Bale to miss Tottenham reunion, but Isco ready for Real Madrid

The Wales international is back in training but is not yet fit enough to return to Zinedine Zidane's plans for the Champions League clash at Wembley

Gareth Bale will not be reunited with Tottenham in the Champions League after missing out on a place in Real Madrid’s travelling squad.
The Blancos have named a 19-man party for the midweek clash at Wembley Stadium.


Bale had been hoping to make the cut, allowing him to face his former club, but he has only been able to return to light training ahead of the contest.
Zinedine Zidane has been forced to overlook him as a result, but Isco does make the grade after shaking off a knock which kept him out of training on Monday.


Isco was seen limping down the tunnel following Real’s shock 2-1 defeat to Girona, but assured reporters after that contest that he would be ready for European action.
Zidane clearly believes that the Spain international is back to full health, but he has a number of other injury issues to contend with.
Keylor Navas, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal and Mateo Kovacic are all missing for Real as they prepare to take on Spurs.


The defending champions have also seen club talisman Cristiano Ronaldo hit an uncharacteristic slump which has seen the usually prolific Portuguese struggle for goals.
Zidane will be eager to see a man recently honoured with the FIFA Best Award get back on track in England, while offering him and his team a welcome boost amid a testing run and regular rounds of criticism.
Having swept to a La Liga and Champions League double last season, Real currently sit eight points adrift of arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight and were held 1-1 at home by Tottenham in their last continental outing.

Harry Kane back in training ahead of Real Madrid clash... with Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino optimistic striker can feature at Wembley

The 24-year-old appeared to tell one Tottenham player 'I'm alright' during the session and gave an OK gesture to reassure the team-mate.

Kane was forced to sit out Tottenham's last two matches after picking up a hamstring problem in their 4-1 Premier League win over Liverpool. 

Pochettino provided an update on Kane's fitness at his press conference at the Tottenham training ground.

'We're very confident,' Pochettino said when asked about Kane's availability. 'He's on the list. Maybe it's possible for him to play but I don't want to say 100 per cent'.

'He trained but it is important we make the right decision,' Pochettino added. 'With the doctors and the player, we will take the best decision for everyone. We must analyse and take the best decision for everyone.

La Liga: Real Madrid’s title hopes in tatters after Girona loss

Defending champions Real Madrid suffered another setback in their title defence as they slumped to a 1-2 defeat against La Liga newcomers Girona at the Estadi Montilivi.
With Sunday’s result, Los Blancos are now eight points behind leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona and at this point, it is difficult to see them hauling back the Catalans.
Isco had given Real the lead in the 12th minute, but the minnows, who are also based in Catalonia like Barcelona, equalised via striker Cristhian Stuani in the 54th minute.
And four minutes later, Portu had given the hosts the lead after touched in Pablo Maffeo’s fierce cross-shot at the far-post.
Considering Real’s pedigree and the bevy of stars they had at their disposal, one may have been forgiven into thinking this was a smash-and-grab win but it was anything but.
For the visitors had taken the lead via slightly fortuitous circumstances as GIrona had just hit the post and then Isco scored after Girona keeper Bono had parried Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot into his path.
Real manager Zinedine Zidane made a double substitution in the 66th minute, sending on Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio for fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Marcelo in a bid to amp up the pressure on the hosts, but it was to no avail as the Girona defence held firm.
Ronaldo and strike partner Karim Benzema huffed and puffed but could not find a way past a determined Girona side.
With all the political turmoil Spain, the win will give the autonomous region of Catalonia a massive boost but for minnows Girona, Sunday’s result was nothing short of momentous and one they will cherish for a long time indeed.
Real will have to pick up the pieces after their second loss in 10 La Liga matches for they pay a visit to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday before hosting Las Palmas in their final game before the last international break of the year

Harry Kane relishes Real Madrid spotlight but key moment is elusive

 

A backheel at the Bernabéu. That is quite a baptism or it would have been if, as most of this stadium first thought, it had actually happened. The replay told a different story but it was Harry Kane the Tottenham Hotspur players ran towards as the ball settled in Keylor Navas’s net, giving them the lead just before the half-hour. The problem was that at the end of the game it was also Kane they sought out, Hugo Lloris putting an arm round his shoulder and walking him to the touchline. This was an excellent result celebrated by supporters, but it could have been even better and Kane’s face told a tale of opportunity lost.
Mauricio Pochettino has said he is forever giving Kane videos, endless clips of moments in games, things to correct, improve and learn from. He will not need to hand over footage of what happened here in the 71st minute for Kane to replay it over in his mind, when he stood alone before goal, the kind of opportunity he would have dreamed of, but saw Navas save his shot. Nor, he will be sure, will this moment sink him; it may even propel the striker to more. The manager has, after all, described him as “the best player in the world in terms of mental strength, willpower and endeavour”. That does not make it painless, though, not least as this was set up as his night. When Fernando Llorente found him with 19 minutes remaining it really could have been.

“Harry the Strong” one Spanish front-page headline here had called him. “Kane is the danger,” another warned and Raphaël Varane knew. “Everything Harry touches goes in,” Llorente had said. Sometimes even the things he does not touch go in too. Serge Aurier’s cross from the right sought him as he dashed in front of Varane, looking for a flick. The ball evaded him but not the defender chasing him and it deflected beyond the goalkeeper.
“The more I play, the more I get a sense of what defenders will do,” Kane had said, but he cannot have expected this. Nor would he have expected what happened an hour later.
“If you haven’t played at the Bernabéu, you haven’t been baptised,” Pochettino had said. After half an hour here his side led. High in the north-eastern corner, where 4,000 Spurs fans gathered, and in a small pocket low in the west stand too, celebrations began. “He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own, Harry Kane, he’s one of our own,” they chanted. Inevitably, some of the focus in the build up to this match was spent asking: how long for? And where would he go? They are the questions that inevitably attach themselves to players this good – and against Madrid especially.
Gareth Bale, absent through injury, and Luca Modric, present everywhere and as wonderful to watch as ever, were a reminder of that, and then there was Cristiano Ronaldo – the man who, like Kane, had scored 43 goals in 2017 at the start of this game. By the start of the second half it was 44, a penalty struck home to put Madrid level before the break. The surprise, by the end, was that it was not more. Ronaldo was relentless without further reward, scoring one, hitting the post, drawing an excellent save from Lloris and then forcing another stop after a surging run that took him past three men. He ended the night on 44.
Kane ended on 43, that first goal not his, the second denied him and disappointment gripped. Yet if this was a test – and it had been presented as one, against the man against whom the very best are judged – he might not have matched up but he played his part. Even when it came for him to play the part, he could not. He slipped to his knees; his manager will trust that he will soon be on his feet again. He will remind him of the good he did here.

Manchester City rely on early goals to overcome Napoli in Champions League

Read more

It would be generous to suggest that Kane forced the opening goal but he had forced a sharp save from Navas, leaping to head a corner, and then escaped impressively on the right, getting away from Sergio Ramos and pulling the ball towards the near post for Llorente, who was hooked to the ground by Casemiro only for the referee to look away.
Tottenham’s lineup was a startling one, that partnership among them, but it had its moments. Llorente and Kane had played 34 minutes together before. Llorente occupied the central defenders, bringing Kane into play and using the ball with intelligence and calm. “He gave Harry freedom and fixed the centre-backs; he was fantastic,” Pochettino said. He provided the best opportunities too. His neat controlled header played in Eriksen, whose shot was pushed away at the near post. Just before, he had rolled the ball into Kane. It should have been the defining pass.
The last time Spurs were here, in 2011, Kane was at Brisbane Road. He played five minutes for Leyton Orient in a 2-0 win against Plymouth Argyle. Now here he was at the Bernabéu.
Inside the area at the north end, the goal before him, fans above him; one of their own; his moment. He opened his body and, right-footed, tried to guide it inside the far post. Navas moved fast, left hand reaching, and just as quickly the moment was gone.

Cristiano Ronaldo launched into stunning rant at Real Madrid stars after Tottenham draw

Ronaldo rescued a crucial point for Real Madrid, converting a penalty after Serge Aurier fouled Toni Kroos inside the area.
That goal came after Harry Kane had sent Tottenham fans into wonderland with a stunning flick.
It was the Portuguese's 110th goal for Real colours in the Champions League.
Real were far from their best against the Premier League side, lacking the cutting edge that made them La Liga and Champions League winners last term.
And Spanish outlet Don Balon claims Cristiano Ronaldo launched into a rant at the final whistle, inside the Madrid dressing room.
At times, Ronaldo looked visibly frustrated during the match, as Real kept their impressive European record under Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu in tact.
He was also spotted singing the Champions League anthem like the national anthem before kick-off.
The 32-year-old has never been one for keeping his temper in check.

And it appears his team-mates were on the receiving end of his anger after the game.
He supposedly complained about a lack of effort from several first-team stars, thinking the scoreline did not reflect their dominance.
Ronaldo also thought their failure to secure all three points was down to a lack of intensity.
Don Balon say Kane's saved shot late on also infuriated the former Manchester United star.
The England international nearly gave Tottenham the win - only for Keylor Navas to deny him.
And he thought Navas was their savour because, without him, their unbeaten run in the tournament would have come to an end.
Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand thinks Kane is nearing Ronaldo's level.

“When you see it there in black and white, a few of my mates laughed when I said he is elevating himself up to that (Cristiano Ronaldo’s) level in terms of goals,” he said.
“When you see it there, this kid, he’s done it the hard way as well.
“He’s gone on-loan to several clubs, it didn’t really work out for him.
“Came back to Tottenham, got back to the drawing board and it shows a work ethic, a determination and a desire to become a top player.

FIFA 18 Vs PES 2018 - Which Is Right For You?

Football is a sport of great rivalries: Rangers vs Celtic, England vs Germany, Ronaldo vs Messi--these are all fierce contests in their own right. In the world of video games, footballing rivalries manifest in the battle between FIFA and PES.

Each year EA's behemoth and Konami's plucky challenger battle it out to see which game can win the hearts of soccer fans everywhere. FIFA is consistently popular, but PES's resurgence in the past few years has won a bunch of fans over. The question is: which is better this year?

Presentation

No matter your preference between the two footballing franchises, there can be no doubt that FIFA 18's presentation beats PES 2018's. PES's lack of licenses remains an issue, especially for those playing on Xbox since only PS4 and PC owners can install fan-made kit mods to make teams look closer to their real-life counterparts. FIFA, meanwhile, has almost every license worth acquiring, and makes good use of them with official graphic overlays, team-specific commentary lines, and more. This year, EA has improved the diversity of atmospheres you can experience in the game, dramatically changing the lighting and types of crowd noise you'll hear. Add that to an already slick set of menus, better-looking character models than ever, and the most addictive FUT pack-opening animation yet, and FIFA is a supremely pretty package.

In contrast, PES struggles to compete on the aesthetic front. Character models continue to improve (especially in the lower leagues, where some player faces are surprisingly accurate), but as a whole PES looks flat compared to FIFA's flashy exterior. Menus have not changed in years, crowds still sound lackluster, and I'm still stuck playing as Man Red rather than Manchester United.

It’s safe to say FIFA 18 wins this round.

Gameplay

When it comes to how FIFA and PES perform on the pitch, it's a little more tricky. Everyone has their own opinion on which feels better to play, though our PES 2018 review awarded the game an 8/10 primarily for how fluid it feels when you get into a match. Passing feels slick, dribbling responsive, and shots gratifying. Goalkeepers are still weirdly awkward and defending can be fiddly, but overall we think PES 2018 is the most satisfying football game ever made.

FIFA has definitely improved since last year, with more satisfying shooting and slightly more responsive dribbling. Crosses are the most improved aspect of FIFA 18's gameplay, now whipping into the box with plenty of pace--and two new modifiers allow you to either loop crosses higher or drill them along the ground when necessary. Crucially, it's much easier to score from crosses and long shots now, leading to some wonderful goals.

Like FIFA 17 though, it still has problems. Dribbling--despite the improvements--still feels clunky and passing feels limp and unresponsive compared to PES. Different teams and players also don't feel distinct enough, and lower league players feel disproportionately poor compared to world stars.

FIFA 18 is on the up, but PES 2018 remains the king on the pitch.

Modes

Off the pitch, one of the main battlegrounds for soccer games is in their breadth and depth of modes. FIFA has traditionally edged PES in this respect, and this year sees another strong showing from EA's contestant. Alex Hunter returns in a second season of The Journey, FIFA's story-driven mode that's something unique to EA's series. It's not perfect--the ham-fisted appearances from real-world stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand are not exactly Oscar-winning--but it's an interesting and unique way of playing soccer.

Elsewhere, FUT continues to expand and is now almost a game in itself. This year sees the addition of Squad Battles, where you play a number of matches against other Ultimate Team clubs controlled by AI, before being ranked against other real-world players for the amount of wins you manage. Squad Battles offer another way of earning rewards, as do the new Daily Objectives, and together they flesh out the single-player side of a mode that's traditionally offered little for those not willing to play online.

Career Mode is pretty much unchanged save for revamped transfer negotiations. They now offer the ability to set up sell-on percentages and release clauses to players' contracts, and are conducted through interactive cutscenes, similar to those seen in The Journey. They don't really change much, but they're at least more exciting than seeing the same offer letter template in your Career Mode inbox for the hundredth time.

PES' Master League sees some neat enhancements: the new menu layout makes the mode easier to navigate, release clauses improve transfer negotiations, and the new Challenge Mode keeps things interesting with unexpected scenarios like players wanting to leave for greener pastures. It still has some annoying drawbacks--low transfer budgets and youth players being littered with unknown, gibberish names continue to grate--but it does a decent job of rivaling FIFA 18's Career Mode. The same can't be said of MyClub, which tries its best to distinguish itself from FUT with different features like Scout cards, but continues to appear as a knock-off Ultimate Team--which, to an extent, it is.

Luckily, PES has an amazing new way to play. Random Selection Mode returns from Pro Evo 6 with a few twists to shake things up wonderfully. You and a friend (who has to be in the same room, as the mode is local only) are each handed a squad of random players from a selection of leagues or countries you choose, so you might end up with a weird hybrid team of players from across the world of varying standards. What follows is a psychological battle of attempting to steal your opponent's star players while protecting your own. Up to three trade rounds allow you and your friend to pick a player from the other person's team who you want to pinch. You then pick a player from your own squad who you want to protect, and one you want to get rid of. Crucially, at no point until after all three are chosen do either of you know who the other person has picked, leading to a tense moment at the end of the round where it's revealed if you've successfully robbed that 92-rated striker your lucky friend got dealt. Manage to steal their top player and the bragging rights are all yours--at least until they manage to win the following match against the odds. It's a small addition that some people may never even see, let alone try, but it's the best silly party mode seen in a soccer game since FIFA 12 unceremoniously ditched Lounge Mode.

PES also adds 3v3 online co-op this year in an attempt to rival FIFA's Pro Clubs. It's not as deep, but along with Random Selection Mode it's at least a promising sign that Konami is looking to expand its range of modes each year. FIFA still has more ways to play, but PES is making good ground here.

Which Is Best?

Overall, whether or not you'll prefer FIFA 18 or PES 2018 likely depends on what your priorities are. PES 2018 is definitely a far more satisfying game on the pitch, but FIFA's presentation is exceptional, and does a better job of immersing you in the world of football than PES's flat looks. It will also depend on what your friends decide to pick up, and how important online play is to you. FIFA's online offering of FUT and Pro Clubs is superior, though PES's addition of 3v3 online co-op is welcome.

As for us? We'll be playing both games for many months to come, but we think PES 2018's excellent on-pitch showing means it edges this year's cup final.

Benzema's importance to Ronaldo makes Isco's place in Real XI tenuous

If absence really does make the heart grow fonder, as the old saying goes, then Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing Karim Benzema like a jilted lover at the moment.
The Portuguese goal machine failed to hit the target for a third consecutive Liga game in Real Madrid's 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Sunday, something that has happened only seven times since he arrived at the Bernabeu for a then-world-record fee in the summer of 2009. A run of four Liga games without a strike has occurred only once previously, in 2015-16.
Ronaldo goal droughts are about as common as a lack of rain in Galicia, where he has scored 26 in just 17 games against Deportivo La Coruna and Celta Vigo, but they are not dropping from the sky for the club's record scorer at the moment. Ronaldo has banged in a staggering 285 goals in 268 games in La Liga during his time at the Bernabeu, and there has always been one constant to his prolific scoring: Benzema.
No player throughout Ronaldo's career has provided more assistance to his assault on the record books, and more than half of Benzema's 70 goal-scoring passes at Real Madrid have landed at the boots of his strike partner. That is not a surprising statistic given the amount of playing time the two have shared at the Bernabeu, but it goes some way to explaining a very rare absence of Ronaldo's name on the scorer's sheet in the early exchanges in La Liga this season with Benzema out injured.
The Portuguese was banned for the opening four games of domestic action for a petulant shove on the referee during the Spanish Super Cup and was available belatedly for the Liga defeat by Real Betis, where of 12 attempts only two hit the target. Against Alaves, Ronaldo had one shot on target and hit the woodwork twice. Against Espanyol, he managed just a single shot on target from five attempts as Isco took all the plaudits for dragging Zinedine Zidane's side out of their recent rut at home. 

The Spain international is currently the closest thing Real have to the untouchable status so often maligned under previous managers, and with good reason. A more in-form goal-scoring midfielder capable of turning a game on his own is difficult to find across Europe's top divisions at the moment, and he would surely walk into the starting 11 of any of this season's Champions League favourites.
What Isco doesn't do -- and this is the primary reason he might find himself back on the bench before too long, despite his state of grace -- is facilitate Ronaldo. That is Benzema's raison d'etre. Football is a business, and Real Madrid are in the business of marketing Ronaldo on the global stage. Win, lose or draw, the Portuguese needs to be seen as the focal point of the side. Benzema alluded to the idea during the formalities of his contract renewal: "A striker is not just goals."
This naturally drew flak from the Spanish dailies, but the thesis is sound. If you have a player such as Ronaldo, who scores at a ratio of 1.03 goals per game, getting the ball to his feet is the main objective of his teammates. Benzema understands this and is willing to sacrifice his own numbers for the greater good. There is no agenda where the Frenchman is concerned, and those that point to a lack of goals from Benzema are missing the point. Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole despised each other, but the latter profited from the former's team ethic as Manchester United asserted their dominance in the late 1990s.
Benzema and Ronaldo wouldn't dream of not passing to each other. Their understanding of the other's movement and positioning has been instrumental in Real's recent omnipotence. That is the simple reason that so much bluster about replacing Benzema can be consigned to tabloid desperation. The departure of Alvaro Morata was met with plenty of handwringing after a 20-goal season, but Real's board have finally divorced pragmatism from romanticism.
Morata might have gone on to a promising start in his Chelsea career, but he was never a direct understudy to Benzema. There is no player currently on the market who is. Isco is the closest thing Real Madrid have, and he steps into the breach admirably. But when dear friends are required, Zidane has two who are perfectly able to fill his requirements. That is why Ronaldo and Benzema are guaranteed starters and also the reason that when the Frenchman returns from injury, Ronaldo will be on the score sheet again.

Lionel Messi goal vs Las Palmas - 1/10/17

https://youtu.be/XxOMDzWG0Us

Real's Zidane hails Isco: 'He plays as you play in the street, and I like that'

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hailed "street player" Isco after the playmaker's double strike in Sunday evening's 2-0 La Liga win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After Isco himself and Sergio Ramos had missed early chances to break the deadlock, the former Malaga man made it 1-0 on 29 minutes by sliding the ball home from Cristiano Ronaldo's lovely assist. Madrid kept making and missing chances, and had a let-off at the other end when Gerard Moreno hit the post just before half-time following a Casemiro mistake.
Espanyol improved after the break, and Keylor Navas twice looked sharp as the visitors pressed for an equaliser, before Isco secured Madrid's first home La Liga win of 2017-18 with 20 minutes remaining by guiding the ball calmly into net from Marco Asensio's cross.
The Los Blancos coach told his postgame news conference that Isco was playing with full confidence at the moment, and able to express himself fully out on the pitch.
"It is just the confidence that Isco has now," Zidane said. "He knows he is an important player with Real Madrid. He plays as you play in the street, and I like that. He does not get worried if things don't come off.


"Hopefully he stays on this path, lately he is really enjoying himself on the pitch, with his teammates. I am happy that we see an Isco getting better all the time."
Following draws with Levante and Valencia and a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis, Madrid finally got three points in front of their own fans. Zidane said the low-key second-half performance, including Ronaldo moving to 22 shots in La Liga without scoring this season, was understandable given the players' heavy recent schedule.
"We started the game very well and had patience and made chances," he said. "It could have been more than 1-0 at half-time. The second half was a bit more difficult. We dipped physically, after seven games [in 22 days] lately. That is normal. The important thing today was to get the three points after the three games we have had here at the Bernabeu."
Gareth Bale was not involved in the game having picked up a calf muscle issue during Wednesday's 3-1 Champions League group win at Borussia Dortmund. Zidane said the Wales winger would be allowed to join up with his national team although he would prefer him not to play in next week's World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland.
"Gareth will go with his national team," the Frenchman said. "He has not played [today], but as he still has a bit of an issue [and] we would prefer him not to play [for Wales]. The other day he felt a strain in his hamstring. It is not a [serious] injury. I speak with the player, and also with the medical staff [before deciding whether to play him]."
Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal is ruled out of Spain's qualifiers next week due to a virus in the membrane encasing his heart, which Zidane suggested was not as serious an issue as it sounds.
"Dani will not go with the national team this week," he said. "We will see how he recovers. It is not anything dangerous, but he will remain here with us."