Soccer

Despite the inclement weather, Liverpool and Manchester United will play another edition of the English soccer derby. Yesterday, the English Derby was at risk of not being played due to a yellow alert issued by local authorities due to heavy snowfall in the city of the same name as the Anfield team. Finally, Liverpool announced that it is preparing its stadium and clearing it of snow so that another match of the biggest rivalry in English soccer can take place. The game will take place at 10:30 a.m. Central Mexican Time. Liverpool has the chance to increase its lead in the first place by 8 points, and with their great season they are doing, they arrive as the favorites; while Manchester United urgently needs to win, because what they need now more than ever are points, as currently, with 22 points, they are closer to the relegation places than to the European competitions. Cover image: X (@LFC)

With significant challenges, Real Madrid managed to overturn a 1-0 deficit to secure a 1-2 victory against Valencia, thanks to goals from Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham, despite playing with 10 men. Real Madrid was on the brink of losing their grip on the La Liga leadership during their match against Valencia, currently second-to-last in the standings. Trailing for nearly 70 minutes, it was in the final five minutes of regulation time, plus stoppage time, that Madrid turned the game around, with Jude Bellingham scoring the decisive goal to propel his team to the top of the table. Valencia Takes Madrid by Surprise The match at the Mestalla began positively for the hosts, who created two early chances that forced Thibaut Courtois into action. It wasn’t until the 27th minute that Valencia capitalized on a counterattack. Dimitri Foulquier sent a cross from the right flank, which Javi Guerra struck first-time, hitting the post. The rebound fell into the center of the six-yard box, where Hugo Duro finished it off to give Valencia a 1-0 lead. Madrid Faces Further Setbacks In the second half, Real Madrid’s struggles intensified. In the 55th minute, Jude Bellingham had the chance to equalize from the penalty spot following a foul on Kylian Mbappé in the box. However, his shot hit the left post, missing the opportunity to level the score. Four minutes later, a potential goal from Mbappé was disallowed due to an offside call. Then, in the 79th minute, Vinícius Jr. received a red card for striking Valencia’s goalkeeper in the neck. The incident occurred after Vinícius was pulled up by the goalkeeper following a challenge in the area, which led to the heated exchange and subsequent dismissal. Modric and Bellingham Deliver the Comeback Despite being a man down, Real Madrid continued their offensive push. In the 85th minute, a well-executed attacking play resulted in Luka Modric receiving a through ball, leaving him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Croatian veteran calmly slotted the ball into the net, equalizing the score. In stoppage time, at 90+6 minutes, Valencia’s defense faltered. A careless turnover in their defensive line allowed Bellingham to recover the ball near the edge of the box. Facing the goalkeeper, the Englishman placed a precise shot into the net, completing the dramatic comeback and sealing the 1-2 victory for Real Madrid. New La Liga Leader With this win, Real Madrid now leads La Liga with 43 points, surpassing Atlético Madrid, who sit at 41 points but have a game in hand. Barcelona remains in third place with 38 points and will need to improve their form to stay in contention for the top spot.

One of the most fruitful relationships in soccer in recent years is on the rocks. It is about Liverpool and Mohamed Salah, where despite the player is having an incredible season, scoring 20 goals and providing 17 assists in his 26 played in this first half, the Egyptian mentioned in an interview with Sky Sports that, as of today, he believes that this will be his last season with Liverpool. All this because the talks to renew his contract, which ends in June 2025, are at a standstill. Because of this, the “Pharaoh” shared that, should it be his last season with the club, he would like to do something special, like winning the Premier League. Cover image: X (@MoSalah)

There is no rest for Arsenal, as just 3 days after moving up to second place, the “Gunners” will play again today, when they visit Brighton. In this game, Mikel Arteta’s team will be looking to close the gap with first place Liverpool, because if they get the three points, they would be just one more win away from reaching the “Reds”, but only if Liverpool plays tomorrow’s game against Manchester United and loses. This game will start at 11:30 a.m., Central Mexican Time. Cover image: www.arsenal.com

With a brace from Denzel Dumfries, who scored two fantastic goals, Inter secured victory against Atalanta, advancing to the final where they await the winner of Juventus vs. AC Milan. Inter Milan became the first finalist of the Italian Super Cup. Demonstrating clear football superiority in the semifinals, they defeated Atalanta—a victory that also carried symbolic weight in relation to Serie A, as the two teams are vying for the top spot. Atalanta currently leads with 41 points, while Inter sits in third with 40. The match took place at Al-Awwal Park in Saudi Arabia. Inter started strong, applying constant pressure and creating dangerous opportunities, pinning Atalanta in their half. Meanwhile, Atalanta’s defense, supported by key saves from their goalkeeper and a few counterattacks, managed to keep the game scoreless until halftime. Dumfries Shines in the Second Half Just four minutes into the second half, the breakthrough came. Following a corner kick, the ball remained active in Atalanta’s penalty area after a header from Yann Aurel Bisseck. Denzel Dumfries controlled the ball with his head and executed a spectacular combination of a scissor kick and bicycle kick, sending the ball past the helpless goalkeeper for the opening goal. In the 61st minute, Dumfries struck again. Inter launched a counterattack that the Dutch defender supported all the way from his own penalty area to the edge of Atalanta’s box. There, he unleashed a first-time shot that took a slight deflection off a defender attempting to block the effort. The powerful strike hit the crossbar and bounced into the net, sealing his brace in style. Inter Awaits Their Final Opponent The match concluded 2-0 in favor of Inter, securing their spot in the Super Cup final. They now await the winner of the semifinal clash between Juventus and AC Milan. Regardless of the outcome, the final promises to be an exciting showdown, with Inter poised and ready for the challenge.

Crucial match in LaLiga that may result in a new momentary leader of Spain. This is the pending match between Valencia and Real Madrid on date 12; this game had to be postponed until today, January 3, due to the meteorological phenomenon known as “DANA” that hit the region of Valencia at the end of October. Undoubtedly, this is an unbeatable opportunity for the “Galacticos” to raise their hand in search of the league title, since with 40 points in second place, they aspire to reach 43 units, surpassing Atletico Madrid, which remains first with 41 points. It is worth mentioning that “Atleti” still has one game in hand (18 games), so Real Madrid would be two points ahead with their 19 corresponding games, if they win their match against the “Murciélagos” of Valencia. The game is scheduled for today at 2 p.m. CST. Imagen portada: X (@realmadrid)

FC Barcelona faces the potential loss of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor due to registration issues. In Olmo’s case, the club risks losing a €48 million investment because of a release clause. Olmo and Pau Víctor, Unregistered for LaLiga Barcelona’s year began with challenges, as unresolved legal issues from late 2024 escalated on January 1, 2025. Both Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor lost their registration with LaLiga, rendering them ineligible to play during the second half of the 2024-25 season. Dani Olmo: A Loss Beyond the Pitch The situation with the Euro-winning midfielder is especially concerning. Barcelona invested €48 million to acquire Olmo, but a release clause in his contract allows him to leave as a free agent. While Olmo has expressed his desire to remain with the club, failure to resolve this issue could force his departure, with Premier League clubs already showing interest in signing him for free. According to the Spanish Football Federation, Barcelona has until January 3 to restore the players’ registration. Despite this, the club has remained silent on the matter. Olmo attended training as usual on January 1, but his official status in LaLiga remains unresolved. To address the financial requirements for Olmo’s registration, Barcelona has expedited payments for the VIP suites at the new Spotify Camp Nou. The funds, gathered by January 3, aim to provide LaLiga with a financial guarantee. However, the case’s resolution depends on its legal interpretation. Pau Víctor’s Future Unlike Olmo, Pau Víctor is expected to remain with Barcelona but may not play in LaLiga until the issue is resolved. The club’s best option appears to be loaning him out for the remainder of the season. This complicated start to 2025 highlights Barcelona’s ongoing financial and regulatory challenges, raising questions about the club’s management and future.

Arsenal and Brentford kicked off the New Year with the first match of 2025, where the “Gunners” triumphed 1-3 and moved into second place in the Premier League. The Premier League didn’t pause for the New Year, delivering an exciting match between Brentford and Arsenal, marking the first game of 2025. Arsenal claimed a 1-3 victory, securing second place in England. Brentford Takes the Lead The match, held on January 1st at Gtech Community Stadium, started poorly for the visitors, as Brentford took the lead just 13 minutes into the game. Bryan Mbeumo received a pass from Mikkel Damsgaard, made a cut inside from the left flank, and fired a shot to the near post that beat goalkeeper David Raya, putting the Bees ahead 1-0. Gabriel Jesus Levels the Score After a few near-misses from both teams, including a goal-line clearance from Raya following a mistake where he lost control of the ball, the equalizer arrived in the 29th minute. In a fortunate sequence of rebounds, a loose ball in the penalty area was picked up by Yakubu Partey, who took a powerful shot. Although Raya saved the initial strike, he left the ball in the center of the area, where Gabriel Jesus, with a diving header, sent the ball into the net to level the score. Arsenal’s Quick Turnaround In the second half, Arsenal took the lead in the 50th minute from a corner kick. A poorly cleared ball by the Brentford goalkeeper allowed Mikel Merino to push the ball into the net after an initial shot hit a defender. Merino then fired the ball through a crowd of players in the small box to give Arsenal the lead. Just three minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli extended the lead to 1-3. In a play initiated by Ethan Nwaneri’s cross, Brentford’s defense failed to clear the ball properly, allowing Martinelli to control it with his right thigh before firing a powerful shot that left the goalkeeper stranded, sealing the first win of the year for Arsenal. With this victory, Arsenal began the year on the right foot, moving into second place in the Premier League with 39 points, surpassing Nottingham Forest with 37 points, and remaining 6 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have 45 points.

Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Atalanta, and PSG have been crowned as winter champions after closing out the year. Now, they will aim to maintain their dominance in the second half of the season. As 2024 comes to an end, the winter champions have been decided in Europe’s major long-season format leagues: England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France. While some results were expected, there were a few surprises along the way. Liverpool Dominates the Premier League’s First Half In England’s ever-competitive Premier League, Liverpool’s position as winter champion came as no surprise. With 45 points from 14 wins, 3 draws, and just 1 loss, the Reds hold a 6-point lead over second-place Arsenal. Nottingham Forest made an unexpected appearance in the top three with 37 points, followed by Chelsea in fourth with 35 points, and Newcastle in fifth with 32 points. Atlético Madrid Surprises in LaLiga In Spain, Atlético Madrid delivered the biggest surprise by snatching the top spot from Barcelona, who had dominated most of the first half of the season. Atlético claimed the winter champion title with 41 points, one point ahead of Real Madrid. Barcelona dropped to third place with 38 points and an additional match played compared to their rivals. Athletic Bilbao secured fourth place with 36 points, while Villarreal rounded out the top five with 30 points. Bayern Munich Regains Bundesliga Supremacy In Germany, Bayern Munich returned to the top of the Bundesliga after losing the title for the first time in 11 consecutive seasons to Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern now leads the league as winter champions with 36 points, though only 15 matches have been played, leaving two games to complete the first half of the season. Leverkusen trails in second with 32 points, aiming to defend their title, while Frankfurt is third, also with 32 points. RB Leipzig and Mainz 05 occupy the fourth and fifth spots with 27 and 25 points, respectively. Atalanta and Napoli Share Serie A Crown In Italy, a unique situation has unfolded with two teams sharing the winter championship. Atalanta and Napoli both finished the year with 41 points, though Atalanta leads on goal difference. Close behind, Inter sits in third with 40 points. Lazio is fourth with 35 points, and Fiorentina rounds out the top five with 32 points. Serie A is just one match away from reaching the halfway point of its season. PSG Reigns Supreme in Ligue 1 Finally, in France, Paris Saint-Germain continues its dominance, topping Ligue 1 with 40 points from 16 matches, holding a 10-point lead over second-place Marseille, who have played one game fewer. Monaco is in third with 30 points, albeit with an extra match compared to Marseille. LOSC Lille sits in fourth with 27 points, while Olympique Lyon is fifth with 25 points. Like Serie A, Ligue 1 is also one match away from hitting the halfway mark.