Real Madrid CF

Chema Andrés (190cm/6’3”, 77kg/169lbs) joined VfB Stuttgart from Real Madrid this past summer for a transfer fee of just €3m. Andrés was a Real Madrid academy product, having joined Los Blancos' youth setup from Levante in 2018. Like many who came through the Galacticos academy before him, such as Juan...

Real Madrid hosted Manchester City in a UEFA Champions League clash that renewed the rivalry between the two teams and delivered one of the most-watched encounters in the competition. The match ended with a 1-2 win for Man City, who climbed to fourth spot and are further confirming their qualification...

Real Madrid were looking to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table on Wednesday against Athletic Bilbao. Xabi Alonso’s side were in desperate need of three points, considering their last three La Liga matches against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona all ended in draws. Those...

Real Madrid failed to secure a win against Rayo Vallecano in Gameweek 12 of the 2025/2026 La Liga season. Rayo Vallecano ended Real Madrid’s four-game winning streak by holding them to a goalless draw at Estadio de Vallecas. Los Blancos entered the game with a clear objective: to take all...

Liverpool vs Real Madrid has become something of a modern UEFA Champions League rivalry to look forward to. Real Madrid have always seemed to have Liverpool’s number, inflicting some famous and painful losses. The animosity stems from the infamous 2018 Champions League Final, in which Mohamed Salah was injured by Sergio...

Under new coach Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid have adopted a strategy focused on structured control and smart positioning for the 2025/2026 season. Arda Güler has thrived in this new system, transforming from a promising player into a key creative force for the team. Playing mainly in the right half-space as...

Real Madrid hosted Barcelona at the prestigious Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and, after a powerful attacking performance, convincingly won the tenth La Liga fixture. On the other hand, Barcelona's disappointing El Clásico defeat confirms the issues within this squad and widens the gap between the two teams in the standings. Following this game, Real...

Real Madrid faced Juventus for the third game of the UEFA Champions League group stage, and Los Blancos won three points to join the four leading teams of this phase with nine points each. Real Madrid did the job and secured the win, but their performance was not that satisfying...

As Barcelona approach the first Clásico of the 2025/2026 season under Hansi Flick tactics, the atmosphere feels markedly different from the dominance of the previous campaign. Flick, who led the team to a historic domestic treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, while defeating...

As Xabi Alonso embarks on his first full season in charge of Real Madrid, one question stands out above all others: How is he trying to get the best out of this immensely talented squad? For years, Los Blancos' success has relied heavily on individual brilliance rather than on a...

Xabi Alonso faces a tactical conundrum that strikes at the very heart of Real Madrid’s attacking identity: choosing between two world-class Brazilians who both thrive on the same flank. Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo have each built their reputations on dynamic, high-impact performances, yet their best football often comes when deployed...

El Derbi Madrileño is always a massive story in the Spanish capital, and it was not different this past weekend when Atlético Madrid hosted Real Madrid for the first derby in La Liga this season. For Atlético Madrid, the season didn’t get off to the greatest start. After six games,...

Rondo and possession exercises are now staples in most modern football coaches' repertoires. They can, and should, be used throughout the season.  However, they can be particularly useful to coaches during pre-season as a way to break down the components of a particular game model while providing enough intensity to...

As coaches prepare for the upcoming season, implementing a cohesive pressing system is crucial for teams seeking to control games when they do not have the ball and when trying to force the opposition to play into areas they feel they can exploit.  Working on a variety of pressing options...

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States delivered far more than entertainment; it provided a competitive stage where established stars and emerging talents showcased their quality against the world's best. While the headlines were dominated by Chelsea’s tactical discipline and PSG’s attacking flair, the real story of...

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup in embarrassing fashion at the hands of Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain. The 4-0 thrashing by current Champions League winner PSG showed that Los Blancos have a long way to go to regain their status as one of Europe’s elite...

Real Madrid eliminated Juventus from the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 1-0 win. Los Blancos advance to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will go on to face Borussia Dortmund. The match confirmed that I Bianconeri will need to make some remarkable adjustments...

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage served as a captivating tactical analysis case study, particularly through the performances of Brazilian clubs Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Palmeiras. This report provides a detailed Club World Cup data analysis examining how these teams navigated difficult groups and delivered some of the...

The Xabi Alonso era at Real Madrid did not get off to the best of starts, but there were some promising signs in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against Al-Hilal.  Of course, we have to sit back and remember this is a Club World Cup,...

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 marks a historic shift in the tournament’s structure, transforming it from a brief annual competition into a fully-fledged international tournament, modelled on the format of the traditional FIFA World Cup. This expanded edition, set to be hosted for the first time in the United...