Real Madrid closer to a 2023/2024 double; Transfer news roundup
The victory has sparked hope of another Champions League triumph as the Spanish team has always won the competition every time they defeated the reigning champions, such as in 1998 (Borussia Dortmund), 2000 (Man U), 2002 (Bayern Munich), 2014 (Bayern Munich) and 2022 (Chelsea).
Real Madrid traveled to Manchester for the UCL 2nd Leg level on scores (3-3) with City. It wasn’t the best of displays for Carlo Ancelotti’s team against a well-talented and determined Pep Gladiola’s Man City who dominated the lion's share of the game. Madrid played the game defending attacks rather than creating one, a phenomenon that hasn’t been witnessed from the Los Blancos side all season. Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 76th minute to cancel Rodrygo’s early goal. The Defending Champions' journey ended after they failed to seal the victory in the extra time. The penalty shoot-out went in favor of the Spanish team. Young goal-keeper Andriy Lunin stepped up twice to deny City duo - Bernardo Silver and Mateo Kovacic, allowing Antonio Rudiger to score the winning spot-kick for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid returns to Spain to face Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night. Winning the encounter would see Madrid eleven points clear of Xavi’s team at the top of the La Liga table. Losing to Barcelona however, will reduce their lead at the top of the table to five points with six more games till the end of the Spanish League this season. Both teams featured in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Real Madrid was successful while Barcelona exited the Champions League on Tuesday after falling short of their victory in Paris. Paris Saint-German beat Barcelona 4-1 on home soil to advance to the semi-finals, thanks to Ronald Araujo’s red card in the 29th minute.
Los Blancos has the highest goalscoring record in La Liga this season and are also the best defensively. They look forward to making a League double over their bitter rivals, having beaten the Catalians 2-1 at Camp Nou in October.
Despite rumors, Xavi still plans to step down as Barcelona’s head coach at the end of the season. Barca’s focus to rescue their already deteriorating season will be to reclaim the Spanish La Liga, a win against Real Madrid will be a huge step towards this goal. Xavi’s team has been unbeaten in the League since late January, winning eight games to beat Girona to second place. Barcelona also has the second away record in the Spanish League this season, winning 33 points from 15 games. Real Madrid, however, hasn’t lost a single match at the Santiago Bernabeu this season.
Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal are likely to be on the starting line-up against Barcelona after both players left the game against Manchester City with injury scares. No. 1 goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba remain unavailable for the Spanish giants due to injury problems. For Barcelona, Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen return from injury, while Balde and Gavi remain out of action this season.
Will Los Blancos Be Unstoppable in the 2024/2025 Season?
Real Madrid has been known to feature the world’s best footballers over the years, every footballer dreams of playing for the club for the opportunities that come with it. With the 2024/2025 season drawing even closer, buzz surrounds the potential signings and departures at the Santiago Bernabéu this summer. Here's a comprehensive overview of the latest transfer news surrounding the Spanish Galacticos.
Kylian Mbappe is yet to announce his move to Madrid, the French forward informed PSG of his decision to leave the club at the end of the season and is said to have a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. The delay could be due to his focus on leading PSG to a powerful end to the season, the French team is in line to claim yet another League 1 title and are in the Champions League semi-finals.
Should the transfer be finalized, Mbappe would be joined by 17-year-old Palmeiras star Endrick. The Brazilian midfielder has been turning heads with his dynamic playing style and incredible scoring ability. Los Blancos has already snatched Endrick for a reported 60 million late in 2022 and the youngster will move to Madrid upon turning 18 in 2025. He has already lived up to the hype scoring twice in his four appearances for the Brazilian senior team and helping Palmeiras claim another domestic title.
Mbappe’s arrival has been reported to threaten Rodrygo’s presence at the club with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool monitoring the player's situation to bid for his signature. There will be issues for playtime should the French international arrive at the club. The 23-year-old is considered nontransferable by the Spanish giants who set his release clause to a billion euros. Rodrygo has featured 42 times for Los Blancos this season, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s captain, Nacho Fernandez has decided to leave the club at the end of the season.
Real Madrid already boasts of a well-talented team. This season alone, only Bayern Leverkusen in Germany has passed the records held by the Spanish giants. Brazilian internationals, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo as well as Joselu and Brahim Diaz have been unstoppable in front of goal. Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Federico Valverde are pillars of the midfield. Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, and Nacho have been key to their impressive backline. The potential additions of Kylian Mbappé and Endrick would only enhance their challenges next season.
While nothing is certain until the transfer window opens, Real Madrid's pursuit of top-tier talent shows its intent to maintain its status as one of the World's elite clubs by winning trophies and featuring the World’s best players. With Mbappé and Endrick potentially joining the team, Los Blancos could emerge as an unstoppable force in the 2024/2025 season. However, only time will tell if these transfers come to fruition and if the players can adapt to each other's play styles and create something unique. Until then, we can only speculate and eagerly await the dawn of the new season in Madrid.
REAL MADRID’S FIXTURES TABLE
Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga - Friday 26th April, 20:00)
Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League - Tuesday 30th April, 20:00)
Real Madrid vs. Cadiz (Spanish La Liga - Saturday 4th May, 15:15)
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (UEFA Champions League - Wednesday 8th May - Agg: 0 - 0, 20:00)
Granada vs. Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga - Sunday 12th May, 16:00)
Real Madrid vs. Alaves (Spanish La Liga - Wednesday 15th May, 16:00)
Villarreal vs. Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga - Sunday 19th May, 16:00)
Real Madrid vs. Real Betis (Spanish La Liga - Sunday 26th May, 16:00)
Real Madrid vs. AC Milan (Friendly Match - Wednesday 31st July, 00:00)
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (Friendly Match - Saturday 3rd August, 00:00)
Real Madrid vs. Chelsea (Friendly Match - Tuesday 6th August, 00:00)
BUY AVAILABLE REAL MADRID TICKETS!
Real Madrid tickets are in high demand. Grab one for yourself and your partners before they are all gone. Official sites may be screaming “sold out” due to the extreme demand but secondary marketplaces are your best bet to get a place in the games you love. Compare prices, pick the best spot for your experience, and be Live to cheer Los Blancos to victory in Spain and across Europe.
Real Madrid will likely clinch the La Liga title for a record 36 times if they beat Barcelona on Sunday. They are also favorites to win the UEFA Champions League this season after beating Man City. Ensure you don't miss any drama, reserve tickets, and rally behind the well-motivated Real Madrid team on their incredible end of the 2023/24 season.