Real Madrid News
Real Madrid star happy with Barcelona’s ‘unexpected’ loss, but distraught over derby draw
Barcelona failed to extending their lead at the top of the La Liga table over Real Madrid to ten points when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Almeria this past weekend.
Shortly after the result, it was reported that the Real Madrid Whatsapp group went ecstatic and there is much hope that the reigning Spanish champions have what it takes to overtake their direct rivals in the race for the league table.
However, speaking on his podcast, Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos, despite admitting his shock at Barça’s defeat, said he was more worried and disappointed about Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.
“Barcelona losing was a bit unexpected and obviously good for us, but I think differently: it bothers me even more that we didn’t beat Atletico, that we didn’t take advantage of it,” Kroos said on his podcast.
Real Madrid’s draw with Atleti in the Madrid derby did indeed invite a lot of backlashes, even from the club’s own set of fans, with many believing that it will pave the way for Barcelona to extend their lead at the top.
Fortunately for the Merengues, the Catalans slumped to a narrow defeat to Almeria, which means the gap between the two clubs at the club is now seven points.
Although a significant number, Real Madrid are confident they can make the ground during the remainder of the campaign.
In the meantime, though, the two clubs will be more focused on their upcoming clash in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday. It is a must-win encounter for Real Madrid as they look to gain an advantage heading into the second leg next month.
Marco Asensio is fighting for his future at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no concrete decision made by the club over his renewal as of yet.
Some reports had suggested that the club had tabled an offer worth €4 million per year, which the Spaniard did not like as he sought a higher pay packet closer to around €6 million-a-year.
With his future a subject of intense speculation, Asensio had been linked with a move away to Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, closer to home, there were strong links to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Indeed, the Catalans have been touted as potential suitors for Asensio for quite some time now due to the fact that he is represented by Jorge Mendes.
The superagent has close ties with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and reports in Spain have suggested that the Real Madrid winger has, indeed, been offered to the current La Liga leaders.
Amidst these speculations, however, Asensio has seemingly made it clear as to where his heart lies as he awaits a decision on his future.
During last night’s El Clasico against Barcelona, the Real Madrid winger came on as a substitute and went on to score a goal, following which he celebrated at Camp Nou, pointing to the Real Madrid logo on his shirt, showing where his allegiances lie.
The goal, however, was disallowed by the VAR, and Los Blancos ended up losing the game 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Franck Kessie.
Earlier today, Asensio took to Instagram and posted a picture of him celebrating with his finger pointing to the Real Madrid logo, reiterating his commitment to the club amidst the links to Barcelona.
As for his disallowed goal, it sparked an angry reaction from Carlo Ancelotti, who questioned the legitimacy of the decision made by the VAR during his post-match press conference.
