BERNABéU BLOODBATH: JUDE BELLINGHAM BLEEDS AS NINE-MAN REAL MADRID SLUMP FURTHER BEHIND BARCA
Real Madrid's chaotic night saw Jude Bellingham bleeding, two players sent off, and a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo, putting Xabi Alonso under immense pressure before facing Man City.
Jude Bellingham ended up with a bloody face after getting hit in the head during Real Madrid's rough night. The team, down to nine men, fell further behind Barcelona in the La Liga title chase.
Around the hour mark, with Real Madrid trailing Celta Vigo 1-0, Bellingham took an elbow to the head, causing a cut under his eyebrow. He had to leave the field as blood streamed down his face.
Making things worse, he got booked after returning to the game without the ref's okay.
Things got even weirder when Fran Garcia, his teammate, got sent off after receiving two quick yellow cards for separate fouls. Manager Xabi Alonso was not happy about it, with Marca reporting that he shouted, "Fran, don't mess with me!" from the sidelines.
Real Madrid couldn't come back, and then they went down to nine players when Alvaro Carreras, the left-back, received a second yellow in stoppage time.
As Trent Alexander-Arnold watched from the stands, Real Madrid allowed a second goal, with Williot Swedberg of Sweden getting his second of the match.
Now, Real Madrid is four points behind Barcelona, having lost ground in four of their last five La Liga games. This is after a great start to the season, where they won 10 of their first 11 games and had a five-point lead at one point.
Sky Sports commentator Rob Palmer didn't hold back, posting on X, In my 30 years of covering Real Madrid, I don't believe I've ever witnessed a situation this dreadful. The players seem tired. Xabi Alonso looks like he can't do anything. Militao is now on the long list of injured defenders. Carreras and Fran Garcia were both ejected.
Alonso needs to get his team ready before they play Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. At least they're in good shape in that competition, having won four of their first five games.
Alexander-Arnold won't be playing, as he's out for about two months with a quad injury he sustained in last week's 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
THIBAUT COURTOIS CLEARED TO START EL CLáSICO AFTER RECOVERING FROM INJURY
Thibaut Courtois will return for Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clásico, but Ferland Mendy is sidelined for five months with an injury.
Looks like Thibaut Courtois is finally set to make his return for Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clásico, which would be his first match since March 17. Courtois injured his thigh during the Champions League clash with Manchester City and hasn’t played since. Madrid really missed him; they managed just one clean sheet in eight games while he was out.
Now, with the trip to Camp Nou right around the corner, Courtois is back at just the right time. According to MARCA, he’ll start against Barcelona unless something unexpected happens between now and then. He trained with the squad on Monday and looks ready to reclaim his spot from Andriy Lunin, who’s had a tough couple of months and faced a fair share of criticism. If Courtois starts, he’ll notch his 330th appearance for the club.
But here’s the problem: while Arbeloa gets a major boost in goals, his squad is still missing key players. Arda Güler, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo, and maybe even Kylian Mbappé remain sidelined, so Madrid are still far from full strength for this crucial match on May 10.
Ferland Mendy joins the injury list too after picking up a muscle issue in the 2–0 win over Espanyol. He only lasted 14 minutes before coming off, and further tests showed a hamstring injury bad enough that ESPN says he could be out for up to five months, possibly needing surgery.
That one really hurts since Mendy had played so well lately, especially against Savinho and Michael Olise in the Champions League. To make things even more complicated, Álvaro Carreras seems to have dropped down Arbeloa’s pecking order, so Fran García is expected to fill in at left back on Sunday.
Now, about the title race. Barcelona sit 11 points clear at the top, so the La Liga title is basically theirs. Madrid already swallowed the bitter pill of losing out to their biggest rivals for a second straight season, but two things could still make this sting even more. First, they dodged the humiliation of being forced to give Barcelona a guard of honour at the Camp Nou. Madrid’s win over Espanyol last weekend stopped that from happening.
But here’s what Madrid really wants to avoid: Barcelona celebrating the title in front of them on Sunday. The math is simple: if Barça earn even a draw, they clinch the league. The only way Madrid can delay the inevitable is by taking all three points and spoiling the party at least for another week.
WHY DID REAL MADRID CHOOSE TO KEEP ENDRICK DESPITE MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST?
After a stellar loan at Lyon, Endrick will return to Real Madrid this summer alongside Jacobo Ramón to form a new youth core.
Real Madrid has zero plans to let Endrick leave this summer. That’s what we’re hearing, even with Arsenal and Chelsea knocking on their door. We’ve also got some updates on Jacobo Ramon’s future.
Endrick is finishing his loan at Lyon on a high note. He’s put up seven goals and seven assists in just 18 games, and people are excited about what he could do long-term.
The 19-year-old forward from Brazil wanted more game time after struggling for chances with Xabi Alonso in charge at Madrid, so he pushed for a loan. Now, with Alonso gone, Endrick’s focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s World Cup squad, and honestly, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s making a strong argument.
Big clubs are paying attention. Arsenal and Chelsea have both checked in recently to see if Madrid would be open to a deal for him this summer.
But Madrid’s answer? No chance. They’ve told both clubs straight up: Endrick’s coming back to the Bernabéu, and he’s in their first-team plans for next season.
Endrick’s on board with that, too. He wants to stay and fight for a spot, a real chance to prove himself as a regular in Madrid’s lineup.
Florentino Perez backs him all the way; he still believes Endrick is the best young talent out there. The club isn’t about to change its mind.
Endrick’s not the only Madrid youth getting attention from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been checking in about Jacobo Ramon, the young centre-back playing for Como in Italy right now.
Ramon’s been playing alongside Nico Paz under Cesc Fabregas and has done well. Even though he moved from Madrid to Como last summer, Madrid made sure to keep buy-back and sell-on clauses, so it’s almost like he’s still a Madrid player on loan.
Now, the plan is for Ramon to return to Madrid this summer with Endrick and Paz. The club’s looking to keep its young core together and build the future around them.
Lots of clubs are watching Ramon; more than six want to sign him. But honestly, Madrid’s stance is pretty clear: just like with Endrick, they aren’t budging.
So for Arsenal, Chelsea, and anyone else hoping to swoop in, the message is simple. Madrid is keeping their best young talents. They’re not letting them go.
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