playHow would Trent fit in at Real Madrid with Alonso in charge (1:59)Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss how Trent Alexander-Arnold might fit in at Real Madrid if Xabi Alonso is named as Carlo Ancelotti's replacement The Premier League club confirmed on Monday that Alexander-Arnold had "informed Liverpool FC of his intention to leave the club this summer upon the expiry of his current contract," saying that he would "depart Anfield once his deal ceases on June 30 ESPN has reported that Madrid are "very optimistic" about signing the England international on a free transfer Talks with Alexander-Arnold's camp have been ongoing for months and only the final details are now lacking on a contract Madrid have reached a verbal agreement with Alexander-Arnold Madrid had been keen to bring in the right-back in January after their first choice in the position, Dani Carvajal, suffered a long-term knee injury in October. Liverpool were unwilling to consider a deal Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will leave Liverpool. GettySources told ESPN that the LaLiga giants would now like to negotiate an agreement with Liverpool -- for a reasonable fee -- to allow Alexander-Arnold to join them before his contract at Anfield is due to expire That would allow the defender to travel with Madrid to the United States to take part in the Club World Cup Madrid's group games will see them play Al Hilal in Miami The club view Alexander-Arnold's taking part in the tournament as the best way to integrate him into the team as soon as possible Liverpool won their 20th English league title -- and second Premier League crown -- last week "I've got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change a new challenge for me as a player and as a person," he said on Monday "And I think now is the right time for me to do that." paving the way for a free transfer to Real Madrid The 26-year-old confirmed the decision on his social media channels on Monday. He informed the Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, that he would not be signing a contract extension at the end of March but kept the news private to avoid distracting from the club’s successful pursuit of the Premier League title He is believed to have verbally agreed a five-year contract with Real Madrid that reports in Spain claim will be worth around £7.5m a year after tax Confirmation of Alexander-Arnold’s exit as a free agent is a major setback for Liverpool although the club believes it did everything within its power to convince the homegrown defender to stay He was offered a new contract at Anfield that would have made him the best paid full-back in the Premier League and one of the highest paid full-backs in the world the player’s desire for a fresh challenge usurped the financial and sporting package on offer at Liverpool Upheaval at the top of the club – from sporting directors leaving to having to find a successor to Jürgen Klopp last year – meant talks over a new deal for Alexander-Arnold did not commence formally until Slot was appointed in May 2024 Richard Hughes made the first approach to Alexander-Arnold’s representatives before officially starting as Liverpool’s new sporting director on 1 June last year but it became clear in March that the England international was set on a move to Spain and Liverpool would not be able to retain him as well as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both of whom recently signed new two-year contracts “After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season,” said Alexander-Arnold “This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this yet but it was always my intention to keep my full focus on the team’s best interests Trent Alexander-Arnold has made more than 350 appearances for Liverpool winning the Champions League and two Premier League titles Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA“This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever I have never known anything else and this decision is about experiencing a new challenge taking myself out of my comfort zone and pushing myself both professionally and personally “I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club and I hope you feel like I’ve given back to you during my time here the staff and our incredible supporters – for the last 20 years I’ve been blessed enough to live out my dreams here and I will never ever take for granted the special moments I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived through with you all Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool’s youth ranks at the age of six and made his first-team debut in a League Cup tie against Tottenham in October 2016 He has gone on to make 352 appearances for his boyhood club scoring 23 goals and winning the Champions League He has long been linked with a move to Real and the sense that he was destined to join the Spanish giants only strengthened after they made a £20m bid for the player on New Year’s Eve that was rejected immediately by Liverpool The club knew they risked losing an asset for nothing this summer but were determined not to undermine their chances of winning the Premier League title Liverpool could receive a compensation fee for Alexander-Arnold if he joins Real before his contract expires on 30 June Real are competing in the Club World Cup this summer and are entitled to register new players from 1-10 June it is unclear when Alexander-Arnold will complete his move to the Bernabéu “Alexander-Arnold will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success,” read a Liverpool statement The player will remain part of Slot’s squad for the final three games of the season and for the presentation of the Premier League trophy after the finale against Crystal Palace on 25 May Signalling cable taken from four locations delaying high-speed services between Madrid and Seville Spain’s transport minister has said the country’s rail network suffered “an act of serious sabotage” after vital signalling cable was stolen over the busy bank holiday weekend, bringing severe delays to high-speed services between Madrid and Seville that affected more than 10,000 travellers. Government sources said the problems on the line between the capital and the southern region of Andalucía had been caused by the theft of copper cable from five different locations in the Toledo area, south of Madrid, late on Sunday. They said that while the cables that had been targeted had little monetary value – being worth a total of around €300 (£256) – they were essential to the safety of the lines as they allow the system to know where trains are. “If those safety cables are taken, then the line is blind,” they added. “They’re optimal if you want to put the whole line out of service.” As the country’s state-owned rail operator, Renfe, and the railway infrastructure company, Adif, rushed to restore services, Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said: “We have suffered an act of serious sabotage on the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville”. He urged anyone with information to contact the police. In a radio interview on Monday morning, Puente said the network appeared to have been deliberately targeted. “This is a low-value theft,” he told Cadena Ser. “Whoever did it knew what they were doing because there were no cameras and the financial gain is absolutely negligible compared with the enormous damage.” The minister said he viewed the incident as “damage” rather than theft, adding that it involved 150 metres of cable. said he also felt the theft was suspicious “It’s strange and I’m sure the transport ministry and the police will be looking into this because it isn’t something we’ve seen up until now,” he toldRadio Nacional de España Asked if he shared Puente’s contention that it was a case of sabotage: “I do … The theft of signalling cable on which the safety infrastructure depends is sabotage even if it’s just simple theft because it’s an attack on the infrastructure itself.” The interior ministry said the Guardia Civil had opened an investigation adding that both that force and the Policía Nacional had long been in contact with Adif as part of a special plan for prevent the theft of copper from the rail network there were 4,433 thefts involving copper and conductive materials last year Renfe and Adif said the Madrid to Seville line was running again and hoped services would return to normal over the course of the day The severe delays came a week after Spain and neighbouring Portugal suffered an unprecedented and as yet unexplained power blackout prompting the opposition conservative People’s party (PP) to accuse the socialist-led government of incompetence “We’ve had two events in the past week that are more commonly seen in countries we wouldn’t want to resemble; countries where the government has forgotten about its citizens,” said PP sources said thousands of people had been stranded on trains overnight without water “This is the second Monday when we’ve had scenes that do not befit the fourth-largest eurozone economy,” he said “People don’t deserve to be paying more taxes for worse services Spain needs to function again and that’s my aim.” “Blaming renewable as a [reason for the blackout] seems irresponsible and simplistic to me,” said Aagesen “Irresponsible because we’re talking about a resource that has been part of our energetic mix for a long time we’ve had very similar power generation on many previous days with lots of renewables and even with lower demand – and the system has worked perfectly.” Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could look to force a move away from the 15-time Champions League winners, MARCA state unless they change their style of play to accomodate his strengths The Brazilian will only have his mind changed if Carlo Ancelotti departs the club and is replaced by current Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso Manchester City have shifted their focus away from Barcelona winger Raphinha in favour of pursuing Rodrygo, El Nacional report Pep Guardiola's side would be willing to pay up to $113m (€100m/£85.3m) to get a deal done for the 24-year-old Atletico Madrid are 'considering going all out' for Manchester United winger Antony, who is on loan at Real Betis, Fichajes report The Brazilian has enjoyed his time in Spain finding form in La Liga and in the Conference League and could command a fee in the region of $56m (€50m/£42.6m) Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is currently on loan at Bournemouth from Chelsea, is being tracked by former club Real Madrid, Mundo Deportivo report The Spaniard previously spent time at the Santiago Bernabeu on loan before heading back to England but could return if Andriy Lunin leaves the Spanish capital this summer Real Madrid are tracking the development of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, GIVEMESPORT state The teenage midfielder has emerged as a key player for Ange Postecoglou's Europa League semifinalists and recently signed a new contract until 2031 Barcelona have told Paris Saint-Germain they will not entertain selling Jules Kounde this summer, according to El Nacional has been continuously linked with a move away owing to the Catalans' well-documented financial problems but sporting director Deco considers him a key part of Hansi Flick's squad Champions League semifinalists Inter hold an interest in two Real Madrid players, Mundo Deportivo report: deep-lying playmaker Dani Ceballos and attacking sensation Arda Guler Barcelona manager Hansi Flick does not want the club to re-sign Neymar this summer, Fichajes report with the German instead keen to recruit young players with long-term potential Manchester United and Liverpool will need to stump up around £80m ($106m) to prise Adam Wharton away from the clutches of Crystal Palace, TEAMtalk report The 21-year-old has earned rave reviews for his performances in south London helping the Eagles reach this season's FA Cup final Liverpool hold a strong interest in VfB Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller and would be willing to pay £60m ($68m/£50.9m) to get a deal done, Fichajes state The 24-year-old is also on the radar of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich Arsenal are one of a number of clubs tracking Celtic forward Daizen Maeda, TBR Football report The 27-year-old has scored 33 goals across all competitions during the 2024/25 season and is also attracting interest from Liverpool Any deal may cost in excess of £25m ($33m) Chelsea have lined Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins up as an alternative to Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Football Transfers state Watkins attracted interest from Arsenal in the January transfer window and a deal could be struck for around £60m Crystal Palace could spark a bidding war for Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, The Sun report as they look to cash-in on the pair in order to strengthen Oliver Glasner's rapidly improving squad AC Milan are interested in taking Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori back to Italy, according to Milan Live though any sale would require the Gunners to recoup the £30m ($39.8m/€35m) they paid Bologna a year ago TOBY CUDWORTHToby Cudworth is Lead Editor for Sports Illustrated Soccer. A Premier League, EFL & UEFA accredited journalist, Toby supports West Ham United and still can't believe they won a European trophy. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER playCan Man City clinch second from Arsenal in the Premier League (1:40)Don Hutchison questions whether Manchester City can catch second-place Arsenal in the Premier League with only three points separating the teams Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men's January grades | Women's January grades with 18 goals and six assists from 35 appearances Capable of playing on either flank or through the middle Mbeumo could suit Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 formation nicely and could move to a bigger club as he approaches his 26th birthday in August Rogers has been in impressive form for the Villans this season having scored 14 goals as well as assisting 10 in 51 matches across all competitions ESPN's Alex Kirkland on growing speculation around the future of forward Rodrygo Rodrygo's future at Real Madrid is in doubt -- but for very different reasons the presumption was that Kylian Mbappé's arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu meant a likely departure for the Brazil forward Mbappé would replace Rodrygo in Carlo Ancelotti's front two -- alongside Vinicius Junior -- and the Brazilian would leave Ancelotti insisting on maintaining his "fantastic four" frontline despite the resulting imbalance between attack and defence Rodrygo has made 30 appearances in Madrid's 33 LaLiga games He can't complain about a lack of opportunities -- he just hasn't made the most of them he's scored one goal in the last three months including in Madrid's Champions League elimination to Arsenal and the Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona when he was hauled off for Mbappé at half-time has led go a growing feeling that Rodrygo might leave at the end of this season Some journalists who are close to the club although a source close to the player has denied to ESPN that Rodrygo is considering pushing for a move there's a good chance he'd thrive in the right environment it means Mbappé and Vinicius -- who's expected to sign a new deal -- could play as a front two Endrick would be the first-choice alternative in attack with Brahim Diaz as a different kind of option Madrid could use the funds raised by Rodrygo's exit to spend elsewhere in the team where it's badly needed: in midfield and defence play1:38Ogden questions if leaving Liverpool is a good move for Alexander-ArnoldMark Ogden wonders if Trent Alexander-Arnold's best chance of success on the pitch is at Liverpool rather than a likely switch to Real Madrid - Manchester United are confident they can land Atalanta midfielder Ederson in the summer if they win the UEFA Europa League and seal progress to next season's Champions League. (GMS) - Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo has extended his contract until after the Club World Cup. The 31-year-old's terms had ended on June 30, but he's penned a short extension so he can play in the tournament. (Marca) - Flamengo right-back Wesley has Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona on his trail, but the Brazilian club want at least €35m for his transfer. (Caught Offside) - Morgan Gibbs-White is open to leaving Nottingham Forest if they miss out on Champions League qualification, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle are all monitoring the situation. But Forest would want a fee of around £100m to let the midfielder go. (Bleacher Report) - Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has impressed Manchester United and could make a £70m move north. The former Bristol City star has enjoyed a strong season for the Cherries, with nine goals and five assists in the Premier League. (Football Insider) - Paris Saint-Germain could make a move to sign Bournemouth centre-back Ilya Zabarnyi, 22, or Club Brugge's Joel Ordoñez, in the summer. (Sky Sport Switzerland) - Arsenal are interested in bringing Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané back to the Premier League when his contract expires in the summer. The former Manchester City forward has switched agents amid talks over a new contract, casting doubt over whether new terms will be agreed. (Florian Plettenberg) - Marseille centre-back Leonardo Balerdi, 26, is one of Leeds United's top targets for their return to the Premier League next season. (Sun) - Ipswich striker Liam Delap, 22, has long been linked with a £30m move in the summer but Everton could rival Manchester United for his signature. (TEAMtalk) - Fiorentina are reported to have signed Union Berlin defender Robin Gosens for his clause of €7m. (Nicolo Schira) - Ajax and Feyenoord are among the clubs monitoring Crystal Palace U21 midfielder Hindolo Mustapha for both loan and permanent deals. (Fabrizio Romano) - Atletico Madrid are closing on the €60m signing of Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero. (Nicolo Schira) - If Madrid do hire Alonso then they might move for Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapié, who has a €60m release clause but Madrid are confident they could land the Ecuador international for around €40m. (Relevo) - Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping tabs on Villarreal and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé following a recent return to form. (Foot Mercato) - Brentford are leading the race to sign €20m-rated Genoa and Denmark international midfielder Morten Frendrup. AC Milan are also interested, and they are preparing to make a final decision over whether to challenge for his signature. (Calciomercato) - Chelsea remain intent on parting ways with forward Christopher Nkunku in the summer. He was linked with Bayern Munich in January. (Fabrizio Romano) - Talks over a free transfer are set to commence between Marseille and the representatives of Lille midfielder Angel Gomes when his contract expires in June. (L'Equipe) - Flamengo have begun talks over a move to sign on-loan AC Milan forward João Félix when he returns to Chelsea in the summer. (SBT Rio's Vene Casagrande) - Negotiations over a new contract between Lazio and attacking midfielder Pedro are set to continue in the next few days, with the Serie A club looking to sign him to a new one-year contract extension. (Nicolo Schira) - Atletico Madrid are planning to activate the €3m clause to sign defender Santiago Mouriño back from Deportivo Alaves. (Mundo Deportivo) - Defender Lisandro Magallán is set to leave Liga MX side Pumas at the end of the season. (Super Deportivo) whose future at Los Blancos seems to be getting less and less likely by the day.  But why would Rodrygo be looking to depart Madrid so soon after so much success with the club and which clubs would be tempted to make a move for the winger if he were to become available in the transfer market in the summer Rodrygo’s impressive return simply pales in comparison to Madrid’s bigger stars And that has led to many speculating over his future at the club.  “Rodrygo is being heavily criticized in Spain and is likely to be sold,” noted Iván Turmo when asked about the recent reports surrounding the Brazilian star “Real Madrid needs to reinforce other positions and the money from his sale could be used for that.” When asked about Rodrygo’s form and continued presence in Ancelotti’s starting XI Turmo added: “Fans have been demanding changes in the line-up and lately The tactical mistake was to sign Mbappé when you already had the best left winger in the world Rodrygo is being criticised because he hasn't scored in a while his eternal presence alone is the supposed problem.” Ancelotti’s reluctance to drop Rodrygo and fully rebuild the squad around an Mbappé-Bellingham-Vinicius Jr attacking trio has led to many Madrid fans criticising the Italian manager’s supposed stubbornness and resentment has grown around Rodrygo’s continued role on the right wing “This stubbornness is going to cost the Italian his job in addition to the poor results in terms of titles,” noted Turmo “Ancelotti has always insisted on using Rodrygo because he is a very conservative coach He always plays with the same attacking trio despite the bad results “But financially it would be a good sale and his signing should already have been amortised Madrid desperately needs full-backs on both flanks and centre-backs although we'll see if they finally buy them or not.”  According to the Liverpool Echo, the Anfield club are long-time admirers of the Madrid star, with Fenway Sports Group CEO, Michael Edwards, still reportedly harbouring ambitions of signing the 24-year-old forward. Whether that would be a possibility for the Anfield club, following the decision to sign Mohamed Salah up to a new contract But for now the Premier League giants seem to be at the front of the queue if Madrid and Rodrygo are set to consider their options in the forthcoming transfer window.  Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid have reached an agreement over the terms of his departure The Athletic reported on April 27 Ancelotti was set to leave Madrid and take the Brazil head coach role on an initial one-year deal until the end of the 2026 World Cup Conversations have been ongoing with Madrid over the details of his exit which was largely dependent on reaching an agreement over his salary for the remaining year of his contract at the Bernabeu The 65-year-old signed an extension in December 2023 which runs until 2026 A verbal agreement is now in place and pending formalities an official announcement confirming Ancelotti’s exit is expected before the end of the league season That could come as soon as following Sunday’s Clasico with Barcelona Madrid must then decide who will lead the team at the Club World Cup with Xabi Alonso the leading external option and director of football Santiago Solari seen as better placed than Castilla’s Raul Gonzalez or Juvenil A’s Alvaro Arbeloa as an internal choice Ancelotti has been described by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) as “the president’s (Ednaldo Rodrigues’) dream” and he has been in talks with the CBF since March He had been expected to sign his contract with Brazil when he met with CBF representatives in London on April 28, but the move subsequently stalled It was necessary for Ancelotti to reach a definitive agreement with Madrid before he could sign with Brazil That is expected soon so he can be in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay The Italian had other options beyond Brazil and received concrete interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia while he could also have remained at Madrid in a non-coaching role as per the terms of his 2023 contract extension Bayer Leverkusen head coach Alonso is Madrid’s preferred choice to replace Ancelotti The five-time Champions League winner is set to succeed Dorival Junior at Brazil, who was dismissed in March after 14 months in charge Al Hilal’s Jorge Jesus has also been on the CBF’s head coach shortlist Ancelotti re-joined Madrid in 2021 and has won two La Liga titles and the Champions League on three occasions across two spells at the club He is the most decorated coach in club history with 15 titles and Madrid want his farewell to reflect that Madrid exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Arsenal lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona in extra time last month and trail Hansi Flick’s side by four points at the top of La Liga with four games remaining Barcelona host Madrid in the final Clasico of the season on Sunday playAncelotti: No comment on Real Madrid future until May 25th (2:10)Carlo Ancelotti refuses to talk about his future as Real Madrid manager until the end of the LaLiga season Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out discussing his Real Madrid future until the end of the LaLiga season saying his "affection" and "respect" for the club prevent him from saying any more ESPN reported on Thursday that the Brazilian Football Confederation, who are looking to hire Ancelotti as national team coach, are willing to wait for the Italian until the title race is decided with a crucial Clásico between Madrid and Barça coming up on May 11 respect," Ancelotti told a news conference on Saturday when asked if he could "clarify" his plans I don't have to talk now about what might happen on May 25." Ancelotti has a contract at Madrid until June 2026 but is expected to depart at the end of this season after a disappointing campaign However, ESPN has reported that there is currently no consensus over the manner of his departure from the club, with whether he is fired, or leaves voluntarily to take the Brazil job Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid reign looks likely to come to an end at the end of the season. Denis Doyle/Getty Images"I understand that you [the media] want to talk about my future but I don't it's a lack of communication between us," Ancelotti said on Saturday there would be no falling out with the club I haven't had one in six years and I never will I won't allow myself to have a fight with my club on the last day Ancelotti denied that he's been upset with media reports linking Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso as his possible successor as well as an interim role for director of football Santi Solari for this summer's Club World Cup "I have a great relationship with the club and Ruud had his first-ever ATP 1,000 title 6-4 to crown a week in which the tennis fire he said he had been missing truly returned as much as it ever does for one of the coolest players on the ATP Tour Ruud turned the Madrid Open back into a clay-court tournament just as Draper looked set to win it by disregarding what was under foot entirely absorbing the British player’s barrage of incendiary groundstrokes and spreading him across every corner of the Caja Mágica’s red dirt “Jack had been playing unbelievable all year … I knew if I didn’t bring my AA-plus game I would be whooped around the court,” Ruud said when it was over but played two low-energy service games to first give Ruud a lifeline and then to concede the set Draper fumed at himself during the set break astounded by his flatness at a crucial time — as he had every right to be after sweeping all before him in previous rounds The Brit won most of his matches at the event using intelligently destructive tennis Madrid’s elevation makes it more hospitable to aggression than other clay-court events on the circuit and Draper used that — and the extra bounce the altitude gives his high-revolution forehand — to keep his opponents on their heels was able to minimize Draper’s ability to play hard-court tennis on brick dust except for the latter part of the second set withstanding Draper’s attempts to rush his backhand and profiting from attacking the Brit’s forehand when he could take the initiative Both men escaped tight service games at the top of the third set before Ruud secured the decisive break for a 4-2 lead easing through the last few games until he had his arms aloft in celebration of the biggest title of his career while Draper still achieves a career-high ranking of No Don’t expect Ruud to change his cruising altitude for anything (Photo: Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images) MADRID -- Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 title after beating Jack Draper 7-5 The former second-ranked Ruud rallied from 5-3 down in the first set and sealed the victory after capitalizing on his lone break at 2-2 in the third The 26-year-old Ruud yelled and thrust both arms into the air after clinching the win on his first match point on the Caja Mágica clay court The 15th-ranked Ruud will return to the top 10 thanks to his campaign in Madrid The 13-time tour champion is the first Norwegian to lift a Masters 1000 trophy since the series was introduced in 1990, according to the ATP. It was Ruud's third such final after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo last year and to Carlo Alcaraz in Miami in 2022 he secured a top-five debut in the rankings The tournament in Madrid was disrupted early last week because of a major blackout that brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill on Monday prompting the postponement of 22 matches in total Ruud had needed to take a couple of painkillers during his semifinal win over Francisco Cerundolo after feeling a rib ailment during his warmup but there were no signs of any injury on Sunday who like Ruud had not lost a set on his way to the final served for the first set at 5-4 but couldn't finish it The 23-year-old British player was visibly upset and kept talking to himself and to his staff for a while during the changeover The men's side of the draw lost most of its top players early. Home-crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury, and Novak Djokovic lost to Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in the women's final on Saturday Super League patron Florentino Pérez sets the tone with his destructive acts of pettiness And to think this is a club that used to pride itself on its sense of its señorio, its gentlemanliness, to the extent that in Steve McManaman’s day players were given a code of conduct; the familiar line used to be whingeing about referees was for the cry-babies of Barcelona as it does with all referees before every game highlighted past decisions De Burgos Bengoetxea had made against them reducing him to tears in his pre-match media appearances players do occasionally lose the run of themselves even if not quite as shamefully as Rüdiger did Far more toxic are those destructive acts of pettiness instituted at executive level not least because they create an environment in which players and fans conditioned to believe they are being persecuted a 78-year-old watching the world changing around him It is an ancient theme but this is a very modern story of populism and propaganda of the failure of traditional journalism and the rise of social media of hyper-partisanship and self-interested power destroying a culture It was startling during the Super League fiasco to see how Pérez’s nonsense would be faithfully reported by a complaisant local media even as the rest of the world saw delusion But even Marca and AS are not so wholeheartedly supportive any more with the reliably madridista AS editor Alfredo Relaño writing a column for El País last week in which he criticised Pérez for not pursuing Barcelona harder for having José María Enríquez Negreira the then vice-president of the referees technical committee it is possible to imagine Madrid making more of Barcelona’s shambolic financial situation the questionable audits and the reluctance of Uefa to take action against them because they are the only club left backing his doomed Super League project Lose Joan Laporta and Pérez would be completely alone He has messed up another great side: just as the team that had won two Champions Leagues in the early 2000s was undermined by the sale of Claude Makélélé so the team that won the league and Champions League last season has been undone by the failure to replace Toni Kroos and by the addition of Kylian Mbappé a third left-sided forward who wants to cut in and struggles to perform defensive duties The renovated Bernabéu may look impressively futuristic VIP boxes have not been built and concerts cannot be staged there after protests from neighbours; two of the income streams that could have helped pay off the debt have been severely compromised Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Madrid knew what Mourinho would do; they appointed him with their eyes open. Perhaps his example broke down some barriers and made it easier for the club once again to embrace self-interested petulance, but he was brought in by Pérez because Madrid were losing; he did not infect them. And now Madrid are losing again, Pérez has once again started lashing out at enemies, some real, but most imagined, most useful fictions to explain away the club’s decline. Add in the baleful influence of social media, and the modern tendency for people to pick a side and support them no matter what, and the result is a tribalism so toxic that it renders football effectively ungovernable and potentially, given the absurd pressures on referees, unplayable. One of the reasons the Victorians saw sport as having an educational role was that it taught equanimity in defeat. Not to know how to lose is childish, yet it is a lesson a septuagenarian in Madrid has seemingly still not learned. Celta Vigo are seventh and eyeing a European spot Thanks for joining us as Real Madrid hold on to beat Celta Vigo El Clasico will be incredibly interesting next weekend with Barcelona having the chance to wrap up the La Liga title They do have the small matter of a Champions League semi-final to play against Inter Milan before that while Real Madrid can rest and get ready for a huge match you can read all about it by clicking the 'report' tab at the top of this page 33Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReal Madrid close the gap at the toppublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 4 May15:02 BST 4 MayFT: Real Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Real Madrid move four points behind leaders Barcelona El Clasico next Sunday will be very tasty indeed 283Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 4 May14:58 BST 4 MayFT: Real Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Kylian Mbappe is named Man of the Match after another great performance He has scored 24 goals in La Liga this season and is now one behind top scorer Robert Lewandowski 189Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIMEpublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 4 May14:54 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Real Madrid hold on to move four points behind leaders Barcelona 2818Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 4 May14:52 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Kylian Mbappe misses out on his hat-trick as he thumps the ball over the crossbar A lack of composure from the France captain 169Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 4 May14:51 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Hugo Alvarez has a low shot towards goal but it goes wide of the post 91Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 4 May14:51 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Celta Vigo have the ball with Real Madrid forced to defend as they look to see out the win 91Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:50 British Summer Time 4 May14:50 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo There will be five minutes of stoppage time to play 107Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 4 May14:48 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Federico Valverde plays the ball into the feet of Brahim Diaz who turns and shoots but it's an easy save for Vicente Guaita 63Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 4 May14:47 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Iago Aspas goes for goal this time but his curling effort is well saved by Thibaut Courtois Less than five minutes to play and Celta Vigo are pushing for the equaliser 133Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 4 May14:46 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Vinicius Junior is stopped in his tracks as he tries to get a shot away Jude Bellingham then fires an effort over the crossbar as the hosts try to take control of this game once again 110Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSUBSTITUTIONpublished at 14:42 British Summer Time 4 May14:42 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo 78Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:42 British Summer Time 4 May14:42 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Jude Bellingham clips a ball into the path of Luka Modric but it is booted clear before it can reach the Real Madrid captain 42Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:39 British Summer Time 4 May14:39 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo hard shot looks to be squirming under Thibaut Courtois but he recover in time to get up and catch it before it goes into the net 206Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:38 British Summer Time 4 May14:38 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo Two Celta Vigo goals in seven minutes has made things very edgy 202Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGOAL - Real Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigopublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 4 May14:35 BST 4 MayWilliot Swedberg (76 mins) Iago Aspas has been on the pitch for a minute but he doesn't take long to warm up as he lifts a ball into the path of fellow substitute Williot Swedberg who slots into the bottom corner 6815Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSUBSTITUTIONpublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 4 May14:34 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo Iago Aspas comes on for Hugo Sotelo in another attacking alteration for Celta Vigo 42Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSUBSTITUTIONpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 4 May14:33 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo 32Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 4 May14:33 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo Vinicius Junior fires a shot into the side netting 33Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 4 May14:32 BST 4 MayReal Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo Jude Bellingham whips a cross into the box but none of his Real Madrid team-mates can get on the end of it and Yoel Lago clears the danger 31Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingprevious pagePage 1 of 212next pageImage source Real Madrid claimed their fourth La Liga win in a row Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid held off a spirited Celta Vigo fightback to move back to within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona before El Clasico next weekend Carlo Ancelotti's side took the lead in the 33rd minute when a short corner was worked to Arda Guler whose curling shot found the top corner via a slight deflection Mbappe doubled the advantage six minutes later with a thumping finish high past Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita at the end of a swift Madrid counter The France striker got his second three minutes into the second half as he ran on to Guler's excellent through ball to slot left-footed into the bottom corner But the visitors kept going and Javi Rodriguez pulled one back with a little over 20 minutes remaining with a close-range finish after Madrid failed to clear a corner What had looked like being a comfortable win suddenly became very tense when Celta legend Iago Aspas' pass matched his brilliant vision to set-up fellow substitute Williot Swedberg to make it 3-2 on 76 minutes Pablo Duran so nearly equalised two minutes later after being sent clear by another wonderful bit of skill from Aspas but home goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was able to recover after the initial shot squirmed under his body With the away side pushing for an equaliser there were chances at both ends in a frenetic finale but Los Blancos stood firm to claim a crucial three points Victory means defending champions Madrid head to Barcelona next Sunday knowing a fifth straight league win would leave them just a point behind their fierce rivals with three games remaining Celta stay seventh as they continue to fight for a European place After the opportunity to rate players has closed the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made substituted for Jacobo Ramón at 67 minutesNumber 14 substituted for Brahim Díaz at 83 minutesNumber 9 substituted for Iago Aspas at 75 minutesNumber 8 substituted for Hugo Álvarez at 54 minutesNumber 12 substituted for Pablo Durán at 65 minutesSubstitutesNumber 10 Hugo Álvarez Match OfficialsReferee: Jesús Gil ManzanoVideo Assistant Referee: Francisco José Hernández MaesoAssistant Referee 1: Ángel Nevado RodríguezAssistant Referee 2: Javier Carlos Martínez NicolásFourth Official: Víctor Pérez PerazaAssistant VAR Official: Alfredo Rodríguez MorenoMatch StatsKey Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Barcelona and Real Madrid are pulling away from Atlético Madrid in the La Liga title race Atlético Madrid saw themselves fall out of the title race Diego Simeone's men have dropped points in five of their last eight league matches most recently against Alavés in a goalless draw Here's how the remaining four league games of the La Liga title contenders look like Then, Barcelona are headed to RCDE Stadium to take on Espanyol. Although Manolo González's men managed to defeat Real Madrid back in February they have not walked away with a victory against Barcelona in over seven years Villarreal should also give Hansi Flick's squad little problems considering they conceded five goals the last time they faced Barcelona the biggest test remaining for Barcelona are Athletic Bilbao Los Leones have the attacking firepower to give the Catalans' depleted backline some trouble but the match might not matter in the end; after all it is highly possible Barcelona will have already won La Liga ahead of the final matchday Real Madrid are keeping the pressure on Barcelona in the La Liga title race. / IMAGO/Guillermo MartinezDespite their stumbles in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey Real Madrid have won their last four La Liga matches to keep the pressure on Barcelona atop the table Los Blancos must continue their winning streak and take home all three points in El Clásico Real Madrid will like their odds against their remaining three opponents Not only did Los Blancos previously defeat Mallorca 3–0 in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals in January but they also put four goals past Sevilla the month prior have just one victory over Real Madrid across all competitions in the last five years if Real Madrid cannot defeat Barcelona on May 11 then their final three matches will likely not matter in the grand scheme of the La Liga title race Julián Alvarez's impressive debut La Liga campaign might not be enough to help Atlético Madrid top the league / IMAGO/Maciej RogowskiAtlético Madrid's La Liga title hopes have vanished over the last two months Even if Simeone's men win their remaining four matches they have virtually no chance at winning La Liga if Barcelona record even a point against Real Madrid next week Atlético Madrid are mathematically eliminated from the title race Los Colchoneros will still want to put together a strong end to the season ahead of this summer's FIFA Club World Cup Atlético Madrid will need better performances from Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann if they want to make it past Real Sociedad and Osasuna especially since the former held Simeone's men to a 1–1 draw earlier in the season Real Betis pose an even bigger threat to Atlético Madrid; after all both Barcelona and Real Madrid dropped points against Ernesto Valverde's squad in the last two months When Los Colchoneros make the trip to Girona a week later the end result will likely be nothing more than a consolation prize should they collect all three points on the final matchday of the season AMANDA LANGELLAmanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions. Another former youth product look set to make the move across town to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid Atletico Madrid has reached a verbal agreement with Miguel Gutiérrez with the Girona left-back open to making the controversial switch across the Spanish capital While Real Madrid holds a buy-back option on the 22-year-old the club has no intention of activating it this summer according to a report from Sergio Valentin of Libertad Digital and Radio MARCA the expectation is that Girona will handle the transfer directly with Real Madrid entitled to a percentage of the sale—believed to be around 50%—from any future deal who has developed into one of LaLiga’s most consistent left-backs at Girona was a product of La Fábrica and spent time in Madrid’s first team under Zidane and Ancelotti before his 2022 move Miguel has unqiue qualities from the left back position often seen as more of a playmaker rathen than a outright defender and has featured heavily as a left winger this season Madrid appears to be exploring other long-term options at the position Among those being considered are Ajax’s 18-year-old Jorrel Hato a versatile left-footed defender who can also play center back who left Real Madrid’s academy to join Manchester United as a teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-transfer move to Real Madrid from Liverpool has been confirmed – with all the details around the arrangement he will sign at the Bernabeu now coming to light – but with the Reds seemingly having managed one final act of revenge towards the Spaniards over what will ultimately prove an extremely hard-to-swallow departure The worst-kept secret in football is now 100% official after Alexander-Arnold confirmed on Monday morning that he has taken the difficult decision to leave his boyhood club this summer after 20 years on their books. And while he stopped short of confirming a move to Real Madrid would be next all associated with Liverpool and the watching world know exactly where he is heading The move to the Bernabeu will end one of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent memory The Spanish giants’ interest in signing the Reds’ vice-captain dates back a good three years with their plans to land him at the end of his deal in summer 2025 long since known to be their grand plan Real, of course, did try and do a deal earlier, seeing two offers for the 26-year-old rejected by Liverpool in the January window as Carlo Ancelotti’s side looked to compensate for the season-ending injury sustained by veteran defender Dani Carvajal – the man Alexander-Arnold is now expected to replace The Spanish giants have also made it clear they wanted to bring the player in before his deal at Anfield officially expires on July 1, having asked Liverpool what it would take to bring him to Bernabeu a month prior so he could feature in FIFA’s latest initiative the upcoming much-expanded and hugely-lucrative Liverpool will not let that happen and the move to take the 33-times capped England star will not go through until July Writing on The Athletic Ornstein stated: ‘Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent with sources in Spain – speaking anonymously to protect relationships – suggesting a proposed six-year agreement to join the Spanish side has now entered its final stages and is on course to be signed in the coming weeks.’ is expected to net the player a hefty £240,000 a week package while Real are also reported to have given the player a significant seven-figure bonus payment as a signing-on fee ⚪ Trent Alexander-Arnold done deal: The best free-agent signings Real Madrid have ever made ⚪ Alexander-Arnold done deal: The last 10 players Real Madrid convinced to leave their local team Confirmation of Alexander-Arnold’s exit now rather than after the season has concluded means the player will get the chance to bid farewell to the fans that have idolised him for several years in their final home game of the season And according to The Times’ Paul Joyce Alexander Arnold ‘wanted to clarify his plans now’ rather than ‘waiting until after the title parade on May 26’ as he ‘does not want to be viewed as a coward who sneaked out the back door’ Confirming his departure in a message on his X page Alexander-Arnold posted: “After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season “This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life “I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this… This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this… pic.twitter.com/emAw5RvXq0 — Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) May 5, 2025 I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here,” he told Liverpool’s official website I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change a new challenge for me as a player and as a person And I think now is the right time for me to do that.” “There’s a lot I would like to say,” he said of Liverpool fans You guys have been there from the start with me everything that you guys have done has never been unnoticed by me I hope they have felt that has been reciprocated and that I’ve given everything I could to the club “I’m just hoping that we’re able to carry on winning games the noise [around my decision] doesn’t take away from the fact of what we’ve achieved this season and I just hope that everyone is able to maybe not dwell on this news for too long and be able to celebrate what the rest of the lads have done.” While Alexander-Arnold is yet to comment on the reasons for joining Real Madrid, some detail into why the move was greenlit offered by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague back in March The player himself has also not hidden from his desire to win the game’s biggest prizes saying earlier this season: “The most important thing is trophies if I’m honest I’m a player who is highly motivated by winning things and being elite That’s probably the main factor of anything who wants to win and will do anything to win then that’s what drives them.” Alexander-Arnold has made 352 Liverpool appearances unlike Steve McManaman and Michael Owen before him the right-back can’t claim that he’s heading to the Spanish capital to satisfy a thirst for silverware given Liverpool’s form and recent Premier League title success since Arne Slot took over as manager ‘losing Alexander-Arnold isn’t a good look for Liverpool’s owners given that a £100m asset will be walking away for nothing’ Ornstein concludes: ‘At the age of 26 his best years remain ahead of him and the fact that they won’t be spent on the red side of Merseyside is a bitter pill to swallow’ By Samuel Bannister While Alexander-Arnold has amassed a respectable medal collection with Liverpool winning just about everything there is to win the sheer frequency of honours he could expect to pick up at Real Madrid may outweigh it Madrid are the Champions League’s most successful club winning two of the past three finals and five of the past nine and could enable Alexander-Arnold to add some more glittering honours to his cabinet Winning trophies with Liverpool will always be special for Alexander-Arnold but he could become even more decorated at Real Madrid – and in an age where people seem fixated on honours when judging a player Alexander-Arnold recently hinted he would like to aim for the Ballon d’Or while in the prime of his career And although Manchester City’s Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 it has more frequently been claimed by LaLiga players than Premier League players in recent memory Only once has a Liverpool player won the Ballon d’Or; there have been 12 times when a Real Madrid player has Alexander-Arnold could boost his chances of winning football’s biggest individual accolade by standing out in a star-studded Real Madrid team with his own unique role playing for his boyhood club for the only team he has ever known but he may also be eager to challenge himself in a different league and culture Spanish football is experiencing a resurgence – the men’s national team are the current European champions the women’s team are the current world champions and La Liga representatives Real Madrid are the reigning European champions at club level – and it would be fascinating to see how he would adapt to that style of play The lifestyle would also be a change for Alexander-Arnold and Alexander-Arnold would be able to link up with another English superstar in the shape of Jude Bellingham The pair get on well thanks to being international teammates and that may help Alexander-Arnold settle in the Spanish capital Bellingham certainly hit the ground running after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund and Alexander-Arnold could back himself to do the same English players abroad can often become popular and Real Madrid could assemble a squad that contains two of the very best Who knows, but this opportunity might never come around again. Real Madrid have shown determination to wait for the right target in cases such as Kylian Mbappe, but their need to reinforce at right-back is becoming more urgent and if it isn’t with Alexander-Arnold, it could be with one of a number of alternatives Alexander-Arnold’s decision might be made for him he could say that he had tested himself on the most illustrious of stages He will have had a splendid career still if not but he will have to consider if he will be wondering ‘what if?’ by the time he reaches the end of his career – hopefully a long way away just yet While Alexander-Arnold’s role with Liverpool has been dominant in terms of the regularity of his gametime the same cannot be said for his England career he has more competition at international level but he was often overlooked by Gareth Southgate he will be wondering what Thomas Tuchel thinks of him his form at club level will impact the new England head coach’s decisions But will it benefit Alexander-Arnold to remain in sight in English football or could it actually benefit him to prove himself abroad but the recent change of Three Lions manager means this could be a clean slate for Alexander-Arnold in an England shirt and he has an impression to make Alexander-Arnold has seen his wages increase over time at Liverpool he may want to be elevated to the position of being their outright top earner It remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool would appease that ambition he would not be the top earner – due to the fortunes Mbappe is receiving – but could nevertheless take home a bigger salary than what he currently earns from Liverpool There are more important footballing factors to consider This is already becoming one of the big off-field sagas of the season; Alexander-Arnold has a lot to weigh up Real Madrid reportedly sent scouts to watch Bournemouth duo Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez during their 2-1 win at Arsenal BetaAskNever miss a moment with Real MadridSign up for the latest news and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox every Monday A new report has revealed that Real Madrid and head coach Carlo Ancelotti have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ over his imminent exit from the Spanish giants Ancelotti has added to his reputation since returning to Real Madrid for a second spell as manager in 2021 winning the Champions League and La Liga twice However, the veteran boss has been heavily criticised this season as Real Madrid have massively underperformed and are set to finish the campaign without a trophy Real Madrid suffered an early exit from the Champions League and they are four points adrift of table-toppers FC Barcelona in La Liga with four games remaining but it’s been widely reported in recent months that he will be replaced this summer and it was revealed on Monday afternoon that his exit has been ‘agreed’ A report from The Athletic confirms a ‘verbal agreement’ has been reached regarding Ancelotti’s departure from Real Madrid with ‘conversations’ nearing a conclusion. It is noted that talks have centred around ‘his salary for the remaining year of his contract at the Bernabeu’, but this issue has been overcome and an ‘announcement is expected before the end of the season’. It is even suggested that his departure could be announced shortly after Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona. Regarding Real Madrid’s list of potential replacements, the report adds: ‘Madrid must then decide who will lead the team at the Club World Cup with Xabi Alonso the leading external option and director of football Santiago Solari seen as better placed than Castilla’s Raul Gonzalez or Juvenil A’s Alvaro Arbeloa as an internal choice. ‘Bayer Leverkusen head coach Alonso is Madrid’s preferred choice to replace Ancelotti.’ The report has also revealed the current situation regarding Ancelotti’s chances of landing the Brazil job. ‘Ancelotti has been described by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) as “the president’s (Ednaldo Rodrigues’) dream”, and he has been in talks with the CBF since March. ‘He had been expected to sign his contract with Brazil when he met with CBF representatives in London on April 28, but the move subsequently stalled. It was necessary for Ancelotti to reach a definitive agreement with Madrid before he could sign with Brazil. That is expected soon so he can be in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay. ‘The Italian had other options beyond Brazil and received concrete interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, while he could also have remained at Madrid in a non-coaching role, as per the terms of his 2023 contract extension.’ © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved Here's how the news broke and Alexander-Arnold's statement Alexander-Arnold 'expected to join Real Madrid' & Bradley the 'next cab off the rank' - Sami Mokbel & Phil McNulty analysis One of the finest attacking full-backs in the world & one of the all-time Premier League defenders? Stats and analysis Reaction from fans is mixed - some wish him well while others say believe he's making the wrong choice Trent Alexander-Arnold has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, saying it was "the hardest decision he has ever made". 5855Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 5 May15:43 BST 5 May#bbcfootball via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only when Conor Bradley won the player of the season award when on loan to us in 22/23 that he would replace Trent Alexander-Arnold sooner rather than later He was outstanding that season as a 19-year-old and now is ready to step up as the permanent replacement 3386Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 5 May15:39 BST 5 MayGet Involved: #bbcfootball WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only The comments from Liverpool fans about Real are just bitter Real haven't been so good this season but history wise they're the biggest club in the world of course it's going to lure players in Liverpool fans were also quick to turn on Trent after the Real rumours came in 130288Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAlexander-Arnold's Liverpool statspublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 5 May15:38 BST 5 MayTrent Alexander-Arnold will take some replacing at Liverpool 4731Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 5 May15:35 BST 5 May#bbcfootball It was clear to me for over a year Trent would be leaving so I’m surprised the confirmation took this long to be honest He should go down as a Liverpool legend and get a deserved send off While I wish him the best I don’t wish him success because it’s still Madrid at the end of the day 38050Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWill Alexander-Arnold sign for Real Madrid?published at 15:33 British Summer Time 5 May15:33 BST 5 MayAnd what of the the future 2717Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 5 May15:30 BST 5 May#bbcfootball TAA has delivered some wonderful LFC moments but to leave on a free at a time when we’re stable and Real Madrid are not puts him in the Steve McManaman bracket as the game against a poor Manchester United team showed 32694Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHow will Liverpool fans react?published at 15:29 British Summer Time 5 May15:29 BST 5 MayPhil McNultyBBC Sport chief football writer Trent Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave Liverpool has deeper significance than most because he is the local boy made good "The Scouser In Our Team" as he was celebrated in song by The Kop Many Liverpool fans will accept his departure to Real Madrid as a fact of modern football life but others will be deeply hurt that someone with such strong ties to the club and city is leaving on a free transfer Anfield's reaction will certainly be interesting to observe in those final two home game against Arsenal then for the Premier League trophy lift against Crystal Palace on 25 May 4614Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 5 May15:24 BST 5 May#bbcfootball 70791Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMartim Fernandes - Portopublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 5 May15:22 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool The youngest player of the three - and arguably the one with the greatest potential - is Martim Fernandes who has impressed many since breaking into the Porto first-team this season Fernandes has five assists to his name and at just 19 years of age is already a key creative cog in the side He enjoys playing on the front foot and much like Trent Alexander-Arnold adept at delivering into dangerous zones inside the opposition's six-yard box It is no wonder he is averaging an expected assists (xA) per match figure of 0.3 in the Portuguese top flight The young Portuguese provides an option on the flanks by playing high and wide up the pitch when Porto are attacking but is also capable of adding variety by making darting runs for the centre-backs to pass to beyond the last defensive line of the opposition He shows promising movement while underlapping or overlapping to hit the byline to cross and can manoeuvre in tight spaces to curl a cross into the box Fernandes has averaged an impressive 3.65 crosses per match His composure on the ball under pressure is impressive - and he has an excellent engine for the defensive side of the game 6710Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 5 May15:18 BST 5 May#bbcfootball My three favourite Liverpool memories in chronological order: Rush’s third goal against Everton in the 1986 FA Cup final; Gerrard’s goal against AC Milan to make it 3-1 and start the comeback in the 2005 Champions League final; and Trent’s corner against Barcelona in the 2019 semi-final 41062Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnton Gaaei - Ajaxpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 5 May15:16 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool Anton Gaaei has progressed quickly to become the first-choice right-back at Ajax this season who joined Ajax after three seasons in the Danish Superliga with Viborg has two goals and four assists in 23 Eredivisie appearances this term What immediately stands out about Gaaei is both the quality and variety of his crossing He is able to generate a lot of power with his right boot to cross the ball from deeper areas or hit the byline and cut back into the box too His trademark is a low cross hit diagonally to go past defenders to connect with on-rushing team-mates Gaaei continues to improve on the defensive side of his game which is helped by his excellent burst of pace in tracking back as well as making useful off-the-ball runs beyond his winger the young Dane is only in his second season in Dutch football so recruiting him would very much be a project signing for Liverpool 496Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 5 May15:14 BST 5 MayThis has felt like a bit of a pile-on There has not been a lot of love expressed for the La Liga giants I wonder if there is anyone out there who supports the club and might be able to give a different slant on the kind of welcome and support Trent Alexander-Arnold could expect at the Bernabeu 2272Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 5 May15:12 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Now is a good time to leave but Madrid is not the best place to go if you are looking to spread your wings the manager will not teach you anything and your team-mates will not care about you everyone will get shoved into a wood chipper Important to note that will be a metaphorical wood chipper 31048Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGuela Doue - Strasbourgpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 5 May15:07 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool Guela Doue is 32 games into his second full season of senior football in Ligue 1 but is already making plenty of waves at Strasbourg After breaking through in the 2023-24 season at Rennes Doue has demonstrated his versatility since his switch to Strasbourg The 22-year-old Ivory Coast international - brother of Paris St-Germain winger Desire Doue - is a right-back who is well capable of playing as a wide centre-back in a three or as a right wing-back Doue's strengths lie in his ability to defend in one-against-one duels with intensity and move the ball upfield with his passes and carries When he gets the opportunity to bomb forward at right-back Doue likes receiving the ball deeper in his own half before progressing the ball further up the pitch with long passes forward to his winger or striker Doue would be ideal for Slot's backline if they plan to bring in an adventurous full-back on the other side - Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez has been strongly linked with a move 566Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 5 May15:03 BST 5 MayRight let's spend a bit of time assessing the right-backs available out there in Europe who could potentially attract interest from Liverpool this summer Football tactics writer Ninad Barbadikar has looked into this question for BBC Sport Here are some of the names he has highlighted.. 209Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 5 May14:53 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Sami mentioned in his article that the prestige of becoming a Galactico is too much of a lure for Trent Mbappe now he’s found his scoring boots and Bellingham The president of the club promises to bring in the best players available Trent isn't arriving as a Galactico and I’m afraid I’ve sat with the home fans enough at the Santiago Bernabeu to know they aren’t very patient Bellingham shows cracks in his temperament when things aren’t perfect 18255Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWill Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold's assists?published at 14:50 British Summer Time 5 May14:50 BST 5 MayCraig NelsonBBC Sport reporter There is a chance that Arne Slot may switch focus when considering this problem looking for a full-back whose prime aim is to defend while also bolstering his starting XI with an attacking emphasis in other areas the Reds boss may look to bring in two new faces - a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and a new creative force in midfield is that the way Liverpool attack has evolved under Slot with less emphasis on raids from his full-backs than there has been in the past under Jurgen Klopp The assists in the team have been spread more widely across different areas while Mohamed Salah has continued a trend that has seen him surge past Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's leading creative force as well as maintaining his role as their top goalscorer Liverpool's leading players for assists in the Premier League over the past six seasons: 6924Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 5 May14:44 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Conor Bradley is an incredible back-up to Trent What is it with the Irish Liverpool players being the best back-ups I think Bradley can do a job but they do need to sign a main right-back for at least a few years Jeremie Frimpong would be a great suggestion as he’s quick Sorana Cirstea and Anna Kalinskaya teamed up for the very first time at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open. And now, after a brilliant team-debut fortnight, they are WTA 1000 doubles champions. In Sunday's all-unseeded final that went down to the last moment, Cirstea and Kalinskaya squeaked past Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens 6-7(10), 6-2, [12-10], saving one championship point in the match-tiebreak. The pendulum swung back and forth throughout, and Cirstea and Kalinskaya found themselves down a set and a break at 7-6, 2-0. They came all the way back and closed out the victory after 2 hours and 14 minutes of unpredictable action.  Both Cirstea and Kalinskaya broke lengthy doubles title droughts with the win. This is Kalinskaya's fourth WTA doubles title and her first since 2022. Cirstea had to wait even longer for her sixth WTA doubles title -- her most recent one came in 2019. This is the first WTA 1000 title for both Cirstea and Kalinskaya in any discipline. Both of them were contesting their first WTA 1000 finals in doubles, although they have each been WTA 1000 runners-up in singles -- Cirstea at 2013 Toronto and Kalinskaya at 2024 Dubai. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) This fortnight started perfectly for Cirstea and Kalinskaya -- in their very first match as a duo 1 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe in a match-tiebreak a reunion for Kudermetova and Mertens was going wonderfully Kudermetova and Mertens were playing together for the first time since they won the 2022 WTA Finals title at the end of a successful season The first set of Sunday’s final featured six breaks of serve and had to be settled by a gripping tiebreak Cirstea and Kalinskaya held four set points in the first portion of the breaker but they were not able to close out the one-set lead and Kudermetova’s strong net play converted their third set point after 1 hour and 13 minutes An early 2-0 lead in the second set seemed to indicate that Kudermetova and Mertens would resume their partnership with another team title But the script completely flipped from there Kalinskaya’s returns and Cirstea’s bold volleys suddenly became the dominant forces and they swept the next six games to grab the second set and level affairs Kudermetova and Mertens had 12 unforced errors in that set which was as closely-contested as the rest of the final Each team saved one championship point en route to 10-10 giving Cirstea and Kalinskaya one more chance to prevail Kalinskaya slammed a winning overhead to finish off the dramatic tilt and capture the title Inter Milan to build ‘defensive cage’ around Barcelona’s most dangerous player Three things Barcelona must do to beat Inter Milan Barcelona leadership united on signing 24-year-old Bundesliga talent but lack of funds complicates plans Barcelona continue to maintain interest in top Bundesliga defender despite mounting obstacles Former Barcelona captain warns Hansi Flick’s team of Inter’s threat – ‘They will not sit deep’ Ferran start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Inter Milan How Real Madrid attempted a football robbery — but were stopped by FC Barcelona Ferran start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Real Madrid Olmo start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Mallorca Three talking points ahead of Inter Milan vs Barcelona | UEFA Champions League Three talking points from Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona | La Liga Raphinha 8.5 | Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona: Player ratings Three talking points ahead of Real Valladolid vs Barcelona | La Liga GW 34 Three talking points from Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan Three key battles that could decide Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund Mbappe arrived but Barcelona evolved: Flick’s tactical triumph over Real Madrid’s Galactico attack Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona’s ageless goal machine leading the title charge Beyond transfers: Deco’s blueprint for Barcelona’s long-term success Back at the top: Pedri reclaims his throne as the best midfielder in the world Marc Casado: Barcelona’s next great pivot Ranking all 15 La Masia talents that made their Barcelona debut under Xavi Barcelona talented La Masia graduate’s market value rises to €75 million Barcelona delighted with the progress of 15-year-old La Masia talent – report ‘La Masia is the essence of Barça’ – Barcelona academy gem reacts after La Liga debut Deco wants to build Barcelona’s future with La Masia Real Madrid’s narrow 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo might have kept their La Liga hopes flickering but Barcelona remain firmly in control heading into El Clasico While Carlo Ancelotti’s side trimmed the gap to four points the pressure is now fully on them to chase while Barça can afford to manage the run-in with composure and confidence Ancelotti admitted that Sunday’s Clasico at Montjuïc is “almost a decisive match,” and while his comments were optimistic there was a quiet sense of desperation behind them clearly aware that anything less than a win against Barcelona could all but end their title ambitions Even if Madrid manage to pull off a victory in Barcelona but we will have more opportunities if we’re able to win.” It must be noted that the last meeting between the two sides saw Barcelona dominate large portions of the match the Italian manager tried to play down the difficulty of winning at Montjuïc “it’s not impossible,” and referencing how close they were to winning last week “We played a week ago (in the Copa del Rey final) Barça have everything working in their favour — momentum The Clasico might be hyped as a make-or-break moment for Real Madrid it is an opportunity to put the final nail in their rivals’ title dreams and with the way the Blaugrana are playing Source: AS Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Achievements • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy • Licensed Images • Copyright © 2017 - 2024 Barca Universal - info@barcauniversal.com Congrats to Bayern Munich on winning the Bundesliga title this weekend...now on to our normal freak show.. “Even in the future nothing works” — Lord Helmet No, Rick Moranis’ character was not talking about the prospects of Bayern Munich’s academy system during that 80s classic the Bayern Munich fan base is desperate to see more homegrown stars but it has proven to be a difficult journey to navigate for many players when seeing Aleksandar Pavlović play in the midfielder or when watching highlights of Lennart Karl but until the academy starts producing stars consistently some rumors indicate that Tom Bischof’s free agent signing has left some within the academy operations resentful and feeling like the homegrown talent could face a roadblock: The transfer of Tom Bischof is causing questions at the FC Bayern Campus and was seen as a bit of an ‘affront’ within the academy because it blocks the path for academy players with similar profile/position(s) (Wanner there are critical voices at the Campus because since the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlović last season there has been no integration of other academy players with the first team this season So...maybe the academy coaches have a point in some respect but Paul Wanner does not appear to be ready while Bischof has played for an equally underperforming squad and has done better some of those other players referenced are far from looking ready to contribute consistently next season Seeing Arijon Ibrahimović or Javier Fernández would be awesome but it does not appear likely for 2025/26 — at least right now Bischof on a free transfer was too good to pass up Former Bayern Munich defender David Alaba could be on his way out at Real Madrid: Real Madrid is looking to move on David Alaba this summer The Austria international is now 32 and has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons The Club World Cup could be his last involvement with the Spanish giants Bayern Munich is in need of some versatile defensive help so…would you bring Alaba back to be part of the mix if he would agree to a club friendly deal Bayern Munich was crowned Bundesliga champions during a watch party We have a full slate of topics to untangle This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show: Juventus is rumored to be a big fan of Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund and might now be able to get him: Serie A giants Juventus have taken the first steps to signing Rasmus Højlund from Manchester United this summer who moved to Old Trafford from Atalanta two years ago has struggled to adapt to life in England and has scored only four Premier League goals this season The 22-year-old is available for transfer as Ruben Amorim plans a significant rebuild with a return to Italy the most likely outcome With Dusan Vlahovic set to leave Juve due to a contract impasse the Turin club have identified Højlund as a suitable replacement The original plan was to sign another former Serie A forward struggling at United and Amorim’s desire to give the ex-Bologna player another chance Dean Huijsen and Bournemouth could be set to talk about his future very soon: Huijsen is rumored to be on Bayern Munich’s radar but funding could be an issue if the Bavarians secure the signing of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz Bayern Munich traveled to RB Leipzig and earned a tough 3-3 draw in a match that will not leave either side satisfied Bayern Munich needed the win to clinch the title while RB Leipzig needed three points to help keep its European hopes alive then fought all the way back to take the lead...and collapsed in an utterly deflating fashion Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Work — Postgame Show Rumored Bayern Munich transfer target Christopher Nkunku is reportedly ready to leave Chelsea FC: While Bayern Munich could use some new blood in its attack Nkunku will likely be too expensive if the Bavarians sign Wirtz Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne is still drawing interest from English clubs — including Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, and Aston Villa: Arsenal and Aston Villa are all holding internal talks about making a move to sign free agent Kevin De Bruyne The 33-year-old is finishing the season strongly having announced that he will leave Manchester City Bayern Munich is in the homestretch of the season but the news surrounding the team continues to heat up Let’s talk about everything going on with the squad on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show: According to a report from Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has two Genk youngsters on his sight: Vincent Kompany is a fan of Konstantinos Karetsas (17) and Lucca Brughmans (16) from Genk and is keeping an eye on them Both are considered perspective players for the future Borussia Dortmund could be in line to acquire Arsenal FC’s Oleksandr Zinchenko: Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to leave Arsenal in the summer with Borussia Dortmund increasingly confident of getting a deal over the line OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In Sign InJoinReal Madrid 'agree terms' with Carlo Ancelotti over his departure | OneFootballOneFootball Carlo Ancelotti's future appears to be sealed after the iconic Italian manager has reached terms over his pending departure from Real Madrid please use a different one or install the app According to fresh reports from The Athletic an agreement is said to now be in place that will see the 65-year-old leave the Santiago Bernabéu at the end of the season potentially as soon as in the wake of Sunday’s El Clásico clash with Barcelona 'Conversations have been ongoing with Madrid over the details of his exit which was largely dependent on reaching an agreement over his salary for the remaining year of his contract.' Real Madrid will now look to who they can fill his shoes in the aftermath and Alvaro Arbeloa as possible replacements Related NewsReal Madrid boss Ancelotti tells Brazil to wait until La Liga is over Pressure on Ancelotti as Brazil expect decision ‘by next week’ Veteran Real Madrid pair will be available for Club World Cup Real Madrid star played through illness in Celta Vigo clash Brazil rejoices as Real Madrid set date for Carlo Ancelotti exit 4️⃣ things to look out for in the Champions League this week The Champions League returns with a bang this week as the finalists will be determined following some tense first leg action.Here is what to look out for...⚔️ Match of the... 🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: A perfect comeback With Liverpool having already secured the title this was the weekend that the Premier League focused on the Race for Fifth™.And with that in mind, our Player of the Week... Man United hold talks in “recent hours” with Victor Osimhen’s agents over sensational summer deal SpainChevron MadridChevron Alexander Spatari / Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links I thought that maybe a better approach would be to create a list not of Madrid’s must-sees but instead one of what you can skip The fact is that Spain’s capital has a nearly inexhaustible supply of places everyone should see And their number keeps increasing as Madrid grows Here, we have gathered together Madrid’s most iconic places the ones that are must-sees and where you should head first We are talking about those places that come to mind first when people around the world think of the city Read our complete Madrid travel guide here How we choose the best things to do in Madrid Every review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that activity our editors consider landmarks and experiences that offer an insider’s view of a destination and sustainability credentials top of mind One good place to start your day exploring Madrid is at its 18th-century Royal Palace One of the many pluses of Madrid is that you can explore most of its highlights on foot Once you discover that walking is infinitely better than traveling by metro or car you may experience a shift in your mindset Soon when you learn a destination is a 40-minute walk away you’ll think of it as an opportunity for a lovely stroll and a chance to see more of the city all of the locations in this story are in the center of Madrid which is also where Madrid as we know it today originally began in the 16th century this was the site of the old Plaza del Arrabal where the town’s most important market was located It has had several names over the centuries including Plaza de la Constitución Among the buildings that sit on the plaza are landmarks like the Casa de la Panadería and the Casa de la Carnicería with its distinctive red façade The plaza’s arcades now house bars and restaurants with outdoor tables that give the square its lively atmosphere there’s a statue of Philip III (1578-1621) placed there at the command of Isabella II (1830-1904) There are many ways to access the Plaza Mayor but you should make a point to pass through the Arco de los Cuchilleros This stepped passageway leads to Calle de Cuchilleros a street that was once lined with the workshops of various cuchilleros They have been replaced by popular restaurants There you can partake in a quintessential Madrid ritual Madrid’s famous Puerta del Sol is exactly four minutes to the east of Plaza Mayor Walk east along Calle Mayor and in exactly four minutes This intersection of some of the busiest streets in the capital plays an oversized role in the life of the city and its identity It’s a place that buzzes with activity at every hour To one side are offices of the government of the autonomous community of Madrid in the Casa de Correos (the building was previously Spain’s central post office) follow the countdown to midnight on the building’s clock as this is the epicenter of Madrid’s celebrations one for every chime of the clock’s bells at midnight is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you should join if New Year’s Eve falls during your Madrid vacation Here you will also find the kilometer zero marker located in the pavement in front of the Casa de Correos All of the distances on Spain’s radial highways are measured from this point Also nearby is a statue of a bear and a strawberry tree drawn from the coat of arms of Madrid; an equestrian statue of Charles III; and an icon of both the square and Madrid generally the neon advertisement for Tio Pepe sherry try a chocolate palmier from La Mallorquina (Puerta del Sol 8) a Madrid institution that opened at its current location in 1894 The Cibeles Fountain in front of the Palacio de Cibeles depicts the namesake ancient goddess riding a chariot pulled by two lions Continue on the same street and you’ll soon find yourself at another landmark of central Madrid a monumental arch in the middle of the Plaza de la Independencia this one on the road linking Madrid to Alcalá de Henares birthplace of Cervantes and home to one of Spain’s oldest universities Its decorative details are different on its two sides which would be seen by those entering the city which would have once been the side within the city walls and Prudence—are represented as four children Charles III ordered the construction of the arch which was designed by the Italian architect Francesco Sabatini It was inaugurated in 1778 and since then has watched Madrid grow up around it It's now time to turn around and go back the way you came Up next is one of the most exciting parts of this walk If you are wondering why we didn’t wander down this famous street before it’s because you want to approach it from the east for the view of the 1911 Metropolis building with a statue of winged Victory atop its Beaux-Arts dome No other street in Madrid buzzes with life like the Gran Vía crossing the center of Madrid and crowded with hotels and the Palacio de la Musica and Palacio de la Prensa theaters In front of the latter is the famous Plaza de Callao a square right off of the Gran Vía ringed with buildings from the late 1920s and early 1930s The Metropolis building welcomes visitors to Madrid’s Gran Vía As you enter the third section of the Gran Vía you may feel like you are on an entirely different street This section which starts with the Capitol building and its famous neon sign advertising Schweppes has been described as Madrid’s Broadway and many other theaters announcing new plays and movies in bright lights you’ll find a terrace with a glass walkway Beneath that transparent path is a 384-foot top drop then take some photos of the Madrid from above before continuing on your way The path to the palace is closed to vehicles making it a pleasant place to stroll or rest on the lawn in the front of the palace’s façade Sunset at the second-century Temple of Debod to watch the colorful spectacle of the sun setting behind an ancient wonder with views that extend far into the distance In a city full of cement, Madrid’s huge green areas are breaths of fresh air. Any list of the city’s parks has to start with its main lung, El Retiro. The UNESCO World Heritage Site covers roughly 350 acres and includes 15,000 trees Or simply wander aimlessly through the gardens another of the most spectacular sunsets in the capital can be seen from the Parque de las Siete Tetas When you think of art in Madrid, likely the first thing that comes to mind is the Prado one of the most important art museums in the world with the most complete collection of Spanish paintings On its walls hang masterpieces by Velázquez and many other celebrated Spanish painters In all the museum has around 8,600 paintings as well as thousands of sculptures Tickets cost $17 though entry is free for the last two hours before closing A visit to the Prado offers an opportunity to admire works by some of history’s greatest painters The Prado isn’t the only world-class museum in its neighborhood. Nearby in the so-called Art Triangle are two other obligatory stops on a tour of Madrid’s highlights, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum home of one of Picasso’s most famous works as many visitors to Madrid have discovered you'll want to visit this European capital again and again While we created this guide to its iconic sites for the first-time visitor with limited time to explore the city you may find yourself moving back your return flight or planning your next visit before this one is over rest assured that you aren’t alone in falling hard for the city The Crystal Palace in the Retiro Park appears like a vision from a dream A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveler Spain. This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date. It was translated by John Newton Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips A Guide to Korčula, Croatia Why Everyone Will Be Going to Osaka in 2025 A London Local’s Melting-Pot Itinerary for Food This New Eco-Cruise Through the Galápagos Takes Passengers On a Safari at Sea up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world But there's a moment just before the curtain rises and there's a silence that crackles with a mixture of tension and anticipation That's where Barcelona and Real Madrid find themselves now As the season winds toward its decisive final act the two great rivals prepare for a double collision Saturday's Copa del Rey final in Seville will be the first while El Clasico will follow at Montjuic on 11 May The outcomes will define not only trophies a chance to show their critics yet again that rumours about their death truly were exaggerated Any antipathy that Barcelona may have had for Real Madrid in the past does not preclude the fact that for years it seemed that they wanted to be them In the past few years that search has been fruitless Barca have rediscovered that sometimes football isn't just about the result but also about the importance and value of the journey Flick has instilled a kind of emotional clarity youthful players with the calm of a manager who knows that the desire to grow and the need to win need not be mutually exclusive Barca delivered their most statistically dominant performance in years - 40 shots on goal but what mattered was the general idea did not change - they all think the same in that team right now Flick effectively revealed his starting line-up for Saturday's final What makes this Barca different isn't just the tactical framework Flick has shown an ability to manage expectations and egos with diplomacy Hector Fort and Ansu Fati reacted poorly to being benched against Celta two games ago Flick didn't scold - he started all three against Mallorca he transformed disappointment with purpose With several core players fresh and a day more to prepare than their rivals Cup final ref in tears over critical Real Madrid TV video No one embodies this rebirth better than Dani Olmo Forgotten through injury and bureaucratic fog Only injuries have stopped him making an even bigger impression involved in 13 goals this season in 27 games (10 goals and three assists) Flick must now decide whether to use him from the start in Seville or hold him back as a decisive second-act character Olmo's clever movement and invention may be essential The spotlight also now falls on Ferran Torres and he's the competition's joint top scorer with five goals This is no longer the tentative Torres of old desperate to impress; this is a striker who is happy to take on all the responsibility The final will also be another chance to enjoy 17-year-old Lamine Yamal key in big games and someone who plays with something much more than mere confidence -total fearlesness He gives Barca something few clubs have: unpredictability rooted in joy And also a chance for Raphinha to claim his place among the best this season a clear candidate for the Ballon D'Or with 27 goals and 16 assists in La Liga and the Champions League Bellingham's adaptation has entered a new phase at Real Madrid He is no longer merely Madrid's star - he has become its standard Yet Ancelotti's frequent reminders about the need to show defensive efforts and the meetings he has called to talk about it with him Vinicius Jnr and Kylian Mbappe would suggest something is not working because Real Madrid cannot play at their best when at least two forward players (Mbappe and Vinicius Jr) - and sometimes three when Rodrygo also goes missing – decide that defending is the job of others and not them It also means Bellingham then has to do the work of two It has been a confusing season for Vinicius Jr who is set to renew until at least 2029 after turning down astronomical sums from Saudi Arabia matching Mbappe's wages and ensuring that he can continue to scatter his stardust in the white of Real Madrid he remains Madrid's eternal risk-taker - capable of brilliance Although he has impressed much less than last season he has shown his ability to raise his game when needed Only four points separate both teams in the league but this is not a Madrid at ease as they look back at the clubs' previous two meetings so far this season Barcelona didn't just beat them – they destroyed them 4-0 in the league at the Bernabeu on 26 October and the second 5-2 on 12 January in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia Barcelona have scored nine goals in two meetings with Real Madrid this season including a 5-2 win over their arch rivals in January's Spanish Supercup has spent the past months preaching balance and commitment The expectation - unconfirmed but widespread - is that he will leave after the league campaign concludes to finalise his agreement with the Brazil national team he has to manage the final metres of this marathon Santiago Solari is expected to take over for the Club World Cup in the summer points toward Xabi Alonso beginning pre-season in July But one thing he will not do is negotiate what has brought him to where he is today and how he is perceived throughout the world of football Ancelotti insists: "I'm not a coach who uses the whip "There's been talk of too much softness But I've been angry plenty of times," Ancelotti said this week that doesn't mean I become authoritarian But behind his serenity lies frustration this season The mentioned calls for more intensity have largely gone unheeded and he considers this season has been one of the hardest of his career to balance egos No more than five consecutive wins in all competitions it must begin now - with eight victories in a row El Clasico at Montjuic on 11 May may still crown the league champion Barca will likely arrive with the advantage depending on the outcome of Saturday's final may arrive as either reborn heroes or wounded guests View comments | 416Top storiesHis stats are better but will Yamal build legacy to rival Messi 'Calamity keeper' or 'human wall' - which Donnarumma will Arsenal face Who will qualify for the Champions League as Forest draw at Palace The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Is the risk that Mercedes took with Antonelli paying off Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Solskjaer on Besiktas Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Jules Koundé struck late in extra time to clinch the Copa del Rey for Barcelona on a thrilling night in Seville Updated at 01.18 CEST26 Apr 202501.06 CESTRüdiger really did lose the plot there Above all else I think it was an excellent bit of anticipation by Koundé. It wasn’t a horribly scuffed or underhit pass. Even the greats can get it wrong sometimes. 26 Apr 202500.52 CEST“Real Madrid are really embarrassing themselves here,” writes Hugh When you think of Roger Federer at one end of the classiness spectrum Updated at 00.50 CEST26 Apr 202500.47 CESTFull time: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid: Barça win the Copa del Rey!It’s over Updated at 01.21 CEST26 Apr 202500.43 CEST119 min: Lamine Yamal’s hairdresser the big winner from tonight’s match Updated at 00.42 CEST26 Apr 202500.41 CEST116 min: The pass from Modric was intended for Brahim Díaz. Modric was saying he should have come in to receive the pass, I think. Koundé did so well to read it and even better to finish. It was a sweet strike by the defender and Modric looks furious 26 Apr 202500.37 CEST114 min: Endrick, the fresh legs for Real Madrid, zips down the wing and crosses. Koundé clears. Updated at 00.36 CEST26 Apr 202500.33 CEST109 min: Real Madrid’ Endrick comes on for Rúdiger, who appeared to be in some pain during the half-time break in extra time. He yelled out while Ancelotti was speaking, and initially it looked like he might be disagreeing with his gaffer, but he’s obviously pulled a muscle or something. Updated at 00.32 CEST26 Apr 202500.30 CEST107 min: Torres has the ball in the net, finishing from close range after a cross from the Barcelona right! But no, he’s offside. In fact he was never onside. Tiredness, that is. Updated at 00.30 CEST26 Apr 202500.29 CEST“Watching the game at work and reading your take of the game is great!” emails Osman. “Whoever wins this game, it will be deserved. Haven’t seen a game of this quality lately. Thank you.” 26 Apr 202500.27 CESTAncelotti gives his team talk while half-heartedly shielding his mouth in the modern style, which is a bit pointless, because the audio of his speech is clearly coming through on the telly. Not that I understand Spanish, but the commentator says he is telling his players to keep the ball. That’s brilliant Carlo! 26 Apr 202500.25 CESTHalf time, extra timeThe whistle sounds. It remains 2-2. They should play golden goal. Or just agree to penalties now. Both teams look pretty exhausted. Updated at 00.25 CEST26 Apr 202500.24 CEST104 min: A smart turn and shot from an angle by Torres! It flashes just wide! Then Guler and Bellingham launch an attack at the other end. The pace has picked up again. Updated at 00.24 CEST26 Apr 202500.23 CEST103 min: Lamine Yamal floats a cross to the back stick. Raphinha goes down in a heap under a challenge by Modric. He wants a penalty, surprise surprise, but nothing doing. 26 Apr 202500.22 CEST101 min: Now Gavi feeds Torres on the Barça right. He whips a ball in for Raphinha but Courtois snaffles it. 26 Apr 202500.21 CEST100 min: Torres tries to slide a ball into the penalty area for his Barcelona teammate Raphinha, but overhits it. He falls to the floor in frustration. 26 Apr 202500.18 CEST98 min: The pace of the game has slowed significantly after a high-octane first 90. Bellingham flicks a long ball on looking for Mbappé but Flick’s men deal with the danger. 26 Apr 202500.15 CEST95 min: You have to say, Madrid were very lucky to get away with what looked an obvious foul by Rüdiger on Torres before the Raphinha incident. 26 Apr 202500.14 CEST94 min: Madrid launch their first raid of this extra time period. Mbappe takes possession on the left, and tries a cute little reverse pass, but Cubarsí deals with it well. 26 Apr 202500.10 CESTKick off! First half extra timeThe football never ends! Watch the football! WATCH IT! Updated at 00.10 CEST26 Apr 202500.10 CESTThe players are ready to kick off 30 minutes of extra time. 26 Apr 202500.08 CESTIt’s past midnight in Spain. This is the most dramatic late-night sport we’ve seen since Selby v Woollaston at the Crucible on Thursday night. 26 Apr 202500.05 CESTWant some background Read Sid Lowe’s piece about the pre-match referee-related jiggery pokery: prompting uncertainty that the game would go ahead A statement from Madrid finally confirmed that they would play after 10pm on Friday night A previous statement from Madrid had demanded that the Spanish football federation (RFEF) take action after comments made by the referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in the buildup to the game That came after Madrid had refused to show up for the pre-match press conference training session or the managers’ photocall at the Cartuja Stadium in Seville Amid reports from media close to the club that they were contemplating refusing to play the match Madrid finally confirmed their participation late on Friday night “Faced by the rumours that have emerged in the last few hours, Real Madrid wish to communicate that our team has never proposed renouncing playing in tomorrow’s final,” the statement said “Our club understands that the unfortunate and inappropriate declarations made by the referees assigned to this game cannot stain a sporting event of global significance which millions of people will watch.” ShowDownload the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.If you already have the Guardian app make sure you’re on the most recent version.In the Guardian app then Notifications.Turn on sport notifications.Was this helpful?Thank you for your feedback.The statement said that Madrid were acting “out of respect to all those fans who have travelled to Seville and those that are already in the Andalucían capital,” concluding that “the values of football should prevail despite the hostility and animosity of that has today once again been made clear against our club The statement finally brought to an end a long evening of uncertainty Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric were scheduled to speak to the media at 7.15pm local time in Seville but There was no announcement at the time and Madrid did not directly explain the decision later Nor did they admit to asking the RFEF to remove De Burgos Bengoetxea or the VAR official Pablo González Fuertes But a statement released an hour later described the referees’ remarks as “premeditated” using a “threatening tone” and demonstrating a “manifest hostility” towards Real Madrid The club accused the referees of “announcing supposed actions which are far from the principles of equality objectivity and impartiality which should prevail a few hours before a footballing event followed by millions of people around the world” they would have faced a year-long ban from the competition and a fine of between €3,000 and €12,000 Eleven years they have waited for a clasico final and when at last it came it was the referee in the spotlight when it fell upon Seville Madrid had been angered by a pre-match press conference in which De Burgos Bengoetxea and González Fuertes talked about the club’s repeated criticism of referees on their TV channel both men appeared to have come with a message to deliver 24 hours before the game González Fuertes warned of the impact on young officials and said that stronger actions had to be taken De Burgos Bengoetxea meanwhile was close to tears as he recounted the impact it has on his children “When a child goes to school and people tell him his father is a thief it’s messed up,” the official said “All I can do is educate my son so that he knows that his father is honourable and for everyone to reflect on where we want to go; I would like you all to know Real Madrid remonstrate with referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in 2023 Photograph: Jose Breton/APGonzález Fuertes said said: “More than what is said [in the videos] We see anonymous people on social media insulting and threatening referees without any control those responsible for clubs’ social media continuously attacking us The consequences of talking about robberies and using bad words is something that the boys and girls who pick up a whistle to do a kids’ game end up paying for That is the consequence of putting a target on a colleague’s head We’re not going to allow it to keep happening.” That was the first press conference of the day. Barcelona’s press conferences were at 5.15pm, during which Hansi Flick had said: “We need the referees.” Madrid were due to appear two hours later. But, as they had done with the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October, they did not show up no training session and no handshake between the coaches had already decided not to attend any of the institutional events The RFEF subsequently confirmed that Madrid had told them that they would not be participating in any pre-match activities Madrid wanted the Federation to remove De Burgos Bengoetxea from refereeing duties considering his position untenable following the press conference and what they saw as a conflict of interests But they did not directly or publicly demand for that to happen and the first of their two subsequent statements stopped short of repeating that threat openly their position had been expressed through the media close to the club hierarchy which also leaked the possibility of them not turning up for the match “Real Madrid CF considers the public statements made today by the referees appointed for the Copa del Rey final to be unacceptable,” the club said in a statement “These remarks made in a premeditated manner 24 hours before [kick-off and] against one of the participants in the final demonstrate a clear and manifest animosity and hostility against Real Madrid Real Madrid expects the RFEF and the refereeing establishment to act accordingly adopting the relevant measures in defence of the institutions that they represent.” The RFEF insisted that it would not change the referees and that it expected the game to go ahead but conversations continued and the wait for confirmation went on into the evening until Madrid announced that they had never contemplated boycotting Ancelotti was not in the press room at La Cartuja at 7.15pm local time but his team will be out on the pitch at 10pm on Saturday night playRodrygo 'upset' by Ballon d'Or snub (0:44)Real Madrid's Rodrygo speaks about being left of the men's Ballon d'Or shortlist is expected to move on this summer or in 2026 a decision which will come down to the player's desire to stay for one more season Leverkusen hope Manchester City or Real Madrid will be willing to pay the reported €150 million transfer fee who is under contract at the Bernabéu until June 2028 is also on Los Blancos' radar as an alternative The Red Devils are believed to be looking for an offer worth over €40m in the next transfer window with Los Verdiblancos interested in signing him permanently - Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed the signing of Ibrahim Maza from Hertha Berlin The Algeria international moves on a five-year contract after his release clause was activated - Former West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has been announced as the new head coach of the Qatar senior national team - Chelsea are leading the race to sign highly rated Lorient midfielder Arthur Avom. West Ham United and Aston Villa are also tracking the 20-year-old, who has been dubbed "the next Yaya Touré." Chelsea plan to loan him to sister-club Strasbourg next season should a deal be agreed. (The Sun) - Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old striker Mahamadou Sangaré from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Sangaré has been superb in the UEFA Youth League this season, scoring eight goals in just six outings. (Fabrizio Romano) - Aston Villa duo Leon Bailey and Emiliano Martinez are attracting interest from Saudi Arabia. Villa have already been linked with replacement goalkeepers for Martinez, who will be 33 at the start of next season. That includes Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has a €25m release clause. (Daily Telegraph) - Liverpool are preparing a move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman when the winger's contract expires in the summer, but there will be competition from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Saudi Pro League clubs. (Ekrem Konur) - Real Madrid are planning to appoint Xabi Alonso after the Club World Cup, and he wants to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi plus two players from former club Bayer Leverkusen: Florian Wirtz, as previously mentioned, and Jonathan Tah. (Diario AS) - Former Ajax and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is on a list of possible replacements for Alonso at Leverkusen. (Sky Sport Deutschland) - Partizan Belgrade's Ognjen Ugresic has been earmarked by Man United as a player to watch. The dynamic midfielder, who could move to the Premier League in July once he turns 18, is also wanted by Serie A clubs. (The Sun) - Juventus are focusing Atalanta's Ederson and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali as they look to replace midfielder Douglas Luiz. They will face competition for the pair, though, as Manchester United have increased contacts for Ederson and are willing to offer €55m-€60m, and Real Madrid want Tonali. (Tuttosport) - Liverpool are plotting a move to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, though the Eagles will demand big money for the 21-year-old. The Reds are also looking at Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba. (Football Insider) - Manchester City have made contact with the agent of AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in a bid to hijack Liverpool's move for the 21-year-old. The Cherries will demand at least £40m for Kerkez, with Real Madrid also showning an interest. (TEAMtalk) - AC Milan are among the big European clubs looking at River Plate attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, with the Argentine able to move when he turns 18 years old on Aug. 14. Even so, Manchester United are the frontrunners after Real Madrid backed out of the race due to a disagreement with his agent. (Calciomercato) - Fabio Silva has decided to leave Wolves when his Las Palmas loan ends, with Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Stuttgart, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt all interested in the striker. (TEAMtalk) - Italy international Federico Gatti has agreed a new contract with Juventus, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2030. (Calciomercato) - Borussia Dortmund want between €15m and €20m for Julian Brandt, which is too much for Werder Bremen to pay. (Bild) - Atletico Madrid have been following Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena, who wants to stay in Spain amid interest from Al Ahli. (Relevo) - Man United are closing on a deal to sign forward Enzo Kana-Biyik from Le Havre. The 18-year-old is out of contract and will join on a free transfer to follow the same path as Paul Pogba. (Manchester Evening News) - Newcastle United have a firm interest in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, but are concerned about the size of the transfer fee. (Daily Telegraph) - Manchester United are exploring a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah on a free transfer. (Sky Sports) - USMNT and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Malik Tillman is dreaming of a switch to the Premier League amid interest from Chelsea. (Daily Mail) - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remains interested in becoming the head coach of the Brazil national team. Still, he doesn't want to negotiate terms until he finishes the LaLiga season with Los Blancos, who are still challenging for the league title. (Diario AS) - Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham are keeping tabs on the situation of Internazionale centre-back Yann Bisseck, who could be signed for €55m. (Ekrem Konur) - Porto, as well as other teams in the Premier League, are keen on Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney. (Sky Sports) - Multiple clubs are exploring a move for Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek, who could be signed for £6m through the relegation release clause in his current contract. (Fabrizio Romano) - A relegation release clause in the contract of Ipswich Town attacking midfielder Omari Hutchinson allows clubs to sign him for £35m. (Football Insider) - Manchester City are interested in Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara. (TEAMtalk) - Three Premier League clubs are competing to sign Queens Park Rangers and Colombia youth international forward Ashley Trujillo. (Football Insider) playWhy Ale Moreno remains unimpressed with Kylian Mbappe (1:53)After starting the Copa del Rey final on the bench Ale Moreno wonders why Kylian Mbappe decided to work back defensively for Real Madrid Barça defender Jules Koundé struck a dramatic 116th minute winner after Ferran Torres' late goal had taken the final into extra time The victory was Barça's third against Madrid this season after the 4-0 LaLiga win at the Bernabéu in October and the 5-2 Spanish Supercopa final triumph in January "I said to [Barça defender] Ronald [Araújo] when we were speaking in the hotel earlier: 'If they score one goal They cannot handle us this year -- we have shown it." "They are fighting for everything," Flick said in a news conference of his team's never-say-die attitude he saved two chances from Real and he made the goal "All the players in the defence make a fantastic job The mentality Jules has when he scores the goal And also one player more who never gives up." Barça could still end the season with a treble They lead Madrid at the top of LaLiga by four points ahead of next month's Clásico and face Inter Milan in the semifinals of the Champions League Flick says the Copa success will give his team confidence to lift more silverware but is not yet imagining a Champions League final in Munich at the end of May "There are two matches to go for that still," he added The atmosphere the whole day was really fantastic the atmosphere was unbelievable and at the end I would say I am really happy for the fans that we can celebrate a huge win against Real Madrid in the Copa final It's great for everyone and gives us confidence maybe for more." playLaurens: Ancelotti's post-Real options will be Brazil or retirement (1:45)Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss Carlo Ancelotti's likely departure from Real Madrid at the end of the season Carlo Ancelotti will meet with Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez in the coming days to discuss the coach's departure from the club The team remains four points off the top of LaLiga with five games left Ancelotti has a contract at Madrid until 2026 but has faced persistent speculation over his future throughout this season. ESPN reported last week that talks had resumed between the Brazilian Football Confederation and Ancelotti's camp regarding his taking over the Brazil national team A source told ESPN that Ancelotti and Pérez will meet in the next few days, with the expected outcome being an agreement for the coach to leave the club after the last LaLiga game of the season, against Real Sociedad Ancelotti is one of the most successful coaches in the club's history winning three Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles in two spells at the Santiago Bernabéu "Whether I continue [at Madrid] is an issue for the coming weeks not for today," Ancelotti said when questioned about his future in a news conference following Madrid's loss Saturday the Italian admitted that he and the club would "analyze things at the end of the season" and wouldn't confirm that he would be in charge for Madrid's FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer "We're still competing for trophies," Ancelotti said We'll talk about it with the club at the end of the season "I've always had a great relationship with the club The source would not confirm who would take over for Ancelotti although they said the most likely short-term scenario -- with Madrid's Club World Cup campaign due to begin June 18 -- was an internal interim appointment such as director of football Santiago Solari Castilla coach Raul Gonzalez or under-19s coach Alvaro Arbeloa playBurley calls Manchester United's first-leg win a 'huge night' (1:11)Craig Burley reacts to Manchester United's 3-0 opening leg win over Athletic Club River won 2-1 at the Monumental with attacking midfielder scoring the opener with a stunning long-range free kick whose contract with River expires in December 2027 and has a release clause set at €45 million The Eagles are believed to have previously been looking for an offer worth €60m to agree to any potential deal but they could now be required to lower their valuation to avoid losing him on a free transfer - Crystal Palace are ready to part ways with attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, reports the Sun The 26-year-old is said to be on the shortlists of both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and he has a release clause in his contract that allows him to be signed for £60m It is believed that manager Oliver Glasner has informed the club's hierarchy of his intention to rebuild the squad with six new signings if the Eagles offload Eze and defender Marc Guéhi amid hopes of receiving in the region of £130m for them - Negotiations over a new contract between Liverpool winger Luis Díaz are set to take place at the end of the season, reports Sky Sports. The 28-year-old Colombia international is heading into the final two years of his current deal at Anfield but after an impressive campaign during which he has scored 12 goals while assisting another five in 33 Premier League matches the latest indicates that manager Arne Slot is keen to make him a long-term part of the club's future plans Díaz has made 47 appearances for the Reds in the current campaign across all competitions - Aston Villa would prioritise signing Kevin De Bruyne as a free agent this summer over making Marco Asensio's loan from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. (Football Insider) - Arsenal and PSG are both considering a summer move for Roma defender Evan Ndicka, who could be signed for as little as £25m. (Daily Mirror) - Chelsea have no interest in letting either of their big-money midfielders, Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, leave the club this summer. (Sky Sports) - Leeds United are preparing to compete with Everton in the race for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff with an offer worth £10m to land the 27-year-old, who has been identified as one of the first reinforcements by manager Daniel Farke after his team secured promotion to the Premier League. (The Sun) - Talks have taken place between Hamburg and the representatives of Bayern Munich goalkeeper Daniel Peretz but they could face competition from Burnley. (Florian Plettenberg) - Real Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil is a candidate to replace Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who is considered the No. 1 choice to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid if the Italian manager leaves the Spanish giants this summer. (Estadio Deportivo) - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are interested in Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Ko Itakura. (Bild's Christian Falk) - Newcastle United see Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo as the ideal summer recruit to strengthen their attack. (Daily Telegraph) - RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško is on the radar of Arsenal amid plans to add a No.9 in the summer. (Football Insider) - Talks are ongoing between Manchester City and Como over a permanent move for midfielder Máximo Perrone, who is currently on loan at the Serie A side. (Fabrizio Romano) - Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is "ready to leave" Stamford Bridge in the summer. (Nicolo Schira) - Liverpool aren't expected to reignite their interest in Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon. (The Athletic) - Real Madrid have decided against offering a new contract to full-back Lucas Vázquez. (Ok Diario) - An approach for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera is being lined up by Villarreal. (MARCA) - Contract talks between Bayern Munich and winger Leroy Sané are now in the final stage, with an announcement for a new three-year contract until 2028 expected next week. (Sky Sports Deutschland's Florian Plettenberg) - Leeds United and Burnley are both interested in signing Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy at the end of his contract in the summer. (TEAMtalk) - Scouts from Lazio are watching the situation of Borussia Mönchengladbach left-back Luca Netz, with belief that he could be signed for a fee in the region of €10m. (Calciomercato) Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to leave the club and will take the Brazil head coach role on an initial one-year deal until the end of the 2026 World Cup was under contract at the Bernabeu until 2026 after signing an extension to his deal in December 2023 but training ground sources indicated he has already informed members of the dressing room of his intention to depart the club The expectation is for Ancelotti to complete the La Liga season and join Brazil in June meaning he is not set to take charge of Madrid for this summer’s Club World Cup The board will have to choose who will lead the team in the tournament between an interim coach with director of football Santi Solari the best placed More talks are expected with Madrid in the coming hours and days to sort the details of his departure has decided to start his career as a head coach in his own right and will only join his father in Brazil if he does not receive a desirable offer from elsewhere The Athletic reported on April 19 that Ancelotti was expected to leave Madrid with the Brazil national team his preferred and most likely next destination The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have a long-standing interest in the Italian coach and described him as “the president’s (Ednaldo Rodrigues) dream.” Further meetings are scheduled for next week and The Athletic reported an emissary from the CBF, Diego Fernandes, was in attendance at Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final defeat against Arsenal on April 16 with the intention of meeting with Ancelotti that week though this was denied by the organisation Fernandes, a reputed Brazilian businessman who was also at La Cartuja for the Copa del Rey final has led the negotiations while maintaining the necessary balance of respect with Real Madrid and Ancelotti who also have Al Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus on their shortlist want to hire new head coach before the next international break in June Madrid will now conduct a coaching search; talks between people representing Bayer Leverkusen’s Alonso and Madrid have happened this season and it is possible that the former Madrid player takes charge at the Bernabeu in the summer Ancelotti has faced scrutiny throughout the season, with Madrid trailing rivals Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race and having suffered a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate defeat against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals They were beaten 3-2 in extra time by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday and also lost the Supercopa de Espana final to Hansi Flick’s side Ancelotti said his “departure date” from Madrid “is never going to be decided by me in my life” and suggested that he and Florentino Perez would leave together in 2029 at the end of the club president’s current term He has regularly been asked about his future throughout the season and has frequently said in recent weeks that it would be the team’s decision if the club decides to change,” the Italian said after the 2-1 second leg defeat against Arsenal “There is no problem at all: the day I finish here Ancelotti returned to Bernabeu in June 2021 to replace Zinedine Zidane he won two La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues He became the first and only manager to win the Champions League on five different occasions when he led his side to a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in last year’s final Madrid return to action against Celta Vigo on Sunday (Manu Reino/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) playCarlo Ancelotti's move to Brazil in jeopardy (0:40)Take a look at the important news and notes about Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti's potential move to Brazil being stuck at an impasse Xabi Alonso is waiting just like everyone else to see who will coach Real Madrid next season The Spanish coach said on Friday he knew "nothing new" about his future amid links to his former club but that he understands why the uncertainty continues and no decisions have been made "I respect what happens in other clubs," the Bayer Leverkusen coach said "It's not a situation that I need to talk about I know that they're at a stage in the season in which they're still fighting for the championship Alonso is widely expected to return to Madrid -- where he played from 2009-14 -- and take over if current coach Carlo Ancelotti departs at the end of the season The 65-year-old Italian's contract with Madrid runs for another season but he is being courted by the Brazilian Football Confederation after what has been a disappointing season so far for the Spanish powerhouse Madrid were eliminated by Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals, lost the Copa del Rey final to bitter rivals Barcelona last weekend and are trailing the Catalan club by four points with five rounds remaining in La Liga Sources told ESPN this week that there remains a stand-off between Ancelotti and Madrid over the manner and timing of his departure from the club which needs to be resolved before he could accept the Brazil job Xabi Alonso has been widely linked to taking over as Real Madrid coach for next season. Lars Baron/Getty ImagesAlonso, who took over Leverkusen when they were in the Bundesliga's relegation zone in October 2022, led the team to an unprecedented German league and cup double last season. No other side has ever completed a Bundesliga season unbeaten A drop in performance levels was perhaps inevitable. Leverkusen were surprised by third-division team Arminia Bielefeld in the semifinals of the German Cup and look set to watch Bayern Munich lift the league trophy on Saturday Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro and sporting director Simon Rolfes are keen for Alonso to see out his contract through next season. But they are also identifying possible replacements with Kicker magazine reporting on Friday that former Manchester United and Ajax coach Erik ten Hag has emerged as the favorite The club has also been linked with former Barcelona coach Xavi "We haven't spoken about that," Alonso said of his possible successor We spoke about a few issues in the morning and there's always a good connection and communication We're all informed about everything and there's never a problem for us We'll wait until the right moment until there's something to decide." The 43-year-old coach added he isn't concerning himself with any of the speculation I know you're expected to have something new at every press conference Leverkusen play at Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday Information from The Associated Press was used in this report Real’s fourth win in succession kept their title dream alive with four matches to go in the Spanish top flight, while Celta Vigo remained seventh after their third loss in four league games but then we fell apart … they are a great team and they put us in trouble,” midfielder Federico Valverde told Real Madrid TV Real dominated the first hour of the game as Arda Guler broke the deadlock shortly after the half-hour mark taking a short corner for a one-two with Lucas Vázquez before dispatching an excellent left-footed shot from a tight angle through a gap between defenders Mbappé doubled Real’s lead six minutes later as Jude Bellingham’s lobbed ball unleashed the Frenchman who ran down the opposition half and fired a right-footed shot from the edge of the box into the net Guler’s through ball set up Mbappé’s second goal three minutes into the second half the 26-year-old finding the bottom-right corner to score his 24th league goal of the season That is one fewer than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski Manchester United loanee Antony continued his resurgence with a stunning late winner for Real Betis at Espanyol The Brazilian curled a left-footed effort into the top corner as the clock ticked over to 90 minutes The hosts had taken the lead via a Roberto Fernández goal in the first half before Giovani Lo Celso levelled on 85 minutes United’s opponents in the Europa League semi-final were held to a 0-0 draw in the Basque derby against Real Sociedad Athletic’s Spain international winger Nico Williams was not involved after recent struggles with injury Ole Gunnar Solskjær claimed bragging rights over José Mourinho as Besiktas defeated Fenerbahce 1-0 in the Istanbul derby The former Manchester United managers – Solskjær replaced Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018 – locked horns for the first time in four years in the Super Lig clash at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium The former Spurs midfielder Gedson Fernandes gave Solskjær the last laugh by hitting the winner shortly before half-time putting a dent in Fenerbahce’s title hopes Atalanta are now in control of third place as they have 68 points with three games remaining. Lazio are fourth with 63 points and Juventus For Monza, their Serie A run ends with a whimper as the club sit rock bottom with just 15 points – 12 adrift of Lecce in the last safe spot Charles De Ketelaere started the show with a quick brace first by dribbling past two defenders into the box for a cool finish after 12 minutes then taking advantage of a Monza defensive error to score his second 11 minutes later Ademola Lookman then sealed Monza’s fate with a third goal for Atalanta two minutes after the break finishing with his left foot after shaking off his marker during a run The hosts’ misery deepened late in the game when Omari Forson’s diving header was brilliantly saved on the line by Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi – before Marco Brescianini added a fourth for the visitors two minutes from time Juventus played out a tense 1-1 draw at top-four rivals Bologna as the visitors missed the chance to cement fourth place in the chaotic race for Champions League qualification level with Roma and Lazio in fifth and sixth Khéphren Thuram gave Juventus a flying start after nine minutes spotting a gap in the Bologna defence and drilling a low shot that slipped beneath keeper Lukasz Skorupski Bologna levelled nine minutes into the second half as Remo Freuler capitalised on a scrappy sequence following a cross and fired the ball home for a share of the spoils playOgden questions if leaving Liverpool is a good move for Alexander-Arnold (1:38)Mark Ogden wonders if Trent Alexander-Arnold's best chance of success on the pitch is at Liverpool a jubilant Kop crowed: "He's Alexander-Arnold It has been a familiar refrain on Merseyside since the 26-year-old right back made his first-team debut in 2016 underscoring his rise from academy graduate to Premier League star But now that Alexander-Arnold has announced he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season the song may well have had its final airing at Anfield I've got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change a new challenge for me as a player and as a person," Alexander-Arnold revealed in a social media post on Monday The timing of those reports from the Spanish capital aligned with a breakdown in contract talks at Anfield, with sources telling ESPN that -- after months of negotiations with sporting director Richard Hughes -- Alexander-Arnold rejected new terms that would have made him one of the best-paid fullbacks in the world Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave was not fueled by financial incentives, but by a desire to try something new. Considering the defender joined Liverpool's academy at the age of 6 and has won everything there is to win at Anfield -- two Premier League titles (2020 and 2025), a single FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield (all 2022), and one UEFA Champions League FIFA Club World Cup (all 2019) -- there is logic behind his longing for a change of scenery Arne Slot will have to find a way to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold's impact at both ends of the pitch. Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesHowever football is a game of emotions and in some quarters of the Reds' fan base that logic will never tally with the image Alexander-Arnold has cultivated for himself as a homegrown hero his decision to depart will sully a legacy that had looked set to match or even eclipse that of fellow academy graduate Steven Gerrard it is more likely comparisons will be drawn to Michael Owen and Steve McManaman -- both of whom garnered criticism from Liverpool supporters for swapping Merseyside for Madrid during their playing careers After the Reds went on to lift the trophy that same year Alexander-Arnold was afforded with a mural on Sybil Street The elaborate artwork depicts the defender alongside the words: "I'm just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true." The club's hierarchy havs known for several weeks -- and likely suspected for even longer -- that it must plan for a future without its star right back replacing a player of Alexander-Arnold's pedigree is an ominous challenge He has provided 64 Premier League assists during his time at Liverpool -- more than any defender in the competition's history -- and was often the team's creative fulcrum under previous boss Jurgen Klopp who often moved him up into central midfield Now it might be that new head coach Arne Slot chooses to replace that ingenuity by adding to his midfield ranks rather than seeking a like-for-like replacement at right back play1:59How would Trent fit in at Real Madrid with Alonso in charge?Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss how Trent Alexander-Arnold might fit in at Real Madrid if Xabi Alonso is named as Carlo Ancelotti's replacement quiet in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in November with Bradley having made only 27 top-flight appearances so far it would be wise for Liverpool to dip into the market for a player who could both compete with and complement the youngster While the transfer rumor mill will no doubt go into overdrive in the coming weeks and months Liverpool's focus now will be on ending what has been a triumphant first season under Slot on a high The images of Alexander-Arnold basking in the euphoria of his team's latest title win last weekend prompted Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury to ask the question that many Liverpool supporters have been pondering for some time: "How could Trent consider walking away from this?" Although Alexander-Arnold's announcement may not have provided a definitive answer over why he chose to do so it has at least brought all parties some clarity It is not the fairy-tale ending that many fans will have hoped for but it could be the start of an exciting new chapter Full-back did it all for his boyhood club and is off to a new reality where his game will face increased scrutiny Before basking in the acclaim and adulation of the Kop when No 20 was sealed two Sundays ago Trent Alexander-Arnold headed for the suits There was a warm embrace between the Liverpool star and Michael Edwards chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group the man who initiated contract talks with Alexander-Arnold’s brother and agent prior to starting as the club’s new sporting director last summer and has faced a losing battle on that score ever since The Premier League champions are losing a unique That will sting FSG almost as much as the supporters who understandably cannot reconcile one of their own wanting to jump ship at any moment let alone after the high of the club’s record-equalling league title If the Anfield celebrations on the day the championship was secured against Tottenham could not change the defender’s mind – and he had informed Slot of his decision to leave in late March – nothing would Alexander-Arnold has been a first-team fixture at Liverpool for nine seasons Steven Gerrard marked him out as having “a terrific chance of making it as a top professional” in his 2015 autobiography He was Trent Arnold back then and had caught Gerrard’s eye playing as a holding midfielder in the under-16s team he was coaching “He’s quite leggy but he’s got a lovely frame and seems to have all the attributes you need,” wrote the Liverpool legend “He’s still not strong enough at the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold informed Arne Slot of his decision to leave Liverpool in late March Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty ImagesThe full-back grew up near Liverpool’s former Melwood training ground in West Derby wanting to emulate Gerrard’s achievements in a red shirt He has surpassed them in terms of silverware but has been able to cut ties with the city and the club in the prime of his career It is not difficult to imagine Alexander-Arnold wanting to embrace a new challenge a new language and fitting in with the celebrity lifestyle at Real Madrid alongside his good friend Jude Bellingham Alexander-Arnold’s world-class vision and assists will grace the Bernabéu but for a generation of Madrid fans accustomed to the superior defensive application of Dani Carvajal There is more to his departure than the lucrative contract he will receive as a free agent Alexander-Arnold will know how his exit will be received by fellow Liverpool fans by someone the Kop lauds as the “scouser in our team” He was also caught out in that first leg by a long diagonal ball that led to Hoffenheim’s consolation goal The occasional lapse in concentration is something Slot has been working on with the player all season There were 12 Premier League assists in 2018-19, a new Premier League record for a defender of 13 assists as Liverpool swept to the title the following season and another dozen league assists in 2021-22 That season would produce a career-best 19 assists in total as Liverpool played an epic 63-game campaign and Alexander-Arnold continued to redefine what it meant to be a full-back the defender had won every competition he had competed in with Liverpool – the Champions League Another Premier League and League Cup have since been added to the collection That doesn’t happen to a defender who cannot defend The glittering CV also explains his desire to try something new There were some reservations inside the camp as to how the travel and temperatures would affect the team on its swift return to domestic action on Boxing Day with Alexander-Arnold involved in all four goals was a decisive moment in Liverpool’s quest to end their 30-year wait for title No 19 Alexander-Arnold has captained his boyhood club and flourished in a hybrid full-back/midfield role under Klopp the man who appointed him Liverpool’s vice-captain in July 2023 There is still a Premier League trophy lift and parade to come It will be interesting to hear how Alexander-Arnold’s part in the celebrations after Crystal Palace visit Anfield on 25 May is received or how Anfield reacts to confirmation of his exit against Arsenal on Sunday An awkward few weeks await but Liverpool will move on playGarcia: Arda Güler will become a key player for Real Madrid (1:30)Luis Garcia praises the performance of Arda Güler after the midfielder helped Real Madrid to victory over Celta Vigo in LaLiga Kylian Mbappé scored twice -- after Arda Güler had put Madrid ahead -- as the home side cruised to a 3-0 lead at the Bernabéu If Madrid were to beat Barcelona -- who've won all three Clásicos so far this season -- at Montjuïc they would trail the leaders by just one point with three games remaining obviously," Ancelotti said at a postmatch news conference when asked whether Madrid needed to beat Barça to stand a chance of winning the league "I won't say Sunday's game will be decisive The league would still be in Barcelona's hands Barcelona won 4-0 at the Bernabéu in the two teams' first Clásico meeting this season, and then 5-2 in the Spanish Supercopa final, before winning 3-2 after extra time in last weekend's Copa del Rey final "We played them last week and it was competitive," Ancelotti said and we'll play with all the confidence in the world." Carlo Ancelotti looks set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and is seeking to end his reign on a high. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesAncelotti praised playmaker Güler after his impressive display against Celta -- providing a goal and an assist -- and said he's in contention to start against Barça "The Güler of September isn't the Güler of today," Ancelotti said when asked about the player's development He has the profile to be a first-team player at Real Madrid "Two months ago I had a go at the people around him [for being impatient] MADRID -- Aryna Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in straight sets to win her record-tying third Madrid Open on Saturday 1-ranked Sabalenka powered through the first set and edged the American in a tiebreaker for 6-3 Sabalenka added to titles in Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and equaled Petra Kvitova's tournament record It was also Sabalenka's third title of the season after Brisbane and Miami and her career 20th She also pulled level with Gauff on head-to-head with five wins apiece The fourth-ranked Gauff could have risen to No The 2023 US Open champion had lost only one set this week until the final Gauff's record in finals slipped to nine wins in 11 Sabalenka battered Gauff with her drive early on When Gauff found her weakness by spreading her shots around the former champion dug in to force a second-set tiebreaker and crush any chance of a comeback Sabalenka missed a championship point on a break chance in the second set, recalling her failure to convert three championship points in a loss to Iga Swiatek in last year's final After yelling at herself for her missed opportunity the three-time Grand Slam winner shook off her demons "It was a really tough match," Sabalenka said "At the end of the second set it was really intense and I was very emotional I am happy I was able to handle my emotions." The defender has confirmed his decision to leave Liverpool If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement Liverpool have announced that Real Madrid target Trent Alexander-Arnold has officially decided to leave the British club The 26-year-old will bring his two-decade-long association with the Reds to an end having made the decision to depart Anfield once his deal ceases on June 30 Alexander-Arnold said: “I think first and foremost achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here Alexander-Arnold will therefore join Real Madrid as a free agent with the club expecting to announce that deal after the end of the season The 26-year-old Ruud yelled and thrust both arms into the air after clinching the win on his first match point on the Caja Magica clay court "[This was] one of the really big goals I dreamed about when I was young so it's an incredible feeling to accomplish it I knew Jack had been playing unbelievable all year so I knew that if I didn't bring my A-plus game I was going to be whooped around the court." "Jack has become such an incredible player Ruud has more titles (12) on clay than any other player since the start of 2020 Draper said Ruud was "braver" than him in the key moments on Sunday "You've obviously put in so much hard work and constantly had very good years on the tour .. but I think this loss is going to make me better The Reds' academy product has announced his intention leave Merseyside this summer It's finally official, then: Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool the consequence was a dramatic shift in perspective that will result in the Reds losing one of their most valuable assets for nothing which means a bitter backlash is inevitable - and not just towards the player.. Real Madrid are preparing to name current director of football Santiago Solari as interim head coach for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup The move comes as the club anticipates the departure of current manager Carlo Ancelotti who is expected to leave his role in the coming weeks Solari previously managed the first team during the 2018–19 season the Argentine coach earned respect within the organization for his professionalism and commitment He later returned to the club in a front-office role and has remained a trusted figure behind the scenes Solari is expected to return to his executive duties after the tournament once Real Madrid appoint a permanent successor—most likely Xabi Alonso or Jürgen Klopp The Club World Cup has become a significant target for Real Madrid with over €100 million in prize money at stake Club officials reportedly see the tournament as both a prestigious opportunity and a valuable financial asset as they look to the future following what’s been a disappointing 2024-25 season Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti have reached an agreement that will see the Italian coach leave the club. BetaAskNever miss a moment with Real MadridSign up for the latest news, match updates, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Defending champions Madrid's fourth win in a row kept their title dream alive with four matches to go in the Spanish top flight while Celta Vigo remained seventh after their third loss in four league games "The most important thing was the win. We played a good first half, but then we fell apart ... They are a great team and they put us in trouble," midfielder Federico Valverde told Real Madrid TV Mbappé doubled Madrid's lead six minutes later as Jude Bellingham's lobbed ball unleashed the Frenchman Güler's through ball set up Mbappé's second goal three minutes into the second half, the 26-year-old finding the bottom-right corner to score his 24th league goal of the season. That is one less than Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski But Celta Vigo, who lost only two of their previous 11 league games and nearly scored early on with two Marcos Alonso chances The visitors began a fightback with their first goal 69 minutes in, Javi Rodríguez punishing the Madrid defence for failing to clear Sotelo's attempt off a corner with a close-range finish Williot Swedberg scored Celta Vigo's second goal seven minutes later as Iago Aspas found him in the box with a precise through ball Under pressure, Madrid did well to see out the final minutes as Courtois made crucial saves to deny Pablo Durán and Aspas to protect the hosts' lead let's get ready for next Sunday," Courtois said \"The most important thing was the win. We played a good first half, but then we fell apart ... They are a great team and they put us in trouble,\" midfielder Federico Valverde told Real Madrid TV Mbappé doubled Madrid's lead six minutes later as Jude Bellingham's lobbed ball unleashed the Frenchman Güler's through ball set up Mbappé's second goal three minutes into the second half, the 26-year-old finding the bottom-right corner to score his 24th league goal of the season. That is one less than Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski But Celta Vigo, who lost only two of their previous 11 league games and nearly scored early on with two Marcos Alonso chances The visitors began a fightback with their first goal 69 minutes in, Javi Rodríguez punishing the Madrid defence for failing to clear Sotelo's attempt off a corner with a close-range finish Williot Swedberg scored Celta Vigo's second goal seven minutes later as Iago Aspas found him in the box with a precise through ball Under pressure, Madrid did well to see out the final minutes as Courtois made crucial saves to deny Pablo Durán and Aspas to protect the hosts' lead. \"Now, let's get ready for next Sunday,\" Courtois said, referring to the upcoming Barcelona game. The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Travel chaos erupted across Spain on Monday as a brazen cable theft crippled the high-speed rail link between Madrid and Seville leaving thousands of passengers stranded and delayed which targeted the crucial signalling system cables at four separate locations late Sunday particularly impacting those returning to the capital after the holiday weekend Madrid's Atocha station became a scene of confusion and frustration as throngs of travellers sought information from overwhelmed rail staff and anxiously scanned departure boards for updates urged passengers with early morning departures to delay their arrival at the station to avoid further overcrowding The disruption underscored the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the widespread impact such targeted thefts can have on essential services On Monday, droves of travellers crowded Madrid's Atocha station seeking information about their trains from rail employees and screens with updated departure times Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe told passengers with trains departing Madrid before 8 am to not arrive early to avoid further crowding Alberto Valero and his family had spent hours at the station by 9 am due to the delays on the train line connecting Madrid and Seville Valero was on vacation in Spain from Mexico and expressed frustration about the lack of information “We're here with tourists from everywhere — France, Portugal,” Valero said “Everyone is at a loss for what to do because of the total disarray.” The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain Spain’s railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X The incident came a week after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal ground high-speed train traffic in Spain to a halt On Monday ts was revealed the Spanish electricity grid suffered a first power generation outage 19 seconds before the blackout according to Energy Minister Sara Aagesen said on Monday The grid resisted that first outage but two subsequent ones moments later in Southwestern Spain brought the grid to a standstill she said in an interview on state TV channel She said Red Electrica is still investigating what happened on Monday when a massive general blackout hit most of Spain and Portugal.