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Vini Jr. and Jadon Sancho to light up Wembley

Both sides seem relaxed and ready for the game, and I expect Vinicius and Sancho to be the two main faces of this game, for sure.

But I’m also super curious to see Courtois back after so long, that will be special.

I’m not good at predictions but… I feel it will go to extra time!

Not long now until Mbappe announcement

Let me confirm one crucial point from Real Madrid sources and also sources close to the player… the message on his salary is very clear. Kylian Mbappe’s fixed salary will be absolutely in the same range as other stars at the club like Jude Bellingham or Vinicius Jr.

It will not be anywhere close to the salary he had on the table from Madrid two years ago. That’s absolutely confirmed.

Of course what’s going to make the difference is his image rights. He will own a good part of the image rights in the agreement, but don’t forget the signing fee of over €100m, split over the five years of his contract.

We are just waiting on the formal steps and then guys, it’s gonna be time for the big reveal.

Nothing yet on Santiago Gimenez to Liverpool rumours

Let’s see what Slot and Liverpool will decide to do, but I’m not aware of anything about that in terms of concrete talks.

Also, it’s still all quiet around Darwin Nunez.

Luis Guilherme talks going well for West Ham but Fabricio Bruno deal on verge of collapse

West Ham are pulling out all the stops this summer already, and talks are advanced with Palmeiras’ brilliant 18-year-old, Luis Guilherme.

In Brazil, however, you always have to be careful until the deal is sealed, even when it seems that talks are going very well.

A deal for Fabricio Bruno was all done with the Hammers too, but it’s collapsing now because of an issue with personal terms.

No final decision from Spurs on Ivan Toney… yet

He might be one of the strikers being considered at Spurs but no final decision on their top target has been made yet.

Tottenham’s priority was to decide what to do with Timo Werner, and now they will move into next targets.

Man United’s priority is a permanent move for Mason Greenwood

Let me be clear guys, Man United want to sell Mason Greenwood.

Another loan would only be possible if they can’t find a solution on a permanent deal. Their priority is to sell the player.

There’s interest in him from Spain, England, Germany and also Italy but at the moment I’m not aware of talks with Borussia Dortmund or Atlético Madrid.

Palace pushing for Jobe Bellingham

From what I’m hearing, Crystal Palace are really pushing to make it happen. Oliver Glasner has done an incredible job since he joined the club.

Now Dougie Freedman, the director who had a proposal from Newcastle to be the replacement for Dan Ashworth and then decided to stay at Palace, is working hard to bring Jobe Bellingham to the club.

It all depends on the player.

Chelsea’s Armando Broja already considering other opportunities

There’s a lot of movement around Armando Broja at Chelsea, and a lot going on with Enzo Maresca too. The manager is set sign his contract until 2029, with an option for a further season, so now it’s time to prepare the contracts, check them, review them more fully and then pay the compensation fee.

His arrival is not expected to change the future of Armando Broja who is returning to Chelsea from Fulham but who is still expected to leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

He’s already considering opportunities at home and abroad, with Monaco taking a keen interest in signing him.

Chelsea need to make a profit, and given that he’s an academy product, any monies received would go straight towards Financial Fair Play.

Chelsea ready to talk to Dortmund on Maatsen

It’s important to say that Chelsea are prepared to listen to the first proposal from Dortmund after the final has been played.

He has a release clause of £35m but Dortmund will try to negotiate to lower the price. Let’s see if they can find common ground with Chelsea.

Antonio Conte ready for Napoli test

Antonio Conte as new Napoli head coach, here we go! Agreement has been reached on every detail including add-ons, fixed salary, image rights and staff members.

Conte will sign the contract valid until June 2027, documents approved.

Huge for Napoli who will soon announce their new, fantastic appointment. No wonder their fans are buzzing.

Milan haven’t put a price tag on Theo Hernández

It’s not true.

AC Milan have not received any bids so far, and in case they receive proposals, we will see their reaction – but they are not putting Theo up for sale.

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Multiple clubs want free agent Memphis Depay

He has many possibilities in Europe and abroad, but he only wants to focus now on his physical condition, and focus too on the Euros before deciding his next club.

He was not under contract in 2025, only until the end of June. Then there was an option to extend his contract automatically, based on a certain number of appearances, but that target was not reached.

Keep an eye on him because for sure he’s going to be one of the names to watch in the summer transfer window.

The post Exclusive: UCL final to go the distance, Mbappe to Real soon and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Real Madrid have confirmed on Tuesday that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has suffered a fresh injury setback having picked up a knee injury in training. 

The Belgian star has yet to play this season for the La Liga side having sustained an ACL injury in his left knee back in August. The shot-stopper returned to full training last week as he stepped up his recovery, with the 31-year-old hoping to feature in the latter part of the season and play for Belgium at Euro 2024.

However, Real Madrid released a statement on Tuesday to state that Courtois has suffered another major setback having torn the internal meniscus in his right knee.

The Belgian reportedly left the training pitch in tears as his hopes of playing at Euro 2024 now hang in the balance.

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Jul 22 2024, 11:29

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Thibaut Courtois could be out for three months

Courtois will now undergo surgery on his latest injury, with the usual recovery time from a meniscus problem tending to take anywhere from six weeks to three months.

Euro 2024 gets underway on June 14, with Belgium opening their campaign against Slovakia three days later. That is around three months away, which gives Courtois very little room for error in his recovery.

However, to be fit to play in the tournament should be the 31-year-old’s goal and hopefully, he will be in Germany as the player deserves some luck after what has been a horrendous few months for the Belgian star.

The post Key Real Madrid star leaves training in tears after suffering knee injury, looks set to miss Euro 2024 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

With one day to go before the start of their 2023/24 Premier League season, Chelsea have had to accept that they’re going to lose one of their major players to Real Madrid.

Liverpool are the opponents for the Blues’ opener and though the atmosphere will be electric because of the Moises Caicedo shenanigans, Mauricio Pochettino has more pressing concerns.

That’s because his goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, has already said his Stamford Bridge goodbyes and will soon fly to the Spanish capital to complete a surprise season-long loan move to Los Blancos.

The move has come about because of Thibaut Courtois’ unfortunate ACL injury, which is likely to keep him out for most, if not all of the upcoming campaign.

Kepa to Real Madrid, here we go! Loan deal verbally agreed between Real and Chelsea, no obligation/permanent move for Spanish GK ??? #RealMadrid

Kepa immediately said yes to Real after talks with Bayern over the last 3/4 days.

He already said goodbye, ready to travel. pic.twitter.com/i6y7mk8nma

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 12, 2023

Robert Sanchez, a summer goalkeeping capture from Brighton and Hove Albion, will almost certainly step into the position vacated by Kepa, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues go back into the market to buy an understudy or promote from within.

It’s upheaval right on the eve of the season that the Argentinian doesn’t need and could well play right into Liverpool’s hands in what’s sure to be an explosive encounter.

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Jul 22 2024, 11:09

With so many outgoings already this summer, the current window has provided just as much drama as the previous two under Todd Boehly’s ownership did.

This type of scattergun approach to transfers has to settle down from January onwards because it simply isn’t sustainable.

The post Chelsea star says his goodbyes before shock Real Madrid switch appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Just whne you thought things were set to quieten down in Spain, with La Liga underway, it’s been a chaotic 24 hours for the big two.

Real Madrid goalkeeper, and for some their most decisive player, Thibaut Courtois left training on a stretcher and in tears on Thursday. Shortly after the diagnosis would be confirmed that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, and he will now undergo surgery in the coming days.

Carlo Ancelotti was keen to say he was confident in back-up Andriy Lunin, but it seems clear they will bring in a replacement, with Courtois likely to miss most of the season. They have already started talks with Yassine Bounou, after Ancelotti ruled out David de Gea.

For the Italian, he will now have to approach the season without the basis of their Champions League success two summers ago – Courtois and Karim Benzema.

Carlo Ancelotti wants a new goalkeeper doesn't he? pic.twitter.com/7inS2cTaEi

— Football España (@footballespana_) August 11, 2023

Not to be outdone, in a remarkable turn of events, Barcelona are thought to be very close to the return of Neymar Junior. The deal will depend on a variety of factors noted in the article, but both in Spain and Brazil, there seems to be more and more reports that it will happen.

This comes immediately after they sealed a deal to sell 29.5% of a subsidiary they had already sold in order to register players, with €120m coming in. This should help them to register the 10 players who are currently ineligible to play. The bigger news is that Barcelona’s content creation business will be going on the American stock market, which could see Barcelona lose out on significant earnings.

There has been plenty of business going on across the league this week, with the big kick-off this weekend. Atletico Madrid also made the headlines, as they signed a sponsorship agreement with an airline that does not have any planes.

Riyadh Air, set up by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, were only formed in March, and are looking to run their first flights in 2025, but have committed to a deal worth €40m per year to feature on the front of Atleti’s shirts.

The post Inside Spain: Real Madrid initiate talks for Thibaut Courtois replacement, Barcelona move for Neymar Junior appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Good morning and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe for this round-up, ad-free and straight to your inbox, as well as exclusive columns from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Jonathan Johnson, Christian Falk and Neil Jones!

Today’s top stories:

• Tottenham have accepted Bayern Munich’s latest offer for Harry Kane
• Liverpool are set to break the British transfer record for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo
• ICYMI – Jonathan Johnson’s latest column

AFC Bournemouth

• Alex Scott has joined Bournemouth from Bristol City as part of a £25m deal with add-ons included.
• Max Aarons has completed his transfer to Bournemouth from Norwich City for £7m plus add-ons.

Ajax

• Edson Álvarez has left Ajax to join West Ham for €38m, which can reach €41m with add-ons.
• Stade de Reims are set to sign Ajax’s Mo Daramy on a permanent transfer — €17m package add-ons included – deal also includes a sell-on clause for Ajax.

AS Monaco

• Denis Zakaria will join AS Monaco from Juventus after a fee of €20m plus an important sell-on clause was agreed between the clubs.

Aston Villa

• Aston Villa’s Aaron Ramsey is close to joining Burnley. A deal is in place for £14m plus add-ons.
• Aston Villa are pushing to sign Galatasaray’s Nicoló Zaniolo after Emi Buendía suffered an ACL injury during training this week. Villa’s offer to the Turkish side will be for a loan deal with an option-to-buy clause.

Barcelona

• Neymar Jr and Paris Saint-Germain are working to find the best solution to part ways this summer. The player has proposals from Al Hilal and MLS. Barcelona also have to decide whether they want to try and bring their former player back.
• Ousmane Dembélé has completed his medical tests as a new PSG player — he’s set to be unveiled by the end of the week.

Bayern Munich

• Bayern Munich have reached an agreement with Tottenham for Harry Kane with a package worth more than €100m accepted by the Premier League club. The player has been given permission to travel to Germany to complete his medical tests ahead of transfer to Bayern. The Bundesliga club are confident the deal will be done by Friday.
• Benjamin Pavard is open to leaving Bayern Munich this summer and is keen on a Manchester United move. United manager Erik ten Hag will decide soon between Pavard and Jean-Clair Todibo.

Brighton

• Liverpool have submitted their official bid for Moisés Caicedo in the early hours of Friday morning and Brighton are set to accept. The offer is a fee of around £110m – a new record for a British transfer. Caicedo will become a Liverpool player on Friday if all goes to plan.

Burnley

• Aston Villa’s Aaron Ramsey is close to joining Burnley. A deal is in place for £14m plus add-ons.

Chelsea

• Liverpool submitted their official bid for Moisés Caicedo in the early hours of Friday morning and Brighton are set to accept. The offer is a fee of around £110m – a new record for a British transfer. Caicedo will become a Liverpool player on Friday if all goes to plan. Chelsea miss out on their long-term target and will now move on to other players.
• Tyler Adams is set to join Chelsea after the relegation clause worth £20m in his Leeds contract was activated on Thursday. Personal terms have been agreed and medical was completed on Thursday.
• Santos’ Deivid Washington will travel to England at the end of the week in order to complete his move to Chelsea.

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Espanyol

• Mallorca are closing in on a €8m deal to sign Spanish midfielder Sergi Darder from Espanyol.

Everton

• Willy Gnonto wants to move from Leeds to Everton before the transfer window shuts. An agreement on personal terms has already been agreed with a five-year deal offered.
• Everton have completed a deal for Sporting CP’s Youssef Chermiti.

Juventus

• Denis Zakaria will join AS Monaco from Juventus after a fee of €20m plus an important sell-on clause was agreed between the clubs.

Leeds United

• Tyler Adams is set to join Chelsea after the relegation clause worth £20m in his Leeds contract was activated on Thursday. Personal terms have been agreed and medical was completed on Thursday.
• Willy Gnonto wants to move from Leeds to Everton before the transfer window shuts. An agreement on personal terms has already been agreed with a five-year deal offered.

Liverpool

• Liverpool have submitted their official bid for Moisés Caicedo in the early hours of Friday morning and Brighton are set to accept. The offer is a fee of around £110m – a new record for a British transfer. Caicedo will become a Liverpool player on Friday if all goes to plan.

• Thiago Alcantara is not in talks with Al Ahli over a move. The player is fully focused on Liverpool this season.

Manchester City

• Lucas Paquetá wants to join Manchester City after their initial verbal approach for £70m was rejected. Negotiations will continue as City are set to bid again.

Manchester United

• Fred is set to leave Man United and join Fenerbahçe after an agreement was reached over a €15m transfer. The player has agreed personal terms with the Turkish club and will travel for medical tests soon.
• Rasmus Højlund will become Man United’s new number 17 after the Fred deal is complete.
• Benjamin Pavard is open to leaving Bayern Munich this summer and is keen on a Manchester United move. United manager Erik ten Hag will decide soon between Pavard and Jean-Clair Todibo – Jonathan Johnson has more info on Todibo.
• Bayer Leverkusen have signed Matěj Kovář from Man United on a permanent deal. The fee for the goalkeeper will be €9m.

Paris Saint-Germain

• Neymar Jr and Paris Saint-Germain are working to find the best solution to part ways this summer. The player has proposals from Al Hilal and MLS. Barcelona also have to decide whether they want to try and bring their former player back.

• Kylian Mbappe’s situation at PSG won’t change until the transfer window is shut – French football expert has more here.
• Ousmane Dembélé has completed his medical tests as a new PSG player — he’s set to be unveiled by the end of the week.
• Galatasaray are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Leandro Paredes. €6m fee but no agreement yet with the player. Talks are ongoing with Roma also interested.

Real Madrid

• Real Madrid are prepared to enter the transfer market for a new goalkeeper after Thibaut Courtois injured his ACL.

Roma

• Roma have had contact with Leandro Paredes over a move but Galatasaray are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for the midfielder. €6m fee but no agreement yet with the player – talks are ongoing.

Southampton

• Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse arrived in London on Thursday night ahead of his medical on Friday. An agreement has already been reached between the two clubs.

Tottenham

• Bayern Munich have reached an agreement with Tottenham for Harry Kane with a package worth more than €100m accepted by the Premier League club. The player has been given permission to travel to Germany to complete his medical tests ahead of his transfer to Bayern. The Bundesliga club are confident the deal will be done by Friday.
• Lille’s Jonathan David would be a great replacement for Harry Kane at Tottenham – Jonathan Johnson has more here.

West Ham

• Edson Álvarez has joined West Ham from Ajax as part of a €38m deal, which can reach €41m with add-ons.
• Lucas Paquetá wants to join Manchester City after their initial verbal approach for £70m was rejected. Negotiations will continue as City are set to bid again.
• Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse arrived in London on Thursday night ahead of his medical on Friday. An agreement has already been reached between the two clubs.

The post Transfer news: Tottenham agree fee with Bayern Munich for Harry Kane, Liverpool win Moises Caicedo race, Premier League star wants to join Man City and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Barcelona made their first big move of the summer with the addition of Ilkay Gundogan this week, a deal which to all intents and purposes appears to be done pending his farewell to Manchester City. And provided Barcelona can register him by the 12th of August, otherwise he can walk for free.

Jules Kounde missed the first two La Liga games of the season last year because Barcelona could not fit him into their salary limit. Wanting to avoid that scenario, Gundogan has had a clause inserted into his contract – if he is not registered by the kick-off of the new season, he can leave.

What other business Barcelona can do is the subject of great debate. Xavi Hernandez is desperate for a proper Sergio Busquets replacement, but the only other deal the Blaugrana appear close to is a €45m move for 18-year-old Brazilian striker Vitor Roque. Linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, he could probably earn Athletico Paranaense much more, but Roque has seemingly told them only to negotiate with Barcelona.

Elsewhere in Catalonia, Dani Alves remains in prison for alleged sexual assault/rape, as he awaits a trial that is set for October or November. He began putting his side of the story across this week though, giving a remarkable interview from prison, claiming he is innocent. Although his story does not match fingerprint evidence, Alves says he ‘forgives’ the alleged victim for getting him into this scandal.

Vitor Roque is such a steal we signed the best youngster in Brazilpic.twitter.com/EnMFlIeTve

— baena enthusiast (@BCMzema) June 18, 2023

In Madrid there are two schools of thought emerging from the Santiago Bernabeu. After Jude Bellingham impressed everyone in his presentation, attention turned to the forward position, and their Karim Benzema-shaped hole. Joselu Mato, formerly of Stoke City and Newcastle United, has been signed. The interesting thing is that he took the number 14 shirt, leaving the 9 available.

Several reports have come out of the capital claiming they will do no more business this summer. But if you were trying to avoid the price of your main target increasing, that’s exactly what you would say.

Sofyan Amrabat seems to be intent on moving to Atletico Madrid, but only Liverpool and Newcastle are thus far willing to meet Fiorentina’s €30m asking price. His prospective teammate Yannick Carrasco has called out Thibaut Courtois for lying about an injury and leaving the Belgium camp, after he was not given the captaincy for one of their games during the international break. Courtois disputes it, but Carrasco and coach Domenico Tedesco have been pretty clear.

Elsewhere, Rafael Benitez is eyeing a shock return to La Liga, in more Newcastle-associated news. Sevilla have replaced Sporting Director Monchi, now of Aston Villa, with former Leeds United Sporting Director Victor Orta. He spent the best part of a decade working their under Monchi previously, but has a tough job on his hands with a bloating and ageing squad.

The post Inside Spain: Dani Alves gives interview from prison, Ilkay Gundogan deal and Thibaut Courtois spat appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It appears that Real Madrid are preparing to send out a strong statement in support of their player Vini Jr. ahead of their match on Wednesday night against Rayo Vallecano.

Los Blancos have released a short video on their social media channels which shows that every player’s spot in the dressing room has a No.20 shirt laid out on it, resplendent with Vini Jr’s name.

As the players take to the field for their warm up before the game, it’s expected that they will all wear the shirt of their team-mate to highlight the horrific racist abuse he has had to put up with throughout the league season but particularly of late.

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‘Today we all wear 20’ is the message that millions will see across various social platforms.

? ¡Hoy todos llevamos el 2??0??!#PreparationIsEverything | #RealMadridRayo pic.twitter.com/12MhutcSbh

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 24, 2023

The post Video: ‘Today we all wear 20’ – Real Madrid stars to sport Vini Jr shirts in the warm up against Rayo appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man City have destroyed Real Madrid in the opening part of their Champions League clash with the away side having Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping them in the game. 

The Belgian made a big save from the Man City striker earlier in the match but the second was even better.

As Haaland tried to send a header back from where it came from, Courtois stretched wide and made a save-of-the-season contender.

Bernardo Silva would go on to break the deadlock but Real Madrid can be thankful it is not worse.

Brilliant save from Thibaut Courtois!! ?

The Belgian keeper has already kept Erling Haaland at bay twice tonight!! ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/kZ9J1Jlzzp

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 17, 2023

COURTOIS IS IN BEAST MODE! ? pic.twitter.com/0TLrducViZ

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 17, 2023

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The post Video: Thibaut Courtois denies Haaland with save-of-the-season contender appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Ahead of the Champions League semi-final second-leg tie at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has sprung a surprise by leaving Antonio Rudiger on the bench.

The defender didn’t allow City’s leading scorer, Erling Haaland, a sniff in the Santiago Bernabeu a week ago, so unless there’s a potential injury issue that hasn’t been disclosed, it seems an odd decision by the Italian to say the least.

Los Blancos have been in this position many times before of course, and when the big games come around, they always seem to find a way – whoever is in the starting line up.

?? Our starting ?? ? @ManCity!#UCL pic.twitter.com/YOOEeW3F5x

— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) May 17, 2023

On this occasion, the visitors start with Thibaut Courtois in goal, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga in defence, a midfield three of Toni Kronos, Luka Modric and Fede Valverde with a fearsome attack consisting of Karim Benzema, Vini Jr. and Rodrygo.

Although it’s a winner-take-all tie at this point, Real can be relaxed in the knowledge that they are more than capable of beating any team on their day and by playing counter attacking football.

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Jul 22 2024, 11:09

Pep Guardiola’s side are going to have to make all of the running in this one, and as we’ve seen so many times in the past, passing for passing’s sake isn’t always the best formula for winning a game.

When City are on top they need to make it count, or else Real are likely to break at pace and potentially put another dagger into the hosts dreams of a longed-for maiden Champions League title.

The post Real Madrid team news: Ancelotti benches Rudiger in must win Champions League semi at Man City appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Cometh the hour cometh the man, and for Manchester City Kevin De Bruyne was in the right place at the right time to slam home an equaliser against Real Madrid.

Los Blancos had taken the lead in this Champions League semi-final first-leg game against the run of play, and Thibaut Courtois had already kept out his Belgian international team-mate on one occasion.

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Jul 22 2024, 11:14

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Jul 22 2024, 11:09

The Real keeper could do nothing about De Bruyne’s sweetly struck Exocet to bring the scores level, however.

Stepping up when needed, Kevin De Bruyne ?

Man City are level in Madrid!#UCL pic.twitter.com/Hghto1D1oE

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 9, 2023

Kevin de Bruyne smashes in the equaliser? Things are starting to get tense!

? Real Madrid v Man City LIVE NOW on Stan Sport. Every Match. 4K UHD. Exclusive & Ad-free. The Home of UEFA Champions League#StanSportAU #UCL #RMAMCI pic.twitter.com/Yc3E2hBBf0

— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) May 9, 2023

KEVIN DE BRUYNE GOLAZO. ? pic.twitter.com/R7kfG01H2B

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 9, 2023

Pictures from BT Sport, Stan Sport and CBS Sports Golazo

The post Video: De Bruyne stuns the Bernabeu as Man City level against Real Madrid appeared first on CaughtOffside.