Real Madrid sign Kiko Casilla from Espanyol

Kiko Casilla replaces San Iker Casillas

Deal said to be worth $6.5 millions

Real Madrid have agreed terms on the transfer of Kiko Casilla of Espanyol and the Spaniard completes medical.

The first offer made by Whites' was rebuffed after Espanyol said that wanted $6.5 millions instead of the $4.3 millions. However, the second offer was made and Espanyol let him leave.

Casilla is also the replacement for long-time player and skipper Casillas who moved to Porto. The signing is Real Madrid's third this season after Danilo and Lucas Vazquez.

Casilla had a good season like Vazquez in Espanyol and will compete for a place with Keylor Navas.

He has good reflexes and positioning and for handling aerial balls.

Thank You Iker !!! A Tribute Article to the Legend

With our captain set for Porto, I make one last tribute for Iker.

The hands that saved Madrid for the past 25 years has finally said goodbye.

Every story has an end. Even our soul comes to peace at last. And so does Casillas fairytale at Madrid. The club icon since 1990 has said his last words yesterday and today it is the first day of life for all Madridistas without San Iker.

Casillas deserves a lot of respect and he is one of the most humble persons the sport has ever seen. And moreover, the best goalkeeper the world had ever witnessed. Like Xavi said, "When all hopes are gone, Iker suddenly appears and saves you".

And it has been like that for the past 16 years in Santiago Bernabeau. Every moment when you think it's all over, Casillas appears at 7/3 post and gives you a lifeline. When you mess up again, he gives another lifeline.

There are a lot of justifications for Xavi's claims. One was during the WC10' final in which Casillas produced the most important save in world history by tucking a Robben shot with his legs. That moment gave Spain the chance to go on and win the final.

And in the 2002 Champions League final, a game in which Zidane struck a wonderful volley-winner, Casillas came off the bench for injured Cesar Sanchez and made a number off historic saves. Two years before the final, Casillas became the youngest player ever to play in a Champions League final against Valencia which Real won 3-0.

Since then, it was all an era of world's best goalkeeper. Casillas clinched his Real's 31st La Liga in 2007-08 and was awarded the Zamora trophy. However, Madrid failed to clinch a silverware next season as Barcelona grabbed a sextuple in 2009.

That year saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka arrive at Real Madrid. Another season without glory passed and Casillas still was short of domestic cup glory. But during 2010-2011, Raul and Guti left the club and the captaincy was handed to Iker.

And then, he turned out from a goalkeeper to a leader.

"When all hopes are gone, Iker suddenly appears and saves you"- Xavi

And finally, his 11-year wait for Copa triumph was ended when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a terrific header to down Barcelona. The new season saw Jose Mourinho's side lose to the Catalans in Super Coppa but it was just the beginning of success.

Real Madrid and Casillas became the first team to reach 100 points in the league and definetely, the skipper was an essential part of the club. But 2013 proved to be a turning point in Casillas' career.

He was injured after getting kicked in his finger by fellow man Arbeloa. That meant Casillas was out for three months and Mourinho bought Diego Lopez from Sevilla. Lopez continued to hit the peak and even after recovering from injury, Casillas was benched. He fell out with Mourinho and was even snubbed in the Portugese' last match as head coach of Real Madrid.

Months after Mourinho's deparure, Ancelotti arrived and he found a new way to sort out things. He used Lopez for league matches and Iker for cup rounds. And the season witnessed Casillas' and Real Madrid's best season in the decade. They clinched the prolong 'La Decima' though Casillas blundered in the final. And his second Copa del Rey was delivered when Gareth Bale scored the most memorable goal in the tournament.

2014-2015, the most recently finished season, wasn't good for Casillas at all. He was booed simultaneously by his own fans and endured another trophyless season.

Meanwhile, with Spain, Casillas is the most capped player with 162 appearances and led the team to a hattrick of tournament glory from 2008-2012. The six years saw Spain win all the Euro 08', WC10' and Euro 12'. But he was snubbed recently after a poor run of performances with Spain in which the defending champions crashed out of WC 14'Group Stage.

But after all, Casillas has stepped down after serving from the age of 9. He has done a lot to the club and of course, it would never be the same Iker without the Real Madrid crest. And this isn't a departure Iker!!.

Hoping you soon. Good Luck Captain and Long Live Iker. You are always welcome at Santiago Bernabeau!!!!

THANK U 4 ALL THE GUD MOMENTS

'LA DECIMA'

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 14'

AND LAST FAREWELL SPEECH

SOME FACTS:

One of the three goalkeepers to win all the major tournaments played
'Best Goalkeeper of the Year Award' five times winner
Zamora Trophy Winner

CAREER STATISTICS AND HONOURS:

25 years. One club: Real Madrid
725 appeareances in Real Madrid crest
162 caps for Spain
5 La Liga
3 Champions League
2 Copa del Rey
2 UEFA Super Cup
1 Club World Cup
1 World Cup
2 European Championship

GRACIES SAN IKER CASILLAS!!!

Real Madrid sign Lucas Vazquez

Lucas Vazquez rejoined Madrid this season

Spaniard is Benitez's first signing for Real Madrid

Real Madrid have bought back Lucas Vazquez from Espanyol. The 24-year-old is a product of 'La Fabrica'-the youth academy of Real Madrid.

The winger was offloaded to the Catalans last season in a buy-back deal that would bring him back to Madrid after a good season.

Vazquez signed at a cost of 1 million euros for a five-year deal. Real Madrid stated,"Real Madrid C.F. has exercised their buy-back contract rights over Lucas Vazquez in the existing agreement with RCD Espanyol. The player will remain linked to our club for the next five seasons".

Vazquez joined Madrid at the age of 15 but was out of favour when Ancelotti stepped in. He joined Espanyol last season and had a spectacular season forcing Benitez to re-sign him.

Vazquez is a defensive winger who can adapt to Benitez's style. He is got a really good pace and skills and works extremely hard during the match. He retains the ball well and provides a support to the backline. Moreover, he is a product of La Fabrica and knows the team well.

Lucas has all the qualities of a defender and do step-over-rolls and elasticos. He has a reasonably good ability in clearing air balls and has scored three goals last term.

However, he must compete with world's best players for a place in the first team.

Click the link below to watch Lucas Vazquez:

Lucas Vazquez

Five best signings Real Madrid can do this summer

With the transfer window at grabs, We take a look at five best signings for Rafa Benitez

Ramos may leave this summer and the most suitable replacement is an Argentine.

The transfer window is wide open and its full of cash and competition now to bring world's finest footballers to their respective clubs. And a team like Real Madrid are never bad during these days and they look to bring the world's best to the city.

The last decade saw the likes of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos all play in the Whites' shirt. The new generation is enjoying Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Kaka, Ozil and Toni Kroos.

Meanwhile, this summer is more special in case Sergio Ramos leaves. So, Rafa Benitez must buy some of the below to fix the team.

BERND LENO

A good replacement and a competitor for club icon Casillas. David De Gea was the favourite but Manchester United recently said 'No' to a Spanish journalist. Since Madrid said it would go with 'Plan B' and Leno has been their target.

Bernd Leno is a better replacement De Gea because too many high-profile players in a single team affects the morality. On the other hand, Leno is quite a good boy at the dressing room and he has got great reflexes.

The only thing that could prevent him from transferring to Madrid is his fame. This guy is highly underrated. He is actually the second best in Bundesliga. Some of his memorable performances this season are against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munchen.

It is also good to watch and analyse player before buying him. So here you go:

Bernd Leno Best Saves

DAVID DE GEA

David De Gea (called David De Heeyae) is the ultimate transfer target this season. The Spaniard had turned into world's best under LVG and is set to leave this summer. However, he has refused to extend his contract that runs out next season. If he becomes a free agent, then Real Madrid will have him.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have come up with a deal that would see a swap between Ramos and De Gea. But the deal is largely refused and United's all offers are rebuffed until an offer of around 65 million pound sterling is made.

The Red Army has also warned that if they are told to pay big on Ramos, then De Gea will be sold as world's highest-paid goalkeeper.

De Gea had his best season in 2014-2015 and he is the key to United's top four finish. His ability in shot stopping, handling and reflexes has made him one of world's current best. The most memorable performance was against four English giants: Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

Watch amazing saves of David De Gea at:

David De Gea: Thank You for Fabulous Saves

AYMERIC LAPORTE

The young French is so underrated but is linked with Manchester United. He isn't under Perez's radar but this 21-year-old would be one for the future.

Though Athletic Bilbao fell out this season, this guy was still remarkable. He had a spectacular time against Real Madrid last couple of seasons and is a good replacement for Ramos if the Spaniard leaves.

He is well-loved by San Memes and is famous for his heading skills. Laporte has an impressive heading record and an excellent tackling ability. He is also a good last-man and surely his move to United will only make them better.

But the only thing he gets differenciated from Ramos is that he lacks the leadership skills the Spaniard possess. And since he isn't under Real's sight, it would be highly unlikely to see him at Santiago Bernabeau next season.

But if I was given Perez duty, then I would have made the deal just because of his skills and moreover, age. Aymeric Laporte:

Aymeric Laporte Skills

Aymeric Laporte - Goals and Skills - 2014-2015

NICOLAS OTAMENDI

'The Wall With A Beard'. Surely, the best defender this season in La Liga. Otamendi has grown big this season and is responsible for Valencia's progress to Champions League after two long years.

The defender is Manchester United's-who wants all the players in the world-top target. He also tops Real Madrid's centre-back wishlist if Ramos leaves.

Talking of him, Otamendi has displayed beautiful football with Valencia and grabbed up six MOTM awards, the highest for any defender in La Liga this season. He is also excellent when it comes to defending and wins most of the aerial duels like Ramos.

His sliding tackles are clueless and it is impossible to get rid of them. And he is famous for shutting down the two leaders of football: Ronaldo and Messi. The other cannibals in his list include Neymar, Suarez, Bale and Benzema. This guy is also chosen as La Liga Best Defender of the Season by WhoScored.com.

Nicolas Otamendi has good feat in delivering long balls, something that Ramos lack. He is a good leader like the Spaniard and the most memorable performance was with the two best teams in the world: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF.

He scores goals and that shows his goodness in attack. And moreover, he scored 6 goals this season compared to Ramos 4 and five of them with headers from corners and free-kicks and one with a low shot.

And who else would forget his header against Madrid in Mestalla after he leaped higher than Ramos to end the 22-game-winning streak. Above all, the beard. It is something more feary than a verbal talk.

Definetely, this guy is the most suitable replacement for Sergio Ramos. If you search on Youtube, you will get lots on him. Some of his best performances are:
Nicolas Otamendi vs Real Madrid 2015
Nicolas Otamendi vs Barcelona
Nicolas Otamendi Crazy Defensive Skills

SERGIO "KUN" AGUERO

The deal of the year. Real Madrid will make an another historic move by completing the signing of Manchester City and Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. The deal would be their highest this year.

But it would cost around 90 million euros for the Argentine to bring him to Spain next season. However, Perez is famous for big money moves with six of world's ten top transfers under his name. This include Bale, Ronaldo and James who conquer the top-three respectively alongwith Zidane, Kaka and Luis Figo.

Aguero's return to Madrid after he left Atleti to join the BPL giants would make him the third highest paid player in the team. Meanwhile, Aguero is a must wanted deal to replace Benzema who was poor last season and is on his way to Arsenal this summer.

And Aguero with Ronaldo and Bale would be amazing to watch and they could bring back their EPL stunners to Spain.

Statistically, Aguero is the top scorer in Premier League and has turned into a lethal striker last season. His 22 goals for city for City has helped them to finish second in the league behind Chelsea. He has a better finishing skill than Benzema and reads the game well.

The Argentine is compared to Luis Suarez and his importance in Madrid right now will motivate his move. Moreover, the fans want him but at present, Aguero is in Chile playing with Argentina who are through to the finals and face the hosts this Saturday. Some of his best clips are:
Sergio Aguero All goals and Assists
Sergio Aguero Goals and Skills
Thanks for reading.

Master-mind Ramos using Manchester United as a shield for upgrading his contract

Spaniard using Red Devils for improving contract.

Though Ramos has said he wants to leave, he definitely loves to stay.

The football world was completely engaged within one man: Sergio Ramos. At first, he said he need a good contract. Then he held a meeting and told Real to listen to his offers and now finally Rio Ferdinand tells why the veteran is making up his mind for Manchester.

"He's at Real Madrid, I think, a new contract is coming up. His agent puts on rumours that he wants to leave Real Madrid so that they will come up with a bumper offer and he signs on the dotted line" Rio told in his website.

Subsequently, Madrid have rejected all offers from Manchester United and the latest report suggest that Real Madrid have decided not to sell him.

The secret tattoo in his body says that he will be with the Whites' forever. However, Sergio Ramos might be happy if he remains in the capital city but he must be met with his need.

Another reason for this say is because if he needs to leave, he would have when United made their first offer that would earn him 11 million euros, a sum that is higher than his demand. Instead, he remained silent and wanted to get a better offer only from the hands of Perez.

A second offer was done, that could surpass the world record fee for a defender, but still he maintained silence and Real rejected the offer.

And after a third offer was left unanswered, he directly called Perez who said, " Go on holiday and we will discuss later". The call also led Real to accept the fact: They can't do without the Spaniard.

The second part of the deal was: De Gea. And his offer had come to an end after Madrid decided to go with 'Plan B'.

They have tried to offer Bayer Leverkusen's Bernard Leno.

And after all, Ramos has gone on a holiday to America and when he returns, he will be granted his wish and all the drama will end as nothing and the fans will see him at Santiago Bernabeau this season.

TransferAtBernabeau: Ramos set to leave Real Madrid.

Man Utd couldn't sign a better centre-back than Sergio Ramos - Carragher

Sergio Ramos says Madrid must respond to his offers.

Spaniard held meeting with vice-president, brother and agent.

Sergio Ramos has finally decided to leave Madrid after a stellar ten years that brought all the love and respect from the fans.

The decision is still in the balance and he may even stay but departure appears more likely. The rumour first appeared when United demanded Ramos for De Gea.

The deal was handled with less care then, but the news that Perez disagreed Ramos contract renewal leaked and social media was all out for Ramos who denied to respond. But later, he openly said that his father is a fan of Red Devils' which accelerated his desire to leave Madrid.

But, it is a fact, that Ramos has decided to leave not because of the fans, players or staffs, but because of the club president Florentino Perez.

Both of them are having a heated time after Ramos backed Ancelotti to stay. That didn't go well with Perez because he hates his players opposing his decision.

Though Ramos wants to leave, the fans still urges him to stay. A survey conducted by 12,000 madridistas reported that 74% wants him to stay.

However, a meeting was held between the Spaniard and his brother, agent and club vice-president. It was in that meeting that Ramos said Real Madrid must listen to his offers.

Riesco said that,"With everything that has happened it will be very difficult for Ramos to stay".

Ramos demanded to increase his wages twice as his current salary but Perez refused his demand. The increase means Ramos will be the third highest-paid in the club after Bale and Ronaldo and he deserves it.

However, a ray of hope remains after a secret tatoo was found in his body:

"If I didn't die for Real Madrid, then I am not worth to be alive".

Who knows if he keeps his word or leaves due to the president. But one thing is sure, Ramos doesn't want to leave the club and he is irreplaceable at Madrid.

TransferAtBernabeau: No idea in watching Madrid without Ramos.

The highly-profile Spaniard's move to Old Trafford means Real Madrid turn despirited.

Manchester United demands Ramos for De Gea.

Sergio Ramos departure would not only be felt on the pitch, but also outside the field. The Spaniard has been splendid for the past couple of seasons and his presence has been a highlight for Whites'.

Apart from a world-class defender, Ramos is famous for his leadership skills and his ability to bring life for the players on the field. This season witnessed Ramos' importance as Real struggled while he was injured.

The month of March, without Ramos, eventually saw Real slip a four point lead to trial four within three games and a shock loss to Schalke at Champions League. The slip virtually gave Barcelona the title, who then went on for an historic treble.

Meanwhile, the at atmosphere Madrid isn't good this season with a number of superstars unhappy. Benzema is set to be replaced and Isco may leave this summer.

Last season's trophy drought adds an extra-pressure this season, and without a player of such a caliber, it seems to end with another dreadful season.

Ancelotti's sacking and hiring of infamous coach among the fans, Benitez, doesn't go well with the fans.

United on the other hand, has a bigger say on the swap. After a mega move of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009, this may be another major swap between these two clubs who had shared Van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Di Maria and a number of other players.

Further problems arise after Perez sacked five permanent medical staffs for last season's injury-crisis that caused the anger from players. It seems that they may go outside for treatment.

And the last of these problems, which we actually need to discuss here, Sergio Ramos. The former had been unhappy with his contract renewal and Perez has refused to increase his wages. Some reports suggest that his agent Rene Ramos had contacted with one of Barcelona's presidential candidates.

However, a rise in wages for Ramos would be worth and swapping him for a goalkeeper would be foolish. According to Telegraph, Real Madrid have ordered 65 million euros for the Spaniard.

But this deal largely disappoints Madrid fans or atleast me, who still takes it hard to swallow Ozil, Di Maria and Ancelotti.

Transfer Market Strategy: How Juventus built a team capable of reaching the Champions League Final

Having won a Serie A and Coppa Italia domestic double, Juventus is still on track to complete the treble when the club faces FC Barcelona on June 6th in Berlin. Irrespective of how the Champions' League Final matchup unfolds, Juve has already achieved a significant milestone by reaching the Champions' League Final; a milestone to which the likes of PSG and Manchester City have not come close having spent significantly more money than the Bianconeri over the past few seasons.

While it's easy to talk about the luck Juventus has had along the way in being drawn against Monaco and Dortmund (as opposed to tougher opponents), I'd rather highlight some of the transfer market strategies off the pitch that have helped the club excel on it. In an era of massive spending and UEFA Financial Fair-play, in addition to being the only team in Italy with its own stadium, Juventus has shown that through a combination of shrewd scouting, Bosman (free-transfer) signings and prudent spending, you can build a team capable of competing at the highest level of European competition. While the following strategies don't entirely explain Juve's success, they certainly explain a significant portion of it.

Bosman Signings:
Taking advantage of the free-agency rules in place following the Bosman ruling, the Old Lady has been able to make a number of impressive transfers on a free, including the likes of Kingsley Coman, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Fernando Llorente. These players have provided a significant contribution to the Old Lady's successful season, and when you consider the potential re-sale value of players such as Llorente and Pogba, the return on investment in these players for Juve could be tremendous.

Prudent Signings:
Through a unique ability to consistently find value in the transfer market, Juve has been able to sign great players at a bargain such as Barzagli (€0.3M Euros from Wolfsburg), Lichtsteiner (€10M Euros from Lazio), Asamoah (€9M Euros to end co-ownership with Udinese), Arturo Vidal (€10.5M from Bayer Leverkusen) and Evra (£1.5M from Manchester United). When the club has decided to spend bigger sums of money, it has tended to do so on young outstanding talent with major re-sale value who will provide significant ROI over time, one way or another. Alvaro Morata (€20M from Real Madrid) is an example of this, having scored in both legs of the Champions' League semi-final against Madrid. Yet, Los Blancos have an option to take back the Spanish forward for €30M in 2016 or 2017.

Mature Signings:
Regardless of whether signings qualify as Bosman or prudent, Juve is able to sign players at an age where they are undervalued by the market yet the club is convinced (often correctly) they can be worth more to the Bianconeri. Pirlo, Barzagli and Evra fall into this category of Juventus signings. Due to their age alone, the value of these three players on the transfer market is a small fraction of that of say Kroos, Varane and Marcelo respectively, yet their contribution on the pitch is much more comparable. Even in the case of signing established stars such as Carlos Tevez (signed for a paltry £12M from Manchester City), the Turin club is able to take advantage of unique market opportunities to sign players at a significant discount to their true value.

Italian Core:
For better or for worse, Juventus, like many Italian teams that've enjoyed European success, is anchored by a solid Italian core of defenders. Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci, and Barzagli provide assurances at the back similar to those provided by the likes of Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta and Tassotti in Sacchi's Milan team in the 90's. This foundation allows the more creative players to concentrate on their jobs knowing that they are well-protected at the back.

These are some of the reasons Juventus has been able to dominate in Italy while reaching the champions League final despite having a significantly smaller average player value (APV) than every team that made the final 8 with the exception of Monaco and Porto (see APVs below). Juve's APV is also significantly lower than teams that didn't make the final 8 such as Chelsea ( €21.12M APV), Manchester City (€18.18M APV) and Arsenal (€14.95M APV). In addition, the Old Lady already has future stars on her books such as Daniele Rugani (One of Italy's most promising young defenders), while Palermo's impressive young Argentine forward Paulo Dybala has been signed for a reported €40M. In the event that Juve decides to sell Paul Pogba for an astronomical figure this summer (or next), Giuseppe Marotta, Fabio Paratici and team will be ready to continue to close the deals required to strengthen the squad going forward.

Average Player Value (APV) of last 8 teams in 2014/2015 Champions' League (transfer values from transfermarkt.com

Five best showdowns by Real Madrid in 2014-2015

With the season almost ended and Real Madrid finish without a silverware, I take a look at the five best performances from the Whites this season.

HalaMadridYNadaMas

Real Madrid CF-Juventus FC: Real Madrid look to advance to Berlin.

Winner meets Barcelona at Berlin

Real Madrid CF 1:2 Juventus FC at Turin.

Real Madrid look for their one last silverware this season with a healthy win against the Scudetto winners.

Champions League is the last thing the players can bring for fans this season. They are already out from the cup competition and have lost the edge for the league.

Meanwhile, Juventus are on course for a historic treble, like Barcelona, with the Old Lady already having the league in their hands and a cup final.

However, Juventus edged Real in the first leg 2-1 with the visitors producing a sloppy performance at the back.

On the other hand, Barcelona became lord and master against Bayern Munchen and advanced 5-3 on aggregate.

Real Madrid will play a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 with the belowsaid lineup:

Casillas

Carvajal-------------------Varane----------------Pepe--------------------------------Marcelo

Bale/Isco-------------------Ramos----------Kroos-----------James

Benzema/Chicharito--Ronaldo

Benzema is fit and may start ahead of Chicharito. On the basis of advance, Real Madrid must win the game by a scoreline of 1-0. If Juventus scores one, Real Madrid must make it 3-1 to advance directly to the finals. If the match ends 2-1, then the game will be forced to extra time or penalties.

The match is set to be played this Wednesday at Estadio Santiago Bernabeau, 20:45 CET. The winner will meet Barcelona at Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 5.

Top 12 prospects coming out this year's UEFA Youth League Semi-finals

The average player value (APV) of the top 12 prospects in the second ever edition (2014/2015 season) of the UEFA Youth League is €0.85M
Roma and Paraguay striker Antonio Sanabria (pictured below) is the most highly valued player among the final four (Chelsea, Roma, Shakhtar and Anderlecht) at €4M
Roma's Daniele Verde (€1M) Anderlecht's Andy Kawaya (€0.8M) and Chelsea's Andreas Christensen(€0.75M), all pictured above, are among the top 5 on the list, while Anderlecht's €0.8M valued 17 year old centre-forward Aaron Leya Iseka is the youngest player among the top 12
Defensive midfielder Beka Vachiberadze (valued at €0.5M) is the most valued player on the other UEFA Youth League semi-finalist Shakhtar Donetsk roster

Top 12 players in 2014/2015 Semi-Final Lineup (Transfer market values from transfermarkrt.com)

'You 're wrong Pep, there is a system called Real Madrid to stop Messi'.

After a spectacular performance against Bayern, Guardiola reported that nothing could stop the Argentine.

However, his performance in the last few Clasicos proved that Real Madrid discovered a way to stop Messi.

Lionel Messi produced a sparkling display against his former team, but here we provide you with points to stop Messi which was used by Real Madrid.

A ONE MAN DEFENSE

RAPHAEL VARANE SINGLE HANDED MESSI IN HIS FIRST GAME

It may appear to be strange, but if we analyse, it is the first thing Madrid do against Messi.

This system was first started by Jose Mourinho when he was in charge at his last season at Madrid. He opted to start with Varane who stopped Lionel Messi all the night.

This system was used throughout the season and Messi and Barca were kept at bay. They were unable to defeat Real Madrid that whole season.

Since that year, no team used this system but Real Madrid discovered another technique to stop Messi.

PRESSURIZE MIFDFIELD

NOT IN THIS PIC: LUKA MODRIC, KROOS AND JAMES PRESSURIZED MESSI THIS SEASON

After Ancelotti's arrival, he lost his first two Clasicos. This is because at first, he started Ramos in attacking midfield so that to defend at the midfield area.

But that system didn't work well. At the second Clasico, Real Madrid played super naturally, with no marks on Messi or Neymar. This helped them to play their natural game and Messi stuck a hat-trick to give Barca the win.

But since that day, Ancelotti stopped Messi at the most possible way. He found a new way called pressurize midfield with Kroos, James and Modric renouncing themselves as defenders.

This is an effective system used by Ancelotti and some other unnoticed teams to stop Messi.

MARK SUAREZ AND NEYMAR

MESSI, NEYMAR, SUAREZ BLOCK IDEAL

This may seem to be strange, but a strong analyser may say it's a good idea. This wasn't a system introduced by Madrid, but by Malaga and Celta de Vigo.

The system have a lot of influence in stopping the attacking trio. Barca lost to Malaga and Celta and MSN was provided with a stiff resistance.

The reason is that, there is a common and dangerous long-ball that Messi puts from the right wing to the left wing where Neymar or Suarez colllects the ball and score.

By blocking Neymar and Suarez, Messi could be subdued to a small limit.

LEAVE A LOT OF SPACE FOR MESSI

MESSI VS REAL MADRID

It may seem to be a foolish idea, but the trick works. This is a way to avoid Messi from dribbling.

This fact coincides with the first point: a one-man defense. Real Madrid were the first to start this technique under Mourinho.

It worked tremendously during 2012-2013 season and with the one-man defense, Messi were restrained to a point.

The reason for this idea is that Messi remains the greatest dribbler in the world. If you go with four or five, he will dribble one-by-one.

But when it comes to one-last-man, especially someone like Ramos or Varane, it will be harder because they must be dribbled twice or thrice. The great example for this is Varane's first El Clasico.

REAL MADRID ITSELF AS A WHOLE

REAL MADRID:ATTACK, DEFEND, COUNTER

The way Real Madrid play in a Clasico, if they win or lose, is the best and the most appropriate example for #HowToStopMessi.

Since October 2012, Messi produced a wonderful performance just once in eight El Clasicos.

Real Madrid used various types to subdue him and it worked well most of the times. They also used their trademark counter attack to score against the Catalans. Especially in the last three Clasicos, Messi earned very little pride for himself compared to other games.

Handful of errors cost Real Madrid defeat at Turin.

With their first away defeat in Champions League this season, Real Madrid face daunting task to overcome Old Lady.

Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid slumped to defeat against Juventus after Carlos Tevez penalty ensured the newly crowned Italians hold a slender edge over world champions.

However, the defeat was due to a handful of errors in the defensive area as well lack of attacks in the 90 minutes. While, we take a look at five reasons why Real lost out to Juventus.

AN ATTACKING MIDFIELDER RAMOS

Sergio Ramos was the star man two weeks ago when Real overcame Atletico to reach the semi finals of Champions League. A similar display was expected from the Spaniard but the former was unable to make any impact.

But the difference between the two displays stands in two words: defense and attack.

Against Atleti, Ramos played at the defensive mid and it felt like Real had three strong centre backs. But against Juve, Ramos was given a more attacking role which he failed before against Barcelona last season.

On the other hand, Ramos couldn't keep up with the pressure exerted by Juventus and missed a lot of passes.

With a highly tense second leg expected, Ramos must go back to his defensive mid and help Real advance to the finals.

CARVAJAL'S WASTEFUL TACKLE

Daniel Carvajal's penalty turned all the gold to silver. Morever, it was just useless and wasteful at that point of time.

Had he left Tevez, the Argentine could have had a shot that may not find the net. Casillas was well positioned and ready for the shot, but before that Carvajal fouled him in such a way that the ball was not even closer to him.

The right-back also produced his bad performance by refusing to cross the ball from the wing. But his part in the build up of Real's goal must be appericiated.

With just one yellow away from suspension, Carvajal must reduce his rough-arm tactics and focus more on the game.

AN UNORGANISED DEFENSE

The third talking point was how Real looked in defending. Well, it was awful.

The first goal, definitely was a bad error from Varane. Tevez powered a shot through Varane which was saved by Casillas but Morata got the better off Pepe at the rebound.

And the second goal was off from Carvajal's foul. Ramos also looked awful and Varane let one off for Llorente.

Pepe was reasonably good but Marcelo was poor when it came to defending.

Real Madrid must surely produce a stubborn defense at the second leg at Santiago Bernabeau which will decide who will make to Berlin.

NO CHICHARITO, NO WORK

Javier Hernandez Chicharito was on the bench against Juventus. This was one of the blunders done by Ancelotti last night.

The in-form Mexican whose goal helped Real past Atletico, was introduced after 60 minutes as a replacement for Isco. However, he performed well till the end.

He should have started rather than Bale. Madrid highly missed his work rate and form.

Gareth Bale was no-match for Chicharito as the Welshman produced just less than half the chances the Mexican did against Atleti.

With the return leg on Wednesday, Javier Hernandez must make the cut in the starting XI or Real may face another downpour.

GARETH BALE

So far, the worst this season, Real Madrid must replace the Welshman with Chicharito.

The ex-Tottenham star failed to make any impact on the game and endured another difficult night in the Los Merengues shirt.

His lack of attack and touches at the ball made it look like there were just 10 men on the field for the visitors. Bale also failed to shine when on possession.

With all the blunders and critics created this season, Bale may never be seen in the field this season.

The second leg will be played on July 13 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with the then home side look to overcome the deficit.

Analysis of this year's surprising Europa League Semi-Finalists - Dnipro Individual Player Transfer Market Valuations

Key Soccerlytics Insights:

Dnipro FC has a total transfer market value of €82.7M and an average player value of €2.76M

Of the four teams left in this season's Europa League, Dnipro has a significantly lower APV compared to Fiorentina(€5.46M APV), Sevilla(€6.49M APV) and Napoli (€9.72M APV)

Pictured above, winger Konoplyanka (€16M) is Dnipro's most highly valued player, and a likely transfer target for some Europe's top clubs this summer.

Konoplyanka, who has been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham and Roma in the past, is valued at 480% above Dnipro's €2.76M APV

25 year old Ukrainian International Roman Zozulya (€6.5M) is the most highly valued striker in the squad
26 year old Czech International Ondrej Mazuch (€5M) is the most highly valued defender in the squad

Transfer Market Value Index Chart as of 5/5/2015 (Market Value data from Transfermarkt.com)