Sports Stories

Real Madrid defeat Barcelona 3-1 in season's first El Classico

• Barcelona's front-3 combined within 3 minutes to fire the first goal.
• Neymar opened the scoring for Barca with a superd goal in the 3rd minute thanks to a brilliant cross by Louis Suarez who looked great in the first half but rusty in the 2nd& ultimately was substituted in the 69th minute.
• Ronaldo leveled with style in the 34th minute thanks to Gerrard Pique who appeared to slip and accidentally conceded a penalty.
• Madrid went 2-1 ahead in the 50th minute with a bullet-header from defender Pepe on Toni Kroos' well crafted corner kick.
• Barcelona left themselves dangerously open at the back in an attempt to equalize but it backfired into a team move for Real as Iniesta played in to Ronaldo who connected with James Rodriguez to find Benzema for a through-ball. Benzema thus, sealing the victory for Real Madrid in the 61st minute with the scoreline reading 3-1.

• Lionel Messi missed several chances mainly due to being bogged down by too many Madrid defenders.
• Luka Modric & Toni Kroos controlled the pace in the Midfield.
• Iker Casillas had a superb game and answered his critics who questioned his place in the Madrid side.

Star Players gear up for Champions League all-time Goal scorer Record

Image Courtesy: goal.com

Image Courtesy: goal.com

Its Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo once again, for what appears to be about the 3843732839244th time in the last decade, this time both of the greats gunning up for all-time scoring record in the Champions League.

Real Sociedad stun Real Madrid

Real crowned Super Cup Champions

• UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid beat Europa League winners Sevilla FC to lift the UEFA Super Cup.
• Kroos put in an emphatic performance on debut, winning a trophy in his first game for Real Madrid.
• Ronaldo scored twice, first near the half hour mark, then  just after first half.
• Sami Khedira wasn't even on the bench for the game.
• Ronaldo put in a spectacular cross by Bale for the first goal.
• He scored again with a powerful strike courtesy of some smart work by Benzema & Kroos.

Alfredo Di Stefano Death

MADRID -- Alfredo Di Stefano, the forward Real Madrid has hailed as being the most important component in its mid-20th century ascent to becoming a global powerhouse, has died. He was 88.

The club said in a statement that Di Stefano, its honorary president, died on Monday afternoon at Gregorio Maranon hospital, two days after a heart attack.

Di Stefano turned 88 on Friday. The following day, he had a heart attack on a Madrid street near the club's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. On arrival paramedics found Di Stefano's heart had stopped beating and he wasn't breathing, but they managed to resuscitate him after 18 minutes. He spent the following two days in a coma.

Renowned for his speed, versatility and strategic grasp of the game, he helped Madrid attain five straight European Champions Cups and was voted European player of the year in 1957 and '59.

In a career spanning five clubs in three countries -- Argentina, Colombia and Spain -- from 1945-1966, Di Stefano scored 789 goals in 1,090 matches. In the process he claimed top-scorer status once in the Argentine league, twice in Colombia's league and five times in Spain.

However, as FIFA acknowledges on its official website, "statistics will show that Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the world's greatest ever goalscorers, but the bare facts only tell part of the story."

Those who knew him recall a straight-talking character who believed success on the field came through physical effort and dedication.

"I don't want to be idolized, I just want to play. And to do that you have to run and sweat," he said. His modesty in the face of overwhelming sporting success won him the admiration of many.

"I think he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, football player ever," England great Bobby Charlton said.