#Jordi Alba

Of late, there have been several reports suggesting that Arsenal were interested in signing Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. The 19-year-old has shown great potential at the Spanish club, regularly deputising for veteran Jordi Alba. So much so that Balde was called up to the Spanish squad for the Qatar World Cup to replace the injured Jose…

Spanish football heads to the Middle East this week for the 2022/23 Supercopa de Espana, which sees Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Betis and Valencia battling it out for the annual trophy - now in its fourth season as a four-team knockout mini-tournament. To qualify for the semi-finals, Real Madrid and Real Betis are in as La Liga and Copa del Rey…

One more day is completed in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and we are already witnessing the second big surprise of this World Cup, with Japan coming from behind against dangerous Germany, as happened in the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. This leaves things much more open in the so-called Group of Death, where Germany and…

Barcelona look to hold their top spot in the La Liga table as they hit the road to take on Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital on Sunday. The Blaugrana will have to push forward without star striker Robert Lewandowski, who begins a three-match suspension for gestures made at a match official after being sent off in November before the World Cup…

Barcelona have a tough test to keep hold of their top spot in the La Liga table as they travel to the Spanish capital to take on Atletico Madrid. The Blaugrana will be further tested as they live for three matches without striker Robert Lewandowski, who was suspended for gestures towards an official and will miss this match plus the next…

Atlético Madrid to draw 1-1 with Barcelona- 11/2! At 11/2, a £10 bet would return £65! Betfair Sports Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets Between them, these two clubs have won ten of the last 14 La Liga titles so, come May, will either be able to dethrone Real Madrid? Barcelona start the weekend at the summit, seeking their first title in four seasons,…

Atletico Madrid welcome Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday in a clash which could see Xavi's men retain top spot or potentially lose it with Diego Simeone's men looking to get back into the top three. Atleti have won all three of their games since returning to domestic action post-FIFA World Cup while Barca drew with Espanyol in the league and needed…

Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone has been one of Europe's best teams over the last decade, but beating Barcelona has always been his toughest task. WagerTalk soccer handicapper Nick Borrman shares his thoughts on Sunday's clash at the Camp Nou between two of Spain's best. Have you downloaded the new WagerTalk TV app? If not, what are you waiting…

Not many people had even heard of Intercity CF before this game. They certainly have now! Barça may have progressed in the end but only after the side from the outskirts of Alicante, and which was only founded five years ago, had managed to cancel out goals from the Liga leaders no fewer than three times. A thoroughly entertaining encounter was…

Over 3.5 Goals Both Teams to Score Germany -2 Serge Gnabry Anytime Assist *A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 8/1 with Paddy Power. Thursday, December 1, 19:00 - Costa Rica v Germany TV: ITV, ITVX, RTE Two NOT SURE WHAT A BET BUILDER IS? CLICK HERE TO ALL-YOU-NEED-TO-KNOW IN OUR WHAT IS A BET BUILDER? GUIDE Mark Lawrenson's…

Spain will try to win the group, and Japan will be out to spring another upset Thursday when the teams meet in a Group E finale at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Spain lead the group, one point ahead of Japan and Costa Rica and three ahead of Germany, so it is wide open entering the final day. Spain can seal a spot with a draw, but Japan…

Barcelona wants to finish the season on a high note, and it only has four more Spanish La Liga games to do that, starting with Saturday's visit to Seville to face Real Betis. Barcelona (19-9-6) will finish no higher than second after Real Madrid clinched the title last week, and it has work to do to assure a Champions League spot for next year. It…

Opening match winners Brazil and Switzerland meet Monday at Stadium 974 in Doha. FIFA world No. 1 Brazil broke through pesky Serbia for a 2-0 win In Lusail to start the tournament as Richarlison scored two goals - one a ridiculous bit of technique - to get the Brazilians off on the right (and left) foot. Switzerland meanwhile used a 1-0 defeat of…

After yesterday's big shock of Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia, today saw more World Cup favourites kick-off their campaigns against teams they'd be expected to beat. How would they fare? 2018's World Cup finalists Croatia faced a highly-rated Morocco side. Could this be the last hurrah for Croatia's elite - the likes of Modric and Perisic? Five…

Spain will be looking to put a string of disappointments behind them when they open their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Al Thumama Stadium. The teams are in Group E with Germany and Japan, who will be wrapping up their match not long before this one, so they need to start strong. Spain are the 2010 World Cup…

Switzerland hosts Cameroon as both teams aim to get off to a flying start as Group G looks incredibly tough. The Swiss are always underrated and with Granit Xhaka in the form of his life, they have a real chance of getting out of this group and then causing plenty of problems in the knockout rounds. As for Cameroon, they are very dangerous and…

Note: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, Schneps Media may earn a commission. 01.07.2018: SPAIN VS RUSSIA - Sergio Ramos of Spain celebrates after scoring a goal during the match between Spain and Russia valid for the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by…

Tournament dark horses Senegal will have to do their dark-horsing without Sadio Mane when they meet the Netherlands in a tasty World Cup Group A match on Monday in Al Khor. Mane requires surgery after suffering an injury with club Bayern Munich, leaving Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye, and Senegal to seek a knockout round berth without the…

Spain are in one of the most difficult groups at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The group features Germany, Japan, and Costa Rica. Manager Luis Enrique will hope the side can come through the group stage and go deep in the tournament. Spain are a one-time World Cup winner, having lifted the trophy in 2010. It was a magical time for Spain, as they won…

With the two biggest clubs in Spain sitting level on points atop the La Liga table, the first El Clasico of 2022/23 brings a certain extra bite to the Bernabeu as one of the greatest rivalries in world football takes the field. Real Madrid host Barcelona with the visitors in first place based on the first tiebreaker: goal differential (+19 vs+12).…

Group E has certainly staked its claim to be crowned the'group of death' after two of the three previous winners in Germany and Spain were drawn against Japan and Costa Rica European giants Germany and Spain will go head-to-head in the Group E European giants Germany and Spain will go head-to-head in the Group E of the 2022 World Cup in what…

The 2022 World Cup squads are close to being confirmed and we are collating all of them as they are made official. From surprise call-ups to the agony of injury, there has been so much news swirling around which 26 players from each country will be named in their national team squad for the World Cup in Qatar. National team managers have some huge…

A decade after winning their last major title, Spain enter this winter's World Cup with their eyes on the prize. Spain's victory at Euro 2012 capped off a remarkable three-peat of trophy wins, which took in the 2008 European championship - their first triumph since 1964 - and the 2010 World Cup, where a golden generation secured the nation's first…

Manchester United's 1-0 win against Real Sociedad on Thursday was not enough to earn Erik ten Hag's side top spot in Group E - meaning the Red Devils will have to face a Champions League drop-out to advance in the tournament as a result. Every team that finishes second in their Europa League group must face a club that has been eliminated from the…

Barcelona need a win over Bayern Munich to keep their chances of reaching the Champions League last-16 alive. Just one point from two matches against Inter have left Barca's participation in this season's Champions League hanging by a thread. They must win against Bayern Munich, who have a 100% record in this season's Champions League, and hope…

The Catalans need a win to keep alive their hopes of progressing in the Champions League and they should be backed to defeat the Italians Inter Milan took control of second place in the group with a 1-0 hard-fought victory last week at home against Barcelona. The Catalans will feel like they were robbed as VAR negated a goal because of a handball…

Karim Benzema's contract at Real Madrid will be automatically extended by a year if he wins the Ballon d'Or on October 17 in Paris, as per Spanish outlet Relevo. The France international is in the final year of his deal at the Santiago Bernabeu but his stay could be extended until the summer of 2024 due to this special clause. He will be 35 by the…

International football's best nations will soon head to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup as football's biggest even returns in the Middle East this winter. The recent international break provided teams with a chance to finalise their preparations for the tournament, with just weeks to go until the action gets underway. Ahead of the tournament, talk of…

The UEFA Nations League continues to dominate the European fixture list this week. National teams in Europe will play their final UEFA Nations League groups stage matches, then it is back to club football. Along with UEFA Nations League games, international fixtures are set for Tuesday night as teams prepare for the upcoming World Cup tournament.…

With the Spaniards entering a point of transition from constant contender to a recalibration period, their series of draws against Portugal will end at four. Portugal will hardly break a sweat, capitalizing on their counterattack to put Spain away. Everything is on the line Tuesday when Iberian rivals Portugal and Spain square off for the final…

Portugal to win 2-1 against Spain- 8/1! At 8/1, a £10 bet would return £90! Portugal vs Spain September 27, 2022 7:45 pm BST Will it be the 2019 winners of the 2021 runners-up who book their place at the UEFA Nations League Finals? Spain came into this international window at the summit of Group A2, but relinquished top spot at the weekend. La Roja…

The UEFA Nations League is back in action with another round of matches this weekend as Spain take on Switzerland on Saturday. Both teams have impressive players in their ranks and will want to win this game. Switzerland are rooted to the bottom of Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League and and have a mountain to climb to reach the knock-outs. The away…

This week's'10 things we learned in La Liga' is dominated by the derby with Madrid giving Atletico a lesson in how to defend and take your chances that was so good it even impressed Diego Simeone. Racism reared its ugly head before the game but Vinicius and Rodrgyo had the last laugh as Madrid made it nine wins from nine in all competitions this…

Barcelona look to continue their blistering start to the season as they travel to the southern tip of Spain to take on struggling Cadiz at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla in La Liga play. The Blaugrana are coming off a 5-1 demolition of Viktoria Plzen in Champions League group stage play, a match that saw Robert Lewandowski score a hat-trick in his first…

The 2022 Qatar World Cup will take place from November 21 through December 18, and 32 teams will compete for the title of greatest national football team in the world. There are 32 teams competing in this renowned competition, but only one or two of them have a realistic chance of winning the championship. The five teams that world cup…