Losing narrowly to a rival of equal stature is tolerable, even inevitable. What is harder to accept is Madrid’s habit of disappearing entirely on the games that matter most. It was evident in last season’s Clásicos, in the Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, and again in the humiliation at the Metropolitano last weekend….

AUDIO: View Link VIDEO: On this episode of the Churros y Tácticas Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Diego Lorijn discuss five things that went wrong for Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid in the Derby, and also talk about Xabi Alonso’s line-up, subs, “intensity”, Jude Bellingham, Franco Mastantuono, Fede Valverde, Arda Güler, Alvaro Carreras, and more. Did…

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso spoke to the media before their game against Kairat Almaty on Tuesday. He was asked about the Atletico match and how many conversations there were after it, to which he said:  “I haven’t seen a lack of conversations; I’ve seen that there are some. And they’re essential for building a…

Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde spoke to the media ahead of their match against Kairat Almaty on Tuesday. He was asked about the way he was playing, to which he said: “I’m a little frustrated. I’m aware of how I’m playing; I’m the first to know when things aren’t going my way. Players know firsthand…