiger, they have no senior right backs, and their left back situation is simply unte...
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Liverpool’s best player against Real Madrid won’t even be Mohamed Salah
11Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga, Premier League

Liverpool’s best player against Real Madrid won’t even be Mohamed Salah

Liverpool are unequivocally the best team in the Premier League right now, having just carved up fellow Champions League side Aston Villa 2-0 behind another inspired performance from the league's best player, Mohamed Salah. The Reds have been a juggernaut this season under Arne Slot, and you could argue that only the Hansi Flick-led La Liga leaders Barcelona have been more impressive in all of European football. Yes, Liverpool have been even better than La Liga's second-best team, Real Madrid, because Los Blancos really haven't been very good at all this season, even after signing Kylian Mbappe and Endrick. Real Madrid have had trouble integrating their new stars, with Mbappe earning widespread criticism for a horrendous performance against Barcelona in what amounted to a 4-0 blow...
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Barcelona could have a world-class attacking signing in the bag
11Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

Barcelona could have a world-class attacking signing in the bag

Barcelona have the most electrifying attack in world football right now, as Hansi Flick has his side on a record-breaking pace, returning the Blaugrana to their status as the most entertaining team to watch in this sport. That's been the benchmark Barcelona have missed since the days of MSN, and, statistically speaking, Barcelona are off to a hotter start with the trio of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal. But even as Raphinha has broken out as a Ballon d'Or candidate this season under Flick, matching Lewandowski and Yamal in quality, the Blaugrana are eyeing an even bigger attacking signing than the bold summer 2024 gamble on RB Leipzig man Dani Olmo. With Lewandowski still going strong, Barcelona are pivoting away from Joan Laporta's original dream of signing Manche...
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The uncomfortable truth about Real Madrid signing Aymeric Laporte
10Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

The uncomfortable truth about Real Madrid signing Aymeric Laporte

Real Madrid are in dire need of center back help this winter, as Eder Militao has suffered a torn ACL yet again, leaving only Antonio Rudiger as an experienced option in central defense. Raul Asencio looked good in his debut relief of Militao against Osasuna, recording an assist while helping the Merengues keep a clean sheet, but Real Madrid can't possibly go into the thick of the Champions League campaign and La Liga title race with only Asencio and Rudiger as options. Although Sergio Ramos has been linked to Real Madrid as an immediate center back signing, the current free agent looks like an unrealistic option due to the club's desire to only sign players for the future. RB Leipzig standout Castello Lukeba looks like the favorite to join Real Madrid in January, but with a need ...
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Real Madrid won’t pursue the most obvious center back upgrade
10Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

Real Madrid won’t pursue the most obvious center back upgrade

Desperation doesn't even begin to describe the feeling that should be reverberating around the walls of the Valdebebas after Real Madrid lost their best defender to a season-ending ACL tear on Saturday against Osasuna. For the second straight season, Eder Militao is down for the count, joining the club's only other elite defensive option, Dani Carvajal, on the injured list with a torn ACL. And with Lucas Vazquez injured for a weeks, too, with David Alaba still on the shelf from his own ACL tear last year, Real Madrid have dwindling options across their back line. As it stands right now, Antonio Rudiger is their only healthy senior center back, the club doesn't have a single option at right back besides Castilla talent Jesus Fortea, and the left back position remains a revolving do...
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Real Madrid are about to take drastic measures at center back
10Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

Real Madrid are about to take drastic measures at center back

Real Madrid were able to keep a clean sheet in their latest La Liga game after surrendering a combined seven goals to Barcelona and AC Milan, but there was no time to celebrate a strong defensive performance. First of all, Osasuna is Osasuna. Sorry. But second of all and most importantly, Real Madrid lost, by far, their best defensive player of the season to an ACL tear, with Eder Militao suffering the major injury for a second straight season. Antonio Pintus' future should be non-existent after yet another torn ACL a Real Madrid player, but, that point aside, Los Blancos are in serious trouble defensively with Antonio Rudiger as the only healthy, senior first-team center back. Real Madrid didn't sign a center back this past summer. Or the summer before that. Or even in the winter...
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The star Real Madrid have to worry most about losing in 2025
10Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

The star Real Madrid have to worry most about losing in 2025

Real Madrid are in a difficult period, because even though they got back to winning ways with a Vinicius Junior hat trick- fueled 4-0 demolition of solid La Liga side Osasuna, they also lost superstar center back Eder Militao for the rest of the 2024/25 season. Already, Real Madrid are falling behind Barcelona in the title race after a 4-0 drubbing in El Clasico, and they didn't exactly instill confidence against top competition by getting dismantled by a thoroughly mediocre AC Milan side 3-1 in the Champions League. Nobody is facing more pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu than manager Carlo Ancelotti, who, for the first time in his second stint at the club, is playing for his job. Real Madrid don't want to fire Ancelotti - certainly not before they can secure Xabi Alonso as his re...
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Even Guti is banging the drum for Real Madrid’s easiest defensive upgrade
10Nov By Joe SorianoNo Comments
LaLiga

Even Guti is banging the drum for Real Madrid’s easiest defensive upgrade

Real Madrid pitched a shutout on Saturday morning in La Liga, blanketing an Osasuna attack that once put up four on league leaders Barcelona this season to bounce back from 4-0 and 3-1 defeats to Barcelona and AC Milan, respectively. But Osasuna isn't the greatest barometer for Real's ability to stop the attacks that could actually ruin their title chances in La Liga and the Champions League, and, if anything, things are about to get worse for Real Madrid. For the second straight season, Eder Militao has gone down with a torn ACL, taking, by far, Real's best defender out of the equation. And Real were still without a key center back in David Alaba, still recovering from his own season-ending injury from last December. That leaves Antonio Rudiger as the lone senior center back in t...
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