real madrid

Real Madrid and Manchester City drew an extraordinary first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final full of drama, quality and goals.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti's 200th Champions League match is not one the Italian will forget in a hurry as a pulsating, scintillating encounter more than lived up to the lofty pre-match expectations.

The 20-year-old has made a stunning start to life at Real Madrid having scored 13 goals in 13 games; Bellingham becomes first English player to win Kopa Trophy

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the 2023 Kopa Trophy, given to the best young player under the age of 21, after a stunning start to life at Real Madrid.

Bellingham scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 El Clasico win at Barcelona, which included an incredible equaliser and a stoppage-time winner, to give him a goal-a-game record in his first 13 matches.

There have been six trophies under the manager, including two massive ones – the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following season. But to beat Real Madrid in an almost impossibly glamorous showpiece to complete a Cup treble – with the League Cup and FA Cup already in the cabinet – promised a new, more rarefied high.

The French superstar‘s deal with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season, meaning Mbappe has been free to talk to other clubs about signing him on a free transfer.

The French club’s sporting director Leonardo on Wednesday admitted that they will not be able to keep the World Cup winner “if he wants to leave”.

“Our position has always been the same, to keep Kylian and extend his contract,” Leonardo told several media including AFP as he discussed the future of Mbappe, whose current contract expires at the end of this season.

Bale had not featured in any of Madrid's past three friendlies, missing the defeat to his former club Tottenham and the wins over Fenerbahce and Salzburg.

Officially, his absence for the Spurs game was due to an illness, though he was spotted playing golf the same day as the match and reportedly missed out due to his state of mind after a transfer to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning fell through.

He was left out again for the Salzburg game, though no explanation was given by coach Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid started the season well under Lopetegui, but things began to unravel with their 3-0 defeat away to Sevilla on September 26, and that result was followed by a draw with Atletico Madrid and further losses to CSKA Moscow, Deportivo Alaves and Levante.

The 52-year-old earned a stay of execution with a Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen last Tuesday, but a 5-1 loss to LaLiga's defending champions has led to Madrid relieving him of his duties.

Substitute Bale, who also scored in Real's 2014 final win over Atletico Madrid, had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he rose to meet Marcelo's cross in the air from outside the box, sending it flying into the net to restore Real's lead in the 64th minute at the NSC Olympic Stadium.

French forward Karim Benzema had put Madrid ahead in the 51st minute by sticking out a leg as Liverpool's German keeper Karius attempted to throw the ball to a team mate, sending it trickling over the line, but Sadio Mane levelled from close range in the 55th for Juergen Klopp's side.

Barca played 45 minutes with 10 men but managed to extend their record undefeated streak in the top flight to 42 matches, a record that stretches back to April 2017.

In Andres Iniesta's last Clasico, Luis Suarez gave the Catalan giants an early lead by turning in a terrific right-wing cross from Roberto, but the advantage did not last long as Madrid hit back in the 14th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo - substituted at half-time due to injury - equalled Alfredo Di Stefano's record of 18 Clasico goals for Madrid by tapping in a clever Karim Benzema header back across goal.

Jurgen Klopp's side headed to the Italian capital with a commanding 5-2 advantage from last week's first leg, where their Serie A opponents snatched faint hopes of a comeback by netting a pair of late away goals.

Still, Roma had no margin for error – certainly not to the magnitude of the woeful blind pass midfielder Radja Nainggolan played in the ninth minute that resulted in Sadio Mane opening the scoring.

An incredibly unfortunate James Milner own goal did not knock Liverpool off their stride, with Georginio Wijnaldum restoring their ample cushion in the 25th minute.