Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup to face Chelsea
Real Madrid will look to book a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League when they face Chelsea in the quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge in a couple of hours.
Real Madrid already have a foot through the doors to the next round after securing a 2-0 win over Chelsea in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
And as they look to get the job done at Stamford Bridge tonight, Carlo Ancelotti has released the Real Madrid starting XI that will be taking the field.
The Los Blancos’ boss has named an unchanged lineup from the first leg at the Bernabeu, reverting all the alterations he had made for the weekend La Liga clash against Cadiz.
It means that Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Eduardo Camavinga return to the defensive line, alongside Eder Militao. The quartet will shield Thibaut Courtois on his return to Stamford Bridge.
Toni Kroos returns to the lineup after missing the weekend game due to a niggle. He slots in as the defensive midfielder, flanked by Luka Modric and Federico Valverde.
Up front, Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema leads the line, flanked by the Brazilian duo of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. The latter returns to the side after recovering from a minor muscle discomfort.
📋✅ Our starting 𝗫𝗜!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 18, 2023
🆚 @ChelseaFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/j4sWVaOFQ0
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
