Barcelona News and Analysis

Barcelona won’t have to face Inter Milan’s second-biggest star in the UCL

27Apr

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Injury News

Barcelona won’t have to face Inter Milan’s second-biggest star in the UCL

As Barcelona bask in the glow of their 3-2, extra-time fueled 2025 Copa del Rey conquest over rivals Real Madrid - making it three out of three Clasicos so far for Hansi Flick in his first season in charge - they cannot let their celebrations last too long. That's because Barcelona will battle a very game Inter Milan on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. Inter are fresh off eliminating perennial tournament contenders Bayern Munich, and while they have suffered a few tricky results lately in Serie A, they are also favorites to retain their title. The task may be a little bit easier for Barcelona, though, as Calciomercato.com's Pasquale Guarro reports a pessimistic injury recovery update for Inter Milan star striker Marcus Thuram. Marcus Thuram has no...

Real Madrid could steal top CB that Barcelona already have agreement to sign

26Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Transfer News

Real Madrid could steal top CB that Barcelona already have agreement to sign

Real Madrid and Barcelona will battle it out on the pitch this Saturday night in Sevilla at the Olympic Stadium in the 2025 Copa del Rey Final, and they'll battle it out again with LaLiga on the line in the fourth Clasico of the season - two of which the rising Blaugrana already dominated. The balance is tipping in Barca's favor this season after the Hansi Flick appointment, with Real Madrid out of the Champions League as defending champions while Barcelona are through to the semifinals. When the 2024/25 season ends, though, the battle will continue for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, as the two historic LaLiga clubs will likely have a couple of high-profile transfer battles on the summer 2025 market. Real Madrid are fans of Jonathan Tah According to a report from Sky Sports German...

Ranking the 5 best Barcelona players in 2025

8Apr

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Rankings

Ranking the 5 best Barcelona players in 2025

Who are the best Barcelona players right now in 2025? 5. CB Inigo Martinez I bounced back and forth between Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez, and I also think fellow central defenders Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde merit serious consideration here, especially since Kounde has become such a great right back in his own right despite being a center back at heart. Cubarsi is even better on the ball and has more future potential as an 18-year-old phenom who is, in a way, Lamine Yamal's defensive equivalent. But how could I leave Martinez off a list of the best Barcelona players RIGHT NOW, when, RIGHT NOW, Martinez is one of the best center backs on the planet. That may seem like a crazy statement, but it's only absurd to the uninformed. Martinez has been a top-level center back in LaLiga ...

2024/25 Champions League Predictions for the Quarterfinals

6Apr

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

2024/25 Champions League Predictions for the Quarterfinals

On Tuesday, the quarterfinals of the 2024/25 Champions League season will begin, and while defending champions Real Madrid are always the favorites until proven otherwise, they have been significantly outplayed by Barcelona in their own league and barely survived the Round of 16 against crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Aston Villa are still sticking around despite their struggles in the Premier League and have a big-ticket battle against Unai Emery's former club PSG, who knocked league phase leaders Liverpool out of the competition. Here are the full predictions for the quarterfinals across both legs. Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan Bayern Munich head into the Champions League quarterfinals with a ton of major injuries to their back line. The most significant one is the t...

Ranking the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers right now in 2025

4Apr

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Rankings

Ranking the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers right now in 2025

I don't think a lot of fans - including some pretty hardcore ones - understand just how brilliant LaLiga's goalkeepers have been over the past several years. And I'm not just talking about the divine trinity of Thibaut Courtois, Jan Oblak, and Marc Andre-ter Stegen at the "Big Three" either, because, let's face it, Oblak and MATS had a couple of rough seasons in between some monster ones. No, even when you look at the other goalkeepers they've fielded like Juan Musso, Wojciech Szczesny, and Andriy Lunin, all those guys would be top five-goalkeepers in many other top European leagues. But beyond the Big Three is where you really get to see talent. Remember Edgar Badia and Jeremias Ledesma? How about Alex Remiro at Real Sociedad? He's been on highlight reels in LaLiga for years. Now...

Barcelona willing to sell two very promising young players

31Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

Barcelona willing to sell two very promising young players

There is little question that Barcelona are the best team in the world at producing young talent, especially high-end young talent that has the potential to define a generation. They did that consistently over the past two decades, and, now, in 2025, the foundations of the team contending for the 2024/25 LaLiga title are mostly ascending rockstars like Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, and Lamine Yamal who are all very much among the best in the world at their respective positions. But buried on the bench, Barcelona also have a number of young talents chomping at the bit, worried that they may never truly get their chance to stand out as top players in their league because of the sheer amount of quality in the side. According to a report from Relevo's Miguel Rico, Barcelona want to make investm...

Chelsea are making a push to steal away the top CB Barcelona beat them to

29Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

Chelsea are making a push to steal away the top CB Barcelona beat them to

Chelsea have been trying to assemble a quality back line, and they've invested a lot in promising young center backs around European football over the last few years. Most of those signings haven't worked out. Aside from Levi Colwill, Chelsea haven't found a true building block at the center back position. Wesley Fofana is injured too frequently to rely on, Benoit Badiashile has been highly inconsistent, and Axel Disasi is currently loaned out to Aston Villa after failing to seal a spot. Originally, the center back Chelsea wanted more than anyone else was Jules Kounde back in 2022, but despite the Blues' best efforts, they lost out on the world-class LaLiga youngster at Sevilla to one of the country's two biggest clubs, Barcelona, for just 50 million euros (10 million less than his m...

Barcelona players want to sign bargain €12M right back

28Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

Barcelona players want to sign bargain €12M right back

Even though he is a center back by trade, young Frenchman Jules Kounde has legitimately become one of the best right backs in world football for Barcelona, and since Real Madrid rival Dani Carvajal's torn ACL, there's a strong case to be made that Kounde has been the best right back in the league. Behind Kounde, Barcelona also have Hector Fort as a young prospect at the position, but it looks like the Blaugrana would like to sign reinforcements at the position and potentially let Kounde shine at center back again if someone emerges. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, via barcacentre, there are several players within the Barcelona ranks who are "admirers" of Rayo Vallecano star Andrei Ratiu. Per the report, these players are such fans of Ratiu that they regularly use him i...

Dani Olmo injury update for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

28Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Injury News

Dani Olmo injury update for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

New Barcelona star Dani Olmo came to Catalunya with injury concerns, and he has already missed 13 games in the 2024/25 LaLiga season with various soft-tissue ailments. Although he scored in Barca's impressive 3-0, revenge-minded win over Osasuna on Thursday night in LaLiga, Olmo left before 30 minutes were completed with another injury. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, via barcentre, Olmo will not be able to play in Barca's upcoming game on Apr. 2 against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are tied 4-4 on aggregate after a fiery first leg, so Olmo's absence as a potential goal-scorer from midfield could loom large next week if more fireworks take place between the two LaLiga title contenders. Of course, Bar...

The 5 most impactful injuries of the 2024/25 LaLiga season

21Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Injury News

The 5 most impactful injuries of the 2024/25 LaLiga season

There's nothing like a major injury that can completely change the narrative of the season, and the 2024/25 LaLiga title race - and even the race for European places - has been significantly impacted by major ailments. Here are just five of the biggest injuries of the current season. Real Madrid RB Dani Carvajal When reigning European Championship, LaLiga, and Champions League winner Dani Carvajal went down with a season-ending ACL tear in early October, everyone knew Real Madrid were going to be in deep trouble thereafter. Real Madrid had failed to sign adequate cover for Carvajal at right back, and the age-old question became an immediate nightmare, especially with no real chance of signing an adequate player in the winter transfer window (free-agent-to-be Trent Alexander-Arnold ...