Real Madrid

Coming into the first El Clasico match of the 2015 2016 season, most soccer fans and pundits alike were expecting to see a fairly competitive game. Games between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid tend to bring the excitement, and the November 21^st fixture had numerous different interesting narrative angles to consider. As it turned out Barcelona crush Real Madrid and confirm their position atop the La Liga table, but what happened during the match?

Heading into the game, no one knew quite what to expect. Barca were leading the La Liga table, but Real would have the home field advantage. New Vikings manager Rafael Benitez would be facing Barcelona for the first time in his tenure. Lionel Messi, rumors indicated, he might be back on the pitch after a lengthy injury spell. And the top five most expensive players in the history of football-Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Neymar, and James Rodriguez-were all set to be on the pitch at the same time, for the first time

Guest Post By Karl Matchett

The international break couldn't have come at a worse time for Real Madrid in terms of getting some of their star players fit; no sooner had the likes of Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez-both out injured after exertions with their respective nations last time out-managed to get back on the pitch for their club than it was time to head off around the world again with their national teams. 

While Bale was rightly excused from friendly duty with Wales, Rodriguez was demanded by Colombia to play a part in their World Cup qualifiers. He helped them to a point in Chile, scoring in the 1-1 draw, but couldn't prevent a defeat at home to Argentina next time out.

Importantly, though, he came through the 90 minutes unscathed-and that's of paramount importance to

El Clasico, the name given to any fixture played between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, has always been one of the most-anticipated rivalry matches in Spanish football. This season, though, El Clasico 2015 might be the biggest rivalry game and the most anticipated football contest in the entire sport. Not only are Barca and Real Madrid fierce La Liga rivals with a score to settle-Barca only beat the Vikings to the title by two points last season-but they are also the last two Champions League winners. Real Madrid won a landmark 10^th Champions League title in 2014 while Barcelona won the UCL last season as part of their second-ever treble victory.

Needless to say, all eyes will be on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, November 21^st, when the 2015 2016 season sees its first incarnation of the El Clasico rivalry match. Which team will win? Which club will take the bragging rights? Who will score the most goals? All of these questions are on the table as the

Francisco Roman Alcaron Suarez, known affectionately by fans and football pundits as Isco, has spent two-plus seasons at Real Madrid so far, tallying 118 appearances and 17 goals in that time. On Monday, October 26^th, though, news broke that Isco requests Real Madrid departure. The request was submitted directly to Real President Fiorentina Perez and has quickly sparked interest from a number of other football clubs throughout Europe. The question is, why does Isco want to leave? And secondarily, where could he go next?

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A Change of Scenery

Most reports indicate that Isco wants out at Real Madrid because he wants "a change of scenery" or "wants to pursue new opportunities." There has been nothing to indicate bad blood between the 23-year-old attacking

Tuesday's round of UEFA Champions League group stage fixtures saw the first pair of teams securing assured slots in the tournament's next phase. Both Real Madrid and Manchester City now have strong enough standings in their groups that they are guaranteed of either first or second place. The Vikings, in particular, have been dynamite so far in the prestigious European tournament, with three wins and one draw under their belts so far. More impressive, Real Madrid beat PSG in 2015 UCL group stage play, Paris Saint Germain were one of the tougher opponents in this year's UCL but the Vikings held their own and took three points.

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A Tough Opponent

Indeed, Paris Saint Germain are a soccer superpower in their home country, where they've won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. However, the football club, who have

Guest Post By Karl Matchett

A fact of life at Real Madrid is that no matter what part of the team is playing successfully and exciting the fans, another will still be criticised for underperformance, even if not strictly true. Rafael Benitez has only been in the job a matter of months but has already faced media column inches about his choice of playing Gareth Bale centrally, possible fall-outs with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos and, most recently, playing negative football.

That last slight, brought up again by Laurent Blanc in the build-up to the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain last week, was somewhat at odds with the bare facts of Real in La Liga this term: top of the league, unbeaten and with the most goals scored. Of

Paris Saint Germain have a way of getting tough draws in the Champions League group stage. Last year, the French champs were drawn into a group with FC Barcelona. Barca were, of course, favored to win the group-and they did, before going on to win the entire UCL tournament. But PSG held their own, too, actually beating Barcelona 3-2 the first time the two teams played one another in the group. The match, played on September 30^th, 2014, marked Barcelona's first loss of the 2014 2015 campaign and marked PSG as potential contenders for the Champions League title. The Parisians would ultimately bow out of the conversation in the quarterfinals, after having the misfortune of being drawn against Barcelona for a second time.

This fall, PSG have just as difficult of a draw in the group stage, where they are pitted against Barca's La Liga rivals (and 10-time UCL champions) Real Madrid. This time around, though, the Parisians didn't shock the soccer world with an early upset of

In most of the football leagues throughout Europe, clear frontrunners have already emerged following the first eight or nine weeks of competitive play. In the English Premier League, Manchester City are two points up; in the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich have already established a seven-point lead; and in the French Ligue 1, Paris Saint Germain are leading the way by five. But eight weeks into the 2015/16 La Liga the standings are not so clear-cut.

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A Three-Way Tie

In the Spanish La Liga not only is there no clear frontrunner at this point, but the standings posit the division as a three-way dead heat. FC Barcelona were expected to rule the roost for the 2015 2016 campaign, following an incredible treble-winning season in 2014 2015. But with the great Lionel Messi on the

At this moment in time, we are seven games into the 2015 2016 La Liga season. If you look at wins and losses, Real Madrid are technically doing better this season than they were at the same point a year ago. Indeed, seven games into the 2014 2015 La Liga, the Vikings were in fourth place on the league standings table, having lost two games and won five. Their point total was 15. This year, their seven-game total is 15 points once again, but they're in second place instead of fourth, and they're also still undefeated, having won four games and drawn the other three. But, with the arrival of Rafa Benitez at Real Madrid some commentators are criticizing the changing style of the team and particularly a 'cowardly' style of play.

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The Lingering Affection for Carlo Ancelotti

La Liga is one of the most exciting football leagues in Europe at the moment, but what happened at the first Madrid derby 2015 - 2016, was the outcome as expected? By all accounts, Real Madrid should be dominating the Spanish La Liga right now. After all, FC Barcelona are in crisis. Lionel Messi is out for two months, and an ongoing FIFA transfer ban has left the team in crisis. And even though Barca still have Neymar and Luis Suarez, they've shown weakness with a handful of losses in recent weeks. Add the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have both been playing great football this season, and the Vikings should be as far ahead in the La Liga as Bayern Munich are in the Bundesliga.

Somehow,