Real Madrid News
Real Madrid legend picks Barcelona star Lamine Yamal over Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid and Barcelona’s starts to the new season could not be more starkly apart, for the form the Catalans and the Merengues have been in has been at polar opposite ends of the spectrum.
While Los Blancos have not been poor in terms of results, they have played too passively and have already lost two games this season. Considering how they splashed the cash in the summer, it is indeed a poor start.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have been flying under Hansi Flick and appear virtually unstoppable at the moment.
Raphinha has been carrying the Catalans’ attack playing as a number nine and has enjoyed a stunning start to the season. Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal has also started off brilliantly and continues to be a difference maker for them.
Marcelo’s surprising choices
Real Madrid legend Marcelo was asked a start, drop, bench question in a recent interaction on Barcelona’s social media account.
The three players he was asked to choose between were his former teammate and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona’s young sensation Lamine Yamal and the team’s captain Raphinha.
In what comes as a shocker, the former Real Madrid player dropped the club legend and his former teammate Ronaldo without a second thought, keeping the Barcelona duo for the two remaining spots.
Of them, he chose to bench Lamine Yamal and start Raphinha in his ideal world. While the selection is sensible from a current form standpoint, it does still come as a surprising decision.
Having left Real Madrid in 2022, the player joined Olympiacos before signing for Fluminense in February 2023. He then remained a free agent as of late 2024 and officially decided to hang up his boots in early 2025.
While the context of his picks has not been provided, it is likely that the former defender was asked to pick players purely based on their current run of form and level of performance.
Given his age, Ronaldo has after all not been able to operate remotely close to the level he showcased in his prime, and comparing him with Barcelona’s current generation of superstars comes across as disrespectful.
Source: The Touchline
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho wants more attacking options at Real Madrid despite reaching 500-goal milestone
Jose Mourinho wants Real Madrid to become even more dangerous in attack, despite reaching a significant milestone during their 4-3 victory over AS Roma.
According to MARCA, it has come to light that Antonio Rudiger’s goal against Roma helped Mourinho’s Real Madrid reach 500 goals under his management.
However, the achievement has not changed the Portuguese coach’s desire to add more variety to his team’s attacking play.
In fact, Mourinho wants a side capable of controlling possession, launching rapid counter-attacks and creating danger from set pieces, all without losing the defensive discipline that defines his approach.
Mourinho targets attacking variety at Real Madrid
Real Madrid already have considerable firepower at their disposal, with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Yan Diomande, Arda Guler, Carlos Espi and Endrick, giving Mourinho several attacking options.
On top of that, the injured Rodrygo would provide another high-quality alternative once available.
Hence, the challenge is not only to score more goals, but to make Real Madrid less predictable.
Mourinho wants his forwards to exploit their pace in transition while ensuring the team can also break down opponents through patient build-up play.
Set pieces are another important part of his plans, as combining those threats with defensive organisation would give the team more ways to control matches and punish different types of opposition.
Mourinho reaches 500 goals for Real Madrid
Rudiger’s strike against Roma carried added significance because it took Mourinho to 500 goals in 188 matches as Real Madrid manager.
That works out at an average of 2.66 goals per game, the best return among club managers who have overseen at least 50 matches.
La Liga accounts for the largest share, with Real Madrid scoring 345 goals in 122 matches.
They have added 92 goals in 38 Champions League games, 55 in 24 Copa del Rey matches and eight in four Spanish Super Cup fixtures.
Their biggest victory during this spell came in the 2010-11 Copa del Rey, when Madrid beat Levante 8-0.
This season, though, the team are averaging 2.5 goals per match.
Mourinho wants more from Real Madrid’s attack
The numbers underline Real Madrid’s scoring power, but Mourinho is looking beyond the milestone.
His ambition is to build a more versatile attack that can adapt to different opponents rather than rely solely on individual brilliance or quick transitions.
With Mbappe and Vinicius offering pace and penetration, and several other options providing different qualities, Madrid have the personnel to develop that flexibility.
Hence, the next step is making those strengths work together consistently.
