Real Madrid News
Juventus legend picks Real Madrid superstar over Man City maestro as his preference
Kevin De Bruyne is largely considered one of the Premier League’s greatest midfielders in history. Year after year, the Manchester City maestro racks up special performances with his magical boots and earns praise for his ability to decide games single-handedly.
Injuries have not been kind to him this season, but he has once again enjoyed a strong campaign in the limited minutes he has played.
It is thus, but natural, that Real Madrid phenom Jude Bellingham is compared to the Manchester City star and held by his high standards considering the stellar season he has enjoyed himself.
Marchisio makes a bold pick
In a recent social media engagement with GOAL, where he was asked to make his pick between two world-class players playing in a similar position, Italian legend Claudio Marchisio was placed in a dilemma between Jude Bellingham and Kevin de Bruyne.
“That’s a tough one, but I’ll choose Bellingham,” the Juventus icon said, snubbing Pep Guardiola’s star midfielder in favour of the Galactico.
The former Juventus star’s choice is not completely unjustified, for Bellingham has proved significantly more decisive in front of goal this season.
The youngster has scored 16 goals and provided six assists for Real Madrid this season in La Liga when compared to the Belgian maestro’s three goals and six assists in the Premier League.
One must mention, however, that Bellingham has played more than twice the number of games De Bruyne has played domestically.
Going head-to-head
Bellingham started in Real Madrid’s recent first-leg draw against Manchester City but was far from his best on the night. He looked uncharacteristically sloppy and casual on the night, often losing the ball and half-challenges.
De Bruyne, meanwhile, stayed on the bench at Santiago Bernabeu for health reasons and did not play a part in the game.
The Belgian is likely to start when City take on Los Blancos at the Etihad Stadium next week, and will thus go head-to-head against Bellingham in what will be a fascinating battle.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
