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Real Madrid are fully focused on domestic matters for the final weeks of the 2024/25 season as they chase down Barcelona.
Los Blancos bounced back from their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal with a vital La Liga win.
Fede Valverde’s incredible late winner secured a 1-0 victory over Athletic Club in Madrid to move Carlo Ancelotti’s side back to four points behind Barcelona.
The defending champions now have just six games left to pull back Hansi Flick’s team including a league meeting between the sides in Catalonia on May 11.
However, before that clash, the El Clasico rivals will also meet in the Copa del Rey final in Sevilla on April 26, with Ancelotti hunting a Spanish double and Flick chasing a treble in his debut campaign.
Ancelotti will be planning and balancing his squad ahead of the final and he dropped a hint over his planned formation for the game later this month.
“4-4-2 is my favourite system. I’m very fond of it because it’s the best defensively,” as per quotes from Diario AS.
“Using it doesn’t mean I have to play with four midfielders. Often, I use Vinicius Junior on the left wing, and other times, it’s Rodrygo on the right.
“You can play 4-4-2 with six midfielders, if you use two forward midfielders. In a 4-4-2, it doesn’t mean you only have two strikers. Sometimes it depends on the type of full back you play.”
Despite his comment on looking to utilise 4-4-2 more in the final weeks of the season, Ancelotti stayed tight-lipped on his selection plans for the final, after a few changes against Athletic Club.
“I put out a line up to have more control with Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos in midfield. Dani was coming back off an injury. Then we put on Endrick, to play higher up the pitch.
“We have time to prepare for the final now. The win is good for us.”
More must-reads:
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Wayne Rooney reveals his highest Manchester United salary and who earns more today
Wayne Rooney has spoken about his earnings during his time at Manchester United. Rooney, who spent most of his career as a key player for the Red Devils, was considered one of the Premier League’s top talents during his peak years. During his 13-year spell at Old Trafford, he became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In 2010, he handed in a transfer request before deciding to stay and sign a long-term deal instead. Given what he achieved and how important he was to the team, there wasn’t much surprise when he became one of the best-paid players on the planet. But some of those contract numbers still stand out. Wayne Rooney reveals his wages From Manchester United Rooney’s net worth sits at £170 million, built up from his playing days, time in management, and numerous sponsorship deals. While appearing on The Overlap, Gary Neville pressed Rooney about his contract figures during his United career. “What would your biggest contract have been at United?” Neville asked. “I was your teammate in 2010/11 on £1.75 million, I’m captain.” “The biggest I’ve been on is about £17 million a year,” Rooney replied. If you break it down, that works out to just over £325,000 a week. That deal probably dates back to 2014 when he put pen to paper on a four-year extension with the club. Wayne Rooney’s top Manchester United salary topped only by Casemiro Ineos has been working to bring United’s wage structure under control, and several high earners have departed in recent seasons as part of that effort. Casemiro is currently the club’s top earner on £350,000 per week, though that figure will be reduced for the 2025/26 season due to the lack of European football. Marcus Rashford is on £325,000 per week, equal to what Rooney earned during his peak years at Old Trafford. However, with Rashford now on loan at Barcelona, a portion of his salary is covered by the Spanish club. Bruno Fernandes, who captains the side, earns £300,000 per week or around £15.6 million annually.
Mavericks' Mark Cuban sends strong message on Anthony Davis, but he should change his tune
The Dallas Mavericks still believe they can make it work with forward Anthony Davis. Entering Wednesday, the Mavericks (4-11) were 13th in the Western Conference and had lost eight of their past 10 games. Amid the slow start, a report surfaced that the team would explore trading Davis. However, minority owner Mark Cuban shut down that rumor. Mark Cuban says the Mavericks aren't trading Anthony Davis "We won't. We want to try to win," Cuban said Wednesday in an email when asked if the Mavericks would trade Davis, via The Athletic's Joe Vardon. A healthy Davis would help Dallas win more games. In 14 seasons, the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA Draft has made 10 All-Star Games and won a championship. In five games this season, the 32-year-old veteran has averaged 20.8 PPG on an above-average 52% shooting from the field and recorded 10.2 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game. The problem, though, is that Davis is injury-prone. He has played in 75 regular-season games or more three times in his career. Since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, the oft-injured Davis has played in just 14 games for the Mavericks. He hasn't played since Oct. 29 because of a left calf strain, which will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, per the team. Even when he has been playing, the Mavericks have still stunk. Dallas has a 2-3 record with Davis in the lineup. Davis was supposed to form a tandem with star guard Kyrie Irving that would keep the Mavericks in championship contention. That vision may not become a reality. Irving is still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in March. While he's making progress, it's unclear if/when the 33-year-old star will return this season. Cuban sending the email is his way of reestablishing his authority within the organization. He's acting as an "adviser" to majority owner Patrick Dumont, who fired general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. The unpopular former GM, of course, sent star guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis. Cuban helped the Mavericks make 18 playoff appearances and win one title before selling his majority stake in 2023. So, he certainly feels responsible for Dallas' lackluster product on the court. But the responsible thing would be admitting it may be time to trade Davis. The Mavericks aren't winning a title even if he stays healthy, which seems unlikely. And it would be wise to stockpile draft capital to build around rookie forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft.
Packers Receive Disappointing Injury News Before Vikings Matchup
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
MLB’s new media deal may end up being a bad deal for consumers
Major League Baseball will have a new television deal heading into 2026, with NBC/Peacock getting the best portion of the pie. The network, which already hosts "Sunday Night Football," will now also host "Sunday Night Baseball" after spending 36 years on ESPN, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. NBC/Peacock will also play host to the first round of the playoffs. Marchand adds that the streaming platform Netflix will get the rights to broadcast the Home Run Derby, the Field of Dreams game and the standalone Opening Day game featured in prime time. NBC/Peacock is paying nearly $200 million per year (total of $600 million) for its broadcasting rights, while Netflix is paying $50 million (total of $150 million) for its portion. ESPN, meanwhile, was allowed to broadcast all out-of-market games for all 30 major league clubs, while also getting the right to broadcast in-market games for six teams. ESPN had opted out of its remaining three years of its deal with Major League Baseball back in March. How does MLB's new media deal affect baseball viewing moving forward? This new deal for Major League Baseball isn’t necessarily the best for consumers. Bringing three of the four major pro sports in the United States (baseball, football and basketball) under one umbrella (NBC/Peacock), Major League Baseball will now reach 42 million more people with this maneuver than it originally did. Peacock recently reached that many new subscribers this past October. However, with the U.S. population at 340.1 million people, that number is deceiving. Sports viewers don’t usually stream, with 17 percent of Americans not having streaming services, according to a Pew Research Center poll. There was a recent scandal between ESPN and YouTube TV, in which they were at odds over their deal, cutting off "Monday Night Football," college football and other sports like Formula 1 from 10 million viewers. After a two-week standoff, both sides finally agreed on a deal. NBC/Peacock had its own standoff with the streaming platform heading into October. However, both sides agreed at the final hour. The costs of streaming have gone up over the years, when the point was to be cheaper than cable. With Netflix costing $25 a month (premium), Peacock costing $14 a month ($140 a year) and the ESPN app costing $30 a month ($300 per year), fans' frustrations may continue to mount as the cost to watch sports rises.
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