(Football news) Real Madrid are flying in the La Liga with 5 wins and a draw so far in the campaign. Los Blancos look unbeatable at the moment but Atlético Madrid are just 2 points behind their city rivals. FC Barcelona are in 7th place right now and if some things aren't sorted quickly then the Catalan's season might be derailed to a point where a European spot would be a luxury.

Real Madrid last Wednesday ran riot against Mallorca as they won 6-1. Los Blancos now sit on top of the table and remain unbeaten. Carlo Ancelotti has already worked his magic on the squad and Real Madrid are back playing attacking football. Real Madrid have scored 22 goals in 7 matches which is the highest a Real Madrid side has scored at this stage since the 1987/88 season.

Los Blancos host Villarreal on Saturday to try and keep their place at the top of the table. Long term absentees Ferland Mendy, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos remain unavailable while Dani Carvajal is the latest to join the treatment room. Unai Emery's side are sitting 12th on the table. The Europa league champions have won just 1 and drawn 4 league games so far. It's going to take some performance to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Also read: Has Carlo Ancelotti rescued Marco Asensio's career with the position change?

Atletico Madrid play Deportivo Alaves away from home. Diego Simeone's men came back from 1 goal down to win 2-1 against 10 men Getafe midweek. Atletico Madrid are also yet to lose a game but haven't been as comfortable and commanding as their city rivals. Alaves sit bottom of the table having lost all 5 games. Atletico would be looking to get a commanding victory to make a statement. Joao Felix is yet to recover from his injury and will be unavailable while the fitness of Hector Herrera, Marcos Paulo, Santiago Arias, Thomas Lemar remains unclear.

These are worrying times for FC Barcelona with the Blaugrana failing to win their last 3 games. Barcelona are yet to lose a game in the league but their performances have been lackluster. The Catalans have a long list of absentees consisting of Ansu Fati, Martin Braithwaite, Pedri, Sergio Aguero, Ousmane Dembélé and Jordi Alba. Barcelona host Levante after their goalless draw away at Cadiz. Levante are yet to win a match in the league this season and they wouldn't get a better chance to get a victory at the Camp Nou

New Delhi, Sep 24 (Football News) Veteran India midfielder Sanju Pradhan is currently busy preparing for the challenges that lie ahead in the I-League Qualifiers with his new club FC Bengaluru United.

However, till he had joined his teammates for their pre-season routines, the 32-year-old was busy giving back to society.

Active footballers do not get to spend a great deal of time at home, and when Sanju was afforded such an opportunity, he used the time to help out the people in need in his native village of Daramdin in Sikkim.

Sanju, who has represented India as well on the international level, has opened his own football academy in Sikkim, through which he attempts to do his social work.

"I myself am from a no-so-affluent background, so I understand when people come to me and ask for help," Sanju told i-league.org.

During normal situations, Sanju and the band of aspiring footballers who train in his academy send relief rations to the forces that are stationed near the area. However, it has been different ever since the pandemic struck.

"Normally we send such relief rations to the forces, like SSB, BSF, and Police. They have to work in harsh conditions, and we always try to help them out. But this time, during the pandemic, many people lost their jobs, or have not been able to get the basic necessities," said Sanju.

"We have had so many requests that we decided to help out anyone who needed aid." "The Pandemic has affected so many people across so many towns and villages. People in the rural areas have been affected even more, especially the daily wage workers," he continued.

"But what is so good to see is that its not just the academy kids who have come out to help this time. The people of our locality have also come out to help one and all, and that is heartening to see.

"We send relief rations to people that are in need. It is basic stuff like rice, dal, oil, sugar, salt – just the essential, but if that helps people in any way, we are happy." While Sanju Pradhan is with his club FC Bengaluru United, playing in the Durand Cup, before travelling to Bengaluru for the I-League Qualifiers, the work in his hometown continues.

"It's very important for me to be able to help, especially since I am also from a family of poor farmers. Football has given me a lot of things in life, and I feel that it is also important to give back to society.

"It's as big an achievement for me as winning any tournament," he said.

Also Read : Former Real Madrid Coach Ángel Garcia Becomes SC East Bengal assistant coach

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Sep 24 (Football News) Former Real Madrid coach Angel Puebla Garcia has been appointed as the deputy to SC East Bengal head coach Manuel 'Manolo' Diaz, the club announced on Friday.

He will also be fulfilling the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach.

With close to two decades of coaching experience, Garcia has worked with the likes of Vicente del Bosque at Real Madrid between 1993-94 and Rafa Benitez in Real Madrid and Real Valladolid between 1994-1996 as both football conditioning and assistant coach.

A UEFA Pro License holder who has also cut his teeth in sports science, fitness and conditioning with multiple degrees to show for, Garcia has worked closely with players of the ilk of David Villa and David Silva also working with the Georgia national team in 2008.

"I am happy to be part of such a big club like SC East Bengal. I have worked in some of the finest football clubs and with some of the best coaches. I know what it takes to bring the winning mentality and that is what we will try to do here," Garcia said.

"I am looking forward for the challenge ahead and I can't wait to get started," he added.

Garcia was the chief executive of Real Valladolid's academy and Kimberley College Football Academy in Brisbane (Australia). Having worked in four continents, Garcia was last attached to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, where he was the assistant coach to Germán Burgos.

Garcia has worked with players like Raúl, Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueño, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Iván Zamorano and Maxi Rodríguez besides also training Spanish world champions Villa, Silva, Álvaro Arbeloa, Carlos Marchena and Raúl Albiol.

He has worked with Al Wasl in Dubai, also plying his trade with Evergrande Football School in China. Garcia was assistant coach to Héctor Cúper in Turkey as well for FC Orduspor. He worked with Cúper at Racing de Santander before that also being part of his team at Greek club Aris FC.

Meanwhile, former Indian football star Renedy Singh will continue to remain assistant coach of SC East Bengal and will be part of Diaz's backroom staff.

Former India captain Renedy was part of Robbie Fowler's coaching team as well in SC East Bengal debut season in the Indian Super League.

Also Read : Mumbai City secure loan move for Brazilian striker Catatau

News Source : PTI

Jamshedpur, Sep 24 (Football News) The Indian women's football team will play multiple international friendlies, starting next week in the UAE, as part of its preparation for the 2022 AFC Asian Cup at home.

According to the itinerary unveiled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the women's team, which has been training in a camp in Jamshedpur for around a month, will play two friendlies against the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia. The team will leave for the UAE on September 30.

The Indian Women's Team will then travel to Bahrain to play two more friendlies against Bahrain and Chinese Taipei.

That is likely to be followed by a brief stint in Sweden, where they are set to face two Damallsvenskan league teams, subject to permission to Indian citizens arriving in Sweden from relevant authorities.

"Besides the four matches against UAE, Tunisia, Chinese Taipei and Bahrain, we also have two confirmed matches against two Swedish premier league teams," Head Coach Thomas Dennerby said in a release issued by AIFF.

"We are in the process of sorting out the travel protocol to the country as entry of Indian citizens to Sweden is still not open yet.

"I appreciate the efforts of the AIFF in finding us teams willing to play matches against us under such circumstances." Dennerby said the quarantine rules in different countries in wake of COVID-19 has left India with very few options.

"We have been training in Jamshedpur for a month, in our quest to prepare for the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2020 (January-February)," he said.

"Unfortunately, the current pandemic situation is tough and the reality is that there are different quarantine restrictions in different countries which kills many options for the Indian teams as entry for Indians in some countries is either still not yet open, or involves a major quarantine period." Dennerby has already spoken about the importance of playing quality matches to get the girls match fit ahead of the big tournament, and he believes that the friendlies in UAE and Bahrain will help the team assess itself.

"The matches in UAE and Bahrain will allow us to judge ourselves where we stand against some good competitive opponents. Teams need to build up their defence, and also the build-up process, and all of that is judged in an international match," the coach said.

The Indian women's team, as part of their preparation for the AFC Asian Cup, will be based out of Jamshedpur, training in facilities provided by the Jharkhand Government.

"It's difficult to arrange such things during a pandemic, and it has been very helpful to have the facilities to train in Jamshedpur. The Jharkhand Government has left no stone unturned in providing us with the necessary facilities, and we are all thankful for that," he said.

"I hope with the correct mixture of training and friendlies against quality opponents, we can be more than ready for the Asian Cup."

Also Read : Kochi to host women's international tournament in December ahead of AFC Asian Cup next year

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Sep 24 (Football News) Reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mumbai City FC have signed forward Ygor Catatau on a season-long loan from Brazilian side Madureira Esporte Clube.

The Brazilian striker started his professional career with Madureira before making the jump to the first team in 2015 and was loaned out to clubs like Barra da Tijuca and Boa Esporte in his initial years.

Catatau then signed on a one-season loan deal with CR Vasco da Gama, where he featured in the Brasileiro Série A and Copa do Brasil during the 2020/21 season.

Earlier in March 2021, the 26-year-old player was loaned to Série B side EC Vitoria, where he made 27 appearances for the club and scored three goals, including one assist to his name.

Catatau's move to Mumbai City FC will be his first experience playing outside of his native Brazil, stated a media statement issued by the club on Friday.

Ygor Catatau, on his part said, "Joining Mumbai City and coming to the ISL is a new challenge for me in my career and I'm extremely excited about it." "For all of us at the club, we want to deliver in what I'm aware is going to be an important season for us," he added.

Also Read : Odisha FC reveal home kit for the new Indian Super League season

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Odisha FC have revealed their new home kit that will be worn by their players at the upcoming Hero Indian Super League season. The kit is dedicated to the states rich handloom tradition with Sambalpuri, specifically Pasapali, designs on it. The club will retain its colours of black and purple just like the previous season.

The design of Odisha FC’s kit is inspired by the famous Sambalpuri saree which is a handloom saree woven in the western part of the state. The decision to implement this design is to spread Odisha’s culture and tradition across the globe.

A few days ago, Odisha FC also launched their second and third kits. The away kit represents the traditional warriors of Odisha while the Paikas and the 'Sunrise' colour symbolize #ANewDawn inspired by the rising sun. The third kit represents Odisha’s massive coastline, magnificent beaches and the waves of Puri beach.

Also read: Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters FC to return to Kochi for pre-season training

(Football news) Following the Durand Cup participation, Kerala Blasters players will enjoy a well earned break before returning to Kochi on 26th September for pre-season training ahead of the new Indian Super League season. Except Alvaro Vazquez, all foreign players have already joined the squad in Kolkata and the team will spend three weeks in Kochi after which they will travel to Goa mid-October to play two friendlies.

Abdul Hakku is expected to rejoin the team after enduring a minor knock in the first Durand match while Nishu Kumar will also join the squad in the first week of October after undergoing treatment for the last eight weeks. Kumar will complete the final leg of his rehabilitation with the squad.

“We are very happy to get back to Kochi after Kolkata. It would be great to get back to where we can have our training program under control. We will be working the next 15-20 days in Kochi with some friendly games. We are happy that the new players have arrived and that we can start to integrate them within the group. Hope to have all of our players under one roof soon and prepare further for the upcoming efforts before going to Goa.” says Ivan Vukomanović, Head Coach, Kerala Blasters FC.

Also read: Chennaiyin FC and DafaNews renew their partnership for third consecutive year

(Football news) Barcelona made it three games without victory as they are finding life without Messi tough. On the other hand Atletico brushed off their disappointing draw by winning against Getafe, Carlo Ancelloti created history as his team have scored more goals after six games than any other La Liga team since Barcelona in 2013.

Barcelona drew 0-0 against Cadiz in what was a very disappointing performance by them as it further mounts pressure on Ronald Koeman to save his job. Koeman was under pressure heading into the match but with this draw, the Barcelona hierarchy will surely reevaluate their decision to keep him at the club going forward. Barca were fortunate to even get a point in the match as Marc Andre ter Stegen saved them several times towards the end, Frenkie de Jong received his second yellow card in the 65th minute as it made it even harder for them to win. Memphis was guilty of squandering several good chances in the first half as their performance in the second half lacked intensity and passion.

With this result Barca set some unwanted records as this is the lowest goal tally for Barca since 2003 at this stage, they also notably have picked up two red cards this season. After the nil-nil, Barca are placed 7th in the league having won two, drawn 3 and collected 9 points so far.

"You have to always try to win each game, but you have to be realistic, you have to see the squad we have, the people we're missing," said Koeman.  Meanwhile, club president Joan Laporta said “If we have to make decisions at a certain time, we will take them". 

Atletico Madrid came back from behind to win 2-1 against Getafe, in the first half chances were few and far, but just when the half was about to end Jan Oblak failed to clear a freekick which was scored by Stefan Mitrovic courtesy of Nemanja Maksimovic’s cross. The story of the second was completely different as Atleti asserted their dominance, this pressure showed as Carles Alena got sent off for a high challenge. Atleti finally took the lead through their talisman Luis Suarez as he poked the ball past Soria from 10 yards, the game was looking like a draw but a hopeful ball by Vrsaljko found Suarez unmarked, he made no mistake at the back post and handed them important three points.With this result Atletico Madrid have 14 points just two points of Real Madrid.

Also read: Has Carlo Ancelotti rescued Marco Asensio's career with the position change?

Sevilla beat Valencia 3-1 at home to go fourth in the table and mount an unlikely title challenge. Sevilla blew away their opponents in the opening 22 minutes as goals from Pau Gomez, Montiel and new signing Rafa Mir virtually sealed the game for them in the first half. Valencia grabbed a goal through Hugo Duro and managed to gain some control in the first half but never looked threatening to make an unlikely comeback. With this result Sevilla are fourth with 11 points but have played a match less and Valencia are 5th with 10 points.

Other notable results were:   

• Villarreal 4 (Pino, Trigueros, Groeneveld, Moreno) - 1 Elche (Mojica)
• Granada 2 (Sánchez, Milla) - 3 Real Sociedad (Elustondo x2, Merino)
• Athletic Club 1 (Ciss) - 2 Rayo Vallecano (Garcia, Falcao)
• Osasuna 1(Kike) - 3 Real Betis (Hermoso, Juanmi, William Jose)

(Football news) The World Cup 2022 hosted in Qatar will be a unique one, especially considering that while the tournament is traditionally held during the summer break once the season ends, this particular World Cup will be held in the middle of the domestic season. The question on everybody’s mind is how will the football world incorporate the biggest football tournament in the world right in the middle of the domestic league campaigns? How will it affect the fitness and fatigue of the players and how viable of an option is it to begin with?

The Premier League is expected to break next season after the weekend of November 12th before resuming fixtures on Boxing Day. This means that players will just have one week to prepare in their national team camps before participating in the World Cup and only eight days to recover if they reach the finals on December 18th. Keeping this in mind, the Premier League has decided to start a week earlier than usual, which means next season will begin on Saturday, August 6th and finish later than usual, with the league campaign concluding in late May while the FA Cup has been shifted to June.

In a scheduled meeting by executives of all 20 Premier League clubs, a number of issues were discussed including the programme for the 2022/2023 season and the COVID-19 protocols including the need for Covid passports. Christian Purslow, Aston Villa’s Chief Executive described the prospect of a winter World Cup as “crazy”. In an interview, Purslow said "Next season when we play in an equally crazy idea, which is a winter World Cup, we won't see any Premier League football at the peak of our season between November and December, which is something that people are going to have to get used to.

"These are decisions that were taken a long time ago. They bite, quite soon. Next season, we'll all see that. I always have concerns about player welfare but I have more concerns for our fans missing Premier League football in the winter for five weeks, which is our great national tradition and our great national heritage."

In addition, the 2021/2022 EFL season is also expected to begin earlier than usual and will begin in July to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The matches will now begin on the weekend of 30th and 31st July and will pause after the weekend of November 12th and 13th. However, the EFL will resume soon after the group stage ends but no date has been finalized yet. As per the current plan, no extension would be required for the EFL to conclude their campaign with the finals expected to be played on the bank holiday weekend at the end of May. League One and League Two are expected to continue their seasons as usual.

Also read: North London derby and Chelsea vs Manchester City headline massive gameweek 6

(Football news) The Premier League is up and running in full force. The fixtures have started coming hard and fast with European and Cup competitions midweek. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all on 13 points before the start of gameweek 6. 

Chelsea and Manchester City play at the Stamford Bridge for the first time since the UEFA Champions League final last season. Both teams have strengthened their squad since then. Chelsea at the moment look unbeatable having won all but one game this season. The game will be a battle of two tactical geniuses Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. Both the teams won their Carabao cup fixtures midweek. Manchester City will be without defenders Aymeric Laporte and John Stones while Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko are doubtful. As for Chelsea Eduardo Mendy is still in doubt while Christian Pulisic has been ruled out completely. 

Also read: Has Carlo Ancelotti rescued Marco Asensio's career with the position change?

After their disappointing Carabao cup exit, Manchester United will host Aston Villa. The team will be keen to bounce back straight away after their midweek setback. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer benched the majority of his first choice players against West Ham in the cup so United players will be fit and ready for the game. Aston Villa have a tough fixture list coming up and the Lions who sit 10th on the table will be looking to get a result.

Liverpool travel to Brentford away in an attempt to stay top of the table. Brentford isn't the easiest of places to win but with Liverpool's form, Jurgen Klopp will be expecting nothing less than 3 points. Both the teams won their Carabao cup ties comfortably and approach this game in very good form. There are still question marks over the fitness of Trent Alexander Arnold and Roberto Firmino. Thiago, Harvey Elliott and Neco Willaims have been ruled out.

The big game of the week is the North London derby at the Emirates Stadium. The history of this contest makes the game worth more than just 3 points. Tottenham started the season well but then fell off whereas Arsenal have done the exact opposite. Both the teams won their Carabao cup ties but on current form Arsenal go into the game as favourites. Granit Xhaka could return in Arsenal's midfield after serving his suspension. Harry Kane on the other hand is yet to score in the Premier League and he wouldn't get a better opportunity to break his goal drought in the League.

(Football news) It already looks like stopping Bayern from winning their 10th title in a row will be a mammoth task. The likes of Dortmund and Wolfsburg are trying to provide some bit of competition but looking at Bayern's current form it already looks like a daunting task.

Bayern take on newly promoted side Fruth, Nagelsman’s side will head into the clash as overwhelming favourites. After failing to win their first match Bayern have been mutilating every opponent they have faced, having won all their seven matches since then and only conceding 4 goals. The Bavarians will be without Kingsley Coman who recently underwent a heart surgery and will be unavailable, Corentin Tolisso, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry will all unavailable with small niggles.

The match of the week is going to be between the two Borussia clubs, Dortmund vs Monchengladbach. It will also be an emotional return for Marco Rose to his former club, the three points for Dortmund are very important as they need to maintain pressure on Bayern or else they will run away with the title. Dortmund will receive an injury boost as Nico Schulz will come back from a long term injury but Emre Can, Julian Brandt and Dan Axel Zagadou will be unavailable for this important clash. All eyes will be on Erling Haaland as he already scored 7 in 5 matches, the same as Robert Lewandowski.

Wolfsburg take on Hoffenheim away from home, Van Bommels side will be looking to get back to winning ways after a disappointing draw against Frankfurt. Wolfsburg have made an unexpected start to the season as they look to maintain this against struggling Hoffenheim side, they have a chance for the first time since 2005 to win three away matches in the league. Wout Weghorst will be the player to watch out as he has scored in each of the last three encounters between them.

Also read: Has Carlo Ancelotti rescued Marco Asensio's career with the position change?

RB Leipzig take Hertha Berlin in what is a must win match for Jesse Marsch, they have made the worst start in their history as they have only managed 4 points from 5 matches. On the other hand Hertha will be high on confidence after winning their previous game and will take advantage of Leipzig's frailty. This season Leipzig are finding it tough to score even after buying last season's golden boot runner Andre Silva, if Leipzig are to get a positive result their forward players need to up their game.  

The other games to watch out for:

Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz 05
Eintracht Frankfurt vs FC Koln
Union Berlin vs Arminia
Freiburg vs Augsburg

Kolkata, Sep 23 (Football News) Army Red were on Thursday forced to withdraw from their Durand Cup quarterfinal against FC Bengaluru United after COVID-19 cases were detected in their squad, allowing their opponents to move into the last-four stage.

The match was scheduled for Friday but has now been called off.

"The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of 130th Durand Cup, has called off the quarterfinal game between Army Red and (FCBU) scheduled for Friday, September 24, 2021, at the Kalyani stadium due to positive COVID cases reported in the Army Red squad," a media release said.

"All decisions have been taken, keeping in mind the health and safety of players and officials primarily and the continuity and success of the tournament," the release added.

The other quarterfinal between Goa and Delhi FC will be held as scheduled on Friday. 

Also Read : Full vaccination mandatory for I-League players, except U-18 and those recovered from COVID recently

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) winners Chennaiyin FC (CFC) have announced the continuation of the club’s partnership with DafaNews as one of its primary sponsors for the 2021-22 season. DafaNews is a one-stop online sports news hub that has been associated with CFC for the last two seasons. 

Commenting on the club’s continued partnership with DafaNews, Vita Dani, co-owner, Chennaiyin FC, said: “DafaNews over the past two seasons have become a vital part of the CFC family. We look forward to having them back with us for a third consecutive year and are sure that it is a partnership that will bear fruit for both, the brand and Chennaiyin FC.”

As the partnership enters its third consecutive year, it is a testimony to the continued faith that both the brands share. The association also brings forth the strong trust and value for Chennaiyin FC and DafaNews.

“After a productive two seasons we've had with Chennaiyin FC, we’re happy to continue for a third consecutive year. We see great merit in continuing our association with brand CFC, in what will also be a new campaign under a new head coach and fresh set of players, played out in Goa,” said an official spokesman for DafaNews, on the news of continuing their association with CFC.

Also read: Has Carlo Ancelotti rescued Marco Asensio's career with the position change?

DafaNews, which has partnered with big football clubs across the globe, entered ISL in the 2019-20 season. The online sports news portal caters to the demands of sports aficionados by extensively reporting on Indian and global sports events.

In an attempt to win a third ISL trophy, the Marina Machans will begin their campaign on November 23 against Hyderabad FC at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa as the upcoming ISL season will kick-start on November 19.

Kolkata, Sep 23 (Football News) SC East Bengal on Thursday added teeth to their attack by acquiring the services of Croatia forward Antonio Perošević on a one-year deal that will keep him at the club till the end of the Indian Super League 2021-22 season.

Perošević joins SC East Bengal from Hungarian top division club Újpest FC, starting 13 games for them last season.

The 29-year-old, who can also play on the wing, becomes Manuel 'Manolo' Diaz's sixth and final foreign signing for the season.

Slovenian midfielder Amir Dervišević, Australian defender Tomislav Mrcela, Croatian centre-back Franjo Prce, Nigerian striker Daniel Chima Chukwu and Dutch utility player Darren Sidoel are the other five overseas recruits.

"India is an amazing country and I have heard a lot about how passionate people are about football here. Especially, SC East Bengal and its fan base are much talked about. I have read up on them and I can't wait to pull on the red and gold shirt," said Perošević after putting pen-to-paper for SC East Bengal.

Perošević has represented the Croatian senior national team in 2017, being capped twice.

"I will look to help the team in whatever way I can and maintain the team spirit. I know the history attached to this club and I will do my best to uphold its legacy," he added.

Perošević started playing for the youth team of his hometown club Osijek in 2010.

He made his senior team debut as a late substitute in a 2–0 win against Cibalia in the last round of 2009–10 season. Perošević finished as Osijek's top league goalscorer with seven goals in the 2011–12 season.

Perošević moved abroad after a successful spell at Osijek, turning out for Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia in 2017 before moving to Al-Ittihad Kalba SC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on loan the following season.

"I have had a good conversation with the management and I am really looking forward to the new adventure. I am looking forward to meeting the coaching staff and all my teammates. I have also heard about the big derby against ATK Mohun Bagan, and that kind of games further motivates a player," Perošević told the SC East Bengal website.

SCEB will face Jamshedpur FC in their opening game of the ISL on November 21 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium.

Also Read : Young goalkeeper Manas Dubey joins TRAU FC on loan

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Real Madrid ran riot against Mallorca as they won 6-1. Los Blancos now sit on top of the table and remain unbeaten. Carlo Ancelotti has already worked his magic on the squad and Real Madrid are back playing attacking football. Real Madrid have scored 22 goals in 7 matches which is the highest a Real Madrid side has scored at this stage since the 1987/88 season.

The Italian manager is renowned for bringing the best out of 'No.10' midfielders. Ricardo Kaka, Zinedine Zidane, James Rodriguez and Angel Di Maria are prime examples. Ancelotti publicly stated that he was going to change Marco Asensio from a winger to an attacking midfielder just like he did with Di Maria.

When Ancelotti first took charge of Real Madrid in 2013 he straight away changed Di Maria into a midfielder. The decision worked wonders as Di Maria had one of the most prolific seasons of his career. The Argentine scored 11 and assisted 25 goals in all competitions that season winning the award for most assists in La Liga.

Asensio and Di Maria are very similar players. Left footed, good passers of the ball, great close control, adequate pace but not rapid and long range shooting ability. Asensio made his first start of the season against Mallorca playing in a 3 man midfield with Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga who are both box to box players.

Also read: Colombian footballer James Rodriguez joins Qatari club Al Rayyan

Asensio had a few substitute appearances but none of them were impactful as such. Against Mallorca, the Spaniard had a brilliant game where he scored a hat-trick. Playing on the right of the midfield 3 Asensio played between the lines and exploited the gaps in the Mallorca defence. 

Marco Asensio scored on every single Real Madrid debut after he was signed in  2017. He was supposed to be the next best thing at the Spanish capital. An ACL tear in the 2019 pre-season sidelined him for almost a year. In his comeback game against Valencia in June 2020, Asensio scored with his first touch of the game, but it has all been downhill ever since.

After ACL surgery, Asensio as expected lost quite a bit of pace and acceleration which meant that he always struggled on the wing. His best ability is to hit from distance which he was struggling to do in Zinedine Zidane's wide winger system. Playing in midfield now will allow him to shoot more often and play between the lines. 

Ancelotti has more or less revived Asensio's career. Still 25 years of age Asensio has a lot of potential and if the Spaniard manages to stay fit then he could reach incredible heights.