Tag: Atletico Madrid

Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026
Rankings

Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026

You would think the goalkeeper position would be the easiest to evaluate on the football pitch, because, well, goalkeepers are more stationary than other players and can be largely evaluated on how successful they are at stopping the other team from scoring. But it isn't really that simple. Although goalkeepers are primarily asked to make saves, ask any Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur fan how much having a goalkeeper who does not command the box well or makes basic errors in possession can totally destroy your team's sense of stability. There is also the matter of reputation. Many goalkeepers can skate by on a reputation built up over the years of greatness, whereas some younger goalkeepers find it more difficult to gain a foothold for this reason. Finally, there is the mat...
2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7
Analysis, Rankings

2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7

LaLiga Matchday 7 saw Atlético Madrid destroy Real Madrid 5-2 in the Madrid Derby, Barcelona jump to the top of the table, and Elche stay undefeated with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. Let’s review these LaLiga Matchday 7 fixtures and rank teams ahead of Matchday 8.   20. Girona Girona managed to scrap out a 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Matchday 7 thanks to a five-save performance from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine was the Blanquivermells man of the match, but the entire defense did their part, holding Espanyol to just 1.08 xG from 20 shots.  Offensively, though, Girona really struggled to convert solid opportunities. Of their seven shots in the box, they only managed to get one on target. They missed their only big chance of the game. Results like this draw are why I think Giron...
2025/26 LaLiga picks, score predictions for every Matchday 7 fixture
Analysis

2025/26 LaLiga picks, score predictions for every Matchday 7 fixture

LaLiga had a full set of matches during the week, but the action doesn’t ever stop in Spain. The games pick right back up this weekend, with big matchups like Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid, Villarreal vs. Athletic Club, and Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad. Here are my LaLiga picks and score predictions for these matches and every other Matchday 7 fixture.  Girona vs. Espanyol Estadi Municipal de Montilivi, 9:00pm CEST (3:00pm ET), Friday, September 26 Girona unexpectedly found themselves in the relegation fight last season. This year, they look on track to actually go down. The Catalan club have lost four of their six LaLiga matches so far — all of which were by two goals or more. However, they managed to scrape out a 1-1 draw with Athletic Club in Matchday 6.  Espanyol finished just t...
Every La Liga club’s most overpaid player in the 2025/26 season
Analysis

Every La Liga club’s most overpaid player in the 2025/26 season

La Liga may not have the same figures thrown around or as much money involved as the Premier League, but when you look across the landscape of the Spanish top flight, you'll still find plenty of contracts and wage figures. Using data provided by FBRef.com, let's take a look at the most overpaid player on every La Liga team for the 2025/26 season. Girona Why on earth Girona signed Axel Witsel remains a mystery. I get the idea of a club worried about relegation signing veteran players, but Witsel hasn't been a starting-caliber player in ages and was a disaster for Atletico Madrid. At 4.16 million euros per season, Witsel is Girona's highest-paid player and is 36 years old. He has no real, defined position in 2025/26, and while he was once a top defensive midfielder at the Champions L...
La Liga Power Rankings: Picking the top 6 after Matchday 4
Rankings

La Liga Power Rankings: Picking the top 6 after Matchday 4

With four matches in the bag, let's take a look at the updated La Liga Power Rankings after Real Madrid won their fourth in a row and Atletico Madrid outlasted Villarreal in a marquee matchup. Note that power rankings are weighed heavily on form, so this is a combination of predicted the best teams in the future and honoring the teams that have truly been the best through four games in the 2025/26 season so far. 6. Real Betis One of two teams with five matches played in the La Liga season, Real Betis are only 10th in the table despite this advantage, because they've only won one game this season, which was a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves. So it's been a disappointing start to the campaign for a perennial European side, and the Conference League Finalists are going to need more ...
Champions League Predictions: 5 clubs at greatest risk of facing complete turmoil in 2025/26 season
Analysis

Champions League Predictions: 5 clubs at greatest risk of facing complete turmoil in 2025/26 season

The 2025/26 Champions League campaign will officially begin in a matter of weeks with the league phase, as the summer 2025 transfer window has been wrapped up and sealed with a bow. Most of the big players in the Champions League, like Liverpool and Real Madrid, were also major buyers on the transfer market, as superstars like Alexander Isak and Trent Alexander-Arnold moved around this summer window. The Premier League's Big Six, in particular, were big spenders, proving the notion that the Super League is really just the biggest clubs in the Premier League isn't just a prognostication for the future; it's already rapidly happening in front of us. But as teams head into the 2025/26 season with boatloads of optimism, there is reason for trepidation among some of European football's...
Champions League Power Rankings: The 10 best managers for the 2025/26 season
Rankings

Champions League Power Rankings: The 10 best managers for the 2025/26 season

The 2025/26 Champions League draw for the league phase is set, with the matches to begin next month in mid-September, and it's anyone's guess as to how this year's tournament will ultimately play out. Obviously, the players are the one who play the game, but the spotlight has become increasingly focused on the manager, and there's no one style that makes someone successful in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti won two of the last four Champions League titles on chaos, Pep Guardiola won one on structure while embracing the virtues of a free-scoring No. 9 in Erling Haaland, and Luis Enrique finally brought the big one to Paris by embracing a more team-oriented playing style without Kylian Mbappe. It's not easy ranking managers at baseline, but ranking them from different leagues ...
Champions League Power Rankings: The top 12 strikers before the 2025/26 season
Rankings

Champions League Power Rankings: The top 12 strikers before the 2025/26 season

There isn't a single position on the football pitch that receives as much attention as the striker position, It is the marquee position, because there's a school of thought that every great team needs a great player who can finish off the goals. Although Real Madrid have won a Champions League title in recent years without a true No. 9 and Manchester City have won the Premier League without one, those are exceptions to the rule. Because Real Madrid have also dropped Champions League titles without a true top goal-scorer, while Manchester City only became Champions League winners after they added Erling Haaland, a record-breaking striker. Ahead of the 2025/26 Champions League season, which will officially begin next month with the league phase, let's do an intial power ranking of t...
Champions League Power Rankings: The 5 most likely first-time winners
Rankings

Champions League Power Rankings: The 5 most likely first-time winners

The usual suspects are the favorites to win the 2025/26 Champions League, with reigning champions PSG joining the holy trinity of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, as well as last year's Premier League winners Liverpool, as the top five favorites to conquer European football this season. However, what's just as interesting is talking about which teams could break through and win their first Champions League title in history. And not all of those teams are underdogs, as sides like Atletico Madrid that have been regulars or Premier League title contenders Arsenal are also among the list of teams still seeking their first taste of the very summit of European football. Perhaps the 2025/26 Champions League season will be the one that gets one of these historic clubs off the schne...
La Liga 2025/26 Storylines: Title Race, Real Oviedo’s Return, and Relegation Drama
Analysis

La Liga 2025/26 Storylines: Title Race, Real Oviedo’s Return, and Relegation Drama

As the 2025/26 La Liga season is set to begin, Spanish football promises a captivating blend of high-stakes rivalries, historic comebacks, and intense battles across the table. From the race for the title to the fight for survival, here are five key storylines, packed with context and insights, to watch this season. La Liga 2025/26 Title Race: Can Barcelona Defend Their Crown Against Real Madrid and Atlético? The race for the La Liga title promises to be an exciting competition, with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid as the leading contenders, and Atlético Madrid posing as a potential dark horse. Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, secured the title last season and boasts a dynamic attacking lineup led by rising star Lamine Yamal. The recent addition of Marcus Rashford on loan from Manches...