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☆ Vinícius Jr. scores first-half hat-trick as Real Madrid dominates Barcelona to win Spanish Super Cup
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Real Madrid claimed its 13th Spanish Super Cup with a comprehensive 4-1 demolition of arch-rival Barcelona in El Clásico on Sunday. The result was sweet revenge for Madrid, which was defeated 3-1 by Barcelona in the 2023 edition of the tournament. “We wanted to win the final,” said Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti after the game. Real doubled its advantage three minutes later when Vinícius scored his second, sliding in to meet a low Rodrygo cross to leave Barcelona reeling. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty ImagesHowever, the moment of hope turned out to be fleeting as Vinícius completed his hat-trick only minutes later.

Persons: Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo, “, ”, Carlo Ancelotti, “ Vinícius, Atlético, Robert Lewandowski, Barça’s, Ronald Araújo, Xavi, We’ll, ” Madrid, Vinícius, phenom Jude Bellingham, Iñaki Peña, Yasser Bakhsh, Cristiano Ronaldo’s, siu, Nassr –, Cristiano, ” Vinícius, Ferran Torres, Andriy Lunin, Torres, Lunin, Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Araújo, Giuseppe Cacace, João Félix Organizations: CNN — Real Madrid, Spanish, Los, Atlético Madrid, ”, Vinícius, King Saud University, Madrid, Lewandowski, Real, Barcelona, La Liga, Getty Locations: Barcelona, El Clásico, Madrid, ” Barcelona, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pedri, AFP, Bellingham, Girona

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández is keeping his cards close to his chest before the first “clasico” of the season. They all returned to training Friday, a day before Madrid arrives with a one-point lead in the Spanish league standings. “I will play my best players, those that are 100% ready,” the Barcelona coach said. Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesMadrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he wasn't worried who played for Barcelona as long as Jude Bellingham was ready to go. Regardless of who plays for the host team, Xavi has a huge task in finding a way to stop Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior.

Persons: Xavi Hernández, Robert Lewandowksi, de Jong, Pedri González, Jules Koundé, “, Ferran Torres, Carlo Ancelotti, wasn't, Jude Bellingham, Bellingham, Ancelotti, Xavi, Vinícius, ” Xavi, Ronald Araújo, De Jong, Oriol Romeu, Gavi Paéz, “ Oriol, ” Bellingham, Karim Benzema’s, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, “ Camavinga, Mendy, ” Ancelotti, Yamal, Fermín López Organizations: —, Madrid, Barcelona, Braga, Champions League, Bellingham, Manchester, Xavi’s, La Masia, Shakhtar Donetsk Locations: BARCELONA, Spain, — Barcelona, Barcelona, Lewandowski, Poland, Bellingham, Manchester City, Madrid, Saudi Arabia

☆ Injury doubts haunt Barcelona ahead of Saturday's Clasico against Real Madrid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Xavi had to call up eight academy players for their Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, as the Catalonian side grapple with injuries to eight key players, including Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. Barca secured a hard-fought 2-1 win against Shakhtar thanks to a brilliant display by 20-year-old Fermin Lopez, who is becoming a regular in the first team. It's a match in which we need to be at 100%," Xavi told a press conference on Wednesday. Real lead the LaLiga standings, level with Girona, the surprise package of the season so far, on 25 points from 10 games. Barcelona are third on 24 points, two ahead of Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand.

Persons: FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, Pedro Nunes, Xavi Hernandez, Xavi, Robert Lewandowski, Barca, Fermin Lopez, Frenkie De Jong, Jules Kounde, Pedri, Sergi Roberto, Raphinha, Joao Felix, It's, Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Arda Gueler, Englishman Jude Bellingham, Carlo Ancelotti, Fernando Kallas, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Soccer Football, FC Porto, FC Barcelona, Estadio, FC Barcelona's, REUTERS, Rights, Real Madrid, El, Champions League, Shakhtar Donetsk, Shakhtar, Lewandowski, El Clasico, Barca, Borussia Dortmund, Braga, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Thomson Locations: Porto, Portugal, Rights BARCELONA, Barcelona, Catalonian, Camp Nou, Portuguese, Girona

☆ Marc Guiu, 17, becomes youngest debutant to score for Barcelona
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It took teenager Marc Guiu just 23 seconds to make history for Barcelona as he scored on his debut in the team’s 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao. Guiu was brought on as a second-half substitute and made an instant impact, put through on goal by João Félix before firing a shot past Unai Simón. At the age of 17 years and 291 days, it made him the youngest player to score on debut for Barcelona. I’m just enjoying the moment, I’m still flying,” Guiu said after the match. Sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal has also made a big impression this year, becoming the youngest player to appear in a competitive fixture for Barcelona in April and scoring his first league goal earlier this month.

Persons: Marc Guiu, Guiu, João Félix, Unai, ” Guiu, “, ” Simón, Fermín López, López, Félix, Yamal, Josep Lago, –, Xavi, ” Xavi, ” Organizations: CNN, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Bilbao, La, La Liga, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Champions League Locations: Barcelona, AFP, Girona, Ukrainian

☆ Ramos gifts Barca win over Sevilla amid boardroom tensions between clubs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BARCELONA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Barcelona moved provisionally top of LaLiga with a 1-0 home win over Sevilla on Friday after veteran defender Sergio Ramos accidentally bundled the ball into his own net in the second half. But a loud cheer rang out at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium, Barca's temporary home ground, after the 37-year-old's own goal. "When the opponent accumulates so many people in the box it's very difficult to defend for so long without making a mistake. Sergio (Ramos) was there to clear the ball, it was a whimsical goal," said Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar. The result moved Barca one point clear of Girona, who are second with a game in hand, while Sevilla are 12th.

Persons: Sergio Ramos, Ramos, Sergio, Jose Luis Mendilibar, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, Sevilla, Joao Felix, Gavi, Lucas Ocampos, Robert Lewandowski, Juanlu Sanchez, Barca, It's, Sergio's, Xavi Hernandez, Rohith Nair, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Sevilla, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Barca, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Barcelona, Girona, Sevilla, Bengaluru

☆ Barcelona salvages 2-2 comeback draw against Mallorca
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Barcelona continued its unbeaten start to the season but dropped points at the top of La Liga with an eventful 2-2 draw against Mallorca. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen gifted Mallorca the game’s opening goal inside 10 minutes as he failed to clear the ball from Barça’s box, enabling Vedat Muriqi to find the back of the net. But it was Mallorca which got the game’s next goal in added time when Muriqi’s header allowed Abdón Prats to squeeze a shot past ter Stegen. “We gifted too much,” Barcelona coach Xavi said after the game. “We made uncharacteristic mistakes … We did have chances, but it was a tough struggle back into the game.

Persons: Marc, André ter Stegen, Vedat Muriqi, João Félix, Abdón Prats, ter, Félix, Lamine Yamal, Fermin López, Raphinha’s, Robert Lewandowski, Barça, Barcelona's Jules Koundé dribbles, Cristian Trujillo, “, Xavi, ” Barça Organizations: CNN — Barcelona, La Liga, Mallorca, Real Madrid, ”, Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano Locations: Mallorca, Spanish, Girona, Real, ” Barcelona

☆ Portugal chalk up record win with 9-0 thrashing of Luxembourg
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 11 (Reuters) - Portugal enjoyed their biggest-ever win as they thumped Luxembourg 9-0 at Estadio Algarve on Monday to preserve their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying. Substitute Joao Felix secured the record victory with a goal two minutes from time after Goncalo Inacio, Goncalo Ramos, and Diogo Jota all scored twice. Portugal's previous record was 8-0, which they achieved three times - twice against Liechtenstein (1994 and 1999) and once versus Kuwait (2003). Portugal have won all six of their Group J matches under Roberto Martinez, who took over in January, scoring 24 goals with none conceded. The result matched the biggest-ever loss for Luxembourg, who have 10 points and are third, three points behind Slovakia.

Persons: Joao Felix, Goncalo Inacio, Goncalo Ramos, Diogo Jota, Ricardo Horta, Bruno Fernandes, Roberto Martinez, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris Organizations: Estadio Algarve, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Luxembourg, Kuwait, Slovakia, Gdansk

☆ Man City climb four points clear of Arsenal in title race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

City's victory, coupled with an Arsenal loss on Sunday to Newcastle United, would all but clinch the Premier League title for the treble-chasers who stretched their winning league run to 10 games. Liverpool notched up a sixth straight Premier League win to maintain their pursuit of a top-four spot. KANE HEADERKane headed Tottenham in front in first-half injury time to move up to second place in the all-time Premier League goalscorers list. The win vaulted Spurs to sixth in the table with 57 points from 35 games, six points behind fourth-placed United, who have played two games fewer. Wolves climbed 10 points clear of the relegation zone with 40 points, while Villa remained in eighth after their second consecutive loss.

☆ Chelsea: How American billionaire owner blew over $600 million but ended up with nothing this season
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —“We’re all in – 100%,” US billionaire businessman Todd Boehly told Chelsea fans upon his arrival at the club in May 2022. Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League after losing to Real Madrid 4-0 on aggregate. Following the loss against Real Madrid, Chelsea captain Thiago Silva spoke candidly to reporters on the issues that come with this kind of spending. Besides Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella, no Chelsea outfield player has started more than 20 games in the Premier League this season. The Blues are on course to have their lowest scoring season in Premier League history with their current total of 30 goals.

☆ Real Madrid beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0 as Benzema strikes again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Finals - First Leg - Real Madrid v Chelsea - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 12, 2023 Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Albert GeaMADRID, April 12 (Reuters) - European champions Real Madrid beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg courtesy of a tap-in by Karim Benzema and a powerful strike by substitute Marco Asensio in the Spanish capital on Wednesday. Benzema, the scourge of Chelsea at the same stage of the competition last season, converted from point blank range in the 21st minute when Kepa Arrizabalaga saved from Vinicius Junior but could only touch the ball in the direction of the Frenchman. Chelsea went close to scoring in the first half through Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling but they were thwarted by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois playing against his former club. The win at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium puts the 14-time European champions in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on April 18. Writing by William Schomberg in London Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tottenham squander points in top-four race, Leeds out of bottom three
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Fourth-placed Tottenham have 49 points from 28 games with Newcastle United, who benefitted from a stoppage-time penalty to beat Nottingham Forest on Friday, have 47 points having played two games less. Bournemouth on 24 from 27 along with West Ham United who dropped into the relegation zone courtesy of Leeds United's impressive win at Wolves. Leicester have 25 points with Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leeds all on 26 and Wolves and Crystal Palace on 27. Tottenham substitute Pape Sarr was then adjudged in the 90th minute to have fouled Ainsley Maitland-Niles as he attempted to hack clear a bouncing ball and Ward-Prowse made no mistake to earn his side a point. Leeds will head into the international break above the relegation zone thanks to a superb display at Wolves.

☆ Chelsea's new signings starting to settle despite poor results - Havertz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Chelsea forward Kai Havertz said he was encouraged by the way the club's new signings are gelling with the team despite the side recording only one win in 2023. Since manager Graham Potter took over in September Chelsea have scored only 25 goals in 24 games and managed only three in their last eight. Last month's 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace remains their only victory in nine games this year. "I don't think we should be too unhappy with our performance because we created the opportunities, but it's just frustrating that we couldn't take any of them," Havertz said. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leaders Arsenal held at home by Brentford, sorry Spurs thrashed at Leicester
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Brighton, who have not lost this year, were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace. An eight-point advantage in the table beckoned for Mikel Arteta's side but they never looked comfortable against an enterprising Brentford who should have been ahead by halftime. The visitors got their deserved point through Ivan Toney, who pounced in the 72nd minute to head in Christian Norgaard's cross. Only Harry Kane has netted more away goals in the Premier League this season than the Brentford striker. SORRY SPURSWith manager Antonio Conte back in the dugout after missing their win against Manchester City last Sunday following gallbladder surgery, Spurs made a good start at Leicester.

☆ Chelsea smash British transfer record to sign Benfica's Fernandez
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Chelsea announced the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on Wednesday after days of complex negotiations between the clubs to secure the Argentina midfielder for a British transfer record 106.8 million pounds ($131.46 million). Premier League club Chelsea announced the signing on Wednesday 1000 GMT via a video on Twitter, which showed a clip of a clock ticking down, making a reference to race against time to sign the World Cup winner. It takes Chelsea's transfer spending in January alone to close to 300 million pounds and to more than 500 million pounds since last May's takeover by an investment group led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. His fee eclipses the 100 million pounds Manchester City paid Aston Villa for England midfielder Jack Grealish in 2021. On Tuesday, Chelsea sold experienced midfielder Jorginho to Premier League leaders Arsenal for 12 million pounds.

☆ Chelsea earn scrappy 1-0 win over Palace to ease pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Clare Lovell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It was only the second league win in 10 matches for the home side who remain in an unaccustomed 10th place half-way through the season. Today we had five young players in the starting 11, they are doing a really good job at the moment." "Today we are happy for the three points," said Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September. Palace are in 12th place, six points behind Chelsea. Before kickoff, former Chelsea players who had been coached by or appeared alongside Gianluca Vialli joined the teams to pay tribute to the former Italy international and Chelsea player-manager who died 10 days ago.

☆ Felix sees red on debut as Chelsea slump at Fulham
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The win lifted Fulham above Liverpool and up to sixth in the Premier League standings on 31 points after 19 games. Potter had no complaints about the red card, describing Felix's challenge on Tete as a "forward's tackle". The second half wasn't at our best level," he said. They lost midfielder Denis Zakaria to injury, however, and Felix to a red card, the 23-year-old wildly lunging at Tete after losing the ball. Felix, whose loan signing cost Chelsea a reported 9 million pounds ($11 million), will miss the next three league matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham due to suspension.

☆ Felix red mist another blow for Chelsea and Potter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Graham Potter said "the hits keep coming" after his new signing Joao Felix was sent off on his Premier League debut as the Blues lost 2-1 at Fulham on Thursday. Felix, whose loan signing cost Chelsea a reported nine million pounds, is now set to miss the next three league matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham. "It was another blow, the hits keep coming, I thought he (Felix) was very good up until then," Potter told BT Sport. Carlos Vinicius scored the decisive goal in the second half after Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly had cancelled out Willian's opening strike. There's no other solution, keep focused go to the next match and try to get three points," Potter said.

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ Tearful Ronaldo the lasting image of Portugal World Cup debacle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo running to the tunnel in tears and as desolate as the football world has ever seen him will be the lasting image for Portugal fans looking back on the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo, a five-times Ballon D'Or winner, arrived with a mission to prove he could still make a difference. It was another tale of hope turned to disappointment, controversy and under-achievement on the biggest stage for Ronaldo, who was playing his fifth World Cup and hoping it would set him up for new opportunities after his departure from Manchester United. Ironically, in a Portugal team full of stand-out players, Ronaldo fell victim to the abundance of options that coach Fernando Santos had at his disposal. Before the World Cup, Ronaldo refused to say that the tournament in Qatar would be his last and he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.

☆ Morocco makes World Cup history as they reach the semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Morocco players and staff pose for a photo after the World Cup win against Portugal as the team progresses to the semi finals. Morocco wrote World Cup history on Saturday night as the first African and Arab country to reach the tournament's semi-finals, continuing their surprise run in Qatar with a shock 1-0 victory over the highly fancied Portugal. Morocco had already taken the scalps of Belgium and Spain in this tournament but the win over Portugal is of much greater significance. But the supply quickly dried up thereafter as Morocco closed the passing lanes and frustrated the Portuguese attackers. Joao Felix had two more half chances in the first half but Morocco gained in confidence and found a sudden spring in their step, frequently breaking on the counterattack.

☆ Portugal coach does not regret leaving Ronaldo out v Morocco
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ronaldo stormed off the pitch after the final whistle crying effusively while being comforted by his team mates. "I do not regret (leaving Ronaldo on the bench)," coach Santos told a news conference on Saturday. "It wouldn't change anything, in terms of the team I can't be thinking with my heart. "I used the team that played really well against Switzerland and there was no reason to change it (against Morocco). "It's not that Ronaldo is no longer a great player, that has nothing to do with it."

☆ Morocco write World Cup history as they reach semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Morocco had already taken the scalps of Belgium and Spain in this tournament but the win over Portugal is of much greater significance. But the supply quickly dried up thereafter as Morocco closed the passing lanes and frustrated the Portuguese attackers. Joao Felix had two more half chances in the first half but Morocco gained in confidence and found a sudden spring in their step, frequently breaking on the counter attack. Bruno Fernandes hit over the top of the crossbar five minutes later as Portugal threw more into attack and Morocco began to sit deeper. Leaving the World Cup always hurts."

☆ En-Nesyri header gives Morocco 1-0 halftime lead over Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Youssef En-Nesyri's towering header late in the first half gave first-time quarter-finalists Morocco a 1-0 lead over Portugal at halftime on Saturday. En-Nesyri, who had twice headed over the crossbar earlier, leapt higher than both Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias to put Morocco ahead in the 42nd minute. Portugal forward Joao Felix came close to opening the scoring on two occasions, forcing Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into an early save before his strike in the 31st minute took a deflection and narrowly missed the target. The winner of the match will face either France or England, who play later on Saturday night, in the semi-final. Reporting by Hritika Sharma; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leave Ronaldo alone, says Portugal coach Santos ahead of quarter-final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Later, the country's football federation had to publicly deny reports that their skipper had threatened to leave during the tournament after talking with Santos. "He (Ronaldo) has never told me he wanted to leave our national team. It's high time to leave Ronaldo alone and acknowledge what he has done for Portuguese football," Santos said. "But we had a normal conversation where I explained my viewpoints and, of course, he accepted. We had a frank and normal conversation."

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Morocco on the verge of history against Portugal as Kylian Mbappé’s France face England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Moroccans have become the darlings of the World Cup. At the first “Arab” World Cup, they became the first Arab nation to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup and, as the first African side to qualify for the quarterfinals in over a decade, they represent so much more than just their own nation. Born in Madrid, Achraf Hakimi scored the goal to knock Spain out of the World Cup. No team has scored more than Portugal’s 12 at the World Cup, but will the unstoppable Portugal be able to beat the immovable Morocco? Mbappé has already surpassed Cristiano Ronalo's World Cup goal scoring record and is level with Lionel Messi on nine.

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