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Football: Real edge seven-goal thriller, keep Barca waiting

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 17:00

Real Madrid forced Barcelona to delay their title celebrations as two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo helped them to a 4-3 win over Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. The result cut Barcelona's lead at the top to eight points and although they can't now mathematically seal the title with a win over Real Betis on Sunday, they can restore their 11-point lead with just four games remaining. The visitors had taken a shock lead early on as Oscar Gonzalez slotted past Diego Lopez from a narrow angle.

Football: Real edge seven-goal thriller, keep Barca waiting

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 16:30

Real Madrid forced Barcelona to delay their title celebrations as two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo helped them to a 4-3 win over Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. The result cut Barcelona's lead at the top to eight points, although they can restore their advantage to 11 points with victory over Real Betis on Sunday. The visitors had taken a shock lead early on as Oscar Gonzalez slotted past Diego Lopez from a narrow angle.

Football: No need for wholesale changes - Vilanova

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 09:15

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has repeated his belief that the Catalans do not need to make wholesale changes to their squad at the end of the season despite suffering their worst ever European defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final. The Germans' 7-0 aggregate win has led many to believe that, after a phenomenally successful period over the last five years, Barca are coming towards the end of an era and need to bring in a number of new faces when the transfer market reopens at the end of the campaign.

Football: Messi returns to training, Valdes injured

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 08:15

Barcelona were able to welcome back Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets to training on Saturday morning after they missed the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in midweek, but Victor Valdes has been ruled out of Sunday's match with Real Betis due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. "Leo Messi and Sergio Busquets, who weren't able to train at the same rhythm as their teammates in the last few sessions, have trained normally," said a statement on the club's website.

Football: Title the tonic for Bayern beating - Iniesta

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 21:00

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta believes wrapping up the La Liga title as soon as possible will be the perfect antidote to their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in midweek. The Germans' ruthless 3-0 win at the Camp Nou on Wednesday saw them inflict Barca's worst ever European defeat 7-0 on aggregate and Iniesta admitted that after so much success in recent years it was a bitter pill to swallow. "Both legs have been hard games for the result and for the feelings," he told Barca TV.

Football: Benitez banks on Europa League final boost

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 20:31

Interim manager Rafael Benitez said he hoped Chelsea's fans would show him some appreciation after he guided the club into the Europa League final for the first time in their history following victory over FC Basel. The Spaniard has struggled to win over Chelsea's supporters ever since replacing Roberto Di Matteo in November, but he will bow out as a winner if his side overcome Benfica in the final in Amsterdam on May 15.

Casillas says future is with Real Madrid

Agencia EFEMay 2, 2013 11:16

Madrid, May 2 (EFE).- Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas refused to speculate about whether manager Jose Mourinho will be back with the Spanish club next season, but the star goalkeeper made clear that his preference is to remain a member of Los Blancos. "My future is with Real Madrid because I have a contract, because I've been with them (in the junior ranks) since I was nine, because it's the club I've known my whole life and it's where I want to be," Casillas said Thursday after receiving the Madrid Community's Gold Medal.

Football: Battered Barcelona forced to re-build

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 09:45

After a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich last week, Barcelona's embarrassment was taken to an even greater level on Wednesday night as stripped of their greatest asset in Lionel Messi, there worst ever European defeat was confirmed by another 3-0 hiding. The history books show just what a fall from grace this was for a side so used to breaking records for positive reasons over the past five years.

Football: Messi not in right condition - Vilanova

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 19:45

Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova defended the decision to field Lionel Messi at the weekend after the Argentine was forced to sit out Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. The Germans' 7-0 aggregate victory was Barca's worst-ever European defeat, and although Vilanova recognised that the World Player of the Year's recurring hamstring injury had played its part in the Catalans' dismantling, he denied that their dependence on him has grown substantially this season.

Football: Mourinho return 'not my business' - Benitez

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 14:15

Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez on Wednesday refused to be drawn on speculation that Jose Mourinho is poised to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season to replace him in the dug-out. Mourinho is expected to leave Real Madrid at the end of the current campaign and dropped a hint that he could go back to his former club after Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.