HOW HECTOR BELLERIN’S 94TH-MINUTE STUNNER PUSHED REAL MADRID TO THE TITLE BRINK
Real Madrid's title hopes faded after a 1-1 draw with Real Betis. Discover the impact of Bellerin’s goal and Mbappe’s injury.
Real Madrid’s La Liga dreams took a big hit Friday night when Héctor Bellerín scored a 94th-minute equaliser, earning Real Betis a 1-1 draw. With that late goal, Madrid now sit eight points behind Barcelona, and if Barça win their next match, they could pull even further away with just a handful of games left.
Madrid actually started strong in Seville. Vinícius Jr took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake and put them ahead early in the 17th minute. After that, Madrid had control for large stretches, but it just didn’t translate into goals. Kylian Mbappé had one ruled out for offside, and Jude Bellingham, along with the rest of Madrid’s attack, missed some big chances. It all came back to haunt them when, in the dying seconds, Bellerín capitalised on the chaos at the back and smashed in the equaliser.
People are talking about Madrid’s defence and not in a good way. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet for ten straight league games. The last time the backline struggled this much in a single season was way back in 2003-04, when Carlos Queiroz was in charge. This run has cost Madrid dearly, with dropped points piling up right when the title race is heating up.
This result marks Madrid’s fifth league draw this season, another missed chance that opens the door for Hansi Flick’s relentless Barcelona to run away with the title. With their Champions League hopes already gone, Madrid are now staring at what could be just their fifth season without a trophy this century. About the only bright spot? Mbappé made his 100th appearance for the club, becoming just the tenth Frenchman to reach that milestone for Madrid. Still, even that was undercut; he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury about ten minutes from the end.
Honestly, the title now looks like a lost cause. If Barcelona beat Getafe, they will go 11 points clear. Madrid has two tough away fixtures next: Espanyol, then Barcelona in a do-or-die El Clásico that could finish off their title hopes for good. With their form stalling and Barça flying, Madrid now need a minor miracle and a huge Barcelona slip-up to avoid ending this season empty-handed.
JUDE BELLINGHAM’S SURPRISE £1M MINORITY STAKE IN CRICKET’S BIRMINGHAM PHOENIX TEAM REVEALED
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has bought a £1M stake in the Birmingham Phoenix cricket team. Discover his ties to his hometown roots.
Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid midfielder, just took a surprising step into cricket. He bought a minority stake, 1.2 per cent, worth about £1 million in Birmingham Phoenix, the team in The Hundred. That franchise is split between Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Knighthead Capital, an American investment firm. Knighthead added Bellingham by selling off part of their ownership, which dropped from 49 per cent to 48.4 per cent once he joined.
Bellingham picked up equal shares from Warwickshire and Knighthead, both of whom also co-own Birmingham City Football Club. That’s the team where Bellingham got his start; he came up through the youth squads and made his debut for the first team at just 16. Then he went off to Borussia Dortmund in Germany for a hefty £22.75 million transfer before Real Madrid snapped him up last year for about £88 million.
He grew up in Stourbridge, played junior cricket for Hagley Cricket Club as a teenager, and honestly, he’s loved cricket forever.
“I love Birmingham. I’m so grateful for everything the city’s given me. And I love cricket too, so once this opportunity came up, I didn’t even have to think about it; I just went for it,” Bellingham said, via ESPNcricinfo.
He’s pretty clear about his roots: “I owe so much to Birmingham, Stourbridge, and the West Midlands. I got the best start in football and in life through Birmingham City. I feel like I owe the city. Right now, football keeps me busy, but if I can help in any way, this seems like a great way to do it.”
Warwickshire says Bellingham’s investment means he’ll get involved in community activities and corporate social responsibility projects around Birmingham.
And Bellingham’s big push? He wants kids to get out and play sports. “It’s so important for kids in the city to have that chance,” he said. “Whether it’s football or cricket, I want people to see there are different paths. When I was growing up, I got to choose between cricket and football, but not all kids get that kind of opportunity. If I can help shine a light on something for them, that’s even better.”
HOW TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD’S DREAM REAL MADRID MOVE BECAME A DEFENSIVE NIGHTMARE LATELY
Trent Alexander-Arnold faces a trophyless season at Real Madrid and a World Cup snub. Discover the stats and critiques from MARCA.
Being nine points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga and already out of the Champions League after Bayern Munich knocked them out, Trent Alexander-Arnold looks unlikely to lift any silverware in his first season with Real Madrid.
He left Liverpool, where he came through the academy, before his contract expired to join Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup. Since then, the club dismissed Xabi Alonso in January, and Alexander-Arnold has struggled to cement his place, partly due to injuries.
So far, he’s appeared just 24 times this season and has managed five assists across all competitions.
This week, MARCA noted that Alexander-Arnold has shown more struggles than strengths, especially in defence, during his time at the Bernabeu.
They pointed out he’s played significantly more minutes than Dani Carvajal, 1,382 compared to 858, but that hasn’t been enough to keep him in the thoughts of England’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, for the World Cup squad.
With injuries, uncertainties about Tuchel’s plans, and a preference for players like Ben White and Tino Livramento, Alexander-Arnold faces a crucial stretch where he’ll need to prove himself if he wants to be part of the 26-man England squad.
Steven Gerrard spoke during the March international break about the type of creativity Alexander-Arnold brings, especially needed against teams like Uruguay and Japan.
He mentioned the value of a player who can change the game’s rhythm, whether from the start or off the bench, to open up chances when things aren’t going smoothly.
Still, Tuchel chose other options. Earlier this month, AS described Alexander-Arnold as the Achilles' heel of Madrid’s defence during their European exit, a stark contrast to former Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz’s standout performances.
They criticised him for being too passive on Bayern Munich’s opening goal, although much of the blame went to goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. More notably, they highlighted his failure to keep track of Harry Kane, who scored Bayern’s second.
Going forward, Alexander-Arnold did better pushing to the byline and delivering dangerous low crosses, but his defensive reliability remains his biggest challenge.
Some thought playing in Spain might help mask or improve his defensive issues, yet that doesn’t seem to have happened.
Back at Liverpool, he frequently faced criticism for slow reactions defensively, although those claims were often exaggerated.
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