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Showing posts with the label Spain

Barcelona beat Real Madrid to clinch La Liga title

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Real Madrid Marcus Rashford struck a superb free-kick as Barcelona defeated rivals Real Madrid to clinch their 29th La Liga title Author | Josh T Stadium | Nou Camp Rashford opened the scoring before Ferran Torres added a second with an accomplished finish as Hansi Flick's side eased to victory in El Clasico at the Nou Camp. Both goalscorers ran to embrace their head coach in an emotional moment following the death of Flick's father at the weekend. Barcelona remain seven titles behind record champions Real Madrid, but they have now secured back-to-back Spanish league crowns. What contributed to a memorable achievement for Barca An 11-match winning streak in La Liga has carried them clear at the top, with a 14-point advantage now beyond the reach of their closest challengers. Their dominance at home has been central to the triumph, with this latest success marking an 18th win from 18 league games in front of their own supporters. Watch | Atmosphere in the stands ...

Arsenal reach Champions League final after memorable night in North London

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Arsenal 1 - 0 Atletico Madrid (Arsenal won 2-1 on aggregate) Arsenal reached their first Champions League final in two decades as Bukayo Saka’s decisive strike secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid. Author |  DJ Stadium |  Emirates Stadium Mikel Arteta’s side fell at the semi-final stage to eventual winners Paris St-Germain last season, but there was no repeat this time. Saka’s intervention kept alive hopes of a Premier League and Champions League double. A fantastic Champions League night for Arteta and Arsenal With the tie poised at 1-1 following the first leg, a tense atmosphere settled over Emirates Stadium and clear chances were initially scarce. The breakthrough arrived just before the interval when Saka reacted quickest, turning in from close range after Jan Oblak had parried Leandro Trossard’s effort, with Viktor Gyokeres instrumental in the build-up. Atletico threatened sporadically. Declan Rice produced a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny Giuliano Sime...

Penalty controversy sees Arsenal draw at Atletico

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal and Atletico Madrid scored a penalty each in a first-leg draw that leaves their Champions League semi-final in the balance Author | DJ Stadium | Metropolitano Viktor Gyokeres won and converted a spot-kick for the visitors a minute before the break after going down under a challenge from David Hancko. But Julian Alvarez levelled 11 minutes into the second half, scoring from the spot after a video assistant referee review. Substitute Eberechi Eze thought he had won Arsenal a second penalty late on when he appeared to beat Hancko to the ball inside the area, but the decision was overturned following another VAR check. Both sides looked quietly content at full-time with all still to play for next week.  The game began as a cagey affair Neither side was looking to concede an early advantage. It was very different to the previous night's match between PSG and Bayern.  PSG and Bayern play out an all-time classic eurosuperfootball.blogsp...

Rashford shines as Barca move closer to title

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Getafe 0 - 2 Barcelona Marcus Rashford was on target as Barcelona tightened their grip on a second successive La Liga title with victory over Getafe. Author | Jack L Stadium | Estadio Coliseum The on-loan Manchester United forward finished a sweeping counterattack in the second half, with Hansi Flick’s side capitalising on Real Madrid’s surprise 1-1 draw with Real Betis on Friday night. Barcelona are now 11 points clear of their rivals with five games remaining as they close in on a 29th title. A closer analysis of what happened Fermin Lopez had given them the lead just before the interval, the masked attacking midfielder played through by an incisive pass from Pedri. Watch | Highlights from Barcelona YouTube channel They were without Lamine Yamal after the teenager’s season was ended by a hamstring injury sustained in the midweek win over Celta Vigo, and Rashford began on the bench before replacing Roony Bardghji on the hour. Getafe, chasing a European place, committed bodies forw...

Real Sociedad win Copa Del Rey

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Atletico Madrid 2 - 2 Real Sociedad (Real Sociedad won 4-2 on penalties) Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid on penalties to claim a fourth Copa del Rey title. Author | Jack L Stadium | Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla Atletico twice fought back to force the final into extra time and then a shootout, but Unai Marrero saved two spot-kicks to earn Sociedad their first trophy since 2020. Sociedad had stunned Diego Simeone’s side with the fastest goal in a Copa del Rey final, Ander Barrenetxea glancing Goncalo Guedes’ cross into the corner after just 14 seconds. That lead was wiped out when Ademola Lookman slotted home low on 18 minutes, yet Mikel Oyarzabal restored Sociedad’s advantage from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after Juan Musso caught Guedes while attempting to punch clear. Watch | Pre match TIFO from the Sociedad stands Atletico carried the greater threat after the interval and were rewarded when Julian Alvarez struck brilliantly from the edge of the area into the...

Atletico Madrid survive Barca fightback to progress

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona (Atletico Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate) Atletico Madrid withstood a spirited Barcelona revival to reach the Champions League semi-finals Author | Jack L Stadium | Metropolitano Pre-match atmosphere Trailing 2-0 from the first meeting, Barcelona struck early. Lamine Yamal reduced the deficit inside five minutes, sliding his finish beneath Juan Musso after a loose touch from former Barcelona defender ClĂ©ment Lenglet. The tie was level 19 minutes later. Ferran Torres collected Dani Olmo’s pass and sent a precise left-footed effort into the top corner, briefly silencing the home support. That quiet lasted only moments Marcos Llorente surged down the right and picked out Ademola Lookman, who finished to restore Atletico’s advantage on aggregate. Barcelona had earlier passed up the chance to extend their lead on the night, Musso reacting sharply to deny FermĂ­n LĂłpez from close range with an outstretched block. View from the away end Torres believed he had added...

Barcelona ease to win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Espanyol  Barcelona moved nine points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a composed victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Author |  Jack L Stadium  |  Spotify Camp Nou Ferran Torres climbed highest to meet Lamine Yamal’s corner at the back post after nine minutes, setting the tone early. The former Manchester City forward added a second midway through the first half, racing onto a clever outside-of-the-boot pass from Yamal and getting the better of Marko Dmitrovic to finish calmly. At just 18 years and 272 days, Yamal became the club’s youngest player to reach 100 appearances, underlining his growing influence with two assists. Espanyol, who struggled to establish control for long periods, pulled one back in the 56th minute when Pol Lozano reacted quickest in the box after Eric Garcia’s block. Fernando Calero later headed wide from Ramon Terrats’ corner, but the visitors could not find a way through. Barcelona responded with ...

Real Madrid's title hopes suffer another blow

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Real Madrid 1 - 1 Girona Real Madrid’s faltering run continued as their already fragile La Liga title hopes suffered another setback in a frustrating draw Author | Jack L Stadium | BernabĂ©u Victory would have trimmed Barcelona’s lead at the summit to four points before Saturday’s derby against Espanyol. Instead, Hansi Flick’s side could move nine points clear with a win, as Madrid’s winless sequence stretched to three matches in all competitions. This match also formed part of La Liga's retro weekend where sides are wearing kits from their past. What happened on the night? Federico Valverde gave the hosts the lead six minutes into the second half at the Santiago BernabĂ©u Stadium, his low effort from the edge of the area slipping beyond Paulo Gazzaniga. The advantage lasted only 11 minutes. Thomas Lemar surged in from the right and drove past Andriy Lunin to restore parity, and Madrid could not summon a response. Kylian MbappĂ© saw a penalty appeal waved away as frustration grew. Wat...

Kane's class proves decisive for Bayern against Real Madrid

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Real Madrid 1 - 2 Bayern Harry Kane marked his return from injury with a fine strike as Bayern seized the initiative in their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid Author | Ed  Stadium | Santiago Bernabeu Kane, watched by England head coach Thomas Tuchel, was back in action after the minor issue that ruled him out of the friendly against Japan and Bayern’s Bundesliga victory over Freiburg. The 32-year-old England captain was relatively quiet in the opening half, though he played a part in the move that led to Bayern’s opener, finished calmly by former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz four minutes before the interval. Watch | Highlights of the match from TNT Sports Kane underlined his quality shortly after the restart, driving a precise right-footed effort into the bottom corner beyond Andriy Lunin. Neuer was very important for the Bundesliga leaders The Bayern number one produced four important saves, three of them denying Kylian Mbappe, while Vincent Kompany’s side threate...

Barca thrash Newcastle to end Geordie Champions League dream

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Barcelona 7 - 2 Newcastle United (Barcelona won 8-3 on aggregate) A rampant Barcelona swept Newcastle United aside to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Author | Anthony Gates  Stadium | Nou Camp Eddie Howe had urged his players to embrace, rather than be overwhelmed by, the atmosphere at the Nou Camp in this last-16 second leg. For a time, they did just that. Newcastle showed resilience in a breathless first half, twice drawing level through the pace and composure of Anthony Elanga. His finishes cancelled out early efforts from Raphinha and Marc Bernal, ensuring the visitors remained firmly in the contest. Even after Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in stoppage time to edge Barcelona 3-2 ahead, the tie still felt alive at the interval. It unravelled quickly after the restart FermĂ­n LĂłpez extended the lead before Raphinha and Lewandowski took control, the latter striking twice to underline the gulf in clinical edge. What had been a contest became a procession, ending Newcas...

Positive signs for Tottenham despite Champions League exit

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Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 2 Atletico Madrid (Atletico Madrid won 7-5 on aggregate) Spurs claimed a deserved victory against Atletico Madrid but fell short in their attempt to overturn a three-goal deficit. Author | Greg S  Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The home side were left with too much to do after a calamitous 5-2 first-leg defeat in Madrid, one of four losses in five matches since Tudor replaced Thomas Frank. There were, however, further signs of progress. Following the 1-1 draw at Liverpool, this was another encouraging display in an absorbing second leg, offering hope as attention turns to the more pressing task of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. Needing an early foothold, Spurs began brightly and took the lead on the half-hour when Randal Kolo Muani headed in an inviting cross from Mathys Tel for his fourth goal of the campaign. Tel soon had the chance to unsettle the visitors further after racing through on goal, but Juan Musso, deputising for the injured Ja...

Spurs humiliated in Madrid as bizarre night deepens season of misery

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Atletico Madrid 5 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur  We try to summarise a chaotic night for Spurs as their nightmare season continues Author | Greg S Stadium |  Metropolitano Tottenham’s calamitous campaign reached another bleak chapter as goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky endured a torrid 17 minutes before being substituted in a chastening Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid. Handed a start ahead of Guglielmo Vicario, the 22-year-old Czech twice lost his footing in the opening stages, gifting goals to Marcos Llorente and Julian Alvarez.  In between those awful moments, Micky van de Ven also slipped, allowing Antoine Griezmann to add a third, before Robin Le Normand struck a fourth after just 23 breathless minutes. Tottenham’s last 6 results... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 11 March 2026 at 07:38 It was a chaotic opening spell for the away side Pedro Porro briefly halted the onslaught with a goal for the visitors, but the respite w...

Late drama sees Benfica stay alive in the Champions League

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Benfica 4 - 2 Real Madrid Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an extraordinary 98th-minute equaliser to propel JosĂ© Mourinho’s Benfica into the Champions League play-offs after a remarkable victory. Author | Ed Stadium |  Estádio da Luz The defeat leaves the Spanish giants facing the play-off round themselves, having slipped from third to ninth following their loss at the Estádio da Luz. There remains a strong possibility the two sides will meet again, with Benfica also required to negotiate the additional knockout stage. For a long moment it appeared Benfica would be eliminated in the cruellest fashion, heading out on goals scored despite leading 3-2 deep into stoppage time. One final free-kick, however, offered a last lifeline. Trubin was sent forward and the Ukrainian goalkeeper timed his run impeccably, powering a header beyond Thibaut Courtois to ignite rapturous scenes in Lisbon. The win was Mourinho’s first against his former club and ensured Benfica progressed despite losing ...

Man City recover to pick up memorable Champions League win

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Real Madrid 1 - 2 Manchester City Man City came from behind to claim a superb Champions League win at Real Madrid, piling further pressure on Xabi Alonso as the home manager’s position grows increasingly fragile. Author | Macca Stadium | Santiago BernabĂ©u Alonso has been under scrutiny after a poor domestic run and reports of a cultural disconnect with his squad, and the glare will intensify after his side failed to preserve an early lead. Real were dealt a setback before kick-off when top scorer Kylian Mbappe was deemed fit only for the bench. The France captain ultimately played no part as his team fell to a dispiriting defeat. City almost endured a disastrous opening when Matheus Nunes brought down Vinicius Jr inside two minutes. The referee initially awarded a penalty, only to change it to a free-kick on the edge of the area after a VAR check. Federico Valverde’s driven effort from the set piece deflected just wide, while Vinicius soon curled a delicate effort past the far post...

Statement victory for Chelsea on memorable night

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Chelsea 3 - 0 Barcelona Chelsea’s rising star Estevao Willian eclipsed fellow prodigy Lamine Yamal during a commanding victory over ten-man Barcelona. Author | Lauren W Stadium | Stamford Bridge The 18-year-old delivered a standout display capped by a superb second goal, struck soon after Ronald Araujo was dismissed for a second booking on the stroke of half-time. By that point Chelsea were already ahead thanks to an own goal from Jules Kounde, and the evening later brought relief for Liam Delap, who ended an eleven-game goal drought with his first of the season. Much of the attention centred on the duel between Estevao and Yamal, widely regarded as two of the world’s brightest young forwards. Estevao seized the moment with a dazzling solo effort, gliding past Pau Cubarsi, shrugging off Alejandro Balde and drilling his shot beyond Joan Garcia. Yamal’s withdrawal on 80 minutes was met with boos from the home crowd, while Estevao departed moments later to warm applause from all corne...

Barcelona win on Camp Nou return

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Athletic Club Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at their iconic home since May 2023. Author | Jack L Stadium  |  Spotify Camp Nou Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute. Ferran Torres netted towards the end of both halves, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance. Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later. Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd. The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium's capacity to 105,000. Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goa...

Barcelona will finally return to iconic home ground

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Barcelona are set for a long-awaited return to the Nou Camp this weekend This is more than two years after leaving their historic home for extensive redevelopment works.  Author |  Jack L The La Liga match with Athletic Club on Saturday 22 November will mark the first fixture at the ground since May 2023. The stadium reopens with a temporary capacity of 45,401 following the latest phase of its renovation. Barcelona last played there in an official match on 28 May 2023 against Real Mallorca, before the site was shut down to begin a project aimed at transforming the arena into a modern venue fit for the future. Work began in June 2023 with a budget of about £1.1bn and an ambition to raise the capacity to 105,000, placing it among the largest stadiums in world football. The club had hoped to return in November 2024 to align with their 125th anniversary, but a series of delays pushed that target back. During the redevelopment, they shifted most of their fixtures to the Olympic...

Liverpool almost looked back to their best against Real Madrid

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Liverpool 1 - 0 Real Madrid Liverpool produced one of their most complete displays of the season to overpower Real Madrid and claim a vital Champions League win. Author |  William G Stadium |  Anfield Arne Slot’s Premier League champions had ended a miserable run of six defeats in seven matches with victory over Aston Villa at the weekend, and the resurgence gathered pace here as Real were swept aside. The scoreline barely reflected Liverpool’s control. Alexis Mac Allister finally made the breakthrough midway through the second half, heading in Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick to reward a dominant performance in which the home side carved out chance after chance. Thibaut Courtois was exceptional in the Real goal, pulling off a series of stunning saves – four from Szoboszlai and another fine reflex stop to deny Virgil van Dijk – to keep the visitors alive far longer than they deserved. Super Local Sports News | Merseyside | Champions League | Five classic matches between Li...

Rashford scores as Barca bounce back from El Clasico loss

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Elche  Marcus Rashford was on target for Barcelona as they recovered from their El Clásico defeat with a composed victory over Elche. Author | Jack L Stadium | Estadi OlĂ­mpic LluĂ­s Companys Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres gave Hansi Flick’s side an early two-goal cushion before Rafa Mir briefly gave the visitors hope. Rashford’s strike just after the hour settled the contest and lifted Barça back to second, five points adrift of Real Madrid. Barca eventually take control Elche thought they had taken the lead when the ball found the net early on, only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations. From that point, Barcelona asserted control. Yamal opened the scoring in the ninth minute, cutting inside from Alejandro Balde’s pass and bending a superb finish into the far corner. Two minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage as Fermin LĂłpez capitalised on a defensive slip by Adria Pedrosa and squared for Torres to score from close range. Mir reduced the d...

A season of managerial changes across the continent

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We have seen a number of managerial changes already this season Let's have a look at some of these changes Author | George B Of course, some of these changes have been welcomed fans (see Rangers fans below) and others haven't.  Onto manager number three at Nottingham Forest In September, Nottingham Forest announced they had dismissed head coach Nuno EspĂ­rito Santo . This news came just three games into the new season. Almost within a matter of hours, he was replaced by former Celtic and Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.   This doesn't go well. After less than 40 days in charge, Postecoglou was dismissed by the club after their 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground. This set a new record for the shortest reign of any permanent Premier League manager, surpassing Les Reed’s ill-fated spell at Charlton Athletic. West Ham turn to Nuno after poor start to the season On September 27th, former Brighton and Chelsea boss was dismissed by West Ham United wit...