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The odds of second-leg comebacks in the Europa League semifinals are decidedly different, to put it mildly.
Arsenal trails Villarreal 2-1 after 90 minutes, but its away goal means 1-0 or a two-goal win would do the trick at the Emirates Stadium
AS Roma has the comfort of a pair of away goals in its corner as it returns to Italy but the six it gave Manchester United certainly make their task a challenge.
Manchester United will be facing some nerves due to its semifinal stage failure in several tournaments under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, not to mention Roma has had some stunning second legs in the past.
LIVE: <a href="http://scores.nbcsports.com/chlg/scoreboard_daily.asp" target="_blank">Europa League scores, stats</a> ] 
&#8220;Roma are one of the teams that have really caused upsets and shockwaves in second legs,&#8221; <a href="https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/exclusive-interview-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-previews-roma-v-man-utd-europa-league-6-may-2021" target="_blank">Solskjaer said</a>. &#8220;In fact, three years ago, when they came back against Barcelona. So we know what they’re capable of. But our focus is to go and win the game. We want to improve as a team and develop as a team and handle difficult situations, and the goal is to win the game of football and, if we do that, then we’ve done a good job.&#8221;
United is also playing its first match since <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/02/manchester-united-liverpool-postponed-protesters-invade-old-trafford-violent-scenes-video/" target="_blank">protestors at Old Trafford cause the postponement of their Premier League match with Liverpool</a> last week. The announced reschedule date means this match is <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/news/manchester-united-fixtures-confirmed-villa-leicester-liverpool-in-5-day-span" target="_blank">the first of four in eight days</a> for Solskjaer&#8217;s men.
Aubameyang back from malaria in &#8216;maybe the biggest game of my Arsenal career&#8217;
As for Arsenal, there&#8217;s work to do in the second leg against former boss Unai Emery.
The Gunners pulled back a goal in Spain after going down 2-0 when Nicolas Pepe converted a penalty, but Dani Ceballos&#8217; sending-off means Arsenal&#8217;s midfield will have to go a different route.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be in focus, that&#8217;s for sure. He was a killer against Stade Rennais and Valencia in the 2018-19 UEL knockout rounds, but came up empty in the final. He was the reason Arsenal beat Man City and Chelsea in last season&#8217;s FA Cup title run
&#8220;Definitely this season is the most important game and we know that we have to win this game,&#8221; <a href="https://www.arsenal.com/news/biggest-game-my-arsenal-career-maybe" target="_blank">Aubameyang said</a>. &#8220;It is a big opportunity for us to get to the final, we play at home and this is maybe the biggest game of my Arsenal career.&#8221;
Aubameyang is just back from a scary time with malaria, <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/news/aubameyang-lost-nearly-10-pounds-while-battling-malaria" target="_blank">which cost him nearly 10 pounds of body weight</a>.
<h4>How to watch, stream Europa League</h4>
Dates: Thursday and May 6 (Semifinal) 
Location: Home and neutral stadiums across Europe 
How to watch: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/tag/soccer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a> 
Live updates: <a href="https://scoreboard.nbcsports.com/soccer/season/77549/scoreboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UCL here at NBCSports.com</a>
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“Roma are one of the teams that have really caused upsets and shockwaves in second legs,” Solskjaer said as Manchester United holds a 6-2 lead in Italy.

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Europa League: Auba’s ‘maybe biggest game’ with Arsenal; Man Utd up big

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Sergio Aguero will be a wanted man this summer and it appears Barcelona have made their move for the Argentine superstar.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/news/nbc-sports-premier-league-schedule" target="_blank">How to watch PL in the USA</a> ]   
Aguero, 32, is a free agent in July and will leave Manchester City after 10 glittering seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
A report from our partners in the UK at <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11833/12298384/sergio-aguero-barcelona-hold-initial-talks-with-man-city-forwards-representatives-over-free-transfer" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sky Sports</a> says that Barcelona and Aguero have held talks and there is a growing sense in Catalonia that Aguero will team up with his close friend Lionel Messi.
Per the report, Aguero has shown interest in staying in England and playing for Chelsea in the Premier League. However, the pull of playing for Barcelona and alongside Messi may be too much for City&#8217;s all-time leading goalscorer.
<h4>Does Aguero to Barcelona make sense?</h4>
It makes so much sense that it is almost too sensible.
Aguero has had an injury-hit season for City but he showcased his class with a fine goal at Crystal Palace last weekend and Ronald Koeman needs a poacher to finish off chances. Aguero as a free agent is an incredible piece of business and he has at least three or four years left in the tank.
Messi is also out of contract this summer but it seems more likely that the superstar will be persuaded to stay at Barcelona, as new president Joan Laporta is trying to usher in a new era and is doing everything he can to keep Messi around.
Messi, 33, was set to leave last summer but Barcelona blocked his transfer request on legal grounds and ever since he has been linked with a move to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
If Aguero did arrive to play alongside his close friend, it would not only make sense for Messi to stay but it would also slot in with Barcelona&#8217;s financial situation.
The cash-strapped club are eyeing plenty of free transfers this summer and it is widely believed that Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay and Aguero will all arrive as free agents.
That is quite a free rebuild and extra experience and quality is clearly what Barcelona need to get back to challenging for the Champions League.
Simply put: whatever they can do to keep Messi happy should be done.
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Sergio Aguero will be a wanted man this summer and it appears Barcelona have made their move for the Argentine superstar.

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Report: Barcelona in talks to sign Sergio Aguero

Before Real Madrid&#8217;s Eden Hazard was (<a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2019/06/13/hazard-im-not-a-galactico-but-ill-try-to-be/">or was not</a>) a Galactico, he was a Chelsea hero, but his apparent non-mourning of Wednesday&#8217;s UEFA Champions League exit at the hands and feet of his former club is raising some eyebrows.
Hazard arrived at Chelsea from Lille in 2012 and starred for the club almost immediately and through his exit to Real in 2019.
The 2014-15 Premier League Player of the Year helped Chelsea collect plenty of silverware, including two league titles, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues, and a League Cup.
[ MORE: <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/05/three-things-we-learned-from-chelsea-man-city-pulisic-watch/">Pulisic Watch</a> | <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/05/three-things-we-learned-from-chelsea-man-city-pulisic-watch/">Three things learned</a> ]
But the European Cup is missing from that list and he&#8217;s not lifted it with Madrid either.
So Madridista eyebrows were raised &#8212; to put it mildly &#8212; when Hazard was spotted laughing with ex-Chelsea teammate Kurt Zouma and Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after the London outfit ended Real&#8217;s UCL dreams for 2020-21.
Hazard wasn&#8217;t bad in the loss, completing two of four dribbles and 31-of-36 passes while drawing four fouls.
Honestly this would&#8217;ve probably been overblown anywhere. Even people in abject misery can get a laugh or comfort from an old friend.
Then again, maybe this is just a precursor to <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/01/raiola-discusses-haaland-leaves-big-club-out-floats-pogba-hazard-swap/">Mino Raiola&#8217;s Hazard-for-Pogba swap</a>. Chess, not checkers from the superagent.
[ MORE: <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/05/mount-real-madrid-shouldve-feared-chelsea-as-a-team/">UCL Final details</a> | <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/05/05/mount-real-madrid-shouldve-feared-chelsea-as-a-team/">Mount &#8211; Real didn&#8217;t fear us</a> ]
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Eden Hazard was happy for his former teammates 💙 <a href="https://t.co/qhBpwODiAS">pic.twitter.com/qhBpwODiAS</a>
&mdash; Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1390053126313369603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Hazard wasn’t bad in Real Madrid’s 2-0 loss at former club Chelsea, completing two of four dribbles and 31-of-36 passes while drawing four fouls.

Real Madrid’s Hazard gets grief for post-loss laughter with Chelsea (video)

Timo Werner&#8217;s 28th-minute goal was Chelsea route past a starring Thibaut Courtois until Christian Pulisic set up Mason Mount late in a 2-0 UEFA Champions League second leg defeat of Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, sending the Blues past Real 3-1 on aggregate.
Edouard Mendy made a sensational stop on Karim Benzema and Chelsea&#8217;s rejuvenated defense let few chances find their way to the tournament&#8217;s all-time winners, with Pulisic&#8217;s calm on the touchline producing a fine insurance goal from Mount.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/news/man-city-oust-psg-to-reach-champions-league-final" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Man City oust PSG to reach Champions League final</a> ]
Pulisic scored in the first leg&#8217;s 1-1 draw, and was a second-half sub to salt away this one (See Pulisic Watch below).
Chelsea now will meet Premier League rivals Manchester City on May 29 in Istanbul, Turkey.

<h4>Three things we learned from Chelsea &#8211; Man City</h4>
1. All aboard the Tuchel train: It&#8217;s challenging to author a more impressive two years in the Champions League than Thomas Tuchel&#8217;s consecutive trips to the final, especially considering the German manager is only in his first 100 days on the job at Chelsea. Real Madrid has only been held to a goal over two legs of a UEFA Champions League tie twice this century, once bowing out to Lyon and another time outlasting Atletico Madrid 1-0. The team&#8217;s understanding of his system has only grown, and it&#8217;s worth noting that Tuchel did have the benefit of simply selecting two under- or unused all-world defenders in Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger (Thanks, FL).
2. Werner keeps chugging: German forward Timo Werner&#8217;s time under the microscope at Stamford Bridge reveals less goals than expected of a dominant player with a high price tag, but he keeps working and trusting that his elite form will return, as evidence by his rushing to the doorstep to finish a one-yard (or less) rebound of Kai Havertz&#8217;s chip off the crossbar.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CHELSEA GET THE BREAKTHROUGH 💥 <a href="https://t.co/4CGiQko1hY" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4CGiQko1hY</a>
&mdash; Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1390027231838150658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

3. Cool, calm, collected Christian: Pulisic&#8217;s entry into the game eventually delivered an assist that matched the cool shown by the USMNT star in scoring a goal in the first leg.
<h4>Man of the Match: Edouard Mendy</h4>
Thibaut Courtois did what he needed to do to flummox his former team, making a series of saves as Kai Havertz and N&#8217;Golo Kante couldn&#8217;t put the game away with a second goal that would demand two from Real, but it&#8217;s worth noting Edouard Mendy&#8217;s sensational stop on Karim Benzema. Five saves including a tremendous, fully-extended stop on Benzema
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
HUGE SAVE. EDOUARD MENDY 🧱 <a href="https://t.co/avvp1rDCg5" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/avvp1rDCg5</a>
&mdash; Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1390025982497624065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>


<h4>Pulisic Watch</h4>
67th minute: The American enters for Timo Werner.
76th minute: A quiet debut nearly delivers an assist, as Pulisic races into the right of the box and crosses to the back post, where a sliding target can&#8217;t pop the ball inside the post.
77th minute: Pulisic drives the ball toward the box, finding Cesar Azpilicueta and getting the ball back but finding no route closer to goal before hitting the deck. Good defending from Madrid.
81st minute: Havertz and Kante combine to set up Pulisic, who fires wide from a near-impossible angle.
82nd minute: His dribble from the right flank sees Pulisic spot the right pass but hit it tepidly into the waiting feet of Sergio Ramos.
88th minute: Can you say impact sub? Pulisic stay cool at the edge of the pitch and spots Mount for the goal that puts away Real.
90th minute: Federico Valverde chops down Pulisic and is shown a yellow card.
FT: Quite a 23 minutes from the USMNT star. Pulisic&#8217;s assist comes off 22 touches, two key passes, and two big chances created. He also draws two fouls and wins three-of-four ground duels.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It&#39;s PULISIC to MOUNT and it&#39;s CHELSEA in the Champions League final to play Manchester City. (🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ucloncbssports</a>) <a href="https://t.co/TeL8m2jJM2" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/TeL8m2jJM2</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1390046616044937225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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USMNT star Pulisic scored in the 1st leg and assisted as a 2nd-half sub to salt away this one. Chelsea will meet Premier League rivals Man City in the final

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Three things we learned from Chelsea – Man City; Pulisic Watch

We&#8217;re going to be honest with you: Part of recapping a report on Lionel Messi&#8217;s future from a source of some record is about trying to will it into existence in order to save us all a summer of burnout.
The greatest player in modern soccer is set to leave Barcelona at some point, and Messi tried to get out of his deal this summer before walking away fro a court battle in order to save his beloved club the headache of being dragged through the mud.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/three-things-we-learned-from-psg-man-city" target="_blank">Three things we learned</a> | <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/pep-not-about-ucl-second-leg-but-most-important-premier-league-title" target="_blank">Pep reaction</a> ]
So is it possible that rather than <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/12/27/lionel-messi-decision-unlikely-until-summer-open-to-barcelona-man-city-mls/" target="_blank">a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City</a>, a reunion with Neymar at PSG, or a short stay elsewhere that leads to <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/12/30/messi-suarez-inter-miami-mls-transfer-news-cavani-manchester-united/" target="_blank">Messi and Suarez playing for David Beckham’s Inter Miami</a>.
And, hey &#8212; <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/haalands-reps-meet-with-barca-real-madrid-in-preview-of-insane-summer" target="_blank">Erling Haaland could arrive at the Camp Nou</a>, too.
Messi&#8217;s all over the news this week, with PSG reportedly offering <a href="https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-paris-saint-germain-have-offered-lionel-messi-unbeatable-three-year-c-20210428" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">a three-year &#8220;unbeatable&#8221; contract offer</a> and the Argentine apparently spending over $7 million on an entire floor of an apartment building <a href="https://www.local10.com/sports/2021/04/26/lionel-messi-purchases-the-entire-floor-of-a-luxury-sunny-isles-beach-condo-for-73-million/" target="_blank">a half-hour drive from Fort Lauderdale</a>.
The good news for the Blaugranas is that the club&#8217;s presidential election saw Messi get a leader he likes &#8212; or at least doesn&#8217;t openly distrust &#8212; and Barcelona&#8217;s overcome a terrible start to the season and may just win La Liga.
So there&#8217;s some logic in the latest from Marca in Spain, which says that Messi may sign for two more years in La Liga before moving to the United States as a sort of brand ambassador (that is likely still bossing games and taking some sort of plane with his face on it to away games. Everything in this parenthesis is hypothetical).
The report says that Inter Miami is a favorite for his signature, which is notable in that City Football Group, which owns NYCFC and Manchester City, had <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/city-football-group-offering-messi-five-year-830m-package" target="_blank">reportedly offered Messi a five-year $830 million deal</a> in August that included time in MLS.
So if he&#8217;s happy with the direction of Barcelona, it makes sense that Messi will continue his European adventure in Catalonia. It&#8217;s not just being comfortable with the club, but knowing how to maneuver through the city as one of the most famous faces in the world.
Could you see him playing in Miami for two seasons before retiring after a half season at childhood club Newell&#8217;s Old Boys? We could.
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The club’s presidential election saw Messi get a leader he likes and Barcelona has overcome a terrible start to the season and may just win La Liga.

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Report claims Messi future involves Barcelona stay followed by Inter Miami

It&#8217;s first leg mission accomplished if Thomas Tuchel&#8217;s goal for Chelsea in its UEFA Champions League semifinal at Real Madrid was an away advantage.
Christian Pulisic&#8217;s first-half goal delivered a lead for the Blues and Karim Benzema had the only answer in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu.
[ MORE: <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/04/27/watch-christian-pulisic-real-madrid-chelsea-pulisic-watch-champions-league/">Pulisic Watch &#8212; USMNT star scores</a> ]
Chelsea and Real Madrid will stage the second leg at Stamford Bridge in London on May 5.
The Blues host Fulham on Saturday, while Real Madrid will entertain Osasuna on the same day.
Chelsea had a slight advantage in possession and took three of the match&#8217;s four shots on target, as Real scored with its only effort on frame.
[ MORE: <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/08/28/nbc-sports-premier-league-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to watch PL in the USA</a> ] 

<h4>Three things we learned from Real Madrid &#8211; Chelsea</h4>
1. Tuchel continues to foil Real Madrid: Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has frustrated Zinedine Zidane with three clubs over five matches, winning one and drawing four against Real Madrid. Zidane tried to trip up Tuchel with a three center mids atop three center backs, but Pulisic and the Blues cut them apart in space and Werner might&#8217;ve had at least two first-half goals on another day. Aside from a 3-0 PSG win over Real, Tuchel&#8217;s now overseen a pair of 2-2 draws between Borussia Dortmund and Madrid, another 2-2 as PSG boss, and this 1-1 first leg.
2. Benzema&#8217;s class is ageless: What a trap and finish from 33-year-old French forward Karim Benzema, who has 28 goals and seven assists in 40 matches this season. Benzema will likely enter Real&#8217;s top ten for appearances by the end of the season (His 553 are six shy of Michel), and he&#8217;s 13 behind No. 4 goal scorer Santillana on the Real list. His buzzing about deep in his own third during stoppage time says a lot about the striker&#8217;s on-field commitment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
13 GOALS IN HIS LAST 13 STARTS. KARIM BENZEMA. 😱 <a href="https://t.co/Dl2kTmCi0Y">pic.twitter.com/Dl2kTmCi0Y</a>
&mdash; Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1387127942321295363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

3. Center forward still the challenge for Chelsea: Timo Werner remains a hardworker but he is yet to find a real run of goal-scoring form. He should&#8217;ve had it 1-0 after mere moments of this match, and it&#8217;s stunning that he failed to find a marker on the day.
<h4>Man of the Match: Antonio Rudiger</h4>
Imagine seeing this guy as superfluous. Rudiger had an assist and passed at 92 percent in helping Chelsea control the game out of the back. German national teammate Toni Kroos was very good for Madrid.

<h4>Real Madrid &#8211; Chelsea recap</h4>
The first mistake of the game was Chelsea&#8217;s as N&#8217;Golo Kante gave away the ball near his 18 but the Blues stood tall around the error.
Christian Pulisic had an assist taken away from him by ex-Chelsea man Thibaut Courtois, who made a terrific leg save on Timo Werner after Pulisic headed a deflected ball into a very xG place for his German center forward.
But the American is the one who made it 1-0 when Raphael Varane was unaware of Pulisic racing behind him to a looped Antonio Rudiger lid-opener. Pulisic&#8217;s fifth UCL goal saw him patiently touch around Courtois before blasting the ball off Varane&#8217;s arm and into the goal.
[ MORE: <a href="https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/08/28/nbc-sports-premier-league-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to watch PL in the USA</a> ] 
But Real tied the match against the run of play when Eder Miltao flicked a cross into the path of Benzema, who took the ball off his chest and lashed through traffic to beat Edouard Mendy.
Toni Kroos had the next chance, curling a shot wide of the post from 21 yards.
The second half was slow and tight, with Thomas Tuchel making three subs between the 66th and 67th minutes to shake things up, taking off Pulisic, Werner, and Cesar Azpilicueta in favor of Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, and Reece James.
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It’s first leg mission accomplished if Thomas Tuchel’s goal for Chelsea in its UEFA Champions League semifinal at Real Madrid was an away advantage.

Three things we learned from Real Madrid – Chelsea

Barcelona took hold of its La Liga title destiny through the former star of one of its rivals, as Antoine Griezmann scored a quickfire first-half brace in a 2-1 win over 10-man Villarreal.
The Copa del Rey champions have a tough run-in but are two points back of leaders Atletico Madrid with a head-to-head match-up looming on May 8.
Barca still meets Granada and Valencia before that, hoping to put the finishing touches on a resurgence under Ronald Koeman. The Blaugranas started the season 4W-2D-4L but have since won 18 of 22 matches, only losing El Clasico on April 10.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/three-things-we-learned-from-leeds-manchester-united" target="_blank">Man United draws Leeds</a> ]
Atleti can reclaim a five-point advantage on Barcelona, which has a match-in-hand, with a win later this afternoon at Athletic Bilbao.
There may be a fourth team in the mix, too, if Sevilla beats Granada on Sunday. Julen Lopetegui&#8217;s men enter the game four points behind Barca and Real and six back of Atleti.
Back to Sunday&#8217;s match at Villarreal: USMNT back Sergino Dest was removed at halftime and Lionel Messi wasn&#8217;t at his best but Griezmann scored twice in seven minutes after Barca went behind on a Samuel Chukwueze goal.
Classy, classy finish on the equalizer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
⚡️ Rápido empata Griezmann: Óscar Mingueza le da asistencia para el 1-1 ante <a href="https://twitter.com/VillarrealCF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@VillarrealCF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VillarrealBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#VillarrealBarça</a> 
En VIVO por 📺 beIN SPORTS en Español 📲💻 <a href="https://t.co/KLCGhHh5Fm" target="_blank">https://t.co/KLCGhHh5Fm</a> <a href="https://t.co/ezyvzq6txN" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/ezyvzq6txN</a>
&mdash; beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESbeINSPORTS/status/1386331264710492162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Copa del Rey champions have a tough run-in but are two points back of leaders Atletico Madrid with a head-to-head match-up looming on May 8.

Antoine Griezmann

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La Liga: Griezmann oozes class as Barcelona keep pressure on Atleti

Florentino Perez maintains that the European Super League as a concept will be back, as teams cannot back out of the binding contracts signed last week.
Perez ignores a major loophole of sorts: Businesses agree to dissolve contracts all the time by making universal agreements that acknowledge the best interests of all involved.
As such, the 74-year-old Real Madrid president is basically saying he doesn&#8217;t understand why all these clubs are apologizing to their fans, players, and even their governments, a sort of megalomania that would hold historic clubs hostage to their ill-considered ink.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/three-things-we-learned-from-liverpool-newcastle" target="_blank">Three things from Liverpool &#8211; Newcastle</a> ]
Premier League clubs incluyding <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/arsenal-spurs-apologize-premier-league-sides-detail-super-league-exit" target="_blank">Arsenal apologized profusely for a “mistake”</a> in considering the ESL, but it has not done a lot to calm angry supporters. Even the American bank behind the idea has apologized for their role in the ESL, and Perez somehow seems to believe that a comparable idea branding differently will be embraced by the teams and subsequently their fans.
Anyway, here&#8217;s the man of the hour in a pretty sad and orchestrated Q&amp;A that begins with a glowing endorsement of Perez as a man who &#8220;rescued [Real Madrid] from its serious economic problems&#8221; via the Galatico project &#8212; which, by the way, launched transfer records into the sun &#8212;  <a href="https://as.com/futbol/2021/04/24/primera/1619217332_337918.html?id_externo_rsoc=CM_ES_TW" target="_blank">via AS.com</a>.
&#8220;Either we do something soon or a lot of clubs will go out of business,&#8221; Perez said, answering another &#8220;question&#8221; by demanding that the Super League has to be a priority for all.
<blockquote>&#8220;You have to do it as quickly as possible, but first you have to explain the project to people in good faith, who have been manipulated by those who had no other objective than to defend their privileges. Maybe they think that this is going to be good for them, but they are wrong.&#8221;</blockquote>
Simply put, Perez wants to be the gatekeeper of football. He believes that his success at Real Madrid has been the club&#8217;s best time and that dozens of trophies that preceded him were nothing compared to his achievements.
A note of caution, however, while it&#8217;s tempting to pile dirt on a greedy idea, there&#8217;s every reason to remember that the richest of the rich often find a way to do what they want (or close to what they want), regardless of the quality of the idea.
We&#8217;re still waiting for the way other clubs benefit from the Super League, other than Super League clubs paying handsome fees for their best players and relegating &#8212; pardon the pun &#8212; all non-ESL clubs to a lesser status in the game.
Sounds win-win (Sarcasm to be noted in case the preceding paragraphs have not accomplished the appropriate tone in context).
Maybe Perez just plans on extracting money for the clubs who haven&#8217;t opted out from the ones who were convinced to depart the endeavor.
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Maybe Perez just plans on extracting money for the clubs who haven’t opted out from the ones who were convinced to depart the endeavor.

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Real Madrid’s Perez: Super League contracts binding, project will go ahead

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The ill-fated Super League has enraged fans and troubled authorities while making allies of a pair of soccer&#8217;s fiercest nemeses.
[ VIDEO: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/video-liverpool-owner-john-henry-apologizes-for-super-league-disruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Liverpool owner John Henry apologizes for Super League &#8220;disruption&#8221;</a> ]
After 10 of the 12 clubs involved in the creation of the breakaway competition quickly dropped out under an escalating backlash, Barcelona president Joan Laporta emerged on Thursday as the sole supporter of the plan hatched by Real Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez.
&#8220;It is absolutely necessary,&#8221; Laporta said on Catalan public television in his first public comments on the project. &#8220;The biggest clubs create the most financial resources and we must have our say in deciding how the earnings are shared.&#8221;
Even so, <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2114445/fc-barcelona-announcement-on-the-super-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">his own club issued a statement</a> hours after he spoke that was aimed at calming tensions and promised to listen to the plan&#8217;s critics.
The six English clubs involved in the competition pulled out Tuesday amid escalating complaints from their supporters and warnings from the British government. A day later, Spanish club Atletico Madrid and the three Italian teams in the project — Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan — also opted out.
Despite being left nearly alone, Perez — the competition&#8217;s supposed first chairman — said late Wednesday that the idea was not dead, but rather on standby.
Both Juventus and AC Milan also left open the possibility of joining a Super League at a later date.
[ MORE: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/joel-glazer-pens-apology-letter-to-manchester-united-fans-club-not-for-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Joel Glazer pens apology letter to Manchester United fans; club not for sale</a> ]
Laporta, who previously served as Barcelona president from 2003-10, was re-elected to the post last month. While campaigning, Laporta said he was not in favor of the Super League, but his position changed after taking charge of the troubled club that faces $1.2 billion in debt.
The club&#8217;s finances have been hard hit by the pandemic, which has compounded problems in a budget that was already loaded by the highest payroll in soccer last season. Laporta&#8217;s financial challenges include trying to convince Lionel Messi to sign a new contract when his expires this year.
The chances to boost revenue by cutting UEFA out of the equation and replacing the Champions League with the new tournament of 20 teams appeared to be irresistible to Barcelona.
&#8220;There have been pressures placed on some clubs, but the proposal is still standing,&#8221; Laporta said. &#8220;We have very important investments, our salaries are very high, and those must be taken into consideration, along with sporting merits.&#8221;
Barcelona&#8217;s participation was conditioned by Laporta&#8217;s pledge to let the club&#8217;s members vote on the proposal.
&#8220;We are keeping a prudent stance,&#8221; Laporta said. &#8220;It is a necessity, but our club members will have the final word.&#8221;
[ VIDEO: <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/manchester-united-fans-protest-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Angry Manchester United fans protest at training ground</a> ]
Laporta appeared open to tweaking the most controversial part of the project &#8211; locking in the 15 founding clubs and leaving only five berths open for other teams to join each season.
&#8220;It has to be an attractive competition, based on merit won on the field,&#8221; Laporta said. &#8220;We defend our national leagues and an open dialogue with UEFA.&#8221;
In its statement, Barcelona defended its decision to back the new scheme because, according to the Catalan club, not jumping on board the project &#8220;would have been a historic error.&#8221;
But the club added that while standing by the Super League, the backlash against it meant &#8220;it is undeniable that FC Barcelona understands that a much deeper analysis must be undertaken.
&#8220;This deeper analysis requires time and the necessary calm to prevent any hasty action being taken,&#8221; the club said.
Time appears to be one thing Barcelona and Madrid have with forces lining up against them.
While Laporta spoke in Barcelona, the other Spanish league clubs not involved in the Super League project met via videoconference with league president Javier Tebas to form a common front against the new competition. Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico were not invited to the meeting.
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&#8220;I think that Barcelona has bigger problems than taking on the rest of the clubs in Spain and Europe to defend a Super League that is already dead,&#8221; Tebas said.
But Tebas saved his strongest criticism for Real Madrid&#8217;s president, credited as the mastermind of the project.
&#8220;If they say that the Super League will save soccer, they are lying or they are mistaken,&#8221; Tebas said. &#8220;Florentino Perez is lying. It can&#8217;t help soccer because it would destroy the national leagues.&#8221;
Players on the Spanish clubs not in the project wore T-shirts before league matches on Wednesday criticizing it. Otherwise, protests against the Super League have been subdued in Spain compared to England.

And then, there were two — Real Madrid and Barcelona — still committed to the European Super League.

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Barcelona declares continued support for Super League

Two of the bigger forces behind the European Super League have differing takes on the status of the project after most of the teams pulled out of the short-lived collection of world powers.
The Super League had said Tuesday that it would &#8220;<a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/european-super-league-issues-statement-plans-to-reshape-the-project" target="_blank">reshape the project</a>,&#8221; which is in line with Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli&#8217;s comments a day later that the project is &#8220;stalled and cannot proceed,&#8221; while Real Madrid boss Florentino Perez says it is simply on standby and claims that two of the reported teams to quit the ESL have not.
Perez, who said earlier that the project was meant to save football, cannot even agree about which teams have exited the Super League.
All six Premier League sides &#8212; Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Liverpool &#8212; <a href="https://www.flyingeze.com/p/arsenal-spurs-apologize-premier-league-sides-detail-super-league-exit" target="_blank">announced their departures</a> at different times Tuesday, while Inter Milan also exited. <a href="https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/club/2021-04-21/official-statement" target="_blank">AC Milan at first blush seems to have left</a>, but a closer reading doesn&#8217;t totally defy Perez&#8217;s claim that both Milanese sides are still interested in the idea.
<a href="https://www.juventus.com/en/news/articles/statement-on-the-super-league-project" target="_blank">Juventus has announced their commitment to pursuing ideas like the Super League</a>, but Agnelli admitted that he <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56830308" target="_blank">doesn&#8217;t &#8220;think that project is now still up and running.&#8221;</a>
Perez, however, seems much closer to doubling down than admitting significant failure, only going as far as to call the Super League &#8220;on standby&#8221; and saying Inter and AC Milan remain in the project with Barcelona and Real Madrid. He claims that one Premier League club scared off the other five, using the word &#8220;contagious&#8221; in an excellent show of awareness during COVID-19.
He also said, &#8220;Maybe we didn&#8217;t explain it properly.&#8221; And if the project is good at all, then no, no they dd not.
If anything like the Super League is to come into being, it&#8217;s probably going to need a new point person and a public relations firm.
For one thing, the ESL was kept so secret that people like AC Milan&#8217;s Paolo Maldini and Chelsea&#8217;s Thomas Tuchel found about it at the same time as the rest of the world.
Chelsea, in its apology late Tuesday, mentioned having &#8220;joined the group late last week&#8221; which raises questions about how leadership pushed this along.
So as Perez prepares a new Super League recipe, citing the &#8220;binding contracts,&#8221; is football still in the balance? Maybe, but it&#8217;s difficult to believe that there&#8217;s a plan that will be served to the public with anything other than the wariest of eyes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Florentino Perez to El Larguero: “Juventus and AC Milan have not left the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#SuperLeague</a>. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan are still in talks to find solutions”. 🚨⚪️
&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1384995502991740928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Florentino Perez to El Larguero: “I’m really sad and disappointed. Maybe we didn&#39;t explain the Super League project properly&#8230;”. ⚪️🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#SuperLeague</a>
&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1384992110999478274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Florentino Perez to El Larguero: “If this project didn’t work, another one will. Remember: all the 12 clubs have signed a biding contract”. 🚨⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#SuperLeague</a>
&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1384994090626977793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Florentino Perez to El Larguero: “I think one of the 6 Premier League clubs weren&#39;t really convinced of the project&#8230; and it became contagious to the rest of them”. 🚨⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#SuperLeague</a>
&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1384993531857616899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Two of the forces behind the European Super League have differing takes on the current status of the the short-lived league.

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