BARCELONA, Spain: Led by Jude Bellingham playing with a style and self-confidence far beyond his 20 years, a new generation of Real Madrid players has stepped forward at the 14-time European Cup winners.
All three of Madrid’s players who helped produce goals in their 3-2 comeback at Napoli in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday were 25 years old or younger. And they did so with their veteran teammates now providing supporting roles.
Bellingham set up 23-year-old Vinícius Júnior to cancel out Napoli’s opener before the England midfielder made a spectacular solo run to put the visitors ahead in the 34th minute.
After Napoli had pulled level, Madrid’s 25-year-old midfielder Federico Valverde unleashed a rocket of a shot that ricocheted off the bar and Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret before eventually going in for the 78th-minute winner.
Bellingham had scored several big goals already for Madrid this season, but his overall performance at Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was his best so far.
He started by robbing the ball from Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and sliding it to Vinícius for the Brazil winger to slot home the equalizer from an angle. Bellingham topped that by slaloming past two defenders as he dribbled into the area.
Bellingham said that the victory was about decision-making, including when he saw Napoli’s defenders giving him that small bit of space he needed.
“As I was getting closer and closer to the goal I was trying to look for (Vinícius or Rodrygo), and when I saw the gap open I just decided to keep running with it,” Bellingham said. “I am always confident that I can go around (defenders) and find a yard. I managed to do it for that one and found the corner.”
Bellingham, Vinícius and Valverde were accompanied by other younger players. Eduardo Camavinga, a versatile workman in the midfield is only 20; forward Rodrygo is 22; and holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni is 23. Éder Militão (25), who is out for several months with a serious leg injury, is Madrid’s best central defender.
The victory at the Italian champions came after a summer when veteran striker Karim Benzema, Madrid's most prolific scorer since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure five years ago, was lured away to the Saudi Arabian league.
Nor were most of the other pillars of Madrid’s most recent European successes on the field in Napoli. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is injured, while Luka Modric, now 38, was again left on the bench by Ancelotti until he went on as a late substitute. The only long-time veterans to start were Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal.
Ancelotti acknowledged that Modric, who signed for another season this summer with Madrid, was upset about not playing more. Ancelotti had benched him at halftime during a recent 3-1 loss at Atletico Madrid and did not use the former Ballon d’Or winner at all in the following two matches.
“He did what we asked him to do. He went on and showed his experience and gave us control of the game,” Ancelotti said about Modric’s steadying hand in the second half at Napoli. “He can contribute. That is what I ask of a player who is not playing and is a little angry.”
While Vinícius and Valverde have been starters for several seasons now and played key roles in helping Madrid win their most recent Champions League title in 2022, Bellingham’s impact on the team since his arrival this summer has surprised everyone, including his coach.
“I’m surprised he’s only 20 years old because he looks like he’s 30 because of his character and attitude,” Ancelotti said. “He is always focused on the game and knows what he has to do. It’s unusual for a 20-year-old. He has a lot of quality, physical strength and skill.”
Bellingham has scored eight goals in nine games overall so far with Madrid. That includes a Spanish league-leading six goals to help keep Madrid in first place and a late winner to edge Union Berlin 1-0 in their Champions League opener last month.
Compare that to his 14 goals in 42 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in Germany and it is clear that Bellingham has taken his game to a new level in Spain.
Vinícius' goal was only his second of the season after he missed several games with a leg injury. Once he is back to full form and fitness, his alliance with Bellingham promises to be lethal.
“Bellingham linked up well with (Vinícius) and they both have a lot of creativity,” Ancelotti said. "Having both of them positioned on our left flank certainly creates a lot of danger.”
Madrid face Spanish league games against Osasuna and Sevilla before they visit Portuguese side Braga in the Champions League on Oct. 24. Four days after that, Bellingham will get his first taste of a league “classico” at Barcelona.
Bellingham leads youth movement at Real Madrid as Modric takes a diminished role
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Bellingham leads youth movement at Real Madrid as Modric takes a diminished role
- All three of Madrid’s players who helped produce goals in their 3-2 comeback at Napoli in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday were 25 years old or younger
- Bellingham, Vinícius and Valverde were accompanied by other younger players
Real Madrid lose injured Camavinga for Copa del Rey final against Barcelona
- Camavinga has a complete tear of the tendon in his left abductor muscle
- Madrid said “his recovery will be assessed”
MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is expected to miss the Copa del Rey final and rest of the season because of a muscle injury.
Camavinga has a complete tear of the tendon in his left abductor muscle, Madrid said on Thursday. He was hurt late in the 1-0 win at Getafe in La Liga on Wednesday.
Madrid said “his recovery will be assessed.”
Madrid face Barcelona in the Copa final on Saturday in Seville.
Also hurt with a muscle ailment on Wednesday was defender David Alaba, though the club did not immediately give a medical update on him. They said he practiced alone in the indoor facilities on Thursday.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the match on Wednesday that it would be “hard” to see both players in the Copa final.
Camavinga had to leave in the final minutes of the match against Getafe. He replaced Alaba at halftime.
Al-Nassr crowned champions of Saudi Women’s Premier League with big win over Al-Taraji
- A 6-0 win capped an outstanding season with 17 victories and only 1 loss in the league
RIYADH: Al-Nassr celebrated winning the 2024-25 Saudi Women’s Premier League title on Wednesday night after a thumping 6-0 win over Al-Taraji in their final match of the season in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr had secured the title several weeks ago and finished the season with a total of 51 points from 17 wins and only one loss.
Al-Nassr got off to a perfect start when Maria Eduardo (Duda) scored in the first minute, one of three goals she bagged in the game. Her second came one minute before the break, and she completed her hattrick after 64 minutes.
It was not the only treble of the night as Carla Luvanga repeated the feat for Al-Nassr, bringing her total for the season to 21 and making her the league’s top scorer.
The Tanzanian star opened her account after six minutes and followed up with strikes in the 17th and 36th minutes, as Al-Nassr ended the first half with a five-goal lead.
There were several other notable moments, with one yellow card issued for Al-Nassr and two for Al-Taraji, and eight and 15 fouls respectively.
Following the win, Al-Nassr’s goalkeeper Sarah Khalid told Arab News: “We prepared very well for this game, but we also wanted to enjoy every moment of it.
“It’s the last game of the season, we’re champions.”
Khalid added: “It was a good game for us ... we gave it our all, we wanted to score more obviously but at the same time, the coach decided to play as many players as possible and this is also amazing.”
The key to the championship was taking one game at a time. “Working hard towards a specific objective and lifting each other up through hardships and adversity is what makes this team very special.”
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Nassr’s head coach, Abdulaziz Al-Alwni, said: “What happened today was not easy … all the challenges we overcame were difficult, but we lucked out with this team.”
Al-Alwni added: “This year we achieved high stats and difficult numbers, and the group as a whole is the main reason why we reached as far as we did.”
“Off the field, away from the game, it’s a clean environment, an attractive environment, an environment of one heart and one family, that is the main reason why the team performs well on the field.”
The coach has already begun planning for next season.
“Next season is a hard one, we have Asia (AFC Women’s Asian Cup), West Asia (WAFF Women’s Championship), the league, the cup (Saudi Women’s Cup), and the Super Cup (Saudi Women’s Super Cup),” Al-Alwni said.
“There’s some pressure, the Saudi players are not used to these types of championships, but we have started working and next season will hopefully be a substantial one.”
Reem Al-Beloshi, a goalkeeper for Al-Nassr, spoke proudly of the result. “Today’s game was of course amazing,” she said. “We celebrated our third league win in a row … we feel great, we’re happy.”
Al-Beloshi said the attitude going into every game was to “push through” until the last minute.
“When that determination is combined with respect for the game and respect for the opposing team, that is when you will see your ambitions realized,” she said.
Rating Saudi clubs’ chances in AFC Champions League Elite playoffs
- Asia’s 8 top teams will play in centralized location, a controversial shift from home-and-away format
- Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Jeddah-based Al-Ahli will get the benefit of home nation advantage
AUSTRALIA: All roads lead to Jeddah this week as the top eight teams of this year’s AFC Champions League Elite converge on the coastal city to determine the best club in Asia.
There is a significant shift from the usual home-and-away format that has operated for the past two decades since the AFC Champions League was reformed in the early 2000s.
The quarterfinals, semifinals and final will all be staged in a centralized location over a two-week period, in a move that has divided opinion in Asian football circles.
With Saudi Arabia confirmed as the host for this new centralized format provisionally until the 2028-29 edition, it grants a massive advantage to the three Saudi Pro League sides that qualify for the tournament each season, should they progress this far.
And given the strength of the competition at the moment, it is hard to see a scenario in which the final eight does not include three SPL sides.
This year the clubs are Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Jeddah-based Al-Ahli, who get the benefit of not just home nation advantage, but home city and home ground as well.
In an ominous sign for the remaining five sides, the three have dominated proceedings this season. In the 30 games played combined, they have won 23, drawn five and lost just two.
If anyone wants to take the trophy away from Saudi Arabia after the next fortnight’s action, they’re going to have their work cut out for them.
But just how well-placed are Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli to be crowned Asian champions this year?
Al-Hilal
Widely considered — especially in their own minds — to be Asia’s biggest club, lifting continental silverware is almost a minimum expectation, which is an almost impossible standard to meet.
And it might prove so this season given their current run of form, having uncharacteristically lost four of their past 10 in all competitions. Such form is tantamount to a full-blown crisis, and yet they remain in the running for both the league and ACL Elite this season.
The return to fitness of Joao Cancelo is a significant boost for Jorge Jesus’ side, with the Portuguese international sidelined since the start of March with a hamstring injury. But getting 26 minutes into his legs off the bench in the 3-0 win over Al-Khaleej is just what the doctor ordered.
Their aura in this competition means they are always a threat and if they can get past South Korea’s Gwangju, a potential clash with Al-Ahli awaits in the semifinals. This would pose a significant challenge having lost 3-2 to Matthias Jaissle’s side last time out.
Al-Ahli
It has been a weird season for Al-Ahli. A slow start in the SPL, with just three wins from their first nine, put them on the back foot from the get-go.
But once they turned their form around they became one of the most in-form teams in the entire competition, even if that was not reflected in their ladder position.
Despite their turnaround in form, however, they have continued to struggle against fellow Big Four teams, with just one win from six against Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad this season.
All the while, in continental competition, they went 7-1-0 in the ACL Elite to look one of the most convincing teams. And backed that up with commanding 3-1 and 2-0 wins over Al-Rayyan in the round of 16.
Perhaps no player epitomizes their persona more than Ivan Toney. Despite bagging 25 goals in all competitions, he does not carry the aura that someone with those numbers ordinarily might. That is Al-Ahli this season. The numbers stack up, but the aura is not quite there.
With home ground advantage over the next two weeks, though, and a first-up clash with Thailand’s Buriram United, they have a chance to achieve something this club has never achieved before.
Al-Nassr
This is the moment for Cristiano Ronaldo to silence the doubters, and there have been plenty since his move to Al-Nassr at the end of 2022.
Firstly Al-Ittihad, and then Al-Hilal, have thwarted his attempts for silverware domestically. And again it looks like they will fall short in that regard this season, especially after their 2-1 loss to Al-Qadsiah last week.
That result left them eight points behind top spot with a dwindling number of games in which to overturn the deficit. But the opportunity to lift continental silverware, with all the reward and prestige that comes with it, remains tantalizingly close.
If they are to do it, Ronaldo will be the man to lead them.
Despite entering his fifth decade on this earth, he shows no signs of slowing down, leading the SPL Golden Boot race with 23 goals, while he has 32 in all competitions this season including seven in the ACL Elite.
If Jhon Duran can find the fire again, with his last goal for Al-Nassr coming over a month ago, they have the firepower to go all the way.
They are facing a Yokohama F. Marinos side in disarray, having just sacked their coach Steve Holland, and sitting bottom of the J. League.
In the quarterfinal they have to be favorites to reach the final from their side of the draw, with a potential semifinal against either Al-Sadd or Kawasaki Frontale.
Palace’s Mateta denies Arsenal win to leave Liverpool on brink of title
- Had Arsenal lost, Liverpool would have won the title on Wednesday but they can now seal it with one point against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday
- Both Arsenal and Palace have huge cup semifinal games looming – Arsenal in the Champions League at home to Paris St. Germain next Tuesday and Palace this Saturday at Wembley against Aston Villa in the FA Cup
LONDON: Arsenal kept Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning champagne on ice, but only just, as they were twice pegged back at home by Crystal Palace with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring a superb equalizer in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.
First-half goals by Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard looked like being enough for a lacklustre Arsenal against a lively Palace side who equalized with an Eberechi Eze volley.
But there was a late twist as Palace substitute Mateta beat Arsenal keeper David Raya with an audacious chip.
The draw left second-placed Arsenal on 67 points with four games remaining meaning they can only match the 79 of Liverpool who still have five games to play.
Had Arsenal lost, Liverpool would have won the title on Wednesday but they can now seal it with one point against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday.
“When I started on the bench I could see he (David Raya) was very high up the pitch,” Mateta, who was voted man-of-the-match by Sky Sports despite coming on in the 80th minute, said.
“So I knew if I won the ball I could try, so I did and scored. It is one of the best goals of my career. I thought it hit the crossbar but thankfully it was in!”
Both Arsenal and Palace have huge cup semifinal games looming – Arsenal in the Champions League at home to Paris St. Germain next Tuesday and Palace this Saturday at Wembley against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
Twelfth-placed Palace could have been excused if they were distracted by what will be the biggest game of their season.
Instead, it was Arsenal who were off the pace as they drew for the 13th time in the league this season and fifth time in eight – a statistic that has allowed Liverpool to all but mathematically wrap up a record-equalling 20th English title.
“We are disappointed with the result and performance. We didn’t find enough consistency in actions to dominate the game. It’s part of football and cost us two points,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.
“In many aspects of the game we should have done better today. We have the most important game of the season in six days. We need to get our energy back.”
Palace, who left key players Mateta and Ismaila Sarr on the bench but still fielded Eze, will have taken great heart from their display as they prepare for Villa on Saturday.
Eze took his goal brilliantly, connecting with Adam Wharton’s corner to bounce a volley in off the post beyond Raya.
But the best was saved to last as Mateta, still wearing the protective covering on his ear badly gashed in the FA Cup fifth round tie against Millwall, lofted a sensational shot over Raya after a bad ball from William Saliba had put Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in trouble.
Arsenal, who fielded a near full-strength line-up despite Bukayo Saka being on the bench, made a great start as Kiwior rose to thump a header past Dean Henderson after three minutes from Odegaard’s free kick.
Trossard then restored their lead when he controlled Jurrien Timber’s pass and turned sharply to send a low shot inside the post.
Arsenal had a Gabriel Martinelli goal ruled out by VAR after the ball went out of play in the build-up while Henderson also made a splendid save to deny Saka’s volley.
But Palace fully deserved their point and could have got all three as Mateta’s late cross almost led to a winner.
“It’s important to keep this energy and confidence for the semifinal on Saturday,” Palace boss Oliver Glasner said.
Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 in Spanish league ahead of Copa del Rey final against Barcelona
- Arda Guler scored a first-half goal for Madrid, who moved back within four points of Barcelona
- Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti used many reserves ahead of Saturday’s Copa final in Seville
MADRID: Real Madrid kept pace with Spanish league leader Barcelona on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at Getafe ahead of the rivals’ meeting in the Copa del Rey final.
Arda Guler scored a first-half goal for Madrid, who moved back within four points of Barcelona. The Catalan club edged Mallorca 1-0 on Tuesday.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti used many reserves ahead of Saturday’s Copa final in Seville. Brazil forward Endrick made his first Spanish league start with the club, and Vinícius Júnior was substituted in the second half. Jude Bellingham came off the bench in the second half.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga had to be replaced because of an apparent muscle injury in the final minutes and is doubtful to be available for Saturday’s final. He had entered the match at halftime to replace defender David Alaba, who also is doubtful because of a muscle ailment.
“We’ll see, but it’s unlikely that they will be available on Saturday,” Ancelotti said.
Madrid had demoralizing losses in both “clasicos” against Barcelona this season — 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final and 4-0 in their first league encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Guler scored the winner with a well-placed right-footed shot in the 21st minute at the Coliseum in Getafe.
“Fortunately, I scored the goal that gave us the three points,” Güler said. “We knew it was going to be a tough match. It was important to give us confidence for the final (on Saturday).”
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a couple of difficult saves late to secure Madrid’s victory.
It was the third league win in a row for Madrid, which endured a Champions League elimination against Arsenal in the competition’s quarterfinals.
Getafe has lost three in a row, and four of its last five league games. The club from southern Madrid sits in 12th place.
The match was briefly stopped in the second half as fans from Getafe chanted “Die (Dani) Ceballos, die Ceballos.”
Celta win again
Celta Vigo moved to seventh place by routing fifth-place Villarreal 3-0 at home with goals by Fer López, Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas.
The victory ended a two-match losing streak for the Vigo team.
Villarreal, winless in two matches, played a man down from the 37th after Eric Bailly was sent off with a straight red card.
Williams scores early
Iñaki Williams scored five minutes into the match to give fourth-place Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win over Las Palmas, helping the Basque Country club to open an eight-point gap above Villarreal, who remain with a game in hand.
Las Palmas, sitting in 18th place, was coming off two wins in a row after a 12-match winless streak in the league.
Alaves moved out of the relegation zone by beating ninth-place Real Sociedad 1-0 at home with a goal by Nahuel Tenaglia in the 65th.
