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We have only started the month of March and Real Madrid season is over. The only goal is to finish among the top four in the table to get the ticket for the next Champions League. There are many people to be blamed for this crisis that was foreseen by Zinedine Zidane many months ago and no one took decisions. But now we want to focus on the players, at the end the ones that have more responsibility.

Gareth Bale

If Real Madrid had a start this season was the Welshman. With Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Bale was supposed to take the lead of the squad and take a step forward. However, he was worst than ever. His season has been irrelevant, with many injuries and most of the time passed on the bench. Lucas Vázquez and Vinicius Junior took his place on the pitch. He should have been sold last summer and this will be his last season with the white t-shirt.

Marco Asensio

Luka Modric pointed out in the press conference in the previous day of the match against Ajax that there were many players who should have scored 15-20 goals this season. Asensio has scored only one goal in La Liga, 3 in Copa del Rey and 2 in Champions League. He has passed most of the season on the bench due to his poor performances.

Toni Kroos

Once upon a time, the German was the guide of the midfield. He was accurate, fast and safe. Now is a diesel engine, unable to carburate the team. Even if Luka Modric has shown proud and has improved during the season, Toni Kroos has gone all the way around. Against Ajax he played his worst game with the Real Madrid t-shirt.

Casemiro

Similar situation. The Brazilian was one of the best stoppers of the world and key in the success of the last seasons. However, during the whole year he’s been out of shape, not fit, losing the position and very slot. Even Marcos Llorente replaced him with success but he got injured. Casemiro is still young and can turn around his situation.

Marcelo

One of the footballers punished by Solari and he had his reasons. From the European Eurocup -where he gave a present to Atlético to score one goal- until El Clásico in Copa del Rey at Camp Nou, Marcelo has been terrible during the whole season. One of the preferred footballers by the supporters and, suddenly, completely out of the competition. Juventus can be his destination during the summer. He’s been the best left-back since Roberto Carlos.

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The bad news on Tuesday didn’t finish with the final whistle. The day after, Real Madrid announced that Vinicius Junior suffered from a serious injury and he will miss the next two months of competition, so he might be out for the rest of the season. The Brazilian suffers torn ankle ligaments.

Vinicius Junior couldn’t finish the first half of the clash against Ajax and he left the pitch crying. He knew something serious happened and, especially, he felt helpless because he was unable to compete in the toughest evening of the season. After the game, Vinicius couldn’t walk properly and the worst case scenario arrived in the morning when the doctors came up with this diagnosis.

Until that moment, it’s also true that Vinicius couldn’t dribble and be important as he was during the whole season. This time the Brazilian couldn’t participate in the game while Ajax were scoring their goals to beat Real Madrid at home. Some minutes later, also Lucas Vázquez had to be substituted but his injury seems less important.

Now, with Vinicius ruled out, the door is open for Marco Asensio. The Spaniard scored the only goal on Tuesday whereas Gareth Bale was completely irrelevant. In these last two months of competition, there will be minutes for everybody and they have to show that they are able to stay in Madrid or, at least, get a good transfer in the summer.

For this reason, Marco Asensio had to take his opportunity. Even if he is one of the players blamed by the supporters for his poor season, he is still quite young and can change his role in the team, especially thinking in the new season and the new coach. Meanwhile the supporters will miss Vinicius Junior, perhaps the only good piece of news during this season, together with Reguilón.

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Real Madrid gave away their European crown more than 1000 days after the title in Milan in the worst way possible. Ajax thrashed (1-4) Los Blancos at home with a brave and young team to nail down the coffin of a great group of players that made history in football. Real Madrid were unable to fight until the end with pride in the last Champions League game of many players with the white t-shirt.

And it will be also the last Champions League for Santiago Hernán Solari with Real Madrid. The manager was unable to change the direction of the game, crystal clear from the first goal. It’s true that the injuries of Lucas Vázquez and Vinicius Junior tied his hands, but the midfield was completely lost during the whole game.

Everything might have changed if Raphael Varane scored in the first minutes but his header hit the bar. Soon after, in the 7th minute Ziyech scored the first goal. The defense performance was terrible during the whole evening while Sergio Ramos was registering a documentary in his VIP seat. A good image to illustrate the fall of this team. Far from react, Neres scored the second goal in the 18th minute, so the Dutch team was ahead in the aggregate only in the first 20 minutes.

Ajax could have scored more goals in the first half but the scoreboard was open in the half time. Even Gareth Bale, the supposed star of this team, could balance the result but his shot hit the post. Solari didn’t see that the team was breaking down in the midfield and Toni Kroos and Casemiro continued playing in the second half. As a result of this, Tadic scored the third goal in the 63rd minute while the supporter were already leaving the stadium.

Marco Asensio goal just 5 minutes after gave some hope but it was an illusion because Schone scored from a magic free kick. Not even Courtois showed his quality in this team full of success. Only Luka Modric or Reguilón showed some pride while the others just stayed on the pitch, completely lost, as the coach or the president during the summer. Zinedine Zidane saw it coming, Florentino didn’t. Time to think how to comeback after a tough defeat, thanking these players that made history for the club.

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Real Madrid got knocked down again in El Clásico this Saturday in La Liga (0-1) due to a goal scored by Ivan Rakitic. The problem wasn’t only the result and the loss of any possibility to win La Liga title, but the image given. Los Blancos were unable to create problems to the big rival and got their fourth straight defeat in La Liga against Blaugranas at Santiago Bernabéu.

Besides, Real Madrid had the impression of not being able to compete against FC Barcelona in these two games, but especially in La Liga. Valverde’s team is not the strongest Barça we’ve seen in the last years, but they win and win back Real Madrid this season. Why Los Blancos are unable to compete and win the big rivals? Of course, people would look to the bench.

Solari is not the only responsible of this new crisis and, of course, there is a problem with the squad. Actually, even Real Madrid played very well in Copa del Rey, and we have to give credit to the manager, but on Saturday there was no way to find weaknesses in the rival. Los Blancos didn’t create many chances, Barcelona had the control of the game and didn’t suffer to get another victory. Real Madrid are completely lost, they felt inferior to Barcelona and on Tuesday Ajax will visit the stadium in a very important game.

Many of the Real Madrid players are also showing a poor level these past two weeks. Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Toni Kroos or Gareth Bale can be also pointed out as responsible for these defeats. All of them have been poor against FC Barcelona and the feelings for the future cannot be worst.

And talking about the future, Solari would have to look for a new job in summer. The club needs full refurbishment and the bench is not an exception. He has been a good solution for these months after Lopetegui’s errors but the future would need a more experienced manager. Zidane is irrepetible and Solari is not the same.

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Barcelona will play their sixth straight Copa del Rey final after thrashing Real Madrid (0-3) at Santiago Bernabéu. Los Blancos had many chances to lead the scoreboard but there is no striker for the important moments. The Blaugranas didn’t create danger but they were very accurate in front of Keylor Navas.

Santiago Solari decided to put his best line-up and this is with Reguilón and Lucas Vázquez. Again, Gareth Bale and Marcelo had to wait on the bench. Actually the Welshman came in into the pitch when Los Blancos were losing only 0-1 but just after that they conceded two more goals.

But the real problem was the lack of goal. Real Madrid had many, many chances, especially with Vinicius Junior leading the attacking line. Barcelona played without Messi, who didn’t shine, but the counter-attack was lethal. The Catalan team waited and waited in their own pitch and when they had the chances, Luis Suárez and Dembelé were ready to run.

The first hit arrived in the 5th minute of the second half, when Luis Suárez found the net. Before and after Vinicius Junior could score three times and even Reguilón was close to find the net. But the team missed Cristiano Ronaldo or a goal scorer more than ever. Benzema or Lucas are not able to have Cristiano’s numbers. In this way it’s impossible to touch silverware.

Even when Real Madrid conceded the first goal, they tried very hard, but with the second they found the dead. Varane introduced the ball in own goal after a great assist from Dembelé and just one minute later, Luis Suárez scored from the penalty spot with a Panenka style shot. Game over in Copa del Rey. Now it’s time to think in the Champions League, the only competition where Los Blancos are alive.

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Real Madrid bounced back against Levante (1-2) after losing last week at home and they face the crucial week of the season with a good result. However, the game was very poor and Los Blancos were saved by the penalties committed by Levante and decided by VAR. Again, the feeling are not very positive, but these two Clásicos and the Champions League match against Ajax will give us the right momentum of the team.

Santiago Solari included the best line-up possible even if the upcoming games looked more difficult. Only Sergio Ramos was missing and Nacho replaced him, again with a bad performance and he was even sent off. Tonight, with the best players, Real Madrid didn’t find their way to combat Levante, who had the best chances in the first half, especially hitting the posts twice.

Real Madrid couldn’t react because Modric was unable to participate with danger. Besides, the whole performance of the players was poor, impossible to highlight any player. Luckily, the referee whistle penalty for a hand ball committed by Rochina and Benzema didn’t miss.

In the second half, Benzema could open the gap with the header, but the ball hit the bar. Levante weren’t creating many problems but they balanced the game in the 60th minute with a good goal scored by Roger. It looked like Los Blancos were going to lose another two points making the goal of La Liga completely impossible. However, the referee pointed again the penalty spot in a controversial decision after Casemiro’s fall. Surprisingly, he didn’t go to see the action on the screen and the VAR endorsed the referee’s decision. Bale didn’t miss and score the goal.

The Welshman started the game again on the bench and didn’t celebrate the goal. Actually, he even refused the greetings of Lucas Vázquez in a very unpleasant gesture. The game was over and Los Blancos got the three points back but not the best feelings. On Wednesday and Saturday it will be time to great FC Barcelona.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have millions of fans worldwide. They are without a doubt the two best footballers of their generation while playing the most popular sport on the planet.

If you want to learn the most interesting stats from the careers of these two superstars, check out the BettingSites infographic below.

There are many opinions as to who is a better player, and both sides have pretty good arguments. But who is more loved and who has more fans?

Naturally, Messi is more popular in his home country of Argentina, just like almost everyone from Portugal loves Ronaldo.

However, people from around the world seem to be more familiar with Ronaldo than with his biggest rival. When asked, 92% of people from all over the world said that they knew who Cristiano Ronaldo was, while only 87% knew about Lionel Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo is more popular among women, while people aged above 55 prefer Messi.

When it comes to social media activity, Ronaldo has more followers on all major platforms like Instagram and Facebook. The Portuguese player has around 35 million more followers than the Argentinian on Instagram. He also has about 125 million fans on Facebook, compared to 90 million that Messi has.

To put things into perspective, Ronaldo and Messi each have more followers on social media than NBA stars LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant combined.

Because he’s more interactive on social media, Ronaldo has a slightly higher income from brands. Ronaldo generated $35 million from sponsors in 2017, while Messi’s endorsements brought him $28 million in 2016.

Ronaldo also has higher ROI for brands on social media. Nike estimates that his pages are worth $500 million a year to the company, 10 times more than Messi brings to Adidas.

Ronaldo has more sponsor branded posts as well. He posted around 580 of them so far, while Messi used such posts only 146 times.

So yes, while these two football superstars are both extremely popular, it seems that Ronaldo does have more fans in general.

For more information, check out the infographic below.

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Betting in a horse racing tournament demands an immense time of the study. You have to make sure that when you place you place your bets, you have to be certain because you are not dealing with a nickel or a dime.

That said, it is also undeniable that the third leg of the Triple Crown series which is the Belmont Stakes is on its way to be celebrated. Besides, the Belmont Stakes will be held on the 8th of June at the Belmont Park, Elmont New York.

Hence, as you go along and complete your list of bets and odds in the upcoming Belmont Stakes, there are certain things you must consider before placing your bet. In this article, we’d like to give you some tips on how to successfully place your bets for Belmont Stakes and probably become the biggest winner.

Secure A Horse Racing Bible

In anything that you decide to do for a business, you do not dive into something that you do not initially have an idea about. The same thing when it comes to betting the Belmont Stakes, you need to secure horse racing forms of all bets.

The horse racing forms are records of the previous and current standing of horse racing odds in the upcoming race. Through these forms, you will be able to assess the horse racer you would like to bet for Belmont.

Comprehend That Pace Makes The Race

One of the best things that every horse racing bettors are keeping that’s why they do not lose a huge amount of money is making sure that they study each racer’s running pace. It is a common observation that for those horse racers who started the race strong, they ended left behind by back hangers especially during the middle of the race.

Be A Practical Bettor

When it comes to investing in Belmont Stakes for your desired horse racer, you don’t have to be the most professional handicapper. All you need to do is careful and thorough research and at the same time be a practical one.

Talking about a practical better, you just need to understand the different types of Belmont bets to make sure that you can widen your wagering options. Your ability to join different types of bets will broaden your chances of winning big in the said tournament.

Successful Racers Doesn’t Have Winning Genes

Most horse racing experts would tend to believe that real winner in a horse racing show is those offspring which came from previous tournament winners. This is the common belief of every horse racing fans

While this may be true to some fans, you have to bear in mind that no one has the ability to predict the running percentage of the horses. So, it is best that you have to refer to the previous statistics of the horse runner to rightfully place your bets.

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Real Madrid don’t want to fight for La Liga title for the second consecutive year and they threw away their possibilities losing (1-2) against Girona at home. Levante and Real Sociedad were the other teams able to beat Los Blancos at Santiago Bernabéu, points that must not fly away if you want to win the title. Horrible performance of the team again.

Los Blancos missed Luka Modric, who couldn’t play for suspension. The team was very slow without clarity because Dani Ceballos cannot replace the Croatian magician. Marco Asensio replaced Vinicius Jr in the wing and Real Madrid also lost some magic without the Brazilian. However, no one could expect the outcome of the clash in the morning.

Especially when Casemiro scored the first goal in the first half with a perfect header. Real Madrid didn’t play well but the game was under control. Or it seemed that way. In the second half Los Blancos started more focused on the game, but they disappeared quite quickly. Girona started to have chances until Sergio Ramos committed penalty with a handball. Stuani didn’t miss the chance and drew the game.

Far from being satisfied for the result, Girona continued attacking and they found the second goal thanks to Portu in another mistake by Odriozola. There were 10 minutes left, but Los Blancos didn’t react. Sergio Ramos was even sent off in the last minutes. Courtois had the last chance to draw the game but his header went out.

Girona, who haven’t won a game since November, was able to gain the three points at Bernabéu one week after the lost at home against the bottom of the table, Huesca. On the other hand, Real Madrid, who were doing the things really well at Camp Nou, Wanda and Amsterdam Arena, threw away La Liga. No one can understand this team.

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There has been much debate surrounding football dynasties and success of late, largely sparked by comments in January from Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, who conveniently omitted mention of Real Madrid and their three consecutive Champions League triumphs, when naming the three clubs he considered to be the best of the last decade.

Guardiola had claimed that Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus have been the most successful clubs in the last decade, based upon their consistent domestic league and cup triumphs. Needless to say, Santiago Solari reacted by insisting that his club were not only the best of the last decade, given their four European trophies in the last five seasons, but also “the best club of the last century,” per AS reports.

Backing the claims made by Solari, in February, France Football published their rankings to calculate which club could rightfully claim to be the best in the world. These rankings were based upon analysis of ten different categories, including variables such as trophies and individual player honours, TV and social media reach, club revenues and spending, club and player valuations, along with a more subjective and perceived rating for historical importance.

Topping France Football’s “Best Team in the World” rankings ahead of Barcelona and Manchester United, and by a comfortable margin, of course, Real Madrid proudly shared these findings via the official club website.

Whilst such debates make for interesting reading, with Real Madrid fans never in any doubt they support the most successful club side in history, Guardiola did have a valid point about their domestic record in recent seasons; regardless of winning four Champions League titles in the last five years. Arch-rivals Barcelona have dominated on the domestic front, winning La Liga seven times and the Copa del Rey six times in the last decade.

By comparison, Real Madrid have won La Liga twice and the Copa del Rey twice, during the same period, which will inevitably be a thorn in the side for fans, constantly demanding success in every competition. One trophy is never enough, for supporters who pack the Santiago Bernabeu. This is a club with a rich tradition and history to uphold, which makes the disappointing domestic record in recent years, even more of a bitter pill for them to swallow.

It’s fair to say that the appointment of Julen Lopetegui was an unmitigated disaster, but one Florentino Perez was swift to resolve when he sacked the former Spain head coach, then promoted Santiago Solari to the first team hotseat. Since then, the Club World Cup has been won again, performances and results have improved significantly and after lagging far behind early in the campaign, Real Madrid have closed the gap on Barcelona and remain in the hunt to win La Liga. The latest statistics and predictions back those ambitions.

After being paired together in the Copa del Rey and achieving a draw at the Camp Nou, recent form at the Santiago Bernabeu would suggest that Real Madrid can finish the job on home turf. Likewise, with another Clasico still to come in the league and Barcelona labouring to get results of late, there’s every chance Real Madrid can continue closing the gap at the top, as current standings in La Liga would suggest.

There’s still a long way to go, although February and March are traditionally the periods when Real Madrid kick into top gear. If the team can continue picking up valuable points and knock Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey, the 2018-19 season could well be one that is filled with domestic triumphs. That’s before we even think about the possibility of a remarkable fourth consecutive Champions League title. Guardiola could well be eating his words, come the end of the season.

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