Connect with us

SportsNews

We’re delighted to announce that Lamine Yamal now owns the Santiago Bernabeu

Published

on

Yamal-finger-point © PA Images
Spread the love

Just days on from thrashing Bayern Munich while barely breaking a sweat, Hansi Flick’s La Masia kids have run riot once again.

Speaking in David vs Goliath terms when discussing Barcelona against Real Madrid would typically be a rather outrageous stance to analyse a game from, but given the gap that has formed between the two in recent years, it’s actually pretty spot on.

Especially when you consider that this was an (almost) all-conquering Real side boosted by the signing of Kylian Mbappe hosting a fragile Barcelona side with no less than six young La Masia graduates in the starting XI.

When one of those graduates is Lamine Yamal, though, you needn’t worry. The kid is an absolute superstar.

The story that stole the headlines was a breathtaking Barcelona performance with Flick’s masterplan being an incredibly well-choreographed high line, which allowed Barcelona to frustrate their rivals before using press resistance and slick passing to decimate them in transition.

Raphinha’s performance was breathtaking and once again Marc Casado stood out in midfield, but it’s impossible to look past Yamal, who made it 3-0 in the 77th minute with a record-breaking finish.

Extraordinary as ever from the teenage freak, he needed only two touches to kill the game. One to take in a brilliant pass from Raphinha, and the second to fire the ball into the roof of the net beyond a helpless Andriy Lunin.

Seriously Andriy, thanks for coming, but don’t bother next time. Kid’s a complete anomaly.

READ NEXT: The 10 top scorers in El Clasico history for Barcelona & Real Madrid: Messi, Ronaldo…

TRY A QUIZ: The ultimate El Clasico quiz: 30 tough questions on Real Madrid & Barcelona’s red-hot rivalry

Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in the history of El Clasico with the goal and made it 3-0 on the night, but what we loved most was the newfound attitude after scoring.

While normally we’d expect a young player’s fearlessness to come out in how they play, the 17-year-old took it a step further and was sure to tip the Bernabeu to boiling point with his celebrations.

After smashing in the misery compiler in an eventual 4-0 thrashing, he ran to the corner flag mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘calma’ celebration, before cheekily breaking out into dance – the same dance Vinicius Junior usually pulls out after scoring.

As if being extraordinarily good at football at such a young age wasn’t enough, he’s now developed the sh*thouse gene too. You love to see it.

You have to go back to 2022 to find the last time La Blaugrana rocked up to the Santiago Bernabeu and beat Los Blancos in a league contest.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace and Sergio Busquets was patrolling the midfield in a 4-0 win, which tells you everything you need to know about the journey Barça have been on in the time since.

Even then, though, that felt cheap. Their capture of the 2022-23 La Liga title under Xavi papered over cracks and concealed the fact that they were still activating more economic levers than we’ve had hot dinners here at Planet Football.

So when Xavi was dismissed, a hard reset was needed once again. Flick has provided that in the most perfect way, tapping into exactly what makes Barcelona so special in the first place.

Winning is one thing, but winning in style, fuelled by La Masia, is another feeling entirely.

Yamal is central to restoring that feeling and firing them back to the top – even if he’s so young that he’s changing the colour of his braces to red and blue to mark the big occasion.

Sickening. We never stood a chance of making it pro, did we?

Barcelona now sit pretty atop of La Liga with 10 wins out of 11 and have already pulled a six-point gap on their El Clasico rivals with that huge away victory.

The Flick revolution is just beginning and Yamal is just warming up – wait until he learns the shush celebration.

By Mitch Wilks

SportsNews

Mohamed Salah Hints At Liverpool Exit Amid Uncertain Contract Future

Published

on

Mohamed Salah Hints At Liverpool Exit Amid Uncertain Contract Future
Spread the love

Mohamed Salah Hints At Liverpool Exit Amid Uncertain Contract Future

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has sparked fresh speculation over his future at the club with a cryptic social media message, hinting at a possible departure.

The Egyptian star, who scored the decisive goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Brighton on Saturday, took to X (formerly Twitter) to reflect on his connection with the club and Anfield fans.

“Top of the table is where this club belongs. Nothing less. All teams win matches, but there’s only one champion in the end. That’s what we want,” Salah posted.

He added, “Thank you for your support last night. No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like.”

With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, the 32-year-old’s future remains uncertain.

Salah, who is currently on a reported £350,000-per-week deal, will be able to negotiate with clubs outside England starting in January if no extension is agreed upon.

Despite the concerns of fans, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has downplayed the contract situation, choosing instead to focus on the strong form of Salah and his teammates, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contracts also expire this season.

As Liverpool pursues its first Premier League title since 2020, Salah’s future will remain a closely watched storyline among fans eager to see the Egyptian icon stay at Anfield.

Continue Reading

SportsNews

Ranked: 5 players in Europe who have outscored Cristiano Ronaldo in 2024

Published

on

Spread the love

Ranked: 5 players in Europe who have outscored Cristiano Ronaldo in 2024

 

  • Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine goalscoring form since joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in 2023
  • Ronaldo is waiting for his first official trophy with the club, with rivals Al-Hilal dominating since his arrival
  • Despite his goalscoring exploits, five strikers playing in European leagues have outscored him in 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best goalscorers that football has ever seen, lighting up every club he has played for with goals from Madeira to Manchester to Madrid and beyond.

In the final years of his career, he is the pacesetter in the lucrative Saudi Pro League and has not stopped scoring, even though he has yet to taste a major trophy with Al-Nassr.

According to Planet Football, only five players in the European leagues have outscored his 29 goals in 2024 this season, proving how great of a finisher he still is at 39.

TUKO.co.ke looks at the five players who have netted more than 29 goals in European leagues in 2024.

Do not miss an opportunity to join FREE webinar “AI in Action: Practical Skills for Creative Professionals.” Register here.

European players who have outscored Ronaldo

1. Viktor Gyokeres

Gyokeres has been the hottest striker in Europe since last season, and it’s no surprise that he has netted 43 goals in the calendar year, including five in the last two games. According to Sky Germany, he is a target for top European clubs, and his move will come soon, with manager Ruben Amorim leaving for Manchester United.

2. Harry Kane

Kane would be at the top of this list with 37 goals if only the top five European leagues were considered. He continues to be a free-scoring striker at Bayern Munich and could finally get his hands on a trophy this season with the Bavarians racing to an early lead on the German Bundesliga table.

3. Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski had a mixed season for Barcelona in 2023/24 but picked up his goalscoring boots in the second half of the season. He has been on fire under new boss Hansi Flick, whom he played under at Bayern. He has 34 goals this year, half of which have come this season.

4. Erling Haaland

Haaland has been one of Europe’s best goalscorers in Europe since he broke onto the scene at RB Salzburg and has remained consistent. He has 33 goals in 2024, 19 of which came last season to wrap up his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot. He has 14 already this season.

5. Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe played the first half of 2024 as a Paris Saint-Germain player, scoring 23 goals despite issues with the club surrounding his intention to leave the club as a free agent. He has netted eight times for Real Madrid, including six in the Spanish La Liga.

Osimhen rated above Haaland

Ekwutosblog reported that Victor Osimhen was rated above Haaland on the list of the most marketable athletes in 2024 based on three criteria from a US website.

The Nigerian masked man narrowly edged the Norwegian goal machine as one of the footballers in the top 50, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Continue Reading

SportsNews

Heartland FC of Owerri beat Abia Warriors 2:0 away from home in oriental derby.

Published

on

Spread the love

Heartland FC of Owerri beat Abia Warriors 2:0 away from home in oriental derby.

Heartland FC of Owerri has just secured a thrilling 2-0 win over Abia Warriors in the Oriental Derby. This victory is a huge boost for the team, and  fans are over the moon!

Ekwutosblog gathered that according  to the latest match statistics, Heartland FC’s coach, Christian Obi, has finally broken the winless streak, securing his first victory in 17 attempts. This win is a testament to the team’s hard work and determination. As Obi said, “The jinx has been broken. I am excited and I want to use this opportunity to all those that have contributed your support. We are climbing the ladder and climbing the ladder has a process. It is one after the other.”

In terms of the match itself, Heartland FC dominated the game, with Abia Warriors struggling to find their footing. The statistics show that Heartland FC had a total of 9 goals in the last 6 matches, with an average of 1.5 goals per game. On the other hand, Abia Warriors had only 4 goals in the same period, with an average of 0.67 goals per game.

As for the head-to-head match statistics, Heartland FC has won 9 matches out of 16 against Abia Warriors, with 4 draws and 3 losses. The most recent match between the two teams ended in a 2-0 win for Heartland FC, with a total of 2 goals scored by Heartland FC and 0 goals scored by Abia Warriors.

 

Continue Reading

Trending