5 h. ago Raphinha, the man who almost left, leads Barcelona to verge of dream title | Sid Lowe

Captain has swapped rejection for affection and added to a season of unbelievable highs in thrilling clásicoBarcelona couldn’t get the player they wanted so they just had to settle for the best. At the end of another wild, joyous and exhausting afternoon, another clásico won their way, the captain called them all into the middle of Montjuïc. And where Raphael Dias Belloli calls, his teammates follow, all the way to the title. Which was why, an arm raised, a wrist wrapped in a blue bandage lifted above the crowd like a symbol of strength, the Brazilian who has been better than anyone anywhere, now gathered them round and led them into a lap of honour together. It was time to give thanks; time to get thanks, too.They had earned it. Real Madrid, who were supposed to be invincible, had been beaten again. Sunday was the fourth time time this season, a record unmatched in 125 years: four victories in as many cities, Barcelona scoring four goals to go with the three, five and four in the p...

Politics

8 d. ago European football: Mbappé double helps Real Madrid keep Barcelona in sights

Real beat Celta Viga to move four points behind leadersSolskjær’s Besiktas win against Mourinho’s FenerbahceKylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid fought off a late comeback attempt from Celta Vigo to secure a 3-2 win on Sunday and stay within four points of the La Liga leaders Barcelona, whom they visit in next weekend’s Clásico.Real’s fourth win in succession kept their title dream alive with four matches to go in the Spanish top flight, while Celta Vigo remained seventh after their third loss in four league games. “The most important thing was the win. We played a good first half, but then we fell apart they are a great team and they put us in trouble,” midfielder Federico Valverde told Real Madrid TV. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago European football: Mbappé brace helps Real Madrid keep Barcelona in sights

Real beat Celta Viga to move four points behind leadersMadrid set to visit Barça next Sunday in La LigaKylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid fought off a late comeback attempt from Celta Vigo to secure a 3-2 win on Sunday and stay within four points of the La Liga leaders Barcelona whom they visit in next weekend’s Clasico.Arda Guler broke the deadlock for Real shortly after the half-hour mark as the Turkish 20-year-old took a short corner for a one-two with Lucas Vazquez before dispatching an excellent left-footed shot from a tight angle through a gap between defenders. Continue reading...

Sport

2 w. ago European football: Dani Olmo extends Barça’s La Liga lead to seven points

Olmo scores winner early in second half against MallorcaPSG held 1-1 by Nantes but retain unbeaten runBarcelona’s Dani Olmo scored inside the first minute of the second half to earn a hard-fought 1-0 home win against Mallorca, extending their lead in La Liga over Real Madrid at the top of the table to seven points with five games to go.Barça dominated proceedings despite coach Hansi Flick deciding to rest several key starters ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against bitter rivals Real, but Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román put on a show between the posts to keep them at bay. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago European football: Barcelona roar back to beat Celta, Las Palmas shock Atlético

Lewandowski injury mars Barça’s 4-3 victoryMcTominay strikes as Napoli keep pressure on InterBarcelona fought back from 3-1 down to beat Celta Vigo 4-3 in a rollercoaster encounter, with a stoppage-time penalty by Raphinha extending their lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga to seven points.Barcelona took the lead in the 12th minute through Ferran Torres but conceded an equaliser three minutes later when Wojciech Szczesny misread a cross and allowed Borja Iglesias to score. The Spanish forward then stunned the home fans when he scored two more goals in the second half, twice racing through to beat the keeper on his way to a hat-trick. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago PSG end Aston Villa’s European run after epic fightback falls just short

Unai Emery will always shudder at mention of La Remontada. It came to define his time as the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, the inexplicable Champions League defeat by Luis Enrique’s Barcelona in 2017 after his team had held a 4-0 first-leg lead. Barcelona would end up needing three goals with 88 minutes of the second leg gone at the Camp Nou. They got them for a 6-5 aggregate victory.On an epic night at Villa Park, the roles were reversed – and so nearly to cathartic effect for Emery. His Villa team were magnificent. They refused to believe that this showpiece Champions League quarter-final was over after Luis Enrique’s PSG surged into a 2-0 lead on the night for a 5-1 aggregate advantage, the goals coming from their flying full-backs, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona prediction: Champions League betting preview, odds and tips

With Barcelona in pole position, La Liga's leaders go to Dortmund with a safety net and full control in the second leg before the match has already started as they look to continue their hopes of a treble

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