Real Madrid

This will be a triumph for Quique Setien to savor, as Villarreal stunned La Liga defending champions Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory on Saturday,...

6698 and to get information about the [cookies](/static/privacy#cookiesEn)used on our website in accordance with the relevant legislation. According to Opta statistics, this was the first time Madrid did not have a Spaniard on the field at kickoff in a Spanish league game in this century. Other local media said this was the first time in the club's history. "We have to interpret the moments of the game better. Madrid will pause league plays to compete in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia along with Barcelona, Real Betis, and Valencia. Now we have to focus on the Super Cup." It beat Valencia in a regional derby before taking down Madrid to climb into fifth place in the standings. Alex Baena, enjoying a breakout season, shifted into an interior role, while Dani Parejo has moved further back in the midfield to act as its primary playmaker. Setien has had a rough start at Villarreal, drawing in his debut and losing the next three matches. The 40-year-old Pepe Reina started in Villarreal's goal, hours after the club announced it transferred Argentine Geronimo Rulli to Ajax. "We were better in many aspects, kept the action in their half of the field, and created our scoring chances. Yeremy Pino put Villarreal deservedly ahead in the 47th minute from a pass by Moreno after Ferland Mendy lost possession with an errant pass.

Alaba spoke on his former Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski, who has hit the ground running at Barcelona since joining from the German champions last ...

Alaba will look to add another honour to his Real Madrid catalogue when the squad take part in the Supercopa next week. Alaba is hopeful that he will renew, and believes that he is still a crucial part of the squad. He still has plenty of gas left in the tank, no doubt. He has a prominent role in the team, both on and off the field. He and his family love to get to know this new culture, the language. He has shown it as soon as he arrived in La Liga.

Real Madrid broke a 4435-match record in their to defeat to Villarreal on Saturday by naming a starting line-up without a single Spanish player for the ...

As for the first time in its history it failed to feature a single Spanish player. and they fall to a surprising LaLiga defeat by Villarreal Real Madrid named a starting line-up without a Spanish player for the first time in their history

Gerard Moreno slotted in a second-half penalty to leave Los Blancos level on points with Barcelona.

Inter remain fourth, but missed the chance to move level on points with rivals AC Milan, who have a match in hand. Joselu’s header put Espanyol in front with 15 minutes left, but substitute Yangel Herrera struck in the 85th minute to earn a point Gerard Moreno slotted in a second-half penalty to leave Los Blancos level on points with Barcelona

Real Madrid Castilla began 2023 in style with a superb comeback victory. The academy side defeated Algeciras at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium to extend ...

But the Whites refused to give up and were rewarded five minutes later, as Álvaro Martín scored from inside the six-yard box, latching on to Aranda’s rebound. Raúl’s men took the game to Algeciras and got their reward with 60 minutes on the clock. The visitors took the lead in the 3rd minute, but Arribas equalised with a free-kick on the hour mark.

They looked sluggish for most parts, and were saved by Thibaut Courtois' performance in goal. Ultimately, two late goals from Karim Benzema saved the day. A ...

Of course, he was world-class under the German’s management, but can he replicate that form at Santiago Bernabeu or even come close? Before the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, he was pretty much the fourth choice centre-back at Chelsea. Real Madrid’s defence on the day was particularly disappointing and that has been the case all season. Rudiger arrived in the summer as a free agent, with his contract running out at Chelsea. The display against Real Valladolid was nothing to write home about. Their dip in form before the World Cup break was put down to fatigue and injuries.

The Real Madrid forward has won one Champions League, two LaLiga titles, one Uefa Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups.

The comeback against Manchester City in the semi-finals on the road to la Decimocuarta will always be in the memories of all Madrid fans. Rodrygo boasts a special fondness for the Champions League, with 13 of his 26 goals for Real Madrid coming in this competition. During this spell at the club, he has scored 26 goals in 130 games.

Guillermo Rai has been linked to Real Madrid since he was a child. Here, he explains how fate intervened in joining The Athletic.

I was to travel with the editors of the sports newspaper that I had started contributing to when I was still at school. Having come of age, he was already one of the side’s most exciting players and I was to catch him by surprise when he returned from his holiday in Brazil. I had the tickets, I had arranged the date and when they scored I was going to kiss her. It was there that I met Mario Cortegana, an older brother of sorts, who surprised me with his friendliness and impressed me with his commitment to his work. I had it all planned: I was going to go with the girl of my dreams to the Santiago Bernabeu to watch the final on big screens in the stadium. I still have a Real Madrid polo shirt signed by the four of them, which I treasure to this day.

Neither Perez nor Laporta are here to say anything, but to be seen offering joint support as Reichert claims the Super League is “not dead”, despite a European ...

Another anecdote has Rosell being insulted by Madrid fans near the Bernabeu’s VIP zone, and Perez arranging for those season-ticket holders involved to be moved permanently to another part of the stadium. Perez and Laporta also had cordial relations during their respective first terms, even as the tensions between fans, pundits and players intensified — for example, when Figo returned to Camp Nou as a Madrid player. [Manchester City](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-city/) beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to top Deloitte’s Money League for the first time last year with a revenue of €644.9million in 2021 — up 17 per cent from 2020. [told The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/2424582/2021/03/08/they-are-looking-for-a-miracle-laporta-back-at-barcelona-and-what-it-means/) almost two years ago. Tebas’ mandate since his election in 2013 has been to protect the interests of smaller top-flight and second-tier clubs who historically felt pushed around by the big two. Barcelona instead did a similar standalone deal last summer, although with different financial details, with US financiers Sixth Street, which brought in €517million to fill holes in the club’s finances. At October’s club AGM he claimed the Super League would be “a more equal competition, an open league, based on meritocracy and respecting the state leagues” and predicted the European courts would decide UEFA is a monopoly which must be broken up. The Athletic was told the political situation meant no other European clubs would even play them in a friendly last summer. Figo’s betrayal caused anguish in Barcelona — symbolised by the pig’s head (and coins and golf balls) being thrown at the Portugal winger when he went back to Barca’s Camp Nou stadium as a Madrid player. But events have driven them together, and these two historic rivals have become intertwined in a new love story which has huge consequences for the future of Spanish and European football. The same idea was wrapped up in Barca’s ‘Mes que un club’ — More than a club — motto. Both sides seemed to revel in their differences — the liberal Catalan freedom fighters against Madrid’s protectors of conservative Spanish values.

Defensive lapses and sloppiness on the ball let Real down at Villarreal - but then, Saturday's team had never played together before.

[Dani Parejo](https://theathletic.com/football/player/dani-parejo-U8N8G1WM92Qh0I8g/) [David Alaba](https://theathletic.com/football/player/david-alaba-T0iL7cxRF7Jno4rg/). [Ferland Mendy](https://theathletic.com/football/player/ferland-mendy-3NoIoLsocoyoR4Ae/) who had the ball. [Dani Carvajal](https://theathletic.com/football/player/dani-carvajal-eEphlMNZO0Md1PPr/). A few minutes later, Madrid again came under pressure from Quique Setien’s side, with up to seven players swamping Madrid’s midfield and two close to breaking through. Villarreal came out fast in attack and Madrid were slow to close ranks, especially on their right flank, where Yeremi Pino was a constant threat, taking advantage of defensive slippages by Militao and Rudiger. [Federico Valverde](https://theathletic.com/football/player/federico-valverde-7xkBDGz7u8vo68xZ/). They had to wait just four minutes for Militao, in his new role at full-back, to go out of position and Rudiger to try to occupy the space created. Because the German centre-back was covering, he left a lot of space between himself and partner [Alex Baena](https://theathletic.com/football/player/alex-baena-efJFuQ1JG6CIuyKM/) saw this clearly and filtered the ball inside for [Gerard Moreno](https://theathletic.com/football/player/gerard-moreno-Ra5zmJZbmyQrK08x/). But as well as being the first time fielding a starting XI with no Spaniards in it, another Madrid first was perhaps just as noteworthy this weekend. [Barcelona](https://theathletic.com/football/team/fc-barcelona/) youngsters [Gavi](https://theathletic.com/football/player/gavi-9ACowrmXJKJKTUi5/) and [Pedri](https://theathletic.com/football/player/pedri-3g7COHNXo2cn0MN2/), and also of the decline of the Spanish national team.