Espanyol defeated FC Luzern 3-0 in UEFA Europa League. The fixture is part of the 3rd Qualifying Round stage in the 2019 season. The match was played at RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat. Jorge de Sousa officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Espanyol vs FC Luzern meeting in UEFA Europa League with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Espanyol and FC Luzern. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
UEFA Europa LeagueRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Espanyol defeated FC Luzern 3-0 in UEFA Europa League. The fixture is part of the 3rd Qualifying Round stage in the 2019 season. The match was played at RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat. Jorge de Sousa officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Espanyol vs FC Luzern meeting in UEFA Europa League with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Espanyol and FC Luzern. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
UEFA Europa LeagueRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Sevilla safe despite defeat against Real MadridTiny Elversberg seal first promotion to BundesligaRoma took a huge step towards returning to the Champions League by beating Lazio 2-0 in a feisty derby which finished with both teams down to 10 men, while Napoli won 3-0 at Pisa to secure a top-four spot.Gianluca Mancini smashed home two headers from corners, one in each half, at the Stadio Olimpico to move Roma up to fourth thanks also to Juventus’s shock 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina. Continue reading...
Kylian Mbappé described his reaction after the Real Madrid scandal between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. More issues seem to arise every day for Real Madrid fans. On a day that should have been about the win over Real Oviedo, the focus shifted to Kylian Mbappé’s press conference. Among the topics was his laugh when leaving the training ground after the Federico Valverde incident with Aurelien Tchouameni. Mbappé said: “I was not there. I was not there when it happened. I cannot confirm whether anything happened or not because I was not there. I left the Ciudad Deportiva without knowing what happened because I was injured. I was not training with the team.” This was a topic that drew attention last week, as El Chiringuito published a video of Mbappé leaving in a car, laughing in the middle of a scandal. While his injury was real, it may also suggest that he is somewhat disconnected from the team. 🚨 IMAGEN @elchiringuitotv 🚨🤣 MBAPPÉ ABANDONA VALDEBEBAS 'PARTIÉNDOSE de RISA'.🇫🇷 El francés ha completado hoy parte del entrenamiento con el grupo. pic.twitter.com/nVcMLKiX1d— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 7, 2026 Mbappé on his injury The forward is not known for recurring injuries throughout his career. If anything, he has played too many matches for his age. However, this season was different, as he had to deal with a few. Most notably during the most important stretch, when his team was in the Champions League, he was not able to be at 100 percent. The report at the time about his knee injury was that the club had examined the wrong knee, something the forward denied. Mbappé said: “Real Madrid never make mistakes. It is the best club in the world. It is hard when you have an injury. What hurts the most is people who think I did not want to play. At first, people said I was playing too much, that I wanted to play every match. That is the only thing that does not make sense.” Mbappé on his trip to Italy Before the many scandals that put Real Madrid in the news for reasons unrelated to matches, the forward was the first to be involved in one. As he was recovering from an injury, Mbappé traveled to Italy. The issue for fans was his commitment, because even though he was not going to play against Espanyol, he arrived in the country almost at kickoff time. Mbappé said when asked about his trip: “You do not know what I did in Italy. You do not know whether I was on vacation. That is your opinion. People do not know the context or whether it was authorized by the club, which it was. That sells newspapers and affects people. But the only thing that matters to me is winning titles, and we did not do that.”
A stoppage-time eruption and a crying Manolo González means the Catalan club’s long-awaited victory changes everythingAfter 143 days and many more sleepless nights Manolo González was liberated, if only for a little while. In the 92nd minute of the 19th game of 2026, something amazing happened: Espanyol won and Espanyol went wild. A goal up against Athletic Club, a late Gorka Guruzeta header had shaken them more than the post it hit, a familiar fatalism refusing to leave, and they were desperately hanging on to what they had now and had lost too many times before, whistling for this suffering to finally end, when at last they could let go. “You have to be strong in life but, bloody hell, we all have limits,” González said, and they had reached theirs but now, on a Wednesday evening in May, they were released.Ramon Terrats, a boyhood Espanyol, nodded the ball on. Kike García, the only member of the squad born in the 80s and a man with a bit of the 80s about him, a 36-year-old, 6ft 1in, 12-stone striker they call the “labourer of goals”, a sub who had only been out there six minutes, ran on to it. Keeping his head, he guided a shot past Unai Simón so everyone else could lose theirs. The clock said 91.06. The scoreboard said 2-0. The table said: 14th, 42 points, 11 wins. And 29,943 people said: argrhjrfujhkngsafkjhfskljdzrogjdgixjkgjhlkbxcfh. As for González, he broke down and cried. Continue reading...
Georgian opens the scoring as PSG beat rivals 2-0Inter victorious over Lazio in Coppa Italia finalParis Saint-Germain secured a fifth successive Ligue 1 title by beating their nearest challengers, Lens, 2-0 in their penultimate match of the league season on Wednesday.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored after 29 minutes and the substitute Ibrahim Mbaye grabbed a stoppage-time goal to put PSG on 76 points, out of the reach of Lens, who are assured of second place on 67 points. Continue reading...
This time it was Marcus Rashford who delivered the knockout blow. Three days after the fight between Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni that ended with Real Madrid’s vice-captain taken to hospital and the crisis at the club laid bare for all to see, they went to the Camp Nou and finally, definitively relinquished a league they had lost long ago. For the first time in 94 years a clásico decided the title, 62,000 fans starting the party as goals from the Englishman and Ferran Torres took Hansi Flick’s team over the line with three games to spare.If, that is, decided is the word. For Madrid, at least it is over now. They had avoided it ending last week by beating Espanyol, just across the city limits, sparing themselves from having to give their rivals a guard of honour before this game but they knew they could not avoid it for ever: their aspiration was limited to stopping Barcelona celebrating in their presence. But, like so much else this campaign, that was beyond them, and so a second successive season closes without a trophy, and on the worst possible stage. Continue reading...
Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in El Clásico, a crucial match that will determine the 2025-26 LaLiga champion. After a disappointing season, los Blancos are looking for a key victory to quell the criticism. However, Kylian Mbappé will not be playing, leaving a significant gap in the offense. Barcelona have managed to become as one of the best teams in the world, shining throughout the 2025–26 LaLiga season. With this in mind, they face Real Madrid in the highly anticipated El Clásico, in a clash that will determine the league champion. Nevertheless, Los Blancos will not make things easy, as are going through a disappointing season. Despite this, Kylian Mbappé will not be available, leaving serious doubts from a scoring standpoint. Kylian Mbappé has been left out of Real Madrid’s squad list. Even though he had supposedly passed the medical tests a few days ago, he has not managed to fully recover from his torn muscle fiber, causing him to miss El Clásico. In addition to this, the French forward left the team’s latest training session in the final five minutes after feeling discomfort, leaving everyone surprised, reveals Diario Marca. Given the Frenchman’s absence, Real Madrid‘s Álvaro Arbeloa could stick with the same approach he used against Espanyol, betting on Brahim Díaz and Jude Bellingham in the attack. Complementing the offense, Vinicius Jr. would occupy the left side of midfield, controlling the entire flank and looking to create space in Barcelona’s defense. While this approach has already worked in previous matches, the absence of Kylian Mbappé’s scoring power could prove quite decisive. Without Mbappé’s presence, Vinicius Jr. could once again have complete freedom of movement, recalling his best periods with Los Blancos before the Frenchman arrived at the club. In addition, he has proven to be key to the team’s collective play, meaning he could not only make an impact from a scoring standpoint again, but also elevate Brahim, Bellingham, or even Gonzalo García if he comes on as a substitute during the LaLiga match. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid. Real Madrid face seven additional absentees vs Barcelona Real Madrid have not had their best season, being eliminated from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League and sitting in second place, 11 points behind Barcelona. Along with the limited impact of head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, Los Blancos have suffered a significant wave of injuries that has prevented them from performing at their best. Far from improving toward the end of the season, they still maintain eight major absences for El Clásico. Arbeloa will not be able to count on Arda Güler, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, Éder Militão, Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy. Because of this, they will be forced to make major changes to their squad, losing most of their key figures across every area of the pitch. Nevertheless, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham’s presence could prove decisive to chase a victory today, as they have already shown to be crucial from an offensive standpoint.
Alvaro Arbeloa defended Kylian Mbappé after a video of him laughing amid Real Madrid scandal. Real Madrid did not have a normal training week before Sunday’s El Clásico against Barcelona. The Federico Valverde incident with Aurélien Tchouaméni drew most of the attention, but that same day Kylian Mbappé was seen leaving the training ground laughing, and Álvaro Arbeloa defended him. Arbeloa said: “For a player to leave the training ground laughing is taking things out of context and putting them out of place. We all know the effort he made to come to Real Madrid and what he gave up. We all saw him wearing the shirt as a kid.” The issue came up after a video posted by El Chiringuito last Thursday, the same day Valverde went to the hospital for stitches after the scandal. While it may not be a major mistake, it is not helpful for a player like Mbappé, who is already under scrutiny, to do something like that, especially after the kind of year the club had last season. 🚨 IMAGEN @elchiringuitotv 🚨🤣 MBAPPÉ ABANDONA VALDEBEBAS 'PARTIÉNDOSE de RISA'.🇫🇷 El francés ha completado hoy parte del entrenamiento con el grupo. pic.twitter.com/nVcMLKiX1d— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 7, 2026 Arbeloa’s authority under scrutiny The main takeaway from the incident was not only whether the dressing room is united after a bad year. The clash between the midfielders was not the only issue, since they had already argued the day before. If a manager wants to be at a club this big, he has to be able to deal with players who have major egos because of their status, which is something Arbeloa could not do after a repeated incident, and also when Mbappé took a short trip while injured. Arbeloa said about Mbappé’s arrival in Spain when his teammates were about to play against Espanyol: “I feel with the complete authority of a Real Madrid manager. In the end, they are respecting their current manager and as a player that is the most important thing.” Arbeloa dismisses players having too much power Dressing room conflicts are the players’ responsibility, but the manager has to be a leader so they do not affect the team. Real Madrid have not played since the incident, but it brought back the topic of how much power players may have, which was also a talking point after Xabi Alonso’s dismissal. Arbeloa said: “I don’t know what that means. When a Real Madrid player does not play, it is because of a sporting decision. I choose the one I think deserves it most. Fans can be calm with this dressing room and these players. These are difficult situations, but there is nobody more ready to improve this than the president of our club.”
Akor Adams snatched Sevilla a late 2-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday to increase their chances of avoiding relegation.On Sunday, La Liga leaders Barcelona can wrap up back-to-back Spanish titles if they avoid defeat against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Clasico at Camp Nou. rbs/ea
Despite Real Madrid’s recent negative numbers with Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised the French forward. Real Madrid are heading into Sunday’s El Clasico amid a crisis fueled not only by poor results, but also by internal conflicts. In that context, even Kylian Mbappe’s role has come under scrutiny, something Barcelona coach Hansi Flick dismissed. “He’s one of the best players in the world, come on,” Flick responded during Saturday’s press conference when asked by a reporter whether Real Madrid currently play better without Mbappe. “On the pitch, he has unbelievable quality.” The Barcelona coach then highlighted the French forward’s strengths: “In every situation, he’s very dangerous. In the box, he’s unbelievable. In front of the goal, he’s for me, for his quality, at the moment the best one.” The narrative surrounding the supposed “burden” Mbappe represents for Real Madrid has gained traction in recent weeks, as the team started posting better results in matches in which he was unable to be part of the starting lineup due to physical issues. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring against Bayern Munich. In the last six matches in which Real Madrid had Mbappe in the starting lineup, they managed to win only once, while with him absent or coming off the bench, Los Blancos won seven of their last eight matches. Will Mbappe start in El Clasico against Barcelona? Kylian Mbappe missed Real Madrid’s last La Liga match — a 2-0 victory against Espanyol last Sunday — due to a muscle injury. That naturally cast doubt over his availability for El Clasico against Barcelona, with only seven days to recover his best physical condition. However, the forward’s progress throughout the week was positive. Little by little, he rejoined training alongside the rest of his teammates, and on Saturday he took part in the session normally. That gives him a strong chance of being in the starting lineup at Camp Nou. Mbappe’s record in El Clasico Since arriving at Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, Kylian Mbappe has faced Barcelona six times, with an overwhelmingly negative record: five defeats and one victory. That statistic becomes even more striking considering that three of those five losses came in finals. On an individual level, however, Mbappe has lived up to expectations. In those six matches against Barcelona, the French forward scored six goals, including a hat trick in the 4-3 defeat during the 2024-25 La Liga season.
Real Madrid icon Guti defended Kylian Mbappé amid private life discussions. It was an unusual week for Real Madrid as they prepare for Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona. The scandal involving Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni drew most of the attention, but Kylian Mbappe was already on the fans’ radar before that. For club icon Guti, his personal life is not an issue, as he said on Radio Marca. Guti said when asked about the French forward: “What I care about is that Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Carreras, Lunin do things well on the field. Outside of that, I don’t care what they do. It’s their personal life and each person does what they want with their time off. When they are on the field and they are not doing things correctly, let’s criticize them. But when they are out of it, let’s leave them alone.” These comments came after the controversy surrounding Mbappe’s arrival in Spain at almost the same time his teammates were about to kick off the match against Espanyol, a game that could have decided La Liga. His recent trips with his reported girlfriend angered some supporters, especially as he has been dealing with an injury. Guti would like Vitinha at Real Madrid While he was not as famous as some of his teammates during the Galácticos era, Guti was always a respected figure in the dressing room. Coming through the club’s youth system gave him a connection to Real Madrid that others did not have. Guti was a talented midfielder (Denis Doyle/Getty Images) His style of play also fit what the club likes to see in its players, as the midfielder had a flair with his left foot that few could match. That makes him a natural person to weigh in on who the best midfielder for Real Madrid might be right now. Guti said: “In Spain, Pedri is above everybody. If it’s around the world, I think there are other players at his level like Vitinha. He’s a great player. He’s one of the most complete players in the world. Arda Guler is going to grow too. Vitinha at Real Madrid wouldn’t be bad. Great players should be there, he’s the best at his position.” Guti’s record with Real Madrid Guti played almost his entire career at Real Madrid. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, but he still managed to contribute to the club from 1995 to 2010. He played 542 matches and scored 77 goals while winning 15 titles. His final year as a player was with Besiktas before he retired in 2011.
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Sevilla safe despite defeat against Real MadridTiny Elversberg seal first promotion to BundesligaRoma took a huge step towards returning to the Champions League by beating Lazio 2-0 in a feisty derby which finished with both teams down to 10 men, while Napoli won 3-0 at Pisa to secure a top-four spot.Gianluca Mancini smashed home two headers from corners, one in each half, at the Stadio Olimpico to move Roma up to fourth thanks also to Juventus’s shock 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina. Continue reading...
Kylian Mbappé described his reaction after the Real Madrid scandal between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. More issues seem to arise every day for Real Madrid fans. On a day that should have been about the win over Real Oviedo, the focus shifted to Kylian Mbappé’s press conference. Among the topics was his laugh when leaving the training ground after the Federico Valverde incident with Aurelien Tchouameni. Mbappé said: “I was not there. I was not there when it happened. I cannot confirm whether anything happened or not because I was not there. I left the Ciudad Deportiva without knowing what happened because I was injured. I was not training with the team.” This was a topic that drew attention last week, as El Chiringuito published a video of Mbappé leaving in a car, laughing in the middle of a scandal. While his injury was real, it may also suggest that he is somewhat disconnected from the team. 🚨 IMAGEN @elchiringuitotv 🚨🤣 MBAPPÉ ABANDONA VALDEBEBAS 'PARTIÉNDOSE de RISA'.🇫🇷 El francés ha completado hoy parte del entrenamiento con el grupo. pic.twitter.com/nVcMLKiX1d— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 7, 2026 Mbappé on his injury The forward is not known for recurring injuries throughout his career. If anything, he has played too many matches for his age. However, this season was different, as he had to deal with a few. Most notably during the most important stretch, when his team was in the Champions League, he was not able to be at 100 percent. The report at the time about his knee injury was that the club had examined the wrong knee, something the forward denied. Mbappé said: “Real Madrid never make mistakes. It is the best club in the world. It is hard when you have an injury. What hurts the most is people who think I did not want to play. At first, people said I was playing too much, that I wanted to play every match. That is the only thing that does not make sense.” Mbappé on his trip to Italy Before the many scandals that put Real Madrid in the news for reasons unrelated to matches, the forward was the first to be involved in one. As he was recovering from an injury, Mbappé traveled to Italy. The issue for fans was his commitment, because even though he was not going to play against Espanyol, he arrived in the country almost at kickoff time. Mbappé said when asked about his trip: “You do not know what I did in Italy. You do not know whether I was on vacation. That is your opinion. People do not know the context or whether it was authorized by the club, which it was. That sells newspapers and affects people. But the only thing that matters to me is winning titles, and we did not do that.”
A stoppage-time eruption and a crying Manolo González means the Catalan club’s long-awaited victory changes everythingAfter 143 days and many more sleepless nights Manolo González was liberated, if only for a little while. In the 92nd minute of the 19th game of 2026, something amazing happened: Espanyol won and Espanyol went wild. A goal up against Athletic Club, a late Gorka Guruzeta header had shaken them more than the post it hit, a familiar fatalism refusing to leave, and they were desperately hanging on to what they had now and had lost too many times before, whistling for this suffering to finally end, when at last they could let go. “You have to be strong in life but, bloody hell, we all have limits,” González said, and they had reached theirs but now, on a Wednesday evening in May, they were released.Ramon Terrats, a boyhood Espanyol, nodded the ball on. Kike García, the only member of the squad born in the 80s and a man with a bit of the 80s about him, a 36-year-old, 6ft 1in, 12-stone striker they call the “labourer of goals”, a sub who had only been out there six minutes, ran on to it. Keeping his head, he guided a shot past Unai Simón so everyone else could lose theirs. The clock said 91.06. The scoreboard said 2-0. The table said: 14th, 42 points, 11 wins. And 29,943 people said: argrhjrfujhkngsafkjhfskljdzrogjdgixjkgjhlkbxcfh. As for González, he broke down and cried. Continue reading...
Georgian opens the scoring as PSG beat rivals 2-0Inter victorious over Lazio in Coppa Italia finalParis Saint-Germain secured a fifth successive Ligue 1 title by beating their nearest challengers, Lens, 2-0 in their penultimate match of the league season on Wednesday.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored after 29 minutes and the substitute Ibrahim Mbaye grabbed a stoppage-time goal to put PSG on 76 points, out of the reach of Lens, who are assured of second place on 67 points. Continue reading...
This time it was Marcus Rashford who delivered the knockout blow. Three days after the fight between Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni that ended with Real Madrid’s vice-captain taken to hospital and the crisis at the club laid bare for all to see, they went to the Camp Nou and finally, definitively relinquished a league they had lost long ago. For the first time in 94 years a clásico decided the title, 62,000 fans starting the party as goals from the Englishman and Ferran Torres took Hansi Flick’s team over the line with three games to spare.If, that is, decided is the word. For Madrid, at least it is over now. They had avoided it ending last week by beating Espanyol, just across the city limits, sparing themselves from having to give their rivals a guard of honour before this game but they knew they could not avoid it for ever: their aspiration was limited to stopping Barcelona celebrating in their presence. But, like so much else this campaign, that was beyond them, and so a second successive season closes without a trophy, and on the worst possible stage. Continue reading...
Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in El Clásico, a crucial match that will determine the 2025-26 LaLiga champion. After a disappointing season, los Blancos are looking for a key victory to quell the criticism. However, Kylian Mbappé will not be playing, leaving a significant gap in the offense. Barcelona have managed to become as one of the best teams in the world, shining throughout the 2025–26 LaLiga season. With this in mind, they face Real Madrid in the highly anticipated El Clásico, in a clash that will determine the league champion. Nevertheless, Los Blancos will not make things easy, as are going through a disappointing season. Despite this, Kylian Mbappé will not be available, leaving serious doubts from a scoring standpoint. Kylian Mbappé has been left out of Real Madrid’s squad list. Even though he had supposedly passed the medical tests a few days ago, he has not managed to fully recover from his torn muscle fiber, causing him to miss El Clásico. In addition to this, the French forward left the team’s latest training session in the final five minutes after feeling discomfort, leaving everyone surprised, reveals Diario Marca. Given the Frenchman’s absence, Real Madrid‘s Álvaro Arbeloa could stick with the same approach he used against Espanyol, betting on Brahim Díaz and Jude Bellingham in the attack. Complementing the offense, Vinicius Jr. would occupy the left side of midfield, controlling the entire flank and looking to create space in Barcelona’s defense. While this approach has already worked in previous matches, the absence of Kylian Mbappé’s scoring power could prove quite decisive. Without Mbappé’s presence, Vinicius Jr. could once again have complete freedom of movement, recalling his best periods with Los Blancos before the Frenchman arrived at the club. In addition, he has proven to be key to the team’s collective play, meaning he could not only make an impact from a scoring standpoint again, but also elevate Brahim, Bellingham, or even Gonzalo García if he comes on as a substitute during the LaLiga match. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid. Real Madrid face seven additional absentees vs Barcelona Real Madrid have not had their best season, being eliminated from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League and sitting in second place, 11 points behind Barcelona. Along with the limited impact of head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, Los Blancos have suffered a significant wave of injuries that has prevented them from performing at their best. Far from improving toward the end of the season, they still maintain eight major absences for El Clásico. Arbeloa will not be able to count on Arda Güler, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, Éder Militão, Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy. Because of this, they will be forced to make major changes to their squad, losing most of their key figures across every area of the pitch. Nevertheless, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham’s presence could prove decisive to chase a victory today, as they have already shown to be crucial from an offensive standpoint.
Alvaro Arbeloa defended Kylian Mbappé after a video of him laughing amid Real Madrid scandal. Real Madrid did not have a normal training week before Sunday’s El Clásico against Barcelona. The Federico Valverde incident with Aurélien Tchouaméni drew most of the attention, but that same day Kylian Mbappé was seen leaving the training ground laughing, and Álvaro Arbeloa defended him. Arbeloa said: “For a player to leave the training ground laughing is taking things out of context and putting them out of place. We all know the effort he made to come to Real Madrid and what he gave up. We all saw him wearing the shirt as a kid.” The issue came up after a video posted by El Chiringuito last Thursday, the same day Valverde went to the hospital for stitches after the scandal. While it may not be a major mistake, it is not helpful for a player like Mbappé, who is already under scrutiny, to do something like that, especially after the kind of year the club had last season. 🚨 IMAGEN @elchiringuitotv 🚨🤣 MBAPPÉ ABANDONA VALDEBEBAS 'PARTIÉNDOSE de RISA'.🇫🇷 El francés ha completado hoy parte del entrenamiento con el grupo. pic.twitter.com/nVcMLKiX1d— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 7, 2026 Arbeloa’s authority under scrutiny The main takeaway from the incident was not only whether the dressing room is united after a bad year. The clash between the midfielders was not the only issue, since they had already argued the day before. If a manager wants to be at a club this big, he has to be able to deal with players who have major egos because of their status, which is something Arbeloa could not do after a repeated incident, and also when Mbappé took a short trip while injured. Arbeloa said about Mbappé’s arrival in Spain when his teammates were about to play against Espanyol: “I feel with the complete authority of a Real Madrid manager. In the end, they are respecting their current manager and as a player that is the most important thing.” Arbeloa dismisses players having too much power Dressing room conflicts are the players’ responsibility, but the manager has to be a leader so they do not affect the team. Real Madrid have not played since the incident, but it brought back the topic of how much power players may have, which was also a talking point after Xabi Alonso’s dismissal. Arbeloa said: “I don’t know what that means. When a Real Madrid player does not play, it is because of a sporting decision. I choose the one I think deserves it most. Fans can be calm with this dressing room and these players. These are difficult situations, but there is nobody more ready to improve this than the president of our club.”
Akor Adams snatched Sevilla a late 2-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday to increase their chances of avoiding relegation.On Sunday, La Liga leaders Barcelona can wrap up back-to-back Spanish titles if they avoid defeat against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Clasico at Camp Nou. rbs/ea
Despite Real Madrid’s recent negative numbers with Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised the French forward. Real Madrid are heading into Sunday’s El Clasico amid a crisis fueled not only by poor results, but also by internal conflicts. In that context, even Kylian Mbappe’s role has come under scrutiny, something Barcelona coach Hansi Flick dismissed. “He’s one of the best players in the world, come on,” Flick responded during Saturday’s press conference when asked by a reporter whether Real Madrid currently play better without Mbappe. “On the pitch, he has unbelievable quality.” The Barcelona coach then highlighted the French forward’s strengths: “In every situation, he’s very dangerous. In the box, he’s unbelievable. In front of the goal, he’s for me, for his quality, at the moment the best one.” The narrative surrounding the supposed “burden” Mbappe represents for Real Madrid has gained traction in recent weeks, as the team started posting better results in matches in which he was unable to be part of the starting lineup due to physical issues. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring against Bayern Munich. In the last six matches in which Real Madrid had Mbappe in the starting lineup, they managed to win only once, while with him absent or coming off the bench, Los Blancos won seven of their last eight matches. Will Mbappe start in El Clasico against Barcelona? Kylian Mbappe missed Real Madrid’s last La Liga match — a 2-0 victory against Espanyol last Sunday — due to a muscle injury. That naturally cast doubt over his availability for El Clasico against Barcelona, with only seven days to recover his best physical condition. However, the forward’s progress throughout the week was positive. Little by little, he rejoined training alongside the rest of his teammates, and on Saturday he took part in the session normally. That gives him a strong chance of being in the starting lineup at Camp Nou. Mbappe’s record in El Clasico Since arriving at Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, Kylian Mbappe has faced Barcelona six times, with an overwhelmingly negative record: five defeats and one victory. That statistic becomes even more striking considering that three of those five losses came in finals. On an individual level, however, Mbappe has lived up to expectations. In those six matches against Barcelona, the French forward scored six goals, including a hat trick in the 4-3 defeat during the 2024-25 La Liga season.
Real Madrid icon Guti defended Kylian Mbappé amid private life discussions. It was an unusual week for Real Madrid as they prepare for Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona. The scandal involving Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni drew most of the attention, but Kylian Mbappe was already on the fans’ radar before that. For club icon Guti, his personal life is not an issue, as he said on Radio Marca. Guti said when asked about the French forward: “What I care about is that Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Carreras, Lunin do things well on the field. Outside of that, I don’t care what they do. It’s their personal life and each person does what they want with their time off. When they are on the field and they are not doing things correctly, let’s criticize them. But when they are out of it, let’s leave them alone.” These comments came after the controversy surrounding Mbappe’s arrival in Spain at almost the same time his teammates were about to kick off the match against Espanyol, a game that could have decided La Liga. His recent trips with his reported girlfriend angered some supporters, especially as he has been dealing with an injury. Guti would like Vitinha at Real Madrid While he was not as famous as some of his teammates during the Galácticos era, Guti was always a respected figure in the dressing room. Coming through the club’s youth system gave him a connection to Real Madrid that others did not have. Guti was a talented midfielder (Denis Doyle/Getty Images) His style of play also fit what the club likes to see in its players, as the midfielder had a flair with his left foot that few could match. That makes him a natural person to weigh in on who the best midfielder for Real Madrid might be right now. Guti said: “In Spain, Pedri is above everybody. If it’s around the world, I think there are other players at his level like Vitinha. He’s a great player. He’s one of the most complete players in the world. Arda Guler is going to grow too. Vitinha at Real Madrid wouldn’t be bad. Great players should be there, he’s the best at his position.” Guti’s record with Real Madrid Guti played almost his entire career at Real Madrid. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, but he still managed to contribute to the club from 1995 to 2010. He played 542 matches and scored 77 goals while winning 15 titles. His final year as a player was with Besiktas before he retired in 2011.
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