Real Madrid News
Real Madrid believe they can beat Barcelona in cup tie despite three Clasico losses
After losing as many as three El Clasico matches in a row, Real Madrid still believe that they can defeat Barcelona in the upcoming Copa del Rey clash if they go all out from the first minute, reports Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA.
Real Madrid first lost to Barcelona in the finals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, before succumbing to a 1-0 defeat in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It was followed by yet another loss in La Liga earlier this month which pretty much ended any hopes that Carlo Ancelotti’s side had of retaining the league title.
Despite suffering three setbacks in a row, the Real Madrid locker room is said to be of the belief that they can overthrow Barcelona in the upcoming Copa del Rey semifinal second-leg encounter at Camp Nou on April 5.
Los Blancos believe that they are not inferior to Xavi’s side despite the last three meetings not going their way. And the locker room is confident that if they go all out with full intensity from kickoff, they can get the better of their opponents.
Real Madrid had managed to put a lot of pressure on Barcelona during the latter stages of their match in the league and believe that if they do that from the beginning, they can get across the finish line with a win.
With the La Liga title all but lost, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League are left to play for Real Madrid, with Ancelotti’s job possibly on the line. Failure to beat Barça on April 5 would mean elimination from the cup competition, which would hardly be favourable.
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.
