Real Madrid

Karim Benzema netted three goals in seven first-half minutes as Real Madrid stormed through Valladolid 6-0 on Sunday to cut leader Barcelona's lead to 12 ...

The French forward completed his hat trick with an impressive overhead effort from inside the six-yard box and grabbed a Rodrygo cross that was behind him to score while his back was towards the goal. The Brazilian then set up the second only three minutes later with a simple pass for the striker to score from the edge of the box. Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Benzema seized control at the Bernabeu, scoring a hat-trick in just seven minutes to totally outclass the opponents before the first half.

Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski are to set to play in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg. BT Sport will show the final El Clasico of the season on ...

I don't think Barcelona can approach the game like that at home." We have to repeat this match at Camp Nou." Or will Barcelona have the last laugh against their rivals en route to a spectacular double? "I don't think they deserved to win. "It's the game we wanted to play, but not the result. [Barcelona](https://www.bt.com/sport/football/fc-barcelona) and [Real Madrid](https://www.bt.com/sport/football/real-madrid-cf) do battle for a place in the Copa del Rey final.

Is Ancelotti really doing such a bad job? Or are there more factors to the 12 point gap in LaLiga?

PT and Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be looking to overturn a 0-1 deficit that Barça inflicted on them in the first leg. There are 0.14 points difference between the two season, and Madrid have even scored one more goal. In Spain, Real Madrid currently sit 12 points behind FC Barcelona, who have gone from the sublime to the Simeone in their pursuit of the title this season. As mentioned, Bruno is the new Chelsea manager, but Tuchel’s also gone to Bayern and Potter might go to Leicester. Are they putting the cheese on the outside of the sandwich and the bread in the middle? You step out of the TARDIS and everything appears the same - the street signs, the people, the buildings, the weather - but there is something not quite right, not like before, back in our universe.

Carlo Ancelotti went for an attacking line-up including four forwards, which paid dividends. Karim Benzema returned to form with a six-minute hat-trick – if the ...

Karim Benzema returned to form with a six-minute hat-trick – if the Frenchman is at his best, it will significantly improve their chances of going through. With relations strained between Barcelona and Real Madrid over El Caso Negreira, Perez did not attend the last El Clasico for first time in two decades. They could barely have warmed up in better fashion though, with a 6-0 victory over Real Valladolid.

The two rival clubs will spurn their traditional pre-match dinner due to tensions surrounding Barcelona's payment scandal.

The two sides will meet on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg. Barcelona viewed it as a slight, especially as the duo united against La Liga after the unveiling of a planned European Super League in 2021. The two boards usually meet for lunch before every Clasico, in a gesture of friendship before one of the biggest fixtures in football.

It is one of Spanish football's most spine-tingling experiences: listening to a stadium singing a famous himno. But where did they come from?

"I was a bit nervous to see how the fans would react. [Real Betis](/soccer/team?id=244), are among the contenders. "The board realised the impact it was having," Santacana adds. By the 1970s, it was obvious that there wasn't a song which represented the club. Written by 1980s Spanish popstar Jose Maria Cano and sung by opera singer Placido Domingo it also, confusingly enough, features the repeated refrain "¡Hala Madrid!" "They were given a lot of freedom with the lyrics," Santacana says. "It was commissioned by the then-board for the club's 75th anniversary but it ended up becoming the club's anthem, not just for those celebrations, but to the present day. The himno came at the right time, it filled a void ... "The whole stadium cheers loudly," [the lyrics begin](https://twitter.com/LaLigaEN/status/1056493276818219008?s=20). ET](https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/74a8c6e8-9637-4a8d-a89a-33ce6aaf4554)) kicks off -- and again at full-time -- it will be the club's ["Cant del Barca"](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/identity/anthem) that rings out around the vast, 95,877-capacity arena. And from the speakers comes a sound that captures the tradition and colour of It's an emotional moment, the lyrics speaking of the club's history, its values, its identity.

SportsBrief.com News - Karim Benzema was accused of disobeying Ramadan rules during Real Madrid's game vs Valladolid but a new video suggests the Frenchman ...

However, Madrid have agreed on a verbal agreement with Benzema over a contract renewal. He began his onslaught in the 29th minute with a well-steered header. [BBC](https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1642545026671554560), Benzema scored the fastest La Liga hat-trick by a [Real Madrid](https://sportsbrief.com/football/real-madrid/) player since Fernando Hierro in 1992. [Karim Benzema](https://sportsbrief.com/tag/karim-benzema/) was on top of his game for Real Madrid in the Spanish Primera Division on Sunday afternoon. However, a social media user attempted to accuse Benzema of breaking the fasting rules for Ramadan when the number 9 was spotted with a bottle of water in his mouth while sitting on the bench. - Karim Benzema was on the scoresheet as Real Madrid beat Real Valladolid 6-0

Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in El Clasico this week to determine who shall qualify for the Copa del Rey final.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid prediction Sergio Busquets and Franck Kessie are pushing for recalls in his place. Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid

The two rival clubs will spurn their traditional pre-match dinner due to tensions surrounding Barcelona's payment scandal.

The two sides will meet on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg. Barcelona viewed it as a slight, especially as the duo united against La Liga after the unveiling of a planned European Super League in 2021. The two boards usually meet for lunch before every Clasico, in a gesture of friendship before one of the biggest fixtures in football.

Previewing the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg between El Clasico rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid on Wednesday night.

It's in these sorts of games where Real Madrid come alive. Carlo Ancelotti has a couple of injury concerns in defence. Spain's two behemoths have met since, with Barça claiming a dramatic 2-1 triumph on home soil to all but put an end to the La Liga title race thanks to Franck Kessie's late winner.

Barcelona could secure a place in the Copa del Rey final. Victory would also help them log another milestone in their rivalry with Real Madrid.

In fact, in the seven occasions that Xavi Hernández and Carlo Ancelotti have faced each other, five have ended in favour of the blaugranas, to only two for the madridistas, with last season’s 0-4 win at the Bernabéu as a great epitome. It would also see Barça make it to their 43rd Copa final, a record and would pull the Catalans level with Madrid the overall balance in the history of the Clásicos with 101 victories each. First of all, eliminating Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-finals would enable the coach to reach his second final since taking charge of the team (after winning the Spanish Super Cup in January).

Real Madrid have a golden chance to bring their season back on track when they take on Barcelona at Camp Nou in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi ...

It will be a difficult task to go to Camp Nou and get a result against an in-form Barcelona, but it is nothing that cannot be done, especially if Real Madrid are on top of their games. Thus, if the German defender is available for selection against Barcelona, then that would have to be considered as a boost for Real Madrid. Real Madrid have a golden chance to bring their season back on track when they take on Barcelona at Camp Nou in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi finals.

MADRID: Karim Benzema scored a stunning hat-trick in a seven-minute salvo as Real Madrid thumped Real Valladolid 6-0...

Elsewhere, Villarreal took the lead late on against Real Sociedad when Samu Chukwueze was felled in the area and Dani Parejo slotted home the penalty. Real slowed down in the second half, with Belgian winger Eden Hazard making his first league appearance since September as a substitute for Benzema. The race for a top four spot intensified as Villarreal, sixth, beat fourth-place Real Sociedad 2-0, and Atletico Madrid earned a 1-0 win over Betis in fifth.

Real Madrid are interested in signing Rafael Leao and have held talks with his agent Jorge Mendes, according to a report.

His agent is Mendes and the name of the Portuguese winger has already come up in contacts with Real Madrid. [Francisco Jose Delgado](https://twitter.com/PacojoSER/status/1642890546531254272) of Cadena SER, Leao is attracting the interest of Real Madrid ahead of the summer window and Milan would look to sell him if he does not renew between now and August. Leao’s current contract is set to expire in June 2024 and he earns €1.4m net per season, while the request to extend is €7m.

Real Madrid are clearly in definite need of reinforcements this summer. A combination of aging players, expiring contracts, and injuries has led to a lot of ...

Leao can play all across the frontline and could be a solid addition for Real Madrid. Rodrygo has done well when he has played on the wing, and he definitely has a bright future at Real Madrid. A combination of aging players, expiring contracts, and injuries has led to a lot of problems this season.

Karim Benzema follows a strenuous training routine to stay in shape. We sent Real Madrid correspondent Guillermo Rai to try it out.

I put the suit on him for 20 minutes to let it drain and he recovered the broken muscle fibres. He likes martial arts, he used to have a boxing trainer and sometimes he does kickboxing with me, but always with a suit on.” “At the beginning, the objective (with Benzema) was to burn and tone up. “Karim does the exercises with an intensity between 50 and 60 per cent,” the personal trainer says. The trick is not to damage your knees by bringing the body too far forward, while pulling on a rubber band as if rowing while the suit works on the remaining muscles. But Benzema’s trainer does not want me to slack off and increases the power across the rest of my body. The machine has not even reached 12 per cent of its full power yet but it has already taken my breath away as I continue to push. “Look, touch here, and here,” he says, pointing to his biceps and calf, which feel like rocks. “The treadmill weakens the knee because of the impact,” Atalaya warns, as he starts up the suit while I take my first steps on the elliptical. On Sunday, the cameras captured him spitting out water on the bench after he came off in the second half — Muslims are not even allowed to drink water during daylight fasting hours. Atalaya is a former karate expert who began working with Benzema eight years ago on the recommendation of a mutual friend. The Frenchman’s rippling physique has been crafted through hours of work in the gym and with one man in particular: his friend and personal trainer Javier Atalaya.