Six days after vanquishing Clasico rivals Real Madrid away from home, Barcelona took all three points with a hard-fought 3-0 derby win at Espanyol on Saturday night at Cornella-El Prat.
Despite just being 25 years of age, Neymar is one of the most influential footballers in the world, and he joins only six other athletes in the yearly list.
Amove to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu could be on the cards for Paulo Dybala given that the forward is said to have decided to leave Juventus at the end of the current season.
Real Madrid were previously been linked with the 23-year-old and his desire to move on from Turin makes him an option for Los Blancos, who will be able to sign players in the summer following their successful transfer ban appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
According to COPE's 'This is Futbol' programme, the Argentine is not content at Juventus Stadium, as further suggested by his snubbing of Massimo Allegri's handshake during last weekend's match against Sassuolo
The player's intention it to play in Spain and, as MARCA reported earlier in the month, his preferred LaLiga option would be Real Madrid, not Barcelona.
In any case, the young talent is likely going to be one of the big transfer stories of the 2017 summer market.
Villarreal have accepted a bid for striker Alexandre Pato from Chinese side Tianjian Quanjian and have given the player the go-ahead to finalise the deal.
The Brazilian has scored six goals this season for the Yellow Submarine in all competitions, to catch the attention of the Asian outfit.
Fabio Cannavaro's side are currently in Italy being put through their pre-season paces and the 27-year-old has joined up with them there in order to wrap up the transfer.
With Pato's departure, Villarreal must now turn their attention to finding a replacement and their prime target is Espanyol forward Felipe Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian is aware of Villarreal's interest and is keen to make the move to the Estadio de la Ceramica, so much so that his agent is in Barcelona attempting to find a solution to the transfer.
In other Villarreal-related striker news, Portuguese newspaper Record also report that Atletico Madrid have offered forward Rafael Santos Borre to Braga, with the 21-year-old currently on loan in Castellon.
Zidane and his players want support from the Bernabeu
n Sunday night Real Sociedad come to Madrid looking to put another dent in Los Blancos' title hopes and despite Real Madrid being in a difficult moment, Zinedine Zidane and his players will be counting on the support of those on the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu terraces more than ever.
The safety blanket that was wrapped around them as they went 40 games unbeaten has been lost, but Sunday is a time to put things right and to recover the reliability of the previous weeks.
Although the players accept there have been mistakes, they don't believe that the situation is as negative as some critics are making out.
The entire first-team squad and backroom staff understand that the fans will make their feelings known but, for now, they want a truce.
In order to get back on track, Zidane believes that a position of communion, with supporters and team pulling in the same direction, is what will pull the club out of its slump.
Leading up to the match, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo will ask for encouragement from the Bernabeu, seeking to create that special atmosphere which will help them win the game.
t has been a month to forget for Real Madrid with a run of poor results and injuries creating what can be described as a two-tier crisis at the club.
Zinedine Zidane could look back to the official squad photo taken back in September and compare it to the number of fit and capable players he has at his disposal now. The difference would be notable.
The Frenchman's desires in the transfer market were followed to the letter by the club with David de Gea not pursued actively, neither was Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and for the first months of the season this looked to have been a masterstroke.
However with injuries having ripped the squad apart in the early stages of 2017 it looks as if the club could certainly do with a few more players at this point.
Another of the issues that have left the squad in trouble is the form of fringe players such as Fabio Coentrao and James Rodriguez.
Both were retained by the club in the summer in favour of moving them on and looking for replacements yet neither have been capable of contributing on a regular basis this season.
The Colombian's minutes on the pitch have often been fleeting whereas Coentrao's fitness issues have been a mystery to all within the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with the full-back not having an actual injury of note.
Marco Asensio was forced to play at left-back as a result in the Copa del Rey draw with Celta Vigo which was created a double issue for Zidane.
Asensio is by no means a natural defender and he struggled and furthermore it took away a valuable attacking option away from the coach.
The wings are the main concern at present as it has been for much of the season for the Frenchman and with Marcelo and Dani Carvajal out for at least another month it doesn't look like improving any time soon.
Danilo cost Los Blancos upwards of 30 million euros yet he has struggled to adapt to the culture of the club, he almost seems overawed by the famous white shirt and his performances show just as much.
It comes to something when a coach cannot rely on his backup options and with injuries taking their toll there is a real concern within the club that a poor run of results was the last thing a rather fragile group needed as the business end of the campaign looms around the corner.
There is significant doubt as to whether or not the Brazilian full-back will be given another chance to play against Real Sociedad on Sunday, which again may pose a problem with regards to Asensio unless Zidane opts to move back to a defensive three, something which hasn't worked in 2017.
For Los Blancos, the answer may lie in the academy system with Achraf Hakimi and Alvaro Tejero having both joined first-team training on Wednesday. It possible that their pair will be handed their first LaLiga appearances sooner rather than later.
This is undoubtedly a risk but for a coach who is so familiar with the Castilla setup it may well be a move which guides Real Madrid to calmer seas once key first team players begin to return from injury.
Lt may have been a wonderful end to 2016 for Real Madrid however the start to 2017 has been nothing short of a disaster with injuries and poor results engulfing the club.
Zinedine Zidane watched his team struggle to a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Wednesday which condemned Los Blancos to an aggregate elimination from the competition, ending their hopes of the conventional treble.
January has seen Real Madrid's fortunes reverse completely and the overall cost of the disastrous month in relation to the rest of the club's campaign may well be significant.
Yet for now it is only possible to evaluate the negatives of the month so far at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, of which there are a significant number:
It is more difficult for Real Madrid to win matches: Aside from the victory over Sevilla in the first-leg and Granada in LaLiga, Los Blancos are having a lot of problems winning matches in 2017. They have drawn and lost in their two visits to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, they have gone from a 73 percent winning margin in the second half of 2016 right down to a meagre 42 percent in 2017 thus far. Zidane has lost his unbeaten run: The pride and joy of the French coach has disappeared albeit not after breaking the previous Spanish record set by fierce rivals Barcelona. Following 40 matches without defeat in all competitions the club have once more experienced it.Zidane's tactical tweaks are no longer flawless: Prior to the winter break there was a sense that anything the coach touched would turn to gold. His substitutions changed matches and his game plans caused opponents sizable difficulty. Now the tables have turned, twice he has turned to three in defence and the results in both fixtures were negative.
The defence has started leaking goals: Real Madrid conceded five goals in two matches against Sevilla, four against Celta Vigo over two legs and there is an inability to outscore these opponents at present as there had been in the past.
There continues to be underused players: The Januarywindow has been impacted by their transfer ban and several individuals have remained at the club when perhaps under normal circumstances they wouldn't. James Rodriguez continues to be marginalised whilst Alvaro Morata doesn't appear to have earned the full confidence of the Frenchman and if these players cannot be relied upon it places unnecessary pressure on other squad members.Injuries have crippled the squad: Real Madrid's curse with injuries in January has returned once more with the last occurrence coming during Carlo Ancelotti's ill-fated final season in the Spanish capital. The club's better players have been sidelined with Gareth Bale having missed two months and injuries to Marcelo and Dani Carvajal leaving Zidane without options in the full-back position.
The calendar doesn't become any easier: Despite being knocked out of the Copa del Rey it is unlikely Los Blancos' fixture list will become any easier with the resumption of hostilities in the Champions League coming in February, including a testing two-legged tie with Napoli. This combined with a LaLiga title charge means that Zidane will have to quickly pick his troops up to ensure the January slide doesn't turn into a total disaster.
Benzema and Morata poor form reopening Real Madrid No. 9 debate
A
cup exit has inevitably raised a lot of questions, none more pressing than the central striker in Zinedine Zidane's system, as the forwards seem to be misfiring more often than not lately since Real Madrid's unbeaten run has come to an end.
The French striker's consistency has been spotty since returning from an injury earlier this season, pairing excellent performances with increasingly frustrating displays.
Alvaro Morata hasn't stepped up either, he too suffering from a run of games and spell far below his capabilities.
Mariano, on the other hand, has shown promise, but is too young to handle the pressure consistently and lead Los Blancos in the most important part of the season.
Benzema and Morata have each played in 26 games, with the Frenchman featuring in 1,690 minutes whereas the Spaniard slightly less at 1,150, with 12 and 9 goals to their name respectably.
Cristiano Ronaldo has filled in the central striker role when necessary but not even 'The Best' winner has been able to contribute enough to keep pace with Real's early season exploits.
One needs to step up if Real Madrid are to correct their form and return to winning ways.
Summer sale needed to fund Barcelona contract negotiations
Barcelona will have to sell one of their biggest stars during the summer if they areto have any hope of tying up the contract renewal of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.
The Blaugrana are currently under the fiscal pump after tripling the wages of Neymar and awarding Luis Suarez with a new deal worth 16 million euros a season.
The pair of deals has pushed has pushed Barcelona's budget close to the 70% limit LaLiga clubs place on wage expenditures.
While talks are currently in the preliminary stages, the club are intent on keeping Messi - whose contract expires in the summer of 2018 - at the club as the main exponent of the club's project.
Meanwhile, midfielder Iniesta has made it no secret that he wants to end his career at the Camp Nou and is pushing for a new contract.
As such, the club are prepared to listen to offers for Aleix Vidal, Jeremy Mathieu, Ivan Rakitic and Arda Turan during the next transfer window with the Turk, who is targeted by Chinese Super League clubs, most likely to bring in the cash.
It's a situation the club has faced before: in 2014, Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas flew to the Premier League. In 2015, Pedro left for Chelsea whilst last summer the sale of Claudio Bravo and the exit of Dani Alves allowed the side to bring in new blood.
Real Madrid lead LaLiga due to refereeing errors, claim Catalan press
wo major Catalan newspapers Mundo Deportivo and Sport have claimed thatReal Madrid are atop the LaLiga table thanks to refereeing decisions going in their favour and against Barcelona.
Los Blancos currently lead Sevilla by a single point with a game in hand, with the Blaugrana a further point behind in third place.
In the Tuesday editions of their respective newspapers, the Catalan publications have analysed every major refereeing decision involving Zinedine Zidane's side and come to the conclusion that they have been greatly favoured, so much so that it is the reason they sit top of the league.
El Mundo Deportivo titled its double page spread with the line 'Barcelona would lead', arguing that the Azulgrana would be in front if decisions hadn't cost them their place.
Although an offside decision against Juanmi did go in Luis Enrique's favour in a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad, they point to crucial decisions not to give a red card and a penalty against Celta, a disallowed Gerard Pique goal against Malaga and Bruno's double penalty area handball which went unpunished against Villarreal as being pivotal in the title race so far.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, they claim, have received a massive eight points this season thanks to officiating decisions going in their favour.
They gained two against Celta thanks to an apparently offside Alvaro Morata goal, another two against Espanyol for not sending off Sergio Ramos and not awarding Los Periquitos two penalties, two more against Deportivo because Ramos wasn't sent off and went on to score in a 3-2 win and finally two against Malaga, when Ramos was again involved, scoring from an offside position.
There was no mention whatsoever of El Clasico and Javier Mascherano's tackle on Lucas Vazquez in the box that saw the referee wave play on or Luis Suarez's goal from a possible offside position nor Barcelona's controversial goals in their dramatic 3-2 win away to Valencia.
Sport made a compilation of all of the refereeing decisions which they perceive to have been of benefit to Real Madrid.
Already this season, they believe there have been 31 refereeing mistakes which have helped Los Blancos in all competitions, with 21 of those coming in LaLiga.
"This data confirms that, in case there was any doubt, the referee's whistle in favour of Zidane's side," they claimed.
016 finished in the best way possible for Real Madrid as they were crowned world champions and it seemed that 2017 was going to be just as fruitful when they defeated Sevilla 3-0 and Granada 5-0 in their first two matches to maintain their undefeated record, but it all went downhill from there.
Los Blancos surpassed Barcelona's unbeaten run of 39 matches with a 3-3 draw at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, but it appears to have been a poisoned chalice as they have now lost twice and been knocked out of the Copa del Rey.
Their downturn in form has been experienced in all areas of the pitch as Zinedine Zidane's side are now conceding more and scoring fewer.
Over the course of the season's first 28 matches they were averaging three goals scored per match, but they have netted just 1.8 per match on average over the past five outings, partly due to a drop off in Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring form and partly because there haven't been as many game-saving Ninety-Ramos minute goals, even if he did save his teammates with a double against Malaga.
As for the number of goals conceded, the average has doubled from one per match to two, as Sevilla managed to penetrate Real Madrid's back line five times, while Celta Vigo did so on four occasions and Malaga once.
In terms of explaining the team's struggles, injuries have also been one of the major issues in the aftermath of the unbeaten record, with Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez, Pepe, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo all missing game time due to their respective knocks.
Zidane will hope they can return soon and that Los Blancos can rediscover their positive momentum.
Five things Zidane must do to return Real Madrid to winning ways
wednesday evening's Copa del Rey exit has left Real Madrid unable to secure a first treble in their history this season, leaving Zinedine Zidane with plenty of work to do in order to return the team to winning ways.
Just a fortnight ago, Los Blancos remained undefeated in 40 matches, but a disappointing couple of weeks means the Frenchman must now tackle these five issues to bring the feel-good factor back to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu:
1. Remove the negativity that surrounds Real Madrid
Zidane has insisted that there is nothing wrong with his team and that they are continuing to play well, but there is currently a sense of calamity surrounding them and the Frenchman must re-establish the positive momentum and never-say-die mentality that served them so well during their 40-match unbeaten stretch.
2. Get Cristiano Ronaldo back to his best
One of the most pressing issues is the form of Ballon d'Or and 'The Best' winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still misfiring in front of goal in open play, even if he did smash home a free-kick in the second half of the Celta Vigo game.
For Real Madrid to be at their best, the No.7 also needs to be at his best, but he is not playing as well as he was a few months previously.
3. Improve the team's fitness
Once again, the Real Madrid squad have suffered a drop-off in form in the action-packed month January, something which has caused club directors to worry about the players' general physical state, while the number of injuries suffered has also raised alarm bells.
4. End the injury curse
The coach is confident that Real Madrid are training well ahead of matches and that the huge injury crisis they have suffered is not down to their preparation, which is why the injuries have hurt him more than the cup elimination.
5. Boost the team's morale
Although the dream of winning a treble was ruined on Wednesday evening, there is still plenty for Real Madrid to fight for in 2016/17 and Zidane must keep his team filled with optimism as they aim to secure a LaLiga and Champions League double.
Real Madrid's monitoring of James Rodriguez is yet to produce a clear timeframe on when the Colombian can return from a calf problem, but Zinedine Zidane has admitted that the injury has struck the midfielder again, this time in his other leg.
Coming back from a strain to his left calf muscle, James hasn't played since January 7 when Los Blancos beat Granada amid a wider spate of fitness blows to the capital club squad.
Radio Caracol report that the midfielder now faces a three week lay-off having damaged his left leg just as his previous complaint was bringing him back towards match action.
Now that has been corroborated by Zidane, who has maintained that the issue is simply a consequence of his original recovery programme.
"It's an overload, not an injury," said the Frenchman to reporters. "When you have a problem in one leg, you compensate with the other, and that's what caused it.
wespite his side having a first leg deficit ahead of their Copa del Rey clash against Celta Vigo, Zinedine Zidane is backing Real Madrid to show what they are made of and believes that recent criticism of the club has been largely unmerited.
Although there are concerns about Real Madrid's start to 2017 given some blips in form and injury worries, the coach is looking forward to the prospect of putting that behind them and reaching the Copa semi-final.
"Physically the team are okay and we will continue to work hard until the end so I'm not worried," Zidane told reporters.
"When you hear some of the things that are said [about us], it seems like we are last but this game is a very nice opportunity for us.
"When things are going well for a team, everything seems to come easy but we are very excited about the game. We know the difficulty of this game after losing the first leg.
"It doesn't change anything though. We know that we have to score, whether it takes us 90 minutes or more to get through. The good news is that we have Wednesday's game to change what happened the last time."
Zidane also refused to go too deep into the whistles that were directed at Cristiano Ronaldo recently, preferring to focus on positive matters, namely the fact that the concerns over the forward's injury aren't as bad as first feared.
"We all work hard and want to do our best for ourselves and the fans who come to watch us," the Frenchman added. "I don't know if [the jeers] are fair or not but it has always been that way and will continue to be.
"With the injury, it was just a knock that he took. It has been treated well and he is fine."
However, Ronaldo isn't the only Los Blancos to suffer some form of injury recently, with the squad hit very hard in that regard, much to the disappointment of Zidane.
"I know that the players sad about injuries and that affected me," he admitted. "Above all, I don't like seeing injured players because they are upset.
"But we simply have to focus on our next game and get on with things quickly. This is a challenge for us."
Zidane left to solve yet another Real Madrid puzzle
eal Madrid have a minor injury crisis on their hands, as well as certain players not living up to expectations, meaning that their head coach Zinedine Zidane has a rather strong selection headache.
Los Blancos are left without the possibility of fielding first-choice full-backs against Celta Vigo, with Dani Carvajal out injured and Marcelo limping off on the weekend, meaning that Castilla options have become the more viable choices.
Alvaro Tejero and Enzo Zidane have already been given opportunities to step up into the first-team, as Marcelo, Carvajal and Luka Modric join long-term absentees Pepe and Gareth Bale on the treatment table.
In addition, Danilo and Cristiano Ronaldo are struggling in terms of hitting form, James is a doubt, and Fabio Coentrao is similarly struggling to get into the first-team picture.
Thus, here are the options that Zidane has available.
Defence:
Danilo, Varane, Ramos Nacho: This is the most realistic option, despite the Brazilian not being called upon at right-back after the injury to Carvajal. Nacho would take Marcelo's place at left-back.
Lucas, Varane, Ramos, Nacho: Lucas Vazquez dropped to right-back after an injury to Marcelo against Malaga, with Nacho swapping flanks. This could be used once more.
Nacho, Varane, Ramos, Tejero: Zidane doesn't like to ignore Castilla players. Picking Tejero at left-back would allow for Real Madrid to continue with Nacho at right-back, or Ramos could feature at right-back with Nacho tucking infield.
Ramos, Varane, Nacho: Los Blancos could turn back to using three central defenders and two wingers, which would likely by Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio.
Midfield:
Kroos, Casemiro, Kovacic. Without Modric, his compatriot is the natural replacement, and this is the most plausible choice.
Kroos, Casemiro, Isco: Due to James probably sitting out, there aren't many more options in midfield for Zidane. Isco could be the third central midfielder, along with the untouchable Kroos and Casemiro.
Attack:
Lucas Vázquez, Benzema, Cristiano: This is the front three that started against Malaga, and should be the go-to choice.
Isco, Benzema, Cristiano: If Vazquez drops to right-back, Zidane could use Isco on the right-hand side of the attack.
Vazquez, Benzema, Asensio: Asensio should be the first man to be recalled if Cristiano Ronaldo isn't picked. He deserves more minutes.
Lucas Vázquez, Benzema, Morata: This is a less likely line-up. Zidane doesn't often use two strikers up top centrally together, but he needs to fight back against Celta and score goals.
Isco, Benzema, Asensio: This is the other trident available without Ronaldo. The latter midfielder is available after injury and got some minutes against Malaga
