Real Madrid will improve against Tottenham after dreadful Girona loss, Guillem Balague warns

Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema suffered a shock loss at Girona
After their "dreadful" showing at Girona, Guillem Balague has warned Real Madrid will be "a completely different team" when they take on Tottenham at Wembley.

The Spanish champions suffered a shock defeat of the season at the weekend as La Liga newcomers Girona came from behind to claimed an historic 2-1 victory.

After handing the initiative to Barca in the La Liga title race, Real will hope to have more success as they continue the defence of their Champions League crown.

The reigning European champions head to Wembley for the very first time on Wednesday, and Balague believes Real's performance will be in stark contrast to that seen in Girona.

"You will see a different Real Madrid," the Sky Sports Spanish football expert said. "The same guys that played so poorly at Girona will raise their game.

Read More http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11835/11105850/real-madrid-will-improve-against-tottenham-after-dreadful-girona-loss-guillem-balague-warns

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears: Cutler and co to set Soldier Field rocking

Chicago are tough at home, enjoy their Monday Night Football, and have too much experience for the visiting Eagles. That's according to Neil Harvey, who's predicting a home win for the Bears...

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Tuesday, 01:30
Live on Sky Sports 1


Little was expected of these two teams this year. Both raised eyebrows, in a good way, with their efforts in Week One.

To be fair, the fact that Philly beat the long-suffering Cleveland Browns wasn't so unexpected. But maybe the manner of victory was. The Eagles defense gave up just 168 passing yards and a mere 120 rushing yards in that 29-10 win. While on offense, rookie QB Carson Wentz made a flying start to his NFL career, with two touchdowns and no turnovers en route to a 100.9 passer rating. Then again though, this was only the Browns.

Chicago surprised by taking an early lead away to much-fancied Houston, and holding it until the second half. The Bears eventually went down 23-14. But it was a much gutsier showing than predicted and suggested just maybe there is life after Matt Forte.

Forte's replacement at running back, Jeremy Langford, was rock solid in Week One, rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown against one of the best defenses in the league. They'd have looked average numbers against most sides. But to do it against the Texans was something much more impressive. Langford looked a potential NFL star when he debuted last season. And as far as I'm concerned, he will be. He's got a genuine change of pace and can catch too. He looks the perfect replacement for Forte and I recommend backing him in a few markets for the final game of week two.

Chicago gunslinger Jay Cutler is an enigma, but I fancy he'll have one of his good days against a Philly defense that ranked fifth from last against the pass last year. And given the Eagles were even worse against the run (last in the NFL), there's every reason to think Chicago will move the ball with relative ease, with Alshon Jeffrey a receiver who when he plays, plays big - as shown by his 54 yard touchdown last week.

By contrast, the Bears defense ranked much higher than that. And the solid showing against Houston suggests Chicago can hold Carson Wentz in check, with veteran Head Coach John Fox likely to have prepared plenty of zonal coverage and a myriad of blitzes to put the rookie to the test.

Soldier Field is a tough place to go at any time. And that time just doesn't look right for Philadelphia, who still have rebuilding to do. Receivers Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are talented, but young, like their QB. And with so little experience on offense, it's hard to back them with confidence.

For stats fans, Chicago are 4-1 winners against the spread in their last five Monday Night games. I like them to make that 5-1. The Bears can strike early, as they did in Week One. And this time, not only could they hold on, but might even pull away - if Wentz starts chancing his arm at a level he's not yet used too. Chicago's pass defense ranked fourth best in the league last year and is sure to gobble up any chances that might come their way.

Read More: https://betting.betfair.com/us-sports/nfl/eagles-at-bears-picks-predictions-monday-night-football-160916-680.html

Real Madrid seek respite from La Liga woes on Wembley debut against Spurs

On the plane back from defeat in Girona on Sunday evening Zinedine Zidane went over the game again while in the rows behind him his players quietly watched films or TV series, keen to clear their minds of what had just happened. “It wasn’t a nice feeling,” Sergio Ramos admitted, and it didn’t make for good viewing either.

“I’m not worried,” the Real Madrid manager had said as he sat in front of the media after the match; now, as he sat in front of his captain flying west, and with no need to transmit a public message of tranquillity, he might have felt differently.

Madrid’s 2-1 defeat by Girona leaves them trailing La Liga’s leaders Barcelona by eight points as they head to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. “The league’s long,” Zidane said and on Monday night Ramos insisted he had overcome eight points before. Actually, he hasn’t: Madrid have never won the title from so far behind and it was not just that they had been defeated; it was that, as the Girona coach, Pablo Machín, insisted, it had been “fully deserved”.


At half-time, Madrid led 1-0, but the home side had already hit the post twice and in the dressing room Machín told his players they could win; all they had to do was carry on. Girona scored twice in the second half and might have scored more; Madrid sought a way back into the game but never truly looked like finding it. At one point, the olés rang round as Girona kept the ball from their opponents, moving it from man to man as those in white shirts repeatedly arrived a little too late.

Before that cameras had caught Marcelo, who lost the ball 16 times during the game, responding to Luka Modric: “I made a mistake? What, and you don’t?” With the exception of Isco, seemingly on a one-man mission to get Madrid going, they all had. “We have to play better and work harder,” the midfielder Casemiro said at the end. Zidane disagreed. “We didn’t play badly,” he insisted. Yet nor had they, he admitted, played well.

Actually, badly was a pretty accurate description of a team lacking inspiration or intensity, suffering a striking disconnect between their players, disorganised and so overrun all across the pitch that Zidane ended up replicating Girona’s formation in an ultimately futile attempt to plug the leaks. In the press conference afterwards, the coach went in circles, not convincing in his analysis – which is unusual for him. “When we lose, it’s for a reason,” he eventually conceded. He denied that there had been a lack of work, intensity or attitude. There had certainly been a lack of football.

Read More: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/01/real-madrid-wembley-spurs-champions-league-tottenham-hotspur

La Liga News: Real Madrid and Barcelona to battle over new Spain international

Barcelona are desperate to bring young recruits into the side to ensure they have the best Spanish talent in La Liga.

Their famed La Masia academy has dried up in recent years, with fewer and fewer graduates making it into Ernesto Valverde’s first team.

And Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo claim scouts have earmarked two top talents to sign at the end of the season.

However, Real are also watching one of those prospects.

The player in question is Real Sociedad right-back Alvaro Odriozola.

Barca’s technical director Robert Fernandez is said to be a fan of the 21-year-old, who can also play as a winger if required.

Read More: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/863519/La-Liga-News-Real-Madrid-Barcelona-transfer-Alvaro-Odriozola-Spain

MESSI MAKES BEST START TO LIGA SEASON EVER

The Argentine brought his total to 11 goals in seven league matches – the best opening to a season in his career

Lionel Messi's double against Las Palmas on Sunday meant the Argentine is now off to the best goalscoring start of his Liga career.

With Camp Nou closed to fans due to clashes between protesters and police in Barcelona over the Catalan independence referendum, Barcelona defeated Las Palmas 3-0 on the strength of two second-half Messi strikes.

Read More: http://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-off-to-best-goalscoring-start-of-la-liga-career/14aoe23p9hctp19lnal0zrnzw5

La Liga Breakdown - Terry Gibson analyses Real Madrid weaknesses

Sky Sports’ La Liga expert Terry Gibson reviews Girona's impressive 2-1 victory over Real Madrid from gameweek eight in La Liga.

Ahead of their Champions League clash against Tottenham at Wembley on Wednesday night, Gibson highlights some of Real's weaknesses after suffering a shock defeat at the hands of the newly-promoted La Liga side.

Cristhian Stuani and Portu struck quickfire goals in the second half to wipe out Real's first-half lead given to them by Isco, as Girona wrote themselves into history in their first league meeting against the champions.

Mauricio Pochettino's side currently sit top of Group H, ahead of the defending champions on goal difference, after their 1-1 draw with Real at the Bernabeu last time out.

With both teams six points ahead of third-placed Borussia Dortmund and last-placed Apoel Nicosia, victory for either would see them progress to the last 16.

Is there hope for Spurs at Wembley? Watch the video above to see Terry's analysis

Read More: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11835/11107243/la-liga-breakdown-terry-gibson-analyses-real-madrid-weaknesses

Real Madrid will improve against Tottenham after dreadful Girona loss, Guillem Balague warns

After their "dreadful" showing at Girona, Guillem Balague has warned Real Madrid will be "a completely different team" when they take on Tottenham at Wembley.

The Spanish champions suffered a shock defeat of the season at the weekend as La Liga newcomers Girona came from behind to claimed a historic 2-1 victory.

After handing the initiative to Barca in the La Liga title race, Real will hope to have more success as they continue the defence of their Champions League crown.

The reigning European champions head to Wembley for the very first time on Wednesday, and Balague believes Real's performance will be in stark contrast to that seen in Girona.

"You will see a different Real Madrid," the Sky Sports Spanish football expert said. "The same guys that played so poorly at Girona will raise their game.

"Real Madrid have never played at Wembley and the game is being billed as one of the games of the week after Spurs' impressive display at the Bernabeu.

"Spurs were a little unlucky at Manchester United, the game could've gone either way, especially if Dele Alli had scored.

"It will be a serious encounter, it cannot be any other way."

Though Balague expects to see a Real Madrid with renewed focus in north London, he admitted there have been "obvious problems" at the Bernabeu.

Read More: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11835/11105850/real-madrid-will-improve-against-tottenham-after-dreadful-girona-loss-guillem-balague-warns