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Real Madrid keep pressure on Barcelona with tight win at Valencia

Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappe’s goals earned Real Madrid a battling 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday to close the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona to one point.

After the Spanish champions had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s side eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals.

Missing suspended forward Vinicius Junior and injured midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos lacked sparkle but did just enough to claim three points on Spain’s east coast.

England international Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return after injury as a substitute in the second half of Madrid’s victory.

Arbeloa’s side had the better chances in the first half but failed to create danger on a consistent basis in a gritty encounter.

Arda Guler’s shot deflected narrowly wide, while Valencia stopper Stole Dimitrievski saved well with his legs from Mbappe’s fierce drive.

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Real Madrid right-back David Jimenez, from the club’s youth academy, came closest to scoring after French superstar Mbappe teed him up, but the Macedonian goalkeeper denied him, too.

Midway through the second half, Carreras conjured a goal out of nothing to give Madrid the lead.

Drifting inside from the left of the box, the defender used his weaker right foot to stroke the ball inside Dimitrievski’s near post.

Valencia might have levelled but Lucas Beltran’s effort on the stretch beat Thibaut Courtois and clipped the post.

Arbeloa brought on Alexander-Arnold for his first appearance since early December following a thigh injury, as Madrid looked to close out the game.

They eventually secured the three points in stoppage time as Brahim Diaz teed up La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe, who finished calmly for his 23rd goal in the competition this season.

Valencia’s fans, some of whom had waved white handkerchieves during the match in protest at the club’s situation, headed for the exits with Los Che 17th, one point above the drop zone.

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Huge blow for Real Madrid as Jude Bellingham set for month out

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to miss the club’s upcoming Champions League play-off matches against Benfica after suffering a hamstring injury on Sunday.

“Following tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham by Real Madrid’s medical services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg,” said Los Blancos in a statement, without specifying the length of his expected absence.

Spanish media reported the 22-year-old England international could miss around a month after he went off hurt in the opening stages of the 2-1 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano.

As well as the play-off games against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on February 17 and 25, Bellingham is likely to miss league matches against Valencia, Real Sociedad and Osasuna.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said a potential Bellingham absence would be a “big absence” but that he has an “extraordinary squad” to help fill in for the midfielder.

READ: Mbappe penalty earns Real Madrid late win over Rayo Vallecano

Mbappe penalty earns Real Madrid late win over Rayo Vallecano

Kylian Mbappe stayed calm to roll home a 100th-minute penalty and claim a 2-1 win for Real Madrid over nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in a spicy La Liga derby clash.

Los Blancos cut Barcelona’s lead back to one point at the top of the table after the Spanish champions beat Elche on Saturday.

Vinicius Junior scored early on for Madrid after Jude Bellingham limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.

Jorge de Frutos pulled Rayo level early in the second half as Madrid fans showed their anger at their team following the midweek Champions League defeat at Benfica.

After Pathe Ciss’s red card tilted the game in Madrid’s favour, Mbappe netted from the spot at the death for his 22nd La Liga goal this season.

Pep Chavarria was also sent off in the final stages for Rayo, 17th, who took a shaky Madrid to the wire before falling short.

Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said it would take time before the team could become more consistent, having had six games at the helm since replacing Xabi Alonso.

“I’m not Gandalf the White,” the Madrid coach told reporters, referring to the Lord of the Rings wizard.

“What I want from my players is what I’m seeing: commitment, attitude, mentality, knowing that to win each game, quality is not enough, consistency is key.

“We will work on that, in terms of performance, mentality, ambition and attitude.”

Arbeloa said Madrid had to play better than other teams to beat opponents, because of their illustrious name.

“This is Real Madrid, and to beat Rayo Vallecano we need to do more than the rest of the teams in La Liga,” he continued.

The coach said Bellingham would be a “big absence” for the matches ahead if his injury proves serious, but for now, “we don’t know anything”.

After the defeat in Portugal left Madrid in the Champions League play-off round, the Santiago Bernabeu crowd was in an unforgiving mood.

Arbeloa and Mbappe had begged fans to support the team, but, just as they did a fortnight ago against Levante, they whistled their own players.

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Madrid suffered an early setback as England international Bellingham pulled up holding the back of his thigh, going off in agony.

Vinicius fired the hosts ahead in the 15th minute, showing tidy footwork just inside the area before firing high over Augusto Batalla and into the net.

Los Blancos were in charge, but despite taking the lead, their fans were not appeased and whistled the team in at the break.

Four minutes into the second half, Rayo pulled level. Alvaro Garcia nodded a cross down for De Frutos, a former Madrid youth player, to reach and drill home.

The visitors should have taken the lead after an hour when Andrei Ratiu ran through on goal with only Thibaut Courtois to beat, but the Belgian stopper made a superb save to deny him.

Mbappe came centimetres away from putting Madrid in front when Batalla rushed out of his goal, but hit the bar.

Rayo made life harder for themselves when midfielder Ciss was sent off for an ugly foul on Madrid’s Dani Ceballos.

Eduardo Camavinga headed against the post as Arbeloa’s side turned the screw.

With nine minutes of stoppage time ticking down, Madrid were awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy clumsily fouled Brahim Diaz, and La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe dispatched it to snatch three points for his side.

Rayo finished the match with nine men after Chavarria was shown a second yellow card for shoving Rodrygo Goes.

“The important thing is to improve, to grow as a team, try to be calmer, we can’t always be waiting for the opponent to make a mistake,” said Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde.

Arbeloa said he was now looking forward to a fortnight without midweek games due to Madrid’s early Copa del Rey exit.

“We’ve had a lot more games than training sessions, which are for recovering and can’t be done at high intensity. As a coach, I’ve missed that time to work,” said the coach.

“We’ll use these two weeks to keep improving the team, individually and collectively.”

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Real Madrid face Champions League play-off after Benfica loss

Jose Mourinho condemned his former employers to a ninth-placed finish in the league phase as his Benfica side beat Real Madrid 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a stoppage-time header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin keeping the Portuguese alive in the competition.

A third defeat of the campaign for Madrid, coupled with wins for Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, meant Madrid missed out on the top eight and will have to play in the two-legged knockout play-off round.

“We knew where we were coming from, what we were coming into, how difficult it would be, and obviously it got the better of us,” new Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar.

“I think we were far from the level we need to show. I’ve said it these past few days: we’ve got a lot to improve.”

Benfica, on the other hand, will not turn their noses up at the extra games after ‘keeper Trubin sensationally nodded in a 98th-minute goal to snatch the last qualification spot on goal difference.

Earlier, Kylian Mbappe netted a brace as Andreas Schjelderup scored twice and Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty for the hosts.

For Mourinho, who coached Madrid between 2010 and 2013, it was a first victory at the second time of asking against his old club since departing them.

“I think it was deserved, really deserved… for Benfica it’s an incredible prestige to beat Real Madrid,” Mourinho said.

Friday’s draw will reveal if Benfica face a rematch against Madrid or 10th-placed Inter Milan, with whom Mourinho won the competition in 2010.

“I can’t say I prefer one or the other because going to Madrid I like a lot and I’ve not gone there, to go to Milan I like a lot, and I don’t go there either,” he said.

“Madrid and Inter are teams that can win the Champions League, and we are a team that at most can do something incredible.”

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Much the livelier side in the opening period, Benfica thought they had a penalty on the quarter-hour when the referee pointed to the spot following a Jude Bellingham challenge from behind on Gianluca Prestianni, but the decision was overturned on review.

Mourinho was left shaking his head again moments later as Prestianni popped up in space on the left of the Madrid box and shaped a fine curling effort for which Thibaut Courtois needed all of his two-metre frame to tip onto the crossbar.

Mourinho’s side soon, however, paid for their profligacy as Mbappe brought his Champions League tally this term to 12 goals with a clinical back-post header on the half-hour.

But next it was Madrid who were made to pay for over-confidence as the Portuguese side caught them desperately short on the counter six minutes after their opener.

Raul Asencio was the only navy-shirted player in the Madrid half as Benfica launched into a counter, but the Spaniard was left slipping and sliding on the turf as Pavlidis went past him and centred for Schjelderup to nod home.

The home side then got the lead their performance deserved after Aurelien Tchouameni was penalised for a shirt pull on Nicolas Otamendi from a corner, and Pavlidis stroked the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle five minutes into stoppage time.

The hosts won the ball and sprang forward on 54 minutes, with Schjelderup supplying another clinical finish after cutting past Asencio on the edge of the box.

Rodrygo Goes replaced the ineffectual Franco Mastantuono in the immediate aftermath, and the Brazilian combined out wide with Arda Guler to set up the unmarked Mbappe, who unerringly fired home from 15 yards in the 58th minute.

The clock ticked into the final 20 minutes with everything still in the balance and Benfica’s presence in the knockout play-offs fluctuating with results elsewhere in Europe.

Aided by Madrid going down to nine as Asencio and Rodrygo received late dismissals, Benfica looked set for heartbreak as they were sitting in 25th place, level on nine points with Marseille but with fewer goals scored.

The Estadio da Luz then erupted deep in injury time as Trubin turned the unlikeliest of heroes as he nodded in from a free-kick to send Benfica through.

“We were lucky to get a set-piece where Trubin, at two metres tall, goes up there and scores a fantastic goal, a historic goal, a goal that nearly brought the whole stadium down — and I think it was very deserved for us,” Mourinho said.

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Real Madrid top football rich list as world’s wealthiest club

Real Madrid stayed top of football’s rich list as Liverpool outstripped their English rivals for the first time, according to Deloitte’s Money League study on Thursday.

Spanish giants Madrid generated nearly 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in revenue in the 2024/25 season despite failing to win a major trophy.

The refurbishment of the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium into a multi-purpose venue continues to pay rich dividends — Madrid’s 594 million euros of commercial revenues alone would be enough for a place in the top 10.

Barcelona climbed back into second place in Deloitte’s table (975 million euros) despite delays forcing them to play the whole season away from the Camp Nou, which is still being redeveloped.

Bayern Munich were third on the list (861 million euros), marginally ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, whose income was boosted by winning the Champions League for the first time.

The rest of the top 10 is dominated by Premier League clubs, with Liverpool leading the English contingent for the first time.

An expansion of Anfield, plus a return to the Champions League and winning the Premier League title, boosted the Reds’ revenue to 836 million euros.

Manchester City and Manchester United both slipped down the list.

Pep Guardiola’s City fell from second to sixth after an early exit from the Champions League and a third-placed Premier League finish following four consecutive titles.

United dropped behind Arsenal to eighth after missing out on the Champions League and finishing 15th in the Premier League.

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Together, the 20 top-earning clubs in Europe reported an 11 percent increase in revenues to 12.4 billion euros.

“It is no coincidence that the clubs in the top half of the ranking are those with the ability to focus on commercial revenue development, particularly as domestic broadcast rights plateau,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.

“There is a pivotal shift in some club business models with an increased focus on maximising the impact of their brand and their stadium assets.

“The presence of on-site breweries, hotels and restaurants is now commonplace and illustrates a strategic move to diversify income and create year-round entertainment destinations.”

The first 32-team Club World Cup had an impact, helping lift Bayern into the top three for the first time since 2020/21, while Benfica, in 19th spot on the 20-team list, are the first entrant outside the traditional “big five” leagues of England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France in four years.

Arsenal were the highest-earning women’s team for the first time after winning the Champions League.

The Gunners, with revenues of 25.6 million euros, edged out London rivals Chelsea and Barcelona.

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Mbappe, Vinicius help Real Madrid thrash Monaco in Champions League

Kylian Mbappe struck twice against his former side Monaco as Real Madrid romped to an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory on Tuesday to ease tensions around the club.

Vinicius Junior, who was jeered by his own fans during a home win over Levante last weekend, also shone and scored a brilliant goal as Madrid strengthened their bid to claim a top-eight finish in the league phase.

New coach Alvaro Arbeloa secured a second win at the helm after replacing Xabi Alonso last week, with his team producing a dazzling attacking display to help fans forget recent disappointments.

Jude Bellingham and Franco Mastantuono were also on target for Los Blancos, and Thilo Kehrer bundled a Vinicius cross into his own net as Madrid delivered perhaps their best performance of the season.

“The players won this game, with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, after the record 15-time champions moved provisionally second in the league phase table.

“I loved their attitude and their quality, this mentality and ambition are what all Madrid fans want to see.”

There were still a few boos for Vinicius at the start, but they dried as he reminded Madrid’s fans how good he can be.

“The last few days have been very complicated, for all of us, but above all for me because of the whistles, and everyone speaking about me,” said Vinicius.

“I try to give everything for this shirt and for the club who have given me so much.”

Mbappe has been in superb form even as Madrid have struggled and stretched his lead at the top of the European goalscoring charts with his 10th and 11th goals to give his team a commanding lead.

After missing the Copa del Rey humiliation by Albacete in Arbeloa’s disastrous first game, Mbappe has netted in the next two matches.

It took just five minutes for the French superstar to open the scoring, slotting home from just inside the area after Fede Valverde knocked on Mastantuono’s cut-back.

After celebrating with his team-mates, Mbappe apologised to the visiting supporters, having first emerged into the world’s spotlight while at Monaco.

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Ansu Fati, on loan at Monaco from Madrid’s rivals Barcelona, came close before Arbeloa’s side struck again.

They launched a devastating counter-attack, with Eduardo Camavinga’s clever flick to Arda Guler sparking the move. Guler found Vinicius, who span the ball across for Mbappe, just onside, to tuck home.

Despite being shredded defensively, Monaco offered some attacking threat, and Jordan Teze hit the crossbar with a well-guided long-range effort.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also made a couple of solid saves before the break, with Madrid’s third coming shortly after the action resumed.

Vinicius, heavily involved, unselfishly teed up former River Plate playmaker Mastantuono, who swept home.

After 55 minutes, Madrid had four, with Kehrer turning Vinicius’s raking low cross into his own net as Monaco crumbled.

Arbeloa has only had words of praise for Vinicius since taking over, and the forward rewarded his coach with a hug after ramming in the fifth.

Vinicius fired into the top corner past helpless goalkeeper Philipp Kohn for only his second goal in his last 19 matches for the club.

“This is my Vinicius,” said Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. “When we play well, the people who come here are very happy. Today was a very good night here in the Bernabeu.”

Teze pulled one back for Monaco after a mistake by Dani Ceballos, before Madrid struck again to round off the rout.

Bellingham rounded the goalkeeper to net in the 80th minute after Dean Huijsen cleverly dummied Valverde’s pass.

The England international celebrated by chugging several imaginary drinks, an apparent riposte to claims he is fond of the nightlife in Spain, while Madrid’s heavy win offered their own response to the turbulent period they are in.

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Flick opens up on Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said on Wednesday that Xabi Alonso has a great future in football despite Real Madrid replacing him at the helm this week.

Flick’s Barca beat Alonso’s Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, and a day later, Los Blancos agreed a deal with the Basque coach to depart and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa.

“We have to continue, we have to think about what we can do better, but he’s a fantastic coach and also has a great future,” Flick told a news conference ahead of Barca’s Copa del Rey last 16 clash at Racing Santander on Thursday.

Alonso, who won the Bundesliga unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, lasted less than eight months in charge of Madrid, but Flick believes the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich player will soon land another big role.

“This is football and it’s not my business, but what I can say is that I have a very good relationship with Xabi,” explained Flick.

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“I met him at Leverkusen, when I was the (German) national coach, I always stayed in contact with him. He’s a fantastic coach.

“This is football, we have to accept these things, I wish him all the best and I think he will get a new one, a big project for him and his team.”

Flick confirmed Barcelona’s new loan arrival Joao Cancelo could feature against second division leaders Racing.

The coach said he was hoping to take advantage of Cancelo’s attacking quality between now and the end of the season.

“Joao is a fantastic football player, with a lot of quality in attack and this is what we need,” added Flick.

“When the opponent is (deep in their own territory), we have to (overcome) them and we need quality and he’s a good option for that.”

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Real Madrid’s new coach Arbeloa aims to win ‘more trophies’

New Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted Tuesday he would be himself at the helm of the Spanish giants rather than trying to imitate Jose Mourinho.

Arbeloa, who in his playing days at Madrid was an ally of his then coach Mourinho, has drawn comparisons to the Portuguese veteran for his approach to management.

The 42-year-old former defender was appointed to replace Xabi Alonso on Monday after Real Madrid lost the Spanish Super Cup final against rivals Barcelona on Sunday.

“I have not spoken to Jose yet. For me it was a privilege and an honour to be coached by Jose Mourinho,” Arbeloa told a news conference.

“I have a great relationship with him… and obviously he was someone who influenced me a lot, I carry him within me.

“(However) I am going to be Alvaro Arbeloa, because while it’s true I am not afraid of failing, and have never been, I’m sure that if I tried to be Jose Mourinho, I would fail spectacularly.”

Mourinho, currently coaching Benfica, led Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning one La Liga title.

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During that era, he battled against Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona when the fierce rivalry between the Catalans and Real Madrid was at its most bitter.

Barca currently lead Madrid by four points at the top of La Liga and Arbeloa’s job is to revert the situation, although his first match in charge is at Albacete in the Copa del Rey last 16 on Wednesday.

Arbeloa, who was coaching Madrid’s reserve side and previously working with the club’s youth teams before he was promoted, said success is the most important thing for the record 15-time European champions.

“This club is winning, winning, and winning again. That demand on ourselves, showing the DNA of what brought us here, that has filled our trophy cabinets (is what I want),” continued Arbeloa.

“When I was a player I received those values from the players in the dressing room, and for me that is the most important thing… to be able to excite the fans we have all over the world and try to leave those cabinets even more full.

“That is my work, that is my obsession and what I will be living every day.”

Madrid did not announce how long Arbeloa’s contract as first-team coach would be.

“What I can tell you is that I’ve been here for 20 years, at home, and I will be at Real Madrid as long as they want me here,” added Arbeloa.

“This is my home, that’s how I feel and that’s how it will always be.”

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Who is Real Madrid’s new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa?

Alvaro Arbeloa was named as Real Madrid’s new head coach on Monday, replacing Xabi Alonso, who left the role following a 2-3 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.

Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career in Real Madrid’s academy since 2020.

The Spaniard played 238 times for Madrid between 2009 and 2016, winning two Champions League titles and La Liga once, among other silverware.

Arbeloa also lifted the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, playing alongside Alonso for club and country.

Arbeloa’s first match at the helm is a Copa del Rey last-16 visit to face second-tier Albacete on Wednesday.

Earlier, Real Madrid announced the departure of Xabi Alonso, reached by mutual agreement.

“Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end,” the press release wrote.

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“Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home,” it added.

“We would like to thank Xabi Alonso and all his coaching staff for their hard work and dedication throughout this time, and wish them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso had signed a three-season deal after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, until June 2028.

The team were thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in July in the Club World Cup semi-finals, which was an early setback for the coach.

Despite a Clasico win over Barcelona in October, it appeared president Florentino Perez had not fully warmed to Alonso, who had intended to bring a modern coaching approach to the team.

The team struggled through a run of poor form amid an injury crisis, with Spanish media reporting some players had fallen out with him and that Alonso would be ousted if they failed to beat Manchester City in the Champions League in December.

Madrid lost but the performance was solid enough that Alonso was given more time to try and save his job.

However, the defeat by Barca in Jeddah was the final straw for Madrid, who agreed a deal with Alonso for him to depart.

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Barcelona edge Real Madrid in thrilling Spanish Super Cup final

JEDDAH: Barcelona retained the Spanish Super Cup with an entertaining 3-2 Clasico win over Real Madrid in the final here on Sunday.

Raphinha struck twice for the Catalans with Robert Lewandowski also on target as they beat Xabi Alonso’s team for a record-extending 16th triumph, despite Frenkie de Jong’s late red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappe.

The French forward could only feature in the final stages as a substitute after a knee sprain, with the defeat likely to bring back recent doubts around Madrid coach Xabi Alonso’s future.

After Raphinha sent Barcelona ahead, Vinicius Junior pulled Madrid level with a fine individual goal to kick-start a frenetic end to the first half in Jeddah.

Lewandowski chipped Barca back in front, but Gonzalo Garcia struck deep in stoppage time to send the teams in level at the break.

The battle was decided by a deflected Raphinha effort after 73 minutes, as Barca claimed the fourth trophy of coach Hansi Flick’s reign.

Alonso is still looking for his first after arriving in June, and Madrid’s run of five consecutive wins across all competitions was brought to an end by their arch-rivals.

“Whatever way you lose it hurts, but it’s clear that this was a very even game, hotly competed, with a bit of everything,” Alonso told Movistar.

“We were very close to equalising, we fought it out until the end, and I have to congratulate Barca.”

Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 in last season’s final, also at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium, but this was a far closer affair.

Flick, who led Barca to four Clasico wins over Madrid last season in four clashes, opted for Lewandowski up front over Ferran Torres and brought teenage star Lamine Yamal back in on the right wing.

It was a scrappy start in the Saudi evening heat, with Barcelona keeping the ball and Madrid sitting deep to resist them, while looking to find Vinicius Junior on the counter.

The Brazilian had not scored in his previous 16 matches but offered a potent threat, flying down the left and forcing Joan Garcia into the first save.

Barcelona began to turn up the heat, and Raphinha found a breakthrough after 36 minutes.

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Moments after the winger fired a fine chance badly wide, he made up for it with a low, early strike from just inside the area, across Thibaut Courtois and into the bottom corner.

Real Madrid pulled level with a superb Vinicius strike, floating in from the left, nutmegging Jules Kounde and slotting home.

Barcelona went back ahead four minutes into first-half stoppage time, with Lewandowski dinking past Courtois after being played in by Pedri.

However, Madrid rapidly hit back just before the interval through Gonzalo Garcia, who finished well while falling after Dean Huijsen’s header bounced back to him off the crossbar.

The second half was a calmer affair, with fewer chances as the teams slowed down.

Mbappe was warming up on the sideline when Barcelona nosed ahead, with Raphinha’s shot from outside the box deflecting in off Raul Asencio to leave Courtois with no chance.

The Brazilian is in superb form and it was his seventh goal in his last five matches across all competitions.

Alonso sent on Mbappe for the last 15 minutes, trying to find a third goal and force a penalty shoot-out.

The French forward could not get a sight of goal but Barca midfielder De Jong was sent off for a high lunge on him.

Despite Madrid’s numerical advantage Barca had the best chance in stoppage time with Marcus Rashford firing wide when through on goal.

Asencio might have grabbed an equaliser at the death but headed straight at Garcia.

The last four winners of the Spanish Super Cup have gone on to claim La Liga and Barcelona will be hoping it proves a platform for success once again.

They have won 10 straight games across all competitions and lead La Liga, despite an inconsistent start to the season.

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