ANTONIO RUDIGER’S NIGHTMARE: REAL MADRID STAR’S POOR FORM UNDER SCRUTINY AFTER CITY LOSS
Antonio Rudiger's shaky performance, including a penalty concession, led to Real Madrid's defeat by Man City. With his contract ending, fans demand a replacement.
With Xabi Alonso under pressure, Real Madrid needed a strong start, and they came out firing. Manchester City struggled to put passes together early on. The opening goal came in the 28th minute when Rodrygo surged into the box and fired a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Despite being second-best for much of the first half, City levelled the score from a set piece eight minutes later. Courtois couldn't hold on to Josko Gvardiol's header from a corner, and Nico O'Reilly was there to tap it in. Minutes later, things got worse for Real Madrid when Antonio Rudiger fouled Erling Haaland in the box, and Haaland converted the penalty.
Rudiger Has a Night to Forget as Real Madrid Falls to Man City
Real Madrid looked good going forward, but their defence was shaky. Courtois had to make several saves to prevent the game from getting out of hand, raising questions about Rudiger's place in the starting lineup.
Known for his aggressive defending at Chelsea and Real Madrid, Rudiger has been one of the world's top defenders. Recently, since returning from injury, he's made several mistakes for both club and country in 2025/26.
He messed up on one of Slovakia's goals against Germany in September. Against Man City, the defender made a bad decision, resulting in a penalty.
Beyond that penalty, Rudiger didn't look like his usual, reliable self. Man City frequently attacked him when getting into the box, and Courtois's good goalkeeping saved him from giving up more goals.
By the end of the game, he had only won one of his four ground duels and one of his four aerial duels. The centre-back lost possession six times and was lucky to avoid a second yellow card after a clumsy foul on Savinho.
Injuries to Dean Huijsen, Eder Militao, and David Alaba mean Madrid doesn't have much choice but to play him right now. But at 32, with Rudiger in the last year of his contract, the club should think about letting him leave on a free transfer next summer and bringing in a better player.
Having caused one of City's goals and looking vulnerable all game, Rudiger has been criticised by Real Madrid fans, many of whom think he needs to be replaced. One fan, reacting to the penalty, wrote, "Madrid's defence is a mess." Rudiger's poor form continues, and he gives away a terrible penalty that Haaland scores.
Another fan commented on the penalty incident: That's a penalty on Haaland. Rudiger made a bad mistake. A third fan criticised several players in Alonso's team, but called the centre-back horrendous first.
Rudiger is horrendous, Valverde is getting schooled by Doku, and the defending is horrendous. Courtois has to hold the ball before O'Reilly scores, and he's completely open in the box—too much space.
Another supporter urged the club to upgrade the position in the next transfer window: Rudiger needs to leave this team next summer. We need a better, fully fit CB.
MARTIN ODEGAARD AND KAI HAVERTZ MISS FINAL TRAINING; CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES FADING
Arsenal's Champions League hopes are in doubt as Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz miss final training ahead of the Atletico tie.
Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz didn’t show up for Arsenal’s open training on Monday, just a day before the crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Both missed Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham because of injuries: Odegaard with his knee and Havertz with a muscular problem.
Odegaard hurt his knee in last week’s draw with Atletico, while Havertz hasn’t played since picking up an issue against Newcastle. After beating Fulham, Mikel Arteta sounded confident they’d be ready for Atletico, but on Monday neither player was seen with the first team. That’s a big hint they won’t be involved at the Emirates.
Arteta is set to speak to the media soon, though don’t expect him to spill much; he’s known for keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to team news.
There were a couple more missing faces at London Colney. Jurrien Timber (groin) and Mikel Merino (foot) were also absent. Timber hasn’t featured since before the international break, and it’s unclear when he’ll return, but Arsenal hope it’s before the end of the season. Merino’s been out nearly three months since foot surgery. He might not play again this month.
On the upside, Bukayo Saka was back in training after getting subbed at halftime against Fulham, where he started his first Premier League game since mid-March.
Now, Arsenal really have a headache. Odegaard, who scored 15 goals last season, just hasn’t looked the same. Staff are increasingly worried about him; he’s missed 25 games in all competitions this year, thanks to a pileup of injuries: two freak shoulder issues, two muscular injuries, and the recurring knee problem. When he’s fit, Odegaard can still make magic happen; just look at his four assists across six games in January, but right now, his body keeps letting him down.
Havertz’s story isn’t much brighter. He’s managed only 20 appearances this season, mostly because of a serious knee injury in the summer and more muscle problems afterward. He’s Arsenal’s top earner at £280,000 a week, while Odegaard sits fourth at £240,000. Having two high-paid players sidelined so often is not ideal, and Arsenal need answers.
To try to sort out this ongoing injury crisis, Arteta has reportedly brought in a trusted expert from the medical field to lead an investigation. Arsenal hope this move finally sheds some light on their troubled injury record.
DECLAN RICE ACCUSES REFEREE OF CRUMBLING UNDER PRESSURE IN MADRID PENALTY DRAMA
Arsenal head to the Emirates with a 1-1 draw, but Declan Rice is fuming over the officiating standards in the Champions League.
_1777554856.webp)
Declan Rice didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in Madrid, backing Mikel Arteta’s outrage and insisting the team deserved a “clear” penalty. He even went so far as to say that Atlético Madrid’s fans pushed the referee, Danny Makkelie, into changing his mind.
Arteta was livid. Late in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, Makkelie first pointed to the spot for Arsenal after Eberechi Eze went down. But surrounded by Diego Simeone’s wild sideline antics and the roar of 70,000 Atleti supporters, Makkelie stared at the replay 13 times, then flipped his call and waved play on.
Looking back on it, Rice couldn’t believe it. “It’s a clear penalty,” he said. “I don't know how that's not been given. I think the fans got to him and changed his mind. UEFA is just a different world. In both boxes, you have to be so careful because referees call everything.”
Arsenal ran into trouble with VAR twice. First, the ref ruled Ben White handled a Llorente volley, and Julián Álvarez buried the resulting penalty, cancelling out Viktor Gyökeres’ earlier spot-kick. Rice felt for White. Talking with Stan Sport, he said, “If that happens in the Premier League, it doesn’t get given. The ball’s hardly off the ground, and it’s not even on target. But in the Champions League, the refs make these snap calls and whistle for everything. It’s just more strict. But whatever, we move on. We want to beat them next week.”
Despite the drama, Arsenal is still in a solid spot. They’ll head back to London, hoping the home crowd can push them into their first Champions League final since 2006. Bukayo Saka, freshly back from an Achilles injury, is counting on it. “We’d have liked to win, but we’ll take the draw. It’s halftime, and we’re full of confidence going back to the Emirates,” he said. “I’m sure the atmosphere will be even bigger, and that will give us a real boost.”
Before that return leg, Arsenal face Fulham at home on Saturday. They could put more heat on Manchester City by stretching their Premier League lead, though City still has games in hand and plays Everton next. The race is on.
Must Read
