Tag: Real Madrid

Rating Real Madrid's 2022/23 season a failure would be extremely harsh taking into consideration that the team reached the semifinals of the Champions League, won the Copa del Rey title with comebacks against Villarreal and Atlético de Madrid, and demolished Barcelona at the Camp Nou by a 0-4 scoreline. However, the season can't also be considered a success not because they didn't win the Champions League or La Liga, but because of the manner they lost both competitions.In the Champions League semifinal, they were thrashed 4-0 (5-1 on aggregate) by Manchester City where they were completely outplayed and could have lost by much more if not for Courtois coming up with big saves. Meanwhile, not only did they lose La Liga to Barcelona, but it almost seemed as if they gave up on it midseason a...

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...

Some of the most important players in world football are wingers. They are entrusted with creating chances, scoring goals, stretching the pitch horizontally, testing defenses with vertical runs, easing pressure off strikers, manufacturing space for teammates, progressing the ball as dribblers, and completing take-ons to destabilize the defense. The best wingers in world football are capable of changing games on their own while also being a consistent thorn in the side of the defense. Let's rank the 10 best wingers in the world right now in 2023. 10. Manchester City RW Riyad Mahrez Riyad Mahrez has cooled off a bit, and there are a number of quality wingers at Manchester City. Yet Mahrez's technical class and accomplishments over the years mean that he must be considered one of t...

Goalkeepers don't get enough praise in the modern game, even though the best goalkeepers so often make the difference between victory and defeat. Look no further than Thibaut Courtois' heroics throughout the 2021/22 season for LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Let's rank the 10 best goalkeepers in world football right now, at this very moment in time. That means the GOAT Manuel Neuer has to be taken out, but once he returns from a broken leg and gets back in form, he will surely rank on this list again. 10. Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG A hero for the Italian national team in the 2020 European Championships, Gianluigi Donnarumma is a phenom who started his first Serie A match for Milan at the age of 16. Within just a few years, Donnarumma became the best goalkeeper in...

Although Real Madrid is a club famous for its attacking superstars and dominance on the offensive side of the ball, they've also boasted some strong defensive spines over their many decades of excellence as an organization. So let's take some time to recognize the great center backs who have plied their trade for the Merengue club over the years, ranking the top 10 central defenders in the history of Real Madrid. 10. Iván Helguera Capable of shining as a defensive midfielder or center back, Iván Helguera was a talented footballer who could pick out difficult passes and lead the line. An intelligent defender, Helguera is one of the most underappreciated players in Real Madrid history, and you wonder if he would be cherished by more fanbases around the world for his unique skill set ...

Thibaut Courtois and Marc-André ter Stegen get plenty of spotlight - as they should. They are the starting goalkeepers for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, and the former of the two clearly established himself as the best in the world after helping lead Los Blancos to the Champions League Title last season. But those two superstars aren't the only great goalkeepers in LaLiga worth getting to know. Let's rank the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers. Courtois and ter Stegen will feature highly, but who is No. 1? And how many surprises are represented on the list? 10. Jan Oblak, Atlético Madrid If this list were made before the 2021/22 season, Jan Oblak would undoubtedly be in the top three. And there was a point before Thibaut Courtois found his best form in the 2019/20 season that...

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...