عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Madrid Draws with Betis with Likely Starters for Champions League Final and Kroos Says Farewell

Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Madrid Draws with Betis with Likely Starters for Champions League Final and Kroos Says Farewell

Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)

Real Madrid drew with Real Betis 0-0 on Saturday in its last warmup game before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions league final.

Madrid wrapped up the Spanish league title three weeks ago, and since then coach Carlo Ancelotti has rotated his lineups to rest his starters. But the Italian likely had his top-choice players back in his starting 11 against Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There were only two changes from the Champions League semifinals victory over Bayern Munich.

The versatile Eduardo Camavinga was in the spot of injured holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who will miss the final due to a foot injury.

The other tweak was goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois starting over Andriy Lunin, the backup who played most of the season before the Belgian recovered recently from an ACL injury.

Ancelotti, however, would not confirm that this will be his starting team for the final in London on June 1.

“I have a week to think about it, we may still have some doubts,” Ancelotti said. “We will enjoy preparing for the final and arrive at our best form on Saturday and try to win it.”

KROOS HONORED

Toni Kroos played his last home game for Madrid. The 34-year-old midfielder announced this week he will retire after playing for Germany at this summer’s European Championship.

Kroos' teammates donned his No. 8 shirt to hold an honor guard for him before kickoff. When he was substituted late, his teammates and coach took turns hugging him. Kroos then embraced his three young children.

He can add to his 22 titles, including four Champions League crowns, with Madrid next weekend.

“I couldn’t have asked for more,” Kroos said. “These have been 10 unforgettable years. Now the best way for me to finish would be winning another title.”

DOVBYK EYES TOP SCORER

Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk is set to finish the Spanish league as its top scorer after his main challenger fell one goal short of his mark.

Dovbyk, who is expected to play in Euro 2024, leads the league in the final round with 24 goals.

Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth has 23 and had a chance to equal Dovbyk when it visited Osasuna. But the Norway striker appeared to suffer a leg injury early and had to be substituted without scoring.

Dovbyk was two goals behind Sorloth in the goals race until he bagged a hat trick to fuel a 7-0 rout of Granada on Friday.

Dovbyk's last outside threat is Robert Lewandowski, who has 18 before Barcelona visits Sevilla on Sunday in Xavi Hernández's last game in charge.

Dovbyk joined Girona last summer from Ukrainian club SC Dnipro-1 and helped transform the small club into a European sensation. The Catalan club partly owned by Manchester City's Adu Dhabi ownership qualified for the Champions League for the first time with a third-place finish.

Villarreal drew at Osasuna 1-1 after Sorloth's replacement, José Luis Morales, scored a second-half equalizer.

Osasuna striker Ante Budimir, who is on Croatia's Euro 2024 squad, netted his first goal since recovering from fractured ribs to give the hosts a first-half lead. He finished the league with 17 goals.

Villarreal will likely conclude the campaign with the league’s top assist-maker. Midfielder Álex Baena, who could be on Spain’s Euros 2024 squad, made it 14 assists by setting up Morales. Villarreal said that tied a club record set by Juan Riquelme.

The game also featured the farewell of coach Jagoba Arrasate after his six years at Osasuna. Arrasate announced in March that he turned down the offer of a contract extension, saying he needed a fresh start.

NICO SHINES

Nico Williams capped his superb season by scoring to give fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano. Williams helped Athletic win the Copa del Rey and is a sure bet to play for Spain at Euro 2024.

Fourth-placed Atletico Madrid got goals from Samuel Lino and Reinildo Mandava to defeat sixth-placed Real Sociedad 2-0.

The final round had no drama with the title, European berths and relegation spots all decided beforehand.

Madrid, Barcelona, Girona and Atletico will play in the Champions League next season, while Athletic and Sociedad are Europa League bound. Betis will play the Conference League.

FINALLY A REASON TO CHEER

Almeria, which was relegated a month before the season ended, was at least able to escape last place and give its fans something to cheer about after crushing Cadiz 6-1. Luis Suárez and Sergio Arribas both notched braces in the rout.

Almeria pushed Granada to the bottom. Cadiz will join them in the second division next season.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Hamilton Says Tension with Ferrari Teammate Leclerc 'Squashed'

Ferrari's seven-time world champion British driver Lewis Hamilton. Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP
Ferrari's seven-time world champion British driver Lewis Hamilton. Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP
TT
TT

Hamilton Says Tension with Ferrari Teammate Leclerc 'Squashed'

Ferrari's seven-time world champion British driver Lewis Hamilton. Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP
Ferrari's seven-time world champion British driver Lewis Hamilton. Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP

Lewis Hamilton said he and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc had "squashed" the tension between them that followed their first lap tangle in Mexico.

He said they had resolved to work together for the team in Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, AFP reported.

The seven-time champion spoke after qualifying 11th in Saturday's rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos where he will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a penalty for using two new engines.

When asked if his relationship with Leclerc was improved after team boss Fred Vasseur held clear the air talks with them on Thursday evening, Hamilton said: "Fred hasn't cleared the air. It was me and Charles.

"We sat and we spoke, we squashed it. And we're moving on. We still have a huge amount of respect for each other.

"I'm glad we had a chat and now we move on. We've been getting along just fine, as normal.

"Sometimes in those certain scenarios, it just takes having a conversation.

"There's been no demands from either side. It's just been both of us giving our points in areas we can do better and support each other.

"I'm hoping to have better races now, moving forward."

His comments came amid much discussion of Ferrari's need to introduce "rules of engagement" for their drivers, a notion resisted by Vasseur.

Of his qualifying, he said: "I love qualifying and getting to drive in the rain - and this is such an amazing track to race in all conditions, but in the wet particularly.

"It was really a bit of a practice for me in case it is wet again tomorrow."

Leclerc, who had returned to Monaco after Mexico for the birth of his daughter, qualified fourth but will start 14th due to serving a 10-place penalty for taking a new engine.

He agreed he and Hamilton had sorted out their problems.

"When we speak, things are much better straightaway," he said.

"Of course, there is some tension. We want to finish ahead of each other and sometimes we are not going to do things right, but it's OK to disagree sometimes on the way you see things.

"But discussing things helps a whole lot."

Sports

Too Close for Comfort for Arteta Despite Arsenal’s Fifth Win in a Row

Arsenal v Hull City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 7, 2026 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
Arsenal v Hull City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 7, 2026 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Too Close for Comfort for Arteta Despite Arsenal’s Fifth Win in a Row

Arsenal v Hull City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 7, 2026 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)
Arsenal v Hull City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - November 7, 2026 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the match. (Reuters)

Arsenal earned a sixth ‌Premier League victory by a single-goal margin as they edged a dogged Hull City 1-0 on Saturday but while his side have opened a healthy lead at the top of the table, Mikel Arteta would prefer a little less jeopardy.

Martin Odegaard's 72nd-minute goal after Noni Madueke's shot had been parried by Hull keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis was enough to break Hull's resistance and secure a ninth win for the champions from their first 10 games.

It was not a comfortable ‌afternoon for Arteta, ‌though, as his side had 21 ‌goal ⁠attempts but only ⁠converted once.

"To be more efficient," Arteta told reporters when asked what his side need to do to win by healthier margins.

"We are one against one against the keeper. That's happened twice today. There is a penalty there, there is another situation inside the box where the ball is bouncing. ⁠So many shots that have been deflected, ‌blocked.

"We need to find ways to ‌be more efficient, sometimes even more pragmatic," he added.

"We need ‌to be much more chaotic than that, and that's it. ‌And open, I think, score much earlier because obviously that's going to change the course of the game."

Arsenal were not firing on all cylinders on Saturday but will head into the international ‌break in a dominant position after five successive league wins since losing to Brighton & ⁠Hove Albion ⁠ahead of the first international stoppage.

They are six points clear of stuttering Manchester City and look to be overwhelming favorites for back-to-back titles.

"I think it is time to praise my players. What they have done not only today but after the international break is remarkable because of the games," Arteta said.

"We are not in a really strong position. We know that we can improve in a lot of areas and we'll analyze in this break how we're going to do that. And I will know what to expect afterwards because it's going to be super difficult."

Sports

Real Madrid Beat Valencia as Spanish Football Honors De Miguel

Valencia and Real Madrid players observe a minute's silence in memory of the Tenerife player, Jesus De Miguel, prior LaLiga EA Sports game between Valencia and Real Madrid at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2026. (EPA)
Valencia and Real Madrid players observe a minute's silence in memory of the Tenerife player, Jesus De Miguel, prior LaLiga EA Sports game between Valencia and Real Madrid at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Real Madrid Beat Valencia as Spanish Football Honors De Miguel

Valencia and Real Madrid players observe a minute's silence in memory of the Tenerife player, Jesus De Miguel, prior LaLiga EA Sports game between Valencia and Real Madrid at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2026. (EPA)
Valencia and Real Madrid players observe a minute's silence in memory of the Tenerife player, Jesus De Miguel, prior LaLiga EA Sports game between Valencia and Real Madrid at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2026. (EPA)

Real Madrid pulled level with La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 3-0 win at Valencia on Saturday, as Spanish football paid tribute to Jesus de Miguel.

Tenerife striker De Miguel died Tuesday after a collision with Andorra's goalkeeper in a Spanish second division match on Monday, and matches across the country were stopped in the ninth minute to pay homage to the number nine.

In Tenerife, fans and players gathered at the stadium for a memorial and farewell to De Miguel.

"You knew what it meant to work towards a common goal, you understood football as something that went far beyond oneself," said Tenerife captain Enric Gallego in an emotional speech.

"Just a few days ago, we were sharing all of that with you -- today we have to speak of you in the past tense. It's terribly unfair."

De Miguel's funeral took place on Thursday and around 400 mourners attended, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Spain's footballers' union had asked for all weekend matches to be paused as a mark of respect, but most games went ahead.

There was a minute of silence before kick-off for De Miguel and matches were stopped for a minute's applause in the ninth minute -- his shirt number.

- 'This team smells good' -

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe scored for the seventh match running in the win over 10-man Valencia.

Reigning champions Barca visit Atletico Madrid, third, on Sunday, aiming to move back clear of the chasing pack.

Jose Mourinho's Madrid largely dominated at Mestalla stadium as they secured an eighth win in a row across all competitions.

Federico Valverde and Arda Guler's first half goals put Madrid in the driving seat and Mbappe added a third in the second half.

"From my experience, this team smells good," Mourinho told reporters.

The Madrid coach said his team did not lose their heads after their last defeat, by Atletico Madrid on September 20, after which their winning run began.

"We never had chaos, we've been calm, we understand why we lost that game," said Mourinho.

"I always fight for people to be balanced in the good moments, I always tell them that winning games in a team like Real Madrid, you can't be taken up in a whirlwind of joy, winning games at Real Madrid has to be normality."

Los Blancos were without winger Vinicius Junior, who was serving the final game of a four-match ban.

Madrid have thrived in his absence, putting heavy pressure on Barca, whom they beat in the Camp Nou Clasico on October 25.

Valencia's Guido Rodriguez had a goal disallowed for offside before Mourinho's side took control.

Valverde drilled Madrid ahead from outside the area after Mbappe's free-kick was blocked by the Valencia wall and fell to the Uruguayan.

Guler soon doubled the lead, after Jude Bellingham's cross was deflected kindly into his path.

Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski saved from Guler, Mbappe and Jude Bellingham as Madrid tried to find a third to kill off the game.

Eventually Mbappe produced it, bursting onto a dangerous pass by Guler to dart past Dimitrievski and squeeze home his 13th league goal of the campaign.

It was the forward's 17th goal in 16 games across all competitions. Mbappe has netted in his last seven appearances for Madrid.

Valencia captain Jose Gaya was dismissed with around 10 minutes remaining for a late sliding foul on Mbappe to further spoil Javier Aguirre's team's night. Los Che are 19th, a point from safety.

"We knew it would be a tough game, facing Madrid at their best moment of the season," Gaya told DAZN.

"We tried in the second half, changed our system... but we couldn't get into the game."

Earlier new Espanyol coach Eder Sarabia's side were held to a goalless home draw by Deportivo La Coruna.

Osasuna snatched a late 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, while Racing Santander came from behind to beat Malaga 2-1.