Tag: Barcelona

UCL Quarterfinal Predictions: Real Madrid Humbled Again; Arsenal Fairytale Begins; Barça Statement
Champions League, Features, LaLiga, Premier League

UCL Quarterfinal Predictions: Real Madrid Humbled Again; Arsenal Fairytale Begins; Barça Statement

The matches for the 2023/24 Champions League quarterfinal round have been set. Here is an early look at which teams could advance and which teams will be heading home in this year's UCL. Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich Arsenal's Best Player How could it be anyone other than Bukayo Saka. The 22-year-old right winger is a Ballon d'Or-level talent and one of the most consistent footballers on the planet despite his young age. Even in the Champions League, Saka is colossal, recording three goals and four assists so far in the current campaign, showing he can more than step up to meet the challenge of the highest level of European football. Bayern's Best Player A familiar face to the Arsenal faithful, former Tottenham rival Harry Kane is having a special, potentially record-breaking season fo...
Best U23 players in the world for 2024: Man City and Arsenal make it, Jamal Musiala or Jude Bellingham No. 1?
Champions League, Features

Best U23 players in the world for 2024: Man City and Arsenal make it, Jamal Musiala or Jude Bellingham No. 1?

Who are the best U23 players in world football as the year 2023 closes? Is most of the young talent concentrated in the Premier League or more spread out amongst different leagues? And is Jude Bellingham or Jamal Musiala the best young player? Let's rank the top 10 U23 players in the world before 2024 begins. 10. Manchester City LW Jérémy Doku It may seem too soon to rank Jérémy Doku in the top ten of the world's best U23 players, given this is his first season with Manchester City and he hasn't even logged 700 minutes for the Citizens. However, Doku was already exceptional for Rennes before Pep Guardiola wisely snapped him up for City, where he has remained one of the world's finest dribblers with four dribbles completed per match in the world's most competitive league. A g...
LaLiga Player Rankings: Griezmann tops Real Madrid stars, Barça’s midfield shines, all hail Girona
Features, LaLiga

LaLiga Player Rankings: Griezmann tops Real Madrid stars, Barça’s midfield shines, all hail Girona

As November begins to draw to a close and the halfway point of the 2023/24 LaLiga season creeps up on us, it's time to take stock of the best performances of the campaign thus far, specifically, the individuals contributing to a season that has somehow been even more thrilling than last year's unpredictable campaign. Though the Premier League continues to draw the most eyeballs - and money - Spanish football has returned to the top in terms of excitement and quality of play on the pitch. There's a tight title race, a captivating top-four race, and intriguing relegation battle, and a host of mid-table teams worth rooting. Who are the best individuals in LaLiga right now? Let's rank the top 10, basing it on their overall quality - not just performances in the current season. 10. Br...
Ranking the 10 best Spanish footballers since 2000
Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 10 best Spanish footballers since 2000

The Spanish national team was the most dominant side in world football from 2008 to 2012. In that time span, they won the European Championship twice and the World Cup once, proving just about impossible to beat behind a Tiki-Taka style of play that was perfected by Pep Guardiola in Barcelona. It is, therefore, unsurprising that when looking back at the best Spanish footballers of the century thus far, many of those players were key cogs in the Blaugrana wheel. Of course, when Spanish footballers are discussed, you had best believe there are plenty of rival Real Madrid players represented. These two historic clubs will unsurprisingly dominate the list of the 10 best Spanish footballers since the year 2000, but if you look closely, you'll find two players who were superstars without spen...
Latest Women’s Soccer News and Transfer Rumors
Features, Women's Football

Latest Women’s Soccer News and Transfer Rumors

It can be difficult to find all the latest news on women's soccer in one place, particularly transfer rumors. We aim to change that by providing the latest updates, the source they come from, as well as additional context about the players and details of the potential deals. So check back here for the latest transfer rumors, news, and updates around the world of women's soccer, including Europe's top five leagues and the NWSL. News items are sorted based on recency, with the latest updates coming at the top. Is Alexia Putellas leaving Barcelona? Details Per a report from Diari Ara in Catalunya, Alexia Putellas is receiving highly lucrative offers from around the world, but she is still expected to stay with Barcelona. Analysis The Putellas rumors are nothing new, but they ...
The 10 biggest breakout stars in LaLiga: Girona lead the way, Valencia with two, Barça best rivals
Features, LaLiga

The 10 biggest breakout stars in LaLiga: Girona lead the way, Valencia with two, Barça best rivals

LaLiga has been home to some of world football's most exciting breakout stars since the start of the 2022/23 season. Many of those players are getting some more mainstream credit, such as Gavi and other Barcelona standouts, but there are many more who remain criminally underrated. The 2023/24 season is bringing the world some more gems, so, to honor them, let's take a look at the 10 biggest breakout stars of the current Spanish top-flight campaign thus far. Girona LW Sávio The list has to start with Sávio. Just as Aleix García was THE breakout story in LaLiga last season, another Girona star has captured the spotlight on the left wing. Sávio is only 19 years old and already one of the best players in the league, if his performances in 2023/24 continue. And there is no reason to believ...
The 10 best signings made by UCL clubs: Barcelona and Bayern on twice, Real Madrid and Arsenal join in
Champions League, Features

The 10 best signings made by UCL clubs: Barcelona and Bayern on twice, Real Madrid and Arsenal join in

Every team in the 2023/24 Champions League group stages has faced each other at least once, as the third round of fixtures finished on Wednesday night with more intrigue and a few surprising finishes. With Matchday 3 in the books, let's take a look at the new faces in the Champions League who are making a big impact for their current clubs. Here are the 10 best signings made by UCL outfits in the 2023/24 season. Real Madrid CM Jude Bellingham No signing in world football has made more of an impact than Jude Bellingham, as it is fair to say that the England international is the early Ballon d'Or favorite. Bellingham added another exquisite - and decisive - finish to what is become quite the catalogue of goals in a Real Madrid kit. He passed the ball into the net expertly to give Real a...
Ranking the 10 best strikers in 2023/24: Inter Milan duo join Barça’s Lewandowski, Bayern’s Kane
Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best strikers in 2023/24: Inter Milan duo join Barça’s Lewandowski, Bayern’s Kane

Nobody generates more headlines than the players who score the goals. Most clubs with aspirations of winning trophies require a man up top who can consistently find the back of the net, with very few exceptions existing in the history of world football. But who are the best strikers on the planet right now? Let's rank the top 10, based on a combination of pedigree and performance in the 2023/24 season, more heavily weighing recent performances. Because sport is a "what have you done for me lately?" business. Note that only out-and-out strikers were included, so players like Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé who share time between positions or players like Vinícius Júnior who are wingers playing as left-sided forwards did not count. 10. Marcus Thuram, Inter Milan Marcus Thuram ...
The 10 best young players in LaLiga this season: Gavi, Kubo shine alongside Real Madrid duo
Features, LaLiga

The 10 best young players in LaLiga this season: Gavi, Kubo shine alongside Real Madrid duo

Who are the best young players in LaLiga right now in the 2023/24 season? We analyze the stars from Real Madrid, Barcelona, and even Granada. LaLiga needs to receive more recognition for being loaded with great young footballers. The Spanish top flight has quietly resumed its place as the most entertaining league in the world - a distinction it lost for a few seasons. But even without megastars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, LaLiga is delivering the drama with a real title race and plenty of drama elsewhere in the table. It is also delivering great young footballers from powerhouses like Real Madrid and Barcelona to less mainstream clubs like Girona and Granada. Let's take a look at the 10 best young players of the 2023/24 LaLiga season so far, using the age of 23 as our c...
Ranking the 10 best Barcelona players of all time
Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 10 best Barcelona players of all time

Barcelona stand tall as one of the most historic and respected clubs in world football. When a player dreams of making it big in this sport, Barcelona and Real Madrid tend to be the two clubs they choose between. Joining one of these two sides is the safest bet to become a true global phenomenon and a Ballon d'Or winner. La Blaugrana have a rich history, but their most impressive period came in the late 2000s and early 2010s when manager Pep Guardiola helped assemble the most unstoppable juggernaut in perhaps the entire history of football. With an aesthetic style of play adhering to Johan Cruyff's principles, Barcelona were in irresistible control of their opponents, while the best player the game has ever seen, Lionel Messi, put defenses on strings with his magic. It is, ther...