Showing posts with label Youssef El-Arabi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Youssef El-Arabi. Show all posts

Monday, 29 February 2016

Benzema Injured in Atletico Defeat


Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is expected to be out for up to a month because of a right leg muscle injury.

Benzema will miss upcoming Spanish league games and the Champions League return match against Roma next week. Madrid won the first leg 2-0 in Rome.

The Frenchman should be fit again in time for El Clásico against Barcelona in the Spanish league at the Camp Nou on 2 April.

Madrid did not say exactly how long the player was expected to be sidelined, noting that “his recovery will continue to be assessed”.

Benzema had missed the game against Malaga a week ago because of a back problem. He was substituted at half-time in Madrid’s 1-0 home defeat against Atlético Madrid because of the muscle injury.

On Satuday Atletico Madrid won a third consecutive La Liga Bernabeu derby to practically end Real Madrid's title hopes.

Diego Simeone's visitors are now five points off leaders Barcelona, who have a game in hand, while Real are nine points below the champions.

Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal, early in the second half, when he steered Filipe Luis' pass home.

Real, who were two points off Barca when Zinedine Zidane took over, had not lost in his first eight games as boss.

The result means Atletico are the first side in La Liga history to win three times in a row at the Bernabeu, as Real fans called for club president Florentino Perez to resign.


Monday, 8 February 2016

Real Modric Magic in Granada

Getty Images
Luka Modric scored a stunning late goal to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win at struggling Granada and keep their fading La Liga title hopes alive.

Karim Benzema turned in Dani Carvajal's low cross to open the scoring for Real.

They were in danger of slipping six points behind leaders Barcelona, who won 2-0 at Levante earlier, as Yousseff El-Arabi equalised for Granada.

But Modric hammered the ball into the top corner in the 84th minute to give boss Zinedine Zidane a first away win.

The opener was Benzema's 23rd goal of the season and eighth in his last six games as Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo again failed to score away from home.

Ronaldo's last goal away from the Bernabeu came at the end of November and the top scorer missed an early chance as he fired just wide of the far post.

Youssef El-Arabi's sixth league goal of the season drew him level with Enrique Porta as Granada's highest scorer in La Liga history

Granada had lost three of their last four league games and last season conceded 13 goals in two league defeats by Real.

But they carried a real threat all evening and after goalkeeper Andres Fernandez had superbly saved from Benzema, deservedly levelled through substitute El-Arabi with an hour gone.

The Morocco international ran onto a pass from former Blackburn forward Ruben Rochina to slot home with virtually his first touch to become the joint top scorer in Granada's La Liga history with 34 goals.

But ex-Tottenham midfielder Modric capped a superb display with his first league goal of the season to keep Real a point behind city rivals Atletico Madrid and four adrift of leaders Barca.

Elsewhere in La Liga, Sevilla held out with 10 men after having on-loan Tottenham defender Federico Fazio sent off to secure a 1-1 draw at top-six rivals Celta Vigo and extend their unbeaten run to 10 games.

Fazio received two bookings in the first 25 minutes of his first game since rejoining Seville, who went ahead through Daniel Carrico's 43rd-minute goal.

Claudio Beauvue levelled for Celta Vigo 19 minutes into the second half, and the two teams will meet again in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final next Thursday evening with Sevilla leading 4-0 from the first leg.


Thursday, 28 January 2016

Celta Clinch Copa del Rey Semi


Celta Vigo eliminated Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory at the Vicente Calderón.

Pablo Hernández scored twice as Celta upset Atlético, who had lost only once in their previous 24 games, to reach the semi-final.

Following a goalless draw in the first leg, the Atlético coach, Diego Simeone, again left striker Jackson Martínez on the bench with Luciano Vietto partnering Antoine Griezmann in attack. Both sides have struggled for goals in recent games – Atlético’s 0-0 draw with Sevilla on Sunday cost them the lead in La Liga.

Atlético’s Koke struck an early shot just wide and Saúl Ñíguez had an effort saved by Ruben Blanco before Celta took a surprise lead with Hernández given space to head in a Fabian Orellana cross.

Griezmann slotted home after a Yannick Carrasco shot was parried into his path by Blanco but Celta took charge of the match at the start of the second half.

Saúl gave the ball away to John Guidetti who powered home a 25-metre drive and Correa struck the crossbar at the other end before Hernández got his second with a header from Hugo Mallo’s cross.

Correa finished clinically after a fine run to make it 3-2 but Celta held out, despite being pinned back in the closing stages, to reach the semi-final of the cup for the first time in 15 years.