Tag: Real Madrid

Real Madrid have spent the better part of five years now attempting to fill a gaping hole in their squad. A player who can effectively fit the role of 'backup striker' has eluded them for over half a decade. The last player to deputize Karim Benzema well enough for some fans to call for the Frenchman to be benched was Álvaro Morata in the 2016/17 season. To put things into perspective, enough time has passed since then for Morata to have gone from cult hero to a top enemy of Madridistas due to his allegiance with Atlético Madrid. The struggle to fill the need Following Morata's departure, Real Madrid opted for the young Borja Mayoral to take over as the Benzema backup. The then-20-year-old however struggled to fill Morata's shoes with the same goalscoring prowess, and Real chose to re...

The center back position is one of the most difficult to evaluate in football, because much of what makes the best center backs so effective is what they do off the ball. Paolo Maldini was famous for being able to shut strikers out of the match without even having to make a tackle, famously remarking that this was a sign of a great defender.  Yet at the same time, the best center backs in world football need to show they are capable of making decisive interventions when called upon. And there are even other central defenders who have the responsibility of pushing higher up the pitch to win the ball, particularly for possession-based, pressing teams like Bayern München. So here are the 10 best center backs in football today, ranked based on a combination of current play in the 2...

José Mourinho joined Real Madrid in 2010 after accomplishing one of the most incredible managerial feats in the modern era. He won the treble with Inter Milan, making them the only Serie A club to have accomplished this feat. He did this by knocking out his former club Chelsea in the Round of 16, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in the semifinals, and another dynasty-level side in Bayern München in the Final. It was an incredible run by Mourinho, who had previously won the Champions League with FC Porto in an even more unprecedented feat. He then went on to dominate the Premier League with Chelsea, putting the London club on the map as one of the elite clubs in European football. After reaching the pinnacle with Inter, Mourinho joined Real Madrid at an important time for the club. Despite s...

After a stellar 2021/2022 campaign that saw Real Madrid win LaLiga and the Champions League, the ‘Merengues’ are looking to defend both titles as the 2022/2023 campaign begins to take shape. Despite their success, there were still areas where the team had issues with last season and needed to strengthen in the transfer window. Real Madrid's defense has a new look The most obvious was the defense where they struggled a lot on set plays and whenever any of the regular starters were missing. That need has now been filled with the signing of Antonio Rüdiger, who joined on a free transfer and will provide the necessary height and depth the team was missing. Additionally, it would allow Real Madrid to play in different formations, such as switching to playing with three defenders. What stil...